Something finally happening...!
I think at least, LOL.
I'm still struggling a bit, but I'm pulling through!
Thank you for reading!
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You'd gotten used to going out.
It wasn't as bad as it'd initially been, though you still largely refused to eat at Meh Burger unless absolutely necessary.
Amy was accompanying you as per usual, seemingly interested in finding new stuff to buy. Apparently her favourite frying pan had broken and she was intent on getting a new one.
You let your eyes wander, not searching for anything in particular, when you stopped.
Two kids were drawing, though it wasn't what they were doing that interested you.
Rather, it was what they were drawing.
A hedgehog, like Sonic but with a different colour palette.
Black and red.
It seemed so... familiar.
You needed that drawing. It felt comforting to you.
"Hey, what do you want for that drawing?" You blurted out, almost on autopilot.
The first kid looked up at you then to his drawing, then back to you.
It was clear he wanted to ask why, but hey, you were offering something, so who was he to ask?
"Hm... lunch at Meh Burger!" ... Oh. That place again.
Well, it wasn't that expensive, and Amy had been so kind as to give you a bit of pocket money, which you weren't that bothered to give up anyway.
You bought the two kids a burger each, as well as fries and a soda, before the drawing was handed over to you.
"Thank you." You said as you stared at the drawing.
It wasn't exactly the best quality, but it made you feel warm inside regardless.
You'd no idea why, though.
Folding the paper, you stuffed it into your pocket.
Maybe that black hedgehog was the answer to everything.
You at least hoped so...
Returning home later that afternoon, you'd bought a set of cheap colouring pencils with the money you had left, as well as a sketchbook, and you were ready to attempt to redraw that familiar hedgehog.
Sat on the couch in Amy's house, you unfolded the drawing you'd bought earlier, and you almost thanked Sonic for being over that day.
Given the fact he was a hedgehog, you had something to reference.
Discreetly, you kept peeking up from your sketch, though it seems you weren't discreet enough.
"Drawing me?" You flinched, an embarrassed blush on your cheeks as you'd been caught, and you sighed.
"Sorry... you just match what I'm trying to draw." Sonic made his way to you, or rather, behind you, and stared at the sketch, curious.
Immediately seeing the drawing you'd bought earlier, he tilted his head.
"Isn't that Shadow?" Shadow...?
"Oh, ah... I don't know, actually." But that name seems so familiar, you thought.
"It just, uh... seemed familiar to me somehow. Who's Shadow?" You asked, your voice becoming quieter as you asked.
"Oh, he's this really grumpy guy. He's attacked us more than once, and he even teamed up with Eggman once. Kind of. He's strong, I'll give him that." You gazed to Sonic, then back to the drawing.
Did that mean he was a villain...?
Then why did you feel so warmly towards him when you looked at the drawing?
You were conflicted.
"Anyway, you said he felt familiar to you?" You nodded, grabbing the black pencil as you did.
"I don't know why, though..." Sonic seemed just as perplexed, watching as you filled in the blank spaces with black and red.
"Maybe he knows something?" He mused, though eventually shrugged.
"I can't imagine he'd know anything. He's not interested in others." Oh... to be honest, that made your heart sink a bit.
Here you thought you could find something out.
Maybe you could...? Somehow.
You helped Amy with dinner that evening, though that... Shadow guy was always on your mind.
Amy could tell you were distracted.
"Hey, Bun? You alright?" She asked as you were washing up.
"Huh? Oh... I-I'm fine. Just thinking." You replied, handing over a plate to the pink hedgehog.
"About?" While hesitant to tell the truth, you couldn't come up with anything else.
Better to be honest, right?
"While we were out today, I saw some children drawing. I bought it off them, because the subject seemed so familiar. A hedgehog, but black. Sonic told me his name was Shadow. And it's just... he seems comforting to me." You said, voice trailing off.
"That guy?" She asked, scarcely able to believe it.
"He's so mean though." Amy continued, huffing a bit.
You shrugged.
"You've fought him, right?" Nodding in response, she dried off the plate in her hands.
"I can't imagine he could be comforting to anyone. Maybe he just reminds you of someone else? That's all I can think of." Again, you shrugged.
"Maybe..." Somehow, you felt that wasn't right.
Whoever Shadow was, he'd been important to you.
And you so desperately wanted to know how.
A day like any other, you woke up, had breakfast, got yourself dressed and headed outside to another sunny day.
You hadn't seen a storm yet, and you felt relief at that fact. Storms made you uneasy.
It was a day like any other.
And then, the explosion happened.
Team Sonic quickly made their way to the source, and you couldn't help but to follow.
Not too close, of course, in case you got yourself hurt.
Again.
Didn't want another bout of amnesia.
Eggman was, naturally, the cause.
You watched from afar, standing behind a tree, silent.
"When will you learn to give up, Egghead?" Asked Sonic, taking out the doctor's robots with ease.
He didn't seem overly bothered though and laughed.
"I've upgraded Metal Sonic using footage of you and your annoying friends, and I can finally be rid of you!" He said as he pressed a button on his flying robot of sorts, and out of nowhere appeared this 'Metal Sonic' which, true to the name, looked like a metal Sonic.
He immediately and indiscriminately began to attack the group, though seemed to be hatching a plan during the fight.
You thought it was just your mind playing tricks on you, but you could swear he kept glancing over to you...
Team Sonic seemed to be losing, Metal Sonic being rather powerful, and you bit the inside of your cheek, worried for them.
At least, until Metal Sonic suddenly charged for you.
Frozen in place from fear, you watched as those terrifying red eyes came closer, cold and uncaring, ready to tear you limb from limb.
Why he'd gone for you, you didn't know.
And maybe you'd never know, what with your life being at its end, from the looks of it.
"BUN!" Someone called out, though you weren't sure who.
And then, a black figure appeared before you, just as Metal Sonic was about to attack. The robot was quickly kicked away with great force, and was pummelled into a nearby building, destroying said building in the process.
You stared at the figure in awe, taking a few seconds to fully realise what was going on.
"Sh-... Shadow?" You asked meekly, almost too afraid to talk.
"Be quiet, will you." He ordered, and you quickly did as told.
Everyone, barring Metal Sonic, dropped their jaws.
Shadow not only appeared, but he was protecting someone?
Metal Sonic seemingly gave up on you, to fight Sonic and his friends again.
Shadow didn't bother turning towards you, even as he spoke.
"Where have you been." He demanded to know, causing you to wonder if he really was the key to finding out who you were.
"With... with Sonic and his friends." You replied, though it only seemed to fuel his irritation.
"I told you to never leave within the agreed area." He snarled, and you flinched.
"I-... I lost my memory... I don't remember anything..." He finally turned towards you, as if unable to believe it, though his expression remained rather hostile.
"So. You forgot your promise." He said bitterly, balling his hands into fists.
"Shadow, I-..." You tried to say, but he cut you off.
"Don't bother. I don't want to hear it." With that, he sped off, briefly fighting on the side of Sonic and his friends, to send Eggman off to his lair again, with Metal Sonic following close behind.
You couldn't help but feel... guilty.
There was so much pain in his eyes when he spoke.
His voice hid it well, but you could tell.
Somehow.
He was hurt.
"Bun! Are you okay?" Asked Amy, running to your side.
"Y-yeah... I'm fine." Physically, at least.
You couldn't help but to feel awful mentally.
"Why did Shadow save you?" Asked Tails, though you shrugged.
You weren't sure, but... you had a feeling he was the key to unlocking your memory.
"Whatever the case, let's get out of here." Said Sonic, though the thought nagged him too.
The others agreed, and you all returned back to the beach after a short period of time.
All the while, Shadow was on your mind.
You needed to find out what relation you had to him.
Maybe it was time to finally listen to what your brain had told you since day one.
Get out of here.