Yo, yo, yo! Wassap guys? I'm so so excited right now - because the Shadikal story is finally here! I want to thank everyone who's given me so much positive feedback on this beautiful ship, encouraging me to take the next big step - create a Shadikal multi-chappie!

I named this fic after Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do. That song just SCREAMED Shadikal to me! (Ironically, Bittersweet is such a Sonamy song too, and I love it.) In case you guys haven't noticed, I tend to name my fics after songs that I like haha.

Now, onto the first chapter!

"Hello?"

"Hey, hey...can you hear me?"

Tikal groaned, her head faintly throbbing as she suddenly heard voices in her head. No, no...the voices weren't in her head. In fact, they sounded like echos down a long, dark tunnel.

"Ow..." she felt around for her head, cupping the sensitive area, and her blue eyes fluttered open. "Uh?"

Her gaze finally came into focus.

She wasn't outside anymore; from her surroundings, she could tell that she was in somebody's home, but didn't know who's she was in. There was a lot of pink, that's for sure.

"Are you okay, Miss?"

Tikal blinked. "Hm?" The voice was light and curious, and her gaze traveled over to its direction. Sitting to her left was a young rabbit, although she might not be that much younger than her, with cinnamon brown eyes and orange hair.

"You gave us quite a scare," the rabbit said with a gentle smile.

"What happened to me?" Tikal asked.

"You…passed out," said a different female voice, and Tikal settled her gaze on the girl crouched low in front of her. She was a pink hedgehog, around her age, with medium-long quills and jade green eyes.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" and the third girl sat on the hedgehog's flank, mechanically holding her ungloved orange hands up to Tikal's eyelevel.

"Sticks," the pink girl scolded, pushing her hand away. The girl called Sticks was a badger, with blue eyes and brown fur around her ears, hair, and blue eyes.

"Where am I?" Tikal wondered out loud.

"You're at my house," said the hedgehog. "Do you remember anything?"

"Why yes…" Tikal closed her eyes. "I remember…" And just like that, her memories came back in quick flashes. Evil laughter, explosions and screams that may or may not have been hers, a black and red blur…What was that? She gasped, eyes fluttering open.

The hedgehog placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, take it easy. It must be a lot to take in all at once. What's your name?"

"Tikal. Who are you?"

"Amy Rose," she smiled, standing to her feet with the other two, holding her hand out for Tikal to take; the echidna accepted her kind gesture and used her for balance to pull herself up. "And this is Cream," she held her hand out in the rabbit's direction, who smiled and waved, "and Sticks," she switched hands to point to the badger, who nodded and grinned. "We're Team Rose."

Tikal smiled. "I see."

"Amy's our team leader!" Cream added enthusiastically.

"I would have guessed that – hence, your name." Tikal's smile widened a little as she locked gazes with Amy. "Ah, I believe we have met before, Amy!"

"We have. I'm so glad you remember!"

"You know this chick?" said Sticks, looking at Amy for an explanation.

"Well, not face-to-face," Amy explained patiently. "Remember when I told you about Chaos?"

"Ooooh." Sticks' gaze flickered back over to Tikal. "So she's like a ghost, or somethin'?"

"Not exactly," Tikal said. "I'm still trying to put…missing pieces together…" It was then when she also realized that she was naked, and she had nothing but a worn blanket over her shoulders to cover her. "Pardon, but why am I not wearing any clothes?"

Sticks shrugged. "We found ya that way. 'Guess your clothes got lost during the whole mumbo jumbo." She waved her hands around in little motions to emphasize what she meant.

Tikal hummed and padded forward, taking careful steps; she'll have to get used to walking again. By the way things were looking, she had to get used to, well, being normal. Not that there was anything wrong with being normal, of course.

She could hear the girls following her, but she wasn't bothered by it. Finding what looked like a den of some sort, she took a seat on one of the couches and cast another lingering glance around. The sun's rays streamed through the window, the sky as clear and blue as ever. Tikal sighed in content; whatever these three went through to get her to safety, she was grateful.

"Can we get you anything?" Cream asked.

"No thank you," Tikal replied, pulling the blanket a little tighter around her.

"Are you hungry?" Amy piped up. "A girl's gotta eat, right?"

As if on cue, Tikal's stomach growled, and she placed a hand over it. "I suppose I could eat something, if it's not too much trouble."

Knock knock knock

Tikal jumped up in surprise, slowly backing away from the couch. She couldn't help but feel a little nervous now. It wasn't that she was afraid of strangers. It was that…well…she'd like to meet strangers with clothes on.

Sensing her unease, Amy said, "Don't worry, Tikal! There's nothing to be afraid of. " She looked out the window and beamed before looking over her shoulder to announce, "It's just our friends!"

"Friends…?" Tikal tasted the familiar word on her tongue. Still, Sticks and Cream moved themselves in front of her, and Tikal had to peek over Sticks' shoulder to watch Amy walk up to the door and open it.

"Hi, Sonic!"

Sonic? That name sounds so familiar!

Tikal's suspicions were confirmed as a cobalt hedgehog with bright green eyes and a grin to match strolled into Amy's home, pep in his step. Oh yes. Tikal remembered him the most of all. "Hey, Amy. What's goin' on? Did Tikal wake up yet?"

He remembers me too!

But wait…how much have they spoken about me? How much time has passed?

"We thought we'd stop by and see how she's doing!" a yellow two-tailed fox walked in right behind his best friend, smile just as friendly. Tails…wait…his name is Tails! That's right!

"Yeeah I just came because I was told we were gonna get food?" a red echidna was next, and Tikal recognized him at once. Knuckles. The last of their clan. Well…I guess he's not the last of us anymore.

"Knux, do you always have the munchies?" Sonic rolled his eyes.

"Says the guy who lusts after chili dogs!" Knuckles countered back with.

"Hey! I'll have you know, living off of adrenaline and chili dogs is the way of life, dude. I'm not some softie who loves being fed grapes from the vine."

"…You know what-"

"Idiots," a raspy voice interjected before Sonic and Knuckles had it out in the middle of Amy's house. Tikal's eyes widened.

Who's he?

The boy in question was a black hedgehog with red in his quills and ruby orbs to match, his lips pulled down in an annoyed grimace. He kind of reminded Tikal of Sonic a little bit, but his quills stuck in opposite directions on the ends. But despite the similarities, there were stark differences between the two male hedgehogs, and Tikal could tell just by looking at them.

"Don't be such a sour hog, Shadow," Sonic snickered.

Shadow.

"'Sides, we can save the arguing for after we – AAAH!"

Sonic saw her. As in saw her, saw her. And he wasn't the only male who squeaked and jumped back, arms flying over their eyes. Tikal hadn't realized she had stepped forward.

"What? What is it?" Tikal panicked, her heart racing.

"You're naked! Er, sorta!" Sonic exclaimed, peeking through his fingers, and Tikal blushed, gripping the blanket tighter around her once more. How embarrassing.

"Sonic, please-" Amy already had her face in her palm.

"Don't look, Knuckles, don't look, Knuckles, whatever you do, don't look," Knuckles chanted out loud to himself in mantra.

"Amy, couldn't you have lent her some of your clothes to wear?" Tails put his hand over the side of his face so he could only look at Amy.

"Oh, well I'm sorry for not wanting to dress the girl while she was still unconscious!" Amy flailed her arms

"O-Oh."

"Did she just wake up?"

"Yes!"

"…Oh."

Amy sighed, hands on her hips. "Now. It's a miracle that you haven't overwhelmed her yet." Wee bit of an understatement, Amy. "We'll get her dressed and met you in Station Square for breakfast, so we can all get to know her and figure out what we're gonna do next. Sound good?"

"Great thinkin', Ames." Sonic flashed her a wink and a thumbs-up, and she blushed faintly.

"Out." Shadow grabbed Sonic by the collar and pushed him out the door.

"Hey!"

"Bu-"

"Out." Shadow rounded on Knuckles next before the echidna could protest. Thankfully, he didn't have to get onto Tails, because the fox gave him a sheepish smile before walking out the door just a tad too fast.

Shadow huffed and rolled his eyes, making Amy giggle, and she went forward to close the door behind him.

"Sorry about that," she said to Tikal.

"It's alright. I do remember the most of them. Sonic, Tails, Knuckles…" Tikal stepped completely around Sticks and Cream, facing the trio of girls. "Except…that one hedgehog. Shadow, was it?"

"Loooong story, sweetie." Amy bounded forward and took Tikal's hand, leading her upstairs with Cream and Sticks in tow. "I'll try to catch you up to speed while we get you all dolled up. Ooh! I have this one blue top I'm sure you'll love. It brings out the blue in your eyes."

I know I said I was going to post this after I finished Gotta Open Your Heart, Dude, but XD Hope you guys enjoyed! Give that review button some loooove ^o^