Ally

Summary: Contrary to popular belief – Shadow's guardian angel wasn't an ethereal being with big white wings and a halo. His saving grace came in the form of an ivory bat with a razor-sharp sense of humor, a pension for all things valuable, and who also gave herself the title of his "ally".

Paring: some slight Shadow/Rouge if you look hard enough.

Authors note: I've always liked seeing these two together ever since their debut in Sonic Adventure 2. They work so well together – whither it be as best friends or as something more. They get each other, and I love it.

Shadow and Rouge belong to SEGA and the Sonic Team.

Ally

Verb: Side with or support (something or someone)

One of Shadow's first memories after waking up from his fifty-year slumber, is of Rouge.

He can't say something corny along the lines of "she was the first person he saw as he was re-awoken from his coma", or anything like that. The first person he saw after waking up was of the good Doctor – but he could say that his first meeting with Rouge was a memorable one – one that stuck with him years after they had originally met.

It's true, that while his memory involving their meeting was not the first or second, or even third that he had tucked away into his mind – it's one of the few that he remembers most vividly.

It had been a few weeks after his original reawakening, and he had just shown the doctor the ARK – a place that the man's grandfather had created, and also the place that he was born, when she showed up out of the blue.

He remembers being immediately suspicious of her, after all: what was a girl like her, with her particular set of skills, doing in a place like the ARK, offering two wanted convicts her help when they needed her most?

It was all just too good to be true.

The Doctor, blinded with his own ambitions immediately accepted her into their little group – but he was more reserved with his judgement. Something about her didn't add up.

He was right of course. Leave it to that killer instinct that he had thankfully always possessed.

He had done his research into her, eventually finding out that she was none other than an infamous treasure hunter and a wanted mercenary, who may or may not have dealings with GUN – the same facility that he had broken out of with the doctor's help not two weeks prior.

He had kept his findings to himself, waiting for the right moment to confront her. Eventually an opportunity presented itself when he found her hacking into the ARK's computer mainframe, trying to obtain data on none other than himself and the Space Colony ARK for the President.

He had obviously confronted her and revealed her as a spy, forcing her to flee – but not before she sent him a rather sad look and asked him to reconsider what he was doing.

Something about the way she looked at him struck a chord in him. There was something off-putting about her look. There was a certain sadness in her teal orbs that hadn't been there before when she had first met him – almost like she knew a secret that she wasn't telling him.

He had blown her off, saying that what he did was none of her concern and had let her go without so much as a fight, but he couldn't help but note that she was the first person who had shown genuine concern for him since he had come out of his coma.

Eventually he had a change of heart after activating the Eclipse Cannon – having regained a few crucial memories from his past – he realized that he was not meant to destroy the word, as he had originally thought he was intended to – but to save it instead.

In an ironic twist of fate, he ended up teaming up with the same annoying blue hedgehog – who he now considered to be one of his closest friends – and was able to stop the plan that he had originally set in place, only to realize that the ARK was about to collide with the earth, and possibly kill millions of people. In a last ditch effort to save the planet, he took it upon himself to blast the space colony back into place, but at the cost of all of his energy.

And as he plummeted back towards earth, he thought of each one of the people he had met from the moment he had woken up to that point, and how they would all be safe – and how maybe, just maybe, he had done something right for once in his life.

Just as he re-entered the earth's atmosphere, his thoughts briefly turned to Rouge and how she had known something about himself that he hadn't – how she had been the only one to take the time and actually figure him out unlike everyone else.

It felt… nice. How at least one person tried to make an effort to understand where he came from, instead of fighting him like all the others did.

Then he shut his eyes and the rest faded to black…

The second time he woke up from yet another coma was different. This time, he could say that she was the first thing he saw.

His mind was more muddled and confused from the first time that he woke up, to the point that he barely remembered who he was… but he remembered her. Well, not exactly remembered – but she had this familiarity about her that he just couldn't shake, and that was enough for him.

So when Omega had started to attack her, he had pushed her out of the way and was more than willing to defend the bat whose name he couldn't remember, but somehow felt he knew all the same.

Thankfully Rouge had broken up the fight before it had the chance to escalate farther, and had then taken charge of their little group – dragging both hedgehog and machine on a bunch of ridiculous adventures that he could distinctly remember himself hating.

Although, when he looked back on it now, he didn't hate it so much – after all, their hijinks's ultimately played a key part in helping him remember just who he was in the first place.

It didn't escape his attention that after that particular adventure, she had stuck by his side, and had never actually left. He didn't mind though. If he was honest with himself – he was glad that she was there.

He remembers asking her "What exactly are we?" only for her to cock her head to the side and respond with a teasing grin. "Didn't know you felt that way about me hotstuff."

When she realized that he was serious and actually wanted a direct answer, she had sobered up and had rested a hand comfortingly on his shoulder.

"Allies. Shadow." She told him with a small smile. "I'm your ally, always."

He remembers nodding at her response – that was an answer he could understand, she always had a way of explaining things to him in a way he could clearly understand – only to look at her with a slightly concerned expression on his normally stoic face a second later.

"I won't always be able to keep you safe." he remembers telling her seriously. "People still fear me and what I am. People fear what they don't understand, and when they deem something is too powerful, they try and destroy it. There may come a time when they turn on me, and I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire."

Because he knows that if she got hurt because of him – he would truly lose it. After all, she is still the closest person to him, and is still the only one who understands him the best out of all of their mutual friends.

A pained expression passes over her face, and she turns away from him slightly so he can't see just how upset his words have made her, but he doesn't have to see her to know how deeply it cuts her – he's known her for far too long now.

"It's so unfair." She says quietly. "You're always there to save the world, and they-" she cuts herself off and turns back around to look at him with a stern expression that is rarely seen on her face – momentarily taking him by surprise.

"Shadow." She begins, calmly, quietly. "Even if you think the whole world is going to turn against you… know that I'll always be by your side… remember that."

For the first time since he can remember, he is speechless.

It takes him a moment to find his words, but when he speaks again, his voice is firm and steady.

"I will."

He has never forgotten it.

Years pass and Rouge is still by his side.

At this point in time, they have been though many adventures together, and can safely say that they're vetrienes in the field – whether it be saving the world from a colossal monster or hunting for ancient treasure – they know what they're doing.

With every adventure they've faced over the years, he's learned a little more about himself and has accepted what he is. He's at a point in his life where he can say that he's finally at peace with himself. His mind is no longer a chaotic mess – clouded with delusional memories and blurry faces. It's calm, and he can see the future ahead of him clearly now – no longer bogged down with the past.

He'd be lying if he said that Rouge didn't play a large part in that.

She had been pivotal to his recovery and has never strayed far from his side – always acting as his conscience in the most difficult parts of his life, and helping him to stay on the right path.

He appreciates it more than she'll ever know.

They are older now – well, she is, he doesn't age – forever frozen as a young adult. She hates him for it. He laughs.

He is loath to admit it, but it is always a nagging thought in the back of his mind – how he stays young as she gets older. He knows she thinks about it too, and that it's hard for her to accept that he will remain virtually the same as every year passes, but she knows that her age doesn't bother him in the slightest – he will never leave her.

How could he? They've looked after for each other for so many years now, that if they're separated from one another for too long it feels unnatural. Like a piece of them is missing.

Both are now working for GUN, and have been for years – she having always done work for them here and there, and he having partnered up with them out of being bored and needing something to do. It makes it easier for them to look out for the other, as they are paired together on almost all missions, as they work the best out of all of GUN's field agents – and they make a formidable team.

Great minds tend to think alike after all.

They're standing on the roof of one of Station Square's massive skyscrapers, looking out at the setting sun in relative silence, when Rouge gets the call on her communicuff from GUN headquarters.

She answers, and he waits for her to finish. He hopes it's something good, it's been quiet recently, and he's been getting bored. He needs an actual challenge and an excuse to get out of Station Square for a while – he can only take the city for little bits at a time, then has to take off – but never without telling Rouge that he's leaving first.

Its common curtesy after all, and normally she ends up going with him, even though she knows she doesn't have to.

She finishes up the call and flashes him her famous coy smile. If he looks closely, he can see the fine lines in her face – reminding him that she is no longer the eighteen-year-old bat that he first met on the Space Colony ARK all those years ago.

But it's still her. It will always be her.

Where everyone else has failed him, she has always come though.

His one true ally and friend.

"GUN's just sent us another mission. It's out by some of those old costal ruins we discovered a few years back. What do you say hotstuff? Some nice sandy beaches and some fresh air sound good to you?" she asks as she nudges his shoulder with a wink.

He snorts. "Is it an actual mission or are you trying to get me to take a vacation?"

She rolls her teal irises. "It's always business with you. A little vacation would do you some good." But she shakes her head and flashes him another coy smile.

"It's an actual mission, apparently there are some old artifacts down there in the caves that the boss is interested in… but maybe after we've collected them we could stay for a little bit and relax – god knows you need to." She eyeballs him slightly, searching for signs of fatigue, which she knows aren't there.

Really, he doesn't know why she worries – she knows better than anyone that he doesn't even need to sleep, let alone take a vacation.

"You don't need to worry about me Rouge, The Ultimate Lifeform doesn't need to relax." He reminds her with the faintest hint of a smile. He finds her worries amusing, but endearing all the same.

She rolls her eyes again. "I know that obviously, but I still think it's a good idea. What do you say ally? Wanna go party down south with this old bat?"

He really can't deny her anything, and honestly: taking a small breather from their hectic work schedule actually sounds quite nice.

Huh, maybe he is getting older.

"I suppose it won't hurt anyone if we stay for a little longer then necessary." He concludes after a moment, suppressing the urge to roll his crimson irises at her antics.

He doesn't remember when he got so soft. Normally he would have never given in so easily, but she is the only person that he caves for.

She flashes him a blinding white smile and plants a kiss on his muzzle. "Thanks hotstuff, you're the best!" she laughs as she skips ahead of him, already planning their vacation.

No, you are. He thinks to himself as he follows after her, only half paying attention to her ramble on about what they should do after they complete the mission. Thank you for always being there when the world wasn't.

And as he follows after her, he can't stop the small, but genuine smile that spreads across his muzzle as he looks at her.

Ally, friend, guardian, conscience, and something far more precious to him than anyone could ever hope to understand – she meant everything to him.

And she would always be by his side.

After all – she promised.