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Fated String

Summary:

“What’s wrong?”

Amy simply sobbed harder.

“ I-I m-messed everything up, and now, he’s gone. We’re supposed to b-be a team, destined for each other, and I blew it,” she wailed, blowing her nose into a leaf.

He resisted the urge to chuckle, knowing all too well that this wouldn’t be their last adventure, and she was being far too hard on herself. All she’d really done was be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

“You’ll see him again. You develop a knack for finding him actually.”

“Really? You from the future of something?” Amy asked, tilting her head curiously.

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Fated String

Shadow stared at the two invitations in his hand, frowning, silently weighing the pros and cons of going to Sonic’s party. He could be there in seconds if he wished, but his instinct was to stay away. The party would be in full swing by now, and he was unlikely to be missed. 

Then again . . . he set his official invitation down and delicately opened Rose’s letter.

Hey Shadow!

I’m sure Sonic already invited you, but I’m hoping I can convince you not to ditch. We’d all really love to see you. Me especially, we haven’t really talked since you helped me find Cream and Cheese in that haunted castle. It’s going to be outside with just a few close friends including Rouge so no need to feel cornered or erm overwhelmed I guess is a better word. 

Looking forward to seeing you

Sincerely,

Amy Rose

Shadow frowned, wondering if Rouge had put her up to this. Her words from this morning echoed in his head, light and teasing. 

“Come on, Shadow. Amy will be there, and we both know you’d do anything for pink girl.”

He’d wanted to argue the contrary but flashes of memory seemed to confirm this to be the truth. 

A tear slipped from his eyes. A promise remembered, easily burning through his anger and resentment. How could he have forgotten his true purpose? 

“I’m going to keep my promise to Maria . . . and to you.” 

Anything for pink girl.

He was in the middle of razing the planet or maybe, defending it. He always found it hard to remember. Anyway, in the grand scheme of things, it had been foolish to drop whatever he was doing to find a young rabbit and her little Chao friend, but something about the pink hedgehog in front of him tugged at his addled brain, and he’d agreed to help with only a mild amount of grumbling. 

Anything for pink girl.

“Then, she had the nerve to call my place tacky. I’m glad I didn’t bother to tell her where you were. You have enough problems without that hot head getting in your business.”

“She was looking for me. Why?”

“Don’t know. You might not remember, but you must have left an impression. She looked ready to be your knight and shining armor when she thought you were in trouble, not that she’d actually follow through. She’s too busy playing house with Sonic and that silly robot.”

“Right, I should focus on helping Emerl.”

“What? Were you planning on running to her apartment and meeting up, Romeo?”

He hesitated a second too long. The last time he’d seen her she’d been a lost little girl, and now, she was worried about him over nothing. Of course, he felt compelled to reassure her. For good or for ill, this mysterious girl triggered his protective instincts. 

“No.”

Rouge held back a snort.

“You’re a terrible liar, Shadow.” 

Anything for pink girl.

Looking forward to seeing you because you’ll definitely come now that I’ve invited you. 

He growled, partially crumpling the letter in his hands. Despite what Rouge may think, he was not at the mercy of Amy Rose’s whims. He smoothed out the letter, reading it once more. She made him sound like a skittish animal, appeasing him with a wide open space, fresh air, and a familiar face. 

What really nagged at him though was how she was right, he did find those little assurances comforting. He didn’t like large crowds, and he’d spent so long in capsules and dark abandoned places that he’d started to become anxious when he found himself stuck in enclosed spaces. He tapped his fingers on the table thinking, or rather rationalizing a reason to go. She wanted his company, and he never did follow up with her after the black arms incident. Maybe, it would be worth clearing the air. 

Just as he plucked his Chaos Emerald from its hiding place in his quills, a purple swirling vortex appeared behind him. On instinct, he used Chaos Control before it could swallow him whole. His last conscious thought had been of Amy, so he’d expected to pop back into existence right next to her, most likely uncomfortably close. Not that she’d notice, when it came to anyone but Sonic, she was oblivious to such things. 

Instead, he found himself in her timestream. Flashes of key events in her life swirled around him. He quickly scanned the ones he could see and frowned, noticing that he only seemed to have access to a few of her core memories from childhood. Shadow had been hoping to land closer to the present, but with only one Chaos Emerald, the time vortex was unstable, worse, something was clearly eating away at Amy’s very existence, one thread at a time. Making a snap decision, he launched himself into the nearest portal, what he found was a little pink hedgehog sobbing her eyes out, a stark contrast to the confident young lady he’d met so very long ago.

“What’s wrong?” 

Amy simply sobbed harder. Shadow immediately regretted saying anything. He’d only popped in to get his bearings, and hopefully, return to the present to figure out whatever scheme the doctor had hatched that was mucking up the timestream. Drawing attention to himself was the last thing he should have done. Before he could remove himself from the situation and try again, Amy spoke up, and he didn’t have the heart to Chaos Control away. 

“ I-I m-messed everything up, and now, he’s gone. We’re supposed to b-be a team, destined for each other, and I blew it,” she wailed, blowing her nose into a leaf. 

He resisted the urge to chuckle, knowing all too well that this wouldn’t be their last adventure, and she was being far too hard on herself. All she’d really done was be at the wrong place at the wrong time. 

“You’ll see him again. You develop a knack for finding him actually.”

“Really?”

Amy’s eyes widened to a comically large degree, and he was almost sure he could see sparkles in them. He silently cursed, knowing in good conscience that he couldn’t let Amy remember this moment. Sonic may not openly acknowledge it, but Amy was important to his future.

Reluctantly, he reversed time, letting the smile slip from her lips and the spark of excitement leave her eyes. A large chunk of his energy drained away, and he collapsed in front of her before he could disappear properly. She immediately stopped openly weeping and rushed over to his fallen form.

“Are you okay, mister?”

Dammit. 

“I’m fine, not important,” he muttered, hoping his humiliating fall wouldn’t leave an impression. He didn’t have enough energy left for a second do over, not if he was going to jump forward any further. 

“Nonsense, everyone is important. ”

Shadow sat up, allowing a light chuckle to escape his lips.

“You really are too kind, Rose.” 

Concern quickly morphed to surprise and she shyly took a step back. 

“You can call me Amy if you like,” she said, a light blush on her cheeks. 

“Hmm . . . I think I’ll stick with Rose.”

He took in the scenery, appreciating the natural beauty around him. Even without the spectacle of Little Planet, he could see why Sonic would be drawn to the place. 

“Are you staying long?”

“No, I shouldn’t even be here. ”

“You from the future of something?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. 

He wouldn’t lie, not to Rose. Besides, at this point, it would be a miracle if he didn’t leave some kind of impression, certainly enough that she might actually recognize him on Prison Island as something more than a Sonic look alike. The best he could do now was try not to reveal too much and return to an unrecognizable future. 

“Technically, I’m from the past, but from your perspective, I suppose I am.”

Amy giggled, and something in her expression shifted. Any remaining shyness she had towards him vanished, and she came closer, hands on her hips, a burning determination in her eyes.

“You knew my name. Are we close in the future?”

No lies.

“I suppose, but there are others I would deem to be closer to you than I,” he said.

She nodded, undeterred as she examined him. Not finding what she was looking for, she asked her next question.

“Am I trying to get closer to you in the future?” she asked, clearly already knowing the answer.

Shadow grit his teeth, feeling like he was falling into a trap. He really shouldn’t say anything further. There was no telling what the consequences of his words would be. Shadow’s hand tightened around the emerald. Would leaving now bar him from any future friendship with Amy Rose? He would have to risk it. The world as he knew it was in jeopardy, and he would not neglect his duty for this small pink hedgehog. 

“I should go. This was a mistake.”

Amy grabbed his hand, forcibly yanking him down and catching him by surprise, completely breaking his concentration. He only flickered out of existence for a second before literally being forced down to earth. 

“Don’t run away. I hate that,” she shouted, eyes brimming with tears.

Shadow eased his grip on the emerald, a small pinprick of guilt settling in his chest. He more than knew that to be the case. 

“Something terrible is coming, and while I’m sure Sonic can handle it, I would prefer to be on reserve should he require my assistance. So, I can’t stay long,” he explained calmly. 

She nodded, immediately releasing his hand and backing away. Biting her lip, she looked down, refusing to meet his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I should have realized you were here to see Sonic, not me. ” 

Torn between Amy Rose’s feelings and his best interests, he ultimately decided to correct her assumptions. If he was going to leave an impression, it might as well be a good one. 

“While I did come here by mistake, I was on my way to see your future self, not Sonic.”

“Really?” she asked wide eyed and awestruck in an all too familiar tone. 

“Yes, she played a significant part in my becoming the person I am today. I care for her greatly as a friend. We’re just friends, acquaintances really. She’s like my third favorite person at best.”

He must have sounded a tad defensive because Amy gave him a knowing look and smirked.

“Uhuh, do all your friends send you perfume scented letters and add a little heart next to your name?”

Blood rushed to his cheeks, not once had it crossed his mind that these small signs of affection might be indicative of Amy wanting something more than friendship. In his mind, he had compartmentalized these obvious signifiers as simply things Amy liked to do, but now, a tiny version of her seemed to think otherwise. Shadow decided his best course of action was to remain silent. This only seemed to make her angry.

“We’re together in the future. Admit it!” 

Dead silence. 

“Or at least, we’re definitely on our way there. I can tell.”

“Didn’t you say that you were destined to be with Sonic a few minutes ago? I think you may be jumping to conclusions a little too easily.”

“The cards never mentioned Sonic by name, just that I would encounter someone that would change the course of my life forever. It must be you or . . .”

“You’ve been so nice to me. I-I can’t fall in love with someone who is constantly going to run away from me.”

“You’re not going to run away from me, are you?” 

“No, but in Sonic’s defense, you do come on a little strong.” 

Amy puffed up her cheeks and crossed her arms, turning away from him. 

“He’s probably just shy,” she reasoned. 

He made a noncommittal noise, absently studying the Chaos energy around them for the best path to the present. There was one path that was steadily growing stronger, bingo.

“Rose, before I go, I need you to know that Sonic may not show it in the way you wish, but he does care deeply for you, for all his friends really,” he added.

She seemed to deflate a little, but perked up immediately.

“Just friends, huh? I can work with that,” Amy decided, palming her fist.

Shadow grew uneasy, wondering if he’d accidentally talked her out of her life’s mission. 

“He could change his mind.”

Amy shot him a look.

“How long has it been?”

Shadow didn’t say anything, but the silence was damning. He really should leave before he made things worse. As if echoing his sentiment, several of the paths disappeared completely.

“I’m out of time.”

Amy grabbed his wrist, eyes shining bright, full of hope and unbridled admiration that was hard to resist. 

“You can’t go yet. What about our future? When do we see each other again?” 

“In the far reaches of space in my darkest moment, you will ask the impossible of me, and I will accept. I can’t tell you more than that. ”

“ But that can’t be the whole story.”

“It’s not. Just know, Rose, on that day, you were my hero. My life wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Her entire demeanor changed as a fiery determination filled her. An all consuming fire that Sonic often found terrifying when directed at him, but Shadow couldn’t help but respect. He wouldn’t turn away from that passionate gaze even if it destroyed him. 

“Then, I’ll find you. I promise.”

He smiled, briefly imagining that it would be her adoring face he’d first see when he was taken out of stasis instead of the doctor’s nefarious gaze. Alas, it was not to be. 

If he’d met her first, it would have changed everything, and such fantasies were impossible. The past was set in stone. She would not succeed, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her so.

“Until we meet again, Rose.”

Shadow disappeared in a blink of an eye, following the most promising path. He was met with resistance as if the universe was warning him he didn’t belong there, but he ignored it, forcing his way through. Everything started to burn, and for a second, it was almost like he was falling to Earth again. The impact happened far too quickly for that to be the case. Shadow fell face first into the ground, and he heard a familiar snicker.

“Rough landing buddy?”

He instinctively let out a disgruntled growl even though Sonic was exactly the person he’d been looking for when he’d entered this particular time stream.

“Hello Sonic, I take it you’ve already taken care of whatever that giant purple ominous cloud was eating away at existence as we know it.”

Sonic frowned, tilting his head curiously at him.  

“Ominous what now?” 

Shadow sighed, getting up and dusting himself off. 

“You of all people should have noticed.”

“Hmm, maybe I should check in with Amy, see what her cards say. Eggman’s been real quiet from what I understand. No big scary purple clouds around here. You sure you didn’t hit your head too hard on the way down?”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. Sonic had always been fairly dismissive of Amy’s affinity for the occult, granted from what he knew she hadn’t actively practiced since she was a child, and the grand destiny she was after with Sonic had yet to come to fruition in any meaningful way. 

“I’m sure.”

“Okey dokey, I’ll tell her you said hi. Better make yourself scarce before she latches onto you like a lamprey eel. She’s been wanting to track you down for ages.”

Shadow bristled, slowly losing his patience. Rose wasn’t nearly as insufferable as Sonic sometimes made her out to be.  

“I’m not going anywhere. If Rose wants to see me, I see no reason to deny her.”

Sonic frowned, suddenly serious.

“Look man, I get you don’t want to hurt her feelings but pretending you're interested is way worse than just flat out telling her no.”

Shadow scoffed.

“You’re one to talk.”

Confused, Sonic did a double take, examining him more closely. 

"You definitely have a concussion or something. Come on, Amy’s good at this sort of thing. She’ll patch you right up.” 

He didn’t say anything further, allowing Sonic to idly chat at him as he explained his latest adventure. At first, everything had gone to plan. The team had split up with the understanding that Sonic and Tails would distract Eggman’s robot army while Amy and Knuckles snuck into the doctor’s base to take back the Master Emerald. Unfortunately, Metal Sonic wasn’t fooled by the ruse, and unexpectedly came after them, ignoring Sonic for once, seeing them as the true threat to the doctor’s plans. Knuckles and Amy held their own and together managed to take out Metal, with Amy delivering the final blow. Shadow smiled, amused by how obviously impressed and proud Sonic was of Amy. 

Amy’s more active role on the team intrigued him, and Shadow started to wonder if he’d jumped too far ahead. It would certainly explain the inconsistencies, and the difficulty he had getting here in the first place. Before he could make up his mind about whether or not he should try to enter a different time stream, they arrived at Amy’s place. He recognized where they were immediately. Amy still lived in the wide open fields by Never Lake in a giant flamboyant purple tent. He instantly disliked it, literally anyone could barge into it at any time, nor did he particularly like the scenic wide open fields that left Amy far too open to attack and drastically increased the chance of her being taken hostage by Eggman or any other villain with a grudge against Sonic. 

“Isn’t she worried about her safety at all?” Shadow asked, glaring daggers at the tent. 

“Nope, and you shouldn’t be either,” Sonic said, giving him a sly grin. 

“Eggman learned his lesson last time he snatched her up. Whatever you did to him after, it stuck. He’s terrified of you.”

“He should be,” Shadow said, taking a moment to examine the gaudy tent’s material. At the very least, it seemed capable of sheltering her from the elements. Sonic seemed to mistake his casual concern for her well being as a clumsy attempt to stall. 

“You can still back out buddy, if you want. Amy still thinks you’re on the Ark after all.”

Shadow ignored Sonic and promptly stepped into the tent. Regardless of what this version of himself chose, he would not run. The person who changed his life forever deserved to be acknowledged and treasured. He couldn’t quite fathom isolating himself from the world entirely. Returning to the Ark and having the Earth fend for itself was an insult to Maria’s memory that would have to be corrected, starting with the ominous purple cloud that had brought him here in the first place.

“Rose, I have a favor to ask y-”

Amy launched herself at him, practically squealing. Immediately, his heart rate picked up, and he found himself helplessly staring up at a version of Amy Rose that was entirely alien to him. There was an alluring mystique about her. Shadow couldn’t help but be taken in by her sparkling eyes full of mischief. He didn’t entirely register that she had him pinned until she spoke.

“Gotcha, I knew you couldn’t resist being away from me for long.”

“Actually, he’s here on business,” Sonic cut in. 

A flash of disappointment crossed her features before she released him and collected herself. With an exaggerated sigh, she pulled up her hood and returned to her seat.

“What world ending thing has brought you here, my fallen star?” 

She was clearly talking to him but the pet name had him fumbling for words. 

“I . . . uh . . . there was a large purple cloud,” he explained feebly.

Sonic let out another snicker.

“He also hit his head pretty bad. Mind patching him up after, Ames?”

Amy gave him a hopelessly fond look that had his heart stuttering.

“Always.”

Amy then went to work, expertly shuffling her tarot cards before placing them in a complicated pattern. She flipped over each one, studying them carefully, smiling. Her smile disappeared when she revealed the last set of cards: death, the ten of swords, and the tower. 

“You’ve traveled very far to get here.”

“Not really,” Sonic piped up before Amy shushed him. 

“This is not the place you’re looking for. The threat is not here,” she said, oddly cold.

“For the best outcome, you must return to where you started.”

Shadow nodded. The reading made sense. He’d stumbled into a world in which he didn’t belong, and it was time to go. Amy’s voice interrupted his thoughts: sharp, beseeching, almost pleading. 

“However, if you chose to stay, the series of events that evoked the time god’s wrath did not occur here. You would be safe, and we would be honored to have you. I could love you. I have since I first saw you.” 

In that instant, Shadow understood. He’d inadvertently created this world when he’d spoken with a young Amy Rose. 

“Why isn’t that the best outcome, then?”

“Because you wouldn’t be happy!”

“You don’t know that,” he challenged. He could stay here. A version of the world protected from the terrors that Eggman (Who else?) unleashed upon the other universes. His stomach flipped. Could he live with that? Forsake the universe for the sake of one pink hedgehog? It had been easy to say no when her happiness hadn’t been directly tied to his fate, when her all consuming love had been reserved for someone else, but now . . . 

Amy grabbed hold of his hands. Eyes burning with a quiet conviction that was hard to argue with.  

“Yes, I do.” 

The choice was made then, and yet, he couldn’t quite bring himself to leave yet, not when Amy was holding back unshed tears.

“Sonic, could you give us a moment?”

He’d already been stealthily heading towards the exit, likely sensing that he needn't be present for the rest of the conversation, but he stopped when Amy addressed him, giving her a sheepish grin and an apologetic look for bailing prematurely.

“Sure thing, you know where to find me if you need me,” Sonic said, offering her a quick salute before taking off in earnest. 

Once Sonic was gone, Amy sighed and turned away from him, no longer the vibrant presence capable of commanding everyone in the room. Like a wilting rose, she seemed to shrink into herself. A tear ran down her cheek and she quickly swiped it away. 

“Typical, I’ve been waiting for so long for you to come back, and it’s not even you.” 

“But I am me,” Shadow spit out without thinking, completely forgetting the doppelganger that had left Rose in such a sorry state. 

She let out an airy laugh and gently squeezed his fingers.

“I wish it was you I’d been waiting for, but I never get these things right, it seems,” she said wistfully. 

Then, she withdrew completely, standing up.

“You should go. She’ll be waiting for you,” Amy said, casually tossing the stolen letter toward him. He immediately grabbed it, pressing it close to his heart, like a lifeline. 

There was still a chance he could make this right.

“This is but one of many futures, go find yours.”

She was facing him now, smiling, pretending her eyes weren’t brimming with unshed tears. Shadow made an impulsive decision. Using his speed to his advantage, he hugged her, returning the kindness she’d once offered him, even if she wasn’t quite aware of who he was at the time. 

“I will fix this. I promise.”

Amy hugged him back, choking back a sob. 

“D-Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” 

Shadow smiled, a rare smile then. He already had an idea.

“I don’t.” 

He disappeared then, once again entering the time stream. He immediately returned to where he started with a wailing Amy Rose pitifully sitting on a log, lamenting how her last encounter with Sonic went. This time he could see a cloud of dust in the distance and took off after it. 

Normally, with this much of a head start, Sonic would have him totally beat, but with a Chaos Emerald, he easily appeared in front of the kid who stopped in his tracks instinctively, more worried about accidentally hurting someone than being caught by surprise by a potential enemy. It was one of the many things he liked about Sonic, if only he’d act as nobly where Amy Rose was concerned. 

“Hello Sonic.”

“Hey Grandpa, next time watch where you’re going, okay?” Sonic said, dusting himself off, not at all concerned that a stranger knew his name. Shadow supposed Sonic had already developed a bit of a reputation as a hero at this point.

“We’re not done.”

Sonic let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Okay, you get one autograph since I nearly ran you over,” he offered.

“This is about Amy Rose actually.”

That got his attention. He seemed relieved. 

“Oh, are you her dad? She’s somewhere that way. I . . . uh, kind of left in a hurry,” he said, sounding the tiniest bit guilty. Good.

“No, I’m from the future, and this is what’s going to happen. You’re going to go back there and apologize for the way you left. Then, you’re going to make sure she’s somewhere safe.”

“She is safe,” he argued.

Shadow narrowed his eyes.

“Would I be here if she was?”

He didn’t have a counter argument for that so Sonic shrugged, deciding to go with the flow.

“Okay, Grandpa. Anything else? Maybe, who you are? ” 

“I’m none of your concern for now. Just know, if you ever hurt her, Eggman be damned. I will end you.”

Sonic laughed, more amused than scared by the threat.

“What, are you her boyfriend in the future or something?”

Shadow decided it was in his best interest to end the conversation there. No need to muck up the time stream any more than he already had. He spotted a new path, one that diverted several different directions. That was probably his best bet.

“Sayonara, Sonic the hedgehog.” 

The last thing he heard was a cheery, “I’ll remember that.”

Shadow popped into existence in a park on a nice clear day. He wasn’t able to determine much else as Amy immediately glomped him, not that he minded at all. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay. Sonic said you were probably fine since you skipped the party, but I knew better. You wouldn’t miss a chance to spend time with me. Would you? ”

Shadow started to worry this wasn’t his world either, but he answered honestly for now. 

“No, I wouldn’t. I was on my way here when a strange purple cloud tried to swallow me whole.”

“The time eater, it captured everyone. Thank goodness, Sonic was able to save the day, well him and Tails and uh little him and Tails,” she said, pointing out Sonic and Tails’s doppelgangers in the distance. 

He nodded in acknowledgement. Curious but not enough to potentially wreck the timeline again. 

“I escaped but got lost in the timestream. Speaking of which, you’re not in love with me are you?”

Amy immediately turned red and scrambled off of him.

“What? No! I’m in love with Sonic. I mean you’re not bad looking or anything. I like you a lot, and I’m glad you came, but I’m a one hedgehog gal.” 

Shadow smirked, seeing an opening. 

“I’ll make sure I’m that one hedgehog then.”

Amy grew even more flustered, practically cherry red.

“Don’t say things like that if you don’t mean it,” she huffed.

“I do mean it. I’m not one to mince words, Rose.”

“Go for it, Grandpa,” Sonic shouted, making him pause.

A crowd had formed around them with the birthday boy himself, front and center, happily eating a chili dog, his one true love.

Shadow sighed. Grandpa huh? Okay, he could live with that. Sure, he hadn’t exactly put the world back the way it was, but if that’s what he had to put up with to set things right, he would. Shadow refused to ever be the reason for Amy Rose’s tears, not if he could help it.  

“We’re the same age.” 

“Sure we are, Rip Van Winkle.”

“Leave him alone, Sonic. We’re lucky to have him. And if you keep this up, he’ll never come to another party. ”

“Okay, okay, I’ll lay off your boyfriend.”

“For the last time, he’s not my boyfriend. I accidentally hugged him once.”

“Then, you need glasses.”

Shadow was at a loss for words. Apparently, he’d changed things more than he’d realized when he had his little chat with Sonic. Rouge gestured for him to come see her. So, Shadow casually walked away from the argument to catch up with his friend. She had an eyebrow raised, having watched the commotion from afar.

“You gonna tell me what that was about? Or do I have to force it out of you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you alright?” he asked, desperate to change the subject.

She nodded dismissively.

“Eggman’s usual scheming. The man got a bit over his head this time. ”

“Hmm.”

Shadow was enjoying the quiet. Despite the commotion at his reappearance, Amy had been right about the party being low stress. So, he found it quite annoying when Rouge refused to leave well enough alone. 

“You’re never that forward with pink girl. What happened? 

Aware Rouge would get answers out of him one way or another and possibly recruit Omega to her cause if he wasn’t careful, Shadow decided to keep it simple. 

“I like her, and I don’t want her to be miserable. That’s all.”

Rouge didn’t quite buy it. 

“She seems to be perfectly happy chasing after Sonic,” she pointed out, egging him on. 

“She shouldn’t have to work so hard to get what she wants.”

“Uhuh, it’s more than that.”

“I’ve stayed away because I didn’t want to hold her back, but I think maybe the timing is finally right.”

Rouge let out an exaggerated sigh, practically pouting. 

“I’m not getting more out of you, am I?”

“Nope.”

The matter settled. He planned to quietly hang back and possibly approach Amy once she’d calmed down, but Fate had other plans. Amy approached him first, holding up a piece of cake as an offering.

“Sorry, it just gets on my nerves when he teases me like that. ”

“Good luck, Romeo,” Rouge said, giving him a quick wink before flying off to bother Knuckles. 

Shadow scowled, quietly accepting the cake. As much as he wanted a future with Amy, she clearly disliked people assuming they were a couple, and he didn’t appreciate Rouge adding fuel to the fire. Amy shyly looked away, growing more fidgety. 

“Does he do that often?” Shadow asked.

“Constantly.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s not your fault,” Amy said dismissively, wringing her hands while still not looking at him.

Shadow sighed and put down his fork. He wasn’t in the mood for sweets, not when he’d caused his friend such distress. 

“It is. I spoke with him briefly at Never Lake when he was a child. I insisted he return to you and keep you safe or else. He seems to have gotten the wrong idea.” 

 “Or else? You’re not in love with me, are you?” Amy asked, a familiar spark of mischief in her eyes. 

There was a long stretch of silence before he finally said, “No.”

Amy bumped his shoulder and let out a tiny giggle that made his heart flutter.

“You’re a terrible liar Shadow.” 

“So, I’ve been told,” he said wryly. 

Amy examined him closely, then. She must have found what she was looking for because she unexpectedly pecked him on the cheek. 

“We’re going on a date.”

Shadow blinked, not quite processing what just happened. 

“We are?”

“Yup, Twinkle Park, Friday, just the two of us,”  she said with a definitive nod. 

“Why?”

Wasn’t she opposed to the idea of the two of them together? 

“Because cute couples get in free, silly,” she said, casually hooking her arm into his and dragging him towards the others for a photo. 

Well, he supposed he couldn’t argue with that.


So, I've had this idea churning in my head for a long time, but I was struggling to make it work as a story. Like with Fickle Fate, Shadamy Week was coming up, and it spurred me to try and get it finished in time to post, but uh like last time, the moment for that has super passed. So, wallah, I present to you Fated String. 

For the record, Shadow was super harsh on alternate Shadow because he didn't know the whole story. Alternate Shadow had his reasons for stepping away. It's pretty easy to guess what happened actually if you think about it. Amy is an unstoppable force when she wants to be.