A Rose And A Thorn

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A Rose And A Thorn

Co-Written By Harley Quinn hyenaholic and Froggy22651

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Harley: I’ve had people asking me about the ages of my characters in this fic. And I’d like to tell them now… PISS OFF! And Shadow isn’t raping anybody. Well, not right now.

Froggy: And Amy's 18. We've had people saying that's a little late to lose it, especially for someone as hot as she is. Well, not everybody goes on sex orgies on their 16th birthday.

Harley: Hey, I was 20 before I had my first go. I wanted to lose my virginity to someone I really cared about, and hot DAMN it paid off.

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Chapter Four: In Denial

Amy stretched and yawned in her bedroom, waking as the morning light penetrated her light pink curtains. She smiled. Yesterday had been such a wonderful day... Shadow seemed to be getting better and better. She pulled on her dressing gown, and stepped into the living room.

Shadow was sleeping on the couch, as Amy had suggested he do. Something didn't seem right, though. He kept shifting around restlessly, a disturbing low moaning sound escaping his throat.

"Shadow?" Amy called softly, approaching him.

His moans only grew louder, his thrashing sped up, beating his hands against the air, as if he was struggling against something, caught up in some dreadful nightmare.

"Shadow?" Amy reached down and shook his shoulder gently, "Shadow, wake u-"

"NOOOOOOO!!!" he screamed, his eyes snapping open. In a flash of movement, he was on his feet, one hand tightly grasping her throat, lifting her off the ground. He snarled, his eyes filled with a fiery hatred unlike any she had ever seen.

"Guh... guh..." Amy stared back at him, her eyes wide with fear, her hands scrabbling at his fingers, "Sha-Shadow..." she choked, "It... it's me!"

For a brief moment, the dark hedgehog continued staring in raw hate, his fingers clinching tighter around her throat, stealing her breath, ready to snap her neck. Then he blinked, the hatred leaving him as he realized that he wasn't dreaming anymore. Looking into her frightened eyes and recognizing who they belonged to, Shadow gasped, dropping her to the floor and stumbling back in shock, falling back onto the couch.

Amy gasped for breath, her chest heaving as she clutched her sore throat, "God..." she managed, and stood up, shakily, "Shadow…"

"Amy..." he said in a daze. The hedgehog's fur was covered in a cold sweat, his eyes wide with confusion and shock. He buried his face in his hands and rubbed it. "I'm sorry... I... I..."

Amy fully regained her breath, "You... you don't have to be sorry, Shadow," she said, sitting on the couch beside him, "You were just having a nightmare... Right?"

"I wish it was just that..." he whispered, hunched over with his face still in his hands, fur matted with sweat and tousled from thrashing so. After a moment, he wrapped his arms around his waist, and began to rock himself back and forth.

Amy sat a little behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "Shhh..." she whispered, and taking his head in her hands, lay him down in her lap, "Why don't you tell me about it?"

Shadow sighed, rather comforted by her touch. He was hesitant to speak, to tell her about his nightmares... no, his memories. He had never really told anyone about his nightmares, not even Rouge, "It was... it was about the attack on ARK..." he began, "I was alone on the observation deck when it happened, looking at Earth again. I heard people arguing about something, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Then there was a loud sound and screams. Gunfire, I later learned. I rushed to investigate and saw strange men in uniforms standing over the dying bodies of scientists. I had never seen anyone die before then. They wanted to take me alive, so I ran. I had to find Maria. I had to get her out of there. The soldiers had taken over the main escape pods, but I knew the professor had one in his lab. I found Maria and ran with her towards the lab... but the soldiers found us and opened fire. It was noisy and confusing; I was scared and I didn't know what was happening... and then Maria was shot."

Amy sucked in her breath. That was one helluva nightmare – and the worst part of it was that it really happened.

"I am the Ultimate Lifeform, and I couldn't do anything to help her!" Shadow shouted, his face contorted in a mix of rage and guilt, "What good are these powers if I can’t even protect my friends?!"

Amy ran her fingers through his quills, which were still matted with sweat, trying to comfort him. Her touch was not like a lover’s, but more like a mother with her sick child, "Shhh... It's over now..." she whispered, "It's over."

Shadow closed his eyes and sighed, relaxing under her gentle stroking, "If only I knew then what I do now..."

"What's that?" Amy asked him, cradling him, touching his quills lightly.

"How to fight," he said in a low rumble, a dangerous tone in his voice, "They would have been on their backs before they could touch the trigger..."

There was an uncomfortable pause, then Amy spoke again, "It's not your fault," she said, "None of this is. It should never have happened. But it did. And there's nothing anybody can do to change it. But no matter how terrible it was... it's over now."

"... You're right." Shadow said finally, "It's over. I can't dwell on it forever." He sighed again. Turning on her lap, he wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her belly.

Amy continued to stroke his quills. This time it was Shadow who needed comfort, and she intended to give it freely, for as long as it was needed, "Don't dwell on it. Learn from it," she told him tenderly, "I'm here baby, I'm here."

"Yes..." he said, pausing in his nuzzling to kiss her belly, "Thank you, Amy..." His swiftly beating heart finally started to calm down.

They sat that way for a long time, Amy just holding him, "Come on," she said eventually, "You need some proper rest... you can sleep in my bed." She guided him to his feet and helped him into her bedroom, tucking him into her pink bed.

Shadow's expression softened as Amy tucked him in. It was strange how easily he could admit his fears to her, to tell her his weaknesses and most painful memories. He felt... comfortable and safe with her. She eased his loneliness just as much as he did hers. They held each other up, fit together perfectly. Suddenly, he realized that there was a light in his life after all, and she was that light.

"And I'll make you some nice herbal tea," Amy said kindly, "That will help you relax, hmmm?"

Shadow smiled softly back and nodded, "Yes, thank you, Amy." He drew the covers tighter around himself, enjoying her still-lingering warmth within them. It was a new experience to him, being tucked in and cared for. It was almost like backtracking to a childhood he never got to experience.

Amy left him in her bedroom and went into the kitchen, grabbing her camomile tea, and boiling some water. As she waited for the water to boil, she looked in the small mirror, at her neck. Five angry purple bruises were already starting to come up. She shook her head. That was an accident. Shadow would never do anything to hurt her on purpose. Not like she felt Sonic had. But she couldn't forget how angry he had looked...

The kettle finished boiling, and she finished making the tea. Even if Shadow didn't drink it, it still smelt nice. She was going to chase his nightmares away. She returned to the bedroom and placed the mug on the bedside table nearest Shadow, and climbed onto the bed, hugging him from behind, "It's gonna be okay," she told him, stroking his fur, "I promise."

Shadow chuckled softy, leaning back to nuzzle her cheek, "Usually I'm the one who makes the wild promises," he noted, purring slightly. He felt better with her close to him. The horrible memories began to melt and disappear into the depths of his mind.

"Well, maybe some of your better personality traits are rubbing off on me," Amy suggested. She enjoyed this... this comforting Shadow. They were just as close as they had been only two nights ago, but in a different way. This was why Rouge hadn't satisfied him - she hadn't cared. She felt Shadow's heartbeat return to normal. He was purring again. She enjoyed that sound, it meant that he was happy.

"Careful," he said, still smiling, "You don't want too much to rub off." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the smell of the tea and her scent. It was a strange mix, but not a bad one. He turned his head and kissed her throat... but paused, opening his eyes and seeing the bruises he placed there. Shadow frowned and winced in sympathy and guilt.

"It's not your fault," said Amy, seeing his expression, "You were scared. It was an accident. I could have been anybody. Besides, they don't hurt," she lied.

Shadow could see right through the lie; he knew the kind of pain he could inflict, "I can't make excuses for this sort of thing," he said, "I won't hurt you again..."

"I know you won't," Amy reassured him, stroking his back gently, "So stop worrying. I trust you, Shadow." She kissed his forehead gently, and cuddled him again.

Shadow smirked, laying back against her, "It’s funny... I have the power to control time and space, an ability beyond the dreams of mortal men... but you have the power to make things seem better with but a word."

Amy didn't speak for a long while, but just held Shadow close. She knew, now. She knew that Shadow blamed himself utterly for the terrible events that took place aboard the ARK. She knew that he felt he had some terrible responsibility to prove himself as the Ultimate Lifeform, no matter what the cost to his own happiness. She knew that he was scared, scared of becoming a monster, scared of his own powers. It was a terrible feeling to even know he felt that way... what must it be like for him to live it? Finally she spoke again, "I'm here, Shadow. I'm here. And I'm not going to leave."

Somehow, that was all that needed to be said. Shadow nodded, and slipped back into sleep, cradled in her arms. This time he didn’t dream at all.

~~~

Tails dragged his feet as he walked to Sonic’s house. He had to tell him. Sonic was his best friend, and he should know as soon as possible. After their trip to Twinkle Park yesterday, he had quizzed Cream about what she had seen, and he could see that his hunch had been right on the button.

And when he’d been flying home, he’d flown up onto his roof to watch the sun set, and he could have sworn that he’d seen Shadow and Amy in the distance, touring the city together.

Shadow and Amy? Amy and Shadow? It sounded a relationship that was quite impossible to succeed – Amy was so sweet she’d give a dentist cavities, and Shadow… well, to say that he was a psychopath wouldn’t be nice, but it was probably true. Furthermore, Amy was obsessed with Sonic, and Shadow was still hung up over a girl who had died more than 50 years ago.

On the other hand, he’d never seen Amy look more happy. Not even when she was shopping. And Shadow, who he’d hitherto associated with the Ultimate Scowl, had never looked less angry. However impossible it sounded, it didn’t sound wrong.

He still wasn’t sure how to put it to Sonic, though. Somehow, “Hey Sonic, did you hear? Shadow and Amy are screwing each other!” didn’t seem to be the right method.

And he was even less sure how Sonic would take it. In theory, the blue hedgehog should be glad that he wasn’t going to be chased around by her anymore. But Tails had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that Sonic wouldn’t take it as well as that.

~~~

Sonic lay on the beach, staring up at the sky. It was a wonderful day – the birds were singing, the sun was shining, and he hadn’t seen Amy for almost 48 hours.

“Sonic?”

“Huh?” Sonic sat up. Tails was walking over the beach towards him, a worried look on his face, “Tails? Hey, wanna train?”

“No, Sonic, I-“

“Okay, wanna go for a run?”

“No, Sonic-“

“Why not? It’s a great day, you shouldn’t waste it inside your lab.”

“SonicI’vegotsomethingtotellyou,” Tails said in a rush, “It’s about Amy.”

“Oh, god…” Sonic lay back down, “Who’s kidnapped her this time?”

“Um… nobody…”

“Then why do we have to talk about her?”

“Sonic,” Tails took a deep breath, “You know how Amy’s been chasing you for years?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that any more.”

“What? Did she just get hit by a truck or something?”

“Er… not that I’ve heard…” Tails sat down, “You see, I was taking Cream around Twinkle Park yesterday, and I saw Amy there. She was… with Shadow.”

Sonic sat up, “Come again?”

“She was… ‘with’ Shadow.” Tails waved his hands around to try and emphasise the word, “With Shadow. They were together. As a couple.”

Sonic blinked, “Amy… with Shadow?”

“That’s what I just said!”

Sonic swallowed, “Are you quite sure it was Shadow?”

“Well, it could have been some other creepy black hedgehog with red stripes and jet shoes… but yeah, I’m pretty sure it was Shadow.”

Sonic gave this some thought, “Tails, if this is a joke, it’s not very funny.”

“I’m not joking!” Tails shouted suddenly, “They were at Twinkle Park! Together! Eating pink cotton candy! You can even ask Cream if you like!”

Sonic laughed suddenly, “Then it is a joke. Shadow eating cotton candy? Tails, they were obviously pulling some sort of prank on you. And it worked.”

“No, I swear, I saw them later and they were all over each other-“

“Amy’s just using Shadow to get me jealous,” Sonic replied, “And Shadow’s probably playing along because he thinks it’ll piss me off. Well I’m not stupid. It’s not going to work. Tails, you’re nothing but a pawn in their evil schemes,” he chuckled.

“Sonic, you know Amy better than that!” Tails insisted, “She would never treat anyone that way! Not even Shadow! There really is something going on between-“

“Tails!” Sonic shouted suddenly, “Shut… up. They tricked you, it’s blindingly obvious to me, why can’t you see it? And people say you have an IQ equal to Eggman’s…” Tails looked disappointed, and walked off, “Amy’s still crazy over me. And I don’t care. Nothing’s changed. I’m going to prove it.”

~~~

Froggy: You said there'd be rape this chapter.

Harley: I lied. But oh yeah, next chapter things start getting cool. Er.

Froggy: Is that a lie too?

Harley: No, not this time. Unless they don't think it's cool. I do.