Requested by Shadikalfan27:) I hope you like it. Also dedicated to any Shadikal fans.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to their respective owners.

Hope

One could be completely composed on the outside but broken on the inside, tortured with pain and suffering. It was possible to hide the pain from the sight of others but the wounds of the heart could never fade away and match the calmness of the victim's exterior.

All Shadow needed was to get away from it all; the reminders that he would always be alone, never to fit in with anyone else. Was it because he was too different or meant to be by himself forever? The only person he loved and cared about was taken away from him through the brutal means of murder.

The memory briefly flashed through his mind, the gunshot sounding unnervingly real and close as if the incident was repeating itself a second time. Shadow opened his eyes, only to see he was back in the forests of Angel Island. That was the third time the memory haunted him that night. Two months passed since he vowed to put his past behind him. Why were his memories haunting him this much?

He knew he would always love and miss Maria. And for that reason, he found it impossible to let her go.

The trees passed by in a blur as he continued to run passed them at an incredible velocity. He slowly came to a halt at the top of a cliff, glancing over the edge of the island at the distance below. A very breathtaking view. He found himself sitting down a moment later, the peaceful atmosphere getting through to the Ultimate Lifeform. The mood was absolutely perfect, even when he was completely conflicted inside. He had no idea what could have caused with ease within himself.

Was this how he would spend the rest of his life? Alone without the company of another but the stars above? His only friend was taken from him. Moving on and seeking the companionship of another wasn't within the boundaries of Shadow's comfort zone. He didn't want to be alone again. His lone wolf attitude created a barrier between the rest of the world and himself.

Where do I belong? Do I even belong anywhere?

"Shadow?"

He rose from his comfortable position on the ground, turning in the direction the sweet and gentle voice of the orange echidna. Her blue eyes gazed into his vibrant ruby ones. After a moment, he recognized her. She was the same spirit that lived with the Master Emerald. He remembered speaking with her a couple times. "Tikal?"

She smiled, walking beside the surprised, dark hedgehog. "Are you all right?"

His surprise grew, quite visible on his face. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She shook her head, unconvinced by his answer. "You're not. I can feel it...your pain."

"It's nothing. I'm fine," he insisted, finally composing together a collected expression.

"But that's not true. I can feel it. You miss someone very dearly. A friend..."

If there was anyone that could see through Shadow's words, it was Tikal. Finally deciding to give in, he gave a reluctant nod. Inside, he felt ashamed. He was the Ultimate Lifeform. He should have put up a better argument than that. He sat back down on the ground, folding his arms, refusing to meet her empathetic gaze. "I'll always miss her. That won't change."

"But you don't have to be alone. You have friends," Tikal reminded Shadow, who frowned at the word. She took notice of the change in his mood. "You think you are alone but you have friends who care about you. Why don't you accept them? They know you are lonely. They want to help."

"You are wrong. I am not lonely. I am fine being by myself," retorted Shadow, his irritation growing. "I don't have friends. I don't need friends. I can manage alone."

Tikal put a hand on his shoulder, startled at how tensed up he was. Was Shadow always this stressed? This hurt? Her eyes were full of sadness as she continued to stare into Shadow's eyes which showed his own sorrow. Sorrow he couldn't hide no matter how hard he tried. "That isn't true. You need your friends and they need you. Being alone your whole life would be cruel. I wouldn't want you to live that way. Your friend wouldn't want you to suffer either."

"Maria was my only friend," Shadow corrected Tikal, his frown deepening. "No one else needs me. Nothing you say will change my mind. I already accepted a future alone."

"They are your friends! And they wouldn't want you to be hurt!" Tikal objected, hand still on Shadow's shoulder. "They don't want you to be sad. It hurts them to see you alone." He didn't provide an answer. Instead, he complied to focus on the stars above, somewhat uncomfortable by the situation. "You're strong. I know you are. You have friends, including me, who care about you deeply. I only wish you would understand! We want you to be happy."

"Me? Happy?" He wasn't happy. It didn't make sense. Why would Sonic and his friends even care? His pain was none of their business.

"Shadow..."

He looked up from the ground, startled by the voice echoing in his head. Was he imagining it or was the voice for real?

"Shadow, please don't be sad. You're a hero. You deserve to be happy..."

"I deserve to be...happy?" The frown on his face had faded, only to be replaced with a mixture of confusion and shock.

Tikal watched the change in his mood, knowing deep down Shadow could hear the words of his dearest friend. "Do you understand now, Shadow? Even your friend doesn't like seeing you upset. She wants you to give friendship another chance. I could feel her presence. She was sad that you were alone."

Shadow was left speechless, unable to find any words to describe what he was feeling. He lightly gasped when images of Sonic and the others flashed through his mind, taking the place of Maria's death. All of them were smiling and were at peace. Their happiness was mutual.

"You deserve to be happy..."

Be happy...Shadow had no idea how to be happy. It wasn't who he was. He wasn't a happy being. His purpose in life was to protect mankind and that's what he intended to do as long as he continued to live. Being happy was out of the question. He found himself back in the forests again, still stunned in disbelief at the realization, the truth behind Tikal's words. He did have friends but all he ever did was push them away, insisting he was better off by himself.

He hated feeling weak. Was it a weakness to push away companionship and not love again? All this time, he caused everyone that did care for him worry, even if he refused to show them he cared in return. It was a mistake to push them away. After they treated them as an equal, he couldn't care for them back.

"Be happy...please, you don't have to be alone anymore..."

"M-Maria..." he whispered, feeling a single tear fall from his eye and down his cheek. "But I can't love again...I can't."

Tikal's expression changed to one of astonishment. "Are you all right, Shadow?"

He froze up, shocked as another tear followed the first. He couldn't be crying. It was impossible. Crying wasn't his style. He turned away from her worried face, avoiding the other tears from being seen, already embarrassed. "I'm fine," he insisted.

"You're upset. I know. You are so alone and finding friendship with others is hard, isn't it?" Shadow was surprised by the depth of understanding in her voice. Did she care about him too?

Despite his shock, he tried to compose himself again, pulling away from the hand that was resting on his shoulder. "I said I was fine, Tikal."

Tikal gently turned him around, a hand lifting up his chin. "You are afraid Shadow. You don't have to be. You have feelings too, like everyone else does."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" came Shadow's reply, hiding all emotion from his voice. He already made a fool of himself by crying. He wasn't going to make a second mistake.

Tikal smiled, inching closer to the ebony hedgehog, who made no attempt to move from his position. "Yes. You're not emotionless. You can care about others and be happy. Maria would want that for you. I know she would. I can feel her presence sometimes. She can feel your sadness. Feeling emotions makes you a living being. Promise me you'll be at peace Shadow. Don't live in hatred. Nothing is accomplished by hate."

Her words were nothing but the truth and at long last, Shadow finally realized that Tikal was right all along. He lived in the past too long and never allowed himself to move forward, trapping himself in his own void of despair. Making eye contact, he allowed half a smile to break through his collected masquerade. "...Thank you," he finally managed to say, keeping this tone somewhat normal, without his growing happiness seeping through. Tikal didn't need to see upon his physical features to know he felt better. She could feel less confliction in his heart. "I hate to admit it, but you were right. This change will take time but for Maria, I can at least try, even if I can't stand the faker."

Tikal's smile grew. "I know Maria would be happy to hear that. She's watching you right now."

"Is she happy?" A smile answered his question.

"Very much. I'm sure of it. I understand why you miss your friend so much. Maria was a very nice girl, wasn't she?"

"She was my best friend. I always cared about her." Shadow found no hesitation in talking about his friend to Tikal. She proved herself to be trustworthy when they met by accident during one of his nightime runs. She always listened to what he had to say and he did the same in return. "She wanted me to protect this planet and I will, no matter how long it takes. Not only will I protect the world she loved so much but my...friends." He offered another half smile, more complete then the last one.

Tikal put a hand on his shoulder and this time, he didn't move. He stayed perfectly still and let her rest against his side as they continued to focus upwards towards the sky, filled to the brim with sparkling stars. "Thank you Shadow," she said. "For being a good friend to me. You deserve to be happy. From what I've seen, you've done a lot for this planet. You'll be at peace, won't you?"

"I will give it a try." This time, his tone sounded confident and he meant every word. "And I will never leave you alone. You'll always be my friend, no matter what." He gently caressed her cheek before withdrawing his hand, an awkward blush colouring his cheeks.

"That's what matters most. That you are trying. If anyone can befriend another again, you can Shadow. It may time like you said but I'll always believe in you." She turned to face the opposite direction, hoping Shadow wouldn't notice a blush spreading across her cheeks too.

Both still blushing, an awkward silence remained between the two. They were so focused on stargazing that none of them realized they are were leaning against each other, Shadow's hand over Tikal's. She risked a quick glance at Shadow, surprised to see him visibly relaxed. He seemed oblivious to the fact they were holding hands, perfectly content with watching the stars.

She's watching you right now. She's happy...

Their eyes finally met again but neither of them seemed awkward. For them to be sharing this moment together felt right. They both smiled, Shadow's being a full one. Very pleased to see the Ultimate Lifeform finally happy, Tikal felt at peace inside as well. She knew deep down Maria was watching them from above and smiling, knowing her best friend was willing to give happiness another try.

Thank you Shadow...