& obey.

The voice; just that sound – it causes Shadow’s body to snap to attention. His shoulders squared, head lifted slightly, feet somewhat together. Uniform, respectful, immediate.

“What do you need of me.” he notes that her voice, her presence, has gone strangely quiet. This is the first time Shadow thinks that Hikari has not commented, nor made a sound.

…Did the Doctor frighten her?

“You have been absent as of late,” The Doctor was behind Shadow now; his gloved palms resting on Shadow’s shoulders. Pressure, slight. Shadow did not move, did not react, he kept his eye straight ahead. “Is something bothering you.” but the Doctor did not sound concerned for Shadow’s well-being.

No. Shadow understood that he was merely a tool in the Doctor’s arsenal. Nothing more than another machine for him to use.

“No. There is nothing.” he could feel the Doctor’s eyes – despite obscured behind purple tinted sunglasses – boring into him. Shadow did not react.

The Doctor’s grip tightened, just slight, before he suddenly released Shadow’s shoulders. A sharp, abrupt laughter ripped from Ivo Robotnik’s throat. Shadow felt his skin shudder; he could never quite adjust to that laughter. It was random, as though the Doctor chose not to control it purposefully.

“I see~. Well. In that case. You would not object to a mission.”

“...What is the purpose of Valentine’s.” he sounded almost put off by the notion, despite not understanding it’s core concept. She laughed along the back of his mind, and her voice spoke gently, explained,

‘Look, Shadow! Look! You’ll get many presents!! See, on Valentine’s, um. I think you get chocolate?’

“Chocolate. What will I do with this chocolate?”

‘Well. You’ll be thankful that people like you enough to give you some! You’ll eat it, too. Oh, but not too much. Your stomach might hurt afterwards.’

“Hm. I see. So then. The purpose of this event is to... gift a chocolate to someone you cherish?”

‘Yup! And if you reaaally like someone, then! Guess what?’

“Do you give them double the amount?”

‘Hehe~ Nice guess!! But wrong!! You bake chocolate for them, yourself, instead of buying it~.’

Shadow’s brow knit, a considered look crossed his expression. He was quiet for a moment, before murmuring, “Baking... I see. It would make sense that, in order to express maximum affection, that you would take the time out of your day to create your own special chocolate to give.”

Why would somebody waste their time on him--

‘Now, Shadow! Silly. You’re not a waste of time!! Not even close!’

An exhale left him, but he smiled regardless. Well then. He looked forward to these chocolate gifts. In fact, he felt-- excited, about the idea. He hadn’t been given a gift before, that he could recall.

    “She’s trying to decide whether or not to bite you.” The answer was an honest one from Volt, who was very tightly holding onto his daughter’s bandanna. While his expression was a bit more wary, there was also a sadness upon realizing who it was and the fact that their friend still didn’t remember them.

    Harmony on the other hand was crouched low on all fours, lips pulled back to expose her clenched teeth. Thankfully there wasn’t growling, but that could change depending on what might happen next. She remembered their last encounter with Dominic, remembered it very well and did not like the fact that he had tried to attack them. It wasn’t going to happen again. Thus why she was essentially scruffed at the moment.

    “Ya better not think ‘bout tryin’ ta hurt us again or I’ll throw ya into a mountainside!”

Shadow kept silent, merely observing. He heard her giggle, along the edges of his mind,

‘She’s very cute!’

He blinked, and stared down at the young blue furred girl that was baring her fangs at him. Cute, hm. Shadow would not have chosen that word. Hikari huffed, but sounded amused even still,

‘Go on! Say hi, or something else! Make friends.’

Shadow refocused, just in time to hear the young one mention that he had best not attack them, again. Again?

‘...Shadow.’ Her voice was careful, reassuring, ‘Apologise. Even if you’re not sure why. It’s better, isn’t it?’

“I’m sorry.” he had said it so suddenly; because of Hikari’s prompting. She could get him to do virtually anything. Shadow still didn’t understand, why, but-- the thought of disappointing her soured his mood. “It won’t happen again. I apologise if I scared you.”

Shadow’s attentions turned to the older male. The young one’s father, no doubt. He hesitated.

‘Same for him, Shadow. You can do it!’

“What is your name,” he found it, strange, that she would know his. He had yet to put a name to her voice; but something about that sound. Her voice soothed–

“I can’t tell you that.”

Oh. Shadow was quiet, somewhat surprised. She had been nothing but candid, thus far. He hummed. Considered.

“And why not?”

More quiet. He wondered if he had scared her. Then, he wondered why he cared of such a thing.

“Because. The answer will make you sad. You might cry.”

His brow furrowed, eye searching and moving along the wall as though that would give him more answers. What…

“Impossible. I have never cried.” hearing the way she sounded, bothered him. She hadn’t sounded happy, then, or gentle. She had sounded, sad.

“What do you want to call me?”

Curse it, she wasn’t giving him time to think. He exhaled, and gripped a bit at his other hand, both of them still resting in his own lap. What a question.

“You’re carefree. Asking someone else to name you.”

“Hehe. Think of it like a game! What do I sound like to you? I want to know too!”

“…This is a strange game.”

“Please, Shadow? Just try! You might like it.”

He exhaled, but found himself somehow unable to say no. Especially since she sounded so sincere about it all. Blast.

“Very well. ….I suppose, if I had to choose? Hikari.”

Silence. For such a while. Oddly, he felt discomfort, not hearing her reaction. Had he chose poorly? Then, a sound, like someone trying to hold back laughter. She giggled, which rose into actual, laughter.

Shadow’s ears twitched considerably, and he could feel his chest warming.

“You are the one who told me to choose!”

“I know! I know! Aah, I’m sorry. I didn’t think.... Welll. Okay! Hikari. That means ‘light’, right?”

“...It does.” he mumbled, still feeling, strange about how she had laughed at him. He idly rose a hand to itch along the scar of his chest, where his tuft of white fur used to exist. Now, only this jagged scar remained of it.

“What happened to your eye, Shadow?” True to her word, the voice continued to speak with him.

“I don’t remember.” he was sat on his bed, now, just stared across at the nearby concrete wall. Normally, this was how Shadow spent most of his days. Alone, in the quiet.

The addition of her voice was…

“Hmm. Well!! What if you think really hard about it? Will you remember then?”

She sounded, genuine. He had been expecting a joke. Or a giggle. Silence. Shadow blinked, then scoffed, a hand lifted to press against his eye.

“If it were that simple, I would have remembered.”

“Then it’s settled!”

“What is?”

“That there’s something to be remembered. You just said you would’ve, right? Which means, there’s got to be memories that you can’t hold.”

...He supposed that was a logical conclusion to reach. Shadow’s hand slowly moved away from his face, settled in his lap. His other hand clasped over it, and he looked, thoughtful. His ears twitched, flattening some.

His chest still ached, but, he found her company welcome.

“Memories I can’t reach.”

“That must be scary, huh? Not knowing what you should. But don’t worry! Shadow. We’ll uncover them. Your lost memories. I promise!”

A laugh, then, the smallest of chuckles from him. Somehow, he couldn’t see her, but part of him felt that she was smiling.

He smiled too.

“Shadow…. shadow….”

That voice again. It echoed in his mind; her soft, gentle voice caused his chest to ache. Shadow gripped at his own head, fingers pressed against the flesh under his quills.

“Enough, I don’t want to hear you!” the shake in his words, it unnerved Shadow. What unnerved him, more, was that the voice spoke back,

“That’s not very nice, you know?”

His eye widened, sheer horror crossed his face in how his pupil dilated, how a tight grimace pulled taunt into place. He scowled, a dismissed scoff was his only reply. The voice, in his mind, it giggled,

“I just know that’s how you are. But it’s okay, Shadow. It’s going to be–”

“What part of I don’t want to hear you is difficult to understand.” a hollow, near defeated monotone, and Shadow sighed. Quiet, for but a moment, then again, more,

“Wellll… I can’t.”

“You can’t?”

“Mmhm. I can’t just stop talking to you, silly Shadow. Not now!”

Shadow’s hand moved, fingers pressed into his closed eye. A frown, that grimace gone, now he just looked, tired. Confused. Lost.

Ever since that battle with the blue haired human…

“What are you? My conscience, manifest?” was it normal to hear voices, have conversations with ones inner self? Shadow had no point of reference, and he could not fathom asking such a thing of the Doctor–

“Oh! You mean Robotnik, right? Hmm. If you want to put it that way, I won’t stop you~.”

“Wonderful,” was that sarcasm? the tone was gone swiftly, he just sounded neutral again, “Why now. This is sudden.”

“I think you needed me, now, more than before.”

“You were born on the ARK– to Gerald Robotnik–!! You had a dear friend, named Maria–! You told me about her! About how you loved and cherished her–!!”

Dominic let out a sudden, anguished, angered shout; a primal noise as a blast of chaos energy rammed into Kendall’s chest. Kendall’s hands unwillingly released Dominic as he was sent flying, his body tumbling a bit before stilling. Blood pooled beneath Kendall, and his chest rose, slowly. Kendall ached, but he could feel his body already starting to try and self-heal…

The sound of walking; Dominic’s shadow casting over Kendall. Kendall’s vision had unfocused, due to the pain.

Shadow’s brow flinched, some of the muscles in his face were twitching at the words that Kendall spoke of. The ARK, but then-- Maria-- a friend-- her-- her tears--

His head felt as though it were splitting, tearing in on itself, trying to --- trying--

Crying-- screams-- blood-- gunshot--

“--You loved and cherished her!”

Maria--!!

A scream roared out of Shadow’s mouth as he slammed a chaos sphere into the centre of the human’s body. He went flying. Shadow’s hands were shaking, his chest rising and falling due to that rage. That confusion. He staggered, but walked forward.

Hovered over the human male’s body. A red, crackling, chaos spear in Shadow’s left hand. He rose his left arm, but paused.

Why. The other male was staring up at him, barely conscious, but he was still crying. Why-- cry for Shadow? Why...!!

The glove on his left hand stared to smoke, some, from how tightly Shadow was gripped onto the chaos spear. Move his arm. That was all he had to do. To end this mortal’s life-- to stop him--

And yet...

Why wasn’t anything working?! Why was Kendall unable to help Dominic?! Why– Kendall swung again, but put too much into the swing. When Dominic dodged, Kendall couldn’t redirect in time. He had left himself open, for only a second or two. In battle, that was all it usually took.

He gagged, the air sucked out of him as Dominic slammed his fist into his gut. Despite the height difference, the sheer weight difference, Kendall was easily rag dolled, thrown backwards so violently. He slammed into a nearby street lamp, before landing on his gut, on the sidewalk.

A cough, followed by silence. Kendall lay there for a few seconds. Thinking. What could he do?… Dominic, didn’t remember him. Dominic thought, for some reason, that Robotnik was an ally. Again. Was this Kendall’s fault? If he had just, buried Dominic properly… If he hadn’t left him alone–

Kendall’s hand curled into a fist, tears blurred his vision. He inhaled sharply, before rising up. His katana had flown from his grip, but no time for that now–!!

He rushed forward, collapsed, but grabbed onto Dominic’s shoulder, his other arm.

His voice was tightened, shaking, and Kendall still cried, but kept hold of Dominic. Desperately, he tried, and held even as Dominic tried to shake Kendall free, “You chose the name Dominic–!! You have a chao named Maria, that you love–!! You own a house in Station Square, with a garden–!! You read a lot of dumb books–!!”

“Unhand me!” Shadow’s voice rose, tense and irate. He did not enjoy being touched by humans. He glanced over, and froze. ....Tears? Something in Shadow’s mind, ached. Tears-- tears---?? That confusion manifest itself, in anger. A hot anger that boiled and rose in his throat.

“You chose the name Dominic--!!”

“UNHAND ME!” Shadow’s fist connected solidly with the human’s gut again, but he didn’t let go.

“You have a chao named Maria, that you love–!!”

“I SAID, UNHAND ME!!” Another hit, this time across his face. His body flinched, but the human kept on. Those tears...!!

“You own a house in Station Square, with a garden–!!”

Kendall felt Dominic charging; he knew his signature now – it had changed, somehow. Something about Dominic’s chaos energy felt different– so he could feel that gathering. He moved his katana swiftly, and deflected the chaos spear; it flew a few metres from them both before exploding against a nearby ruined car and some old garbage cans.

“Robotnik, huh?” a grimace crossed Kendall’s features, his palms gripped at the katana’s hilt tighter. He should have known. Kendall let out a scream, and charged forward, slicing towards Dominic. Not to kill him, but just to incapacitate him – Kendall was using the blunt end of the blade.

“I don’t know what he did to you–!! But I won’t let this–!! Go on any longer!!” Dominic was quick; he was managing to dodge Kendall’s swings. That, or Kendall was getting rusty. Damn. He hadn’t fought an enemy so small in a while ( most demons or angels were taller!! )–! So swift!!

A tsk of a noise left Shadow as the other charged at him. How pathetic! Smirking still -- as Shadow was no doubt assured of his victory -- he began to dodge, able to see the swings of the other. Emotions were overwhelming the human, making his tells rather simple to see.

Shadow ignored his words, not wanting to become distracted. He sidestepped a swing, and then moved. His hand, his arm, pushing forward with heightened momentum due to the chaos energy in his body. Shadow’s fist connected solidly with the other male’s gut.

A second of delay. And then, a cracking sound; that force of Shadow’s punch alone was enough to send the other off his feet again. Shadow watched as he landed on the nearby sidewalk. He did not rouse.

Kendall’s eyes widened, he realised a second too late what was happening. Fast as he was, Kendall couldn’t dodge something point blank ( not unless he could teleport, but…!! )– A scream left him, the noise muffled by Kendall’s body rocketing off the ground and hurdling through some nearby ruins.

He exhaled, teeth gritted as a pained wince left him. Ow. For all of Kendall’s powers, even a chaos blast that close still hurt. It took him a second or two to compose himself, gather his bearings. Then, Kendall was up, rushing out from the building and running by Dominic, before skidding to a stop in front of him.

Kendall had his katana out, but not raised to fight. Yet. He was ready to defend himself, but, he wasn’t just going to hurt his friend-!

“Dominic, please. I don’t know what happened,” amnesia? was this a clone? was Kendall losing his mind? hallucinating? “but you’ve got to snap out of it!!”

Shadow had barely taken a step, before that nuisance blocked his path. Again. Silence, as Shadow listened. Almost pity in how he let the other babble on. What in Hell’s name was he going on of? A scoff left Shadow, and a smirk rose to his lips,

“You are mistaken. Foolish human. I am not Dominic. My name is Shadow. I am the Doctor’s Ultimate Life Form!”

‘I have other ways of getting it, do not worry~’

“Hmph.” the only response that Shadow would give. This creature, this failure, did not intimidate him. He barely gave the other a brief glance as they tried to assert their assurance.

No matter.