Little ShaDows

Chapter Three (The predecessor of many more headaches to come)

Pain greeted Shadow as consciousness returned to him. His head was throbbing like crazy and every muscle in his body was aching. The pain pulsing throughout his right arm was especially distressing.

'Probably broken.' he thought. 'Figures something like this would happen on the worst day of my life.'

That star seriously needed to take a course in wish granting because she was missing the mark entirely. A wish granted was supposed to make one's life happier, not fill it with sorrows.

Shadow frowned. As if his life could ever become a happy one. The very nature of what he was canceled out the possibility of happiness. He knew this well, but then why had he made that wish?

'Moment of stupidity.' Yep, that summed it up.

"Shadow...?" someone called in a hushed tone. It wasn't the star this time he could tell, but the voice was still familiar. He was too tired and sore to want to think about it, though, and so decided to ignore whoever it was and pretend to be asleep.

"Shadow, are you up?" the voice asked. He kept his eyes shut and his breathing even. Silence followed and for a moment Shadow thought the person had gone away. A sudden sharp pain in his arm told him otherwise.

He had just been poked. Hard. In his right arm. It took all his willpower to keep his face neutral and not grimace.

But the person didn't poke him once, but twice, and then again and again and again and again...

Enough was enough. His left hand shot up and grasped the offending finger, the action earning a startled squeak from its owner.

"Don't. Do it. Again." he spoke through clenched teeth, his eyelids cracking open to reveal a pair of glaring red orbs. The emerald green eyes of Amy Rose stared back down at him.

She smiled slyly. "I knew you were awake."

"You stepped on me." he stated. "And broke my arm."

Her smile disappeared, replaced with a look of guilt and worry. "I d-did? Oh, Shadow, I'm so sorry! Which one is it?"

"The one you were assaulting."

"...Oh." She gave him a nervous, apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"So am I..." he muttered, looking away from her. Amy felt terribly awkward in the subsequent silence until she began examining the black and red hedgehog lying on a pink pillow in her bedroom. He was so incredibly adorably tiny! His ears were all widdle and his nose was all widdle and his hands-Oh gosh! His widdle hand was holding her finger!

She bit her lower lip to repress a girlish squeal. It was simply too much cuteness to take in! Imagine if it was Sonic who was three inches tall instead of Shadow...

"Sonic!" she shouted abruptly, giving Shadow a jolt. "Shadow, Shadow, Shadow, how did you do it?"

He glared fiercely at the pink hedgehog for upsetting his headache. "How did I do what?"

"How did you get so small?"

"That's not important. I need your help in getting back to normal."

"Why would you want that? You're perfect!"

Shadow raised an eyebrow. What the hell was she going on about? He was smaller than a midget, he couldn't use his Chaos powers, and he had gotten freakin' stepped on! What about this situation was perfect?

"Please tell me, Shadow! Please please please! I'll do something nice for you in return!"

"If you want to do something nice you can start by shutting up."

She puckered her lips, glaring at him. "You know, you have a way of turning people off with your attitude."

"I'll have to watch that. Now listen, I need to find a way to return to my actual size. I was going to ask Rouge for help, but when I used Chaos Control I ended up here instead of at her place."

"Why don't you just try it again?" Amy asked.

"Because I can't."

"Why not?"

"My Chaos Control isn't working."

"Why not?"

His ear twitched. "I. Don't. Know."

"Oh...Well, I don't think someone like Rouge would be of much help. It's not like she's a scientist. Tails kinda is, though. If anyone can figure out how to get your height back to normal, I bet he could. He might not be up right now since he and Sonic were having a movie marathon last night and probably stayed up until the wee hours of the morning, but we could still go over to his place and check."

"Fine by me." he said, but a thought suddenly occurred to him. Sonic might be there. If that faker saw him in his current state he would never hear the end of it.

"Okay then, we can leave right now." said Amy.

"Wait. I think it might be best if I stay here..."

"Why?"

"Last time I was outside I was stepped on."

"I'll carry you."

"My arm is broken."

"I'll be gentle. Promise."

'Yeah sure, gentle your foot...' "No, I'll stay here. You talk to Tails and see if he can help, but don't mention my name to him."

"Why not?"

He sighed wearily and closed his eyes. "Let's just say I want to keep this a secret between you and I to avoid unnecessary grief."

"You mean like Sonic finding out and teasing you about it?"

Surprised by her words, he cracked open a eye and saw her smiling mischievously. Damn, she was smart.

"Shadow the Hedgehog, my lips are sealed."

He grunted and closed his eye again. Sleep was sounding real good right now. But at the moment he felt himself drifting off, her voice came again, cutting into his fragile peace. He just couldn't get a break today, could he?

"Um, Shadow?" Amy called.

"What?"

"You're still holding my finger."

"..."

He released her, playing cool about it by keeping his expression impassive. But Amy smiled at the slight change in the coloring of his cheeks. If he was Sonic she wouldn't have hesitated to glomp him.

'If only...'