"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

"I love you."

Sonic stared at Shadow from afar, clutching the inhibitor ring tightly in his grasp. He had managed to give Amy the slip, and planned on meeting up with Shadow and talking to him properly. The black and red hedgehog was currently busy talking to Omega, so he was waiting for the right moment.

There was just one problem.

Rouge had informed him earlier that Shadow was suffering from amnesia. With this in mind, Sonic was worried how much Shadow remembered of him and the feelings they had once shared for once another.

Every time he looked at him, he remembered what had happened after they had saved the ARK. He had let him die. There was no other way of saying it. At least, that was what he had thought for a long time, and that had been eating away at him. But he was here, he was alive, it felt so surreal, he was still having a hard time believing it.

Omega moved away from Shadow, carrying Metal Sonic in his arms. Sonic seized the opportunity and approached his long lost companion. He reached out and touched Shadow's lower back.

Shadow moved away from his touch almost immediately and turned around, but he remained calm as always and stared at him with a mild, but somewhat confused expression. His reaction made Sonic's heart sink. He knew where this conversation would go before it even begun.

Sonic put his hand by his side "Rouge told me you have amnesia." he informed him.

Shadow crossed his arms "Hmph. And I'm sure the rest of your little circle of friends will hear about it soon enough."

"So... You don't remember anything? Nothing at all?" Sonic questioned. "Do you remember me?" He knew he would regret that question. He didn't care if this would hurt him or not, he just needed to know, to put his mind at rest.

"I remember bits and pieces but when I think back everything seems so... Clouded," Shadow replied "And you... Well, I only really remember your name."

Sonic's world shattered and came crumbling down all around him in that moment. He had seen it coming, but he could have never truly prepared himself. It all came back to him, what they had, what they had shared, and their final moments together. Did all of that even matter anymore? The Shadow he knew and loved was gone... Was he ever going to get him back?

"Are you alright?" Shadow asked, noticing the saddened look on Sonic's face and wondering about his prolonged silence.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just..." He trailed off "It's nothing."

Shadow shrugged it off and turned away. He walked a couple of steps before stopping and looking up at the sky "Sonic..." He began "What exactly are you to me? Are we friends?" He asked.

"You could say that," Sonic replied, walking up to him again "We were a little more than that."

"I see."

Sonic stared at him for a moment "I um... I missed you. I know you don't remember but... I thought- I thought I lost you."

Shadow turned his head towards him "What happened?" He asked.

"Well, um... The last time I saw you, we were stopping the ARK, a space station, from crashing into Earth. But you sacrificed yourself for everyone... For me, and you ended up falling and-" he paused "Well, I thought died." Sonic admitted.

"I'm sorry you had to go through with that." Shadow apologised.

"I'm just glad that you're here, that you're alive," Sonic looked down at the inhibitor ring and then held it up to Shadow "You might want this back."

Shadow stared at the object in Sonic's hand and then looked down at his wrists. Sonic followed his gaze, surprised to find that he had both rings on. "Where did you get that?" Shadow asked, looking back up at Sonic.

"You gave it to me the last time I saw you, I kept it," he explained "But I don't understand, how could you have both?" He questioned, puzzled and confused.

Shadow took the inhibitor ring from Sonic "The Doctor might have something to do with it," he murmured, removing one of his own and replacing it with the one Sonic gave him. He flexed his hand "Hm. It seems to have the same affect," he commented "Thank you, Sonic."

He lowered his hand "So, we were close, right?" He asked.

Sonic nodded "Yes. I didn't know you for very long, but it felt like forever. We had our differences, but something just... Clicked," he explained. "Does any of this ring a bell?" He asked.

Shadow shook his head "I'm afraid not." He replied "I'm trying to remember, but whenever I think back everything is just blank."

Sonic sighed "Don't strain yourself, it's fine." he assured him. He then reached out and touched Shadow's arm "Look, I know you feel like you don't know me, but you do. You just have to trust me on that. And if you ever need to talk, then just ask. I'm going to try my best to help you remember, in fact I will do everything I can. And I don't care how long it takes or if you never remember me and what we had, because as long as you have some of your memories back, then I'm happy, and we can start focusing on making new ones."

Shadow was a little stunned "Well, thank you, that means a lot."

"It's no trouble. Really." Sonic moved his hand away. "Well, I better go, Tails and Knuckles are probably wondering where I am. I guess I'll see you around." He went to walk away, but paused for a second. He then quickly turned around and embraced Shadow in a hug. He closed his eyes as tears began to form, and rested his head on Shadow's shoulder, whilst gripping his companion tightly.

He never wanted to let him go. Not again.

He knew what it would make Shadow feel like, how confused he would be. But he thought he had died. Didn't that at least allow him one hug?

He pulled away and rubbed his eyes, wiping away the tears before Shadow could see them "I'm sorry." he apologised.

"Don't be."

This was awfully familiar, almost like a punch too the gut. Sonic doubted that memory would ever leave him, it would always haunt him. Even the simplest of things reminded him of that fateful day.

Shadow's words pulled him back to reality "I understand that it must be hard... And it sort of felt right, somehow." he admitted.

Sonic backed away "I have to go. I'll see you soon." and with those final words, he ran off.

Despite the fact that Shadow had practically come back from the dead, Sonic couldn't help but feel like he was losing him all over again.

A/N: Part 2 of 3, Sonic's loss of Shadow, though I should probably come up with a better name for this little trilogy. There might be some other shorts that come before part 3.

Hope you liked the chapter, let me know what you think in the reviews and I'll see you in the next chapter, whenever I post it since I haven't written one since this one.