Chapter Text
He hated the view from the ridge, and its comorbid headache.
Seeing it frequently was one thing, but the sheer amount of times he’d repeated this moment was wearing his patience thin. He watched as Rouge flew off, an idea forming as he did so.
In each loop, he’d majorly affected the trajectory of the day. Perhaps the secret then to ending this loop was removing himself from the events entirely; stay in his namesakes and observe. He looked down at his watch.
12:34 pm.
Rouge had flown off towards Knuckles, that he knew. The bat swooped down at him like a bird of prey, taunting the echidna who was about to serve the volleyball. He watched as his best friend’s beau batted away her advances, until one comment mid-serve that caused the echidna to bristle out and pitch the ball at Rouge.
Directly towards an approaching Amy.
He would not allow it. He would permit himself the interference, and with his lighting speed it didn't take much to race to her aid and catch the ball with one hand.
He tossed it to the echidna, saying nothing as he looked down to check that he’d been successful in her rescue. He didn't expect Amy to be looking up at him in awe and wonder, for those starstruck eyes she’d batted at a less than deserving hedgehog to suddenly be trained on him.
Before she spoke, he blinked out of existence, reappearing in some shrubs that lined the edge of the forest. As he cowered in the bushes he swallowed the bile rising in his throat. What pained him more was the sudden lost look on Amy’s features as she turned around, searching for him. Despite being too well camouflaged for her to see him, he shrank further into the bush, guilt pooling in his stomach. He listened as Amy called for him, as Rouge’s attention was drawn and she too joined the search for the dark hedgehog.
It didn't matter, they wouldn't remember this anyways.
Eventually they gave up, and Amy's tail stayed between her legs, ears pinned back. Rouge held up the volleyball and gestured to the court, but Amy shook her head. Instead the pink hedgehog moped her way to the seat she’d set up for him, and settled into it. For a while she was on edge, looking up every time something caught her eye, and getting more and more upset.
He watched as she pulled a magazine out, idly flipping through the glossy pages. Then her phone. Then another book, a novel of some kind. Each was regarded with disinterest, and soon she was left just watching the volleyball game.
After the ball was hit out of bounds, it rolled over towards her, landing at her feet. Sonic jogged up to her, and although they were too far away to hear what was being said, it was clear he was trying to cheer her up.
Through a little cajoling, the hero was able to grab Amy's hand and pull her out of her seat. She smiled weakly and he led her by the hand to where Tails was waving the Miles Electric and pointing to the site where he’d built the sand castle in previous loops. Knowing Tails as he did, Shadow was sure that spot had been picked for its optimal distance from the water and its proximity to sand banks and the shade of a few palm trees.
There were jokes being cracked and laughter abound. But it was hard not to notice how quickly Amy looked up when a set of flickies flew by - the disappointment quickly masked by a fond smile as the birds weaved about the team before flying off.
Rouge, who had been tasked with getting water it seemed, was having the most fun. By the time Knuckles and Amy cleared out of the now dug out moat, the bat had returned with a bucket of water, which she promptly emptied right onto Knuckles’ head.
“DAMN BAT!” the echidna yelled, chasing after her as she laughed.
Sonic had been rushing around, bringing water and sand interchangeably, depending on Tails’ orders. In his speeding about he’d kicked up a cloud of sand, and Amy moved to stand in his way to scold him about it - if her gestures were anything to go by. The blue hedgehog seemed apologetic, ears flicking back for a moment before his head tilted slightly.
Amy regarded her shoulders, and it wasn't hard to tell that she’d gotten a sunburn from their work in the sun. Sonic pulled off the garishly patterned button-up he was wearing to offer it to her, and she accepted with a small smile.
The hours slipping by, like sand in an hourglass. He braced himself when the sounds of bickering started.
The echidna had reached the limits of his patience with Sonic, and had decided to chase him around the beach. Just as it had happened before, Sonic was thrown into the table of food, the coolers having gone flying as a result. Then he sprinted past the castle, knocking Rouge and Amy aside with his wind and sending them both crashing into the sculpture.
The girls sat up, and Shadow was expecting a halo of rage to appear around Amy. He did enjoy watching her fire off at the other two with the burning passion he knew she possessed.
Instead, he watched as she got up slowly, ears pinned flat to her head. She brushed off Rouge’s concern and almost shrank into herself as she wandered away. The bat pulled her phone out, and Shadow felt his communicator vibrate.
[where are you?]
[you're being a jerk]
[Amy’s really upset]
He decided to move to follow Amy, and kept low and quiet as he moved through the brush and thick leaves of the jungle island.
Amy had gone to the boulder, as he had anticipated. Curled up into a ball and crying.
Shadow prepared himself to step out of the foliage, already crafting a lie that would explain his actions in a way she would find believable. He’d almost built up the courage to make his presence known when a gust of sandy wind blew at his face, the cause of her distress now standing at the base of the boulder.
“Hey Ames”
“Go away Sonic.”
He moved around to the side of her, hopping on to some smaller rocks at the boulder’s base to avoid getting his sneakers wet. “Are you okay?”
“I said go away. I don't want to talk to you right now.” The muscles in her back tensed and flexed, trying to bristle quills that weren't there.
Sonic grimaced, his ears pinned flat to his head in apology and his tail hanging between his legs. “Ah. Okay. I’ll… I'll send Rouge to come and get you when it gets dark.”
“I can make it back on my own when I'm ready.”
Sonic stepped away, lingering for a moment as he waited for her to change her mind, before speeding off.
Shadow sat in the bushes, feeling more guilty by the minute. What had he been planning to say to her? Call from GUN? No, Rouge would have gotten one too. Feeling unwell? Not a lie per se, but it would make her worry. The truth? No, she’d think he had gone insane or worse. He didn't think he would be able to take the idea of her being scared of him.
The flap of bat wings drew his attention and he stepped back into the brush, hiding from Rouge’s keen sense of hearing and her aerial view.
“Now come on, Pinkie, crying and feeling sorry for yourself isn't your style,” The bat teased as she landed on the rock next to Amy. When the pink hedgehog remained silent, the bat took a seat next to her as a cool evening breeze rolled over them.
“I feel so stupid,” Amy said, after a moment of silence. “I’m just doing the same thing over and over and I never learn. First Sonic, now Shadow… maybe I should give up.”
“You shouldn't. This is a different situation. You're older, you know better. Shadow and Sonic are very different people, and Shadow can be very hard to understand. I don't get why he does half of the things he does, but he always has a good reason. Even if the reason is that he was overwhelmed.”
Amy pouted. “I don't want to make him uncomfortable.”
“You don’t. At least, not in a bad way,” the bat assured.
“Do you think he likes me? Honestly.”
The bat tsked at Amy, overdramatically gasping. “For shame, asking me to tattle on my best friend's emotions! I’ve been sworn to secrecy!”
Amy's ears pinned back, and she almost curled into a ball. “ Right, you're right, I’m sorry-”
“Amy. I’m teasing you,” the bat said with a firm tone, her hand on the hedgehog’s back. “I won't say anything about his emotions because it's not my place… but he was ready two hours before we had to leave today. And I don't think it was Knuckles that he was looking forward to seeing."
The sun dipped below the horizon, and in its last fleeting rays Shadow caught the way Amy's eyes lit up and her tail slowly wagging.
“Now come on, I left the boys unattended with the instructions to build a fire and I don't trust them not to eat everything without us,” Rouge insisted, getting up and offering her hand to Amy.
The hedgehog shrugged. “You go ahead. I’ll be along in a minute or two.”
The bat flew off, and Amy was alone once more.
It was the end of the loop. There was no consequences, he could just step out to apologize and-
