Disclaimer: I am in no way associated with SEGA, Sonic Team or any other persons/firms involved in the creation, development and distribution of Sonic the Hedgehog or other characters… or anything to do with Kill Bill.

A Lonely Quest

“Over the weeks that followed, I underwent a complete transformation. Shadow changed from a thief who could stick up for herself to a badass warrior who could take out a squad of G.U.N. troopers without pausing for breath. I even learnt to keep up with him too. When it came for me to resume my quest for revenge, Shadow showed he’d wandered into uncharted territory during my training, and he’d that loner amongst loners had taken the risk of trusting me.”

Dusk was falling on the temple complex on the slopes of Mount Sol, and in her quarters sat Rouge, kneeling in silence. Shadow, her temporary master had told the bat to await his arrival at the end of their training session earlier that day. She’d obeyed the hedgehog, and now Rouge waited, much like she had done for the past hour. Finally, the rickety door creaked open, and in stepped the black hedgehog himself, hands behind his back.

“About time you showed up,” blurted Rouge in annoyance, giving her master a scornful look. Shadow ignored the comment, and strode over to seat himself on the floor opposite his pupil.

“It’s been six weeks since you climbed those hallowed steps and begged me for training,” the hedgehog reminisced.

Rouge blinked in confusion as he uttered these words, gazing inquisitively into his unusually-thoughtful red eyes. It wasn’t in the taciturn Shadow’s nature to go saying things randomly, so the bat could only assume he was going somewhere with it.

“And now you’re pretty much ready to take on the rest of Mobius,” he went on in the same meditative tone.

“Yes, and?” Rouge urged him on eagerly.

“With Tails dead, Sonic will already know something isn’t right. He’ll have warned his companions and gone on the alert, but after over a month of calm, they’ll have let his guard down. But once Blaze dies, that is, provided you succeed, he’ll start trying to round up the only things on this planet capable of making him invulnerable,” pondered Shadow, thinking aloud.

“You mean the Chaos Emeralds?” queried Rouge.

The hedgehog nodded.

“Will he be able to track them all down?” asked the bat anxiously, the point of Shadow’s musings suddenly dawning on her.

“Not if you’re still as talented at concealing precious items as you once were,” he replied.

“What do you mean?” questioned Rouge, cocking a brow.

To answer her question, Shadow revealed what he’d been keeping hidden behind his back. Bringing his hands forward, he opened both to show the befuddled Rouge the glimmering red Emerald resting on his palms. The bat gasped, looking up at the hedgehog with awestruck eyes.

“I’m entrusting this Emerald to you,” Shadow told her flatly. “Keep it as well-hidden as you do your other jewels and you should never have to worry about dealing with Super Sonic.”

Rouge blinked, lost for what to say. It was the moment Shadow pushed the Chaos Emerald into her gloved hands that she realized the path she was preparing to walk down would be one she’d walk alone and unaided. Not that it surprised the thief. She was well aware there were few people with good enough reasons to commit themselves to eliminating the saviours of an entire planet. But the bat felt she did, and was willing to stop at nothing to do so.

Possessed by a renewed sense of determination, the bat took the Emerald and swaddled it in the blanket that’d been keeping her warm for so many nights. Still garbed in the outfit she’d crafted out the robe Shadow had provided, Rouge stood and gave a reverent bow to the hedgehog who’d remoulded her. Then, with the Chaos Emerald under one arm and her old outfit under the other, the thief left Mount Sol for her SUV and the familiar surroundings of Station Square.

- - - - - - -

Leaning against the bar in the Vanilla Inn, a bored Espio stood idly plucking at the strings of his samisen. The chameleon could never have predicted who it was that came striding through the front door, arms folded across their chest. It was Rouge, the person he’d recommend go see Shadow on Mount Sol. The same creature had even more useful information for.

“Guess what. He agreed to train me,” uttered the bat, taking the normally vigilant Espio totally by surprise.

“That’s always good to know,” he replied, placing his instrument down on the bar. “Could I provide you wit ha drink of some sort this time around?”

Taking a seat on one of the bar stools, Rouge nodded. “Ya’ certainly can,” she said, winking at him.

Presenting the bat with a full glass of sake rice wine with rehearsed finesse, Espio wasted no time in getting on to more pressing matters.

“I did a little ‘freelance’ work while you were away playing with Shadow,” the chameleon informed her, throwing a manila folder down on the bartop. “Think of it as mine and Vector’s contribution to your plight.”

Rouge gagged on a mouthful of sake as she casually flicked through the folder. It contained information on the whereabouts of Blaze the Cat, and more importantly, who she had in her employ. Espio had little idea of how helpful this information would be to the bat.

“How much do you want for this?” Rouge questioned as soon as she swallowed the last of her drink.

“Nothing,” he answered amiably. “Think of it as my contribution to your plight.”

“I thought you said you two had left your old lives behind,” remarked Rouge, taking a closer look at the folder’s contents.

“We were detectives at one point,” Espio reminded her. “But anyway, might I suggest you get moving before Vector wakes up. If he found out what you’re planning, he wouldn’t let you leave here alive.”

Shutting the folder and tucking it securely under her arm, she got up from the bar and backed away towards the door. Promptly blowing the chameleon a kiss, Rouge then vanished.

“Good luck,” murmured Espio to himself, placing the glass the bat had used in an empty cavity under the bar. He predicted he’d be seeing her again back before Sonic was dead.