Chapter 30: Experience

Sonic's POV:

We all sit down tiredly after the long fight. Cream was nice enough to bring all of us water after her mom told her about the robot attack.

Gulping down a bottle of water, my eyes can't help but drift to where Amy's sitting.

She took on the brunt of the robots, yet she's sitting quietly on a rock wrapping a scrape on her arm. No sign of fatigue whatsoever. As for her performance during the battle, I'm still trying to accept the harsh reality that I don't need to protect her anymore.

She almost looked like she was having fun pounding and smashing Eggman's robots to bits with her new abilities.

Which is honestly what I'm worried about.

Standing up, I make my way over to Amy.

"Hey Ames, you need help wrapping up that scrape on your leg?"

She raises an eyebrow before looking down at her leg.

"Oh. I didn't even feel it, sure."

She didn't feel it?

Kneeling down beside her, she hands me the wrap and offers somewhat of a smile. I'm just glad she can tolerate being around me now.

"Sooo Ames, me and the others have been talking about a plan to infiltrate Eggman's base and....We uh, we think you should stay here.."

I was expecting some sort of outburst of protest, but I guess I'm still holding on too tightly to my old image of Amy. Loud and obnoxious with the ability to brighten up any room with that smile of hers.

"Can I ask why? If anything I have the most right to be there."

Tying her bandage in bow, or at least to the best of my abilities, I look up at her emerald green eyes.

"Because I'm worried about you Ames."

If only for an instant, her icy gaze from before melts away into affection.

"We're not little kids anymore Sonic, you know that the past is behind us and you mean the world to me.... But you don't need to protect me anymore."

As she places her hand over mine, butterflies start to flutter in my stomach.

"I know... That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried that after everything he's done to you, you'll want to return the favor."

For the first time in a long time, I notice Amy finally start to show some sort of emotion.

Her tiny ears droop down as she stares at the floor. It reminds me of when she used to pout when I would run from her, except this time it's genuine sadness. And I can't stand the sight of it.

Standing up in front of her, I gently cup her ears in my hands and brush them back into their usual perky position. When her large doe eyes look up at me, I feel flustered and quickly look away.

"If I did want revenge.... Does it make me a bad person?"

I hesitate. As a hero, the answer is obvious. But as a friend who's just watched her go through something traumatic...I know my answer.

"I think....That you have to decide that for yourself."

She sighs before standing up. I want so desperately for her to get the justice she deserves, and I know the human justice system won't be able to give it to her.

Honestly...What would I do if I was in her shoes?

...

Shadow's POV:

I growl as Maria ties my bandage unnecessarilytight.

"Could you not do that?!"

She cuts her eyes towards me in annoyance.

"So sorry love."

I begin glaring back at her, and find myself wondering how our relationship could have got to this point in the span of a few weeks. I've noticed she especially puts up a front to make it seem like we're happy in front of Amy. I even brought it up on our way to defend the village, and she snapped at me.

_____Noticing Maria's visible annoyance, I sigh in frustration.

"I know we haven't been getting along, but could you not act like you're visibly disgusted by me?"

"I think I hide it quite well, Shadow."

"Why do you even bother? Especially with Amelia, it's ridiculous."

I notice her eyebrow twitch, a sign which I know indicates I've struck a nerve.

"Because I've actually had the chance to make another friend and I'm not going to ruin it by dragging her into our problems! She's got enough of her own after everything she's been through, so I'm sorry if I'm not willing to contribute to stressing her out!"

I try to bite my tongue, but after three weeks of nothing but arguing my patience is at it's limit. Before I realize that what I'm thinking is verbally coming out of my mouth, it's too late.

"If I would have known dating you would be like this I never would have been interested in the first place."

Her anger immediately melts to a hurt expression.

"Wait, no. Maria I didn't--"

"Dating me would be like what Shadow? Actually having to treat me like your girlfriend? I'm sorry that our relationship is such a bother to you. And I'm sorry that the second we started dating you suddenly weren't interested enough to be romantically involved. You still treat me like a kid. Like I didn't have to grow up any faster than you living on the ARK. We were kids living in a hunk of metal with my insane uncle, Shadow!! You were my only friend, and I cared about you. So I'm sorry that now I'm suddenly not enough for you. The Shadow that I grew up with would never talk to me like that whether we were dating or not!"

I'm standing in front of her, watching the tears well up in her eyes. She's right. I haven't been treating her like she deserves these past couple of weeks, let alone months. I got comfortable enough thinking that she would never leave again, that I didn't realize she on the verge of doing just that. I thought that I didn't have to work as hard to keep her because I already have her.

"Cared, as in past tense? Do you not care about me anymore, Maria?"

Her ears flatten as she looks away.

"I don't know. With how things have been going lately...I just don't know."

I feel my heart break slightly at her words. I know I deserve them, but that doesn't mean it hurts any less.

Grabbing for her hands, she hesitantly looks at me.

"I'm sorry Maria. I'll try harder."

She sighs. Whether it's a happy or tired sigh, I can't tell.

"....ok."

"Ok"? That's all I get after I told her I'll do better? I'm not the only cause for all of our problems. She's just as much to blame for our arguments as I am.

"Is that all I get? An ok? I'm trying to be genuine and suddenly you start acting like a victim? You're to blame for most of our arguments, not me! If you didn't hold a grudge for so long we could just go back to how we were before!"

Yanking her hands away from mine, she scoffs.

"The entire reason the arguments ever started was because you can't think about what you say before you say it Shadow! Is it so hard to have a filter?! You say hurtful things without thinking first, and then expect me to forgive you after ignoring me for hours on end because you "expect me to get over it"! But when I finally bring it up, you say I need to let it go and that I'm being too sensitive. How is any of this my fault?! You're so self centered that you refuse to believe The Ultimate Life-form could ever something make a mistake!"

"Because all you ever do is nag me Maria! You hurt my feelings this and you did that, it's exhausting!! You ask to spend time with me and I say no, then you throw a damn fit about it and I say I'll hang out with you then suddenly you don't want to anymore?? How the hell does that make any sense!?"

"Because I want you to WANT to spend time with me, not for me to have to beg you for it and you get mad and feel like you have to! It's always the same thing with you! You say if you didn't care you wouldn't be here, but how you've been acting is the exact opposite of someone who cares!"

She puts her hands over her face in frustration.

"You know what, I don't know why I even bother. Do whatever the hell you want Shadow."____

Remembering the events from earlier, I knew I was in the wrong. So after the battle I approached her and asked her to tend to my wounds in an attempt to make amends. However she quickly let me know that she wasn't in a forgiving mood.

When she finished, she doesn't even give me the chance to thank her before running over to Sonic and Amy to check on them.