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Shadow was air-skating past Hedgehog Village, determined to spend this time alone. After the unyielding ramblings of Dr. Eggman and the annoying quips from Team Sonic, Shadow really didn’t want to spend any more of his time on people he could care less about. At the moment, all he cared about was the crisp, early night air that streamlined through his quills as he teleported wherever he saw fit.
He found himself dashing through trees alongside a snowy mountain range. The grass was blanketed in white powder and Shadow breathed in the refreshing, cold air. Then something caught his eye. “What is that?” He came to a stop as he saw something shifting atop a mound of snow. Curiosity is why he took a few steps forward. Looking through the blinding reflection of light off of the snow, Shadow saw the form of… “A snow leopard?” Laying there, head against the trunk of a tree and partially covered by snow, was an unconscious, female snow leopard.
Shadow froze. Then turned away. Took a few steps in the opposite direction, even…paused. Sighed.
He walked back over to her and hesitantly shook her shoulder, not wanting to move her without knowing if anything’s broken. “Hey..?” He waited for a response. “Hey!”
Her blue eyes fluttered open at the noise and a wince lightly graced her features. “...Huh..?”
Shadow let out a quiet breath of relief, reassured that at least she was alive. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Am I…?” She pushed herself into a sitting position and held her head, feeling confused and in pain. “I’m not sure… My head hurts.”
“Does it feel like anything’s broken?”
She moved her arms and legs without difficulty. “I don’t think anything’s broken. I may have just hit my head on something.”
Shadow eyed the tree behind her and looked at her skeptically. “Probably…that tree..?”
She turned around and her eyes widened as she leaned her head back, not realizing there was a tall tree behind her. “Yes, probably. Where am I?”
“Near Green Peaks. Maybe you got caught up in an avalanche? It would explain all of the snow down here.” Shadow was admittedly starting to get cold.
“Green Peaks?”
Shadow stood and dusted the snow off of him. “Mhmm. Do you know your way back from here?”
She paused. “I…don’t know. I’m not sure…where my home is.”
Shadow sighed, “What do you mean? You can just climb back up the mountain and go from there.”
She remained seated on the snow, holding her head. “But I don’t remember where I live.”
He sighed heavier. “What’s your name?”
“....I don’t know.”
Shadow rubbed his face in frustration. He took a second to collect himself as he acknowledged that his alone time has been officially discontinued. “Do you feel like you could stand?”
She started to move, then winced uncomfortably. “No…”
Shadow closed his eyes and groaned internally. “Okay. It’s getting late. I’ll set up a fire.”
She watched him start to collect dry twigs. “You’d stay with me?”
“I’m not heartless. You’re clearly experiencing amnesia and a concussion. I’ll stay with you for the night then I’ll walk you to town in the morning to see a doctor.” Shadow finished collecting the branches and dug a hole into the snow until he saw grass.
“I didn’t think you were heartless,” She offered softly, a hint of concern in her voice. She saw him lower the branches into the hole and start a fire, noting how the wall of snow around it protected the fire from the wind. “I appreciate your help.”
Shadow didn’t acknowledge her sentiment, instead opting to watch the fire. They sat in silence for a few moments as he tried to warm up.
“Hey,” she spoke up, nursing her head. “I don’t think you’ve told me your name?”
Shadow glanced up at her then back at the fire. “Shadow.”
“That’s a nice name, Shadow.”
The softness in her voice brought his gaze back up at her and the smile on her face. He felt an emotion unlike any he’s felt before. He stood up and started walking away. “I’m finding food.”
She blinked in surprise at his retreating figure. “O-Okay…”
Shadow returned sometime later, having cooled off his head (almost literally as the temperatures have drastically dropped) and obtained berries and more branches. As he approached the makeshift campsite, he saw that the fire was still going, but the snow leopard was laying further away. “Why did she move?”
She appeared to be sleeping, but she was too far away from the fire to stay warm. “Was it too hot?” He looked at the small flame burning, then at the fur on her face. She wore a sweater dress and boots with thick socks folded over the top. Maybe she didn’t need the heat and Shadow didn’t even consider that.
He sighed at his mistake as he walked back over to the fire and added more branches for himself - not too many, though, so it doesn’t bother her. He popped a few berries into his mouth as he stared at her sleeping form, pondering how to help her in the shortest time possible. She seemed nice and not annoying, but Shadow had bigger things to do and he felt he couldn't do them if he had to take care of her.
Morning came and Shadow woke to the sound of birds chirping overhead and the smell of the lingering smoke from the burnt out campfire embers. He looked around and saw she was sitting up, having woken at around the same time. “Hey, how do you feel?”
She blearily turned to him and rubbed her head. “Better. I think I’ll be able to walk to town today.”
Shadow nodded and stood. “Good. I harvested some berries last night. Here.” He offered the remaining berries to her, then covered the burnt branches with snow. Once she ate the berries, he helped her to stand and led her to the infirmary in Hedgehog Village.
After she was seen and cleared to leave, she turned to Shadow with a smile. “Thank you for your help, Shadow. I don’t know what would’ve happened if nobody had found me.”
He crossed his arms and turned his head away in faux indifference. “It’s no problem.”
She let out a small chuckle and rested a paw on his arm, saying, “The doctor told me of a nearby snow leopard community, so I’m going there to see if they can help jog my memory.”
Shadow had stiffened at the contact, but hearing that she was leaving made him..feel concerned for her? “Do you need me to go with you?”
She retracted her paw and Shadow felt a sudden loss. “Thank you, but I needn’t bother you any longer. If they aren’t my community, they should be able to point me in the right direction.”
“...Alright,” came from Shadow in an uncharacteristically soft voice. She walked away with a smile and wave and Shadow’s arms felt limp, no longer wanting to stay crossed but instead, dropping to his sides.
What was this feeling?
Weeks passed and Shadow went about his days as usual. However, along with the general resentment towards the world that he carried, there was also a sense of unease - as though something wasn’t right. He couldn’t shake it no matter how hard he tried. It was growing quite frustrating.
“Ugh!” Shadow landed out of a teleport and air skated into Hedgehog Village, knowing that he’d get irritated by anyone living there, but he hopes the change in scenery will do something helpful.
“Yo, Shadow!”
That wasn’t helpful.
“No.” Shadow kept skating past a taken aback Sonic.
“I was just going to ask if you wanted to meet someone new to town?”
Unfortunately, he thinks, a spark of hope made him stop and turn around towards Sonic. “Why would I want to do that?”
Sonic shrugged, “I dunno, you’re the one that stopped.”
Shadow groaned, but as he neared the group, talking with Tails and Amy, was…“You.”
The snow leopard he had saved about two months ago turned to him and her eyes widened, matching his own. “It’s you…Shadow.”
She remembered his name. “You’re back.”
She smiled and the nagging feeling that had been following him evaporated, leaving him feeling light. “I’m back! I wasn’t sure I’d see you again.”
The group looked at each other with confused expressions. Tails spoke up first, “Uh, do you two know each other?”
Sonic also piped up, “Yeah, I thought you were new to the area?”
“I am new,” she turned back to Shadow, “I was just telling everyone how I recently moved out to Green Peaks. After an icy rain came through one day, I slipped on some of the stones on the mountainside and tumbled down the slope, which led to me crashing into a tree.” She then faced the rest of the group to explain the rest of the story: “That is when Shadow found me! He helped me because I had a concussion and stayed with me that night before taking me to the infirmary here the next day.”
Amy cooed as the guys groaned. “That is sooo sweet! How chivalrous of you, Shadow!”
Shadow rolled his eyes, but they widened when Sticks stepped close to him. “You could’ve fallen for a trap! And also, that’s not like you. Who are you and what did you do with Shadow?!”
Knuckles pointed a pointy fist in Shadow’s annoyed face, “Yeah! What did you do with Shadow, Shadow?!”
Sonic walked over with a chuckle to lower Knuckles’ arm as he defended Shadow, “Guys, we should be encouraging him when he’s nice to people. But really, dude, you’re not being gaslit by Eggman again, right?”
Shadow growled. “I’m leaving.”
“No, wait.” Shadow studied the expression on the snow leopard’s face as she stepped towards him. She continued speaking, “I’d like to talk with you, if that’s okay?”
Shadow started to open his mouth when he glanced up and saw everyone’s eyes on him. He turned his head a bit hesitantly, then straightened his posture. “Yes, that’s fine.” He gestured for her to start walking and followed behind her once she did.
She waited until they were walking side by side to start their conversation, “I was surprised to see you again. I had come into town to see what goods are sold in the market area when I ran into that group. Sonic, I believe his name was, reminded me of you.”
Shadow scoffed and crossed his arms, staring ahead, “Why; because we look the same?”
She shook her head, “No, he was kind like you.”
Shadows steps slowed.
She smiled softly at him, “He saw me looking around and asked if I needed help. While he was pointing me to the market, his friends joined him and that’s when you found us, getting to know each other.”
“...I see.”
She was silent for a moment until she came to a realization, “I’m sorry, I realize I haven’t told you my name, now that I remember it. It’s Xuemei.” [Pronounced like z-OO-m-AY]
Shadow wasn’t expecting her name to sound so beautiful. “...Xuemei…”
Xuemei’s blue eyes twinkled at his voice. “Wonderful pronunciation. It’s of Chinese origin - Xue means ‘snow’. Fitting as I am a snow leopard.”
Shadow heard his heartbeat in his ears, like how it sounds when he’s skating fast. “Fascinating. You have a…beautiful name.” She gave him a similar compliment in their first encounter.
Her face warmed with the compliment. “Thank you. If it is okay, would you like to accompany me to the market?”
“I would.”
Xuemei responded with a smile and together, they walked to the stalls of people selling goods and browsed their wares. However, they didn’t say much to each other, other than when Xuemei asked Shadow’s opinion on an item she picked up. Their silence held a twinge of awkwardness, but for the most part, it was comfortable.
Shadow was used to moving fast and not standing still somewhere for too long. He did feel weird just standing next to Xuemei and walking in between the booths, but there was no way he wanted to leave. He was intrigued by how she talked with the vendors with a soft politeness that didn’t demand attention to herself. She was humble and compassionate - he listened as she asked the vendor selling pottery what techniques he used and how long it took for him to make his wares. Shadow found it…endearing.
When they reached the end of the market, Xuemei looked into the basket she had purchased and filled with her purchases. “I’m grateful that lovely vendor was selling this basket. It’s handy for carrying all of these items back home.”
Shadow hummed, “Is it heavy? I wouldn’t want it and what’s inside to break..”
She shook her head, “No, I can handle it. Thank you for your concern.”
Shadow nodded in acknowledgement, but the realization that their time together was coming to an end brought a deeper frown onto his face.
Xuemei noticed this shift in his expression through her observant nature. She gently encouraged him, “I am also grateful for the opportunity to properly introduce myself to you and meet you again. It’s nice spending time with you, Shadow.”
He felt his mouth dry and his voice cracked slightly as he replied, “Yes…it’s..nice spending time with you as well…Xuemei.”
She giggled and he felt like he was flying. “Farewell, Shadow.”
“..Bye…” Shadow felt himself wave in a clumsy manner, watching as Xuemei left down a path, presumably to her home somewhere on the mountain range. The uneasy feeling he had felt for weeks grew the further she walked away. “It’s because of her…she’s why I feel like this…” It made sense and didn’t make sense simultaneously. Why was this happening?
Shadow visited Hedgehog Village more frequently than he ever did, though he wasn’t trying to be discreet about it. He knew this was certainly rare of him to be around others outside of battles and confrontations but it’s also rare for him to feel this way about someone. He wanted to see Xuemei again, to talk to her, to just be around her. There hasn’t been anyone else like this since Maria, but his interactions with Xuemei have felt different. He’s pretty sure it was a good different as his heart is racing now just thinking of seeing her again.
Amy was walking past with a new flower pot when she noticed Shadow glancing around the village. “Hey, Shadow!”
He looked at Amy and frowned slightly as he realized it wasn’t Xuemei. “What?”
“I’m just saying hi,” Amy pouted as she put a hand on her hip. “You’re the one brooding in the middle of the plaza.”
Shadow’s eyebrows furrowed. “I’m not brooding.”
“Uh huh. Are you looking for Xuemei?”
“W-What?! How do you know that?”
Amy laughed knowingly and tucked the flower pot under her arm, “Oh Shadow, a lady can always pick out a look of love.”
“...‘Love’?”
Amy nodded as she strided over, “Get ready for the lesson of a lifetime!” She stopped in front of him and poked his chest, explaining, “You love Mei-Mei!”
Shadow felt his eye twitch, “‘Mei-Mei’??”
“I think she’s interested in you too~!”
“What do you mean?”
Amy’s face fell for a moment, “Oi, you’re naive. Shadow, you want to be in a romantic relationship with Xuemei and she wants to be in one with you as well!” Her smile fell and her hand went back to her hip as she asked pointedly, “Do you get it now?”
“Do I?...” Shadow stared at the path as he contemplated this. Meanwhile, Amy was getting impatient waiting for him to understand her point. “I…suppose I do get it. I..see her as a romantic interest?”
“YES! Ugh, you’re worse than Sonic,” Amy started to push Shadow with her free hand in the direction of her hut. “Come on, I’ll teach you how to woo a lady~!”
“...‘Woo’?”
Amy tapped the chalkboard with her chalk as she finished writing, ‘Woo 101’. “Okay, class is starting!” Shadow raised a hand and Amy called on him. “Yes, Shadow?”
“Why is he here?”
Knuckles looked up from his dip. “Well, I want to learn how to woo, of course. My woo’s can stand to be improved.” He stood up, knocking some tortilla chips on the ground. “WOO!”
Amy groaned, “Knuckles, it’s not that kind of ‘woo’! I’m teaching Shadow how to woo a lady!”
Knuckles shrugged as he sat down and dipped a chip. “Isn’t that just woo’ing at a lady?”
“Knuckles, no-!” She took a grounding breath, “Look, if you agree not to disrupt the lesson, you can stay. BUT DON’T EAT ALL OF MY CHIPS!”
“NO PROMISES!”
Shadow was getting irritated. “Can we just start the class?”
Amy closed her eyes to block out her frustrations towards Knuckles and then turned to smile at Shadow. “Yes, we can start.” She cleared her throat and began, “Lesson 1: ‘The Look’. You want to look approachable, not like you’ll punch someone into next week.”
“He once punched me into next month!” Knuckles raised a hand.
“And I’ll do it again if you touch my chaos emerald.” Shadow cracked his knuckles.
Amy stomped her foot, “Shadow, this is what I’m talking about! Girls do not find that approachable! The key is to relax your muscles and give a smile every now and again. Can you show off your smile for us?” She fluttered her eyelashes.
Shadow clenched his jaw but opened his mouth and attempted to curl his lips into a smile. It looked…quite strained.
“Ugh, is that supposed to be a smile?” Knuckles grimaced. “I’ve seen a better smile on Orbot.”
Amy sighed, “Loosen up, Shadow! Think of something that makes you happy!”
“Beating up Sonic makes me pretty happy,” Shadow gave a dark chuckle and Amy shook her head.
“No, no, no, something else! Your favorite food, a nice sunset, a good memory?”
Shadow lowered his gaze as he searched for something to think of. Maria came to mind and he thought of all the fun they had and the time spent with her.
“There you go! That’s a nice smile!”
Shadow raised his head in surprise. He hadn’t realized he was smiling.
“I smile when I think of bench-pressing rocks on the beach!”
Amy glanced at Knuckles before walking to the board, “That’s nice, Knuckles. Okay! Lesson 2: ‘The Talk’. You have to know the right words to say to a lady. The wrong words can turn her away and make her dodge all of your calls. And don’t try to call from someone else’s phone number, I’LL STILL KNOW IT WAS YOU!” Amy said in an angry outburst, before collecting herself. Shadow and Knuckles shared a concerned glance. “Ahem, anyway, you should compliment her in unique and poetic ways, like,” She walked over to Knuckles and took one of his hands…knuckles? “‘Your eyes are like a pool of amethyst crystals sparkling as bright as your soul’.”
Knuckles, giggled and looked away shyly, “Oh, you~.”
Amy dropped his fist and turned to Shadow. “Do you see how effective that was? Now, you try.”
He looked hesitant, but Shadow awkwardly took Amy’s hand in his. “Um…Amy….your…your pink quills are..uh…as pink as the..bubblegum I’m sure you…er, chew, because…you’re…bubbly…?”
Her smile wavered the longer he spoke. When he finished, she retracted her hand with a nervous smile, “That was….great….. We can..work on that later.”
Knuckles swooned behind them, “Aww, he called you bubbly like bubblegum. Speaking of, do you have some more?”
Amy sighed and pointed into her kitchen, “In the drawer by the sink.”
“Thanks!”
“Amy, how many more steps are there in this lesson?” Shadow asked a bit impatiently.
She sighed again and wrote the last step on the chalkboard. “You and Sonic, always trying to rush through things. There’s just one more step. Step 3: ‘The Walk’. When you walk with a woman, you should be on the side closest to the street to shield her from danger. Also, leave a foot between both of you and let her walk closer to you if she wants to! If she wants to hold hands, hold hers gently and securely. Your hold on my hand earlier was a little weird. Here, let’s practice.” Amy held out her hand to Shadow, “Hold my hand, please.”
He looked at her hand then up at her, feeling a little exasperated. However, he conceded to the request and stood to grab her hand.
“Good! Now, you’re holding it a bit too light. Tighten your grip some.” He did and she frowned. “No, that’s too tight.” He adjusted again. “Now that’s too loose! Come on, Shadow, you have to perfect this before you talk to her again!”
“But what if she doesn’t want to hold hands? Then all of this training would’ve been useless.”
“It’s not useless! Every guy should learn how to hold a girl’s hand!”
“My turn!!” Knuckles exclaimed through a mouthful of bubblegum. He extended his fist out then frowned. “Where are my fingers?” A bubble formed as he spoke and popped on his face.
“Ugh,” Amy facepalmed as Shadow shook his head disappointedly.
A knock on Amy’s door echoed in the space and Sonic walked in. “Amy, you in here?”
Amy put a hand on her hip and scolded him, “Sonic, didn’t I tell you about waiting for me to say ‘come in’ before just bursting in?”
Sonic’s eyes focused on Amy and Shadow holding hands. “Sorry, Uh-Shadow?! What’re you doing here and-and holding Amy’s hands?!”
Knuckles spoke as he tried to pull the popped bubblegum from his face, “Amy’s teaching us how to woo at ladies.”
“Wooing ladies, Knuckles!” She let go of Shadow’s hand. “And don’t get any bubblegum on my couch!”
Sonic walked up to Shadow to eye him suspiciously. “Well…don’t go trying to woo Amy, alright?”
Shadow smirked, “And why not?”
Sonic stammered angrily until Amy stood between them and pushed them back with her hands. “Enough, boys. I’m finished with the lessons. Shadow, don’t forget the three steps.”
He nodded, solemnly. “Got it.”
“What three steps?” Sonic asked, as he crossed his arms.
Amy pointed at the chalkboard, “The look, the talk, and the walk.”
“Oh, I’ve got all of those down,” He adjusted his bandana with a smug smile.
“Mhmm, yeah, sure,” Amy said dismissively as she erased the board.
“What’s that supposed to mean?! And also, why are you teaching Shadow?” Sonic zipped over to Shadow’s side and tried to throw an arm over his shoulders. “You got your eye on someone?”
Shadow teleported to the other side of the room, making Sonic temporarily lose his balance. “That is none of your concern, Hedgehog.”
“It is if you’re in here holding hands with Amy!” He stuttered again and raised his hands placatingly towards Amy, “N-Not that I have any say in what you do with your free time, A-Amy.” He cleared his throat, “But my point still stands!
Shadow rolled his eyes and started towards the door, “I’ve got places to be.”
Amy encouraged him, “I hope it goes well, Shadow!”
He nodded and glanced at Knuckles. “You’ve got something…right here,” he pointed at his forehead before teleporting away.
Knuckles reached up to his own forehead and somehow the whole glob of bubblegum that had been in his mouth was stuck above his eye. “Ohh, there it went.”
Sonic and Amy sighed at Knuckles.
When Shadow saw Xuemei again, he quickly went over Amy’s lesson. “Look, talk, walk…okay.”
She stood at a produce stand picking out blueberries. Shadow walked up to her and twisted his mouth into a smile, “Good afternoon, Xuemei.”
She looked up from the fruit with a smile, “Good afternoon, Shadow. Oh, uh…are you okay?”
His eyebrows furrowed, “What do you mean? There’s nothing wrong.”
She covered her mouth politely, “Oh, I’m sorry! You looked like you were in pain. My apologies.”
Step 1: The Look = Failed.
Shadow dropped the smile and crossed his arms, feeling more comfortable in his usual stance. “You don’t have to apologize. Are you shopping for groceries?”
Xuemei nodded and showed him her basket, “Yes, I am. I have some vegetables already, so I’m looking at what fruit they have. These blueberries look very fresh!”
Step 2. Shadow straightened his posture and flexed his hand, before trying to grab one of hers. However, she moved both of them to pick up the blueberries and place them in her basket. He could still make this work. “Those…those blueberries are like…” She stopped and looked up at him, making him more uncertain. “They are…like your..eyes….because…they’re….blue.”
Xuemei blinked at him and he immediately tried to find a way to make the moment less embarrassing. He stretched across the market stand to grab a red apple and he held it next to his face. “Like…like these apples! They’re…red like…my…..eyes..” He made it worse!
Step 2: The Talk = Failed.
Xuemei looked confused, but she gave a small giggle and gently took the apple from him, saying, “Yes, they are. I’ll buy this too. Thank you.”
Shadow wanted to air skate away and hide his face in shame. He settled on looking away and brushing back his quills, “It’s…no problem.”
She smiled at him and bought the fruit she had gathered. “It’s been some time since I last walked through here. I might walk around to see if anyone has new wares to sell.”
“After you,” Shadow gestured for her to walk ahead of him. Shadow remembered Step 3, so he walked on the side nearest to the road, leaving a foot of distance between them. He did notice that the distance was shrinking as they traversed through the crowd and she didn’t try to get further from him. At least one of the steps was going well.
However, every time he thought about seeing if she wanted to hold his hand, he would feel an usual twinge of fear that would make him retract his hand. Did Amy mean to do that now or after they’ve known each other for some time? Do all girls like their hands held or just Amy? And why was he now thinking about how hard it would be for anyone to hold Knuckles’ spiked fist?? What were the spikes from?!
“Shadow?”
He jolted back to the present and met Xuemei’s gaze. “Yes? I’m sorry.”
She gave a small smile, “It’s okay. I was asking if you liked this pattern or this one?” She held up two fabric swatches and one of them had a red accent color. Shadow pointed at that one and she giggled, “Yes, that makes sense. I’ll get that one then.”
Being around her makes his heart rate increase. He supposes he really does see her as a romantic interest. That would certainly describe how he was feeling just spending time with her like this.
Xuemei put the fabric swatch into her basket and turned to Shadow when she paused.
His eyebrows scrunched seeing her pause. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head gently with a warm smile, “Nothing. You just had such a pleasant smile on your face, I was surprised.”
“Really?” He touched his face, wondering why he didn’t notice it. Was it when he was thinking of her?
Xuemei hummed in agreement. “Your smiles are nice.” She looked down at her full basket and thought aloud, “I should probably go back home. There’s not much space for anything else in this basket.”
“Can I carry it for you? I don’t mind.”
She politely declined, “I do appreciate the offer, but it’s no trouble for me. Though, if I have to get something heavy one day, I may seek your help then.”
Shadow nodded, subconsciously waiting for that day to come so he could spend more time with her. “Alright.” He thought about the last part of Step 3 that he wanted to complete. If the first two steps didn’t work, he hoped the third step would. He raised a gloved hand to gently clasp her paw and hold it between them. “Until next time.”
Xuemei looked surprised and flattered by the action. She squeezed his hand before letting go. “Until next time.”
Step 3: The Walk = Success!
She looked back at him to give a final wave and Shadow returned it, finally feeling the smile on his face. He teleported into the nearby forest and skated past the trees, yelling out in triumph. “Woo!!”