A/N: Well, here I am again. I need to make a big list of documents so that I won't forget that my story exists. So, on with the show! starts dancing to the can-can
Disclaimer: I own not the characters that be in this story...Just their memories that I pulled from the top of my head.
---
It was quiet.
So very quiet that I could hear the leaves stirring in the slight breeze above me.
So quiet I could hear my memories.
They were something that I'd rather not remember, those memories. Many of them brought back pain and suffering. Most of them seemed pointless to keep. But try as I might...I couldn't.
They say that even important memories will fade in time; but this one hasn't. This one has stayed exactly the same my whole life and this one has stayed clear on the top of my head.
Because no matter what you do...
You can never TRULY forget about lost loved ones.
---
I can hear her voice even now when I remember about all of the wonderful carefree times we had had together.
I helped her to forget about the sicknesses preventing her from going to a planet she loved dearly.
I just wish...
That I'd had more time to be with her.
"Do you think we can go and visit earth sometime Maria?" Shadow asked, turning to the 9 year old girl. Maria giggled. "Maybe some day...but I have to get better first! You'll help me right shadow?" The blonde girl asked with a sunny smile. Shadow smiled as well. "I will." He told her. Maria gave him a look of mock serverity "you proooomise?" She asked. Shadow nodded. "I promise, Maria."
1 Year Later...
"This past year has been really great hasn't it shadow?" Maria asked with that same sunny smile. Anyone that spent time with her couldn't help but smile at her optimism as well. "Yes, it has. Professor Gerald says that they've been working on top secret things to help the people of that planet become happy." Shadow mentioned. Maria's smile got even brighter; if that was even possible.
"That's wonderful news! If we get to go there sometime, I want to make people happy too. Because no matter who you are or where you are...you should be able to have a smile on your face. Right?"
---
I sighed. I had really let Maria down. But I was slowly and surely making up for that. I had decided that every 15 days I would head back to the surface of the Earth via chaos control so that I could make sure the people were prosperous and happy. Because that's what Maria would have wanted me to do in the first place... I thought sadly.
And today had been that 15th day.
In a flash of white energy I had emerged on the outskirts of a forest near westopolis.
Since the black arms invasion Westopolis had recieved the heaviest damage, as well as the most casualties.
And It's my fault... I told myself.
But they had Sonic the hedgehog and all of his little buddies; so it wouldn't be long before the city was put back as it was before the invasion and life would go on.
That's what I hopped at least.
I sighed again. It was time for me to head somewhere else.
---
He was mildly surprised when he found himself stopping at a coastal area of the city.
At least the beach remained the same. I found myself thinking.
It brought back more memories.
"Oh, Shadow! Hey! Shadow look! Grandpa took pictures of something called the beach for us!" Maria was waving her hand wildly as she ran over to me. In it was a pile of small rectangular pieces of paper. "The beach?" I asked, confused. Maria laughed; it was a light and cheery laugh.
"You've never heard of earth-sites have you?" She asked. I shook my head. She then proceeded to show me one of the pictures in her hand. It was an early sunrise with the sky still a mellow orange tinged with pink and the light was reflecting off of the water, causing it to sparkle. There was some foam near the sandy shore where the small ocean waves crashed.
"It looks...wonderous." I finally decided. Maria nodded her agreement. "Oh, Shadow! If we go to visit earth with grandpa one of these times...let's go to a beach in the morning and look at the sunrise!" Maria exclaimed. "That would be...nice..." I told her. She giggled again. Oh, there's so many more things I just HAVE to show you! Come on!"
Shadow..."SHADOW!"
---
I jerked out of my daydream and looked around. "Hey, Shadow! Over here!"
I finally located the source of the sound.
Tails was bouncing up and down, waving his hands frantically further down the beach.
Just like Maria would...
I smiled a little to myself and calmly walked over to Tails and Amy.
Amy looked worse for the wear, seeming to be constantly in a state of something between nonchalance and fear; and it was clearly written all over the young kitsune's face that he was worried about her. "What's going on here?" I asked. I spent my time down on earth looking for strange occurences.
I had obviously found one.
Tails quickly explained to me the issue at hand and I stood there for a minute. Dumbfounded.
"Amy's...having visions of the apocolypse?" I asked.
Tails nodded. That was the short explanation of everything.
---
Amy didn't seem to notice at all when I looked over in her direction.
I stared at her; trying to break through whatever outlandish trance had taken a hold of her...but to no avail.
She remained the same. nonchalant... Despairing...
Fearful...
"Won't you please help us, Shadow?" Tails asked. There were tears in his eyes.
It was obvious by just glancing at him that he had developed feelings for the pink hedgehog standing off in her own little world next to him. That's probably what the voices wanted her to do.
I sighed. The third time that hour.
I was about to open my mouth.
About to tell him that such a quest was pointless. Amy was clearly losing her sanity and she needed proffessional assistance. She had depended on Sonic one too many times and had finally snapped without him there holding her hand through thick and thin.
But it was that look...
It had to be that look.
There was something suggesting that this wasn't anything to do with Amy's sanity.
It had to do with something much bigger.
---
A fourth sigh.
And then...that memory. And my promises.
"Promise you'll help me feel better...okay?" "...I promise Maria."
"I want to be able to make people happy too...Because no matter who you are or where you are...you should always be able to have a smile on your face, right?"
Maria would want me to help them.
"...Alright. I'll help you with your searching, then."
---
A/N: Nnn...this one seems so incredibly short compared to the other ones that I wrote...Oh well. I guess we have to live with it now, because I'm done and I don't have anything else to say. Once again. R&R...PLEASE! Flames, critisizm, praise...whatever you have to dish out, I'll take it! Ciaozies!