Shadamy Fanfic: Broken

Chapter 11: Stay

Amy's POV:

I stare at him, shocked that someone like Shadow would say he doesn't want to be alone. I appreciate everything he's done to look after me, but it's just such an odd thing to hear come from him.

Looking into his ruby red eyes, I notice a bit of sadness.

"Shadow....Is everything okay?"

He looks to the side, avoiding my gaze. "I don't know why I'm even talking to you about this.....But...Today is the anniversary of Maria's death."

Maria?...That must be the little girl that was with him on the ark.

The thought of her being taken from him is unbearable, Maria meant a lot to him.

"Shadow, why don't you stay?"

Confused, he looks at me. "What?"

I smile and place my hand over his, not sure if he'll pull it away or not.

"It's almost sunrise, you should stay. I know the ultimate life form doesn't need sleep but you shouldn't be alone today. So...If you need a friend, I'm right here."

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Shadow's POV:

Friend?

I'm shocked to hear her ask such a thing.

Why did I  even mention Maria? The last thing I need is pitty from her.

But...Her company would be nice. Even if it's just for today.

"I accept...Thank you."

She smiles, and the words slip out before I can stop them. "You remind me so much of her."

"I do?"

When I nod, she asks if I'll tell her about her. I'm hesitant to talk about Maria with someone who knows nothing about her, but I really do miss her.

"Your smile reminds me of her. Maria saw so much good in the world, much like you do. She wanted badly for both humans and Mobians to never suffer. And for some reason...She cared about me."

Amelia looks to the ground as I talk about Maria.

Should I not have said anything?

"You shouldn't compare me to such a loving person like Maria. I used to believe there was good left in the world."

"What do you mean?"

A sad smile appears across her face.

"I realized that our world isn't perfect. So for awhile I stopped believing that people are worth saving."

That seems out of character for her.

It wasn't a secret that she left because of the faker, but it makes me wonder exactly what he did to make her lose faith in humanity.

"All because of that faker?"

She smiles at my nickname for him.

"For awhile, yeah. After a few years I realized I was blaming what he did to me as an excuse to feel sorry for myself. I needed a break from everything, so I left."

I think about what she's saying, and it sounds extremely familiar to my own situation.

"Rose, I have a question."

She looks at me curiously. "What is it?"

"What do you say to being friends, Amelia?"

She beams at the idea, and it makes my heart tingle with a weird sensation.

"I'd love to be friends."

I place my hand on my heart, and she looks at me with a worried expression. "What's wrong?"

"My chest feels warm and tingly. It's strange."

She laughs, a sound that's so genuine.

"You're happy Shadow."

Happy?

I notice her glance at the half eaten biscuit.

"Are you not going to finish it? You need to gain your strength back."

"It's okay Shadow, I'm not very hungry."

Skeptically looking from her to the plate, I poke the biscuit only to find out that it's raw.

"Why did you lie?"

She smiles. "It didn't matter to me if it was cooked or not Shadow, the gesture was more important than that. Even if something's not perfect, people need a little encouragement every now and then."

There it is, that tingly sensation again.

"You would rather eat a raw biscuit and see me happy...Than tell me it wasn't cooked?"

She nods, and I find myself doing something that I never do.

Smiling.

She looks at me shocked, and pokes me. "Shadow the hedgehog. Are you smiling?!"

I cross my arms and look away. "No."

She grins. "It's too late, I already saw it."

Hearing the sound of her laughter.....It makes my heart feel a little less broken.