Chapter 14

The arrangements were made for Tails' "press" conference. There was a sound system set in place, and a big placard featuring Tails' image behind an outdoor stage. Various protest groups were informed and everyone gathered together to have their grievances addressed by Tails. Even Rouge was in the audience to observe. Tails was still not on the stage and the people grew restless.

"Where is Tails?! You'd think he could at least show up on time!" someone grumbled.

At that moment, a hole opened up in the bottom of the stage and a platform rose up from it. There was an effigy of Tails standing on the platform! The real Tails now spoke from an undisclosed location as his words were broadcast through the sound system.

"People of Mobius! I am not able to meet with you in person today, but I wish to address your concerns and assure you that I will continue to work for the social welfare," said Tails.

"Where is the real Tails?" asked a person from the crowd.

"Does he think he's too good to meet with the likes of us?" scoffed an angry Mobian.

"I assure you that I am the real Miles Prower," said Tails.
"I have arranged for us to convene in this format so that I might continue to work for the public good in the most efficient way possible."

"He hides in the shadows and sends out duplicates of himself, just like the hedgehog!" a protester snapped.

"Let's hear him out before rushing to judgement!" said a supporter.

"Thank you. I can assure everyone that this administration has been opposed to Shadow's ways from the beginning," said Tails.
"We are the very heroes who overthrew that hated villain!"

"We just want to know why so many prisoners are still being detained!" someone said.

"We're dealing with the entire criminal population of Mobius that was crammed together with ordinary citizens," said Tails.

"Aren't there still prisoners being held with no criminal records?" asked a reporter.

"Many of the current detainees have been deemed as possible threats, even among those with no past convictions," Tails admitted.
"However, just because an individual has never been convicted of a crime does not mean they aren't dangerous. As brutal and heavy handed as Shadow's regime was, he did apprehend a lot of criminals who evaded the previous justice system."

"How can you decide that someone deserves to be detained even though they've been acquitted in the past?" asked a protester.

"A variety of factors are taken into consideration," said Tails.
"For example, many of the more volatile prisoners were held in maximum security sectors of Shadow's prisons."

"A lot of those prisoners were arrested as high-threat offenders for actions they committed during the desperate times of Shadow's regime!" said a protester.
"The times made them do those things!"

"As long as I am Governor over Mobius I will have to be the final judge of that," said Tails.

"You won't be Governor for long if we have any say in it!" snapped a protester.

"I never intended to remain Governor indefinitely," said Tails.
"When social stability has been adequately restored, elections will be held in an organized and secure manner."

"So the prisoners will be held until you say so, and the election will be postponed until you say so!" a man remarked.

"Someone has to take the lead in the decision making process, and I currently hold the power of Shadow's old facilities and implements," said Tails.
"You'll just have to trust me for now. I was competent enough to defeat Shadow and now I'm doing the best I can to use his resources for the benefit of everyone."

"Isn't it true that Shadow has still not been apprehended?" asked a reporter.

"I cannot confirm or deny that information at this time," said Tails.

There were gasps of shock all throughout the audience.

"That fiend is still on the loose, and you're worried about the alleged threat of innocent Mobians you still have locked up?!" screamed a protester.

"We're doing everything we can to confirm the status of Shadow and ensure the safety of Mobius," Tails assured them.

Rouge tired of observing and came forward to speak to Tails herself.

"Enough of these games, little man. I want to know what is the status of officer Topaz?" she asked.

"That prisoner is currently under evaluation," said Tails.

"You have to evaluate Topaz?!" Rouge scoffed.

"There were some prior "excessive force" complaints on her badge," said Tails.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" said Rouge.

"Governor Prower will not be taking any more questions at this time," Espio announced over the loudspeaker.

"What?! How dare that little twerp!" said Rouge.

Rouge flew towards the Tails effigy on the stage and knocked its head off with a spinning kick.
WHAP!

Some other members of the crowd joined in tearing the poster of Tails down and burning it along with the effigy, but most of them just dispersed and went about their business.

Meanwhile, at Tails' base:

"That could have gone better, but i think I got through to some of them," said Tails.

"Rouge seemed pretty upset," said Vector.

"Yeah, she's mad about you locking her girlfriend up," said Charmy.
"Why'd you do that anyway?"

"It's true that she's been accused of excessive force," said Tails.

"I wouldn't mind her bringing some of that excessive force my way," said Charmy.

"You're saying you don't think I did the right thing?" asked Tails.

"I think what Charmy means is that we have to pick our battles wisely and avoid alienating potential allies unnecessarily," said Espio.

"I guess I just get tired of people disregarding me and taking me for granted," said Tails.
"It seems like I'm always the trusty sidekick or the tech guy who's there to provide a needed service without ever being truly appreciated. I wanted people to respect me."

"Some of the greatest heroes are the unsung heroes," said Vector.
"They're the ones who do what's right even when they don't get any fanfare for it. And for what's it's worth, I'd say you're the greatest of 'em all."

"I'll second that," said Espio.

"Here here!" said Charmy.

"Thanks guys," said Tails.
"I guess the only thing to do now is track Shadow down."

"And keep an eye on Rouge while we're at it," said Vector.

"I call that job!" said Charmy.
"I can keep watch on the prison where we're holding Topaz. I betcha she'll strike there!"

"If it means that much to her, maybe I'll just turn her loose," said Tails.
"In fact, I think we'd better go down there and seriously reevaluate those prison records. Give the place a complete policy overhaul. It's obviously a major concern of the people."

"All right then, let's go," said Vector.

"So much for my stakeout," said Charmy.

Tails and the Chaotix set out for Detention Center 212. They put their heads together trying to brainstorm ideas along the way:

"Where do you suppose Shadow is hiding out anyway? And why has he been so quiet?" asked Vector.

"That's what worries me," said Tails.
"I've gone through the database of all his outposts and facilities and he wasn't found at any of them."

"Perhaps there was a secret facility not listed in the database," said Espio.

"Then it could be anywhere!" said Tails.
"How do we narrow it down in a situation like that? Any ideas, detectives?"

"If it's a secret facility then it must have a secret function," said Espio.
"We just have to figure out what sort of secret activities Shadow would be interested in, and what type of location would be conducive to carrying them out."

"Did the guy have any vices?" asked Vector.

"Other than landscape demolition, collateral damage, imprisonment and execution without trial, and general world domination?" asked Tails.

"You forgot obsessing over blonde haired girls," added Charmy.

"Somehow I don't think that's quite the clue we're looking for," Vector chuckled.
"I see your point Tails, we're gonna need something else to go on."

"I wonder if Rouge would know?" Tails pondered.
"Well we're almost at the prison now. Maybe we can get Topaz to find out for us."

"Um... You actually think she'll go out of her way to help us, after all this?" asked Charmy.

"Yeah right, maybe if we ask real nice," Vector joked.

POW!
Shots suddenly rang out from the distance!

"Whoa! That's gunfire!" Vector exclaimed.

POW! POW!

"Ah! I'm hit!" Tails cried, as he clasped his shoulder.

They all ducked to the ground and crawled for cover. Espio vanished through camouflage and went in pursuit of their assailant.

"The shots came from over here..." he thought to himself.

Espio spotted the lowlife trying to make a run for it, so he immediately pounced on him.

"You're not getting away that easily!" said Espio.
"Guys! I got him!" he called out to his companions.

The others made their way over to face the attacker.

"Nack the Weasel?!" Tails exclaimed.

"Yeah, what of it?" Nack spat.

"What of it?! You just shot me!!!" Tails screamed.

"Oh yeah. Nothing personal," said Nack.

"Who put you up to this?!" demanded Vector.
"Was it Rouge?"

"That trifling ho?! Ain't nobody working for the likes of her!" scoffed Nack.
"Besides, that girl already owe me money."

"Then who?!" repeated Vector.

"Some scruffy looking suit," said Nack.
"He ain't gimme no name."

"That presidential aide guy!" said Tails.

"Okay, let's search the area just in case there's any more goons around, and then we'll head to the prison," said Vector.
"I think we got ourselves a new occupant for Topaz's cell."

Meanwhile, in Topaz's cell...

Topaz was still sulking about being restricted to the confines of a detention center when there was so much going on in the outside world, that she had no control over.

"This is ridiculous! I should be out there apprehending criminals and helping to restore order. Not locked up in a prison cell on some bogus charge."

"Quiet down in there, prisoner!" the guard yelled (the guard just happened to be Bokkun).

"I just want to do my job!" Topaz insisted.
"The villain has been overthrown, right? So when will I be let out of here?!"

"No more insubordination!" said Bokkun.

He pulled out a long range, electric stun gun and zapped it at Topaz.
Bzzzzzzz!

"Hey!" she yelped, while dodging the shot.
"Watch where you point that thing, robot!"

"Was that a racial slur, human?!" Bokkun snapped.

"I don't understand why one of Robotnik's lackeys is guarding this facility anyway," said Topaz.
"Shouldn't you be with your buddy, Shadow?"

"Why you-!" Bokkun fumed.

Bzzzzzap! Zzzzap!
He zapped her a few more times.

"Ah!" she yelled, with a jolt.

"That'll teach you," said Bokkun.

He left to finish making his rounds through the prison. Topaz just sunk into a corner of her cell and heaved a heavy sigh.

She didn't mope for long though. The ceiling panel suddenly started to rattle and then came crashing to the floor! Rouge stuck her head through the hole and hung upside down from the ceiling.

"Rouge! What're you doing here?!" asked a startled Topaz.

"I'm bustin' you out girl! What's it look like?!" Rouge replied.

"Are you crazy?! I can't leave like this!" said Topaz.

"What are you talking about? I cleared the path," said Rouge.

"No, that's not what I meant. I'm telling you that I can't leave this cell. It's unlawful," said Topaz.

"Who's law?!" Rouge exclaimed.
"You want to rot in here just to be playing by the book of some made-up rule?"

"I'd like to get out of here, believe me," said Topaz.
"But if I break out by force, it only goes to prove all of the doubts and suspicions surrounding me. Plus I'd be undermining the already fragile order of things. I'm sorry but I can't leave now. Not like this."

"Suit yourself, but I say the kid is nuts," said Rouge.
"Just hand me that ceiling panel so I can put it back in place."

Just as Topaz was lifting the panel up to Rouge, Tails and the Chaotix were coming down the corridor to bring Nack to his new cell. They spotted Rouge just before she was able to slip away.

"There! Up on the ceiling!" yelled Charmy.

"It's Rouge!" Espio exclaimed.

Topaz spun around in surprise and Rouge uttered a curse under her breath.

"I knew it, I knew it!" Charmy shouted, gleefully.

"Sorry, but I can't stick around," said Rouge.
"Be seeing you boys later."

"Wait Rouge!" said Tails.
"It's okay because... I've decided to let your officer Topaz go."

"Really?" asked Topaz, with a big smile.

"This isn't just a trap to distract me long enough for you to nab us both?" asked Rouge.
"What made you decide to let her go all of a sudden?"

"We just... found a higher profile prisoner and we need the cell space," Tails lied.

"High profile? Where?" asked Rouge, looking around.

"We got him right here," said Vector, pointing to Nack.
"This guy is guilty of high treason and he's a coconspirator in a plot to overthrow the government."

"You mean that no-'count, two-bit thug Nack the weasel?!" Rouge laughed.

"Hey! I'm really moving up in the world of organized crime," Nack protested.

"Haa, ha haa!" Rouge laughed hysterically.

"What's so funny?!" Nack demanded.

"If there was a conspiracy going on, I guarantee you this fool didn't know he was in it!" said Rouge.
"Why don't you just admit that the real rason you're letting Topaz go is because you were wrong in the first place?"

"It's okay Rouge, it doesn't matter now," said Topaz.

"Still, that was a pretty lame excuse about needing extra cell space," said Charmy.

"Anyway Rouge, there was one thing I wanted to ask of you before you go," said Tails.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Rouge asked impatiently, hands on hips and foot tapping.

"Uh, nevermind," said Tails, nervously.
"It's probably nothing anyway..."

"What's with you Tails? Why don't you just say what's on your mind?" asked Vector.

"The Tails we know is more assertive than that," said Espio.
"We wanted you to be diplomatic, not –"

"– a wimp!" Charmy interjected.

"Okay, I just wanted to ask if you have any idea where Shadow might be," said Tails.
"We're still looking for him as you know, but he hasn't turned up at any of his known bases."

"Is it really necessary to hunt him down after all this?" asked Rouge.
"He's already lost the war, so maybe he just needs a little time to sort himself out."

"It's very important that we find him," said Tails.
"Someone's life could be at stake."

"If you know something, you should tell them," said Topaz.

"Alright, alright," Rouge relented.
"I don't know exactly where he is right now, but I remember he had some special place built over by Never Lake."

"Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?" Tails declared.
"Today is the day of Little Planet's return!"

"Little Planet?" asked Charmy.
"You mean the place with the Time Stone thingies?"

"He could be planning another time trip!" said Tails.

"Let's check it out," said Vector.

Tails, Topaz, and the Chaotix headed for Never Lake. Rouge tagged along to see what would happen.

Meanwhile, at the Never Lake Memorial Tower...

Shadow had been biding his time here at his secret tower, waiting for what might be his last chance to bring his plans to full fruition. He now entered the inner chamber of the tower, where a young girl awaited.

"Why have you brought me here?" she asked.

"It's all right. Do not be afraid Maria," said Shadow.

"My name is Helen!" said Helen.
"You've got the wrong person. I'm not Maria!"

"No... you're not," said Shadow, solemnly.

Suddenly Helen gasped and fell to the floor. Shadow had rendered her unconscious with a binding, Chaos maneuver.

"Don't worry Maria, we'll be together soon," said Shadow.

He picked Helen up and carried her outside, placing her on the altar-like pedestal near the fountain.

"I wasn't able to save Maria before, as if fate bound me from interceding," said Shadow.
"But if the interdimensional scales of balance demand a soul to be sacrificed, then I will abide it. A suitable match must be provided for everything to happen as it must, leading up to this very moment."

Shadow activated a control switch on the pedestal, which initiated a syphon he had connected to the Master Emerald. Energy was transmitted into the Chaos Emeralds, infusing them with power to become Super Emeralds. As the power flowed through his body, he raised his hands to the air and summoned the power of the Time Stones, detecting and drawing them to himself with the force of the Super Emeralds.

"Shadow! What're you doing?!" a voice called from behind him.

He recognized it to be Tails, and sensed that the others were with him.

"I will not hesitate to destroy you, and believe me when I tell you that I wield more than ample strength to do so," warned Shadow.

Sssssssswoosh...
KABOOM!

With a thunderous clash, a giant wall of energy swooped down in front of Tails and company, ripping a huge chasm in the ground. The energy continuously radiated in that range as an impassable field. There was no way anyone could get through to Shadow.

"Just tell me, what does Helen have to do with this?!" asked Tails.

"A soul for a soul. The girl will take Maria's place, and Maria will be transported here rather than me traveling back to save her. It's the only way," said Shadow.

"Maria will never forgive you for this!" said Tails.

"You'll be implicating her in the deliberate sacrifice of an innocent girl!" said Topaz.

"They're right Shadow!" said Rouge.
"Can Maria ever be happy knowing what you've done to bring her here? What kind of life is that?"

"No! The end justifies the means," said Shadow.
"Fate has dealt a cruel hand and I am merely turning it to my favor."

"This isn't you Shadow, and it's not like Maria either," said Rouge.
"She wouldn't want this, and I think you know that in your heart."

Shadow's resolve faltered under the weight of their condemnations. Temporal energies roared through the atmosphere, emblazoned by the power of the Super Emeralds which flowed through him. In a moment of indecision, Shadow lost control of the monstrous powers he had awakened...

"No! Maria! I... I'm sorry..." he gasped.
"!"

Shadow was rent asunder by the gale of primordial forces rushing through him, and his matter was scattered across all dimensions and timelines.

"Shadow!" Rouge cried.

"He's gone..." Tails uttered in shock.

Everyone was stunned at the earth shattering spectacle they had just witnessed. However, the storm quickly died down upon Shadow's disintegration and Helen was left over, safely. She awoke from the sleep Shadow had imposed on her.

"What happened? Where am I?" she asked.

"You're safe now," said Topaz, rushing to her side.

"In the end he just couldn't do it," said Tails.
"But it cost him his life."

"A fitting penance, perhaps," said Espio.

"I knew that he was never truly evil," said Rouge.

"Even after everything that happened?" asked Vector.

"Maybe he was just stuck in a moment that he couldn't get out of..." Rouge said, mostly to herself.

Helen was soon returned to her family in Topaz's care. Rouge went off somewhere to be by herself, and the others returned to Tails' base. Bokkun and Cream were there too. They were all reflecting on the dramatic events that led them to where they are now, as well as the bittersweet conclusion.

"...so based on various pieces of evidence combined with my own eyewitness observation of Shadow's demise, I suspect that something similar may have happened to Sonic," said Tails.

"So he really is gone..." said Vector.

"We've certainly lost a lot of good friends during this struggle," said Tails.
"Sonic, Vanilla, Amy... even Eggman," he added, nodding towards Bokkun.

"It's really a shame about Amy," said Charmy.
"She was actually a pretty sweet looking chick."

Everyone in the room looked up and stared at Charmy in surprise.

"All I'm saying is, I'd have been happy to take her mind off Sonic if I had been around," said Charmy.
"If it's lovin' she wanted, all she had to do was gimme a call, know what I mean?"

"Oh Charmy," Espio winced as he shook his head in disapproval.

Everyone else in the room gave similar clicks and groans of reproof.

"What, too soon?" asked Charmy.

"Too tasteless," said Espio.

"Not cool man," said Vector.

"Hey hey hey, it's OK!" Charmy insisted.
"Amy would've wanted us to remember her with cheer and good humor."

"No she wouldn't!" said Tails.
"Amy was melodramatic and self centered. She wouldn't want us joking about her, she'd want us weeping and wailing and saying how sorry we were for screwing up and failing her."

"In that case, who cares what she would think anyway?" said Charmy.

"I guess he's right," said Vector.

"Ha, ha, ha!"
They all shared a hearty laugh.

"But seriously though, Amy may have been a bit of a nut sometimes, but she was our nut," said Tails.
"The gang won't be the same without her."

Everyone in the room had to agree that it was true.

"I even miss being bossed around by her... just a little," Tails chuckled.

"Well it has been a long hard road to this victory, but the villain has been vanquished," said Espio.
"Now we can go home."

"Sounds good to me," said Charmy.
"I can't wait to see the look on Knuckles' face when he realizes Shadow was only using him! He's already gotta know something is up, but I want to give him the full details, personally."

"Okay, I guess we'll be on our way," said Vector.
"Tails, I'm sure you can handle the rest, with Shadow gone."

"I'll be fine with Cream, Cheese, and Bokkun," said Tails.

"Great, we'll send you our bill for services rendered later," said Vector.

"Huh?" Tails asked.

"Just kidding!" said Vector, with a wink.

"You're all leaving?" asked Cream.

"Yeah, but if you ever need anything, just call on your old uncle Vector," said Vector, patting her on the head.

"Goodbye mister Ve-...... uncle Vector," said Cream.
"And thank you."

~-~

And so, the Chaotix parted ways with them and returned to Angel Island. Knuckles grudgingly admitted his presumptuous error, but he still liked having the surveillance and security system and continued to keep a tight reign on the happenings of his island.

Back down on Mobius, society rapidly stabilized after Shadow's defeat. Tails facilitated elections for public office and stepped down as Grand Governor of all Mobius, although he still maintained a prominent presence on the world scene. There were many benefits in Tails relinquishing his power. He was able to focus on his physical therapy with the help of Cream, and eventually he was able to walk again. Over time he even regained his flight ability.

Likewise, the world itself also gradually healed over time, and together the peoples of Mobius ascended from the Valley Of Shadows.

The End

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