Archive of Our Own

Rings spilled out of an odd purple thing in white space. There weren’t the normal rings laying around, these ones had something in the inside.

Shadow took a step back, looking at the few rings that fell, one looked like a city, which he was already fed up with. Another a beach, it looked so real.

Eventually he took a step forward, and before he could look at the others they closed up and he was sucked inside.

———

It was an average day for the sonic team in hedgehog village! Eggman had a clunky bot, that ended up destroying itself (turns out making a WATER bot would capitalize on Sonic’s fear way more if it didn’t immediately short circuit).

After that, honestly embarrassing (for eggman, funny for sonic gang) defeat, eggman shook his fist at the sky and said “I’ll defeat you next time rodents” before being flung to his own island by Sonic’s spin dash.

With the rest of the day to themselves they decided to make a totally original beach day! Sure on the beach everyday was TECHNICALLY a beach day, but sticks made a protective base with sand, getting into a sandball fight with knuckles, sonic battled one of tails’ volleybots, and Amy was finishing up making little umbrella, and beach ball shaped cookies for everyone to enjoy!

The pan was cool, and the frosting just needed the finishing touch!

After pipping one last color of frosting for the beach ball, all of the cookies were finally done, she took a spatula and put them neatly on a plate.

She scoped up the plate, maneuvering it in her hands to open her door, and not drop it.

Then there was a blur of black, she blinked rapidly, readjusting her eyes, and in front of her was… shadow?!

“Amy!” He spoke the moment he appeared.

She froze until she heard the sound of her plate shattering and her cookies, now mixing with the gross sand! She didn’t even process dropping them.

They both took a step back at the damage.

“Shadow!” Amy hunched down, her hammer wasn’t too far away, being in the entrance of her home, she could stall long enough to get it back. “I see you’ve come to rain on our beach day” she balled up her hands, knowing that just punching shadow would probably not do much, but hoping it would be enough of a threat that when he started to get moving she could grab her hammer.

He ruined all her delicious cookies, and Amy won’t let that slide!!

“Uhm…” shadow looks around, at the sandball fight, which didn’t seem to be going good for either sticks or knuckles, and sonic repeatedly breaking the volleyball bot tails built, and getting it hastily fixed. “No” he then said “something strange is going on, i was hoping you could enlighten me”

Shadow seemed oddly… composed? He stood up straight, and calm, the normal scowl on his face replaced with a soft frown, and his eyes looked over her form and for a second turned to a glare, not an angry one, but almost confused.

Amy detenses, still in a a fight stance, just a sloppy one.

Shadow needed her help? With what? Whatever it was couldn’t be good. She glances behind him at the others, a distance away, too busy to notice her situation, she sighed. Standing up straighter, trying not to show her apprehension. “Okay… what is it…?” She elongated the syllables, almost nervous to ask.

“You seem nervous” shadow says, not a question. And it’d be useless to deny it.

“Well you do attack us every other week”

Shadow almost looked… offended? Before glaring at her, taking a step back and slightly turning away. Looking at the ground. Before looking up at the sky, his eyes darting around… what is he looking for. “I’m not from here”

“What?” Came out before Amy could think about it. But no use going back now “what’s happening”

He looks at her. Before sighing “something strange happened to my world, I was brought to a place outside of time. I got sucked into a portal for… some reason. I ended up here”

It clicked “oh! You’re from another universe!” They’ve dealt with that before, with another knuckles. “I’ll explain to tails everything and we’ll send you back!” Amy smiles. Not totally relaxed, after all this was still SHADOW! But more relaxed than if it was their shadow. “Best to stay here huh?” She puts her hands up in front of him, in hopes to calm him down. It doesn’t seem to do much, as wordlessly he doesn’t move a muscle.

Amy doesn’t keep her eyes off shadow as she walks to tails, fixing up another volleybot. “Tails?”

“Amy!” He doesn’t even look up, “what’s up?”

“We’ve got a situation”

“What sort of 11 minutes adventure we doing this time?” Sonic asks, sneaking up behind her, Amy flinches before giving a small laugh.

“It’s uh… another alternative universe thing, shadow”

At that both tails and sonic look at her, she points in the direction of shadow, still standing still, arms crossed, leaning to the side.

“Oh! oh….” Tails sinks down “I guess we can look into it”

“I can bring him into your lab”

“Is that really a good idea… sense, well you know?” Sonic asks.

“I don’t trust him either, but we definitely can’t leave him here” Amy points out.

“Amy’s right, I have to look into him, who knows maybe he’s from a world where shadows very nice!” Tails says. Though looking back at him “but probably not.”

“He doesn’t look very friendly, but I’ll come too! I’ll be backup.”

“Could you tell sticks and knuckles as well? I don’t think it’d be a good idea to have them interfere” tails asks.

“Roger that” with that sonic dashes to knuckles and sticks, trying to avoid the chaos of the fight.

“Now time for….” Tails sighs “ugh shadow.”

They start to walk “just… pretend to be confident” Amy says standing straighter “after all we have the ability to send him home, he can’t hurt us, because then he can’t return right?” Amy tries to reassure.

Tails looks like he wants to protest “sure…”

“Okay I’m back!” Sonic says.

“Just in time, ready?”

They all walk up to shadow “hey… uh shadow” so much for confidence! “I got tails, we’re going to bring you to his lab to try to figure out how to return you home”

Shadow uncrosses his arms with a nod. He doesn’t speak and he follows behind tails and sonic, right next to Amy.

She had the same feeling as watching a video of someone holding a venomous animal. Though shadow may be calm right now, there’s no saying when he might attack! And having him be from another universe just makes him unpredictable.

Tails keeps sending nervous glances to shadow as he opens his door. Shadows awfully quiet, should she say something? Sonic and tails aren’t interrupting, and she doesn’t want to set him off so she remains.

“If you could uhh… sit on the bench?”

Shadow follows tails order. No snide comeback, but quiet compliance. What’s with this guy?

“Amy told me you’re from another universe?” Tails asks.

“Yes” shadow said with a slight nod. “I must return back, as quickly as possible.”

“Well I’ve done this before, I just need to do a few small… uhh samples, see what world you’re from, and I’ll be able to choice the exact time you left! It’s simple, it should only take a day, but again! It will be like you never left at all! So uh… don’t worry about it”

“Samples?” Shadow glared at the fox, no malice in his voice, but tails voice got a bit shakier when he then spoke.

“Uh yes.. just small things, and they need to be done, very small! It won’t even hurt”

“Like what?”

“I could get you sleeping gas too-“

“Miles spit it out”

“Well I do need a bit of your blood” tails fiddles with his hands.

“Okay. I don’t need sleeping gas.” Shadow then said.

“Hey man” sonic started “the sleeping gas would be down for us. Not you dude”

“Sleeping gas doesn’t work on me anyways, again I want this done as fast as possible” shadow reminds, before pointing to a place on the inside of his elbow “my Median Cubital Vein is right here, let’s get this over with”

Tails eyes light up, clearly shadows big fancy words meant something to the little fox, as he smiles and nods, before getting a needle. And injecting it right into the spot shadow pointed at. Amy flinched, but shadow didn’t move one bit, not even a facial change. Shadow didn’t move when tails started to take the blood, but Amy looked away.

“Your bloods green…?” Tails then stated, which caused Amy’s head to snap back to look at the needle, and he was right. It was green! Shadow stared at the floor. Almost looking ashamed.

Tails didn’t bother to ask any questions. And though this could be some sort of normal thing for shadows universe. His reaction makes Amy doubt that.

“Sonic could you get a bandaid-“

“I don’t need one” shadow immediately interpreted.

Tails opened his mouth and at that shadow moved his hand where the needle was, his gloves where as white as ever

“See already healed up.” Shadow said.

Tails just nodded. Clearly unsure what to add to that.

It put Amy on edge. This shadow was clearly more immune to pain than their shadow, and if he could heal that quickly she couldn’t help but think of what else he could do.

Tails moves and puts the sample in some machine.

“So shadow” sonic breaks the silence “what’s your world like?”

“I would say louder, but I have a feeling you’ll change that soon” shadow mumbles.

Sonic smiles a little, looking at him weird “geez man, just trying to make conversation.” Sonic returns to silence, and shadow gives him a weird look.

It’s like that for a few minutes. Sonic tapped his foot impatiently, but shadow stood perfectly still. Amy swayed lightly back and forth.

“Okay! I got everything!” Tails announce, breaking the, honestly awkward, silence. “Uhm, I’m going to talk to Amy and sonic about it, if that’s okay!”

“Why can’t I hear?” Shadow sounds more confused than anything.

“You can!!” Tails says very quickly “yeah totally fine! I’ll just say it right here!” He waves his arms quickly, as if trying to reassure or calm shadow down, who surprisingly already looks very calm.

Tails takes a breath in. As shadow looks at him expectantly. Amy feels so very awkward, and looking at sonic it’s clear he feels the same.

“So all our worlds are branches off of others. We had a knuckles from an other world before, but his world was right next door! His world was a lot like our world, just a few things changed-“

“Like when I got switched to that one world where egghead won?” Sonic asks.

“Exactly! That world branched out from this one! But the world this shadow seems to be from is well… the main one!” Tails tries to explain.

“The main world? So what does that mean?” Amy asks.

“It means our world branches from his, and actually all other of our worlds branch from his” tails explains “which is VERY interesting, but also very unhelpful” tails chuckles nervously “with the other knuckles it was like his world was right next door, were a bit detached from this shadows world, so it might take a little longer to connect with it”

“Shouldn’t that be a problem, with the whole ‘two people can’t be in the same world at the same time’” sonic points out.

“Oh no our shadows gone.”

“Gone…?” Amy asked.

“The world detected this shadow as the only one in this world. I think the moment we swap shadows it should be fine” tails explains.

“So your shadow and me have swapped place?” The moment shadow speaks the tension in the room raises, just from his voice alone.

“Uh… good theory, but it’s just as likely that just he’s disappeared until you leave, or that he’s in another universe.” Tails explains.

“And he’ll be fine?” Shadow asks.

“Oh I’m sure”

Shadow nods.

“I’m going to inform sticks and knuckles, Amy come with me, sonic watch shadow”

With a nod, Amy follows tails outside “didn’t we already tell them?”

“Yeah I just wanted to speak with you” tails confirms “sense he comes from the main universe everything here is based off it, we are far away, but…”

“Shadow being evil most likely came from there” Amy finishes the sentence for him.

“Yeah.” Tails sighs. “We can’t just let him go-“

“I’ve got it!” Amy says “he can stay with me!”

“Are you sure-“

“I’m stronger than you think” Amy crosses her arms.

“I suppose… and if anyone could get through to him and find out his true intentions it’d be you” tails reasoned.

Amy smiled at that. She had a way of getting through to people, whether it be through deep personal conversations, hitting someone with a hammer, or lecturing them until they speak up, she has a way of connecting with others, and always hopes to use it to overall make them a better person! Though for shadow the second one seems most likely, she’ll be sure to hide her hammer close by, just in case!

“I can break the news to him if you’d like-“ tails suggested, puffing up his chest, with a newly determined face.

Amy shakes her head “no, if he’s going to stay with me I’d rather learn to not hesitate in talking to him”

Tails pauses, and nods “you’re so brave Amy!”

She blushes, hand on her cheek “awww thank you! I’m just doing what needs to be done!”

With that they walk back into the lab, with a quick reassurance of “they’re informed” to hopefully try to lower shadow’s suspicion.

Shadow looks at them, not saying anything. If he noticed the lie he doesn’t seem to care. Though Amy doesn’t want to let her guard down just yet.

“Sense it will be a while till we can get you back, you’re going to stay with me” Amy says, in a stern, but really trying to be casual, tone of voice. “If that’s okay with you” Amy says very quickly at the end, shadow doesn’t have a choice, but she wants him to feel like he does.

Sonic looks at Amy, then tails with wide eyes, he looks like he wants to ask if that’s a good idea, but won’t because of a certain black hedgehog in the room.

Luckily for everything shadow just nods.

“Perfect!” Amy says. Grabbing shadows arm. “I’ll lead you to my place!” Her grip is firm, an unsaid threat. But shadow doesn’t react. Maybe he doesn’t even notice.

After a very awkward quiet walk they make it to Amy’s place. She opens the door, her eyes latching onto her hammer, shadow walks in, and she follows, moving her body to hide the hammer as she moves it in an easy to access cabinet.

Shadow looks around. “It’s very different from your apartment in my world”

“Apartment? Do I live in the city in your world? I couldn’t imagine that”

Shadow pauses “I believe so, but you and your friends often have many places to stay all around the world”

“Woah!” Amy liked the sound of that. Not that she didn’t like staying in hedgehog village, it was named after her after all! But exploring the world has alway been a dream of hers. “That sounds nice, we don’t really leave the village much”

“Oh why’s that?”

“Budgeting issues mostly, but now this is in written form I don’t think we have to worry about that too much”

“….” Shadow gives her a strange look, before hesitantly saying “yes, I suppose having money to travel is a valid concern, though in my world you all often get offered things for no price.” He crosses his arms “I don’t take people up on those offers, but I suppose it’s helpful… well for sonic at least, he always forgets his wallet.”

That’s not what Amy meant, but she doesn’t bother to correct him. Instead she laughs a bit “well that’s something that hasn’t changed, he always makes us pay for his mehburger!” She giggles.

“Mehburger? Is that what he’s obsessed this in this world? In mine it’s chilidogs”

“Oh no, he’s a chili dog fiend in this world, mehburger just the only place to eat around here” Amy says, making sure shadow knows that no one can actually LIKE mehburger, let alone be obsessed with it like sonic is to chilidogs.

Shadow nods. Pausing awkwardly at the front entrance. “I don’t… need to take off my shoes right?”

How very polite! Normally Amy would tell him not to make the animators do more work, but with it all being written, and how well it went over last time when she said something like it she just choices to say “no need!”

“Good.”

“You’ll be sleeping on the couch, you can come in further” she makes her way to the couch, sitting on it, to hopefully make him more comfortable coming in.

And he does! Walking further in the home, and sitting on the couch. He doesn’t look comfortable, he’s sitting right on the edge, but it’s better than standing right near the doorframe.

The silence is horrible. Amy is fidgety, unsure if she should turn on the tv, try to get them to do something, but she knows she doesn’t want to be put off guard if she has to fight.

Shadow on the other hand looks the most comfortable she’s ever seen him. Which of course is a low standard. He’s still tense, but despite sitting at the edge of the couch, he’s planted down. Unmoving, his eyes don’t wonder, and his expression, though a half lidded (could be seen as a glare), seems calm enough. It’s nowhere close to the scowl he normally has in their battles.

“Could I get you something” Amy breaks the silence. “Tea, water, coffee?”

“Coffee. Just the beans and a spoon if you can.”

“…???” Amy sits there for a moment. She can’t get a read on this guy? Was shadow… making a joke? He looks serious. Wordlessly she gets up, and makes her way to the kitchen.

He boils some water to make herself tea. And grabs one of the many bags of cheap coffee beans. She personally doesn’t drink it (and sticks isn’t allowed to have any) but there are times the boys come by (without warning mind you) and try to out-wake each other, they always end up drinking so much coffee Amy has around 7 bags prepared of the cheapest coffee.

She glances in the living room for a moment, to confirm that yes, shadow is still sitting. He hasn’t moved an inch.

Eventually the yelling of the kettle gets her attention, she puts a tea bag in her cup, gets out a spoon and pours the boiled water in. Turning off her stove. She walks out with the bag of beans, a spoon, and her now steaming cup of tea.

She expects something to happen when she gives shadow the spoon and bag. Maybe he’d laugh and mock her, or try to attack her with the spoon, or maybe even with the beans.

She keeps an eye on him as he opens the bag up, dips the spoon in, getting around three coffee beans on it, and puts it in his mouth with a crunch.

She suppresses the urge to cringe. Are coffee beans even edible?? Shadow seems happy enough. And suddenly Amy feels like a bit of a fool. Of course they’re edible, There was one year when she bought chocolate covered coffee beans, but she never thought much on it. Maybe shadow had a point, those were around 5 times the price of the cheap beans he was eating now, and not nearly as many.

Still the thought of eating coffee beans didn’t sound the greatest to her, she supposes it’s not as weird as she originally thought.

She blows, then takes a sip of her tea. It was perfect!

“Tell me a bit about yourself shadow” she says, more of a question than a statement.

“What is there to tell?” Shadow looked up at her, before eating a few more coffee beans.

“I mean you’re from a different universe, what did you do over there?”

Shadow looks at her. Before sighing “I do many things.”

Amy crosses her arms and looks at him, expecting him to continue, so he does.

“Mainly fighting eggman, or other villains that foolishly try to end the world”

Amy nods, mind somewhere else. Is shadow telling the truth? Or is he trying to make her put her guard down “and for fun?”

“I read” he shrugs.

“Huh… well if you ever need anything to read I could get some for you!” On the other hand shadow may not like the same romance, coffee shop books she likes. (Maybe she has a murder mystery around here, he may like that better).

Shadow nods.

Amy drinks her tea. He looks at her, she feels sweat dripping down her face. This is shadow the hedgehog! The guy who throws her and her friends into walls, and wants to kill everyone not only in their town but on this planet! And worse of all, she’s being a bad host! Should she offer him food? Hit him with her hammer? Play a board game! This truly is the most emotionally confused she’s ever been!

She gets along casually with eggman, but shadows always been something different. Should she treat this like eggman, nice until he inevitably attacks?

“How about I help you make cookies.” Shadow says, as if reading her mind. “Sense the last ones where destroyed.”

That’s a perfect idea! Casting her doubt to the side, she decides to treat him with trust until he attacks. “That’d be really nice.”

At that shadow suddenly gets up.

“Oh now?” She asks.

Shadow pauses “unless you want to do it later”

“No now is fine!” She says, then takes a big sip out of her drink, as shadow neatly closes the coffee bag.

“Do we need to go to the store?”

“Uhh yeah, I could run up real quick-“

“What do we need?” He asks.

“Uhm more eggs”

“You use rings to buy things in this world too”

Amy nods.

“I’ll pay, it’s the least I could do”

“Oh! Uhh thanks shadow!”

Shadow then gets out some sort of yellow hen from his quills. That’s not a ring if she’s ever seen one. “Ready to go?”

“Uhhhhhhhhhh”

He tilts his head at her confused.

“What’s… that?” She points to the weird diamond shaped crystal.

“Chaos emerald?”

“It doesn’t look like an emerald.” Amy says “for starters it’s not green.” She adds.

Shadow gives her a weird look, before looking back at the ‘emerald’. “Uhm…. Okay.” He shakes his head, before stepping closer. “Think of the storefront.”

“Uh… okay” Amy closes her eyes and thinks of the store front of the most popular (and only) store in hedgehog village. Shadow places a hand on her, saying something, and her eyes pop open, and the world distorts, her stomach flips, it feels like she dropped on a ride.

She blinks, and before her is the same storefront. Wide eyes she looks “you… teleported me!! I knew you could do that! But I didn’t know you could bring others along!!” She smiles widely at him. Teleportation, though not impossible, is something she never figured she would be able to do! It was an odd experience for sure!

“It’s chaos control. But yes.” Shadow says. “Let’s get eggs.”

Soon enough they’re in the store, getting strange looks by some. But shadows weirdly good at it? Amy expected him to be more of a hassle, but taking sonic or knuckles to the store is more exhausting than this! Shadow didn’t break anything, and though his face looks mean he doesn’t say anything rude to any other customers or employees (like sticks-). If anything this is the calmest shopping trip she’s been on with another person!

They return home, and waste no time into getting cookies started, putting in the brown sugar, salt, vanilla, and the other dry ingredients into a bowl, while shadow readys the rest, neatly cracking an egg, and getting no shells in the bowl (something Amy is really bad at!).

They combine them into a mixer bowl.

Amy hits the on switch, and has to immediately turn it off because a bit of it flung on her face. “Whoops” Moving to cover the mixing bowl she turns the thing on again.

Turns out both her and shadows tails have made a special cleaning concoction for their gloves, (though he never gave their shadow it). Which means they don’t need to be worried about any germs when they touch the dough and roll them out, using the cookie cutter to make the beach shapes.

Shadow gently puts the cut cookies on the pan.

Shadow grabs the cold pan “ready?” Amy opens the oven, a wave of heat flares out. Shadow sticks the pan in the oven, then moves his hand suddenly, the pan fell on the try with a tumble, and shadow moved his hand with a snap out of the oven, holding it.

“Are you alright?!!!” Amy asked in a quick panic. “Did you get burnt?” His glove looked fine, but Amy knew better that tails glove concoction was so good it could definitely cover burn marks, and those gloves are too thin to stop any real damage.

“It’s fine.” Shadow said.

“Are you sure, let me look at it! Can I take off your glove”

Shadow stared at her, definitely considering saying no, and she was quite surprised when he sighed and let out “alright” putting his hand up. Before removing the glove.

Amy froze. How could see not, because on shadows black and red paw where dark tan colored paw pads. Like a dog, or a cat, or… a non mobian hedgehog.

But shaking herself out of her shock she looks closer. She saw a mark, but it didn’t seem to back luckily.

She turns on the cold water at the sink “here place your hand under this”

Shadow steps forward and does so, wincing for just a second, before returning to his calm stance.

“So…” Amy starts, she doesn’t want to sound rude, or too obvious, so as calm as she can she says “paw pads huh?”

Shadow gives her a weird look… maybe deserved.

“I uh…” she clears her throat “we don’t have those in this world” she then says. Everyone knows mobains don’t have paw pads… well some humans might not, but with times changing and more people not wearing gloves anymore (well that could just be a sticks things, but Amy could see it spreading further) and mostly the internet, it’s become increasingly easier to find information nowadays.

“Oh.”

“They’re nice though! Cute!-“ Amy cut herself off real quick with that one, was it demeaning? Even if it wasn’t shadow probably wouldn’t like it.

“Thanks.”

Or not??? Amy couldn’t really tell if shadow was being sincere or not, but her face hasn’t been punched off yet, nor as she been teleported to the depths of the ocean, so it at least hasn’t offended him too much.

Soon enough shadow takes his hand from under the water, the mark doesn’t even look like it’s there anymore and he went to put his glove back on. Not before Amy looked at it again. “Wait-“ she spoke before she could think.

“Huh?” Shadow did, in fact wait.

Embarrassment caught up to Amy, but she stood confidently, no backing out now! “Could I-!! Uh” she made little ‘squish squish’ movements with her hand.

Shadow tilted his head and, more awkwardly then before, Amy repeated the squish squish movements.

Shadow extended his hand out to her, Amy knew that this was probably weird behavior, and maybe a little patronizing to some people. But his paws looks like a little (non mobian of course) kitty cat!

She takes his hand and squishes the paw pad, bringing her lots of joy, she glances up at shadow, his expression hasn’t chanced. Unreadable, calm, and maybe annoyed, but he might just have that resting face.

“Sorry” she chuckles “animals don’t like it when you do that, but I’ve always wanted too!”

“I don’t care.” Shadow… reassured?? It sounded more like reassurance despite the word choice.

She eventually moves her hands away, and they go back to finishing up the cookies (amy took them out the oven, much to shadows protest). She can’t help but wonder if everyone in the world shadow comes from has paw pads, that’s adorable! She’s love to see sonic with them!

Once the cookies cooled they iced them.

She takes one and takes a bite “they’re REALLY good!!” Not the best cookie she’s ever had, they might’ve been in the oven a little too long, but definitely a far cry from the cookies she made with sticks, that ended up making an okay cookie brittle. “You should have one”

Shadow shakes his head.

“Seriously, before sonic finds and eats all of them”

Shadow pauses, and takes a cookie. Taking a bite. “Mhm…. Acceptable”

Amy chuckles, and shadow just stands there, eating his cookie. She gets down a container “we can give them to the others tomorrow, I think it’s getting late! Do you mind sleeping on the couch?”

“I don’t.” Shadow says, taking the dishes and starting to put them in the dish washer. What a gentlemen!

After everything is all cleaned up shadow lays on the couch, and Amy moves her hammer in her bedroom laying in her bed.

The day was weird, but a success! Her only plans had been to make cookies, and technically she had done so today. But still her mind flooded with thoughts.

What was shadows world like? Tails made it seem like it wasn’t too far off from this world. Shadows definitely different, a tad more soft spoken, and if he doesn’t have other intentions he’s at least able to pretend to be nice. Does everyone have paw pads? Is there any more biological differences between them, perhaps shadow is the only one, that seems unlikely, and secretly she hopes there’s a paw pad dimension out there, but she truly doesn’t now much about shadow.

How are the others doing? Do they miss shadow? Do they even like them? Is THEIR shadow in that world?? Does he have friends? Is she the same? What choices make them different, do they wear different clothes? Have different weapons. Maybe in that world her and sonic are together. She can smile at that thought. Though she’s curious she doesn’t feel like she should ask shadow any of these, just in case.

Because the biggest question of all…

What is shadow thinking?

———

For once a distant memory seeps into shadows brain. Its on the ark, metal walls, hospital lights, they bring a sense of nostalgia to shadow. It took place a bit after he was woken, still new to this strange and small place he lived in. He had been taking classes with Maria, to learn basic skills and keep her company, despite not being alive for too long he had just learned to read from their teacher. One of his favorite skills.

He doesn’t remember why, but he had been walking into the professors room, it was in no way urgent, it had felt more calming, perhaps he had a simple question Maria didn’t know the answer too. Gerald wasn’t inside. But had had found a letter sent from GUN.

It was a page long, he did not have it memorized, it taked about project shadow. There’s one word, crystal clear, that he remembers ‘weapon’.

It had been used to refer to him. They were asking when they could have him, and they had called him the weapon.

All the scientists on the ark always had taught him not to fight. Some seemed frightened of him, and though there was a few who did seem to view him as a monster and nothing less, they never where the ones to interact with him a lot. Most of them knew him as ‘Maria’s shadow’ and they had all loved her. He can’t remember the faces of most the scientists, but he does remember a few soft words or apologies when an experiment would hurt.

Maria and Gerald were the big ones. Obviously. They had spoken to him constantly. They treated him as more than an experiment, well Maria did at least. They stood by his side when he wasn’t useful. Maria saying that he was a real person, just like everyone else, Gerald telling him how he would help the world, how he would be medicine. Both driving it in his brain that he never had to fight. That he was not a weapon.

Reading the letter remembers feeling shocked, and running through rooms to find the professor. And Emotionally rambling about his findings to him once he did, he doesn’t remember what he had said, but he remembers crying.

The deep despair that he felt, fearing they’d take him away and force him to fight, something he had never done before, something Maria told him was wrong outside of the books and movies.

At the time the professor had smiled, and mumbled something, just like he would do when an experiment on him works. The fear was short lived when he had told him “you’re not a weapon shadow, GUN wants to use you as one, but I won’t let them, I promise”

Gerald had broken that promise.

But at the time it comforted him, knowing he never had to fight.

He remembers going to bed in Maria’s room that night, the blankets almost as soft as these ones where, thinking that if GUN would ever use him as a weapon he would deny. He’d never let anyone make him fight, he’d always find another way, even if it killed him.

Perhaps shadow is as bad as Gerald.

Because he broke that promise as well.

——

Shadows sobbing on her couch.

He wasn’t that quiet about it either, Amy had just gone out to get some nightly water when she heard him. She hoped that burn wasn’t flaring up, it didn’t look that bad, but it’d be just like him to not tell her if it was.

She hadn’t been able to sleep, and returning to her room now wouldn’t help.

The moment she opened up the fridge he stopped. Perhaps embarrassed. Maybe she shouldn’t try to talk with him, she doesn’t want him to feel bad if he needs space.

She closes the fridge after getting her water.

Maybe shadows not planning anything at all.

…..

She didn’t remember falling asleep when she woke up in her bed.

———

When sonic woke up it was a normal day. Just like any other!

Alone in his shack on his hammock, he opened his eyes, then closed them again.

He waited and stayed half sleep until his brain decided it was time to wake up.

The beach was the same, his place the same. It almost felt like a weird shadow from another universe was just a dream.

But the more he thought about it the realer it felt… normally he didn’t remember dreams at this point.

Sonic groaned. They have to still deal with that don’t they? Even thinking about doing the work that Amy is doing stresses him out…

WAIT AMY!!!!

What if shadow attacked her???? What if shadow locked her up or harmed her, or they are currently in an epic battle right at this moment!!!???

It would be a shadow move, to attack while people are sleeping. Even if they aren’t fighting right this second sonic walks out the door-less entry of his home, and dashes to anys house, coming in without even knocking.

….

….!

Amy crying while leaning on the counter.

She was staring at the floor, her hands had a killer grip on the sides of said counter, and she made no other noise than a small sniffle.

Sonic saw tears flowing down her face, dropping on the counter one by one. She’s certainly not sobbing but a silent small Cry.

Sonic walks forward, concerned. Amy still doesn’t notice.

Sonic takes another step forward. Amy’s ear twitches, and her head tilts down, her eyes close, she shakes her head

“Shadow…..”

That’s all she says. Did shadow hurt her? Betray her? Ruin her couch?

“What’s he do?”

“No-“ Amy puts an arm up covering her eyes, and whipping them. She shakes her head again, her head still tilted down she takes a step back from the counter “he’s- SO SWEET-“ l

She sobs, removing the arm and sonic sees her eyes shiny with tears.

“He’s been so nice- he burnt his hand while helping me make cookies and he- he- HE HAS PAW PADS-“

.

“Oh. Happy tears.” Sonic says plainly. “Wait- shadow? Sweet???”

She nods feverishly, but sonic isn’t buying it. Not one bit.

“This is still shadow”

“Oh come on” her voice still a little muffled by her previous cry, but she wipes her eyes, trying to settle herself “if knuckles can be smart in another world shadow can be kind”

Sonic rolls his eyes “I’m not buying that”

——

Amy didn’t know what sonic wasn’t buying? Did he not hear the thing about the paw pads? Maybe she should repeat it?

Or….

“Maybe you’re just jealous!l

“ME??? Jealous of shadow??? Please, what’s there to be jealous of? His emotional un-availability” sonic smiles.

“Please! You’re way worse than him”

“His trust issues then”

“Says the person who thinks he’s evil!!”

Sonic crosses his arms “fine. Sense you’re obviously okay, I’m going home”

He turns, and suddenly Amy feels bad “Wait!”

Sonic stops.

“Thanks…. For checking up on me”

Sonic nods “course.” He walks out.

Even if shadow isn’t evil, sonic is her friend. And she can’t deny that tiny part in her brain that says that shadows bad is still there. It’s just been muffled by everything that’s happened.

It is sweet sonic cares. But at the same time there’s a pit in her stomach of annoyance at Sonic’s distrusting. She knows he has good intentions, she just wishes sonic would trust her more…

………

………

.

.

Tails has part of it done. Those are the exact words he said to her before hanging up.

She somewhat wished he gave more context, even if she (or shadow for that matter) probably wouldn’t understand what he was saying.

Still it would make the conversation with shadow about it way less awkward

“Tails says he’s half done”

Shadow doesn’t even look up at her, but nods slightly from the couch.

“Well he has a part done”

“Okay.”

“So….”

Shadow doesn’t respond.

“Tails probably wants us to come over and see it”

“Couldn’t we wait til it’s completed.” He didn’t phrase it as a question.

“He probably needs us for something” Amy says. Tails never shows off a project before completion. He normally works so fast on it it’s unneeded.

“Then why didn’t he say that”

Amy just shrugs. Not wanting to go in depth about how people speak and subtle context clues.

Shadow was quite the whole walk. But he didn’t seem mad. He seemed calm, content even. Though she could understand how someone could look at his face and think he’s upset, but she doesn’t think he means to look like that.

Shadow walks at her pace but still makes it to tails house a moment first, stepping to the side as he waits for her to open the door. How polite!

She opens the door and walks in. Tails seems nervous when he catches their eye.

“O-oh!! There you are! Both of you… heh, alright! I got the machine up and running”

Sonic and knuckles are playing some game on the couch, while sticks seems to be animatedly talking to them, but tails pushes them in his lab, and they don’t even bother to say hi (how rude!)

tails walks by a clothed machine, before taking it off.

It’s a little taller than Tails himself, and is clearly built from an old arcade machine, with a big screen, a joystick, and buttons, to the side of it is a large plastic box hooked up next to it. The screen is dark, and it’s clearly off.

Tails clicks a button off to the side of the plastic box and a fan, that sounds a lot like an overheating computer, kicks on, the screen turns white, as it’s clear the machine is starting on.

“Now I used your blood to find your universe earlier. I made this machine to be able to find other, farther, worlds, I was able to put the info I got from your blood into the machine, and it took a little tinkering but I was able to find your world! I can send you back to the immediate time you came from. Maybe a few seconds later, any earlier and you might run into past you and the world would go kaboom! But your blood has the exact time you switched worlds in it! It’s amazing what dna can do-….”

Tails looks at the loading screen, then a complex Home Screen pops up.

“So… what did you need us for?” Amy asks.

Tails, using the joysticks and buttons to navigate said confusing home screen, says “oh!! Right! Sense it takes forever to load and find a world I wanted to make positively sure this was the right place! There’s no reason why it shouldn’t be, but this part is the easy part! The hard part is connecting these two worlds enough for a moment to be able to send you back, that part is specific to the world you are returning too, and if I don’t have the right one it will take just as long to make another!” Tails says. Clicking a few more things “presto!! Your world should be coming up!”

Another load screen. Shadow had his arms crossed, Amy just stood there, looking at the screen.

The screen then popped up. It was a grassy area, people in the background, a party seemed to be going on. It was funny to imagine shadow at a party.

“Do note, this is most likely a few seconds after you vanished, so it might have placed you in a slightly different sp-“

“I wasn’t there.”

“Well… it would be going on based where you WOULD be if you never left, so you might’ve walked a little-“

“I was no were close.”

“Maybe it’s a wron-“

“It’s the same world.” Shadow says. With full confidence too. Amy’s not sure how he knows, but tails nods his head, like shadow makes perfect sense. Perhaps people can just tell? Amy isn’t sure how, she’s never been in any world but her own. But she’s not going to interrupt to try and find out.

“Let me push it back a little”

Tails cranks a dial (that was definitely from an old radio and NOT the original arcade cabinet), and the screen changes. Numbers in the top change too, tails looks at them, though they don’t mean anything to Amy (or shadow) she assumes they’re probably telling tails something.

Eventually he slows down, looking closely at the number. “There! That’s as far back as it can go”

It’s somewhere entirely different (which shadow can teleport after all). Amy nods a little, if that was what shadow saw last it makes sense the party would look completely different. It’s indoors, metal walls, it looks like it’s nighttime outside of a window too?

Shadow just shakes his head “I was in a white void when I went out here.”

Tails gives him a weird look “I don’t see a white void anywhere in your world… from uh… what I’ve seen, do you remember the exact time you where there?”

“It…. It was 1:07” shadow seemed to be thinking.

“This is 1:08. Almost 9.” He moves back, the pictures move as well, the number turning red. “No, no white void in 1:07… or 6 or 5…. Or… anywhere?”

“The space was outside of time… I was told.”

“Ah! That’s why!!” Tails seemed relived “well then it can shoot you out right as you leave the white space then!”

“No.”

“Uhm… I can’t send you back any earlier. Sorry!” Tails sweats nervously.

“Then research the void. I need to get back to what I was doing before!” Shadow practically growled, his voice slightly rasing on the word ‘before’ though not quite a shout.

Amy saw Sonic’s head peak in from the doorway, and she turned back to look at shadow.

“Shadow” she tried to sound calm “what where you doing before” she put on a light smile.

Shadow glared at her.

“Shadow” she said a little bit more stern.

He huffs “a monster. I was defeating him.”

“Oh! That is very important” she nods “tails what do you think about that?” She would’ve said comforting words, if she knew more about the multi-verse and that machine tails was using. So she only hoped that tails had them instead.

“Okay…” tails twist the dials “hmm. I don’t see a monster!” He twist them a bit more “I can see until up to now, which is a day ahead, and everything looks fine, I’m sure sonic took care of it!”

Shadow paused “no.”

“…no?” Tails voice was small.

“That’s not-“ shadow put a hand on his head.

“Well even if that monster is still out there you can track down when you get back. I’m sure someone knows what happened afterwards!” Amy suggests. Sonic most likely got the monster, but if his world is even a little like theirs shadow would not want to hear that.

Shadow doesn’t say a word, looking at them, then back. Hand over his mouth, looking deep in thought. He closes his eyes. “That’s not-“ he cuts himself off. Sighing. Opening his eyes, moving his hand down and glaring at tails and her “I need to get back to where I was before.” He says more stern than angry.

Tails jumps. Looking nervous “uh… I got that… yep… but uh, I kinda… c-can’t… do…. That” he was sweating, and Amy wanted nothing more than to give him a hug.

Shadow glared at tails, then back to the arcade. He huffs again.

At this point sonic lightly walks in the room, going behind Amy, shadow doesn’t seem to notice, and Amy doesn’t say anything.

“I. Need. To. Go. Back. To. Where. I. Was. Before.” Shadow stresses. His eyes closed. He sounds like he’s making an effort to not get any other emotion in his voice. He looks like he’s about to snap. And sonic gets in a fighting stance behind her.

“Time doesn’t…. Stop, something broke it. The only way I could get you back there is to break time again. And that’s a HORRIBLE idea. And it wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be taking you back to that time, it would just be breaking time again. Your ‘monster’ wouldn’t be there.” Tails explains, in a steady voice (that sounds like it’s about to crack any second.)

There’s a beat of silence. Amy hears sonic curl his hands into a fist.

“It’s gone.” Is what shadow says. Voice dripping with some emotion that’s hard to pin point. “It’s gone…” he repeats somewhat quieter, taking a step back with his hand on his head.

“Yeah… it’s uh gone” tails confirms, sounding confused. Taking a small step forward.

Shadow jolts back “STOP.” He breaths heavily. Looking at tails, then to Amy, and sonic, back to tails, then to the wall. He faces the ground and closes his eyes “just stop.”

Amy’s heart sinks.

He sounds like how he was before… when he was crying.

She doesn’t know how to make it better. If she can, she doesn’t know what’s wrong. She still stands there.

“Dude.” Sonic is glaring at shadow.

And Amy is frozen in place, whatever Sonic’s plan is can’t be good. He clearly isn’t reading the scene the same as her.

“Tails tried his best. Beggars can’t be choosers!”

Shadow is shaking.

“Stop- I can’t- just- shut it!”

With that shadow dash’s out. Amy could’ve sworn she saw a tear flow back with the wind.

Amy turns to sonic “he’s sad, we need to follow him.” She crosses her arms.

“Shadow?? Sad? Nab be looked like he was going to tear tails’ head off!! Leave him be.” Sonic says.

“What?? No he didn’t!” Amy says quickly, he was very obviously not going to fight.

“He was shaking!”

“Of sadness!”

“Of rage??!!”

Sticks and knuckles had entered the room at one point, Amy hadn’t noticed. She’s unsure how much they saw

Amy sighed. “Well someone has to get him.”

“I mean… no one HAS too, who knows, maybe he’s running off to the government now, telling him our secrets…”

“STICKS!” She seriously can’t believe they’d treat a guest like this! Yes, THEIR shadow is bad, but everyone knows this isn’t THEIR shadow!

Sonic sighs “Let’s not get too hasty, I think he’s just being dramatic” he says. (Bold words coming from sonic of all people)

“Or this is part of his scheme”

“For once I agree with sticks!” Sonic smiles at her, and she glares back at him.

Amy gasps, if sticks is allowed to glare why is it a crime when shadow does??? “How dare you! He’s so clearly upset, and You think he’s faking this!??”

“I mean… logically, it would… kinda make sense right?” Tails said “if he was trying to show ‘sadness’, he would because he’d want us to be on his good side for when the inevitable betrayal hits”

Amy took a breath in then out. “I- I wasn’t going to say it before, because I know you boys… and sticks, are weird with emotions-“

“The more emotions you show the easier you are to possess!!!” Sticks screams.

“Sure… but the other day before bed, I found shadow crying. He stopped once he heard me I think. But he’s not faking! If he was he wouldn’t be doing that.” Amy hated to tell them about it. That’s shadows own personal business, but she just wants them to understand!

“He could’ve known you were there, that’s what he wants you to believe” sonic says.

“You seriously sound like sticks!” Amy rolls her eyes.

“Hey! Just because you’re the easiest to trick doesn’t mean you should be mad at me for pointing it out!”

Amy paused.

“IM!! IM THE EASIST TO TRICK!” She then screams.

“Well yeah, you, knuckles, tails, me, and then sticks”

“I like that list!” Sticks smiles.

“How dare you-“ Amy starts

“Look! I’m not saying don’t comfort him! Not at all, I could be wrong too, but what I am saying is this happens ALL THE TIME! Eggman pretends to be nice, then ‘oh no!’ He’s evil again. Shadows stronger then old egghead, I don’t want you unprepared or feeling bad when this obviously ends with a betrayal so we can get back to the status quo tomorrow.”

“You know what! No. I’m not going to comfort him.” Amy crosses her arms “you are! To make up for all the horrible things you just said!”

“Amy-“

Amy takes out her hammer “sonic.”

“….”

“…”

“Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you”

Sonic groans, slumping his body as he walks, making a show of how slow he’s moving. It’s childish in Amy’s mind.

Tails looks scared, sticks is shaking her head. And knuckles is giving her a strange look. Everyone seems against her. But she still stands straight, arms cross. Stern look on her face.

It it’s a trick sonic can make it out of there just fine. If it’s a trick Amy will pay for sonics dinner every night, right eggman for him, make him cookies whenever he pleases, polish his shoes. Do whatever he wants.

But she’s certain that won’t happen.

———

Sonic’s mind is screaming at him. He hoped Amy would feel bad enough. Or was joking or something. But as he walks out she doesn’t change her mind.

This is CLEARLY a trick! So clearly! As he said before this always happens.

Eggman wants to be Sonic’s roommate? Trick! Or what he did with UT, or being a sidekick, or whatever 100 other tricks he did! He can’t understand how they could trust shadow of all people??? When he’s very obviously sketchy! This happens ALL THE TIME!!

Yet here he is! Having to ‘apologize’ to shadow for shadow blowing up for no reason! He’s going to get punched in the face isn’t he? Is Amy going to blame him for that too?

He doesn’t like fighting her on it, she’s a great friend. But it feels so obvious in his mind. Sonic knows Amy is more trusting. (She even talks to eggman on her free time) and she’s very likable (at times-) so maybe shadow is sometimes a little nice to her! But it’s far more likely that he’s trying to trick them all.

In the middle of his slow walk he realizes he has no clue where in the world shadow ran off too. Normally if he was looking for shadow he’d go to a random cave or something like that, but who’s to say want this shadow will pick. Or if he even knows where the caves are in this world.

He picks up the pace, shadow could go far, but not farther than him.

Aimlessly running around sonic was never happier he had super speed. No wonder Amy wanted him to look for shadow, he couldn’t imagine her trying to look for him.

In the end shadow wasn’t actually too far away from town. Sonic had assumed shadow would go far out in the forest, so that had been where he looked first. But the moment he caught a glimpse of mehburger through the trees is the same moment he saw shadow, curled up with his bad against a tree, and Hand on his knees and head in his hands.

Now was for the hard part. Talking to shadow without getting punched.

Shadow was quiet, he might not even know sonic was there.

“Hey dude.” Sonic cringed internally. But really this is an odd situation so who can judge him??

Shadow jumps, his ears twist to look to him. But it still takes a minute for him to get his head up to look at sonic. Hand rubbing his eyes.

Tears huh? Sonic only feels more awkward at this. Though he can’t tell if shadows face is actually wet or if shadows just doing the motion to pretend like he’s crying, he keeps it in the back of his mind. Trying to make a point to not change his ‘chill laid back’ expression.

“So you were in quite a rush to get out of there, Amy’s worrIE-AA”

Sonic was very rudely cut off by the floor disappearing below him.

He was falling then-

“Ow-“ his body hit the ground.

He put his hand on his head, and looked around. Looking up he could see the sky, around him the walls were metal, there was a doorway. In front of his a big screen, that came to life.

“Hey sonic!! And co, probably, this is a pre recorded message! I just came to tell you I WON!! This box will stop you and all of your pesky little friend’s strengths. Draining your energy! Hohoho!!!” Egghead appeared on the screen.

Next to him shadow was standing up now, fist clenched, and tense in his stance. Sonic rolls his eyes.

“You can’t run here sonic! Nor can’t you punch, and all that little foxes inventions should’ve already blown up by now. I’m sure you noticed! If not that’s embarrassing… but i wouldn’t bother trying to escape… THERES NO WAY OUT”

“Well there is one exit, it needed to be made so that WE could get out when we made the place”

“ORBOT SHHH-“ the screen then went dark.

Sonic looked at the door. Clearly that was the way out.

“The doctor…” shadow growled.

“Okay let’s get out of here” sonic goes to dash to the door, but his legs feel heavy??

It’s horrible, the worst feeling he’s ever felt. He knows where he wants to go, and he should be there? Right? But his movements feel like he walking through water, and god he HATES water. Even though he knows this is a normal running pace, it’s way to slow her him.

“Or… uh not”

Shadow looks at him “chaos control!”

Sonic gives him a weird look.

“I can’t teleport either…”

Oh?? Is that what he was doing?? Why did he shout then?

Sonic doesn’t care enough to ask allowed, but he does silently judge.

“Let’s just go out the door”

“It’s probably a trap”

“Nah you just have trust issues” that somehow doesn’t result in a pinch in the face for sonic. And even more surprisingly shadow follows sonic, at the god awful walking pace, out the door.

To a long.

Long.

Hallway.

This is gonna take a while. So he might as well do what he came for, just to tell Amy he tried.

“You worried Amy.”

“Sorry.” Shadow says like that’s the end of the conversation.

“What was so wrong with tails thing anyways?” He then asked. It was an impressive machine! And seeing shadow yell at his brother like that was NOT helping shadows ‘sweet’ image, Amy insisted he had

“It wasn’t getting me where I needed to go”

“No need to blow up at the kid.” Sonic crosses his arms “to spit on his dreams”

Shadow gives him a weird look.

“He’s smart, you couldn’t build that” sonic says pointedly.

“I know. I’m not questioning his intelligence or…. ‘Spiting on his dreams’? Whatever nonsense you’re saying, I just…. I Just have to get back.” Shadow huffs.

“You bet he’s smart!”

Shadow nods, looking uninterested. But sonic doesn’t plan to stop this any time soon. All shadow has been doing is being a big meanie and glaring and scaring tails for no reason! Hes going to annoy him the best he can, if not for Sonic’s own growing boredom, for tails!

“The smartest”

“Maybe for his age” shadow is glaring at him again. Geez does this guy ever stop that!

“Out of any age”

“I wouldn’t say that. But one day I suppose.”

That was actually… kind of a compliment? He’s not being the most nice about it. But the way he says it, and the fact that he’s not acting over nice, does make it seem more genuine.

He just wants to pick apart shadows mind at this point. Does shadow know this? Is he somehow tricking him that he’s nice by only being a little bit nice? Or is sonic over thinking this??

Sonic wants to change the subject. “You look horrible”

That probably wasn’t the best subject change, but it came out of his mouth too quickly to stop it. And it was kinda true.

Shadows quills were a mess. His eyes looked like he hasn’t slept in days (which he knows isn’t true), and his body moves in a very limp like manner.

Shadow moves his hands or pat his quills up, taking a few of them and putting them back in proper place, turning slightly away from sonic. Is he embarrassed?

Okay change the subject, for real this time!

“Amy said you had ‘paw pads?” Sonic didn’t know if that was any better, but what else is he meant to say? ‘Lovely weather we’re having in this empty, damp, dark dirt cave’.

Shadow nods, sonic can’t help but laugh.

Shadow? With paw pads. It wasn’t that funny when Amy told him, but having shadow confirmed it for some reason is just really funny to him.

Shadow gives him a sharp glare.

“Sorry, you’re just so aggressive, it’s funny to imagine”

The glare fades. And shadows frown deepens, if that’s even possible.

“What next you’ll say you can purr too?” Sonic can’t help but tease now.

A second passes

“You can’t?”

Sonic mouth opens. Before closing, looking closer to him “you joking?” Because shadow has to be? But even if he is, shadow can make jokes???

Shadow shakes his head.

“Huh” sonic pauses for a moment “everyone in your world more uhh… animalistic than ours?” He asks. He couldn’t imagine purring, or having paw pads, or growling like shadow seems too. It’s something he’s never thought about before, why would he? It’s an animal thing, not a mobian thing!

Shadow thinks “I’ve never heard anyone else purr”

“Maybe that’s because no one’s comfortable around you” sonic smiles.

And again, Shadow glares.

“It was probably the… made in a lab thing”

“…”

“…”

“The what.”

Shadow looks at him like he’s missing something. A punch line? A reference? Some sort of joke or context to make what shadow just said make sense.

And sonic does search his brain ‘made in a lab thing’? Tails has a lab? Eggman has a lab? What’s made in a lab, what does it have to do with shadow not hearing others purr?

Okay, maybe he is missing something.

“What are you talking about?”

Shadow gives him a strange look, and sonic wish he’d just drop the ‘looks’ and ‘glares’ and all the other subtle moments and silent act he won’t stop doing and just spill it out.

Sadly for him it seems like shadow is contemplating even talking about it.

Luckily for him shadow opens his mouth “I was made in a lab. Not born.”

…

huh?

He was? Is this new information? This feels like new information.

His shadow kinda just… showed up? Beat him up one day and like.. that was it? Like eggman, there was no real backstory or anything. It was fine how it was. Shadow was just a normal person with violent tendencies!

This shadow was made in a lab… was theirs??????!

Sonic nods (oh god he’s starting to understand shadows reluctancy to speech now, he’s has no words for this!)

But maybe he should say something. “So you… can’t hear other people purr?”

Shadow looks at him like he didn’t just drop the most bombshell of a fact on sonic right now.

He sighs “no. They probably made me with that ability while no one else could… that explains the… paw pads too”

Sonic could almost laugh hearing shadow say the word ‘paw pads’ HE DIDNT (he’s getting better) but it was so tempting.

“Oh please, the only people who think like that are like… humans without internet access I guess” sonic shrugs. Mobians obviously know what they can and can’t do (and what their own hands look like). And any human could just look it up online, they’d get a pretty basic answer.

“And who do you think I was made by?” Shadow glares at him, as it it should be obvious.

Well sorry-! He doesn’t know all of shadow’s background.

“But wait… made in a lab? So your like? Not real??? Like a machine?” This was definitely the more pressing issue. Since when was shadow made artificially?

“I am a bio life-form” shadow says simply. Looking at sonic before sighing “I’m not a robot. I was just grown, in a tube.”

“Tube baby” sonic smiles.

Shadow frowns. This probably wasn’t the right time for that. But it was funny nonetheless.

Shadow didn’t look like it was funny to him. Instead he turned slightly away from sonic, and walked faster.

Fine. Be like that.

But if they’re going to have to WALK sonic isn’t going to do it in silence. “So” he starts “why were you made anyways!”

Shadow sighs. Loud.

“Not an answer”

“And why do you need to know?” shadow gives him a sharp look.

“If it was super embarrassing that’s okay! I’m not here to judge”

“Embarr- what? How could-?”

“Ohhh it was, wasn’t it?”

“No?!!!” Shadow says, giving sonic a flabbergasted look. “I was meant to be medicine.”

“Medicine??” Sonic looked shadow up and down. “How does that work out?” When he hears the word medicine he thinks of pills, or chewable tablet’s, and gross tasting liquid. Not an angry looking hedgehog.

“Blood transfusion”

“Oh.” That made more sense, but it wasn’t that fun. Sonic didn’t care for needles, but at the same time most people don’t. “Is that why you were saying smart people words to tails?”

Shadow just gives him a look, walking faster.

Sonic walks faster as well. “If you’re built then shouldn’t you be super smart? You should know tails can’t bring you to that whatever place then. Right?” Sonic smiles.

“I wouldn’t say I’m as smart as tails”

“So” Sonic’s grin grows “you’re not smart”

“I’m smarter than you” shadow says. “Not a high bar though.”

“Wow. I’m hurt!” Sonic chuckles. “But seriously dude, for medicine you really like hurting people.”

Sonic didn’t even realize there was any sort of ‘amusement’ on shadows face before, but it had to have been there because shadows face had somehow darkened. Again giving sonic a sharp glare (not doing any favors in disproving Sonic’s point)

“I mean you freaked out because you couldn’t fight some monster”

“It was personal.” Shadow growled. Full on growled too.

Sonic couldn’t help but laugh “that’s what i mean! medicine doesn’t sound like that man! I guess medicine doesn’t sound like much of anything normally, but if pills could talk they wouldn’t be giving out threats”

Shadow crosses his arms.

“But you are really good at fighting too-“

“I’m the ultimate life form. Of course I am” this sounds more like the shadow he knows (and doesn’t love).

It actually brings a smile to Sonic’s face. He can get under shadows skin. Make him reveal his true intentions “ultimate fighter maybe, but lifeform in general, I just don’t see it.” Sonic teases.

“Maybe look harder.” Shadow says, strained.

he chuckles “I just can’t see you as a healer! it is pretty funny! imagining you, in all your glaring glory, being some healer.” He chuckles.

The more he thinks about it the more it doesn’t make sense. Shadow is a PAIN to be around

“I wouldn’t trust you around anyone like that personally, why’d they make you act like that then put you with vulnerable sick peop-“

“I AM NOT A WEAPON”

Shadow explodes, and not just in a scream. A blast of energy literally explodes behind him. Just as soon as it was there it was gone.

Sonic didn’t say he was a weapon. He can’t even recall using the word weapon in his tease-ramblings once.

Which makes him kinda feel like shadow was made to be a weapon. Because there is NO reason why medicine should be able to blast energy.

Shadows breathing heavy. He’s shaking again. but his ears lay flat on his head.

He might be hurt?

Trying to run kinda hurt sonic, and this place limits power, showing that much power has to sting, at least a little bit.

“I didn’t say you were” is all sonic can force out of his mouth. Not wanting to cast accusations now, and not wanting to embarrass himself by asking shadow if he’s okay. (Though maybe he should).

“I- I know that.” Shadow glares up at him, but with him shaking, and looking like he’s struggling to stand it’s not at all intimidating.

Sonic feels strange. His mouth is dry. And he’s unsure what to say. The closet feeling he’s had to this is when he accidentally broke Amy’s favorite mug.

Even then it all turned out fine.

No ones ever really been like this before. Heavy breathing, shaking. Clearly not okay.

Tails had gotten nervous when storms happened. But nothing like this. Never like this. Just a little jumpy?? Sometimes lightning hit and he’d squeak. This feels extreme in a way he’s unsure how to manage.

“I don’t think you’re a weapon” clearly the right thing to say as shadow face relaxes. He detenses slightly and puts his hand to his face.

“I know” shadows voice came out soft. Sighing as he speaks, yet sounding… ashamed? “That was fully unnecessary. It’s fine.”

Sonic still wasn’t even sure what ‘that’ was.

Shadow started walking again. Sonic joined too. Feeling awkward.

“Do… you have like… issues?” Was the best way sonic thought to put it.

Shadow laughed. It made sonic jump in all honesty, a soft, big laugh, before immediately turning into airy chuckles.

He sniffles in between laughs, is he crying? Sonic isn’t sure what’s really happening now “I guess” is all shadow says.

It makes sense, sonic didn’t know what he wanted the response to actually be when he asked that.

Eventually silence falls again.

But this time shadows the one that breaks it. “I was with Maria.”

He says, like that means anything.

“Okay.”

…

…

Shadow doesn’t further explain himself.

“Who’s Maria?”

Shadow cringes when he says the name.

“Right.”

Not an answer again! great… Sonic’s on the most wild emotional roller coaster ever.

If shadow isn’t going to say anything else Sonic’s going to start speaking for him.

“Right… so then she’s your girlfriend you got relationships issues with?”

Shadow face looks confused “what?” He stops in his tracks “no? I don’t have a girlfriend”

Sonic laughs. Only for a moment.

“She’s my sister.”

“Oh-!” Sonic covers his mouth, trying to hide a chuckle. The best way to get information out of people is to embarrass them! If they don’t tell you something assume it’s something awkward!

“She’s dead.”

“Oh.”

Oh…..

Oh?!!!!!??!

What??? Sonic brain made the loading symbols in his head, because no matter how hard he was yelling at himself to process this, or say something he just couldn’t.

Shadows sister. A dead sister. It all made sense! He thought he was on the most wild coaster in the part but he never left the kiddy section! Of course shadows acting like this!

“How long ago?” He says, mirroring a show he once watched.

“50 years.”

….?

“You’re…. 50 years old?”

Shadow looked at him like he was the weird one.

“No. I was locked in stasis. I couldn’t think, i wasn’t conscious, I didn’t age.” Shadow says (like this was obvious and not the most wild, sci-fi, thing someone could say)

“Oh… then that doesn’t count, how long ago does it feel like to you?”

Shadow stops to think. Putting a hand to his face, half covering his mouth. “I suppose…” he slowly starts out “a little less than a year.”

Sonic wants to grab shadow by the shoulders and shout ‘LESS THEN A YEAR’. His sister JUST died???? He wants too so badly that he does.

He grabs shadow by the shoulders

“LESS THEN A YEAR??!!!”

Shadow looks at him with wide eyes, but nods.

“SHE JUST DIED?!!!!”

“I mean, it felt like longer, but this is the first birthday I’ve had with you-“

“She just died?”

“I know I was there”

“YOU WERE THERE?!!”

Shadow looks confused, no bewildered. And sonic is too!

“How are you not…. More upset?!! How are you???” Sonic shakes him a bit more “still???? What??”

Sonic couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to loose tails, but he certainly wouldn’t be baking cookies with Amy less then a year after it happened he knows that for sure.

No wonder shadow freaked out at the machine, he’d be EVEN more freaked out, shadows acting way too tame for this.

Sonic never experienced death before, sure and his friends didn’t have parents, knuckles was the only echidna, but currently? No? That would boost their rating to Tv-13 (or E 10+ not doing that again) way too fast. So the fact that shadow had experienced it was baffling to him.

“I… I don’t know. I thought I was over it but… seeing her again”

“Over it???? It hasn’t been that long”

“Everyone says I should… is that? Not right?”

Why is shadow asking him? He doesn’t know? Maybe shadows world just has more death. But even then, it all leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He’d be pissy if everyone wanted him to get over the death of his sibling too (can he say pissy? He’s really confused about the rating).

“It feels like a pretty short time, but I don’t think there’s really a certain time.. you just get over it… when you do?? You said the place was out of time, is that how she appeared”

“We were all sucked in from different points in time, I was in the present, but it was her before the GUN raid”

Shadow just said ‘gun’ he can probably say ‘pissy’.

Sonic, now accepting that this backstory makes sense for shadow (even if it doesn’t make sense for Sonic’s own world). But nods his head. Really what was he meant to say to that.

“That’s wild.”

Shadow nods. “I… yes. I suppose so.” Tears suddenly fall down his face.

“It sucks.” Sonic says.

A sob emerges from shadow “It does”.

Shadow puts his back to the wall, more tears falling.

“Sorry… I know this is a normal part in life but…” shadow trails off.

“I mean, kinda? Still sucks though”

Shadow nods, taking a breath in “I don’t think about it much. But it was hard not too”

“Hey I’m not therapist, but I’m pretty sure it’s not good to just ignore it.”

“And what am I meant to do. Talk about it?” Shadow crosses his arms.

“Yeah” sonic shrugs.

Shadow shakes his head “everyone wants me to move on. Worrying them won’t bring her back.”

“It might”

Shadow gives him another confused look, and huffs, chuckling a little. “You’re funnier then my sonic” he starts to sink down to sit on the floor.

“Hey I’ll take it!” Sonic can’t help but smile.

“Go on without me, I’ll be a second” shadow says, while sitting.

“It’s kind of you to know I hate staying in one place, but I’m not leaving you man” sonic says.

Shadow moves to get up “fine-“

“Nope! Take as much time as you need. Just chill”

Shadow taps his fingers to the ground “you need to get up there, I think where approaching the end.”

“I’m not in a rush”

“This was meant to trap your sonic. That town could be getting taken over as we speak.”

Sonic can’t help but laugh. “Nah eggman won’t take over while we’re in here, he’s too slow for that”

“Should we be worried about any one else” shadow pushes.

“You’re like, the most aggressive villain here” sonic points out.

Shadow looks confused “what about the doctor?”

“Egghead? Please! Amy and him have tea parties and collect puppy figures; his robots basically blow themselves up! He couldn’t be a competent villain if he tried!”

Shadow sits there, thinking. But sonic is unable to read his expression.

“What about the others?” Shadow then asks.

“What about them! The lightning bolt society? I’ve had fan interaction that’s worse than the damage they cause! I could beat up Dave faster then he could get me a mehburger”

Shadow looks confused, and a bit angry, but to sonic shadow always looks a bit angry, even when Amy said he’s being ‘sweet’ (which he still on the fence if shadow is . Amy thought that slobbering Widabit was ‘sweet’).

Shadow nods.

Sonic sits with him. Shadow leans his head on Sonic’s shoulder…. Shoot. Maybe he is sweet.

…….

Sonic and shadow escaped with little resistance, it was unclear if eggman even figured out they were stuck in the first place.

They were making it to Amy’s hut,

“SONIC GET AWAY FROM HIM THE INSTANT”

Amy looks annoyed, knuckles crosses him arms, and tails just looks worried.

“Sticks please, not everyone is an alien”

Shadow tenses.

Sonic looks at him, concerned. He knows that look, he was just down underground with that look for about an hour. He swears if shadow is about to reveal he’s an alien he’s going to lose it.

“You’re not an alien right shadow?” Tails asks for some reason? What were they talking about when they were trapped.

“I am-“

“HE IS DONT BELIEVE HIS LIES!!!!” Sticks screams

a pause

“Wait what.”

Shadow looks super uncomfortable “I am.” He strains his words “I was made with alien dna”

Sonic is connecting dots in his head.

“Oh…. Uh… yeah cool cool.” Sticks then says.

Everyone seems to nod.

“Well we got that covered” knuckles shrugs “where’s the free pizza?”

Great! He and shadow just had their sad bonding moment so he’s glad he didn’t have to do anything again.

———

Tails fidgets with his hands.

His mind was filled with relief, and only that for a few minutes when sonic walked through the door.

He didn’t believe in aliens (he believed in other life forms in space, but not the type sticks ever was talking about) but he did fear shadow for perfectly logical reasons!

So watching his older brother run up to him to try and give some sort of ‘comfort’ felt like he was a wife at a train station begging his husband not to go off to war.

Helpless, pathetic even. Those emotions buried him, and no matter how much Amy said he’d be okay the more minutes past the more fake it felt.

He had tried to tinker with his machine, to find the place out of time, to control it. he’s not used to NOT being able to do something. But this was just as a matter of fact impossible. Still he typed away at the buttons, even going in and rewriting the components of his machine.

And it didn’t help when sticks and knuckles ran in with some book yelling about aliens.

It’s normal stick’s behavior, but still as they shouted about the ‘black arms’ a race shadow supposedly was, from a supposedly ‘scientific’ book. He couldn’t help the dread that slipped into his mind.

It’s just like when thunder storms and lightning hit. Tails knew how they worked, he knew the ins and outs of everything. Why rain fell, why thunder was so loud, lighting was so bright. Yet still even thinking about it makes his hands shake. Hearing drops of rain, or booms of thunder makes him want to hide.

It was a completely unreasonable fear. One he never freaked out TOO much about. But certainly he shouldn’t have been frightened at all.

Sticks always thinks everyone’s an alien, or some robot, or whatever.

Yet still his hands shook as sticks described many eyes, and a thirst for blood, and all he could imagine was sonic alone with… that.

He ended up breaking the machine.

He should’ve seen it from a mile away. Time works in odd ways, but it always works. Getting outside of it was a fools errand. Either time itself would’ve broken (which would not be good) or the machine would. And it was his unlucky day, because in this loose loose situation he lost a day of hard work.

It didn’t help at that moment sticks was still screaming things from the book, and knuckles was screaming nonsense.

It was an hour of trying to fix the machine and failing, while sticks and Amy agued.

That lead him to now. Where sonic (and shadow) was back. And he had wanted to run up and give sonic a great big hug (he wouldn’t though, he knew sonic would be fine. And he’d rather not embarrass himself)

If anything shadow looks more like a mess then sonic.

But shadow had confirmed he was an alien. With no push back. Almost casually, though he did seem tense and nervous. It suddenly felt… awkward.

He had felt almost guilty for being scared. Shadow clearly looked more ashamed at it than anything, and it wasn’t hard information to get out. It just doesn’t seem like a big deal now. If he wanted to hurt them sonic probably wouldn’t even be back.

“That shows you all for stereotyping!” Amy then says, to break the silence. “Me and shadow are going back home!” She took his hand to try to tug shadow away.

“Wait-“ tails hated that he just said “I uh… kinda…” he tried to force his body not to shake “need shadow to work on the machine… we’ve had some minor setbacks… I could need more blood”

Amy nods, shadow just stands there but strangely enough sonic gives him a strange look.

“Alright, how long do you think it’ll take?”

“All night? Maybe?”

Amy frowns “okay. I’m going to head back home. I have to clean stuff up, you’ll be okay shadow?”

Shadow nods

“C’mon shadow” tails says. And shadow follows him.

If shadow wanted to kill him he would’ve done so already. That’s all that repeats though his mind. And it seems true. Shadow makes no move. He just follows sits on the counter.

“I couldn’t get you back into the white space-“

“Hey you taking blood yet? Need a water?” Sonic poked his head through the door.

“Uh… no I’m good” tails said. Honestly he forgot sonic was still there.

“I was talking to shadow”

Harsh.

Shadow shakes his head.

“You good?”

Sonic? Asking if someone is good? What happened.

Shadow just nods.

“Sweet! I’ll be out here if you two need Me” he moves over back to the living room.

Tails can’t help but wonder what happened back there. But either way he’ll have to tell shadow eventually the machine is broken. And he might as well do it know “so I tried to look into it and the machine-“

“You hungry?” Sonic said, poking his head through the door again.

Shadow had his eyes closed, annoyed “if you want to come in I’m sure you can sonic.”

“No no… I’m good” sonic sinks back into the living room. Weird.

Sonic seemed so against shadow before. But now he’s offering him water and food (that would’ve probably been tails food anyways they are in his house). Amy’s been calling him sweet. And even the alien thing.

Is shadow good? If he is then tails feels (for once) like a fool. If he isn’t then shadows a lot smarter then he appears.

Frankly he doesn’t think that’s the case. Shadows smart but he’s no manipulator, even then most of what he’s doing wouldn’t work out to his advantage now anyways. If knuckles is smart in one world then shadow can be good in this one. Easy as that.

“Anyways the machine broke… it’ll take me a little to get it back up and running.”

Shadow nods. He doesn’t even seem mad.

“I’m guessing if I don’t go back the universe will explode or something”

Tails looks at shadow weird. He never said that, he doesn’t know where shadow got that from “uh no. Not at all”

“Oh…”

“I mean, if there were two of you in the same universe then yeah! But there’s not, so no.” Tails explains further. “It’s really no rush- not that I’m taking my time or anything-!!!!!”

“It’s fine… take your time” shadow says simply.

“Oh… uh thanks?” Tails smiles, awkwardly. Shadow seemed like he wanted to leave quickly when he first got here, but that was probably due to the ‘monster’.

Tails got the needle ready to take blood again. Cleaning the tip, making sure everything was in place.

“It would be bad if I didn’t go back” shadow then said.

“Oh… okay”

“Right?”

Tails didn’t know why he was asking him?

“I guess…? If you have things to do there?”

Shadow looks at the ground “right.”

“Do you…. Not want to go back?” Tails hesitates to ask, but shadow seems like he’s implying SOMETHING, so he’d rather rip the band aid off now then later.

“I don’t have a choice”

“Why not?”

Shadow just looks at him. Then back at the ground. Like what he said was nonsense.

“Your shadow has to return, does he not”

“That guy sucks.” Tails says “no offense”

“He isn’t me. None taken”

“Heh good…” tails trails off “but really this world isn’t missing much without him. He’s always trying to destroy it. And not like the silly scheme eggmans up too. I mean we can defeat him easily! Bur still a pain! Heh….” tails shrugs.

Shadow nods.

“Your world seems so simple.”

Tails didn’t know if that was a compliment or an insult.

“The doctor isn’t described as a threat, you’re making cookies. Playing volleyball. And… everything seems less serious” shadow sighs.

Tails still can really tell where this is going. Shadow does seem like a serious guy, so maybe this is meant to be a bad thing? He can’t really deny that all that stuff does happen, so tails just nods.

“It’s much less to deal with than in my world.” Shadows eyes remain on the ground. “Do you even fight?”

“Yeah!!! A little… we also have dance battles, and are forced into chores for him sometimes, but normally at the end of the day sonic spin dashes into him and knocks him out..”

“I got caught in an eggman trap. All we had to do was walk out.”

“Sounds like eggman!” Tails chuckled. Eggman did need to get a little more creative.

“It sounds nice.”

Oh.

“Does it?”

Shadow nods. “I think im tired of fighting all the time.”

Tails sets the syringe on the counter. “Do you have anyone to return to in your world?”

Shadow pauses, then shrugs. “I know a few people but… not anymore.”

“What about sonic.”

Shadow looks back into the entrance of living room “it’s complicated” he shakes his head “don’t tell him, but I think your Sonic’s better… at least in some ways”

“Really? How?” Tails asked, wry interested. What’s the difference between his sonic and shadows sonic? Are as they different as shadow himself.

“My sonic is fine. But yours at least doesn’t joke about me brooding every 5 minutes”

Tails smiles. “I mean compared to our shadow you’re sunshine and rainbows.” Tails pauses before saying “You could just stay.”

Shadow shakes his head “it’s not that easy”

“Sure it is”

“I’m meant to protect the earth”

Is he??

“But….” Shadow starts.

“But…?”

“Maybe they would’ve wanted this…. Maybe I want this… if it’s okay”

“Yeah, of course it’s okay, I just offered.” Tails chuckles. He doesn’t know who ‘they’ are, but that can all wait for another day “this will make Amy extremely happy you know” tails can hear her screams of delight now.

Shadow smiles.

Actually smiles. The type tails doesn’t think he could pretend to do even if he tried. It’s small. But he smiles back.

————

Shadow was hanging out in his cave, trying to get away from the fools of ‘hedgehog village’ or whatever that pathetic town was called when he had suddenly changed location.

Sonic and his friends remained mostly the same, they just seemed to bug him more. It was the bat that weirded him out, but every time he’d huff and try to leave her she’d laugh and call him brooding.

For some reason they all expected him to attack eggman of all people. As long as he has someone to punch he doesn’t care.

Now he’s faced off against some jackal with long white hair. Who he easily beat up.

“Worthless”

.

“Don’t show your pathetic face around me ever again”

He doesn’t know what’s happening. But he doesn’t care to ask any of these fools for an explanation.

No one seemed to notice anyways