“What’s that?” Shadow asked as he pointed at the shining lights up ahead.

“It’s Eggman’s abandoned base. I’ve been there a couple of times, but not recently.” Amy stated.

“Looks fun.”

“You want to go there?”

“Sure.”

“Alright follow me!” She joyfully sang. She carelessly put on foot forward off the platform and started to slide down the temple down. “Ouch!”  She had landed on another platform on her bottom.

“You alright?” Shadow asked looking below him.

“Yeah.”

“Hold on, I’ll help you.” He jumped off the highest platform to the next and the next until he reached Amy. “Need a hand?” He reached his hand out to her.

“Thanks.” She said as she grabbed his hand to lift herself back up.

They jumped off the temple platforms until they reached the bottom off the temple.

“Up ahead.” Amy pointed at the giant tower up ahead of them.

“Sweet.” Shadow grinned.

He grabbed Amy’s hand and ran to the giant tower. He then let go of her hand.

“Hey, what’s with all the hand holding?” Amy asked.

“Didn’t want you to get lost.” Shadow sneered. “After all, you don’t want to get lost in her forever, do you?”

Amy blushed. “Very funny.”

“Aw, I’m kidding. Come on. I got to go check this place out.” He said as he jolted into the building.

Amy put her hands on her hips. “He really is just like Sonic. But I’m not exactly sure that’s a good thing…”

“Huh? You say something?” Shadow confusedly yelled back to Amy.
“Oh, nothing…” Amy nervously laughed. She followed Shadow into the giant building.

It was a building with multiple colors inside. Red, green, orange, yellow…

“For an evil fat guy, he sure can make a pretty room, don’t you think, Shadow?”

“Yeah. Hey what’s that thing over there?” He inquired. There was an emerald green tube with someone inside it.

“Let me see.” Amy studied the something inside. “It looks like… no… it’s Sonic?” She panicked. “SONIC!!! I’LL SAVE YOU SONIC!” She swung her hammer at the tube. It wasn’t damaged though. “Sonic!” She started to cry in front of the tube.

Just then the thing inside woke up. Its eyes grew red.

“Amy, I don’t think that could be Sonic. Eggman doesn’t use this base anymore, right?”

“But he looks like Sonic I-” She was interrupted by a robotic hand that shot out of the glass. It grabbed her by the throat.

“You okay, Amy?” He was too busy paying attention to the robots in the other tubes. “Amy?”

“H-Help? Sh-Shadow…” She struggled to say. The robot had its cold metal hands tightly on her throat.

Shadow turned around quickly. “Amy!” He jumped onto the robot’s head and smashed it’s head with his fist. The robot slowly let go of Amy.

She gasped for air. “It was… Metal… Sonic… Thank… god…” Right then and there she blacked out.

“Amy?” He put the remains of Metal Sonic back into the tube. He then ran over to unconscious Amy. “Amy, wake up.” He shook her slightly. Then violently.

Her eyes slowly opened her eyes. “Wha-What?” She asked dazedly  

“Good. You’re okay. Who’s Metal Sonic?”

She looked over and the remains of the robot version of her hero. “Metal Sonic- He was a robot version of Sonic… He was created by Eggman years ago. He kidnapped me. I guess that strangling me is his version of hello. He was how Sonic and I first met.”

“Alright, lets get out of here.” Shadow said with a serious gaze.

“What? Why? I thought you wanted to check this out!”
“Hey, you almost got hurt. Let’s not risk it again. Besides, thanks to you, I can check this place out any time I want to.”

Amy looked at Shadow admirably. “Thanks. But I’m really okay.”

“Nah, we can visit this place later. Oh and by the way…”

“Yeah, Shadow?”

“You do know the way back, right?”

“Yeah, of course!”

They exited the tower. They started to walk back by following the big temple that stood up in the jungle.

Amy started to giggle.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking… when Sonic rescued me from Metal… Boy back then, I had the worst fashion sense!”

“Well, most 8 year old girls aren’t exactly obsessed with fashion…”

“Yeah, I guess. You know, I might still have one of my old outfits. I got to look for them later. It’s kind of fun to see old memories. Don’t you think so, Shadow?”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t have much memory to recall.”

“Right. Sorry. But you know, it’s not just objects that can recall memory. It’s people too. Like remember when we first met?”

“Yeah, but it wasn’t exactly a genuine meeting. You thought I was Sonic.”

“You’re still bringing that up? It was bright and I couldn’t see well- I was blinded by my love for Sonic!”

“Or maybe- you knew it was me. You just had to hug me anyways.”

“WHAT?”

“I’m kidding.”

Amy huffed. “You’d better be.”

They finally got to the temple. Amy looked up to the sky.

“I think… it’s that way, but just to make sure...” She walked backwards a couple of steps.

“What are you doing?”

“I advise you to get out of the way.”

“What?”

She ran as fast as she could and slammed her hammer into the ground, which made her fly into the air. She flew above the trees and looked for the ladder that led to the cart. Her eyes locked on it.

“I see it!” She joyfully sang. “It’s that way, just as I thought!”

“I thought you knew this place better than the back of your hand.”

“I do, it’s just I- kind of never been to this part of the jungle before… But don’t worry! I think I know where we are!”

“You think?”

“Hey, unless you know the way, I suggest, you follow me!”

“You’ve got a point…”

“That’s the spirit! Now come on!”

They walked past all the green foliage until they got to the ladder the led to the ledge with the cart. They both climbed up the ladder and sat in the cart. Amy tried to pull the lever. But unfortunately, the level was stiff in place.

“YOU DAMN LEVER! I’LL SHOW YOU!!!” She screamed with her hammer above her.

“Um, Amy? Why don’t I pull the lever?” Shadow asked, dreading what might happen.

Amazingly Amy calmed down. “What’s the matter? You don’t want to hold my hand again?” She sarcastically flirted.

“Very funny, but I really don’t care for going for another joyride like last time.” He stated.

“Fine.”

He gripped onto the lever. He pulled slightly, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Why you stubborn piece of crap!” He angrily said as he tried to pull the lever to the opposite side.

He used all his might to push the lever to the other side. Finally he actually did it. The cart slowly started to move.

“And that, is how it’s done.” He laughed as he clapped his hands together.

“Hmph!” Amy crossed her arms. “You got just as mad as I did, Mr. Nonchalant!”

“Yeah, but I didn’t make the cart go berserk.”

“You’ve made your point.”

The cart slowly took them through a tunnel and then into the daylight. There was the train waiting by the station. They had left the jungle at perfect timing.

“Okay, I guess it’s time to go back home.” Amy sighed, almost sounding reluctant.

“Yeah, guess so.” He nonchalantly agreed, hiding a little sadness in his voice.

They walked up the steps together and hopped on the train. They sat down next to each other.

Amy looked up at Shadow and started to blush. “Um, Shadow?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I um, ask you something?”

“Yes, you can sleep on my lap…”

“Um, thanks but that’s not it. I just wanted to know…”

“Well?”

“Were you hanging out with me today because you felt sorry for me?” Amy looked down on the floor.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. I wouldn’t waste time doing such pitiful things.”

“R-Really?” Amy said, looking at him with big, sparkly eyes. “You mean it?”

“Amy, the reason why I’m hanging out with you is because you’re my friend.”

“I-I am?” She asked, with bright red cheeks. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Sure. But I am I yours?”

“You bet you are!”

“Thanks.”