Sonic gulped and raised his hands in a surrendering gesture, "Whoa Shadow! It's me, Sonic! We saved the Earth together!" Shadow just narrowed his eyes. "You have me mistaken for someone else, stranger. I have never met you before." Sonic looked confused, but he quickly shrugged it off.

"I know Chris. I'm his friend, Shadow." Soft groaning interrupted the conversation. Shadow looked down at the boy, kneeling down beside him. He gently shook his shoulder.

"Chris, are you okay?" "Mm...? Shadow..?" The boy groaned, pressing a hand to his forehead. Both failed to notice the blue hedgehog gaping at Shadow. Sonic never saw Shadow so…gentle to someone before. It felt a little weird seeing him like that.

Chris turned to Sonic and his astonished look turned to a huge smile. "SONIC!" The boy ran to the blue hedgehog and wrapped him into a hug. Sonic welcomed the hug, although he preferred it without a certain hedgehog glaring at him with distrust. Chris turned back to Shadow, speaking to him soothingly.

"It's okay Shadow. Sonic is your friend. The amnesia made you forget. When somebody who is not a friend comes, I'll tell you." Shadow searched the boy's face in silence. "…Very well." He turned his gaze to Sonic and gave him an I'll be watching you look. Sonic just gulped and looked up at Chris.

"Amnesia?" Chris gave Sonic a sad frown, "I'll explain later." Chris held his hand out for Shadow, "Let's go, Shadow." The hedgehog gripped the boy's hand and both of them followed the blue hedgehog.

…

Sonic looked up at Chris, smiling. "A lot of people miss you Chris. Especially Cream. I think you were like the brother she never had." Chris smiled back, "I thought she was like a sister too." Shadow looked up at the boy in question, "Who's Cream? Have I met her before?"

Chris shook his head, "Actually you haven't. She's really nice; I believe you'll like her." Shadow looked puzzled, but nodded. Sonic smiled at the black and red hedgehog, "I don't know how anybody could not like Cream. She's like a walking, talking angel."

"Oh, really?" Sonic gasped and turned his head, paling in fright. Sure enough, a certain pink hedgehog looked at him with fire literally in her eyes. She had her hammer out in the open, her form surrounded by flames. Amy's head went bright red with anger, and she snarled at Sonic.

"What were you saying about Cream?" Sonic stammered, "I'm not thinking about her like that Amy!" He slowly walked backward, holding his hands peacefully, but Amy just walked after him. Finally she ran at him, and Sonic, naturally, got away from her in two seconds.

Chris and Shadow just watched the two streaks of blue and pink run around the field. Chris shook his head, "They just never quit…" Shadow just crossed his arms, watching the hedgehogs with a frown. They were so annoying; he wondered how Chris can stand them. Finally, Amy noticed them.

"CHRIS!" The pink hedgehog ran to the boy and hugged him around the waist. Chris was surprised by the force of the hug, but hugged the pink hedgehog back fiercely. Amy's eyes widened as she saw the hedgehog that she thought she would never see again.

"Shadow?"

Shadow stiffened when he felt arms wrap tight around his form. Chris gently removed Amy from Shadow. Amy turned to him, eyes filled with annoyance and confusion. "Shadow needs some space. He has…" He leaned down to whisper into her ear.

"…amnesia." Amy gasped loudly, her hand covering her mouth. "WHAT?" Chris placed a finger against his lips, looking nervously at the red and black hedgehog that was watching them. "We need to be patient with him. There must be no pressure." Amy nodded, concern in her bright, emerald gaze. Chris looked at Shadow, "She's a friend Shadow. She didn't know about your amnesia." Shadow nodded, although he kind of remembered the girl from the earlier flashback.

"It's okay Shadow. I won't let anyone hurt you…" Shadow gave the boy a glare that was somewhat filled with concern. "It's not me you need to worry about, Chris." Chris blushed in embarrassment. "Right…sorry…" Sonic shook his head fondly. He missed that kid.

Amy turned her gaze to Sonic. "Doesn't Shadow seem…different?" Sonic watched the boy and hedgehog ahead of them conversing quietly. "Yeah, actually. It looks so weird. You should have seen him when I first found them. He looked like he would tear me apart if I even took half a step toward Chris."

Amy nodded, "It's kind of scary." Sonic shrugged, "Well, he has amnesia. I guess it's only natural." Amy's gaze turned to a look of unease. "What if he gets his memory back? What then?" Sonic sighed, "We'll find out when the time comes."

…..

After a tearful reunion with Cream and Vanilla, Sonic and the rest of the party sat outside to talk about how Chris and Shadow arrived. "You say you met a hedgehog that looked a lot like Shad here?" Shadow bristled, "Don't call me that." Sonic rolled his eyes. Well one thing hasn't been forgotten: how much he doesn't like me.

Chris shook his head subtly at Shadow, then turned to Sonic, "Yes. His name is Mephiles." Sonic nodded, though his eyes still held worry. There's always a guarantee that this shady character can appear here. He seemed to know Shadow as well, which means another problem. With Shadow's amnesia, who knows what kind of mental trauma this Mephiles character can cause?

Chris apparently thought the same thing because he gripped onto Shadow's hand. I won't let anyone harm him. I'll die first before I let that happen!

Shadow looked up at the boy with a frown, not liking what he was seeing. He plainly read the boy like a book. "Chris, I won't let you put yourself in danger for me." Chris looked at him with protests in his blue eyes. "I don't want to sit on the sidelines when any of my friends are in danger. That's how it's always been, and that's how it will always be. I want to help." Shadow continued to give the boy a glare, "I know you do, but the only way that you can help me is to not distract me by putting yourself in harms' way." It was a hard truth, but it did make sense. Chris didn't have to like it, but it would be better if he wasn't a distraction out on the battlefield, not just for Shadow, but with all his friends.

"…Alright, Shadow, I'll stay out of danger. But I don't have to like it."

Shadow nodded, "That's all I ask."

Sonic looked at the boy and the hedgehog intently. What was going on? Ever since Chris and Shadow came here, it seems that Chris had flat out ignored him and focused all his attention on Shadow. What happened to that final, touching moment between the two of him?

And more importantly…

…was he becoming jealous?