Author's Note:
Greetings! After republishing parts of the 2017/2018 version of my 2004 ShadAmy fic, A Shadow's Little Light, I had no intention of returning to the Sonic the Hedgehog fanfiction world as a writer. I had my time in the fandom as an unsupervised minor who sometimes used characters as outlets for subconscious trauma and mortifying nonsense that I regret—none of which is present in the current A Shadow's Little Light, of course. Yet Sonic x Shadow Generations: Dark Beginnings, Sonic 3, and HyperGinger dragged me back to what I admired about Sonic Adventure 2 with an innocent heart this year, leading to the birth of the following.
I'm older now, so you won't find remnants of my younger self in this work. David Humphrey from Sonic Adventure 2 was my go-to inspiration for Shadow's voice in the fic because he balances strength and softness. As a result, Shadow's character is heavily influenced by David's direction. Amy is thirteen and Shadow remains biologically fifteen here because I (now) assume he cannot age beyond this, but I know people have many headcanons for the details of his immortality. In my younger years, I gave Shadow whatever age I wanted.
My writing style for this story is far simpler than what it would normally be for others, but I hope you'll be okay with it. This is not caked with internal monologues like A Shadow's Little Light due to the focus on moving images. A small portion of the beginning is in the format of a SA2 recap. The symbol "(*)" stands for information from the Sonic Twitter Takeovers.
༺|o0o|༻
I'm Shadow the Hedgehog, the one and only ultimate life form. After fulfilling my true promise to Maria, I returned with Sonic to Space Colony ARK in a rather frustrating state. I had used the last of my energy to stop the ARK from destroying the Earth, leaving me unable to function properly. I lost my super form and fell unconscious in the control room just as Maria's smile entered my mind. What I saw next was total darkness, yet I could hear voices all around me.
I gradually awakened to find Amy hovering over me. Towering over her were Rouge, Sonic, and the rest of Amy's friends, who stared at me as if I had risen from the dead. I heard Rouge whisper my name, but I paid her no mind. I couldn't care less about her after the stunt she had pulled as a spy for the same cowards who had taken Maria's life and sealed me away for fifty years.
Amy squeezed my hand and encouraged me to "just hang in there," anchoring me to the present. I stared at her as everything she had told me by the window resounded in my throbbing head. If it hadn't been for Amy, all that Maria had wished for would have perished right along with me. Sonic stepped forward, disrupting my thoughts. He insisted he'd "get me home in one piece" even though I had no place to call my own.
Darkness consumed me again before I had the chance to argue with him. When I regained consciousness, I realized I was inside a spacecraft that had landed on Planet Earth. The sunlight was almost too much for me to bear as I stepped outside with Amy and the others. Our arrival wasn't met with an appearance from the president and that pathetic military like I had expected. We stood on the outskirts of Central City where there were more farm animals than humans. The pastures almost felt...peaceful.
Maria would've cried for joy at the sight of them if she had been with me. I attempted to walk toward a nearby tree, but my legs were too weak and my body felt heavier than cement. I was pitiful. The evening ended with Amy offering me a place to stay while I regained my strength. I had no choice but to accept thanks to how insistent she was.
Hmph.
I'll never forget when she told me she was to blame for my condition because she had begged me to help her. I reminded her that I had had a promise to fulfill to Maria and her, but the pink hedgehog couldn't be persuaded. Even after two months, she still blames herself. She doesn't realize what she did. Sometimes, it seems she never will no matter what I tell her.
In any case, it took me a month before I was able to run or skate again. Using Chaos Control was out of the question. I despised my limitations, but Amy's caring nature made some days bearable. She also took it upon herself to introduce me to novels, tiramisu, and coffee while I was compromised. It's safe to say she brought the Earth to me.
Sonic dropped by now and then, but he can never stay in one place for very long, so his visits were short. We sparred on occasion to rebuild my reflexes. G.U.N. stayed out of my way under the president's orders. I agreed to leave them alone for the world peace Maria would've wanted even though I haven't forgiven them for what they did to her. Amy kept urging me to make peace with Rouge by extension. I wanted nothing to do with the likes of her, but I promised Amy that I would listen to the bat to appease her if she had something to say.
My conversation with Rouge in private didn't go as Amy planned, and my feelings toward her remain unchanged to this day. But never mind all that now. The military's rogue troublemakers have decided to show up in downtown Central City after escaping from their makers tonight. From what I can see, they've already wrecked Magnolia Blvd. It looks like they want to pick a fight with me.
Out of my way, you pests!
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:: Central City ::
Sparks fly from the headless body of a G.U.N. humanoid standing in the middle of a crowded street. Shadow the Hedgehog lands behind it, a cloud of dust billowing around his crouched form as the robot collapses. He stands up slowly with his crimson eyes locked on the triad of mechanical foes marching toward him. The robots, large and livid, point their guns at him, but he doesn't flinch. He curls into a spiky ball and launches himself at them, destroying their bodies one by one in a zigzag pattern.
Shadow uncurls from his tight sphere and walks over to an amputated mechanical arm inching toward a petrified civilian like a caterpillar. He crushes its wrist with his shoe, keeping it in place. "Hmph." His foot presses down harder until the joint snaps in half. "Pathetic creatures."
Silence floods the damaged street as spectators gape at the black hedgehog. One man hesitantly claps his hands, encouraging others to join him in a growing round of applause. Shadow's eyes widen before a frown replaces his shocked expression. He turns his head away from the cheering crowd and balls his fists, teleporting to the rooftop of a graffitied apartment.
Sirens wail in Shadow's ears as police cars fill the street he left. He watches policemen jump out of their crookedly parked vehicles and inspect the leftovers of his fallen adversaries. An armed officer meets Shadow's hard gaze and holds it, lowering his gun. Gratitude flickers in the man's tired eyes.
Shadow raises his green Chaos Emerald to the sky and roars, "Chaos Control!"
An orb of green energy envelopes him, causing his body to disappear while the officer gasps.
"What was that?" asks the officer's potbellied comrade.
"That was Shadow," a honeylike voice shares, compelling the two officers to spin around. A white bat in a unitard with a heart-shaped chest plate lands on the pavement and saunters forward, folding her purple wings. "It looks like he did the Commander a favor by destroying all those robots. They were supposed to be destroyed by their creators tonight after they rejected their programming, but they managed to break free."
The officers blink at her before blinking at each other.
Rouge crosses her arms as she stares at the rooftop Shadow stood on. "I just hope he didn't have too much trouble handling them," she says in a lower voice.
―✧―
A flash of green light appears in the stairwell of an apartment complex deep within the heart of downtown Central City. The light takes the shape of Shadow's body before he fully materializes on the stairs with his fists still clenched.
'Those robots were bloodthirsty,' Shadow contemplates. 'G.U.N. is creating pets they can't even housebreak.' Disgruntled, he checks the time on the red watch strapped to his wrist.
A creaky door swings open at the top of the stairwell, revealing a group of giggling girls with high heels in their hands. They howl and screech as they laugh together, oblivious to the annoyed black hedgehog underneath them. Shadow warps onto a welcome mat in front of a yellow door with a rosepot flanking it. The pot's vibrant pink roses capture his attention, evoking a memory from his time aboard Space Colony ARK with Maria. The vignetted flashback abducts his vision until it is all he can see.
"Look, Shadow! Aren't they beautiful?" Maria gushed, tucking a blonde curl behind the pink shell of her ear as she pointed at a page in her horticulture book.
Shadow joined her on the pink blanket covering her bedroom floor and rested his wrist on his raised knee. The page before him featured pink flowers with petals curving at the edges. The interiors of their buds resembled labyrinths, and the thorns on their stems added a touch of danger to their beauty. "What are they, Maria?"
"They're called 'roses,'" Maria explained. "Grandfather says they universally bring happiness to people because they represent love." Her frail hand touched Shadow's large one on the blanket. "One day, you and I will grow them on Earth."
"Maria..."
Shadow's mind emerges from the memory as he lifts his eyelids. He gazes at his empty gloved hand before staring at the flowers that seem to beg for his touch. Pushing aside the urge to reach for them, he turns and knocks on the yellow door with his knuckles.
"Just a minute!" a twinkly voice shouts behind the door.
Shadow steps back and waits with his arms crossed. He surfaces from his brooding when the door finally opens. A pair of emerald eyes greet his ruby ones from the lamplit doorway, gleaming like the constellations he often charted with Maria from the window of Space Colony ARK.
"Shadow!" Amy Rose cries out, the grin on her beige muzzle widening. "I'm so glad you made it!" She clasps her gloved hands and wiggles her body merrily, only pausing when she notices something different about Shadow's face. "Hey! What's that on your cheek?" She leans forward to get a closer look at his muzzle. "Is that...?" The pink hedgehog gasps. "Shadow, you're bleeding!"
Shadow expressionlessly touches the cut on his cheek, lowering his hand to study the drop of blood on his fingertip. "Hmph. Looks like they got in a cheap shot after all."
"Were you fighting those human-looking robots that got away from the military base?" Amy questions with a tilted head.
"Sonic wasn't in the city, and someone had to clean up their mess," Shadow imparts.
Amy points her finger at herself. "Want me to clean it up for you? That little cut, I mean."
"There's no need to concern yourself. I'll simply use the energy from the Chaos Emerald to heal it," Shadow tells her as his eyes scan the frilly white apron she is wearing.
"If you say so," Amy responds, gesturing for him to come indoors. "Come on in! I have something special waiting for you!"
"Is that so?" Shadow follows her inside the warm apartment.
The decor in the inviting space showcases a mélange of soft pastel colors that reflect Amy's girlish personality. Salmon-pink walls are dressed with framed photographs and rich artwork painted by Amy herself, exhibiting her creative side. A plush cerulean couch and cushy green chairs sit in the center of the living room with throw pillows scattered on their laps. Standing in the corner is a maple bookcase that holds novels and comics. The little window seat nearby reminds Shadow of the afternoons he spent on it with The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank in his hands during his recovery.
The pink hedgehog leads him to the kitchen, which flaunts a mix of Amy-styled accessories: a pink kettle on a stove, shelved ceramic mugs with filigree designs, and a rose vase on a yellow tabletop. Next to the roses is a tiny plate containing an Italian dessert made of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, and whipped cream. Steam plumes from an adjacent mug with a daisy on it.
"Tada!" Amy announces. "I made tiramisu just like I promised! And look―I even threw in a cup of coffee. I know it's late, but you've always liked tiramisu and coffee on a cold night!" (*)
Shadow's subtle show of surprise comes in the form of him uncrossing his arms and looking intently at the treats.
Amy relishes the way his eyes get a little bigger, even if it's only by a fraction. She pulls out the farmhouse chair by her table for him. "Eat up, Shadow! It's all yours!"
Shadow stands there for a moment with his undivided attention on Amy's beaming face. After what seems like hours to her, he murmurs in amusement, "You never cease to surprise me." He sits down and accepts a bronze fork from her, cutting through the layered tiramisu. One bite sends him into a kaleidoscopic world of euphoria, but he doesn't display it by moaning. He simply closes his eyes and chews with deliberation.
Amy sits across from Shadow and watches him eat with her chin in her hands. She giggles under her breath as he savors the dessert inconspicuously. "Is it good?"
"Perfect," Shadow whispers, his eyes still shut.
Amy's tail wags in response.
Shadow opens his eyes and utters with a softer tone, "Thank you, Amy."
"No problem! But you should really do something about that cut on your face, you know," Amy mentions, pointing at the red slit.
"It's nothing more than a scratch. I'll take care of it after I've finished here," Shadow replies, drinking his warm coffee. The heat from the beverage spreads in his stomach and almost melts him like chocolate in a microwave. He doesn't want to leave the table.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Have it your way," Amy says, relenting.
With his lips hovering over the rim of his daisy mug, Shadow frowns at her. "And your piece of tiramisu is where?"
"Um...sitting in my stomach." Amy grins guiltily. "I ate two slices before you got here. I just couldn't help myself!"
"Hmph." Shadow smirks. "Is that right?"
Amy nods, visibly embarrassed. "Mm-hm."
"Tch." Shadow takes another sip from his mug. "Some things never change."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You've always been a vacuum cleaner."
"Hey!" Amy fusses, spanking Shadow's shoulder. "There's no need to be rude!"
Shadow chuckles with closed lips, amused by her temper. Amy allows him to finish the remainder of his tiramisu despite her fuming. He shuts his eyes again and drinks more coffee, content with the melody created by the hidden cricket in the apartment. "It's like he's playing an instrument," he recalls Amy once saying.
The sakura-colored hedgehog holds her knees as she looks at a picture of Sonic and Tails grinning at her from her refrigerator. "You know, Shadow...I really miss you being here all the time."
Shadow's eyes open halfway.
Amy clutches the hem of her apron. "If you ever feel like you wanna stay sometimes, you can. We don't only have to see each other on Tuesdays and Fridays or when we just so happen to bump into one another."
"..."
"..."
"I don't wish to impose," Shadow says lowly.
"But you're not imposing," Amy argues, shaking her head as she frowns at him. "I like having you around. It's no fun being all by myself." Her ears and eyelids droop. "There's nobody to talk to."
Shadow looks at Amy's sad face without speaking. A two-month-old memory―one colored by Amy's joy―passes through his mind.
"Don't worry, Shadow!" Amy chimed as she cocked her head, holding Shadow's hand like it was a precious rose bouquet. "I'll stay with you while you get better!"
Shadow's grip tightens on his mug before relaxing. "Amy..."
Amy's head pops up. "Huh?"
Shadow isn't looking at her anymore; his pupils are on the whorls in his coffee. "I'll accept your offer." He feels the weight of his words even if they were simple.
Amy's eyes shine brighter than spectrometers. "Really? You mean it?"
"Yes."
"Yay!" Amy cheers, thrusting her fist into the air. She clasps her hands again and sweetly asks Shadow, "Will you stay with me until La Última Pasión ends tonight?"
Shadow folds his arms, leans back against his chair, and crosses his legs, having finished his coffee. "As you wish."
Amy leans across the table and holds his hand like it is a precious rose bouquet. "You're the sweetest, Shadow," she swears with a cocked head, her kiss-curled quills swaying to the side. The smile on her face emits the radiance of a sun ray peeking through a gray cloud.
Shadow, touched by its warmth, allows her to hold his hand for as long as she wants—even when she pulls him toward the television.
Chapter Notes:
I believed that if I showed Shadow and Amy bonding during his recovery, the fic would've resembled A Shadow's Little Light a bit, but if that isn't an issue, would anyone like a separate fic that shows a collection of off-screen moments? I'm tempted to dive into his first time eating tiramisu.