Tears of the past (A Shadamy story)

Chapter 2: Unhappy reunion

Amy's POV:

To me, this is like walking through an alternate universe. Everything is so, so familiar, and yet it's all so, so different. I recognise everything I see, but its like every single little thing has been changed since I left. Apparently, I'm not the only one who is recognising things, either. I keep getting a lot of strange looks from people who I used to know before I left. I try to ignore them, though, seeing as I need to keep my head together for what lies ahead. But I still can't shake the feeling that I'm a stranger in this place, and I don't know if I belong here anymore.

Rouge had said that the meeting is at Tails' workshop, which he has apparently expanded and built a lot, and I'm looking forward to seeing it. And, as I turn the corner around the street, there it is. The red-roofed building is at least twice as large as I remember it, and there are at least three other, smaller buildings around it that must be new. And there they are. My friends. Tails, Knuckles, Silver, Blaze, and Rouge. They've all changed so much in the time that I was gone. Tails is much taller, and he holds himself with a confidence that I have never seen in him before. Knuckles is still rather skinny, but I have no doubt that he is a lot stronger than before. Silver and Blaze have changed more than anyone. Blaze is still dressed in her usual robes, but her hair is far longer than it used to be. Silver is wearing a blue outfit that looks similarly regal to Blaze's. Then, I notice their hands, and see that they each have a gold ring on one finger. They've gotten married. Then, the group notices me.

"Is that...? Wait... No... Amy?!" Tails says, staring as I walk over. Silver gets so excited that he literally starts levitating, and Blaze has to pull him down.
"AMY???!!! Oh my god!" Everyone yells at the same time before sprinting over to me and tackling me in a massive hug. I laugh and hug them all.
"Yeah, it's me. Hey, guys! What's going on?" I'm feeling over the moon. But then, the blue hedgehog steps out of the workshop and my heart plummets.

Sonic's POV:

Seeing Amy so suddenly after all these years, it's like time has just stopped. Or rather, it's like time is rewinding. I see flashes and pictures of the past, the things I said to her, the times I ran away, and I don't know what to do. She has seen me, now. The huge smile she had fades from her face as she gets up slowly. The others, noticing what's happening, let go of her and back away. She walks slowly over to me, her expression completely unreadable. She stops just in front of me. I give her a small smile.

"Hey, Ames. It's... been a long time, huh?" I sort of open my arms as if inviting her for a hug. She stands still for a few moments.
"I suppose you could say that." She says, her voice suddenly dripping with venom. She stares at me for a few more seconds before giving me a look of absolute hatred and storming past me into the workshop. I had never imagined that Amy could possibly look so angry, with so much contempt. A look like that just doesn't belong on her face, which is meant for kindness and compassion...
Compassion. Right. The exact thing that I never showed her, the reason why she left, the reason for everything. Rouge steps forward.

"Just give her some time to adjust. After all, it's been five years." She says, with a touch of concern in her voice.
"Yeah. She just needs time. That's all..." My voice trails off. I want so badly to believe that Amy will forgive me for what I did, but I can't seem to convince myself of this. I've done something to her, I hurt her, and I'm paying the price for it. Feelings of shame, guilt, and regret well up inside me as I think about it all.
"Well... Maybe we should start the meeting now." Silver suggests nervously.
"Yeah. That's a good idea."

Shadow's POV:

I will admit, suddenly seeing Amy Rose after all this time invokes some feelings in me. Some very mixed feelings, and I am not quite sure what they are.

I sit alone in the meeting hall, in one of the seats surrounding the circular central table. I might be a part of the 'team' now, or whatever, but I still refuse to 'hang out' with the rest of the rabble while we wait for someone to pull everyone together. I am so busy thinking about the events of the past month that I do not even register Rose until she throws herself onto a chair with an extremely annoyed look on her face. At first, I see her as the same girl who left us five years ago.

"...Rose." Even I am unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. She glances up, and a startled look briefly flashes across her face, then is replaced by something... something else.
"Shadow. It's good to see you." She smiles at me, but there are still some things in her voice that take me a moment to recognise before I see the emotions in her eyes. A lingering anger, a fading hatred. But they are not directed at me.
"The same to you. I assume that we will begin our... talk after the meeting?" I say with some difficulty. I still do not want to believe that I need the help of some pink hedgehog girl...

No, not girl. Woman. I take a moment to look at Amy a bit more closely. She has changed, after all. Her quills are longer, hanging down past her shoulders, which themselves are broader. She has grown taller as well. There are probably other differences, but I do not want to make her feel uncomfortable by examining her. She does not seem to notice the way I am looking at her.
"Yes, I think so, if you're still okay with it?" she says, looking at me in a way that makes me feel like... I do not have to be what everyone thinks I am.
"I have remained perfectly comfortable with the agreed plan. However, I do think that..." My voice falters and I stop talking as the rest of the team finally enter the meeting room. Amy's expression hardens as she sees Sonic stepping through the door.

"Shadow, you're already here? Ah, well, at least you're here at all." He says, as he sits in his chair. He glances nervously at Amy, who sits so stiffly in her chair, with her arms folded so tightly across her body, that she might as well be made of stone. Silver keeps staring at Amy, apparently shocked at how much time has changed her. I suppose that this would be a strange thing for a time traveller to see, but he should have become used to age by now. Blaze sits closely next to him, with a hand laid on his. Knuckles appears completely disinterested, as he is studying his gloves with a bored expression. Tails sits in his seat and starts tapping some keys on a keyboard that is apparently built into the desk in front of him. Sonic clears his throat, and everyone looks up.

"Ahem... Anyway, let's get this meeting started." He nods at Tails, who presses a button on his keyboard. The lights in the room go out, and a hologram flickers into life at the centre of the table. The hologram appears to be digital blueprints for some type of robot.

"First of all, welcome back, Ames. It's good to have you here." He smiles nervously at Amy, who gives him a look that perfectly explains what it is like to be here, in the same room as Sonic. Sonic gulps and hurries on. "Okay, anyway, this is important." He points at the blueprints. "These are Eggman's plans for a brand new Badnik model. Obviously, like all the other Badniks, this one has a base model. The other base models include Eggpawns, Buzzers, Motobugs, and so on. This Badnik is called the Eggforcer Sentinel, and it's built off the Eggpawn model." He explains, his tone suddenly serious. "From what Tails has figured out, the Eggforcer Sentinel will be at least twice as fast as any other Eggpawn variant, and multiple times more durable. It also has a lot of weapons that you will not see immediately."
The hologram zooms in on various parts of the robot, highlighting all of the weapons. According to the blueprints, this new robot is armed with machine guns in its arms, missiles in its back, a flamethrower concealed somewhere inside it, a blaster cannon in its chest, and lasers in its eyes.
"The problem with this is that this is just one Badnik model. From what we've found, the Doctor is planning to build an upgraded variant of every base model." Sonic pauses to let this sink in. "So, we're going to have to be more careful when fighting Eggman's robots from now on. That's everything for now."

Tails presses a button, and the hologram vanishes as the lights turn back on. Everyone begins to leave, except for Sonic and Tails. Amy gets up immediately and marches out of the room. I follow her. Once outside, she takes a deep breath and turns around.
"So... We're going back to your place now, right, Shadow?" She says in a slightly cautious voice. I suppose that it makes sense that she would be a bit nervous about letting me take her to my home.
"Yes. You don't have to be afraid, Rose. I won't hurt you." I speak in the most reassuring tone I can muster.
"Of course. I'm sorry, I'm just not used to this..." She says with a small laugh.
"You do not have to apologise. I understand." I say. She smiles at me, with more warmth than ever before.
 "In that case, lead the way."