#unleash the chaos zine | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shadamyheadcanons · 3 years ago

Text

Glitch Version 1.1

Surprise! At long last, I’ve finally finished the revised version of my story from the Shadamy Zine! Get it? Version 1.1? Because it’s like a software update haha--

Special thanks to @w0lp3rtinger and @shadowsfascination for beta’ing this for me!

Summary: Shadow’s normally-flawless Chaos powers have been on the fritz lately, and he suspects his conflicted state of mind is to blame. Unfortunately, the situation only worsens when he’s around Amy Rose.

Cross-posted on AO3.

Shadow panted and dodged left to evade a spray of pellets from Omega’s wrist cannons as he sprinted through the field behind Team Dark’s apartment complex. His ears picked up on the metallic snap of Omega switching his weaponry. He glanced back to see his friend had shifted to his inaccurate fireball launcher, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

“YOU ARE UNUSUALLY SLUGGISH TODAY, OLD MAN. ARE YOU PAST YOUR PRIME?” Omega leapt into the air to hurl a fireball toward Shadow.

Shadow gritted his teeth, then smirked. “Hmph. Last time I checked, only one of us can get rusty, and it’s not me.” He reversed direction and dashed back toward Omega, sliding under the fireball as he went. He stayed low and pressed his hands into the grass, then pushed himself up as forcefully as he could, kicking directly upward as Omega fell back down.

Normally I could do this easily, but today...

The kick knocked Omega’s hand loose in its socket, making him flail and curse. Shadow leapt to his feet and grinned. “Is that what passes for craftsmanship where you were made?”

“...SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE IS SIMPLY OVERDUE!” Omega sputtered, hurriedly snapping his hand back in place. “I AM THE ULTIMATE E-SERIES ROBOT. MY LAB WAS STATE-OF-THE-ART.”

“Eh...it’s no space station—”

Omega interrupted Shadow’s amused muttering by scooping him up in a ball and shooting him directly out of his arm cannon, clearly irritated. Shadow unrolled in midair, laughing softly as he slid to a stop some twenty feet farther down the field. Omega was generally less of a threat when he was annoyed.

“Oo, are they sparring? How exciting!”

Shadow’s ears immediately perked up at the cheery voice that chimed in. His eyes flicked to the side to see Amy saunter over to Rouge. His heart pounded a little, and it only accelerated when she waved an arm and encouragingly shouted, “Go Shadow! You can do it!”

“ORGANICS ARE EASILY DISTRACTED. DEPLOYING MISSILES.”

Shadow snapped his gaze forward again just in time to see Omega fire a barrage of his drill-shaped missiles into the air. Shadow focused energy in his palm. A drop of sweat slid down his temple. God...I hope it works this time... He wound up his arm. “Chaos...Spear!”

He swung his arm up toward the projectiles...and the Chaos energy fizzled out in his palm.

Terror gripped Shadow for a moment, but then he spotted the tracks of the missiles and chuckled in disbelief. He held still while they fell to the ground around him in a disorganized mess, their small explosions not coming anywhere near him. Shadow snorted and placed a hand on his hip, turning his amused gaze toward Omega.

“You know, Omega, if my aim were like yours, I wouldn’t openly call myself a ‘combat robot.’ Have you tried doing robocalls? Assembly line work? Whatever it is Orbot and Cubot do?”

Pride swelled in Shadow’s chest when he heard Amy’s bubbly laughter from the sidelines, pulling his attention away from the battle once more.

By the time he heard Omega’s enraged shout, the robot was nearly upon him.

“BEGONE, ULTIMATE NUISANCE!”

Uh-oh...

Shadow just barely avoided Omega’s dash punch. Omega didn’t quit, unleashing a flurry of furious strikes. Shadow kept moving, feeling panic rise in his gut as Omega’s clawed fingers nearly sheared off the fur on his cheek. This would be so much easier if I could use Chaos Control...

In a last-ditch attempt to buy himself more space, Shadow jumped back, then leapt over Omega’s head. Omega pivoted and swung an arm in an arc over his head, catching Shadow in the stomach. Shadow grunted as the wind was knocked out of him. He heard the whoosh of Omega’s other arm as it swung toward him. It collided with the back of his head with an ugly clang, making his ears ring. He let out an undignified yelp at the blunt pain. He was thrown a good fifteen feet before he landed face first in the dirt, sliding to a stop shortly after. He groaned.

“Oh, no! Shadow!”

Shadow cringed and just barely lifted his head. And Amy saw it, too. Great.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Omega pumping his arms triumphantly in the air. “ERADICATE!”

Rouge tsked and shook her head. “Now? Really?”

“I REIGN SUPREME ONCE MORE! YOU WILL NEVER RISE FROM THE ASHES OF YOUR SHAME AND HUMILIATION!”

“Shadow, are you alright?! Don’t worry, I know first aid!” Amy’s caring voice and actions easily distracted Shadow from Omega’s grandstanding. She carefully helped him sit up, then looked in his eyes with a concerned pout. “Where did you get hit?”

“Back of the head.” She visibly cringed and shuffled to sit behind him. “But it’s not a big deal, you don’t have to—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll have you fixed up in no time!” she interrupted. She started running her careful fingers along his scalp to look for a wound, gently pushing his sharp quills this way and that with the skill and confidence only a hedgehog could have. He relaxed and shut his eyes, protests forgotten.

Ahhhh.

“I’m not seeing any blood yet, so that’s good, at least...”

Shadow didn’t argue, too distracted by her calming tone to comment. Any pain he’d felt had already dissipated in the wake of her careful, comforting, unnecessary ministrations, ministrations that no one else on Earth would bother with for the Ultimate Lifeform. His heart swelled.

God...there’s no one like her.

All too soon, Rouge’s lower, sensual voice cut in. “Hey, Pink?” Shadow’s nose wrinkled in disappointment at the switch.

“Hmm?” Amy’s bubbly voice acknowledged the question. The gentle pressure of her fingers continued.

“You know Shadow has a healing factor, right?”

At this, her fingers did pause, making Shadow’s ear twitch in dissatisfaction. “What do you mean?”

Rouge sighed. Even without opening his eyes, Shadow could picture the way she was holding a hand to her forehead in exasperation. “It means any hits he got would’ve been healed by the time you got to him.”

“Wait...what?”

Shadow blinked his eyes open and turned to lock eyes with Amy. He covered his mouth to try and hide his fond laughter.

Realization crossed Amy’s face. She gasped, then glared with unintentional cuteness. “How long were you just going to sit there and let me do that?!”

He smirked, amused. “I didn’t want to interrupt. You seemed like you were enjoying yourself.”

She clenched her hands into fists. “That’s—you just—oo, you make me so flustered sometimes!” She puffed out her cheeks in irritation.

So cute.

Shadow couldn’t keep the smile off his face. She let out a “hmph” and sat back on her heels. She crossed her arms. “I see how it is! I only stopped by to lend you this anyway.” She handed Shadow a book, still holding her nose in the air.

Shadow inspected the book, then perked up. “This is...”

“That book about boxercise from my shelf. I know you look at it every time you visit,” Amy finished, looking proud of herself.

Shadow looked back up and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “You caught me. That’s really perceptive of you, Amy.”

She openly preened at the compliment. “I know you like martial arts, but what’s so interesting about boxercise specifically?”

He turned the book over to glance at the summary, then looked back up at her. “I didn’t notice it when we were younger, but the more I watch you fight, the more I see just how much you incorporate it into your style. You’ve been unstoppable lately and, well...I felt inspired.”

He tried to hold back his smile, knowing he looked a little goofy, but he couldn’t quite regret it when he saw Amy’s lips spread into a wide, charming grin, cheeks tinted an endearing pink. She clasped her hands in her lap and lifted her shoulders shyly. “Thank you, Shadow. That means a lot coming from you!” He nodded, and she hopped to her feet.

Shadow stood up to join her. “So where are you headed?”

Amy dusted off her dress. “I’m hanging out with Sonic later. I need his advice on something.” She let out a sigh and laughed a little. “We’ve been getting along much better lately. It’s such a relief.”

Shadow’s eye twitched. “Ah...right. Have a good time, then.”

He tried not to look disappointed. If Amy’s confused face was any indication, he didn’t do a very good job. She shrugged and ruffled his quills, then grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Shadow. Thanks for being so sweet!” She started to run off, but she stopped a little ways away to call over her shoulder, “But you better not embarrass me like that again!” She stuck out her tongue at him, grinned cheekily, and dashed off. Shadow watched her departure with a fond, dreamy smile.

“Soooo...what was that?”

Shadow jumped a little and looked up to see Rouge smirking at him. He’d completely forgotten she was there. He looked away and started fixing his quills. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Mhmm. Is that why you just sat there and let Amy groom your quills?”

Shadow finished straightening them out and shrugged. “My head is covered in spines. Hedgehogs don’t get too many scalp massages.”

Rouge wasn’t convinced. “Hey, Omega, have you ever seen Shadow crush on anyone?” she asked, sounding mystified at the possibility.

“NEGATIVE. NOW UPDATING DATABASE.”

“I’m not—”

“Gotta admit, I’m a little impressed,” Rouge interrupted. “For a guy who’s never flirted before, that was pretty good. You even got her to blush! Who knew all you had to do was get hit in the head?” She scratched her chin in contemplation, making Shadow wonder how seriously she was considering the technique.

“But I wasn’t—I don’t—”

“HOW LONG AGO DID YOUR HEIGHTENED FEELINGS FOR AMY ROSE BEGIN?”

Shadow stared at him for a moment, then glanced back to Rouge’s curious face. He sighed in defeat. “It’s been a few months.”

Rouge let out an excited little noise, but Omega’s reply was what caught his attention. “INTERESTING. IT WAS AROUND THEN THAT YOUR CHAOS POWERS STARTED GETTING JAMMED. IS THIS CORRELATION OR CAUSATION?”

Rouge’s demeanor immediately turned serious. “What?”

“Ahhh...it’s not a big deal, buuut...” When they didn’t look placated, he cringed and sighed. “My Chaos abilities have always been tied to my state of mind. Sometimes when I’m upset or conflicted, it feels like some passages get blocked, and things don’t work right. Remember when Sonic and I had to fight the Biolizard in our super forms?” Rouge’s eye twitched the same way it always did when his near-death experience was brought up, but she nodded. “Amy had just reminded me of Maria’s wish, so I knew I was doing the right thing, but I’d been so sure I was supposed to destroy the Earth right up until that point that my thoughts were still twisted—by a man I’d grown to love and trust, no less. On top of that, I had to fight alongside a guy I couldn’t stand up until that point. AND we were battling my own prototype.” He rubbed his temples just thinking about it. “I felt pulled in two directions. That normally doesn’t happen because I try to stay serious and decisive, but that day, my systems didn’t work right, and we were low on rings—”

Rouge wouldn’t look at him. Omega was silent. Shadow moved on. “Anyway...I had to use my super form against Devil Doom, too, but by that point, I had a better handle on how my emotions interfere with my powers. I was just pissed by then, so I had no trouble staying single-minded that time. I could’ve flown around the whole planet with how purely indignant I was.”

He jumped when Rouge grabbed his shoulders. “Shadow the hedgehog, why the hell didn’t you tell me that?! Do you have any idea how terrified I was when you went super and flew into space like that again? I thought I’d lost—”

She stalled out, unable to finish her sentence. Her nails were digging into Shadow’s shoulders even through her gloves. He ignored the pain and calmly replied, “I didn’t know you well enough at the time. That’s why I’m telling you now.” He shut his eyes. “You know how I am about weaknesses.”

After a moment, Rouge sighed and withdrew one of her hands to point right at his nose. “Shadow, you can’t just walk around like this. You need your Chaos powers. What if you run into trouble again?”

Shadow went cross-eyed looking at her finger. He scoffed and brushed her hands away. “It’ll be fine once I get over Amy. You know I don’t get crushes...often.” Rouge and Omega’s silence spoke volumes. “And who’s going to give me trouble? Eggman’s been out of commission for years. Zavok and his gang mellowed out. Anyone else who’s stupid enough to mess with me is either arrested or dead.”

“SHADOW. AS MUCH AS I ENJOY COMPLETELY OBLITERATING YOU IN COMBAT, ROUGE HAS A POINT. YOU WILL BE VULNERABLE UNTIL THIS IS SORTED OUT. CONSIDERING YOUR HISTORY, I FEEL...CONCERNED FOR YOUR WELLBEING.”

Shadow blinked a few times, baffled. Omega, feeling concerned? He pressed his lips together. “Well...fine, but how am I supposed to do that? All I can do is wait it out.”

“I STILL DO NOT SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR AMY ROSE AND A CONFLICTED STATE OF MIND. IT SEEMS SIMPLE TO ME. YOU WANT TO MARRY HER, CORRECT? ASK HER TO MARRY YOU.”

Rouge cracked up laughing, and Shadow sputtered, “Wha—no! I don’t! I mean, maybe someda—no! It’s just a crush, Omega! We’re not even dating!”

“SO GO ON A DATE SO YOU CAN ASK HER TO MARRY YOU.”

Shadow groaned and hid his face in his hands.

Rouge got the last of her laughter out of the way and leaned on Omega’s shoulder. “Might be a bit soon for that, but the big guy’s got a point, Shadow. Why not just ask her out?”

Shadow side-eyed her. “You’re kidding, right? Amy has always loved Sonic. She doesn’t like me.”

Rouge glanced down at the book in Shadow’s hands, clearly skeptical. “Are you sure...?”

“Of course I’m sure. What do you mean?”

“Let’s see...you ‘make her flustered,’ she observed you enough to lend you a book you liked and then came all the way over here just to give it to you, you made her blush...” she pointed out with a knowing smile.

Shadow crossed his arms and looked away. “That’s just Amy. She’s sweet and thoughtful with everyone.”

Rouge sighed. “I still think it’s worth a shot. Even if you get rejected, that’ll at least plant the idea in her head and help you sort out some of these conflicted feelings. The worst she can say is ‘no.’”

“No, the worst thing is that it could ruin our friendship. We’ve been hanging out a lot lately, and...she means a lot to me.” He looked away.

“So what’s your plan for your Chaos powers, then?”

“I’ll think of something.” Unwilling to continue the uncomfortable discussion, he added, “I have to get going. Chaos—” He stopped. Remembering how off-course he’d wound up the last time he used Chaos Control, he shut his mouth and decided to hoof it instead.

Before he could run off, Rouge piped up. “By the way...didn’t Amy say she’d ‘see you tomorrow?’ Where are you two headed, Casanova?”

Shadow pressed his lips together. “Don’t get excited, it’s not a date. We’re going out as friends.”

Rouge crossed her arms and shot him an unimpressed look. “You’re just going to take her out and pretend it’s a date, aren’t you?”

He narrowed his eyes, and her smug grin widened. “...That’s none of your business,” he grumbled, skating off. He could hear them laughing in the distance.

Shadow chose to run to his destination the next day to calm his remaining nerves, which might’ve worked if he could run full speed. The slight tug holding him back wouldn’t have been noticeable to anyone else, but it was enough to make him wish he’d taken his motorcycle instead. Thankfully, he was still on time...barely.

“Cutting it close, huh, Shadow? That’s not like you,” Amy teased. She wore a casual yellow dress, a white sunhat, and a charming smile.

Shadow tried to breathe evenly through his nose so she wouldn’t notice how out of breath he was. “Good to see you, Amy. You’re dressed for the occasion.” He paused, then hurriedly added, “You look cute.”

Before he could regret the comment or worry that his feelings were showing, she brightened up. “Thanks! I love this outfit!” She wiggled her toes in her canvas sneakers. “I know you said we’d be doing a lot of walking, but I didn’t know we’d be going to the Westopolis Botanical Gardens. I’m so excited!”

Her enthusiasm was contagious. Shadow felt an easy smile cross his face as he led the way to the entrance. “So you really didn’t look it up, then?”

She shook her head. “I just followed the address you gave me. I didn’t want to ruin your surprise. This was such a good idea!”

Shadow felt his heart grow soft again. He chuckled softly. “That’s something I really like about you.”

“Huh?”

“I like how straightforward and honest you are,” Shadow clarified. “There’s no sneakiness with you. I can plan a surprise—” Not a date. “—hangout, and I know you won’t pry or feel tempted to snoop around for answers if I ask you not to.” His smile turned bittersweet. “I haven’t met enough people who are that honest and trusting. I really cherish it when I do.”

She was silent for long enough to make him worry that he’d gotten too intense over something so small, but when he looked over, her eyes were shining. She gave him a crooked smile. “Of course. Every good relationship is built on trust.”

Shadow’s heart pounded. He folded his ears back shyly at her word choice. “Y-yeah.” He gulped and tentatively held out his arm as they walked under the colorful canopy of flowers that formed the gate to the gardens. She happily linked her arm with his in response, and he had to resist the urge to let out a sigh of happiness. Contrary to popular belief, Shadow was quite fond of physical contact, and no friend of Amy’s was at risk of feeling touch-starved. The fact that linking arms made them look like a couple was only the icing on the cake for Shadow.

“So what made you choose this place?” Amy asked, her eyes darting eagerly along the flowers over their heads.

I wanted to take you rock climbing to impress you, but with my strength failing me, I definitely would have embarrassed myself.

“I had a few ideas, but then I remembered Westopolis added this place when they started rebuilding after the Black Arms’ attack. That...situation...doesn’t bring back great memories for me,” he managed with difficulty, “but it brought rebirth. It’s poetic that so much life could grow out of such an ugly situation, isn’t it?”

There was silence for a moment. He looked down at Amy, only to find she was staring at him, almost in...awe? He cocked his head. “Uh...Amy?”

She snapped out of it and shook herself off. “Right! Um...I just...” She bit her lip and looked away shyly. “I just think...you, ah...love flowers as much as I do! That’s all!”

If Amy were anyone else, Shadow would have thought she looked smitten. He chose to ignore her feelings for Sonic in favor of enjoying the moment.

“It’s great that such a nice place is free, too,” Amy continued. “You’re a cheap date, huh?”

He almost tripped at her words. “Ah, y-yeah. It’s nice.”

The two of them stepped out from under the floral canopy into a large clearing. Amy gasped at their surroundings. In the center of the open area was a clear pond. Shadow could see small fish and a few turtles swimming among the reeds and lily pads. A small waterfall fed into it from a sandstone rock formation. Branches hung low from wisteria trees, shading the clearing like lavender curtains. A wooden walkway ran along the outer edge and continued past the glade to connect it with the rest of the picturesque garden.

Amy pulled away to run over onto the walkway. Her grin was radiant. “This is so beautiful!”

Shadow strode over more slowly as he admired the scene, smiling softly at her enthused reaction. “I’m glad you like it. It really is nice, isn’t it?”

She nodded happily, and then her eyes lit up. “I have an idea!” She jogged along the walkway until she was right next to the rock formation. She placed a hand against it and grinned as he caught up to her. “We could get a better view from up there, don’t you think?”

Shadow scratched his chin and eyed the rocks nervously. “Are we supposed to go up there?”

Amy’s grin turned mischievous. She held her hands behind her back in false innocence and dug her toe into the ground cutely. “Wellll, I don’t see a sign, do you?”

Shadow smirked back. “You of all people, bending the rules? Who are you, and what have you done with Amy Rose?”

She snickered and dragged him over by his wrist. “Maybe you’ve been rubbing off on me a little,” she teased, winking over her shoulder. Shadow’s stomach did a flip.

Unfortunately, it flipped once again when he looked up at the rocks. I specifically chose this because it wasn’t rock climbing. What the hell happened?!

“Uh, Earth to Shadow?”

Shadow shook himself off to see Amy giving him a disapproving look. “Sorry. What?”

She nodded to the rock wall. “You’re not really going to send me up first, are you?”

Shadow cocked his head in confusion. She’s always been a leader. Why would she be nervous about... Then, she glanced down at her outfit and gave him a meaningful look. His eyes popped wide open, and he folded his ears back awkwardly. “Right. Dress. Got it.”

Shadow turned back to the wall and did his best to choke back his nerves before starting to climb. The going was slow; he still had some of his strength, but he definitely wasn’t in any shape to flip a truck the way he usually could. He grimaced and held in a grunt as he lifted himself without any of the ease he typically had.

Is this how normal people go through life? My Chao can climb faster than this!

He’d been hoping Amy wouldn’t notice, but those hopes were dashed when he saw her catch up to climb alongside him. He didn’t look to the side, afraid of the expression he’d find on her face. Concern? Sympathy? Judgment?

Well...probably not that last one, he reasoned. He focused on keeping his grip instead. The handholds weren’t too tough, but with the limited visibility and sandy texture of the wall, the footholds were more of a problem. His legs shook from nerves and fatigue. At least an indoor rock wall would’ve had solid holds built into it.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, his right foot slipped. The sudden lack of support wrenched his right hand off the wall as well. Panic gripped him. “Shi—”

“GOTCHA!”

Shadow’s eyes were clenched shut. He blinked them open to find Amy was slightly higher than him on the wall—though still low enough for modesty’s sake—holding herself up with one hand while hanging onto his wrist with the other. He hung there for a moment, thrown off and embarrassed, before she cut in. “Come on, it’s okay! We’re almost there!”

Shadow wilted and hurriedly put his foot in a more secure spot. He grabbed the wall again with her help and looked away. “Thanks.” He could see her nod and smile encouragingly.

Shadow hid his panting as best he could once he’d scrambled up to the top with her. He sat facing the garden and looked down at his lap, toying with his fingers bashfully. “Thanks again.”

Amy plopped down next to Shadow and kept her gaze on him. “It’s no problem, but you looked really uncomfortable on the way up. Are you alright?”

Shadow tried to brush it off, not liking her worried expression. “It’s nothing. My foot just slipped.”

“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have dragged you up here,” she added, clearly unconvinced. “I know Blaze is afraid of heights, so I watch out for her, too. Just let me know if you’re not comfortable doing something, okay?”

Shadow shrugged and smiled wryly. “I don’t think I have anything to worry about when someone as strong as you is with me. All that hammer swinging has really paid off,” he praised, hoping a compliment would diffuse the tension.

It worked. Amy grinned proudly and flexed one of her impressive biceps. “You’re damn right!”

He nodded, satisfied, and looked down at the scenery. “And you were right. It’s beautiful up here.”

Amy sighed dreamily. “It really is.” She paused for a moment before perking up. “Hey, they have your favorites!” she said, pointing to a sunny corner where lavender was shooting up from the ground.

Shadow’s eyes widened in surprise. “You remember?”

Amy snorted and waved it off. “As if I’d forget something like that! How can I live up to my name if I can’t even remember your favorite flower?”

“It does make sense,” Shadow agreed, trying to hide how flattered he was. He deliberated briefly before throwing caution to the wind. “And this place suits you, too. A rose is always at home in a garden.”

Amy stared at him for a moment, then hid her face behind her hands. Her body started shaking, and Shadow could hear her break down in laughter at the sentiment. He smirked. She tore one of her hands away to lightly shove him. “That was so cheesy!” she managed through her cackles.

Shadow chuckled softly. He admired the way her cheeks flushed red and her eyes watered from laughter. “I hope it wasn’t too painful.”

She shook her head, still laughing, and bumped her head against his shoulder. “I loved it.”

She shuffled closer and linked her arm with his once more. Shadow’s heart raced, then gradually slowed to a calm warmth at the contact. He rested his chin on top of her head. His mood soured a little when he thought of his own dishonest intentions about the “date,” but he reasoned to himself that his inner feelings weren’t what mattered so long as they were both having fun.

“I’ve always wanted to go to one of these,” Amy commented after a while.

She didn’t add anything else, but Shadow could guess what she meant. “Let me guess: you always wanted to take Sonic on a date here, but he never wanted to go?”

Amy suddenly pulled away. When Shadow looked over, her expression was indignant. “I wasn’t going to say that!”

Shadow just blinked, unsure of what to say. Amy huffed and shook her head. “Why would I go on about Sonic when I’m out with you? That’s rude!”

Shadow frowned, now fully confused. She’s mentioned Sonic around me a million times. It’s what she does. She has toned it down recently, I guess, but still... Unsure of what else to say, Shadow settled on a joke to try and lighten the mood. “Well, I hope I’m a decent replacement, at least.” He tried to smile, but it came out as a cringe.

Amy looked...hurt? Confused? Angry? Shadow couldn’t read her for the life of him. “I’d never compare the two of you.”

Shadow’s expression went flat. He stared off into space, completely stumped. What the hell does that mean?!

After a moment, Amy’s nose wrinkled cutely. “Do you want to get down from here?” she ventured, perplexed and concerned by his response.

Shadow snapped out of it and nodded. “Yeah. There’s a lot more to this place.”

“Alright!”

The two spent the rest of the day admiring everything they could. The place was big enough that Amy insisted they’d have to come back another day to see it all, a suggestion that made Shadow’s heart soar. Much to Amy’s excitement, Shadow pointed out that the greenhouse close to the exit housed an adjoining aviary that he knew she’d like, and he was right; Shadow spent a great deal of time enjoying the sight of all the Flickies flocking around Amy the same way they always seemed to. Between their mutual love for nature, their easy rapport, and the way she appreciated his overly intense demeanor and sentiments in a way no one else did, Shadow couldn’t help but spend all day thinking of how perfect they’d be as a couple.

But we won’t.

And that divide messed with him all day. The rock climbing was the worst of it, but he tripped over seemingly nothing a few times because his muscles weren’t working right. He almost fell into one of the ponds when Amy told him how much fun she always had when they were together. She caught him in time, saving him once more and teasingly saying, “Don’t fall!”

Too late, he thought wryly as he gazed into her caring eyes.

“We have to go out again soon, Shadow. That was super fun!” Amy hugged him tightly.

Shadow’s heart thumped for the umpteenth time that day. He couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “Yeah. Definitely.” When’s the last time anyone said that about a day with me? There really is no one like her. He reluctantly pulled away. “I’ll call you to plan the next one. I’ll see you soon—”

“Hold on!”

Shadow paused at the command. “Huh?”

Amy was holding her hands behind her back. She had a charming smile on her face. “Are you really gonna make me take the bus home?”

Shadow’s eyes widened. Nausea boiled in his gut at the thought of using Chaos Control in his current state. “Uhhh...”

Amy’s smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

Shadow flinched and returned to her side. “Nothing, I just...spaced out for a second.” He tried to ignore the light, giddy feeling he got when she took his hand. He closed his eyes and mentally sifted through his usual locations, only to find that they all looked even fuzzier than last time. A veneer of static obscured each one, as if they were weak stations on an old TV. He gritted his teeth and tried to go by how they felt instead, narrowing it down to the locations he associated with Amy. A familiar, domestic setting surfaced that had Amy’s aura all over it. He nodded. Here goes nothing...

“Chaos...Control!”

The yanking sensation he’d grown so used to was rougher this time, like they were being jostled through a usually smooth path. Shadow clenched his eyes shut. Please, please, please...!

The feeling stopped more abruptly than usual, almost making Shadow stumble. Before he could open his eyes, Amy’s amused voice floated in.

“Uh, Shadow? This is a little fast for me,” she laughed.

“Huh?”

Shadow looked around and blanched in horror when he realized he’d teleported them into his bedroom. “WRONG ONE! I WASN’T—JUST A SECOND! CHAOS CONTROL!” he sputtered past her laughter.

His hasty attempt landed them outside one of their favorite restaurants. He cringed.

“Well, I am kinda hungry. Is this your way of trying to spend more time with me?”

Shadow’s panic only grew at her teasing tone. “No, no! I’ve got it! Chaos Control!”

They appeared outside their favorite Chao store this time. While Amy cooed over the adorable Chao stumbling around in the front window, Shadow stopped and bent over, panting and sweating.

After a moment, he felt Amy take both of his hands. “Shadow? What’s wrong?”

Shadow slowly looked up at her. Her expression was twisted with concern for him. His limbs shook. “I’ll get you back! I can do it! Chaos...”

“Shadow, wait! I’m worried about you!”

“...Control!”

“Shadow!”

Just then, Shadow saw it. A flicker of static faded, leaving Amy’s porch clear as day for an instant. He headed straight for it with determination, but Amy’s scared words reverberated in his head, the care and love she’d shown for him yanking his mind off his task. The distraction swiftly jerked him off course, sending them down a rickety path to a much, much darker locale.

There was no smooth landing this time. The two of them fell in a heap. Shadow groaned and rubbed his forehead, then looked around. He twitched and instantly shut his eyes again. He tried to sift through the locations in his head again.

But every single one was blank. No pictures, no static, no pathways.

Shadow lifted himself up onto his hands and knees, drenched in cold sweat and fear. “I can’t do it.”

“What?”

He sat back on his heels and held himself. “I can’t use Chaos Control anymore. We’re trapped here.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and trembled, stuck in an internal cycle of fear, humiliation, guilt, and self-loathing.

A gentle hand rested on his shoulder, and a calm voice guided him out of his stupor. “Hey...Shadow? It’s alright! We’re going to be okay!” He anxiously peeked up at her reassuring smile. “We’ll get out of this. I know we will.”

“But—”

Amy cut off any protests by pulling him into a hug. “It’s okay.” She gently scratched his scalp, and he relaxed just as he had the day before.

After a long moment, she pulled back and looked into his eyes, still holding onto his shoulders. “What’s wrong, Shadow? What can I do to help?”

Shadow took a few deep breaths. I can’t tell her it’s nothing, but I can’t tell her everything, either. He bit his lip. “I’ve been having trouble with my Chaos energy recently. It doesn’t always work right.”

“Why? Do you know what’s wrong with it?”

He paused. “I’m...still working on that part.” She sighed and deflated. He lifted his shoulders, embarrassed. “I never meant to drag you into it like this, and I especially didn’t mean to drag you...here...”

Both of them examined their grim surroundings. Decrepit old castles stretched out along the horizon. The sky was a turbulent, cloudy blood red, and dull orange mist settled over the area. It was chilly but uncomfortably humid, and not even the slightest gust could be felt, as if the air itself was dead, frozen in time since they’d last been there.

Shadow clenched his fists. “Of course I got you stuck in Cryptic Castle, of all places! I couldn’t have stranded you in a worse place!”

“Eh.” Amy shrugged in a way Shadow felt was far too casual for their circumstances. She stood up and helped him to his feet. “It’s not so bad. At least someone can pick us up, right?” He tilted his head while she took out her phone. She typed something out, then waited. Her expression gradually soured.

“What are you up to?”

She smiled wryly. “I tried to text Sonic and Silver to see if they could warp us out of here, but there’s no service. Worth a shot, right?”

With another escape route cut off, Shadow deflated even further. She noticed and reached out to hold one of his hands in both of hers. “Hey! I told you we’d be alright, and I meant it!” she reassured him once more. “We survived this place just fine when we were 12 and 15. We can definitely handle this as adults.”

Her chipper, steadfast smile cut through Shadow’s doubts, even as his pessimistic side reminded him that he’d had Chaos powers last time. She started dashing along the rampart in front of them, pulling him along with her. “Come on! I think I remember the way.”

Things went alright at first. He had no problem grinding on the rails, and he could still ride the pumpkin balloons like last time. The two scanned the landscape as the balloon took them farther. Without Eggman’s robots and the Black Arms, Cryptic Castle felt empty. Shadow knew he should have felt relieved about that, but he couldn’t help but feel unsettled. He shivered and decided it was just his Chaos troubles and bad memories.

At Amy’s direction, they dropped down from the balloon, only to fall through a tunnel full of ghosts.

“EEEEEEK!”

Amy latched onto Shadow as they fell. He smirked. “Don’t tell me you’re still afraid of ghosts.”

She glared up at him. “I am NOT interested in getting possessed again.”

They landed, and Shadow did a double-take. “Wait...‘again’?”

“It’s a long story.”

She dashed off. He could still keep up with her even with his sputtering stream of Chaos energy, but he’d be hard-pressed to say he was faster. Luckily, he didn’t have to admit he couldn’t break down doors and open the heavy false floors anymore because Amy immediately volunteered to do so, happy to demonstrate how far she’d come since she was a kid. Some routes had been blocked off by crumbling ramparts and fallen towers, but they found other ways. Shadow was actually feeling better with the progress they’d made until they hit a dead end...or at least, what should have been a dead end.

Shadow and Amy both stopped in front of a trail of red and purple fluid leading up to a higher platform. Amy made a disgusted noise, and Shadow frowned. “I can’t believe this slime has persisted so long. It’s been ten years now. Shouldn’t it have disintegrated?”

Amy held up her hands. “Don’t look at me, you’re the alien expert!” she joked.

Shadow shrugged, unable to argue with that. “Maybe nothing on Earth can break it down.”

He jumped into the slime trail to follow it up to a higher platform. After some hesitation, Amy followed, then shivered when she popped out next to him. “Eugh. At least those disgusting eyeball aliens are gone!”

“Still grossed out by those things, all these years later?” He shook his head fondly and kept running alongside her. “Some things never change.”

“Can you blame me?!” she protested. “They were giant living eyeballs with fangs! And the way they moved was just...UGH! Gross!” She wrung her hands out as she ran.

“Those were technically my kin, you know,” Shadow pointed out, charmed by her antics. “You don’t think I’m gross, right?”

“Of course not. You’re my favorite alien, Shadow!”

It was probably supposed to be a joke, but her charming smile and the silly compliment attached to it made him tip forward and fall on his face. He slid to a stop, then lifted his head and grumbled. Don’t tell me...

“Shadow, are you alright?! What happened?”

Instead of answering, Shadow rolled onto his back and lifted one of his feet. He focused on it, and it produced a quick yellow-orange flicker, only to fade out immediately. He knocked his heel against the stones beneath him and tried again. Nothing. His fists clenched.

“Shadow?” Amy tried again.

Shadow closed his eyes and stayed quiet. He waited another moment before looking up to see that Amy was reaching out her hand. He nodded and let her pull him to his feet, needing her strength more than he was willing to admit. He started moving forward again, manually reminding himself not to skate.

Amy’s eyes were wide with intrigue. “I’ve never seen you actually run before. Not like this.”

Shadow kept his gaze straight ahead, trying to ignore the way she was clearly holding back her speed so he could keep pace with her. “I fuel the rockets in my shoes with Chaos energy. When it comes to literally running, I’m out of practice.” His expression tightened. “I hardly ever think about it, but everything about me runs off Chaos energy. Without it, I’m—”

“Shadow the hedgehog, hero to the world and one of my favorite people,” Amy cut in, nodding definitively. “Your power isn’t who you are.”

“But everything I’ve ever done—”

“No buts!” she insisted, holding up a finger. “I was weak when I came here the first time, but I was still Amy Rose, just like I am now!”

Shadow slowly nodded. “Yeah. And I’m glad you were, because it took Amy Rose to turn me around that day.” She matched his warm smile with her own.

The two of them ran through the doorway of a much larger castle. They slowed down to take a look around. “Is this a dead end?” Amy asked, squinting around the dark room. “I know it’s been a while, but I definitely don’t remember a castle this big from last time.”

Shadow meandered toward a corner, feeling the floor creak under his shoes as he walked. The distant echoes were the only indicators of the sheer size of the room. Shadow strained his eyes in the dim light, just managing to make out various pieces of furniture—a decrepit old chair here, an overstuffed old couch there. Turning toward the dark wall on his right, he spotted a collection of objects. Once he got close, he recognized it as a pile of bones. He took a step back and stared down at it. His jaw clenched. I didn’t see any signs of life on the way in. How long have these been here, and how did they die...? The question hung unanswered in his head as he looked around, seeing more and more piles as he went—all humanoid. I should get Amy out of here. If she saw these, she’d freak out, he thought, focusing on Amy’s discomfort to avoid thinking of his own.

Then, he felt it.

A dark presence wormed into his mind, bringing an unpleasant, unnerving chill he hadn’t felt in ten years. His spines stood on end. His heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. Pins and needles spread over his body, leaving him shuddering with an intense dread that warned him he was somewhere he shouldn’t be. He struggled to breathe for a few long moments, then snapped out of it and bolted to Amy’s side. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him.

“Amy. We need to leave. NOW.”

She nodded silently, apparently sensing that now wasn’t the time to question him. They’d only taken two steps toward the door when sinister, invasive laughter erupted in Shadow’s head. He and Amy both flinched and stopped, and he could tell by the look on Amy’s face that the telepathy had been extended to her, too. They stared fearfully into each other’s eyes for another second before simultaneously sprinting for the exit. They were only a few steps away when a heavy door slammed shut in front of them, plunging the room into darkness. Amy took out her hammer and repeatedly bashed at the door, but it was far sturdier than the ones they’d broken through before.

“What’s the rush, little hedgehogs? You’re about to witness history.”

Shadow’s body shook as he and Amy turned toward the center of the room. Three red eyes blinked open, providing the only light in the room.

“Sh-shadow...is that...”

A frigid, whistling gust of wind blasted them from all sides, making them flinch and shiver. It died down as soon as it started, and Shadow opened his eyes with trepidation to find a ring of torches mounted on the walls lit with ghostly, pale blue flames. Shadow’s chest tightened painfully when the low light revealed someone he’d assumed he would never encounter again, one who he was woefully unprepared to deal with at the moment.

Shadow automatically stepped in front of Amy to protect her, powers or not. He swallowed with difficulty. “Black Doom? How?! I destroyed you years ago!”

Low, condescending laughter echoed in Shadow’s head, making him wince. “How quaint. You think you’re the only being capable of Chaos Control! Have you forgotten where you got your abilities in the first place?”

Shadow’s eyes widened. “But...that’s impossible! I blasted you! I saw the explosion!”

“You saw the explosion...” Black Doom’s eye flashed a foot from Shadow’s face quickly enough to make both hedgehogs backpedal a few steps. “...but did you see my body afterward, Shadow? You cannot avoid the truth!”

Shadow gritted his teeth, unable to deny it. He took a deep breath and stood up straight once more, unwilling to show his enemy an ounce of fear. He tried to keep his voice steady as he snapped, “What are you here for, Black Doom? Your army is finished! Your comet is destroyed! You’ve been hiding away for ten years in this ruined castle like a scared cockroach. You have nothing!” he finished, sweeping his hand to the side in a decisive motion.

Doom’s unsettling laughter returned. His body flickered out briefly, but it glowed more brightly as his eye shot back behind him. “A decade is nothing to a perfect, immortal being like myself. I may have lacked the means to return to full power thus far, but that is about to change...and I have you to thank for it, Shadow the hedgehog.”

Shadow shuddered at Black Doom’s words. He could hear Amy’s concerned whimper behind him. He hid his apprehension behind a show of bravado. “What are you rambling about now, Black Doom? Don’t waste my time!”

“Don’t you know? The bigger my army, the more power I can draw from them. I can gain all the strength I need by draining Chaos energy from my subjects, right down to the last drop.”

Amy’s disgusted, indignant voice rang out. “You’d feed off your own people? That’s horrible!”

“Typical inferior life form. A leader of a truly superior race does whatever is necessary to survive.”

Shadow felt the same disgust as Amy, but he choked it back and grinned smugly instead. “News flash, Black Doom: I obliterated every one of your spawn! You’ve got no one left to feed on!”

The voice in Shadow’s head turned snide and giddy, rising in pitch and making Shadow’s skin crawl. Black Doom’s body faded out for a moment. “Oh, you poor fool...naive, ignorant fool! How wrong you are!” His body flickered back in, looking more solid than ever. “One of my offspring does live...and he has just saved me the trouble of hunting him down!”

Shadow’s heart stopped for a moment, and his eyes went wide. Doom’s hand sped in his direction to try and grab him.

“Shadow!” Amy cried, grabbing his arm and yanking him out of the way. She dragged him behind one of the dilapidated couches and knocked it over so they could use it as cover. She pulled him down and crouched beside him.

“Are you alright?!” she hissed, taking his face in her hands. When he nodded, she let out a breath of relief. She looked back up at Black Doom. “We need to be careful, but he’s weaker than before! You can see his body flickering and fading out every so often, can’t you?” Shadow hesitated but nodded once more, and she gave him a confident smile. “He’s weak! We can do this, Shadow! Together!”

Shadow wasn’t so confident. He winced. “But...I...”

“Relying on a lower life form for protection? You have only grown more pitiful with time, Shadow. Absorbing you will be an act of charity. Swift Strike!”

Remembering how to deal with the ground-bound attack from their last bout, Shadow listened for the low swiping sound it made and turned to Amy. “We need to jump in three...two...one...NOW!”

Both of them leapt into the air on Shadow’s mark. The sickle-shaped projectile sliced through the couch they’d been using as a shield. Amy was right; in Doom’s weakened state, the attack moved so slowly that it could hardly be called “swift.” Even with Shadow’s hampered speed and strength, he cleared it without any trouble. In his pride at having dodged the attack, however, he failed to notice the way it bounced off the wall behind him. Amy noticed the movement in time to evade it with a hammer-jump, but it swept Shadow off his feet and bolted painfully through his nerves. Pain seared through his muscles, making them lock up.

Amy was by his side in an instant. She took him in her arms and helped him sit up. He groaned and held a hand to his head. “This was a lot easier last time.”

“Why? Because Sonic was with you to help out?”

“HAH!” Shadow barked in amusement. “No, Sonic was useless. Last time, I had a submachine gun.”

“Take this! Flame Wave!”

The attack was too swift for either of them to get out of the way this time. Knowing what was coming, Shadow turned his back to the fireball and pulled Amy into his arms to protect her. He gritted his teeth to hold back his cry of agony as the flames seared his flesh, eyes going wide and watering in pain. Amy gasped and cried out into his chest fur.

“Shadow...Shadow, no! Why’d you do that?!”

Her voice was shaking. When she looked up, he could see tears in her eyes. “I’ll heal!” he blurted. “You don’t have a healing factor like I do. I’ll be alright!”

But the burning in his back didn’t subside. The two of them ran to the side to avoid further fireballs. He knew his healing factor wasn’t working right, and judging by the sound of Amy’s strained whimper, she knew it, too.

While the two of them were busy dodging the main body’s attacks, Doom’s Eye flew into their path to try and intercept them. They flinched, but then Amy cried out, “SLIDE!” She used her momentum to slide under their opponent. Shadow instantly followed her command, narrowly avoiding the eye’s grasping arms as they lashed downward, splintering the floorboards behind him. He peeked fearfully over his shoulder.

Since when do the body and the eye attack at the same time?! He may be weak, but he’s just as dangerous as ever!

Amy yanked him to his feet and clung onto his arm harshly as she pulled him along. “Shadow, we need to take him out. We have to before—” Her words got caught in her throat, so she moved on. “What’s his weakness? What’s the best way to take him out?”

Shadow breathed heavily and tried to quell his panic at the unfamiliar sensation of prolonged pain from the burn on his back. “His...his body isn’t always tangible. It fades in and out. His eye is much more vulnerable.”

“Got it.”

“BEGONE!”

Doom’s loudest shout yet reverberated in Shadow’s overwhelmed mind, making him stop in his tracks. Amy pivoted and doubled back. She stood her ground in front of Shadow, brandishing her hammer once more. As Black Doom fired small violet meteors at them, Amy skillfully deflected each one with powerful swings. After the first few, she successfully started knocking them at Doom’s Eye with deadly accuracy. The eye zigzagged deftly to avoid the first few, but Amy adapted, anticipating its movements. It shrieked in agony once the meteors started hitting their mark. His body stopped immediately and phased forward to loom over her.

“What is this life form, Shadow? Some kind of pet?”

Doom’s snide tone and words made Shadow want to tear him to shreds, but Amy spoke up first. “Who do you think you are?! You’ve seen me before!”

“As if I would remember such a lowly creature. You will pay for your impudence!”

With that, Doom’s Eye rushed forward. It raced forward and phased right through its own body, then emerged to hang over them, arms outstretched. When it lashed out, Amy swung her hammer forward in a desperate attempt to defend herself. The eye latched onto the head of her hammer and flew straight upward, making Amy scream in alarm.

“AMY!”

Shadow was powerless to help as she was lifted out of reach. Even at his full strength, he couldn’t have jumped nearly high enough to reach her. She held on tight to the handle of her hammer and looked down in terror, knowing a fall from that height could seriously injure her...or worse. Shadow felt himself quiver in panic and helplessness.

Black Doom’s body struck before Shadow could even see it. His clawed hand wrapped painfully around Shadow, pinning his arms to his sides. It slammed him high up against a wall, breaking off several planks of wood. Shadow barely registered the distant sound of the planks colliding with the floor far below him. He groaned, dazed.

“Now, the ritual can commence at last,” Black Doom said, his tone menacing. “I have been looking forward to this moment every day since your betrayal.”

Shadow struggled weakly in his grasp and frantically tried to think of a way out. I don’t have my strength. I don’t have my speed. No Chaos Control, no Chaos Spears...I have plenty of energy, but all my channels are blocked. Even if I took off my limiters, I still couldn’t access it! He’d never felt so helpless in his life. He could see Amy hanging on stubbornly below him, but he knew her grip couldn’t last forever. She looked up at him, eyes plaintive. He could see her mouth the word ‘sorry,’ as if it were somehow her fault that they’d wound up like this. His heart broke.

He snapped out of it when the clawed hand tightened its grip, making Shadow gasp in pain. Black Doom spoke up once more, his tone growing more insidious with every word. “I want you to know that I’m going to savor every moment of your suffering. I hope you spend your last moments thinking of just how weak you’ve become.”

With that, Shadow snapped. Determination raged through his veins. “You’re wrong, Black Doom. I will never be weak.”

“What?”

Shadow stared him down, fearless and confident. “I am Shadow the hedgehog, the ultimate lifeform. And I DO NOT. GIVE. UP.”

With that, Shadow bared his fangs and did the only thing he could think of.

“OWWWW!” Black Doom screeched, immediately dropping Shadow. “You insolent little—did you just bite me?!”

Shadow ignored his cries and kicked off the wall as hard as he could. He ripped off his gloves as he plummeted, then slashed his claws across Doom’s Eye. It let out an earsplitting screech and released Amy’s hammer. Shadow latched onto one of her feet as they fell. “Propeller hammer, propeller hammer!”

She followed his hasty directions and immediately spun her body like a top to slow their descent. Shadow landed lightly on the ground and caught Amy in his arms as she fell the rest of the way. They stayed that way for a moment, panting and trying to calm down. Eventually, Amy looked up at him and let out a dizzy, breathless laugh. He couldn’t help but follow suit.

“You have defied me for the last time!” Doom roared, making them jump. His eye was squinting and cringing next to him, trying to shake off the hit. “I gave you life! I gave you strength! You would be nothing but a powerless whelp without me. What gives you the nerve to turn against me?”

“My strength lies elsewhere, Black Doom.” Shadow breathed deeply for a few moments. He braced himself, squared his shoulders, and declared, “And I will never, ever let you hurt the woman I love!”

“What?!”

Immediately, Shadow felt the channels of his body unlock. Chaos energy flooded through his veins, nerves, and muscles. He felt life and vitality race through him, and a tingling sensation tickled his back, erasing the pain from the burn. His entire body fizzled with warmth. Shadow breathed out slowly, then opened his eyes. He didn’t look down at Amy’s expression, afraid he’d lose his resolve.

Excess Chaos energy sparked over his body, making his fur stand on end. He felt it run over and through him, begging to be let out. He stared Black Doom down and gave him one last heated glare. “It’s time to finish what I started ten years ago. Chaos...BLAST!”

Energy ripped its way out of Shadow, flying out of him faster than the eye could see. Windows shattered, walls splintered, and support beams snapped like matchsticks from the blast. The heavy door was blown off its hinges. Black Doom barely had the chance to yell before he was burnt to a crisp, eye and all. Shadow carefully watched the explosion incinerate his foe, ensuring there truly wasn’t anything left this time.

“Uh, Shadow?!”

Amy’s frantic tone reminded him of their location. He turned on his heel and sprinted out the door as the roof creaked and caved in. Rafters and ceiling boards fell behind him, flanking his escape as his speed finally returned to him. He skated furiously along the ramparts leading away from the collapsing castle and shouted, “CHAOS...CONTROL!”

Shadow skidded to a stop just outside Amy’s house, letting out a relieved exhale when he found he’d gotten it right at last. He only snapped out of it when he heard Amy’s own breathless laugh. He flinched when he realized their position.

“Ah—sorry! Sorry, I...” He trailed off and gently placed her back on her feet.

She giggled. “I don’t mind.”

The last few minutes came rushing back in for Shadow. He twitched in embarrassment. “Uh, about that...that thing I said...I didn’t mean—I mean, I did. I just—!”

“Shadow, it’s okay!” Amy insisted, holding up her hands and smiling awkwardly.

“No, I know it’s not!” he jumped in. Now that Amy wasn’t in his arms, he found he had nothing to do with his hands, so he held them behind his back. “I know you don’t—well, everyone knows you like Sonic.”

“Shadow.”

“No! I—I don’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. I can—”

Before he knew it, Amy had taken his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his. Floored, Shadow froze. After a few seconds, he slowly recovered and returned the kiss. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do, so he gingerly placed his hands on her hips and matched her warm, reassuring motions as best he could.

She pulled away all too soon and pressed her forehead against his. She giggled shyly.

He gaped like a fish. “Uhhh...so...”

She rested her arms on his shoulders and grinned. “I like you, too.”

His eyes were wide. “You do...?”

She snickered and nodded, biting her lip in amusement. “Of course! How could I not?”

He pulled his head back. “And...you knew I liked you, too?” he asked, glancing away in embarrassment.

She held a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. “People always tell me you’re hard to read, but you’re kind of obvious about this.”

He cringed in defeat. “Yeah. I’m kind of new to this. Dating, I mean.”

“Honestly? So am I,” Amy admitted with a shrug. “That’s why I asked Sonic for advice.”

Shadow side-eyed her, amused. “Sonic, giving you love advice?”

Amy toyed with her fingers and smirked. “It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? But I got over him a few months ago, and we’ve been getting along much better since then.”

“Ohhhhh...that explains a lot.” Shadow sighed. When he noticed Amy was looking at him oddly, he scratched the back of his neck and moved on. “So what was the advice?”

“Well, you know how you and I have been going on dates lately?”

Shadow’s eyes bugged out. “You mean you thought of them as dates, too?!”

Amy just looked confused for a moment. She burst out in laughter. “Shadow. You took me to a botanical garden. There’s literally nothing else more romantic than that!”

He crossed his arms, feeling defensive, but he found he couldn’t argue. “What was that advice again?” he asked, trying to push the conversation along.

Amy wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. “We kept going on obvious dates, but you wouldn’t kiss me. It seemed like you liked me, and I definitely like you, so I kept dropping hints, but you still wouldn’t do it.”

Shadow’s face was blank. “I don’t do hints.”

“Yeah...Sonic said that, too.” Amy smiled sheepishly. “He told me to stop being so traditional and just grab you and kiss you. I thought that was a terrible idea.”

Shadow brightened up. “I think it’s a great idea. You should do it again.”

Amy laughed and pulled him into a hug. She buried her face in his chest fur and just cuddled there for a while. He held her close, feeling more relaxed than he had in months.

Amy’s face brushed against his fur as she looked up at him. “So are you ever going to tell me what was up with your Chaos energy? Why did it come back so suddenly?” She half-smiled coyly. “Does it have anything to do with me?”

Shadow averted his gaze and coughed. “You kind of...drive me crazy, you know that?” Her smile grew. He pressed his lips together. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll give you the whole story—” He held up a finger. “But—you’re not allowed to tell Sonic he’s faster than I am.”

Amy matched his grumpy frown with a bright smile. “Deal.”

#shadamy #shadow the hedgehog #amy rose #sonic the hedgehog #fanfiction #The Ultimate Wife Form #Everyone Ships Shadamy

78 notes · View notes

dark-arts-and-crafts-universe · 3 years ago

Text

A Dying Art (Chapter 9)

A Dying Art

Lorcan Verdigris is not a necromancer. Anymore. But when the leader of the local necro coven comes to him with a request he really, really can’t refuse, he finds himself back in a world he’d tried to leave behind. Someone is trying to steal a powerful magical artifact, one whose destruction could unleash chaos upon the city. Or save it from an even greater danger. Or do nothing at all. Who knows. See, this is exactly why Lorcan stopped messing with the stuff.

Unfortunately, one way or another, Lorcan’s the one stuck dealing with it. He’d like to say this is a challenge that will take all his magic and his ingenuity to overcome, but let’s be real, stopping this threat will take something even more dire: actual effort. At least he’s getting paid this time…

Previous | Table of Contents | Next

Chapter 9: Opal’s Obols

Word count: 3,623

Content warning: surprisingly, no major content warnings

Eva the Inevitable's band, Lorcan figured out on the bus using his phone's very slow internet browser, was a non-entity. The only review he could find was on a website called ‘Zeen Zine’. It wasn’t terribly flattering. The reviewer thought that “the fake bass backing was distracting, just hire a real bass player” and that “the set would be better if it didn’t have so many breakup songs”.

Lorcan was surprised the writer hadn’t been cursed for that–nope, there we go, memorial post about their mysterious death shortly after the review. Necromancers held grudges, after all. Looks like Eva a little more than most. He’d have to watch himself here.

Tonight, the band was playing for a small outdoor venue, the kind that had a cheap set-up and probably spent most of its profits paying off noise violations. A rocker’s voice–Eva, he assumed–snaked its way from the stage. “There’s a stranger in your skin, and it’s killing me,” it crooned. “Don’t know where you’ve been, I missed the autopsy.”

The words were accompanied by a disconcertingly sinuous guitar riff Lorcan could feel, deep in his gut. Literally, it was probably some kind of intestine curse.

Necromancy. And people paid money for this?

(Despite his bitching, the door fee wasn’t actually that much. He gave the bouncer some change and got a nice stamp on the back of his hand for the trouble.)

He spent the next five songs nursing a soda awkwardly, just another face in the crowd. That suited Lorcan just fine–he didn’t want to put himself on anyone’s radar if he didn’t have to. He was pretty peopled out already. And here, eavesdropping might actually work. Because Eva talked. She bounced from conversation to conversation in the brief breaks between sets. And when she wasn’t talking, she was singing.

It was probably too much to hope she’d have a song called My Plan To Get Revenge On The Crown Osiris (Ask Me How), but what he’d heard so far was promising. The review was right–there were a suspicious number of breakup songs.

Intermission came, and Lorcan had to shield his soda with a hand from groupie-minions shoving past him to the outdoor bar. He was debating whether or not to toss the drink anyways, when he felt an arm sling over his shoulder.

“Hey there,” a voice, husky and rough from singing, whispered into his ear. Lorcan turned to see Eva the Inevitable pressing uncomfortably close to his side.

Her denim jacket was cut in a punk style with black fur along the edges. A dyed rabbit’s foot swung from each ear. Makeup streaked across her face wildly, enough that it didn’t matter the sweat from her performance was making it run. If Belial was aiming for a commanding look, Eva went for fierce. And unlike Belial, he’d somehow earned her attention before he even did anything.

Lorcan found his eyes drawn to the guitar slung across her back. It was nice. Very nice. A shiny white that sparkled in the light. Well-kept. But the part that stood out was the two hand’s worth of fingerbones set into the neck, like a skeleton was strumming the thing from behind. They glittered like gemstones, not a clean white but covered in shimmering iridescence.

Using opalized fossils to channel the dead was Osiris’s signature style of necromancy. But, of course, they’d inherited that ability from Eva’s old friend Opal.

“Sorry, do I know you?” he asked.

“I’d hope so, seeing as you’re at my concert.”

“Oh, I’m just here for the opener,” he drawled. “I think Blood and the Blood-tones are doing some really innovative things with polyphonic sound.”

“You wanna meet them? I can take you backstage,” Eva told him.

What–no. This wasn’t how the banter was supposed to work. Lorcan had no idea how Eva had zeroed in on him. He wasn’t letting himself get sucked into another social situation so soon–not while the conversation had spiraled this far out of control. “I’m, uh. Shy,” he said.

“Don’t let the name fool you, they’re sweethearts.” Eva pushed him forward–it turned out ‘backstage’ in this place was a smaller, fenced off area that was barely blocked off from the rest of the venue. Eva shoved him towards the others sitting there, who must be either her bandmates or various Blood-tones, and headed towards an open, beat-up guitar case.

“Groupies, Eva?” one asked. “He doesn’t exactly look like your type.”

She set the guitar into the case, and said, “Hardly. This is a little necromantic apostate–” Eva punctuated her speech with the snaps of latches shutting tight. “--who wandered into our neck of the woods for some reason. I’m curious why.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Lorcan said, trying to keep his face blank. Necromancy? Who’s she?

“You can play dumb,” she told him, “but I never forget a face. I have seen yours at the Halloween parties. You’re that Baker witch’s kid,” she said, and Lorcan winced. “Last name starts with a V. Used to run with Dexter Young’s crew.”

“And what,” he snapped, “that means I can’t appreciate music?”

“Name one band.”

Fuck. “My Chemical Romance?” Eva raised an unimpressed eyebrow. Yeah, even Lorcan didn’t buy that. He tried a different lie: “Fine. I was looking for a little help.” He gave an irritated scoff (he was pretty good at those) and added, “Osiris sure wasn’t any.”

“Oh?” Eva asked.

“I’ve been trying to get back into necromancy, but I’m rusty. I didn’t expect a handout or anything,” he told her. “Just a few tips, maybe put me in touch with someone who could help refresh my memory. Apparently that’s too much to ask from the great Crown Osiris the Second.”

She laughed at that. “Yeah, the Crown sure is an ungrateful set of bastards.”

“Eva,” one of her bandmates said, like a warning.

She glared back, then added, louder, “Who do they think got them in a position to become a gestalt soul entity, or whatever? They owe us a little consideration, don’t you think?”

Impulsive, he thought. In a way that her crew disagreed with. Lorcan didn’t want to be interrogated by so many necromancers all at once. One-on-one, though–he might be able to handle that. Maybe even build a positive rapport. If Eva was the saboteur, he’d need that when he had to…make a decision what to do next.

And he thought he had an angle he could try. “I don’t know if they really owe me anything in particular,” he said, trying to look casual. “But we were friends once. I thought that might count for something.”

Eva seemed to come to a decision then. “I need a smoke,” she announced to her band, then to Lorcan, “We’ve got twenty minutes before my next set. Let’s talk.”

“Is that a good idea?” another bandmate asked, looking close enough at Lorcan’s face he really had to work to hide the smug feeling of a plan working out.

“It’s whatever I say it is. Don’t forget your place,” Eva said, in a tone that made Lorcan suddenly understand why she called herself ‘the Inevitable’. The guy shut up.

“The band gets overprotective sometimes,” she told Lorcan as she walked them into an empty alley outside the venue. He made sure to stay near the entrance. “Worried some spy’s going to carry my words back to Osiris. Which is stupid, I’ve said all this to their face before.”

“Mouthing off to Osiris rarely goes well,” he noted.

She pulled a cigarette from her pocket. “See, I think you know that from experience, which is interesting. Puts you and me in a very small group.” She lit the thing up and raised it to her lips.

“Isn’t that bad for your voice?” Lorcan asked.

She snorted. “Guy, my lungs have been dead for years. Highly recommend revivifying your organs once you train back up a bit. I can fill these babies with whatever I want.”

“Right,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, you wanted tips. But you’ve gotta quid some pro, too.” She took a long drag of the cigarette. “Not many people can say they were close to any of the old coven leaders, and Dexter Young wasn’t close to anyone. Not since you.”

Lorcan blinked. He hadn��t cared to keep up with Dexter’s social life, but he’d always assumed he found someone to replace him as the token sort-of-friend. “I quit the coven ten years ago, we didn’t stay in touch. Anything I could tell you about his abilities is going to be outdated.”

And even then, his knowledge was limited. Dexter never trusted Lorcan with important secrets. He’d let him help bury an early prototype of his death curse once. It hadn’t been able to unleash the radioactive blight Dex had truly wanted, which meant it was basically harmless for Lorcan to know about. But that was the furthest his trust went.

“Relax. Young just always seemed like an ass to me, I’m curious about your take. Figured you’d like the chance to vent. Is there a song in your heart that’s been dying to get out?”

Right. Bonding. The rapport. He shifted in place. Death trivia, one-upsmanship, Lorcan could handle that. Those were well-worn tools in his angsty edgelord self’s arsenal. Discussing feelings was not. He couldn’t fake a big outpouring of emotions. Not over Dexter.

“There’s not much to vent about,” he admitted. “Dex was an ass, but the same way every necromancer teen is. Angry, chip on his shoulder, always something to prove.”

“So why be friends with him?”

Because Lorcan was angry, and had a chip on his shoulder, and something to prove. He and Dexter had fit, for all it hurt to think about. “I don’t know. It just happened, I guess.” He didn’t mean to let nostalgia slip into his words, but even he could hear the way his voice cracked at that.

“I get that,” Eva said. “I was in a bad way when I met Opal, and we just–fell together. She bought me a guitar when I said I wanted to learn, put a lot of trust in me to keep her safe.” Her voice grew wistful as she added, “When she took out the other coven leaders, she was going to give us anything we wanted. Riches, power. We wouldn’t need anything ever again.”

Lorcan remembered Osiris dismissing trust as a human weakness. His soda started to slush uncomfortably in his stomach.

“Of course,” she continued, lips curling downwards, “then that little gestalt ritual went down. And she came back…like that. Not herself. Not even a thank you to the ones who put everything on the line to keep her breathing. It’s like–”

There was a stranger in her skin, he thought. Now that was a motive.

He turned the situation over in his head. Eva seemed to think Opal would have honored their agreement once she was in charge. Doubtful, in his opinion, but all that mattered was Eva believed it. Could she also think destroying Osiris’s crown would bring her friend back?

Love went farther than fear sometimes, Belial had said.

“That’s friendship for you, isn’t it?” Lorcan asked, almost more to himself than to her. “Everyone either turns on you or dies.”

Eva was silent a moment. Then she chuckled. “Wow. Who hurt you, kid?”

“I’m sorry?”

“Somebody had to fuck you up real bad for you to still be talking like that.” She smiled around the cigarette. “It'd be too sad, otherwise.”

Lorcan pushed off from the wall. “Maybe I just like sad songs,” he said. He needed to get out of here. “Enjoy your smoke break.”

It wasn't a total waste, he told himself as he headed back to the main venue. He knew Eva had motive, and was maybe reckless enough to try and pursue it. Habitually, he raised his soda can to his lips while he thought, then stopped.

Instead, he tossed it in the nearest trashcan with a splashy thunk. In the end, he hadn’t drunk much at all.

He needed to get his mind back to safer topics. Like this investigation. Motive was only one piece of the puzzle. Eva was a musician, wasn’t she? How did that create the red haze that had trapped Lorcan? Or help her break into Osiris's mansion?

The guitar, he thought. That thing had to be magical, probably even haunted. If it did something that matched what Lorcan knew about the saboteur, he’d have his proof. He’d need a closer look. And he had ten and a half minutes left in Eva’s smoke break.

He snuck behind one of the bigger amps that was being stored backstage and used that rubber lubricant and his time magic to fuck with the wiring a bit. It didn’t hit him until after he’d finished casting that he could have just messed with it physically, but honestly the magic ended up working just as fast. Less time than killing Kryptonia’s laser rig took–the amp was pretty old already for such an important piece of equipment.

Lorcan did feel bad about that, especially once the thing started giving off smoke, but eight fully conscious rockers could handle one small fire and he needed a distraction. If Eva really was the one who’d cursed him he could write it off as ironic payback.

The case was covered in enchanted custom decals, and as Lorcan shined his keychain light on the latches he could see they were engraved with something vaguely runic. Lorcan’s defensive bracelet wouldn’t work against whatever was warding the case. It was fueled by an attacker’s ill intent and a box didn’t have ill-anything. But the decals were exploitable.

Most protective enchantments also protected themselves from damage, because that would otherwise leave a very obvious hole in your sticker-based security system. At the same time, magic was only as permanent as the material used to cast it. Eva’s guitar case was covered in the edges of torn-off stickers where she’d had to renew and replace the magic over the years. They might resist tampering, but they were just as vulnerable to natural decay as anything else.

The fact that Lorcan’s magic was an un-naturally natural decay made him a perfect counter here.

He’d brought the thin ultraviolet penlight in case it helped him against Belial’s tattoo magic. Between that and a small bottle of lacquer thinner Lorcan was able to wreck the stickers. Then he just had to rip open the guitar case. The outermost layer was stiffened leather–Lorcan had rubbing alcohol and sandpaper, just enough to tear open the seam along the top.

It worked quick. Disturbingly so. If Lorcan thought the amp was easy to age, this one barely took any magic at all. He lifted the top panel off the rest of the case and all the padding came with it. He cringed a little at what he saw inside.

The guitar was beautiful. There was no questioning that. The body was a perfect off-white and made of some material that threw off subtle glittering reflections. The buttons and dials gleamed, numbers painted on them in gold. And, of course, the opal inlays in the neck. For all that Lorcan couldn’t ignore they were actual literal fingerbones, they were artful.

No, it was the full picture that upset his aesthetic sensibilities. When you distressed an object, you went for a unified look. A thing wasn’t believably aged if one piece of it still looked fresh. Here, the guitar was shiny and well-kept, with polish that made it look brand new. But it sat inside a case of faded velvet so sun-bleached there was a tan line, fraying at the edges and missing huge patches. It had probably been secondhand when Eva first bought it.

It just didn’t fit. The opal guitar was a diamond in the rough, and it itched at Lorcan.

He tried to push the feeling aside. He wasn’t here to analyze what the guitar symbolized–he just needed to know what this thing could do, if it matched the saboteur’s M.O. He reached out to the guitar and very, very carefully, plucked a string.

Lorcan didn’t hear anything. But the opals shone, and a chilly wave swept down his spine. His heart pounded faster and for a second it seemed certain that Eva was going to find him, right now, he should run–

No, he thought. That had to be the music talking. He used his palm to stop the string’s vibrations, and the feeling vanished.

Inaudible noise, and fear effects. Using the ghost inside this definitely-haunted guitar to generate infrasound, maybe. The sound was like a very low bass outside the range of human hearing, and the vibrations were supposed to stimulate a sense of inexplicable dread and terror. The funny thing was (necromancer-funny, at least), infrasound was rumored to be responsible for at least a few famous ghost sightings.

Had Lorcan felt this when the curse hit him back at Kryptonia’s? Sort of. Dread and terror? Yes. Inexplicable? No. His son had been in danger, it made perfect sense to be afraid of that. And the red haze itself had felt–hazy. The fear hadn’t come until after he’d been broken out.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he heard from somewhere in front of and above him, and this time the fear was real.

He looked up to see Eva perched on one of the amps he’d been using to hide his subterfuge, glaring daggers down at him. She was back earlier than expected. Her singer’s voice had been tight with a barely-restrained fury.

“That guitar,” Eva told him. “Was a gift. A gift from the friend I just explained to you that I miss very dearly.”

Yeah, Lorcan thought. There was nothing he could say to that.

“I’m going to give you one chance to explain why I came back to find my band panicking over a busted amp and you doing something to the only gift I have to remember her by?”

“What I’m hearing is, Opal only gave you one gift.”

The words snapped out of Lorcan’s mouth without his conscious approval. Really, he hadn’t meant to say that. The look of incandescent rage growing on Eva’s face was enough to prove that saying things was a bad fucking call.

Why did Lorcan do this? What was so wrong with his brain that it took any good thing and twisted it into its most suspicious outcome? No one ever appreciated it, because they all trusted and liked people.

Including, apparently, other necromancers. Lorcan was still always the outlier.

The worst part was, he didn’t even think he was wrong. Yes, he was making a snap judgment without knowing the whole situation. Yes, it was unfair. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t right. Lorcan had been hired as a detective. Well, here was some detecting:

Eva had been loyal to Opal for years. Now, she was a musician working cheap gigs at cheap places. Opal lived in a vast, sprawling mansion purchased with black market gem money, and that was long before Osiris was around to betray anyone. However expensive this guitar was, he’d bet it was pocket change for Opal. Was it really all she had ever given Eva?

He didn’t want to burn this bridge. He might need it later. But god, he couldn’t shake the frustration that she wasn’t seeing this.

“Did she ever pay you for your work? Get you guitar lessons, hype the band, anything?” he asked. He gestured down at the guitar, adding, “Who buys someone a guitar this fancy and doesn’t even shell out for a decent case? Go on. Tell me I’m wrong!”

That seemed to give her pause a second. “When she beat the others–”

“I know, riches, power,” he cut in. “But she had those already. You’ve seen her mansion. Why wait to pay you back? You say Osiris owes you consideration–what about Opal? What did she owe you?”

“Opal was being hounded by the other coven leaders,” Eva said. “She couldn’t let them know–” She stopped, then squinted at Lorcan. “She couldn’t repay us until after we won.”

“Convenient.”

“Fuck you. You didn’t know her like I did. Opal never would have betrayed us if the Crown hadn’t interfered.”

It was a tempting story, he thought. That there was honor among necromancers and your old boss definitely would have given you everything you deserved. The person who hurt you was the horrible Osiris and their nasty souls, not your boss, not your friend. There was just one problem with that.

“Opal chose to become the Crown,” he said. “So did Dexter, so did every last one of them.” He wasn’t going to pretend like that didn’t matter.

Lorcan knew Dex. If Dexter had been the one to win the murdergame, and Osiris turned on his old followers–that wouldn’t be Dex becoming a worse person. It would just be Osiris finally getting to do what Dex had always wanted.

She could believe Opal was different. Lorcan didn’t.

Eva’s breath came out in a huff from revivified lungs. She jumped off the amp, and then there was pain as she used her height to drive her boot into his stomach. “Show up at one of my concerts again and I’ll use your guts for guitar strings,” she told him, reaching down to retrieve her instrument. “Your friend is dead. And as far as I’m concerned Opal died with the rest of them.”

As Lorcan clutched his stomach, trying to breathe, he decided that the worst part wasn’t that he might be right about Opal. It was that he’d thought saying so might actually help.

#original fiction #writing #fantasy #mystery #dark arts and crafts #lorcan #necromancy #a dying art

2 notes · View notes