The hand of darkness gripped around Shadow’s entire body. It was a terrible darkness, one which felt eternal. He had relived Maria’s death many times over in his mind before, but for some reason, this was different.

He was in liquid. It was unbearably cold, much more bothersome than outer space. Pain surged throughout his body, digging itself into his core. He could hear voices. Shadow wasn’t sure how much was a dream and how much was a memory, or even if the events were unfolding before him. Everything was so confusing and made no sense, although the lucid nature of the dream was unnerving.

“Please don’t die.” It sounded like Sonic, although much more frightened than he had ever heard him. That was strange. Sonic had always wanted to be his friend, but didn’t know him that well. Why would he care about him so much?

The memory of something pink and hazy entered his mind. “Me and Sonic are here. We’re going to make sure you get to a hospital. You are going to be alright.”

There was security in that voice. Like everything would be alright. But he knew that nothing would be alright.

He was weak. Weakness was terrible. Weak people died. Weak people couldn’t stand the trials of the world. Sure, they could physically survive at times, but he was the most afraid of mental weakness; what if he fell apart? What if he deteriorated to the point of trying to destroy the world again?

No. He couldn’t let that happen. Around him was pitch blackness, although out of that storm of inky sea came a mirror. It looked like any cheap body mirror, although as he looked into his reflection, he could tell something wasn’t right.

He was fuzzy. His forms weren’t right. He had too many arms, or not enough. His eyes kept shifting around his face, multiplying and dying endlessly, like cells dividing and growing. His harsh red highlights shifted all across his body like he was trying to color himself with a crayon. The streaks dripped red from long bloody slices across his body.

Shadow tried to take a step to break the mirror, although he fell on his multitude of legs. They were growing and morphing, bubbling up and throbbing, just like his arms and eyes. He tried to stand up, although the inky ground had turned into quicksand. Shadow began to sink into the onyx floor, his screams muted but saliva spewing from his mouth all the same.

He glanced back at his reflection, although he no longer saw himself. Instead, Maria was on the other side, her hand on the launch trigger.

“MARIA!!!!”

His scream sounded muffled, as if we were watching the scene from outside the launch chamber. He reached one of his many gloved hands out to the glass, but he couldn’t reach it.

Shadow heard a gunshot and watched Maria’s body fall limp like a rag doll. The escape pod should have launched by now, although it was unmoving. As if Maria hadn’t been able to save him.

The blood began to flow until it lapped against the glass. Shadow’s chest grew tight and the pain pulsed throughout him again. His eyes felt hot. The tears ran fat down his soft cheeks.

Maria.

After a few moments to look at her corpse, her head bent in an unusual way for her eyes to face him. Those dead, sunken eyes, void of life!

“You killed me!” Maria wailed, her eyes crying tears and blood. “You’re the Ultimate Lifeform! Why could you not save me?!

“I–” Shadow stopped short, consumed by dread.

He wanted to tell her of all the things he would have done for her, all the time he would have taken more advantage of, all the time her death had consumed him. But a voice cut him short.

“Just try to think about happy things, okay?”

The female voice soothed him. Shadow blinked. He was in front of the mirror again, as if he had not just witnessed Maria’s death. His chest grew tight as he thought about looking at the horrible monster in the mirror, the horrible monster he was, although he saw something else.

It was Amy. She was holding his hand in the mirror. He glanced beside him and saw her bright smile and cheery eyes.

“You’re…”

“I will support you.” Her grip grew tighter.

Shadow grimaced as more tears threatened to fill his crimson eyes. He had so much to say, so much he wanted to communicate that he was terrified of letting out. What would happen once he expressed all his pain? Would she leave him? Would he never have another person to love ever again?

“But I’m… a monster.” Shadow explained as he glanced over at the mirror, expecting to see the mutilated hedgehog he had seen before. His normal body remained. 

No. He needed to have courage. He needed to tell Amy how he truly felt. He needed to explain everything to her, not only to be able to trust her, but to make sure that she would never leave him.

“My heart is the monster. The way I act… is what is so monstrous about me.” Shadow hung his head low. “I have been nothing but a nuisance to you, but you took me in. I don’t deserve to be treated with such kindness, especially after–”

“You’re probably having nightmares right now. About Maria telling you that you’re not good enough.” She leaned forward so that their eyes met.  “Just… don’t listen to that. You’re wonderful.”

At this Shadow wept. He wept for so long that it felt like hours had gone by. Eventually, he could feel Amy’s warm embrace. He wasn’t sure how long she hugged him but eventually her voice broke the shattering silence.

“Shadow… you can tell me what’s bothering you.” She took his hand in hers. “I’ll listen.”

Shadow embraced her. The last person he had actively hugged was Maria.

“Thank you, Amy. I mean it. I wish I could do something to repay your kindness, but I don’t know what I would do without you.” He squeezed her tighter, although he could still feel the warmth from her hand as if it were real. “What you did to help me the other night… I will never forget it.”

“You will always have me.”

Amy’s voice made Shadow smile slightly. There was security in that voice.

He was ripped out of his dream.