Chapter Text
Cool Spring air ruffled through her quills as she made her trek down the hillside. She hummed a tune as she walked, the slow pace easing her troubled mind. An entire afternoon of exploration left her exhausted, her mind still plagued by the nightmare she'd had the night previous.
Amy had only been gone a few weeks, but she was already missing her friends. The loneliness crept in slowly, but surely. 'It doesn't matter now, I guess. I'm already here.'
She had decided while on the Starfall Islands that she would venture out on her own, away from the safety net her crew afforded her. The decision ultimately led her to another set of islands, further off on the ocean and teeming with life. While she loved her friends with her entire being, it was only now dawning on her how reliant she had become on their presence.
The Moonstone Archipelago had its own charm; Three main islands only loosely separated by shallow waters, surrounded by eight smaller ones on the outside, all lined with huge mountains and dense forests spanning them. It had settlements on each of the larger islands, with Mobians and Humans alike creating small communities. Everything there was fresh and new, and it was an adventure all on its own exploring its vast expanses.
The pink hedgehog had spent most of her time wandering through caves, making small discoveries, seeing animals she'd never seen before. She often scribbled notes in her journal, keeping track of the new things she found. One of which caught her interest more than any of the others, documented in a second, smaller journal she bought solely for the sake of this topic alone.
The ancient moon Goddess, Aluna.
Many of the residents of Moonstone spoke stories of old, passed down through generations and even now to Amy, an outsider. As the legend would have it, Aluna fell in love with a man named Agni, an enemy of her country and her direct opposition on the battlefield. At the pinnacle of the war, after defeating him in combat, she couldn't bear to kill him. So, she fled with him, and they lived happily ever after.
'But that isn't the case...' Amy could smell a good mystery a mile away. 'The texts I found in the tunnels say she was sealed away, that she was ripped from Solar and never seen again.'
She smiled to herself, rearing to find out more about this alluring moon maiden.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a crash in the distance, changing her walk to a sprint as she rushed to the scene. Smoke billowed over the treetops as wildlife scattered all around her, their state of panic evident as they darted by. Armed with her hammer, she paused as she reached the crash site.
There were three things she noticed in that moment.
One, that the loud crash had come from a, now destroyed, Eggman robot. Two, that the creator of said robot was screaming down at number three, a very riled up and very angry Shadow the Hedgehog.
"I'll get my hands on that stone whether you like it or not, and I'm not letting another stupid hedgehog foil my plans again!" After saying his piece, Eggman blasted off into the distance, leaving the wreckage behind in his wake. Shadow angled to run after him, but stopped short when he heard Amy approach.
"Shadow? What are you doing here?" She questioned. She felt slight relief knowing the darker hedgehog was around. If things hit the proverbial fan, he'd at least be around to help her pick up the pieces.
"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you alone?" He looked at her quizzically.
She grinned, her hammer disappearing in a cloud of smoke. "I'm flying solo for a bit, I think it's high time I took the world by storm. And by that I mean, I'm just kinda... Wandering? I suppose?" She looked sheepish as she said it, unsure of how to word it in a way he would understand.
'But Shadow always does things on his own,' She second guessed. 'He of all people would understand the need for independence.'
"I see." He said as he began cleaning up the rubble, quickly giving up on the chase. Amy watched as he heaved the large badnik over his shoulder, scraping together the smaller pieces and throwing them haphazardly into the gaping hole he left in the decimated bot. He paused as his eyes panned over the area, then he nodded, seemingly pleased.
"So you're tracking Eggman too, I can assume." He turned to leave as he spoke, Amy hot on his heels while they walked through the forest.
"Oh no, I was actually researching what I think is a cool mystery, but it could be total garbage, and I could be completely wrong..." She trailed off. "Or I could be totally onto something!"
The ebony hedgehog eyed her, intrigued. "And that would be?"
"An ancient legend of the moon Goddess, Aluna!" She beamed. "It's probably nothing, honestly, but I think it's fun exploring the complex cave network under the islands, at least."
The smaller hedgehog skipped ahead as she continued. "They say she lived a life of peace after eloping with her beloved, but I think there's more to it than that, and I've found a ton of evidence that states the opposite."
He pondered her words for a moment, letting it sink in. "So you're researching an ancient love story?" As they chatted, the woods made way to a small town. Shadow led them through, ignoring the stares of the people as he walked with purpose.
"Essentially, yeah. I know it must sound pretty boring compared to whatever you're doing here." She laughed as she tailed him.
He stopped short next to a small hut, dumping the robot on the ground. "It sounds like something you'd do." He muttered as he turned to her. "But it isn't nearly as boring as having to clean up more Eggman nonsense. I'm only here because he's creating more work for me to do." He huffed.
"I was assigned here to keep an eye on him, turns out he's cooking up a plan revolving around some stupid moonstone." He moved towards the door of the hut, turning toward her as he opened it. "You're welcome to come in."
Her ears perked, following him through the door. "Moonstone huh? There's some mention of it in the texts I've found; it's honestly real fascinating."
She peered around, taking in her surroundings. It was modestly furnished, the small dining space made even smaller by the table and chairs in its centre. Shadow disappeared around a corner, returning moments later with a cup of water in hand. He handed it to the rosette hedgehog, pulling out a chair and motioning for her to sit.
She obliged, thanking him as she took a seat. "Why do I feel oddly as though I'm about to be interrogated?" She held in a laugh.
"Because you are. Tell me what you know about the stone." He demanded as he took his own seat opposite her. His gaze was hard, but not cold.
Her relationship with Shadow was odd; On one hand, she once convinced him to save the world he sought to destroy. On another, that was literal years ago and they hadn't really interacted since. She knew he was hurting back then, so she couldn't blame him for the things he did at the time. On the rare occasion that she did see him, he'd always help her if she asked. Other than knowing he was a mostly kindhearted guy with a more serious disposition, she didn't know what to think of him, and didn't know much about what he'd done between then and now.
Amy pulled out her special journal, odds and ends poking out as she slid it across the table. "Everything I know is written in there, there really isn't much to tell - Yet."
He picked it up, flipping the pages every few seconds. 'He's either a fast reader' She thought. 'Or he really doesn't care for the finer details.' She opted for the former, nervousness nagging at her the longer he read.
Taking a sip from her cup, she glanced at him for a moment.
His brow was furrowed, for once out of concentration, and not out of what she could only assume was perpetual annoyance. His eyes darted back and forth over the page, confirming his speed-reading capabilities. As she continued to stare, he abruptly closed the book, a deep sigh escaping him.
"The power of the Moon? Isn't that just the power of the Sun but worse?" He grumbled as he tossed the notebook back to her side of the table.
Her whole face lit up. "Now you'd think so wouldn't you? But the wording was very specific, it holds the power of the night, not the Moon." She stood, hands clutching at the end of the table, barely containing her excitement. "They said she had the ability to traverse dreams, and that she wielded the power of shades, entities made of pure darkness! I even found murals depicting her with her eight Shade Knights, I've really only scratched the surface and-"
"And you believe these fairy tales will lead you to the stone?" Deep crimson eyes bore into her, watching her every move. The rosette knew she needed to choose her words carefully, lest she end up on the darker hog's bad side.
"That's not my intention at all! Like I said, I was just travelling for the sake of it. It's pure coincidence I ended up on these islands in the first place." She crossed her arms defensively, eyes falling to her feet.
She was only telling half of the truth. In reality, she escaped to the Archipelago because she believed she would never be found by anyone unless she wanted to be. There'd be no point in any of it if she could receive back up in a flash. Shadow's presence on the island was both a comfort and a burden; Knowing he'd aid her if need be, but at the same time, knowing he'd aid her if need be. She bit her lip anxiously. "And I..."
She peeked up at him, finally meeting his gaze. Emerald eyes met red, and she felt a silent conversation rise between them. She hoped to find understanding, but not for the first time she found herself unable to gauge what he was thinking.
"You wanted to be alone." He stated.
She nodded, feeling decidedly small in that moment. "I wanted to prove I could do it myself, that I could make it on my own." Her entire life she'd chased the back of Sonic, and always ended up in hot water, waiting for the blue blur to come rescue her. This was her chance to finally prove she didn't need his help, that she could do it her own way.
He hummed at the response. "Are you convincing the world, or just yourself?"
It took a moment for her to clock the meaning behind those words. She blinked, never looking much past the surface level of the thought. She knew she wanted her independence, but it didn't occur to her why she had to be completely alone to do it. She could always fade more into the background of her friend group, only lending a helping hand when they needed her, but she was adamant. She had to go it alone... But why?
She realised her reasoning was slightly flawed. Needing more time to think on it, she simply blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Is that stupid?"
The question took him off guard, his eyes widening slightly. She gawked at him as a small smile graced his lips, a quiet chuckle leaving him. "That's unexpected. You usually seem so sure of yourself. Even the great Amy Rose can falter it seems."
He stood, smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. "I don't think it's stupid, but it is rather bold to think you could do everything alone. Isn't that the point of a team?"
She looked at him, stunned. 'I didn't think I'd be getting a pep talk from Shadow of all people...'
As the words left his mouth, he seemed to ponder something. Amy shuffled anxiously before he spoke again. "As long as you aren't causing trouble, we won't be at odds."
She gulped at the idea of being seen as an enemy in his eyes. "If you'd like, there is a spare bedroom here. I did see you earlier this week, I'd say it isn't a stretch to say it'd be more comfortable than your current arrangements." He carried on.
The idea that Shadow had been trailing her movements without her notice made her shudder slightly. She relied heavily on her instincts to detect oncoming dangers, but his stealth proved to be a slight challenge for her senses to overcome.
Although, he wasn't wrong in his assumption, her dinky little room at the town inn wasn't the cosiest. She found herself building small fires to cook in the forest more than she used the barely operable stove there. She was a little jealous that he found himself a nice place to stay so easily, weighing the pros and cons of living in the same space as the striped hedgehog.
It seemed uncharacteristic of him to offer refuge to her, let alone allowing her into his personal space. Her gut told her there was more to the offer than he alluded. 'Maybe going it alone isn't the best approach. Besides, it might be nice to have a familiar face around.'
"What's the catch?" She questioned.
He gave her a pointed look, determination flickering in his eyes. "I want this wrapped up as quickly as possible. No matter how many times I run the scenario, it would take me weeks to navigate the underground tunnels for even a modicum of information regarding the stone. I can safely assume that you've been on the islands much longer than I have, so your... Assistance would be of great help."
He turned to leave, headed down the hallway. He stopped short as he grabbed the handle for a door, seemingly to his room. "Besides, the last entry in your journal was dated for yesterday. I look forward to reading your update in the morning." He opened his door and stepped through, closing it behind him.
'Alright,' Amy thought to herself. 'Maybe he does care for the finer details.'