Chapter 35: Can we talk?

Author's note: Sorry for the hiatus, happy reading .

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Shadow's POV:

Watching the happy couples walk down the isle, I can't help but feel some sort of resentment towards them. I've never been a hero in the eyes of the world, making the applause and cheers from the crowd sound unfamiliar to me. And although I admit I've grown to somewhat tolerate my new team, it makes me miss my life of seclusion.

But it also makes me miss the feeling of being within someone's arms. And as Sally walks through the curtains, I can see that I'm not the only one who isn't enjoying the event as much as everyone else. Amelia's smile fades once Sally is out of sight, and it pains me to see such a look of distain on her delicate features.

"Rose, are you alright?"

Her eyes stay glued to floor as she responds with a simple "I'm fine."

But if there's anything I learned from dating Maria, it's that when a woman says such a thing- it is in fact, not fine.

"I know better than that, Rose. Is there anything that I can do?"

"Introducing Amy Rose the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius."

Squaring her shoulders, she looks back at me with a cold expression.

"No."

Watching her reach for the curtains, all I can do is stare at her in dismay.

Her words.... hurt.

No, perhaps she's just nervous. I can't think of anything I would have done to off put her in such a way.

Maybe the motorcycle ride did upset her. I should have been more considerate after she spent such a long time getting ready.

....What could I have done wrong?

As I watch the confident sway of her hips walking towards the adoring crowd of Mobians, it brings back the memory of the look of fear in her eyes at the news that she may never walk again. Compared to the wobbly first steps she took weeks ago, she now walks with confidence behind every step. If I didn't know any better, I would have never thought that she sustained such a substantial injury.

We've both come so far since that first night that we met on the Ark, and refuse to throw it all away.

Straitening my tux, the crowd erupts in awe at the sight of her. The long earrings dangling from her petite ears sparkle in the show lights, her beautiful smile outlined in a sultry maroon lipstick. Watching her walk further and further away before the velvet curtains cut her off from view, I continue to think about how to apologize when I'm not quite sure what I did in the first place.

...

Amy's POV:

"Introducing Shadow the Hedgehog, hero of Mobius and master of chaos magic."

Awkwardly scooting in my chair, I don't have the heart to watch him walk down the red carpet after the way I just treated him. I know I shouldn't be pushing him away, but this is the only way to keep my promise to Maria.

"Now that all of our hero's have been properly introduced, we call upon Sonic the Hedgehog to start the first dance of the night."

Crossing my legs as I begin to get comfortable in my chair, I look up in confusion as the crowd begins gasp and whisper.

Sonic has always chosen Sally for the first dance of the night, but when I look up the tall hedgehog is standing in front of me with his arm extended. I glance at Sally, who doesn't seem bothered, and if anything is most likely relieved to have the spotlight lifted from her after the stunt we pulled with her dress.

Nonchalantly tucking my hair behind my ear, I stand up and take his hand. Even through his glove I can feel the clamminess of his hand as he shakes, and when I look up his face is pale and distraught.

I've known Sonic for a long time, and not once have I ever seen him like this.

As he leads me to the ballroom floor and the orchestra begins to play, I take the opportunity to whisper "Sonic, what's wrong?".

It's almost as if he's frozen in place, seeing as we're still standing still even though the music's already started. I give him a firm nudge, and only then does he finally start moving.

"Sonic?"

Staring up at my childhood friend, he finally looks down at me. His eyes are glossed over as he continues to shake, the tears welling up in the corner of his eyes threatening to spill over.

"I-I'm sorry Ames, I didn't know what to do. I... I didn't want Sally to see me like this."

He stutters over his words as he tries to bite back the tears, and all I can do is look at him with a worried expression.

"It's alright Sonic, do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Trying to sooth him, I comb my hand through a few of his stray quills to flatten them down. I've never seen him like this in all of the years that I've known him, and it's honestly a startling sight to see. I've seen him cry for others in the past, but not once have I ever seen Sonic cry for himself.

Trying to compose himself to get the words out, we dance and twirl around the ballroom floor as he matches me step for step.

"I've been having.... Nightmares about the people that I wasn't able to save. About you, being alone in Eggman's base for over a year, about Maria, about Tails..."

Leaning into a dip, I ask "for how long?".

He hesitates for a moment, his emerald green eyes pensive.

"Months."

When he finally meets my eyes, I feel wracked with guilt for not realizing my lifelong friend has been struggling for so long unnoticed. We've all been trying to deal with the death of Eggman and the new threat of Calix, but Sonic has always had to hold the brunt of it on his shoulders. He's always been looked at as the hero of not only Mobius, but the rest of the world as well. And even though we've been by his side through it all, it's never made it any easier on him.

"We've all let people die, Sonic."

Watching my dress fan out as I twirl, I add "And even though that guilt will never go away, all of these Mobian's that are here today are a reminder of all the people that we have been able to save."

His grip on me tightens as he lifts me into the air, his eyes glued anywhere but at the crowd.

"Look at them, Sonic. They're alive because of you."

After what feels like half of the song goes by, he finally works up the courage to look at the audience. His eyes are sad, and as he closes then he takes a deep breath.

"When they introduced me earlier... I was seeing the people who I tried to save in the past. They were telling me that I don't deserve this and that... I let them die."

I offer him a comforting smile, which is something that I wish I had every time I started spiraling. "It sounds like you were having a panic attack Sonic, I used to get them all the time."

He looks at me in shock. "You used to feel like that.... All the time?" I nod, and he goes in to say "but... It felt like I was going to die for a few seconds. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I couldn't breath. Like the walls were closing in on me.."

"I know what you mean."

His eyebrows scrunch together in concern as he looks down at me. "If you dealt with them all the time... Did it ever get better?"

Thinking back on the memories from years ago, they feel... Haunting.

"I didn't deal with them in a very a very healthy way back then. And it took me awhile to realize I was only making them worse by being so hard on myself." Poking him in the chest, I add "and you need to realize that not a single one of us see you as a failure, Sonic. You've saved too many people to sit here and question whether or not you deserve to be called a hero. And if you had this bad of a reaction to a crowd like this, then maybe it's time to get a little bit of outside help so that something like this doesn't happen again."

Raising an eyebrow as he twirls me around the dancefloor, a hint of his usual personality starts to shine through. "You're the last person that should be telling me to go to therapy Ames."

I can't help but roll my eyes at him with a smile, because I know he's not wrong. "Fine, we'll go together. Deal?"

His smiles his usual big, goofy smile as he dips me one last time.

"Deal."

We both smile to each other as the music ends, and the ballroom erupts into applause and cheers.

...

Sonic's POV:

Feeling some sort of weight being lifted off of my chest as I walk Amy back to her seat, I notice Shadow immediately get up and make his way towards Amy. He looks upset in a way that I've never quite seen him. Sure, I've seen him with a grumpy look at the meetings he doesn't want to attend, but he almost seems distraught.

Or maybe worried is a better word for it.

"Amelia, may we talk over a dance please?"

Her legal name sounds so foreign to me, and so does Shadow's way of speaking. I sometimes go so long without hearing him talk that I forget how properly spoken he is.

Watching Amy look down at the ground, I suddenly feel more awkward than I was before.

"I'll be by the chili dog display if you need anything Ames."

Completely ignoring Shadow's question, she looks at me with a tinge of worry.

"Promise me you'll talk to Sally, okay?"

Hesitantly, I agree with her and glance at Shadow's crestfallen appearance before making my way to my beloved chili dogs.

...

Shadow's POV:

Feeling a sinking feeling in my chest as I watch Sonic walk away, Amelia finally turns to look at me.

"Sure, we can dance."

I reach for her hand to lead her to the dance floor, but she briskly walks past me as the click of her heels clack on the marble floor. Reaching an empty space where we can dance, I'm hesitant to come too close to her after how cold she's been treating me all day.

Even after she offers me her hand, I'm hesitant to take it.

Throughout most of the song, it's awkwardly quiet until I finally work up the courage to speak her. And even then, I'm trying to find the right words to express how she's made me feel.

"Have I done something to upset you?"

She seems to be regretting saying yes to my dance, and sighs.

"No."

Becoming frustrated, I nearly cut her off as I lift her hand into the air to spin her. Her eyes quickly widen in shock as I slide my hand down the back of her thigh, lowering her into a dip.

"Stop lying to me."

Her hair brushes the ground as I pull her back up, and with that I finally have her attention.

"And tell me what's wrong."

Listening to her stutter ever so slightly, a part of me feels some sort of satisfaction knowing that I've broken through her façade.

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

Glancing at the couple swishing by us in laughter, she smiles awkwardly to them before speaking in a hushed tone. "Because... Maria wouldn't want me to."

For some reason unknown to me, I can feel in my core that the words she speak are true. I can see the sadness behind her eyes, and I'll admit that the mention of Maria's name sends a pang through my own chest as well.

"She was my lover, and a my only friend for a long while before you showed me kindness that I was undeserving of. I feel that she would want me to know what's made you act so cold towards me."

I watch as she frustratingly bites her bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood.

"That's exactly why I can't tell you!"

Furrowing my brows, I look at her with a confused expression as I wait for her to continue. She sighs with exasperation, "she was your lover, Shadow. And I was one of her closest friends. Before she died, she told me to take care of you." Shaking her head, she tightly scrunches her eyes shut before looking back up at me. "But when she told me to take care of you.... I don't think she meant this."

My heart aches at the fact that her last wish was for me to never be alone again, even in her death she's still found a way to take care of me through Amelia.

"What do you mean 'like this?"

"Like.... This." She motions to the closeness of us, swaying slowly to the gentle music of the orchestra.

I can feel my heart nearly beating out of my chest, loudly enough that I wonder if she can hear it as well.

Gently moving her hand, I place it over my chest so that she can feel what she's doing to me.

".... And what if I want you?"