Five days. That's how long it took Sonic to work up the courage to talk to Shadow about Pinkie. He knew the root of the problem probably had something to do with Maria Robotnik, Eggman's cousin who was killed fifty years ago. She was the only person, even among the Islanders, that Shadow actually had feelings of compassion for. He made a promise to Maria, on her dying breath, that he would give everyone a chance to be happy… a promise he totally took the wrong way. When Shadow got Amnesia, the commander of the Gaurdian Units of Nations tried to kill Shadow personally, but Sonic never found out why. That is until the fifth day.
"Shadow?" he found the black Hedgehog on top of the schoolhouse for the fillies. "Can I talk to you? About Pinkie?"
"I don't know why…" he said. "Fifty years can dramatically change a person. Then it takes one act of kindness from someone they hate to completely undo all that."
"What do you mean?"
"Jared Dinozzo, the current Commander of G.U.N. was one of Maria's best friends. Back then he was a kind and carefree kid around ten, a lot like Pinkie is now. He looked at Maria and saw a sister. She was the closest thing he had to a real family… then he stumbled onto something… unfortunate. Black Doom and Professor Robotnik had finished their experiment. 'Project Shadow.'"
"Well that's not as bad as I thought it would be," Sonic said.
"I mean he stumbled onto me! When I was released, I met Jared once. He never came near me again, but Maria told me enough about him to consider him a nice kid. That all changed when G.U.N. raided the ARK. Where I went to take out G.U.N. and the rest of humanity, because they were the ones who killed Maria, Jared looked deeper into it. He saw that Maria was dead because I was released onto the ARK, which lead the Troops to come and shut down the ARK, killing not just anyone who got in their way, but everyone who didn't make it out in time as well.
"Fifty years later the Black Comet came back around, I went to the ARK, or what was left of it, and Jared was there. He told me his entire story about his hate for me manifesting. I saw the entire process in my head, from the traumatizing encounter with Black Doom and the Professor, all the way to the moment Maria was killed. After this we had a conversation that changed him more than all of the fifteen years of hate.
"'if what you say is true, then I will happily accept my fate,'
"'You mean to say that… you really don't remember a thing?'
"'But I just need some time, to uncover the real truth.'" When Shadow and Sonic first arrived was the first time Sonic saw Shadow genuinely laugh. This was the first time he saw Shadow cry. And it hurt worse than experiencing the trauma himself.
Rainbow Dash"It's so sad…" Pinkie said. "I remind Shadow of a dead girl and a warped boy."
Dash was disheartened too. Shadow caused all that pain, and was willing to die for the sake of atonement, what good had she done on a scale like that? She needed Twilight every time Discord came and threatened the peace of Equestria. She wasn't a hero like Shadow, even if the world turned against him, Shadow would still fight to protect it. Twilight was more of a hero than Dash; she was the one in charge when it came to the Elements of Harmony, and even then Sonic had done more. But Shadow… he may have had a broken road to walk, but he eventually chose to be a hero. It made Rainbow sickened by herself.
"I thought…" Dash started. "I thought he was troubled, but this is…"
"Sonic?" Pinkie asked. "Is there anything you know about that makes Shadow… happy?"
"In the four years I knew Shadow… he only laughed twice." Sonic said. "Dash was there to see both occurrences. There's nothing that I haven't tried and there's nothing that makes him happy…"
"Have you tried a party?" Rainbow asked. "those are Pinkie's specialty, maybe he will slightly cheer up with one of them?"
"No, I haven't tried a party; then again I don't know what day he was born those fifty four years ago."
"June fifteenth," a familiar voice said. "The Professor and Doom made me on June fifteenth." Shadow came up from behind Dash, scaring her halfway to the moon.
"Shadow?" Pinkie looked concerned.
"Don't bother throwing me a party, the day I was created was the worst of my life."
SonicSonic knew that Pinkie Pie and Shadow had a connection. He would try anything to see Shadow smile at her, or at least admit he felt something for her. Then Sonic and Shadow were walking through the Plaza, when somewhere near the lake they heard a beautiful voice, singing something Sonic didn't recognize. Then they got closer and Sonic realized it was Pinkie, but the song was not something he recognized, mostly because she kept starting over near the middle of it.
Then she sang the whole thing through. And Sonic recognized Give Your Heart a Break which was appropriate considering the circumstances of Shadow and Pinkie's "friendship."
"The day I first met you
You told me you'd never fall in love
But now that I get you
I know fear is what it really was
Now here we are,
So close yet so far.
Haven't I passed the test?
When will you realize,
Baby, I'm not like the rest?
Don't wanna break your heart
Wanna give your heart a break
I know you're scared it's wrong
Like you might make a mistake
There's just one life to live
And there's no time to wait, to wait
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
There's just so much you can take
Give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
Oh yeah, yeah
On Sunday you went home alone
There were tears in your eyes
I called your cell phone, my love
But you did not reply
The world is ours. If we want it,
We can take it if you just take my hand.
There's no turning back now.
Baby, try to understand
Don't wanna break your heart
Wanna give your heart a break
I know you're scared it's wrong
Like you might make a mistake
There's just one life to live
And there's no time to wait, to wait
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
There's just so much you can take
Give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
Oh yeah, yeah
When your lips are on my lips
Then our hearts beat as one
But you slip out of my fingertips
Every time you run, whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh
Don't wanna break your heart
Wanna give your heart a break
I know you're scared it's wrong
Like you might make a mistake
There's just one life to live
And there's no time to wait, to wait
So let me give your heart a break
'Cause you've been hurt before
I can see it in your eyes
You try to smile it away, some things you can't disguise
Don't wanna break your heart
Maybe, I can ease the ache, the ache
So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
There's just so much you can take
Give your heart a break
Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break
Oh yeah, yeah
The day I first met you
You told me you'd never fall in love"
Shadow listened and Sonic saw tears in the corners of his eyes. When Pinkie finished she turned around suddenly.
"Who's there!?" Shadow stood up, tears down his face… with a smile across his lips.
"That was… Beautiful." Pinkie was Blushing.
"Well there goes the surprise, I guess. I wanted to sing that on your birthday, but you just-" Whatever Pinkie was going to say next, she never got the chance. Shadow rushed up and kissed her unlike any kiss anyone received from anyone else.
At that moment, the power of Sky was returned to Chaos, as the Sky Emerald was restored.