Me: So, this is my first Sonic story and I'm in the middle of a writing pause with my other stories.

I'm hoping that writing this will get the creative juices following again.

I watched the movie not too long ago, DON'T READ THE STORY AT THE RISK OF SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED IT YET, I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE MOVIE EXPERIENCE FOR YOU! This is going to be an AU through so things will be different.

Anyway, I struggled with how to make my own Sonic story and this opportunity presented it for me.I hope you enjoy this story.


Shadow didn't know how long he walked. He escaped that awful G.U.N. Prison and there was no way he was planning to go back there. He didn't want to be forced to sleep again. He didn't want to do a lot again.

He wanted Maria back, he didn't know where G.U.N. took the Professor, and the thoughts floating around his head wouldn't leave him alone. He kept seeing her there, kept seeing Maria's death replay like it did all that time he was asleep.

He could feel the Chaos burning under his skin, just waiting for the right trigger for it to burst out. The rain did little to calm him, all it did was reflect his mood, and he didn't know where he was going. The humans walked by him, going on with their day, ignoring him completely, and that only made the feeling worse. Here he was, escaped from a forced imprisonment that he didn't know for how long and with memories he'd rather forget, and they all ignored him. What was around this area of the world that people wouldn't bat an eye at a living, breathing creature like him?

He had no idea what his species was called, only he was a hedgehog of some sort. He didn't know a lot, but Maria tried to help him find out. She used to write down silly theories and they would speak back and forth about why Shadow was not this or that, or some random thing. That alone brought the storm in his eyes again, the anger and pain.

He walked alongside the sidewalk, getting closer to some plaza with a lot of crosswalks and directions to go. Funny, he didn't know which way to go.

What happened next would change the course of the future, for the simple action of an interaction could change someone's path.

Someone stepped in front of Shadow's path and didn't move. Growling, Shadow stopped and glared up at the person. He thought it was some businessman who thought to bother him, maybe a woman who thought he was some child, he knew he was the size of a small one. However, the person wasn't either of those things and it honestly drove Shadow for a loop.

It was a young girl, a teenager. She looked older than Maria did, maybe by a couple of years. She had light tan skin and green eyes that looked bright. However, she also had green hair that was wet from the rain, which made Shadow's head spin because humans can have green hair?! She was wearing a white hoodie with the hood down. She had white pants that were being held up by a green belt. The bottoms of her pants were tucked into some green boots with white accents and bottoms.

Compared to the rest of the humans he'd seen, her appearance definitely threw him off. However, like him, no other human seemed to stare at the girl. It was like the two of them were in their own little world, separated from the rest.

The girl stared at him, tilting her head as her face made no expression. Suddenly, she spoke, "I know that look."

Shadow blinked, not knowing what to say, confused. The girl seemed to understand.

"The look in your eyes. The look of loss, devastation, anger," the girl spoke, and Shadow gritted his teeth, his fists clutching. What did this girl know?! The girl merely glanced at his hands and then looked back into his eyes, seemly unconcerned by his anger.

"I've seen that expression in the mirror of my own face, to recognize that look."

Mirror? Was she talking about her reflection? Her expression? Why would she make that expression unless...she lost someone too? Shadow's anger seemed to disappear at that, his fists uncurling as he stared at the girl with calmer eyes.

The girl made a small smile as she knelt. Shadow felt his breathing hitch, it was almost like he was looking at Maria's eyes again, even though they were different. But the eyes of the girl before him were still kind as she stared at him.

"Your expression is too life-like to be anything but that, and it's oblivious to anyone with eyes that you are not a child in a suit," the girl said, gesturing to Shadow. Shadow glanced down at himself. Perhaps some people did have brains. He still didn't say anything.

"It's also oblivious that you don't really want to be alone right now," the girl continued, "Much less deserves to be."

Shadow looked down, bringing his hands up to hold himself. How did this girl know? Did she know what he was feeling? The anger and resentment he felt all seemed to have become sadness and pain. And he desperately wanted to get rid of it.

A hand appeared in his line of vision, making Shadow gasp quietly in surprise as he looked back up at the girl. She was smiling at him, understanding in her gaze. She let out a soft chuckle.

"Come with me. I may not know who you lost, but if they were anything like mine, they would not want you to go through this alone."

Shadow shallowed, biting his lip. The girl was right, Maria would hate it if he was upset and didn't accept comfort. The first time he did, she refused to leave him alone, following him around and even chasing him until he finally stopped and let her hug him. That or she won't steal and keycard to use the lift to show him the stars. She would be yelling at him right now to take comfort.

He took the girl's hand.

"By the way, the name is Rina Raewyn," the girl, Rina introduced herself.

Shadow took a deep breath, "Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog."


Rina chuckled, "Knew you were a hedgehog of some sort."

This was not how Rina expected her day was going to go. She had left the rather pricey hotel where her foster parents, for now at least, were staying during their business trip slash meeting slash party to gain parents to better the business. Honestly, she was only brought along to get sympathy points from the other corporations to her foster parents.

Losing her parents and being sent through different foster homes until she got the one family she's with now. The Thorndykes were rather wealthy, Nelson Thorndyke owned a rather big business he got from his father Chuck when he retired, and Lindsey was a part-time actress due to the fact she wanted to be with her son, Christopher Thorndyke.

It sounded like a nice family to be fostered with, only if Nelson wasn't working at his business all the time and at home, Lindsey always dressing fancy with make-up and all, and on the phone with her agent to get parts in movies. And Chris Thorndyke was a spoiled brat, always saying he didn't have friends when he did at school, Rina saw and heard the kid call him his friends, and always trying to get his parent's attention.

Good damn grief.

Anyway, she left the hotel to get away from the party going on and to just explore. She's glad she can speak Japanese thanks to her father being a language teacher who was a Polyglot. Their favorite pastime was speaking in different languages around her mother, who could only speak one. Used to drive her nuts. She's going off-topic again.

She was just exploring the sights Tokyo had to offer her before it started raining, and Rina decided to head back to the hotel. She was standing at the crosswalk, waiting for the right time to go and that's when she saw the most interesting and strangest thing in her life.

An anthropomorphic hedgehog. Walking down the sidewalk on the other side of the street.

It was black with red stripes, its eyes almost like a ruby. It had gloves on its hands and some nice-looking boots. It wore golden bracelets around its wrists. But none of that was what caught her attention. Instead, what got her was its expression. It was the face of someone who lost someone important to them recently. She lost her parents nearly three years ago and she still has that expression when she looks in the mirror sometimes.

There was no way that was some human creation or someone, maybe a child, in a suit. No suit or man-made creation could make an expression like that.

When it was time to cross the road, she didn't waste any time walking and ran to the other side, fearing losing the creature that was clearly in pain. Stopping in front of the creature, a 'he' based on appearance if Rina guessed right, she didn't have to wait long for him to realize that someone was in front of him.

Exchanging some words allowed Rina to see that he was confused at first, before getting angry at her implying she knew what that he was feeling. She knew that too. However, the moment she mentioned seeing her own reflection the hedgehog seemed to lose his anger, becoming withdrawn and rather sad. She could see that when the hedgehog looked down he didn't know what to do.

Anyone else could have walked away, she was not them. She knew that the moment she saw his expression, the moment she spoke to him, and the moment she offered him her hand, stepping aside or walking away was not an option. It was never an option.

She could've cheered when the hedgehog took her hand and introduced himself. He was definitely a living creature not of Earth, she'll freak over that later. And Shadow was a nice name.

Shadow huffed, bringing a hand up to mess with his quills. Rina hummed, looking the quills over with her eyes before glancing around. It was pure luck that no one else was really looking at Shadow at the moment, too busy trying to get out of the rain or something else to care, but someone else was bound to see that Shadow was more than what he was.

She had to hide Shadow's appearance and there was only one way that easily solved that problem. She took off her hoodie, revealing a long-sleeved turtleneck that had a green heart with some design around it on the chest area underneath. Her turtleneck was getting soaked, but Rina didn't care as she offered her hoodie to Shadow, who looked at it in confusion.

Shadow stared at the hoodie in confusion, wondering why Rina was holding it out to him.

"Take it."

"Huh," Shadow looked up in confusion.

"To cover yourself. You are lucky that only I saw that you were not something humans could come up with and not some child in a suit and that you're clearly not from Earth, right?"

"I came to Earth in a meteorite," Shadow stated, raising an eyebrow. Rina bites her lip because damn, that eyebrow raise made Shadow look cute.

"Knew you couldn't have been from Earth," Rina said, "Awesome."

Shadow raised both eyebrows at Rina, who had to press her lips together in an effort not to coo like a dog person over a dog or a cat person over a cat.

"That doesn't concern or weird you out? That I'm not from Earth," Shadow asked.

Rina shook her head, "Nope. I'm a weird human. I don't do normal."

"I can second that and we just met," Shadow dryly said, narrowing his eyes slightly at Rina.

Rina laughed, "Yeah, well, being normal is boring and overrated."

Shadow huffed, and let a small smile appear on his face. Rina didn't bother hiding her enjoyment and excitement at seeing that smile. Shadow looked like a little kid, something to think about later. Rina coughed and gestured her hoodie to Shadow again.

"Put it on," Rina said, "You'll look like a little kid in a big hoodie instead of a hedgehog from space."

Shadow considered the hoodie and Rina's reasoning and decided that wearing the hoodie might be better than nothing. He took the hoodie and tried putting it on, but his quills were getting in the way. Rina chuckled, "Here, let me help."

With Rina's help, they were able to move Shadow's quills inside the hood carefully. It wasn't a tight fit, it was rather snug, but anyone looking would not be able to guess that there were quills under the hood. After they took care of the hood, Rina helped Shadow adjust the sleeves, folding them back so his hands were free.

Rina looked Shadow over, nodding to herself. He looked like a little kid borrowing a hoodie from his older sibling and not a space hog. Standing up, Rina offered her hand to Shadow again.

"Let's get going. I'd think getting out of the rain is a good first step."

Shadow looked at her hand only for a moment, thinking about what Maria would want for him before he took it.

Rina grinned and started walking forward, Shadow turning to follow, away from the plaza he was heading to. Seems like he found a direction to go. Shadow looked at his and Rina's joined hands. He couldn't help but think that the feeling reminded him of Maria when she used to hold his hand.

They only got to the other end of the sidewalk when vehicles driving past them drew Shadow's attention, making him clutch down tight on Rina's hand. Rina winced from the sudden grip but stopped to look at Shadow. Seeing Shadow staring at the passing vehicles that surrounded the plaza, Rina followed his gaze and watched as armed people exited the vehicles around the plaza.

Rina wasn't a fool, and couldn't afford to to be. She saw the armed people, saw Shadow tense up like a bowstring, his grip tightening to the point of blocking the blood flow in her hand, and knew that Shadow knew those people.

Rina quickly kneeled down, ignoring the people around her who looked at the plaza in alarm and confusion. Her attention was on Shadow. Shadow's eyes were filled with anger, but under that, she saw fear and many other emotions that were appearing in Shadow's eyes. In an effort to help, Rina pulled the hood Shadow wore down more, trying to cover more of his face. That action snapped Shadow out of his state.

Shadow was lost in memories the moment he saw the G.U.N. personnel. They were after him, of course, they were. He was their biggest secret, they couldn't let him get out. They'll take him back and force him to sleep again or go back to running tests on him. He didn't know how he woke up the first time, but he didn't think that they'd let him wake up a second if they caught him.

Rina pulling the hood down to cover his face more drew his attention away from G.U.N. to look at Rina, she was staring at him with a hardened gaze, looking between him and G.U.N.

"Shadow," Rina muttered, "Do you know who they are?"

Shadow doesn't know what compelled him to speak. Maybe it was the way Rina's hand that was still in his tight grip had squeezed his hand back. Maybe it was the way she had her other hand still on the hood of the hoodie, pulling it down to cover his face to keep it out of sight. Maybe it was the way Rina had angled her body to block his sight from G.U.N and in turn, him from them. Maybe it was the way her eyes seemed to scream protection and many other things he didn't take care to name at the moment.

He told her.

"They are G.U.N. They forced me into a sleep for who knows how long. I just escaped the Prison they kept me locked up in. They killed..."

Shadow stopped, he couldn't finish, but he didn't need to from the way understanding filled Rina's gaze as she glanced over her shoulder. People were starting to run away from the armed people looking around. Rina didn't move.

"Do you know when they put you to sleep," Rina asked, deciding that asking about the other thing was not the right idea at the moment, "If not the day, then the year?"

Shadow slowly nodded, "I don't know the day, but I know the year was 1974 when I was imprisoned."

Rina's jaw dropped as she gasped, "1974. Are you sure?"

Shadow nodded, confusion in his eyes as he pondered Rina's reaction. He didn't have to wonder long.

"Shadow, it's the year 2024."

Shadow gasped this time, the amount of time he spent asleep shocking him, "50 years? I've been imprisoned for 50 years?"

Rina took in the shocked hedgehog in front of her and looked over at her shoulder at G.U.N. They were looking for Shadow around the plaza, and with that came the dreaded realization that if she didn't stop Shadow when she did and offer to take him someplace, he would have wondered right into the plaza, right into G.U.N.

There were not enough 'damns' in the world for Rina to speak.

Rina took in the running crowd, the G.U.N. Agents searching, and finally, the still shellshocked hedgehog who was clearly being hunted. She was afraid to ask his age after learning what he went through and the bombshells, but it would help her later on helping Shadow. The first time: Getting Shadow out of here.

"Hold on," Rina said, before wrapping her free arm around Shadow, and picking him up. He didn't let go of her hand, which made adjusting him difficult, but she was able to have his head pressed into her shoulder. Shadow had wrapped his legs around her waist by instinct, but he was still shocked. What was with this strange girl that kept surprising him?

Rina stood up, grunting a bit because Shadow was heavier than he looked, though it appeared to be more from his shoes than anything.

She adjusted Shadow once more and glanced once more back at G.U.N. to make sure they weren't spotted, before blending in with the crowd and running away from the scene. Getting back to the hotel was the objective.

"What are you doing," Shadow asked looking up at Rina in disbelief. She didn't leave him once she learned that he was being hunted and was in a prison?

"Helping you."

"You can't."

"Why?"

"They could kill you," Shadow voiced, desperate for Rina to know that she was in danger of helping him. Anyone was.

Rina chuckled, a smirk dancing across her face as she glanced down at Shadow, turning a corner and decking into the first alley she saw so she could focus on Shadow once they were out of G.U.N. sight. Shadow pushed himself away from Rina's shoulder enough to look at her in her eyes.

"Death doesn't scare me Shadow. Not anymore," Rina grinned, much to Shadow's disbelief.

"They could kill you like they did my sister," Shadow cried out. He didn't want another person to die for him.

Rina's grin faded at that. Screw waiting, she had to know at least one thing because Shadow sounded young when he said that. "I'll ask about that later because that seems to be a story best suited to being out of the rain and in safety, but answer this for me. How old are you?"

Shadow blinked and thought for a moment, "Fourteen, I think. I'm getting close to fifteen."

Rina growled, banging her head against the wall behind her, much to Shadow's alarm, "Rina!"

"Shadow, I'm seventeen. Your just a freaking damn kid that should be doing kid things and not running from an obvious government group wanting to lock you up and who knows what else for just existing," Rina stated, huffing in aggravation.

"Damn kid," Shadow echoed quietly as if he didn't register that he was technically a kid, and that made Rina's heart hurt.

Rina sighed, "Anyway Shadow, we may have just met, but I'm not going to let you face that alone. You need help and I'm more than happy to provide it."

"But you could die helping me," Shadow argued, baring his teeth a bit as Rina fought him.

Rina raised an eyebrow, "I face death every day Shadow, and it hasn't killed me yet. But if me dying has you so concerned, let me tell you this little bit of information."

Rina pulled her hand free from Shadow's grip, bringing it up to grasp Shadow's chin so he wouldn't look away from her gaze. Shadow gasped when he saw her expression because Rina looked fierce in that moment like she had nothing left to lose, like him.

"The universe tries to kill you the moment you're born, and it won't stop until you're dead," Rina stated, her gaze hard, "However, that doesn't mean I'm just going to hand over its victory. This life is mine, I'm going to live it, so screw the universe. So if helping you means I get to live it after looking for something to live more for, I'm not walking away."

Rina pulled her hand away from Shadow's chin to rub at his head as he stared at her. Her words seemed to echo in his head as he stared at the first human interaction in 50 years, a kind one at least.

"Life is not about survival, Shadow. It's about making sure you live a life worthwhile. There's a difference between surviving and living," Rina said, "And I'd rather live than survive."

Shadow didn't say anything after that, looking down and thinking hard about her words. Rina pulled him close again, Shadow's head was tucked into her neck this time, her arms wrapped around his back and legs.

"Let's get to the hotel and out of the rain," Rina spoke, rubbing Shadow's back, "We can talk more there."

Shadow nodded, it was small but Rina felt it judging from the tightening of her grip. She peered out of the alley, looking left and right to make sure there were no G.U.N. personnel around before she took off running again. The two didn't know the changes they made as Rina ran away from G.U.N. carrying Shadow in her arms.

That Shadow wouldn't attack G.U.N. when they cornered him in the Plaza. He had chosen a different direction.

That three Mobians wouldn't be 'asked' by G.U.N. for help in confronting Shadow without any information. They celebrated the arrival of one of their own with their humans for the rest of the night.

A plan 50 years in the making wouldn't be carried out the way a revenge-driven man planned. Rina had been in the right place at the right time to unintentionally ruin that plot.

The simple action of an interaction could change someone's path, but that included anyone else they interacted with. And not only would Shadow's path be changed, but so would everyone else's.


Me: I've been waiting to do this idea for a while and when the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie came out, I realized I had the perfect setup.

Rina and Shadow will bond more later, don't worry about that. However, what antics should the two of them get into?

See ya in the next one. All Hail Shadow.