#...well sonic says that and i... guess shadow could come off that way to him. ehhhhh.

[monotone-artist]

[id in alt]

some idw redraws

[itzy-bitsy-spidey]

"Pokemon collection (pt. 7)"

Or "something made a hole in my backyard pt.7"

Shadow The Hedgehog x reader (platonic)

Notes: Happy Valentine's day!! If you're feeling nice leave a comment, they are hugely appreciated!

Part 6

Fainting was a weird sensation. It´s like when you stood up really fast and you get dizzy, except instead of going away the dizzines just makes you fall to the ground and hit your head.

It was the waking up part that was higly confusing. Mainly because the first thing you saw was a yellow-orangey creature.

"AHHHHH" Yeah, probably the whole neighborhood heard you scream.

And then you heard multiple voices at the same time from which what you understod was: "Hey, there´s no need to scream" from what sounded like a child, "You´re not dead!" from an older child, "This one is weird, she is silent and then loud" that sounded like a grown ass adult. And there was also Ozzy barking.

"Okay everybody, move aside, give her some space" Now that voice you did recognize, that was your aunt Maddie.

Only when she sat next to you did you register that you were laying in the couch. How long had it been?

"Hey sweetie" She started as she gently laid her hand on your arm as though you were a scared animal that would run off at any moment. "I´m sorry this all came as a surprise to you, we didn´t mean to..."

"I´M BACK, WHO SCREAMED?" Tom interrupted her as he appeared out of nowhere, or maybe he had come from upstairs, you didn´t know, you were sooo confused.

"What happened? And why is there a blue hedghog here?"

"We were going to tell you, but then you showed up with Shadow and we didn´t want to..." Once again your aunt was interrupted.

"Hi! I´m Sonic! Your super awesome cousin you didn´t know you had" The hedgehog practically screamed on your face.

"I´m sorry, did you just say cousin?" You asked at him, but you didn´t even let him speak as you turned towards your uncle "Is this why you said kids? Are these... things..."

"Rude" Said, well, Sonic, you guessed.

"...Your kids? And you didn´t tell me?" You couldn´t quite tell if you were feeling offended or confused, there was a sort of thightness on your chest, as if you were hugely overlooking a very important detail.

"Why did you not tell me? And why are there so many of them? What, do you collect them like fucking pokemons or something?" Now you did know what you were feeling.

Angry, hot with anger. You could feel it in every vein on your body, your eyes couldn´t focus on anything, until you found a victim, still sitting right at your side.

"I asked you for help! I thought he was dying and you didn´t even think about telling me that you had seen others like him?!" you screamed at your aunt Maddie as you got up from the couch.

"I didn´t know what to do, he is dangerous!" She quipped right back.

"That´s not your call to make, I would have handled it if you had said something" that was probably one of the first times in your life you had disagreed with your aunt.

Shadow wasn´t dangerous. Sure, he was hurt and he didn´t really trust you, but that didn´t make him dangerous.

"HE TRIED TO KILL TOM!"

...

...

"What?"

Your voice had came out so low you weren´t sure the words had actually left your mouth at all.

"He did, that´s why he has a broken arm" Maddie explained as she grabbed your hands on hers.

"But he´s not bad..."

"He has the ability to be..." she stated as if it was an unmistakable truth.

"Maddie that´s enough, we talked about this" Finally Tom approached the two of you, he put his working arm in between you and stared sternly at his wife. Yet she kept looking at you in your eyes.

"But it doesn´t matter anymore, he´s gone" She tried to smile reassuringly.

"What?" Suddenly the hold on your hands felt restrictive "What do you mean? What did you do?!" you ripped your hands of of hers.

"I-I, nothing, I didn´t do nothing, he was gone when I went looking for you" She seemed shocked at your harsh reaction.

Dread filled your entire body, it had drenched you in an awful way, freezing you from head to toes. A sound left your lips, it wasn´t quite a word, more like a strained gasp.

And the you ran.

You didn´t hear your aunt calling for you as you left the house, or the little yellow fox asking "What is going on?", all you could be aware of was the blood pumping through your legs and your heart beating wildly in your chest. There was a ringing in your ears too, that damned type of ringing that appears when the world is too quiet.

The run to your house felt awfully longer than the walk you had taken that morning, and once you finally arrived your brain was working too fast, trying to focus on everything at once.

From afar the house had looked normal, but the door was open, the lock busted. Your heart had left your chest altogether and was then beating on your throat.

You walked in slowly, the speed you had taken on the run dead as you had stepped on the welcome mat. A voice came from the living room, so you went there first.

The wooden floor creaked with every step you took, and anticipation built in your chest. But there was no one there, only the TV on, broadcasting a Mexican novela.

With every second you gained speed as you ran all the way to the bedroom you were staying in, the one Shadow had taken as his own while he healed.

The bed was neatly done and everything was on place, except the window, which was wide open

"SHADOW! SHADOW WERE ARE YOU?!" you screamed through the window, looking for signs of him on the backyard.

Something warm dripped onto your hand, and, as you touched your face trying to figure out were the liquid had came from, you felt traces of tears painting your cheeks.

You kept calling out his name as you searched around the house, your voice growing weaker and more broken as you didn't find him.

Finally you reached the living room once again, and you collapsed on the couch. You tried to hold your hands together so that they wouldn't shake.

A creak sounded from the window behind you; you turned around.

There he was standing, looking straight at your eyes with his usual frown. He exchanged looks with you for a few seconds and when you finally moved he was too confused as to move.

You jumped over the couch and hugged him. The hard floor digged onto your knees and your body felt tired, but he was alright which was what mattered.

"Where where you?" You questioned him.

"A woman came by, I did what you told me, I hid". His frown looked almost concerned then, as if he was worried he had done something wrong.

"Yes, you did well" You laughed and broke the hug, choosing to keep your hands on his shoulders instead "Maybe a little too well".

"I'm..."

"The ultimate life form? Yeah, yeah, I know"

"No, I'm... Sorry, that I worried you" he stared at the ground.

You almost choked on a sob at his words.

"It's okay, I was just worried you were hurt, there's nothing to apologize for sweetie" you explained as you held his face in your hands.

What a twist your life had taken.

Taglist:@boogiemansbitch@vxllys@whoisgami@baby-bloos@sapphireravensworld@mothmanperson@4rm-the-mf-concrete@eliknowsnothing@pooplyface1423@kyouzki@moon-trash1507@shadowforlive

[theocddiaries]

[In Stone's café, Shadow brings the bill to Maddie, who is sitting with her children. He gives Sonic a piece of cake.] Shadow: On the house. Knuckles: Oh, nice! If I’d known we’d eat for free because you’re dating the waiter, I would’ve asked him out myself. Everyone: Shhh!! [They see Robotnik passing by with a box in his hands. He stops and looks at them after hearing the commotion. Maddie waves, and he nods in acknowledgment before leaving the café.] Tails: It’s not the meal that’s free; it’s just the piece of cake for Sonic. Knuckles: Ugh, it’s always Sonic! Why never me?! …Oh, right, because now you’re a couple… Everyone: Shhh! [Robotnik, comes back into the café, looks at their table suspiciously. They all give him fake smiles, and he continues on his way.] Shadow [in a low voice]: Knuckles, for the umpteenth time, you can’t say that here because Ivo and Mr. Stone don’t know. Knuckles: What? That you lost your voice? Sonic: That he’s dating me, knucklehead. Maddie: Sweetheart, trust me, you’ll feel better if you tell them. Shadow: No. They’re letting me live in their house; I can’t impose even more by telling them I’m dating Sonic. No offense. Sonic: None taken. Tails: But Maddie’s right. You don’t have to tell Eggman; you could tell Stone, and he could tell him for you. Knuckles: Who’s "he"? Stone or Robotnik? Robotnik [about to leave again]: What? Knuckles: What? Robotnik: Were you calling me? Knuckles: No. Robotnik: Oh. Knuckles: We were mentioning you. Robotnik: What??? Maddie: Yeah, because we wondered if one can order food to go here? Robotnik: The hell I know. Ask Stone, it’s his café. Sonic: Then what are you doing here all the time, coming in and out? Robotnik: What does it matter to you, little pest! [continues on his way] Shadow: Sonic, you’re not making it easier. [Robotnik comes back in, still holding a box.] Sonic: But what's he even doing? Knuckles: Wait. Does Robotnik know or not? And what is it we know? Because I’m-- Maddie: Knuckles, honey, remember this morning when you asked me if you could use the living room to do your training? Knuckles: Yes. Maddie: Well, you can. Let’s go. [gets up] Knuckles: Oh, yes! [jumps out of his seat]: Free food and a family training session, this is the best day of my life! [Tails gives Maddie a pleading look, but she just makes apologetic gestures as she ushers him away. Sonic and Shadow are left alone.] Sonic [stands up]: Look, if it helps, I think Stone will take it well and support you. And they’re not 'letting' you live with them. You’re part of their family; they won’t kick you out over something like this. And if it ever happens, which it won’t, you’re always welcome at my place, okay? [puts a hand on his shoulder] Shadow: Thanks-- Robotnik [approaching with Stone, still holding the box]: Shadow. [Shadow sweeps Sonic’s legs out from under him, making him fall, so it looks like he was holding his arm to keep him from falling.] Robotnik: How many times do I have to tell you to just let him fall? I deserve to laugh, too. Sonic: Eggman, why don't you go to hell? Robotnik: Later. Now, Stone and I want to tell Shadow something. Stone: Shadow… Um. Ivo and I are dating. Sonic: My condolences, Stone. Robotnik: Shut your mouth! Stone: Is that okay with you? Shadow: Yes. Sure. Stone: Really? [sighs]: That’s a huge weight off my shoulders. Robotnik: Mine too. [shows them the box, which is empty]: I've been walking with an empty box because I didn't know how to approach this. [sets it down] Stone: It’s best to just say it. We’re all family; we can’t keep such important things from each other. Shadow: …Right. Stone: Well, when you’re done with the tables, come help me prep the daily special, okay? Shadow: Sure, I’ll be right there. [Stone leaves with Robotnik.] Shadow: …I guess I have to tell them, don’t I? Sonic: It’s your call. But I’m glad you see Stone is trustworthy. Shadow: Hm… [grabs the box]: First, I’m going to take a walk with this and hope it helps me too.

[hollaforlyla]

HELLO!! hiii so I love your work and I have a request for youu!!

Okay so either sonic or shadow x reader or you can do both!

(your choice of course!)

Okay so..what I'm thinking is what about reader and them go roller staking! Either for a little date or just to learn how to do it.. together of course

But like reader slips forward and falls down on top of them? And so the two kinda just feel flustered

Okay! That's it THANKKK YOUUU BYEEE!!

" ROLLERSKATING DILEMMA " ── sonic & shadow x gn!reader

sorry for the inactivity, i have no motivation what's so ever; also school is killing me 😘✌🏻 thx for the request, this was so fun to write! please enjoy 🫶🏻

SONIC

The idea of roller skating sounded fun at first. That was until you actually tried to stand up on the skates. Sonic, the ever-so-confident speedster, had no problem gliding across the rink. Meanwhile, you were struggling to keep your balance, your arms flailing every time your feet threatened to betray you.

"Don’t worry, I gotcha!" Sonic chuckled, skating back to your side and holding your hands. His grip was firm but gentle, and the warmth of his hands sent a small jolt through you.

You smiled nervously. "Yeah, easy for you to say. You’re literally built for speed!"

"Hey, it’s all about balance. Just—whoa!"

You had shifted your weight forward a little too much, and before you could react, your skates rolled ahead without you fully catching up. Gravity did the rest.

You fell forward—right onto Sonic.

"Oof!"

The next thing you knew, you were sprawled on top of him, your hands pressed against his chest while his arms instinctively wrapped around your waist. Your faces were inches apart, his emerald eyes staring up at you, wide with surprise.

A deep red dusted his muzzle. "W-Whoa, uh… H-Hey there."

You froze, feeling your own cheeks heating up. You were on top of Sonic the Hedgehog. The usually smug and confident hero was now reduced to a flustered mess beneath you, ears twitching as his hands hesitated at your waist.

"I—uh—sorry!" You quickly scrambled off him, nearly slipping again in your panic. Sonic sat up, rubbing the back of his head with an awkward chuckle.

"Heh… well, guess that’s one way to get close."

You covered your face with your hands. "Sonic!"

He laughed, the sound light and teasing but still carrying a hint of his own embarrassment. "Hey, don’t be so embarrassed! Accidents happen. Not that I mind you falling for me, though." He shot you a wink.

You groaned. "I literally fell on you."

"Exactly."

You were never going to live this down.

SHADOW

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" you asked, wobbling slightly as you clung to the rink's railing.

Shadow, standing effortlessly on his skates, simply crossed his arms. "You wanted to learn."

"Yeah, but you didn’t tell me it would be this hard!"

He sighed, offering you his hand. "Come on. I’ll help you."

You hesitated before taking it, his firm grip grounding you. Shadow, despite his cold and serious demeanor, was surprisingly patient as he guided you across the floor, moving at a slow pace so you wouldn’t fall.

"See? Just follow my lead," he said smoothly.

You nodded, feeling a bit more confident—until your wheels caught on something.

You yelped as you lurched forward, your body colliding with Shadow’s.

"—!"

The impact knocked both of you off balance, and before either of you could react, you tumbled down—landing directly on top of him.

Silence.

Your hands were splayed against his chest, and you could feel the warmth of his fur beneath your fingertips. Shadow’s breath hitched, his crimson eyes locked onto yours, wide with shock. His hands had instinctively gripped your waist to steady you, but now neither of you moved.

Your heart hammered. "I—uh…"

Shadow’s face was quickly turning red, his ears flicking in flustered frustration. "…Get off," he muttered, voice slightly strained.

"I-I’m trying!" you squeaked, only for your skates to betray you once again. You nearly fell forward, your nose brushing against his before you finally managed to roll off, sitting beside him on the floor.

Shadow groaned, rubbing his face. "…Tch. Ridiculous."

You bit your lip, still burning with embarrassment.

"S-Sorry…"

Shadow exhaled, glancing at you from the corner of his eye. His flustered expression softened just a bit. "It’s fine… Just—next time, fall somewhere else."

You pouted. "Not my fault gravity exists!"

He scoffed but didn’t argue, instead holding out his hand to help you up again. His grip was still firm, but now you swore there was the tiniest hint of hesitation—like he was still flustered about what just happened.

If nothing else, at least you both got a lesson in falling that day.

[bumblehoneybee]

Y'know what? Fuck it, we ball. Child! Reader comes home to Parent! Shadow or Bobby Bearhug coming home crying after a rough day or being bullied? Perfectly understand if not though!

His Everything

The worst part is the not knowing why. Why do people do these things? What about you makes them want to be so mean? You’re not anything more or anything less than any of your peers, you’re pretty normal if you had to guess. Your dad is kinda weird, sure, but isn’t everybody’s?

Besides, no one really knows you dad. You ride the bus to and from school, and no one’s ever seen inside your house. Maybe that’s it? Because there’s something mysterious about you? But why would that lead to the teasing?

What makes someone a loser?

Shadow finds you in the backyard, a grocery bag still hanging from the tips of his fingers. He can see the tracks on your cheeks, the despondent way you pluck grass from the ground just to let it flow away in the breeze. You haven’t even noticed his presence at the backdoor, so you’re obviously lost in your own misery.

He sighs, a painful twist in his chest. He doesn’t want you to be upset, and typically you’re not. You’ve been very easy to parent, besides the occasionally bumping heads you’d do with him. Shadow could handle you being angry with him, but how does he deal with you being upset due to something unrelated?

Shadow sets down his bag, and eases outside. You look up once he’s decently close, frantically rubbing at your cheeks when you recognize him.

“I- uh-”

Shadow just raises a hand. You fall silent, glancing away as he settles down into the grass next to you. He’s close enough that you can feel how warm he is, but he doesn’t touch. He’s letting you decide if you want touch.

And as you decide, Shadow carefully scripts the words he wants to say. Chaos, how did the others make this look so easy?

“How was school?” Shadow asks, voice low and slow.

You visibly tense, curling tight into your little ball. Your voice comes out muffled because of it. “Fine.”

Shadow huffs. “Fine?”

“Yeah.”

This already isn’t going well. Shadow plucks at the grass, letting the blades flow in the breeze. Seems you accidentally picked up on more of his traits than he intended. Keeping things bottled up like this isn’t healthy, that he knows firsthand, but at the same time, chaos knows he never opened up to anyone without there needing to be some hefty prying.

Prying which he did not enjoy, and no doubt you wouldn’t either.

Shadow glances at you, the far away look in your eyes causing his quills to bristle up in concerned annoyance. He wishes you weren’t so much like him. 

He considers abandoning his pride and calling Amy, despite how she probably is with Sonic right now. Sonic wouldn’t tease him, at least not while you, his so-called favorite nibbling (ugh), are upset. But once all was said and done and past, everything would be fair game. Shadow prefers to avoid that, but. . .

He watches you try and discretely brush away a tear.

Shadow supposes some things are worth more than his pride.

Your hand brushes his before Shadow can even think of standing, however.

“What makes someone a loser?” You ask, voice far lighter than Shadow was anticipating. You sound as airy and free as the wind, but the look on your face. . . Shadow doesn’t like it.

“Who called you that?” He demands instead, able to read between the lines. A loser, you? He must’ve sent you to the school for the blind by mistake.

You don’t answer his question, body sagging under the weight of your sorrow and self doubt. Shadow easily catches you, so light in his arms despite how much you’ve grown. 

“You are not a loser.” Shadow says sternly. His touch is gentle, however, rubbing soothing circles into your spine. “I am too cool to have raised a loser.”

That startles a little laugh out of you. Shadow smiles a bit, and notes not to tell Sonic that his unwarranted advice at the beginning of all this actually paid off.

“You are many things,” Shadow continues, “but insignificant is not one of them. People are cruel, ignorant, and sometimes blind to what’s in front of them. Those people do not matter, not in the slightest. Your self worth should come from you and you alone, no one else.”

You gaze up at him with sad, sad eyes.

“Not even me.” He says. Your head lowers again as you process his words. “If you are happy with yourself, that’s all that matters. People love you as you are, and that’s that. Nothing will ever change it.”

It’s quiet for a while, not that either of you mind. Shadow continues to hold you, to comfort you the best he can. You allow him too, safe in his arms, protected from anyone with bad intentions. Everything seems so small like this, so you try to hold onto this feeling, for the next time something bad happens.

“I love you.” You whisper into Shadow’s shoulder, too shy to raise your voice any higher.

Shadow pauses for just a moment. “You. . . You’re my everything.”

[anomaly-hivemind]

Snacks for you, cheese for me | Sonic x Shadow x Mouse! Reader

Tags: Major Character Death, fluff, angst, hurt no comfort, pining, Crackfic, unserious and stupid Word Count: 940

You were hanging out with Sonic and Shadow as you did on the regular, sitting under a tree and just enjoying each other's presence in relative silence. But it didn’t last long since Sonic was a D1 yapper. 

“It’s so hot out today. At least it’s nice and shady under this tree, but my quills keep getting caught in the bark, do you have that problem too shadow?” Sonic asked looking over to Shadow. Shadow gave him a lethal side-eye before looking away, ignoring the question.

“Well at least you don’t have that problem being a mouse and all,” Sonic said flashing his signature smile at you. It made your heart flutter a little. After a while, you realized that you were staring and got flustered.

Quick think of something! Say something so he doesn’t think you’re weird!

“W-Well I’m not fully a mouse if you could believe that!”

“What?”  Shadow caught part of the tail end of the conversation you were having with Sonic and had a confused look on his face which looked more like a grimace. 

“Yeah, my great-great-great-grandfather was a guinea pig, but he died in the war,”

“The war?” Sonic questioned. 

“The great guinea pig war of course, they ran out of cannon balls so he strapped ten pounds of dynamite to his body and catapulted himself at the enemy. The other side was so moved that they came to peace negotiations.” 

“...How noble,” Shadow said with a deadpanned expression.

“Yeah, and my Grandmother is a hamster but other than them I’m all mouse,” you smile at them. 

They both nodded in understanding and for a moment you could focus on the sounds of nature before Sonic piped back up. 

“Shadow come sit with us.” You called out to him, in a squeakish tone that you couldn’t help and was very demanding. 

Shadow reluctantly sits down beside Sonic and you let out a little huff since he didn’t sit beside you but you try not to let them notice. You dig into your bag and grab a bunch of snacks for you all and a block of cheese for yourself.  Sonic takes your treat happily and starts to eat what was given to him; vacuuming chilly dogs by the pound. Shadow gives you a little side-eye mutters a thank you and takes the snacks from you as well. You all ate and joked and flirted with each other a bit.

You laugh at one of the monologues that Sonic had told moments ago and the cheese slid down to block in your windpipe; you start to choke on your log of cheese. Both Sonic and Shadow give you a worried look and start to go into action.  You try to hack up the log of cheese.

No one could save you and you end up at the pearly gates of hamster heaven. You had accidentally offed yourself by eating your favorite treat. At least they get to add your death to their trauma story.  They had carried you off to the nearest hospital with super speed. But you somehow manage to choke on cheese in such a way that there was no point in saving you. Or at least that's what was said when you got there.  

At least one of the doctors gave them a wicked discount for coffins so it helps to deal with your final financial burden. Sonic couldn’t stop crying for days and he ran in fast circles around that hospital that had a shitty structure, which caused it to cave and sink into the ground. Killing hundreds of patients and workers. Whoops gotta go fast I guess.  Shadow comforts Sonic the best he can, pulling him out from the depths of hospital rubble and into… his arms. 

Sonic cried into Shadow's arms, kissing his quilly face in an attempt to try to soothe their new mental wounds. 

“We have to have a funeral,” Shadow muttered and they got all their friend to gather so they could have an open-casket funeral. It's what you would have wanted they assumed at least. It was a few hours or so after your death. Shadow and Sonic sat by your grave, holding hands and sitting close to one another, tears dripping down their fur-covered faces.

Abruptly a mousey hand crawled from the ground of your freshly and probably poorly dug grave. The soil caved and they took a step back watching as… well you escaped your coffin and climbed out of the ground without dying a second time. 

“Oh shit oh my god MOUSE, Are you alive?” Sonic spoke and Shadow looked hopeful and shocked. 

“Lol no, I’m just descending from my corporeal form and didn’t notice you guys still being here.” You squeaked with joy as you started to float into the sky. 

“Goodbye My lovely throuple, never find another to replace me. Get gay married and be happy again. I will be watching you hungrily and leave cheese for me, at least once a month. Love you both” You yelled quickly as you got further and further up in the air.

Both hedgehogs yelled back to you before you poofed out of existence forever. 

 “I’ll miss them, it was so sudden,” Sonic whispered and looked at the flower that they had put down when they first got there. They were your favorite kind. The sky was turning gray with a dramatic flare that was only real in sad movies.  Just as if on cue it started to rain lightly, then quickly pour. So the two of your partners got up and said their temporary goodbyes to your final resting place and gtfoed.

[livewireprojects]

Weird Metal Future AU

A while back I had this random idea for an AU were it’s sonadow in the far off future but it’s technically Shadow x Metal Sonic or at least it is at first

Shadow & Metal have outlived everyone, I dunno if Shadow & Sonic were together or not but Shadow had feelings for him & Metal had moved on from trying to be the real Sonic(having found an identity of their own) with help from their friends as well as their late wife Amy(died of old age). At some point when everyone was adults Shadow was away for some time & when he returned Sonic had died in an accident due to fighting a villain or something.(Even if Eggman possibly retires there’s always going to be someone to deal with at some point)

Shadow misses Sonic & ends up becoming close to Metal thanks to them becoming friends in the past as well as the fact they understand each other due to losing people they cared for that helped them out in the past. Metal at some point tries to get closer but Shadow is scared because he doesn’t want to use Metal as a replacement for Sonic. Metal accepts this & does their best not to try anything Shadow doesn’t want but at some point some adventures lead to the two bonding more than they already have & eventually becoming a couple.

Now I mentioned earlier that at first this looks like Shadow x Metal & that’s because at some point Shadow learns that his partner isn’t Metal. This person is actually Sonic who has technically become a cyborg thanks to Metal’s body. During the time of accident that lead to Sonic dying by some miracle Sonic was saved by having his consciousness put into Metal who was willing to share their body with Sonic. The two dealt with sharing a body for years as well as dealing with Sonic’s death as he lost his body, technically was dead & besides close friends(plus Eggman) no one knew Sonic was alive.

At some point when Amy passed away Metal allowed their consciousness to fade away as a way of passing on with her leaving Sonic as the only one in their body. Sonic ended up mourning in private(along with any friends still alive) as no one else could know Sonic was still alive plus Shadow didn’t know.

Shadow was never told because he had trouble dealing with Sonic’s death & there was really never a chance especially with how crazy it sounded. By the time it was just him & Sonic(Omega is possibly still around, he hangs out with them & is aware of Sonic’s secret) Sonic couldn’t say anything without Shadow thinking Metal believed they were Sonic again. Plus they’re in the far off future, have grown close enough to talk about themselves & about their past friends so Sonic can’t really get much evidence(maybe there’s a chance by checking Sonic/Metal’s coding cause there was likely a change due to Sonic being added) nor answer questions only he could answer cause it could be something Shadow heard from Tails, the real Metal when they were alive, Sonic himself while pretending to be Metal or someone else.

I’m not sure how Shadow finds out, want to guess it’s found out in some way during an adventure or maybe something lead to Omega confessing for Sonic & Shadow ended up finding a way to confirm it. Either way Shadow finds out & Sonic doesn’t have to pretend he’s Metal anymore.

It’s awkward between Shadow & Sonic because Shadow had accepted he was likely dating Metal & Sonic is struggling to get use to being himself around Shadow. I’m sure Sonic has been able to be himself while alone or around certain people but he’s had to pretend to be Metal in public for the longest time especially when it was his turn to control the body.(There’s also the fact due to circumstances he had to keep everything a secret from Shadow)

Eventually they’re able to come to terms with everything, they start over due it being Shadow & Sonic now instead of Shadow & Metal. Especially since Sonic while partly being himself had to pretend to be Metal & was accepting his fate so now Shadow is technically getting to reknow his partner, Sonic gets use to being himself again, they also end up mourning Metal since Metal is officially gone now.(If their friends/family’s graves are still there since a lot of time passed & things changed they setup a grave for Metal next to Amy’s)

Eventually things return to normal but with Sonic being there as a fully robot body cyborg instead of Metal.(I dunno how to explain this & this might be going in circles now)

I want to imagine at some point Sonic some how gets a flesh body back & ends up kind of like Shadow(immortal & shit) because despite having a robot body that can be considered immortal it’ll eventually break down even with constant repairs if possible. These two are going to eventually give Omega a funeral. They’re in the far off future so something could happen plus Shadow was made in a lab so maybe there’s a miracle somehow.(Maybe by some miracle someone had some how gotten DNA from Sonic’s original body before it rotted away so cloning was involved which could help)

Shadow despite losing everyone close to him over time is able to have Sonic stay by his side & isn’t going to be alone in the next far off future.

At some point I kind of imagine Shadow & Sonic carved Shadow’s name into the grave made for Sonic when his original body. I forgot how to word this but it’s kind of a way to allow Shadow to kind of be laid to rest with the rest of his friends/family & since he & Sonic are partners may as well put his name on Sonic’s grave. Shadow & Sonic are still the same but they’ve changed, while they’ll likely never get to see their friends again in the afterlife due to being immortal they can in a way say a part of them moved on with everyone else as the two head toward new adventures & possibly new friends.(Likely meeting Silver cause of how far they are into the future or if you’re me Silver is their son)

Edit: I semi thought about this but was too tired to think/talk after finishing this post(4 in the morning)

It’s really ironic & sad that the tables have kind of turned for Sonic & Metal. Metal use to believe they were the real Sonic & Sonic was the imposter when they still worked for Eggman but years later after after they left Eggman’s side, found their own identity & a life for themself & even became Sonic’s friend Sonic now has to be the Metal imposter. I’m sure when Metal was alive they both talked about the irony & comforted each other over issues because they understand the feeling of being called imposter despite the context being different for both.(I dunno where I’m going)

Now Metal is gone(admittedly he could & has talked to Omega but it’s hard cause Omega never had to deal with shit like this) & Sonic can’t really be himself around Shadow because Shadow wouldn’t believe him without proof that he knows he doesn’t have or possibly can’t use. I’m sure Sonic eventually realizes there’s some proof he can use & Omega can vouch for him especially since Shadow eventually finds out this is Sonic in Metal’s body. Even then I don’t think anyone they know now cares about Sonic being Metal, sure Sonic when he was still Sonic is seen as a legend due to being a well known hero in his time but I’m sure the descendants of his friends know.(I dunno where I’m going)

There’s also issues because again Sonic has had to pretend to be Metal for a long time. Shadow & Sonic had to start over because for a while now Shadow thought he was friends with & starting a relationship with someone else after having carried feelings for Sonic who he thought was dead. Shadow started a relationship with “Metal” after bonding with them & finally accepting he wasn’t thinking of Metal as a replacement for his crush that died long ago.

Now he’s learning Metal died a little after Amy passed & this Sonic/technically a stranger this entire time. Not to mention it probably feels like the ability to be with Sonic now feels like replacing Metal. Sonic understands this & gives Shadow space but with open lines if he needs anything because he understands things have been made worse.

There’s a lot of psychological shit I don’t fully understand nor can explain but they (likely with help from Omega & their friends from this current time) eventually work things out, start over, help each other change/recover & finally become a couple. It’s likely still hard deal with the fact Sonic hid things due to situations but they talk things out(probably get a lot of therapy) & work things out.

Sonic probably starts talking to Shadow about things he use to talk to Metal about now that he feels like he can lean on Shadow’s shoulder & be more open. The two are more open as time goes on & with help they’re able to move on & mourn Metal while giving Metal a proper funeral that they deserved even if they can’t burry the body.

Shadow likely has to deal with the worry of losing his boyfriend again because Sonic lost his body while Shadow was away & it likely eats him up inside. Not to mention while robots are technically immortal Sonic’s body & Omega are going to break down eventually & Shadow likely won’t always be able to replace the needed parts or make new ones.

Sonic ending up in a flesh body at some point & immortal like him(this is a repeating thing with my shit, mortal lover getting to stay with immortal lover some how) is both a blessing & probably leads to more worries.

The two have a lot to work on but they eventually work through things, work things out, move on together & finally are able to make peace with everything as time goes on. They know they’ll lose people again especially Omega one day who is the last of their original friends from Sonic’s time but he & the others will live in the two’s memories & the two have each other so Shadow isn’t walking the Earth alone one day.

I dunno where else I’m going cause I’m having trouble explaining & this is starting to feel like it’s going in circles now.

[c4n1d43cup1d]

Some hogcanons. notes (me rambling) under the cut

So silver was the reason i wanted to make this in the first place despite him looking the most on model (not entirely obviously, but i don't have many hcs for him). Mostly i wanted to draw his height compared to the other hedgehogs since him being freakishly tall despite being younger than sonic and shadow is funny. I saw someone say hes probably the most conventionally attractive hedgehog and i think that's true, hes a pretty boy and his fur/quills are really sleek and well maintained. The fluff on his chest is less spikey and more fluffy looking plus i put some fluff in his ears as well. I think his paws and nails are black and he doesn't wear eyeliner his lashes are just really long and hes got black markings on his eyes. Coming back to this after writing Amy's desc but i think hes genderqueer in some way idk maybe bigender i need to study him under a microscope some more every character i touch becomes transgender

Sonic has a few more added details, i like giving him a little nick in his ear and top surgery scars because that hog is trans. I haven't really seen many people give him stylized top surgery scars surprisingly, i tried to make his look kind of lightning bolty because uh something about him being fast. idk man. i think i imagined its similar to what itd look like for him to run in a zigzag? whatever i think it looks cool. I think his claws are kind of uneven and he doesn't really care too much about how they look especially since he just has them under gloves most of the time

Amy is fat because i said so, also i gave her wavier quills and heart markings everywhere. Her ears might look a little strange since it like implies her skin is making that heart shape but i imagine thats her fur spiking into the point. Her nails are painted the same red that shadows markings and stuff are mostly because i think them being besties is cute like. i see shadamy as a queer platonic relationship. Theyve always been my favorites im going to to make them as close as i want. Anyway, i think she and sonic are tied for having the shortest ears, and hers are the rounest (might make them even rounder the next time i draw her) also not entirely related to her design but i think shes transfem and genderfluid.

Shadow my son. im taking custody from black doom and gerald. anyway, i have the most headcanons for him because he is my absolute favorite guy ever he rots my brain. I think he and Amy are the same height, his rocket shoes are like platform/heels and so when he has them on he looks like Sonic's height or maybe a teeny tiny bit taller. I give his quills extra little spikes for no reason other than i think its cute, i could bullshit that its a black arms thing but idrc. What are black arms things though are his eyes and claws, his scelera is a more yellow compared to everyone elses (jaundiced as my friend put it. thanks endy) and i didn't draw it but his pupils are slits. Claws are long but are even longer when all the way out (retractable) his gloves are thick enough that he doesn't pierce them but he probably has a few spare pairs. Also not pictured but black arms related: his teeth are fucking razors, larger than the other hedgehogs and also serrated because i think thats cool. his tail is the longest out of all of them though i think it used to be longer but was lopped off in the name of science and never properly grew back. also his inhibitor rings are connected to a sort of device that does the task of being a proper gateway between his internal energy and the rings themselves, i didn't draw them but essentially its like a smaller ring that is embedded into his wrists i think. also hes trans but in a sort of alien way, i think the black arms can do the clownfish genderswap thing and shadow has it to a somewhat lesser degree its like an internal tshot i guess idfk

ok yeah thats all if u made it to the end thanks for reading the ramblings of a mad man

[emthimofnight]

I love Stellar! She's so cute! Love your art, keep being amazing, et cetera, but also I have a question:

You mentioned that at the time of Stellar's, shall we say, adoption, Shadow and Sonic were still in their "it's complicated" rivals era. I'm guessing Shadow wasn't especially close to Sonic's friends either? And that kinda got me wondering: how do Sonic's friends feel about Stellar when she first arrives? Obviously they love her on sight, but like, does Tails feel weird that he's now basically Shadow's brother-in-law? Is Amy a little alarmed at the thought of Sonic and Shadow being responsible for a literal baby? Does Rogue foresee the inevitable Sonadow to follow? And so on ...

Idk, would love to know more about the early days and everyone's reactions.

EEEHEHEH thank you so much for the compliment!!! 🥰🥰🥰

And I'll give you a quick rundown on everyone's feelings immediately after Shadow brought Stellar home!

Rouge was the first to know, as she was actually present when Shadow discovered Stellar. The two of them had been tracking some leads about Project Stellar for a while, not realizing they were stumbling upon another attempt at Project Shadow until they were right on top of it. Rouge initially tried to reason with Shadow, recognizing his anger instantly and trying to convince him to let cooler heads prevail. She even tried to warn him against removing Stellar from her stasis pod, fearing that it was acting as some kind of life support and would kill her upon removal. Shadow decided to remove her regardless, deciding that either way, a life in the government's hands as a weapon was no life at all. Still, Rouge convinced him to take her straight to Sonic—and, more importantly—Tails, since he had the tools at his disposal to give Stellar a proper look over.

Sonic and Tails live together, so they were the next in line to find out. Shadow basically showed up looking like he was out for blood with a baby in his arms, demanding that Tails use his equipment to see if she was okay. Tails and Sonic both wanted more of an explanation (like, where did you get a baby, WHY do you have a baby, why do you look like you just got out of a fight, etc) and Shadow would begrudgingly tell them what he'd learned, clearly deeply uncomfortable with the entire conversation.

Well, to say they would both be shocked would be an understatement. Sonic would be at a loss for words, for once. Tails, ever the scientist, would immediately want to look over Stellar to see if Shadow was telling the truth. By the time Shadow had handed the baby over to Tails, Sonic's brain would have rebooted and the motor mouth would start up again.

He'd be in total disbelief, really. He'd just start yammering on about every question and concern that would come to mind.

"The government tried to make another you?? With ME?"

"Does that make me a dad? Does that make YOU a dad?? ARE WE DADS??"

"I can't take care of a baby, I don't even remember BEING a baby! What do babies even eat??"

Etcetera, etcetera. Shadow would just stand stiffly in a corner of Tails's workshop, laser focused on whatever tests Tails would be running on tiny baby Stellar. He would totally tune Sonic out, instead focusing on the barely noticeable rise and fall of Stellar's chest, petrified that she might stop breathing if he looked away.

Honestly, the first night would be VERY tense. Shadow would still be high strung from the rescue, Sonic would be trying to wrap his head around the whole idea, and Tails would be devoted to running all the tests he could on Stellar to try and get some answers.

Tails would determine she was healthy, showed no signs of requiring any kind of life support, and was definitely Shadow and Sonic's biological child. Half Shadow's DNA, half Sonic's.

He would also realize in his tests that her energy readings were off the charts. Whatever they had been cooking up in that lab wasn't good, and Stellar was almost like a living chaos emerald. He'd immediately be concerned about the implications of keeping her around, but Sonic would have come around by that point, deciding there was no way he and Shadow would be getting rid of her.

Shadow wouldn't be so sure. He'd suggest talking to Rouge, Amy, or Vanilla about being a mother to her instead, since he wouldn't be confident in his own abilities to raise a child. Sonic would be annoyed by that, pointing out that it would be pretty messed up to try and pass her off on anyone else. Vanilla and Rouge both have their own kids to worry about, and Amy lives in the Sol Dimension with Blaze most of the time. He'd reason that they should at least try. Besides, who could possibly understand her more than Shadow?

Eventually, they'd agree to try raising her as a team. It'd be a begrudging decision, but one they'd learn to live with. The two of them wouldn't be romantically involved at this point, either, so the two of them had a LOT of growing pains trying to figure out how to parent together. Getting a baby government assigned to you is one thing, but having to raise it with your rival is another!

Oh, and as for Amy, Knuckles, and the rest of the group? They'd almost all be horrified LOL! Stellar definitely received a rocky reception at first! They all grew to love her eventually, though.

[shadamyheadcanons]

Do you think that, with Shadow being in a stasis for 50 years, and before that, living on the Ark, which consisted mostly of people way older than him, he'd struggle with romance at first?

Like, for example, being super awkward when it comes to it (especially the early stages) or not knowing how to approach things in the best way possible, if that makes sense?

I guess that'd also be a lack of experience of sorts?

I completely agree. I also think he wouldn’t have dating experience before Amy because I don’t see him as the type to “settle for less;” he doesn’t with friendship, after all. The only way I could imagine him having more experience than Amy is if they get much older and she’s still holding out for Sonic, but even then, I can’t put Shadow with anyone else specifically. If I ever write a Shadow who has an ex, I have no idea who the ex is. I try not to think about it tbh.

All of his social awkwardness would compound with his nerves, too, so he��d make mistakes. Clumsiness, freezing up, saying the wrong things, being hostile when he doesn’t mean it...he could easily scare people off. And he’s not used to making mistakes, so he wouldn’t cope well.

There’s a reason he works so well with the most sympathetic member of the cast. Amy could laugh off a lot of things that would rub others the wrong way; she knows who he is and wouldn’t take it personally.

I think he’d do fine once he calmed down and just acted like himself. He’s a naturally smooth, confident guy, and he could learn to lean into that and even be flirtatious after a learning curve. I have an older headcanon about that.

[ghosty-zero]

Sonadow one shot number #10: Lock Up

"Way to go, Sonic." Shadow grumbled. "You screwed up again."

Sonic couldn't think of a quick retort, so he stayed silent.

They sat on a cold metal floor, chained together in a room on Eggman's ship, like two pieces of meat on a hook. The ship had been flying for quite some time, so they could have been anywhere in the world. The floor and walls were cold and dingy, and there were no windows or furniture. It was dark and cramped, and Sonic hated the feel of cold metal around his wrists and ankles. The chains kept him and Shadow connected at the end of each other's arms and legs, preventing them from stretching out.

And boy, did Shadow have things to say about the situation they were in. He didn't stop. Not for a long time. He complained and groaned about the tightness of the chains and how uncomfortable it was to be stuck so close to Sonic. Sonic wanted to yell at him to shut up, but he knew that Shadow was just venting. So he let it happen. It's not like he wasn't frustrated as well, but there was no point in yelling at Shadow about it.

"You just had to jump the gun, didn't you? You were too impatient to wait for backup and now look at us. We're stuck here like two sitting ducks. I should have known you would screw this up somehow. It's like you don't even know what you're doing half the time. You're impulsive and reckless and...and... stupid. Yes! You're stupid, Sonic. I can't even use Chaos control because these stupid things are blocking my powers, so we can't even escape. And I still have no idea how that madman got me in here. I can usually sense when something like that is going to happen. But for some reason, he caught me off guard this time. What happened to all of your so-called planning and foresight? You couldn't even think ahead far enough to expect that something like this might happen."

"It's not like this is a hundred percent my fault. You agreed to come with me, remember? So I guess you're just as stupid as I am, huh? If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. I would have been able to sneak onto the ship on my own if it wasn't for you. And by the way, you keep blaming me for things that I didn't know were going to happen."

"Why wouldn't I blame you? You begged me to tag along for chaos knows what reason. I mean, what kind of idiot would agree to something like that? And then you get yourself captured the second you set foot on the ship. I don't even know how that happened. It's almost like you wanted to get caught. You've done some really stupid stuff in your life, but this has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever seen."

"Let's just try to find a way out. Eggman's plans always fail. And when they do fail, he ends up running away with his tail between his legs. So just calm down and wait for an opportunity to present itself. I'm sure we'll be fine. Just sit tight until we figure out what we need to do next. I don't know why you always act like you know everything. I mean, even the Ultimate Lifeform has to make mistakes sometimes, right?"

"No!" Shadow snapped, trying to bite the chains. He only succeeded in bruising his wrists and ankles.

Sonic was surprised by the sudden outburst. Shadow looked up at him, eyes wide. He took a few deep breaths and sighed. He put his head in his hands and said, very quietly:

"No, no. I don't make mistakes. I can't make mistakes. I'm the Ultimate Lifeform."

"Very convincing." Sonic remarked, trying to break the tension with sarcasm.

But Shadow was in no mood to joke. He gave Sonic a sharp glare.

"I'm serious. I don't make mistakes. If I made a mistake, then...then that means that I'm not perfect."

"Well, no one's perfect, Shads."

"I am."

"Oh, come on, Shadow. I know you like to think of yourself as some kind of God or something, but you're not perfect. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time."

"Not me. I've never made a mistake. And I never will."

"Right. Of course not."

Shadow turned away and said nothing else. Sonic thought about trying to strike up a conversation again, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Eggman's plans always had some sort of error or flaw in them, and it was only a matter of time before the situation was reversed. Sonic knew that. Shadow knew that. But it still didn't help ease the anxiety that they were both feeling. The chains were too tight, and the room was too small. The only thing that they could do was wait for the ship to land, and then they would find a way to escape. Sonic was fast, Shadow was strong, and together they were a force to be reckoned with.

So, why was Sonic so worried?

Maybe it was because he had no idea where Eggman had taken them. They could have been on the other side of the planet, for all he knew. And even if they had been in a more familiar area, it wasn't like he knew anything about navigation. He didn't even have his communicator from Tails anymore.

And what about Shadow? Was he okay? He hadn't said a word for quite some time. He was usually quiet and stoic, but this was different. This felt like a deeper form of silence. Sonic could only imagine what must be going through the hedgehog's mind. Shadow had a lot of demons, and they didn't seem to want to stay buried. They kept coming back, haunting him. Making him feel weak and vulnerable. Making him think that he wasn't good enough. That he never would be good enough. It made Sonic sad to see Shadow like this, because it meant that Shadow was suffering. And no one deserved to suffer like that.

"Hey, Shads? You okay?" Sonic asked tentatively.

Shadow didn't answer.

Sonic looked at him for a while, trying to think of what to say. He wanted to comfort Shadow somehow, but he didn't know how. Shadow was like a brick wall sometimes; cold and unmoving. Sonic had a feeling that Shadow would push him away if he tried to get too close. But he had to try, right? It couldn't hurt to try.

"I know you're probably really mad at me right now, and I don't blame you. I'm not exactly happy with myself either. But we can't let this get us down. We have to stay positive, Shadow. We have to believe that we'll find a way out of here. We've gotten ourselves into some pretty tight spots before, but we always managed to make it through. So this time won't be any different."

Still no response.

"I know it's hard to keep your spirits up when you're trapped like this. So...wanna hear some jokes? Maybe it'll help pass the time."

Shadow finally looked up at him, a look of annoyance on his face.

"What do you mean, jokes?"

"You know, funny stuff. To cheer you up and keep your spirits up."

"I don't need you to cheer me up, faker." Shadow grumbled. "I'm not a child."

"Well, fine. If you don't want to hear my jokes, I guess we can just sit here in silence until Eggman decides to come back and finish us off."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Great."

They sat in silence for a while, neither one of them looking at each other. Sonic couldn't take the awkwardness. He needed to do something to break the tension. So he started humming a tune. He didn't know what song it was, but it was a song that he liked. It was something about tacos. And nachos. And burritos. And salsa. It was a good song, and he hummed it loudly and off-key.

Shadow cringed, his ears twitching in irritation.

"What are you doing?" He growled.

"What? You said you didn't want to hear my jokes, so I'm singing a song."

"That is not a song! That is the sound of someone dying slowly from asphyxiation."

"How rude! This song is great."

"It's terrible. And you're making my ears bleed."

"Whatever, man."

Sonic continued to sing loudly and obnoxiously, making sure that Shadow could hear every single word. Shadow scowled and tried to ignore him, but he couldn't block out the sound. It was like nails on a chalkboard.

Maybe I can strangle myself with these chains, Shadow thought.

Sonic stopped singing after a while and grinned at Shadow.

"So, did you like my song?"

"No."

"I thought it was pretty good."

"You have horrible taste."

"You're just jealous because you can't sing."

"I can sing." Shadow said defensively. "I just choose not to."

"Excellent excuse. You know what? I bet you can't even sing a single note."

"I'm not about to start singing to prove a point, you idiot. Just because I don't like your taste in music doesn't mean I can't sing. I have excellent vocal cords. It's one of the few perks of being a bioengineered weapon."

"Yeah, right. I bet you can't even hold a tune."

"I could if I wanted to, but why would I waste my breath on such a pointless activity?"

"Because it's fun, obviously. You should try it sometime."

"I'd rather jump into a volcano."

"Whatever you say, Shads. But if you ever change your mind, let me know. I'd love to hear you sing."

"In your dreams, faker."

Shadow turned away and said nothing else. Sonic smiled to himself and settled into a more comfortable position, purposefully bumping his leg against Shadow's. Shadow glared at him, but he didn't say anything. Sonic sighed happily and closed his eyes. Maybe now they could get some rest and recharge their batteries. They'd need all the energy they could get once they got out of here.

They stayed like that for a long time, both of them sitting quietly in the darkness. The ship rumbled beneath them and the air felt heavy with tension. Sonic's legs fell asleep from sitting on the cold metal floor. His butt hurt from the hardness of it, and his wrists were sore from the tight chains. He wiggled around, trying to get more comfortable, but he couldn't seem to find a position that worked.

He glanced over at Shadow, who was sitting perfectly still. Shadow had his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, and his chin resting on his knees. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and steady. He looked calm and relaxed, as if he was meditating or something. Sonic wondered if he could learn to do that. It would definitely be useful in situations like this.

"Wanna play I Spy?" Sonic asked.

Shadow cracked open one eye and gave him a look that could only be described as pure disdain.

"I'm just trying to help us pass the time!" Sonic said defensively. "It's not my fault you don't have anything better to do."

Shadow rolled his eyes and closed them again. "I spy with my little eye something...green."

Shadow didn't answer.

"Oh, come on! You can't ignore me forever, Shads. We're stuck here together for who knows how long."

"Watch me."

"I'll annoy you until you give in. You know I will."

"Good luck with that. I have the patience of a saint."

"Oh yeah? Well, I have the stubbornness of an...uh...something that's stubborn."

"Clever."

"Come on."

Shadow sighed heavily and opened his eyes again.

"Fine." He said in a low growl. "I spy with my little eye something...green."

Sonic grinned.

"Is it the grass outside?"

"No."

"The leaves on the trees?"

"No."

"The emerald?"

"No."

"The grass again?"

"No."

"The sky?"

"No."

"I give up, what is it?" Sonic huffed.

"Your eyes, dumbass.

Sonic blinked.

"Oh."

"You should really pay attention to your surroundings, faker. It's important to know where you are at all times. And your eyes are very green. They stand out quite a bit."

"Gee, thanks for noticing. I'm flattered." Sonic said sarcastically. "My turn. I spy something red."

Shadow raised an eyebrow. "My eyes?"

"Nope."

Shadow huffed. "Our shoes?"

Sonic laughed. "Good guess, but nope."

Shadow glared at him. "Then what is it?"

Sonic smiled and pointed to Shadow's red eye lining.

"Your eye-lining. It stands out too, ya know."

"Oh."

Shadow looked away, a small blush creeping onto his cheeks.

"You're blushing, Shads."

Shadow scoffed and shook his head. "I am not blushing. It's just hot in here."

"Sure it is."

"I spy...something blue." Shadow said, trying to change the subject.

"Is it the ocean?"

"It has to be something I can see, idiot. The ocean is outside, not in here."

"Then what is it?"

Shadow pointed to Sonic's quills.

"Those ridiculous spikes you call quills. They're blue."

"Hey! My quills are not ridiculous!"

Shadow smirked. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, faker."

"At least I don't have a permanent scowl on my face."

"Just take your damn turn, hedgehog."

"I spy something...escape route?"

"That's not a color, idiot. Try again."

"No, I mean, I think I just found our way out of here."

Shadow followed Sonic's line of sight to a small vent on the wall behind him.

"The vent?" He asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why not?"

Shadow stared at him for a moment before shaking his head.

"Fine." He said, resigned. "Let's go."

Sonic grinned and began pulling at the chains holding them together.

"Hold on," Shadow said, reaching into his quills and plucked out a sharp quill, "this might work."

He stabbed the quill into the lock and began twisting it around. After a few seconds of fiddling with it, the lock snapped open, freeing them both.

They quickly unchained themselves and stood up, stretching out their sore limbs.

"How did you do that?" Sonic asked, impressed.

"I work for G.U.N., remember? We were trained for situations like this."

"Right. Well, thanks, Shads. I owe you one."

Shadow waved him off.

"It's nothing." He said, heading towards the vent. "Let's just get out of here."

Sonic nodded and followed him, the two shoving each other as they climbed through the vent.

They squeezed through the vent, Shadow in front, grunting and muttering profanities under his breath. The vent was narrow, and they had to move slowly in order to avoid getting stuck. They crawled through the vents for what felt like forever, until finally they came to a dead end.

"Great, we're trapped." Shadow grumbled.

"Maybe not." Sonic said, looking around. "This vent must lead somewhere, right?"

"But where? Do you see any other vents in here?"

"I dunno, but I'm sure we'll find a way out."

Shadow sighed and sat down on the vent floor, crossing his arms. "Well, this is just great. I knew I should have stayed home today."

"Cheer up, Shads. We'll get out of this somehow. You'll see. We got this far, that's something to celebrate!"

"Being stuck with you for this long is punishment enough."

Sonic rolled his eyes and continued to look around. He spotted a small grate on the ceiling above them. He pointed it out to Shadow, who immediately stood up and grabbed it, yanking it off. They both looked up, only to see that it led to a room filled with crates and barrels.

"What's that smell?" Sonic asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Oil." Shadow's nose twitched. He looked down at Sonic. "Can you jump that high?"

"Of course I can."

"Then jump."

"Wow, me first, how chivalrous of you."

Shadow growled lowly. "Just do it, you idiot."

Sonic took a deep breath and jumped up to the hole in the ceiling. He grabbed onto the ledge and pulled himself up into the room. Once he was inside, he turned and looked down at Shadow.

"Your turn." He said, grinning.

Shadow scowled and jumped, landing gracefully on his feet beside Sonic. He dusted himself off and looked around the room. The smell of oil was much stronger up here, and it made their noses burn.

"What now?" Shadow asked, scowling at all the crates. "We're still trapped."

"Maybe one of these crates is a trap door."

"That's ridiculous."

"Well, what else could it be?"

"I suppose I could teleport us out of here, but my powers are still weak from those restraints."

"Don't worry, Shads. I'll think of something."

"You always do, don't you? Let's just hope it works this time."

Sonic walked over to one of the crates and opened it up. Inside were stacks of dynamite.

"Bingo." He said, smiling.

"Leave it to Eggman to have whole sticks of dynamite lying around." Shadow said, picking one up.

"We're gonna blow this place sky-high." Sonic said, grinning.

They grabbed a bunch of dynamite and began tying it to a nearby barrel. Once it was all tied up, they shoved it through the vent and back down to the floor below.

"Now what?" Shadow asked, looking around. "Anything to light it with? Because I'm fresh out."

Sonic reached into his quills and pulled out a matchbook.

"A matchbook? Where'd you get that?" Shadow asked incredulously.

"You'd be surprised what you can find in your quills, Shads. I got this from Tails a while back when he was working on some new invention. You never know when you might need a match."

"You miraculously have matches right when we need them, but can't make a decent plan to save your life."

"Hey! I'll have you know I have great plans, thank you very much. It's not my fault you can't appreciate my genius."

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, faker."

Sonic lit a match and held it up to the barrel of dynamite.

"Alright, Shads. Get ready to run." He said, grinning.

"I'm always ready to run." Shadow replied, smirking.

The match burned down to Sonic's finger, and he dropped it. The flame ignited the fuse, and the room exploded in a flash of light and heat. The force of the explosion knocked them both off their feet. They landed hard on the floor, their ears ringing and their bodies aching.

"That was awesome!" Sonic shouted, jumping to his feet. "Let's do it again!"

"Are you insane?" Shadow asked, picking himself up off the ground.

"Maybe a little." Sonic said, grinning. "But I feel better now."

"Good for you. Now let's get out of here before Eggman shows up to stop us."

"He sure can try, but I'm too fast."

"And arrogant."

"Oh, you love it."

They ran through the ship, destroying everything they saw. Badnicks fell like dominos as Sonic zoomed past them, laughing maniacally. Shadow shot at anything that moved, his eyes glowing red. They were a blur as they shot through a small window, breaking it and crashing down to the grass below. They rolled to their feet, brushing off the shards of glass.

"Now that was a ride." Sonic said, grinning.

Shadow didn't respond. He was too busy...laughing?

Sonic looked at him in surprise. Shadow rarely laughed, and when he did, it was usually because someone had done something stupid. But Sonic hadn't seen anyone do anything stupid recently. Beside himself.

"What's so funny?" He asked, confused.

Shadow wiped a tear from his eye and shook his head.

"Nothing." He said, still chuckling. "It's just...that was fun. I haven't had that much fun in a long time."

"Oh, come on! We have fun all the time."

"Not like this. Not with the threat of imminent death looming over our heads."

Sonic shrugged. "Eh, I guess you're right. I haven't had that much fun either."

He smiled at Shadow, who smiled back.

"This is not an invitation to throw yourself into more dangerous situations, by the way. I would prefer if you didn't get yourself killed. And I'm sure your friends would agree with me."

"Aw, come on, Shads. A little danger never hurt anyone."

"I'm sure you're wrong about that."

"You're no fun."

"I'm plenty of fun. I just don't like to take unnecessary risks."

"What's life without a little risk?" Sonic asked, grinning. "If we played it safe all the time, we'd never get anywhere."

Shadow sighed and shook his head. "I'm not going to argue with you about this."

"At least admit that...we work pretty well together, ya know? We make a good team."

Shadow looked at him for a moment, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. I guess we do."

Sonic grinned. "Told ya!"

Shadow rolled his eyes, but there was no malice behind it. "You're something else, Sonic. Now let's get out of here before Eggman shows up to recapture us."

"Fine. But we're definitely doing that again sometime."

Shadow chuckled. "Bring those matches with you."

"Will do."

[pinkrosey-xo]

Amy's First Christmas Kiss || SHADAMY - Part 2

Amy has 1 goal this Christmas and it's to get her first Christmas kiss from her blue hero... but what happens when she realises another hedgehog might be more worthy of her first kiss?

The next day, the snow had settled overnight, and the sky had become relatively clear. It was the perfect weather for people to get their last-minute Christmas gifts. At least, that's what Amy Rose had thought. She was normally very organized and would have all her gifts wrapped up days before Christmas Eve. But with her planning how to get Sonic under the mistletoe, she was running behind schedule.

'I can't forget I need to deliver the letter today.' She reminds herself in her head as she is walking carrying a pile of neatly wrapped presents. She began cheerfully humming to herself.

"Well, I'm glad to see you didn't catch a cold."

Amy turns quickly, still holding her pile of gifts.

"Shadow!" She happily beams, overjoyed that he didn't leave town immediately. "You stayed."

"Yeah, well, I figured I should at least try this Christmas thing at least once." He mumbled, almost a little shyly. "No matter how loud and noisy this town seems to be…"

Amy giggles. "Only you would have a problem with everyone's excitement." She jokes. "I'd love to stay and help you get in the festive spirit, but I need to get these gifts home."

Amy turned away and started walking, holding the gifts as carefully as she could.

"Rose, wait-" Shadow calls after her.

Amy steps onto the ice and lets out a squeal, dropping all of her gift boxes on the floor. She closes her eyes to brace for her encounter with the ground, but it doesn't come. As she opened her eyes, she realised Shadow had sped over quickly and grabbed her hands to balance her.

"O-Oh," She blushes lightly as she feels Shadow's warm hands on hers and their eyes meet. She'd seen his eyes a million times, but she never noticed the way they sparkled like rubies against the colour of the white snow. "I thought I was going to fa-"

Before Amy could finish, Shadow's foot lost its grip and they both fell to the ground together, Shadow's body falling on top of Amy's. He tried his best to catch his weight by slamming his hand on the ground beside her head. Their noses touched for a split second as they both blushed. Amy had never seen Shadow's cheeks such a rosy colour before. Shadow, embarrassed, sits up quickly and gently takes Amy's hands to help her sit up as well.

As they gaze at each other, Amy suddenly starts laughing. She doesn't let go of Shadow's hand, and he can't help but watch her intently. Another memory of Maria falling and laughing immediately after flashing before his eyes. He chuckles himself.

"I guess your clumsiness is catching." He jokes.

Amy giggles. "Did you just make a joke?" She asks with fake surprise. "Could it be you're embracing the Christmas spirit after all?"

"Unlikely."  He responds.

Shadow carefully pushes himself up to his feet, and he holds his hand out for Amy. She takes it gently and also rises to her feet. After wiping snow off themselves, they both moved carefully to pick up Amy's gift boxes.

"Phew, none of them look broken." She sighs softly to herself after picking up what she thought was the last one.

Shadow comes over, holding a small box in his hand. "There's this one too." He says.

Amy smiles brightly and takes it from him, stacking her gifts in her hands again.

"Shadow, I-I-."

"It's fine, really, Rose." He responds.

Amy places her gifts down into a pile on the ground, and without another word, she moves towards Shadow and places a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, Shadow." She says softly, almost in a whisper.

"Uh… anytime." He responds, blushing lightly.

Amy realises Shadow's blush, and it very quickly makes her feel embarrassed. 'Did I just kiss Shadow? On the cheek?!" She screams in her head. That wasn't a part of her Christmas plans.

"I should um-" She stammers as she rushes to pick up her gift boxes. "-get these home." She was already rushing away, her cheeks bright red, before she could even finish her sentence.

Shadow stood still dumbfounded at what had just happened, and only once he was sure Amy was out of sight. He lifted his hand to his cheek as if he could still feel her lips lingering there. He quickly looks above him but doesn't see anything except for the snowy sky.

As Amy rushes home, the scene of her kissing Shadow's cheek plays repeatedly in her head. Why did she do that? Maybe she just felt grateful since it was the second time Shadow had saved her since arriving back in town. 'That must be it.' She thinks to herself. 'It's not like I meant it for any other reason.'

Once Amy arrives home, she's completely pushed aside any thoughts relating to Shadow and her kiss on his cheek. Her sole focus now was to write a letter for Sonic to meet her under the tree tonight. After all, that was always her plan. She writes the letter, then writes it again, and then again. It was unusual, but Amy was lost for words. She usually wrote letters effortlessly, but she wanted it to be perfect. She repeats this cycle for hours. Writing a letter, screwing it up, writing a new one, and repeating it.

It isn't until there is a knock at her door that she snaps out of it. Without thinking, she grabs the letter she was writing and rushes to the door.

"Yes?" Amy softly asks as she opens her door. To her surprise, she sees Shadow. "Shadow?"

"Sorry," He mutters. "I wanted to make sure you got home safe. With the uh- the presents."

"Oh," Amy blushes lightly. "Well, here I am, safe and sound." She responds.

"Yes." Shadow replies as he catches sight of the letter in Amy's hand. "What's this?"

Amy suddenly realises, and she hides it behind her back. "Oh, nothing!" She exclaims.

Shadow frowns and then shrugs it off. It mustn't be important if Amy says it's nothing.

"Would you like to come in?" Amy asks.

"Sure."

Amy holds the door open for Shadow and closes it after he comes in. She quickly goes to the living room and begins frantically neatly fixing the room up. She leaves her letter on the table facing upside down.

"Actually, I um-" Shadow seems to stammer. "I came to give you these." He mumbles, holding out two tickets.

Amy immediately recognises the logo on them to be her favourite band, Hot Honey.

"Are these tickets to see Hot Honey?!" Amy exclaims in excitement. She hesitates to take the tickets, but once she does, she gets overly excited. They had been her favourite band for the longest time, but she'd never been able to get tickets because they sold out fast.

"I wasn't sure if they were still your favourite band after all this time, but-"

"Shadow, this is amazing! I love it! But how did you know they were my favourite band?" Amy asks, shocked that Shadow would know.

"You told me once before." He states plainly.

"I did?" Amy asks softly. She didn't even remember telling Shadow about her favourite band, and even if she had, how would he possibly remember? Sonic had never remembered anything about Amy before. Not her favourite food, her favourite flower, or even her favourite band, despite him being the one she told everything.

"And you remembered?" She asked, a little shocked.

"Yes." Shadow looked a little embarrassed for choosing something so personal. Perhaps this wasn't how one was supposed to do the gift-giving part of Christmas. Maybe he should have chosen something more generic like jewellery or flowers.

"Thank you, Shadow." Amy quickly embraces the ebony hedgehog into a tight hug, and he hesitates but eventually lifts a hand onto her back.

"Sure." He responds quietly, trying to hide his slight embarrassment.

Amy was so happy, without knowing it Shadow had made her Christmas already much better than the previous years.

"There are two tickets, you have to come with me!" Amy beams, smiling brightly.

"I really don't think-"

"Oh, come on, Shadow, it will be fun! I've always wanted to see them live, and you just have to come with me as thanks for making it happen." Amy insisted.

"Doesn't really sound like you are giving me much choice," Shadow mumbled, not wanting to openly admit he'd probably enjoy going with her.

"It's settled then. We'll go together."

Amy was really happy with her gift, and honestly, it was extremely thoughtful of Shadow to remember her favourite band. Nobody had ever made her feel this special before. Not even Sonic. Especially not Sonic. Amy suddenly frowned to herself. She could hardly remember the last time Sonic got her a gift. He usually excuses himself with hero work or being busy.

"Hey, Shadow?" Amy shyly says. "Would you meet me somewhere later?"

Shadow tilts his head. "Meet you somewhere?" He asks, confused.

"Yes. There's new decorations at a park nearby and I wanted to see them…" She says, a blush spreading on her cheeks. "But uh- you know how clumsy I can be, so I thought it might be safer with you."

Shadow hesitates for a second as he watches Amy's face turn red.

"Sure." He answers.

Amy smiles. 'He said yes,' She thinks to herself. 'Oh my God, he said yes!'

"Meet me there at 8?" She asks, her smile bright and happy.

Shadow nods and decides not to ask further.

"Oh wait, I have a gift for you too!" She exclaims. "I'll be right back."

Amy quickly rushes out of the room down the hallway and up the stairs to her bedroom.

Meanwhile, Shadow smiled to himself, happy that Amy had liked her gift. He had never really had a proper Christmas before but he was glad that he came back and was willing to give it a try. Sometimes being alone, made him feel lonely. He was honoured that Amy had asked him to go to the concert with her. Perhaps he had a special place in her heart like she somehow had in his own?

As Shadow was waiting he noticed the letter Amy was holding on the table, so he picked it up. As his eyes start scanning the words on the paper, he frowns. She was inviting Sonic to see the decorations too? Shadow felt a sudden pang in his chest and he dropped the letter in disappointment. He wasn't special at all. Why did he even think he would be? Just because she asked her friend to a concert? And because of that silly kiss on the cheek? Of course, it had never meant anything. Shadow knew of Amy's infatuation with the blue hedgehog, so why was he so disappointed?

Amy finally found a small wrapped-up box in her room and she quickly hurried downstairs, but once she reached downstairs she saw Shadow was already gone and her door was wide open. 'Weird…' She thought as she walked over to the door. She peered out but didn't see any signs of Shadow. 'Maybe he had something to do before meeting me later?' She thought to herself.

Amy closed her door and set Shadow's gift down on the table. If she was meeting Shadow soon, she needed to get ready. And she needed to look her best. Amy hurried upstairs to begin getting dressed up for her plan, only this time it was with Shadow and not Sonic. After all, Shadow was the one who cared for Amy and she was only embarrassed that she hadn't noticed sooner.

Amy wore a long-sleeved red dress with lace at the bottom and ribbons at the back. Her hair was freshly washed and her red headband also had a ribbon on each side. She wore a pair of red and white striped boots with a heel. Also, her makeup was light but enough to make her eyes and lashes stand out. After all, one needed to look good when confessing their feelings.

Once Amy was finished dressing she ran back to grab Shadow's gift. Now she had everything she needed. She glanced at the clock and although she was ready a little early, she couldn't contain her excitement. She carries Shadow's gift with her as she heads out of her door and makes her way to the park.

Since arriving Amy had been staring at the clock in the distance. She was sure that she had said 8 pm to Shadow, but he was nowhere in sight. It was already 39 minutes since he was supposed to arrive, and Amy had begun pacing out of anxiousness. 'He must be running late, that's all Amy. No need to panic.' She thinks to herself. Shadow wouldn't let her down like-

"Ames, there you are."

Amy turns quickly and her smile fades as she sees Sonic heading towards her, a piece of paper in his hand.

"Sonic?" She asks, confused. How would he know she was here… Her gaze zooms in on the letter he's holding and she recognises a drawn heart on the back of the letter. It was the one she wrote. But she never delivered it?

"Wait- how did you get this?" Amy asks, pointing to her letter.

"Funny story," Sonic laughs, "Shadow appeared out of nowhere and he gave me this saying that you had something important to say to me."

"Shadow gave it to you?" Amy asks, blinking confusedly.

Sonic notices the tree and he sees hanging mistletoe above where Amy is standing and he suddenly laughs.

"Oh man, Ames. You really got me this year huh?" He asks, pointing to the mistletoe above her.

Amy doesn't answer, instead, she is lost in thought as to why Shadow would take the letter to Sonic. Did he not want to meet her? No way.

While Amy was lost in thought Sonic moved closer and gently took her hand, which snapped her out of her thoughts. Without saying anything Sonic started to lean into Amy to kiss her under the mistletoe like she had always wanted.

"Wait!" Amy yelled leaning back, away from Sonic. "Shadow, where is he?" She asks.

Sonic seems confused as he knows a kiss is everything Amy has ever wanted.

"Uh Ames, there's mistletoe," he chuckles pointing above them.

"I know," Amy says firmly. "Where was Shadow when you saw him?" She asks again pulling her hand away from Sonic.

Sonic had never been so confused before. Here he was standing under mistletoe willing to kiss her but she was asking about some faker hedgehog that he hates?

"I don't know, he said he was leaving or something," Sonic muttered.

Before he could even finish his sentence Amy was already running away. She didn't notice but she dropped Shadow's present but she didn't turn back, she had to stop Shadow from leaving before she could get her Christmas wish.

"What's gotten into her?" Sonic asked himself.

[part one] | [part two] | [part three]

Copyrights to Sega for the Characters. © 2025, pinkrosey-xo / pinkrosey_xo ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

[writingtraumaforever]

Uncontrolled Chaos: Chapter 22

Notes: No one ever guessed who it was outside the house correctly, and I am so proud of that.

Summary: An unexpected visitor arrives.

UC Series Masterpost!

Link to my AO3!

Start:

The room is silent and tense, Sonic’s defensive stance shifting from Rouge to the kitchen window. Shadow’s ears are twitching as he tries to listen for any noise from outside, Rouge’s hand slowly sliding from his mouth as she takes a small step away from him to tiptoe towards the door. Pressing her back to it, she listens with her large bat ears for anything outside as well.

Rustling.

Shadow hears it too.

Sonic doesn’t seem to pick up on it, but he recognizes the worried glance Rouge and Shadow exchange.

Someone’s definitely out there.

“Who is it??” Sonic whispers to Rouge, Rouge looking at him with a shrug.

“How am I suppose to know??”

“Could it be GUN??” Shadow whispers in turn, Rouge immediately hissing back, “If it is, we all need to shut up because they’re probably listening.”

The room is silent again.

Sonic slowly slides his way closer to Shadow to place a firm hand on his shoulder as if to silently tell him to stay put. Out of sight.

Then he’s crouching down and sliding towards the kitchen window, peeking up just enough to see outside. There’s a coated figure at the living room window peering inside. Mobian. Not human. Still could be working for GUN..

“They’re coming to the door..,” Sonic whispers loud enough for Rouge to hear, Shadow now moving to stand with Rouge in front of the door. The two of them each preparing for a potential ambush if they try to break in..

“Be ready,” Rouge says, “And whatever you do, don’t let them get you. Run. Blue and I will be fine..”

Sonic nods in agreement as he approaches the two as well, purposely moving to stand in front of Shadow so that he’s protectively behind both him and the bat.

All eyes glare at the door, ready for banging to begin or gunshots to ring out..

Instead, they’re shocked by an entirely unexpected sound.

“Sonic???”

Knocking.

Sonic blinks wide, body immediately tensing and then loosening all at once with relief. Rouge lets out a heavy sigh, tension visibly melting from her shoulders. Shadow himself seems thrown off by the familiar voice, and then immediately comforted.

“Sonic? Are you up??? Are you even home???”

Sonic moves past Rouge, reaching for the doorknob to unlock it before opening it with a wide grin.

“Amy!” 

The pink hedgehog is standing with her coat wrapped around her and her hood over her ears, immediately grinning fondly at her hero, “You are home!”

And then she’s in his arms, pouncing at him as she squeezes him so tight he can hardly breathe. He chuckles and hugs her right back, kicking the door shut behind her as he gently rests a hand on top of her head and the other on the small of her back.

“What’re you doin’ here?!” he asks bewildered, obviously very ecstatic to see the girl.

“Rouge texted me wanting to know where you were!” she explains, finally pulling back from the hug enough to look up at him, “And she never needs to talk to you unless there’s some sort of emergency or something. So I figured I needed to come back and make sure everything was okay—“

She then notices Rouge and Shadow both standing behind Sonic, smiling at her warmly and seeming a bit uptight.

She blinks. Then gives a slow, awkward smile, “Looks like I was right about something being up.”

Especially if both Rouge and Shadow are here at Sonic and Tails’ place.

Shadow moves forward now, his smile widening a bit as he approaches her, “It’s— really good to see you, Amy.”

Amy’s brows furrow at this, “‘Amy’???” she eyes him suspiciously, “Not ‘Rose’?? Okay— what’s going on?? And why are you and Rouge here so late???”

Sonic chuckles at this, Shadow looking a bit confused by her reaction.

“It’s a long story, Ames,” the hero says with a sigh, moving to step away from her to give them all some space to properly communicate with one another.

“Shadow had been on a GUN operation,” Rouge explains, “He got caught in a bind and used Chaos Control with a fake chaos emerald. Somehow, he was swapped with another dimension’s Shadow in the process.”

Amy’s eyes widen a bit, looking at Shadow up and down before back to Rouge, “…Go on..”

“I noticed he was acting different when he woke up, and he only wanted to talk to Sonic. That’s why I needed his location,” the bat explains with a smirk, “And here we are. Trying to figure out a way to get him back to his own world..”

“And our Shadow..,” Amy asks after a moment of processing, “..He’ll come back too, right?? He’ll be okay??”

“In theory, yes,” Shadow answers with a small nod, pleased to finally find one of his friends who doesn’t seem completely turned off of the fact he cares about them. This Amy seems to also care about her Shadow. He wonders if they have a good friendship in this world, too..

Surely.. she had been the one to snap him out of his vengeful state and remind him of Maria’s true wish, after all. No matter who found him after the ARK battle, that didn’t change. Amy was still important to him. A highlight in his memory, a spark in his darkness. What turned him around and woke him up.

She was, in so many ways, like a sister to him.. 

Like Maria..

“Good,” Amy breathes, a slight smile on her lips as she looks at the new Shadow. She seems hesitant for a moment before she takes a step closer to him, “So you know me in your world, then??”

“Of course!” he smirks, hands twitching to reach out and hug her like the protective friend he is.. he refrains. She’s not his Amy. Just as this Sonic is not his. “We met the same way in this world.”

“Except after the ARK battle, I found him,” Sonic interjects.

“Not me,” Rouge adds, a small smirk on her lips as she leans against the nearby wall with her arms crossed, “Apparently I’m the root difference in why our Shadow is a grump and this one isn’t.”

Shadow chuckles a bit awkwardly at that, rubbing the back of his neck as he looks at the bat, “I wouldn’t say that. That feels like a massive understatement.”

Rouge shrugs, “Only explanation I’ve really heard so far.”

Amy moves to Rouge then, “Oh Rouge- I’m sure there’s different reasons as to why each Shadow ended up the way they did. Whether or not he’s a grump, our Shadow certainly is happier and more at ease with you than anyone else I know.“

“Yeah, Rouge,” Sonic adds with a smirk, “You have our Shadow a chance at friendship. Who knows! You may be the only reason he hasn’t gone on to dominate the world at this point!”

Rouge snorts a bit at this, waving them off with a sheepish smile, “Alright, okay. I get it. I ain’t torn up over it. Let’s move on.”

Amy giggles at this and looks back to Shadow, “How long have you been here then?? Just a few days??”

“Nearly two awake,” Shadow answers with a small nod, “Apparently I was unconscious for a while, though.“

“His chaos energy was through the roof for a bit,” Rouge continues, “Makes you wonder if it was still- for lack of better terms- transferring this Shadow to this world, and that’s why he couldn’t wake up.”

“Like a computer transferring a file??” Sonic questions with a little head tilt.

“Yeah, something like that,” she nods before yawning, her ears flattening on her head as she does, “Anyway. Glad you’re here and all, Pinky, but I’m beat. And we’ve got a long day ahead of us. You guys can catch up, but I’m gonna get some shut eye.”

“Absolutely, Rouge, don’t let me keep you up!” Amy calls as the bat begins her way back up the stairs, “Goodnight!”

Rouge simply offers a wave over her shoulder in response before disappearing down the hall.

“It was really cool of you to pause your trip to come back and check on things, Ames,” Sonic offers after a moment, Amy turning to offer him a sweet smile.

“Of course! You’d do the same for me- you’ve done the same for me.” Sonic rubs the back of his neck with a small shrug, “Yeah, well.. Still.”

“So tell me about your world,” Amy beams, spinning on her heels to face Shadow now with an eager look, “I wanna know everything! How different is it??? Did you and I get tickets to the Eras Tour?? Do you know everyone there that we know here-” she gasps, pausing as her eyes get big, “Am I married???”

Shadow blinks at that, an amused chuckle leaving him immediately as he shakes his head, “No, no you.. You’re the same age in my world you are here, so.. Bit young for marriage.”

“Oh..,” Amy pouts a bit before immediately returning to smiling, “Well, I still wanna know everything!”

“Uh-Ames?” Sonic interrupts with a chuckle in his voice, “It’s… pretty late. And like Rouge said, we’re all kinda tired and need to be ready for whatever happens next..”

“Oh. Right. Sorry,” she smiles sheepishly, “I’ve just been away so long, and I missed everyone! And to come back to a whole new Shadow?? That’s pretty exciting– bittersweet, but exciting.”

“I get it,” Sonic assures with a wink, “It’s a lot to take in. We’re all still kinda processing it, too. But you’re more than welcome to stay here tonight if you want?? I can take the couch, and you can take my room. We’ll all catch up more in the morning?”

Amy nods at this, giving her hero a grateful look as she sighs, “Thanks, Sonic..” Sonic just smiles in return, once again moving to hug her tight and muttering against the top of her head, “It really is.. so cool having you back home, Ames.”

Amy just smiles against his chest, hugging him back just as tight, “Miss me that much, Sonic T. Hedgehog??”

“Sure did,” Sonic admits without argument, pulling back to let her go and look at her properly again.

Shadow watches the entire interaction with a bittersweet smile on his face. It’s nice seeing the two friends reunite, but it’s also painful how oblivious everyone else seems to how much their absence has affected Sonic..

“I missed you too,” the pink hedgehog assures softly, a pause before adding, “Well, I won’t keep you two up,” yawning herself now that her adrenaline has settled again, “I’ll see you both in the morning.” Her gaze shifts to Shadow again as she points at him, “And I wanna know everything.”

He smirks and nods, “Of course.” She just smiles back and offers a wave as she begins her ascent up the stairs, “Night, boys.” “Night, Ames!” “Goodnight, Amy.”

They’re alone again.

Sonic and Shadow exchange a small glance before looking away shyly, recalling the moment they had had before being interrupted by Amy’s arrival. Sonic rubs the bottom of his nose with a small smile before stretching his arms high above his head and forcing a yawn, “Well, I’m beat, Shads. So I’ll be hitting the hay, I think–” “On the couch?” Shadow questions with a quirk of his brow. “Uh.. yeah, or in the shop or a tree or somethin’,” he shrugs, “I ain’t picky.” “No,” Shadow shakes his head, “That’s silly. This is your home. We’re guests. I can sleep on the couch. I don’t need as much rest as you, anyway.” “Oh, don’t Ultimate Lifeform me into making you sleep on the couch,” Sonic huffs with a roll of his eyes, “You’re the one who was out cold for what– a week??” “That’s a bit dramatic-” “You’re taking the bed, Shads. End of story.” “We could share??” Silence.

Sonic stares at Shadow with surprised eyes and slightly parted lips, his cheeks growing a bit more pink by the minute, and Shadow suddenly feels stupid for even offering.

“I-.. I just meant- it would be more convenient, and we’d both get good rest–”

“Sure.” “Yeah?” “Yeah.” “Okay..”

[theocddiaries]

Sonic: What's up with Shadow? He's acting super weird. Do you know anything? Rouge: Uh, what don't I know, darling… He's in love. Sonic: Shadow? Rouge: Yeah. But he won't make a move because his someone is interested in someone else. Sonic: That person is stupid. Interested in anyone else when they have Shadow right there. Rouge: You think so? Sonic: Maybe he's a little complicated, but we all have flaws. Plus, Shadow is attentive, caring, and there's nothing more loyal than him. Rouge: Exactly. That's what I tell him, funny enough. [Phone rings and Sonic talks while checking it] Sonic: And when that person finally realizes, it'll be too late. And they'll be stuck knowing what they missed out on. Rouge: Would you mind writing that down by hand and signing it? Sonic [sends a message and pays attention again]: What? Rouge: Nothing. Just me and my little habit of always being right… Sonic: I gotta get going, need to talk to Sally. Catch you later? [rushes off] Rouge: Bye! …Stupid, indeed, at least he admits it even if he doesn't know it. [Later, at the tea shop] Tails: You said no to Sally? Sonic: Yeah. Well, no. I mean, yes, I said no to her. Tails: Sonic, you said no to Amy, now Sally… What is your type then? Some grumpy recluse that doesn't even match you? Sonic: Yep. Tails: …No… Sonic: Relax, I'm not gonna say anything to Shadow. Rouge already told me he's into someone else who's already with someone. Very stupid if you ask me. Tails: Well, if you find out who it is, introduce me. I might have to swap you out as my idol. Sonic: Sure thing. Go on, head home, I'll go pay. [Tails leaves and Sonic heads to the counter. Shadow is there.] Sonic: Hey, how's it going? Shadow: Good. How was your talk with Sally? Sonic: All good. Shadow: Hm… Sonic: Too bad she's leaving before you got to know her better. It's one thing to stay because you're dating someone here, and another to stay just for a friend. Shadow: …You turned her down, then? Sonic: Yep. I'm glad I didn't lose her as a friend. But I just like someone else. Shadow: Oh. Well, to turn Sally down for them, they must be out of this world. Sonic [chuckling]: You could say that, yeah. But they're in love with someone. The last thing they need is me getting in the way. Shadow: I guess. Sonic: From what Rouge told me, you must get what I'm saying. Shadow: …What did she tell you, exactly? Sonic: That you like someone in kind of the same predicament. Shadow: Nice of her to go around telling my business. Sonic: She only told me because I asked, don't be mad at her. I could tell something was wrong and I was worried. Shadow: I'm sorry. Sonic: Nah. That's what friends are for. Shadow: Yes… Sonic: Shadow, do you really like that person? Shadow: Maybe too much. Sonic: Well, I hope they realize it soon. Shadow: I don't mind waiting for them. It'll probably be harder for you, since patience isn't exactly your thing. Sonic: You know what? For them, I wouldn't mind waiting a lifetime. [pays]: Here. See you around. Shadow: Bye. [Rouge enters just as Sonic leaves and sits at an empty table. Vanilla comes over to her right away.] Vanilla: Remember when I told you to let your brother handle things at his own pace? Rouge [groaning]: Yeeeees, I swear I haven't meddled. Much. Vanilla: Forget that. We're going to meddle. A lot. These two are stupid. Rouge: Well, one of them admits it, so we're already halfway there.

[skaruresonic]

I've always found the way Sonic and Shadow's rivalry in SA2 develops one of its strongest points

When Shadow first meets Sonic he's just a blip on his radar, just some rando he gets to humiliate with Chaos Control for the lols. But during their fight on Prison Island Sonic shows himself to be capable of putting Shadow on his toes. Before the whole Emerl thing recently that must've been the very first time Shadow had ever found himself struggling against an opponent

However instead of doing the usual anime rival trope of getting pissy about it, Shadow seems to....almost grow interested in Sonic?

When he thinks Sonic got blown up in the capsule he sounds almost disappointed by the fact, and when he finds out that Sonic actually saved himself he's visibly smirking and even asks him his name before they battle

Of course Shadow doesn't like Sonic in any way and he's still gonna kill him...but I find it interesting how his behavior towards him seems to go from wanting to humiliate him like he does to all his foes to seemingly coming to enjoy this rivalry of theirs

Shadow was literally created to be the very best, he's lived all his life knowing that nobody could ever even remotely reach him, yet suddenly this weird guy comes out and manages to pose a genuine challenge, surprising him at every turn. In a weird way, when I see that cutscene before their last battle, it feels to me like Shadow is, in a small way, almost glad to have met Sonic. The two of then could not be more opposed to each other, yet when fighting they're on the exact same wavelength.

Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it

(And no I'm not trying to imply any Sonadow bullshit here don't worry)

SA2 portrays Sonic and Shadow's dichotomy masterfully. Good and evil. Light and shadow. Earth and space. Past and present. Yin and yang. Mirror and reflection.

Shadow is the first and perhaps only character who has really gotten Sonic's goat, by framing him for something he didn't do. And it's extra hilarious considering it seems to be almost accidental on Shadow's part---he takes a certain Schadenfreude in having circumstance pin the blame on Sonic.

Yes, I realize there might have been a deleted scene where Eggman tells Shadow about Sonic, but because the final game lacks it, it doesn't come off that way. Especially since Eggman seemed shocked to see Shadow on the news; he wasn't expecting him to have robbed a bank.

Likewise, Sonic is amazed by Shadow's speed. It really goes to show the difference between his pride (confidence) and his pride (ego) when he straight-up admits "Wow! He's fast!" He's not like "grr this bitch is faster than me," he is genuinely amazed. This scene will later be mirrored by Shadow's surprise that Sonic managed to perform Chaos Control with a fake Emerald. These two have a genuine admiration for each other's skill.

---

When he thinks Sonic got blown up in the capsule he sounds almost disappointed by the fact, and when he finds out that Sonic actually saved himself he's visibly smirking and even asks him his name before they battle

Yeah, Shadow specifically says "I guess he was just a regular hedgehog after all."

I'm guessing as well that at this point in the story, he has become cognizant that the end is near and is mentally checking out in preparation. That's why I'm of the belief that an unredeemed Shadow would be dead, not a tyrant.

Notice the shift in his demeanor from the beginning of the game to about the 3/4ths mark. He becomes far quieter and less theatrical. He stares off into space the closer they come to colony drop. It's eerie.

---

Of course Shadow doesn't like Sonic in any way and he's still gonna kill him...but I find it interesting how his behavior towards him seems to go from wanting to humiliate him like he does to all his foes to seemingly coming to enjoy this rivalry of theirs

Well, as Eggman's eulogy proves, a foe's admiration and the desire to kill them aren't always mutually exclusive. Shadow definitely does come to respect Sonic over the course of the game, if only because Sonic dies hard.

Likewise, Sonic accepts Shadow's change of heart and, if Battle is any indication, comes to think highly of him for it.

Hardcore recognizes hardcore. xP

---

Shadow was literally created to be the very best, he's lived all his life knowing that nobody could ever even remotely reach him, yet suddenly this weird guy comes out and manages to pose a genuine challenge, surprising him at every turn. In a weird way, when I see that cutscene before their last battle, it feels to me like Shadow is, in a small way, almost glad to have met Sonic. The two of then could not be more opposed to each other, yet when fighting they're on the exact same wavelength.

>>has flashbacks to discourse over whether Sonic is the real ULF based on Shadow's line during Finalhazard

>>suddenly understands why Iizuka made That Face(tm)

[nagichi-boop]

A Star That’s Out of Reach (Chapter 15)

[Previous] - [Next]

[Masterlist]

I’ll be honest, I have no comments to add. But what I will say is I can’t be bothered to wait to post the next chapter cuz I don’t wanna leave y’all on a cliffhanger (spoilers I guess?), so I’ll be posting the next one promptly. Please enjoy!

TW — Trauma flashbacks

— x —

Amy hummed as she cleaned her house, excited for the day ahead of her. Blaze and Silver had gone out to meet with some of the members of the Resistance, so she had some time to herself. Most of all, she couldn’t wait to meet Shadow later now that things were more settled between them. If this continued, it wouldn’t be long before they started dating officially, at least in her eyes.

Amy paused her activity as the floor began to tremble beneath her, the items in her house shaking. She wondered for a moment if there was an earthquake, but that question was dispelled as she noticed a beam of light pierced through her window. She shielded her eyes, then looked up to see what was happening. As her eyes adjusted, she watched as the Chaos Emerald that Shadow had left with her began floating towards the light, shattering her window. She lunged towards it and took hold of it, but whatever was drawing the Emerald out was stronger than her and she instead floated outside her house, clinging to the Emerald. After staring in disbelief at the ground that were several meters below her, she looked towards the source of light.

“Eggman!” She yelled in anger, not entirely surprised to see him as the cause. “Let go of me!”

“You’re the one clinging to the Emerald,” Eggman quipped back. “Surrender the Emerald or you’ll be coming with me.”

“Absolutely not,” Amy replied, tightening her grip on the Emerald. She glanced at her destination – a reinforced cage that was by no means intended to fit her. But she refused to let go, not after Shadow had entrusted the Emerald to her. She swung and placed her feet against the cage, trying to leverage herself to push away from it, but the Emerald would not stop in its path. She became jammed in the cage with barely any wriggle room, then the gate slammed behind her.

“Very well,” Eggman spoke with a level of disapproval. “I suppose I’ll find a way to deal with you.” With that, Eggman’s pod zoomed off with Amy and the Emerald in tow.

Meanwhile in Tails’ workshop, one of his gadgets pinged at him. He approached it, picking the tablet up. “Uhh Sonic?” Tails spoke up in a worried tone, capturing Sonic’s attention. “You know how you told me it was fine to leave that Chaos Emerald with Amy?”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. He hadn’t told Tails how it came into Amy’s possession, but just that she was perfectly capable of protecting it. “Yeah, I remember that. What’s up?”

Tails turned and replied; “It’s on the move. And not just that, it’s moving unnaturally fast. I think someone might have taken it.”

Sonic placed a hand on his hip and sighed. “I suppose that was bound to happen eventually. We should go fetch it in case someone like Eggman got it.”

Tails hesitated for a moment. “Do you think maybe Shadow took it? I know he and Rouge were there when we got that Emerald.” Just as quick as Tails asked, Sonic shook his head.

“Nah, I doubt even Shadow would stoop that low,” he deflected. “Come on, we need to go after it. For all we know, Amy could be caught up in the mess already.” The two of them then swiftly left the workshop with a sense of urgency, following the direction of Tails’ tablet. Just as they were mentally changing track to mission-mode, Sonic was stopped in his tracks by something. Tails stopped and turned, and as the dust settled, saw that Metal Sonic had appeared to battle Sonic. The latter glanced at Tails, then called out.

“Go, get Shadow! I’ll handle this lump of junk. Tell him Amy might be in trouble!” Though confused at the suggestion, Tails nodded and flew off in search of the other hedgehog, leaving Sonic to fend for himself against his metal counterpart. After a short while of panicked flying, Tails thankfully found Shadow laying in a field. There was no time to question why, so he landed and tried to catch his breath so he could speak. Before he could, Shadow sat up with a confused expression.

“Tails? Why are you out here?” Shadow’s tone sounded somewhat sharp, but it wasn’t intended. Thankfully, Tails was too flustered to notice or care.

He took a deep breath and spoke. “We think Eggman took one of the Chaos Emeralds! Me and Sonic were on our way to get it, but Metal Sonic stopped him. We need your help!”

Shadow didn’t respond for a moment. “Why do you need me?”

“Sonic sent me. He told me to say Amy might be in trouble.”

Shadow’s eyes widened and it occurred to him that perhaps the Emerald that was taken was the one she was protecting. Without a second thought, he stood up and began running, with Tails following behind him.

Eggman closed the cell door with Amy trapped inside, holding the Emerald proudly in his hand. “You really aren’t the brightest, are you? I had the mercy to allow you to go, but you stubbornly refused. And for what? To end up in a cell once again?”

Amy clutched the cell bars, scowling. “I couldn’t just sit idly by and let you take the Emerald from under my nose! Besides, I know I won’t be in here long.”

Eggman snickered mockingly. “Aww, you mean your precious Sonic?” Amy’s eyes widened. For the first time, Sonic wasn’t who she was thinking would save her – it was Shadow. She dared not say anything, but she looked away with reddened cheeks. To her annoyance, Eggman laughed even louder, which to her was just obnoxious. “Don’t think I hadn’t thought of that. You’ve been in this position enough times for me to prepare for the eventuality. I already dispatched Metal Sonic to deal with the rodent. And don’t bother with the bars – I reinforced them so that not even you could bend them.” Eggman then walked off, continuing to laugh to himself at his apparent victory.

Amy sighed, letting go of the bars. She backed away and sat against the wall, hugging her legs. For whatever reason, she felt more defeated than usual. She truly believed that if he knew, Shadow would rescue her in an instant. But how would he even find out? It wasn’t like he was in the same social circles as her. She glanced at the empty space beside her, as if doing so would cause him to suddenly appear. She teared up a little, burying her face in her knees.

Shadow and Tails arrived at the back of Eggman’s base. Before he could barge in, Tails stopped Shadow. “We can’t just storm in,” Tails insisted, causing Shadow to stop and listen. “Eggman no doubt will expect us to come after him, so we need a plan.” Shadow folded his arm, a serious expression on his face. He was impatient to save Amy, but agreed that rushing in was a poor move. “So how do you suggest we do that?”

Tails landed on front of Shadow, placing his hand in his chin while he thought. “Well, Eggman sent Metal out to stop Sonic, which suggests he knew Sonic would come after him.” Tails then looked up at Shadow. “But I’m sure he’s not expecting you.”

“I suppose. So what do you want me to do?”

Tails paused for a moment. “Actually, I think Rouge might be able to help. Not only will we have numbers on our side, but she is particularly qualified to help in this mission.”

Shadow frowned a little. “And what about Amy?”

Tails looked towards the base. “We still don’t know for sure what happened to her, but we best look around just in case. I can’t imagine that she would’ve let the Emerald go without a fight.”

“Rouge isn’t working today. Go to her and explain the situation. I’ll wait here.” Tails nodded and left Shadow. When he was out of sight, Shadow turned attention to the base. Though he understood where Tails was coming from, he couldn’t bear to wait any longer if there was any chance Amy was in danger. Using the Chaos Emerald at his disposal, he teleported within the base. He quietly wandered around, not finding anything odd at first beside a few Eggbots, which were easily defeated. Frustratingly, the base was large enough that exploring it took a great deal of time.

He eventually found himself in an eerily quiet room, so he entered with caution after scanning the room for potential dangers. He explored the panel of controls, but couldn’t make head or tails of what any of it did. Before he could properly explore, a beam of light pointed at him, he snarled and looked towards it squinting, then realised his Chaos Emerald was being drawn out with it. He grasped it, but couldn’t divert its path. He tried Chaos Control, but that didn’t work, either. So instead of trying to stop the Emerald, he looked to find the source. He found what looked like a projector, so he jumped and launched Chaos Spears at it, but to his annoyance the beam absorbed this energy too. When he landed, he heard what sounded like a pressure plate being activated. Before he could react to it though, a pod encapsulated him, trapping him inside. A sudden dread gripped Shadow and he found himself unable to break out, despite desperately pounding on the glass. He hadn’t felt this level of panic since…

He looked back at the panel of controls, but it was no longer the room he was in before – it was the ARK. Maria was on the floor by the controls, her breathing weak and laboured. He stared in panic at the sight and began pounding on the glass again, screaming her name. She turned to face him with messy hair and darkened eyes. To his horror, she smiled in her disheveled state, filling Shadow with an intense fear. He sank down in the pod as his strength left him, starting to gasp for air.

The glass around him shattered, causing him to cower in a ball. He heard footsteps and voices around him, but it all sounded muffled yet intense to him. It seemed as though someone was talking to him, but he kept his eyes shut and his hands over his ears: whatever was happening, he couldn’t face it. He was jolted by a hand on his shoulder, and without thinking he slashed whatever it was away. A brief moment of clarity came through and he saw a panicked Amy beside him, frozen in fear. The look of terror on her face only confused and frightened him more, and he found himself struggling to breathe.

A muffled voice spoke to him from in front of him. He slowly focused his attention to it, now seeing Rouge kneeling in front of him. “There he is,” she spoke softly, the first clear phrase that Shadow picked up on. “You’re okay, Shadow. Nothing bad is happening. Let’s focus, okay?” Through teary eyes, Shadow followed her directions. She instructed him to observe what was around him, and gradually he felt himself settle. When he had sufficiently calmed down, he rested in Rouge’s arms, letting out a tired sigh. She gently held for a moment, allowing him to compose himself before attempting to bring him back to the matter at hand.

Rouge glanced over at Amy, who had an expression of deep upset on her face. With a heavy heart, she offered a suggestion to her. “Perhaps you should go help the boys get the Emeralds back.” Amy’s eyes widened with hurt, but after hesitating for a moment, she got up and ran out of the room. Shadow opened his eyes and glanced as she left the room, and before he could muster a word to say to stop her, she was gone.

Amy caught up to Sonic and Tails mid fight. In the chaos of Eggman trying to retrieve the Emerald Tails had, Amy spotted the other was unguarded. She quietly crept up to it and picked it up, but the moment she did a metallic hand grasped her and lifted her. The commotion caught everyone’s attention, and the distraction gave Eggman a chance to knock down Sonic and Tails.

“You fools,” he belted proudly. “You think I’d let you get the Chaos Emeralds that easily?” Sonic watched as Amy squirmed and just as he was about to stand to rescue her, Eggman pinned him and Tails to the ground with another robotic arm. He then extended his hand and spoke; “Surrender the Chaos Emeralds and I’ll let your lover go.”

Before anyone had a chance to act, a blur of light moved around the room faster than anyone could track, breaking things along the way. Amy was freed from the arm’s grip, but landed in someone’s arms before she had the chance to hit the ground. When she opened her eyes, she realised it was Shadow who had saved her. Rouge hovered beside them with the other Emerald, smirking proudly at Eggman.

“Alright boys,” Rouge piped up. “Time to go.” Eggman was about to launch an attack, but quickly became distracted as a siren sounded and an alert appeared on his monitor. In his distraction, Sonic spin-dashed into him and knocked him down. When he got back up, he noticed everyone had left, sending him into a fit of rage. After making it a fair distance from the base, the group stopped to compose themselves. Shadow looked at Amy, noting the apprehension on her face. Without saying a word, he got her back on her feet.

“Is everyone okay?” Sonic asked, which was met with a series of nods and hums. “Did we get the Emeralds?” Rouge proudly held the green Chaos Emerald, while Tails showed the red one. Sonic sighed in relief. “Looks like we got what we came for then.”

Rouge landed beside Shadow and offered him the Emerald. “Go home, Shadow. You need to rest.” Shadow glanced at the Emerald, not even looking at Rouge. He took it carefully, then quietly uttered Chaos Control and disappeared. She then turned her attention to Amy, glancing at her before addressing Sonic and Tails. “You boys go home. I need to talk to Amy.”

Tails was about to object, but to his surprise, Sonic swiftly agreed. “Alrighty then. Make sure to get her home safe!” He then coaxed Tails to come with me and they departed, leaving the two girls alone.

Rouge turned to Amy, looking at her saddened expression. “Did he hurt you?” Amy shook her head, then sighed and began walking. Rouge stood in place for a moment as she figured out the best approach for this situation, then flew and took her place next to Amy. The two of them were quiet for a while before Amy finally spoke up.

“I feel awful,” she admitted, causing Rouge to look at her, though the latter didn’t yet speak. “I just wanted to help him and instead I made him even more scared.” “Oh hun, don’t beat yourself up over it,” Rouge comforted with a concerned expression. “You wanted to help him and he knows that.”

“Does he though?” Amy countered. “He couldn’t even look at me for more than a second.”

Rouge sighed, unsure how to respond. She doubted that Shadow was upset with her – he was more likely to be upset at himself. But would Amy believe that if she told her? “Before you jump to conclusions, please promise me you’ll talk to him first. I’d hate to see a misunderstanding ruin what you two have. I don’t think I’ve seen Shadow happier than when he’s been with you.”

Amy looked up at her, a little flattered and a little unbelieving. “You really think so?” Rouge smiled patiently. “Sweetie, I know so. I’m sure its killing him to think he’s hurt you.”

Amy glanced to the ground, still not entirely convinced. “I just wish I could have helped him.”

Rouge flew in front of Amy, stopping her in her tracks. “Amy, listen to me. You love Shadow, right?” Amy nodded. “And he loves you very much, painfully so. But I mean this with all the affection in the world, Shadow isn’t easy. Even I struggle to get him to open up most of the time. I adore him to pieces and would do anything for him, but I also know that he carries a lot of scars that makes him close himself off. But ever since he has been with you, I’ve seen a change in him. He is still very much keeps to himself, but he seems to be opening himself up to others more. And with you especially, he seems to be letting happiness in.” Rouge sighed, a serious yet conflicted look on her face. “I don’t mean to pressure you into staying with him. If what happened to you puts you off the idea, I completely understand. But as his friend, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least try to fight for his happiness. So please, please don’t make any rash decisions. Just talk to him and be honest, if for no other reason than your own peace of mind.”

Amy didn’t say anything, silently taking in her request. Rouge stared at her, realising she had perhaps overloaded her.

“Sorry hun,” Rouge spoke up. “I didn’t mean to overload you. Take some time to yourself to destress, then think about what I said when you’re ready. Just promise you won’t make any rash decisions about this, okay?” Amy smiled weakly and nodded, prompting a relieved sigh from Rouge. The two of them silently continued to Amy’s house. Once there, Amy thanked Rouge and entered.

Rouge then went home, the rooms extremely quiet. As she expected, Shadow had gone to bed, facing the wall. She flew up and gently tapped him on the shoulder. “Do you want to talk?” She asked in a soft, gentle voice, but Shadow didn’t move nor speak. “Alright. I’m here if you need me. Sleep well, Shadow.”

Rouge left the room, and as the door closed, the room was enveloped in darkness. Shadow stared at the wall, but gradually felt a sadness welling in his chest. He covered his mouth and curled up more, quietly weeping to himself.