I have thought about this one-shot for Shadow the Hedgehog and his thoughts about the promise he made for his lost, dear friend, Maria. Even his arch-rival/lover, Sonic the Hedgehog, joins him and reminds him that even the strongest person needs to let go.

I hope you all enjoy this one-shot.

I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog and Shadow the Hedgehog. They belong to Sega/Archie.

Sad thoughts and loss of a good friend.

"Shadow," A black hedgehog turned to see his young blue hedgehog lover entering their bedroom. "are you doing okay?" Sonic asked.

Shadow didn't answer and just stared at his calendar. Sonic turned to the calendar to see a mark date that made his ears drop. "It's today isn't it?" he asked.

Shadow nodded. "It's been 50 years since she died." He said to him. " I can't believe how many years has passed since that day at the ARK and the incident of the Black Arms invasion; recovering my memories of who I am and what I was suppose to do..."

Sonic noticed his lover's hands shaking a little like a leaf. The blue hedgehog walked closer and wrapped his arms around Shadow's neck. Sonic didn't speak just laid his head on the side of Shadow's face and rubbed his muzzle next to Shadow's.

He felt the ebony hedgehog's hand on top of his gloved one. "Would you like me to go with you?" Sonic asked.

Shadow wanted to shake his head, but he couldn't do it; cause Sonic had his arms around his neck. "No," he answered. "I'll be alright by myself."

Sonic sighed sadly. "Shadow, I know that you want to go by yourself, but do you sometimes feel lonely; without anyone being with you?"

Shadow sighed and stood up from his chair, which made Sonic let his arms go. "This ain't the first time I went to her grave by myself Faker," he explained. "besides it has nothing to do with you." he said coldly as he walk away.

Sonic growled. "I get it you don't want me going with you," the blue hedgehog turned to his ex-arch-rival with frown look. "but don't you think it hurts you more to be by yourself than having someone with you?" he asked.

Shadow pouted and crossed his arms on his chest. "I have been alone all my life,so why would I care if there isn't anyone with me." he answered coldly.

With that Shadow left the bedroom, leaving a confused Sonic behind.

"Shadow why do you do this to yourself?" he asked with his hands clasp together over his heart.

~~~~~~~ 1 Hour Later ~~~~~~

Sonic was doing some dishes and enjoying the nice weather scene outside. "Man, it's so beautiful outside." he commented. "It reminds the time when Tails and I were at Eggman's Amusement Park outer space, it had a nice view too." he chuckled to himself.

He then heard an opening door, he turned to see Shadow walking out of the house. He didn't even gave Sonic a kiss or saying, 'I'll be back'. He just left, with a deep frown glued to his face. He sighed as he watches his love walking to his destination. Sonic put away the rest of the dishes, dried out his hands, put on his gloves, and grabbed his shoes and put them on.

"I know he's going to be furious with me of following him, but something tells me that he's going to need someone to be with him." he thought to himself.

Once he tap his shoes, to make sure that they were in all the way, he headed out the door to search for a friend-in-need.

~~~~~~ With Shadow ~~~~~

We see Shadow standing over a grave marker with two small flowers place neatly on top of the still fresh soil. He sighed as he rub his hands over the marker.

"It's been a while since I came here," he started. "I'm sorry I haven't visiting you like I promise. But things just got a lot busier than ever before."

"Things have changed a lot over fifty years ago. The people seemed a lot nicer than before, G.U.N. Unit has changed completely since the death of their old leader. The new leader is very different than the old one, he's willing to make the G.U.N. Unit different than it was after the ARK invasion." He smiled a little, knowing that he could feel a soft wind blowing through his quills, knowing that Maria was listening to him.

"Always what else is pretty good, is the people are happy. I kept my promise to you, to have people get a chance to find happiness. I hope I fulfilled that promise, and maybe find me some happiness. Maybe life in a happy life with the hedgehog I care about."

He then felt a small tear flowing off his eyes. He gasped as he quickly rubs it away. "Sorry, I don't know what came over me." He patted his face to make the sadness go away, however in his heart it was never going to go away, however, he hidden it away and replaced it with his normal attitude.

"Anyway, I need to get going before Faker gets worried," he stood up from the ground and placed a new kind of flower on top of the other two flowers. "I hope you and the Prof. are doing okay at heaven."

Just as he was about to leave he notices a blue figure hiding behind a tree that was outside of the graveyard. His eyes narrowed and quietly took out a familiar emerald.

~~~~ Few Minutes Earlier ~~~~

Sonic hide himself behind a tree so Shadow wouldn't see him. 'Man, that was close I thought he was going to see me for sure.' he thought to himself.

While hiding behind the tree, he could Shadow talking to Maria's grave marker and heard what Shadow was telling her about helping out with G.U.N. and giving people a chance to find happiness, like he promised to her at the ARK.

Then what made him frown a little is when Shadow should emotion forming from his ruby eyes. Sonic closed his mouth so no noise could escape from his lips. He looked again to see if the ebony hedgehog saw or even heard him.

He sighed with relief. 'Thank Chaos he didn't hear that.' he thought to himself.

He heard Shadow standing up from the ground and he quickly hide behind the tree again. "Shoot he's done, I have to get back before he-"

"'Before he what' Faker?" Sonic glup a lump in his throat when he turned around to see ruby staring at emerald. "Well?" Shadow asked impatiently with his arms cross with his foot tipping.

"Ah, hi?" Sonic answered.

Shadow sighed angrily. "I told not to come, I wanted to be alone, I don't need you following me wherever I go." he said slightly annoyed.

Sonic stood his ground. "Well, I'm sorry that I want to know that my lover is okay and might need some company." he answered back at Shadow.

Shadow felt his temper raising. "And I told you before, 'I'm always alone', so I don't need anyone's pityness or they're grief alright." he almost shouted.

Sonic sighed. "Look I'm sorry for actually 'care' about you." Sonic apologized with a hint a thin water forming in his eyes. Shadow's eyes widen to see someone he cares about, starting to tear up. "I'll see you when you get home then."

Just as Sonic was about to head home, he was stopped by a grip of another's hand. "Don't go," the blue hedgehog turned to his lover. "Don't go like that..." Shadow said to him.

Sonic felt Shadow's gloved finger rubbing the tears off his face. "Sorry, but it hurt you know, when I only try to be the company you want to have so you won't feel alone anymore." he explained while he placed his hand on top of Shadow's.

Then out of nowhere Shadow collapsed to his knees. Sonic gasp. "Hey Shadow are you alright?" he asked his fallen companion, who didn't show his face to Sonic. "Shadow," he tried to get a response from him.

He felt something wet on one of his gloved hands, he saw a lonely tear sliding off from his hand. He looked up at Shadow and gasp softly.

Shadow was crying.

"I'm...*sob* sorry..." Shadow apologized to him. "I didn't mean...*sob* to say that...I just don't want...anyone seeing me...like this..." he sobbed. "a person who's...weak and defensively...*sob* I needed to be strong...but I...I..." He couldn't finish his sentence due to his throat being tighten.

Sonic didn't say or respond, he simply pulled Shadow into a hug. "Shadow," he spoke. "showing tears is not a sign of weakness," he started to explain. "you are just letting the pain and everything you hold inside out. Like the angrier you felt towards the G.U.N. Unit, the pain of losing a dear friend, that you have as the only family member, and finally, for being strong enough to brave through the dangers you had gone through."

Sonic continued as he stroke Shadow's quills."Sometimes, you need to let it go, let go of all the things you hold inside for so long, and when you let them go, you feel much better. You will be truly free of anything that happened to you."

Shadow couldn't only nodded as he continued to cry on Sonic's shoulder.

After what seems to last for hours, Shadow suddenly felt himself being freed from the pain and the suffering that he held inside, disappeared. He felt his tears starting to slow down, turning into sniffles.

Sonic felt his love starting to settled down from the crying, and started to lift his head from the blue hedgehog's shoulder. The two didn't speak to each other as Shadow wiped away any stray tears from his face.

"You feel better?" Sonic asked his love.

Shadow turned to him and nodded, not wanting to speak to him yet.

"Good," Sonic said to him with a smile. "I'm glad that you felt better, you really needed it."

Shadow couldn't help but to smile at his young lover's smile. "Yeah, I guess I do need to let it go huh." he said to him.

Sonic nodded. "Yup, it's always good to let things that bother you go. Afterwards it makes you feel better than ever before."

Shadow chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right Faker." he commented.

Sonic sighed of his nickname from Shadow. "Come on let's go home." Sonic hold out his hand to Shadow and the ebony hedgehog took his hand; he then pull the blue hedgehog into a full blown kiss.

Sonic was shock at first, but he let the kiss consume him. He felt Shadow's arms wrapped around his body and pulled him closer to his chest. Sonic couldn't think of anything, except wanting to keep the kiss alive and free.

However, they soon let go of each other for air. Shadow and Sonic looked at each other deeply and smiled. "Thank you for being a company I need." Shadow thank him.

Sonic gave off his old fashion smile. "Hey no sweat, you need it."

The two laughed.

"Well, come on let's go home, Sonic." Shadow hold out his hand to his lover, and Sonic grab his love's hand and the two walked home.

Unknowing to them is a small young 12 year old smiling at her friend's happiness. "I'm happy that you are happy my dear Shadow, I wish for you to continue your life being happy with your love."

With that the little girl disappeared into the wind.

I hope you all enjoy this oneshot, I sure did.

I know there may be some OoC for Sonic and Shadow, but I hope it doesn't bother anyone about OoC.

Anyways, hope you all like it...