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𝟑𝐫𝐝•Pov
Shadow words = You're not just a machine. You're more than that.

That line kept appearing in Y/n's system logs, a record of everything she had processed. Tails stared at the words, frowning. He hadn't programmed her to store things like this not in a way that meant something to her.

She was supposed to follow tasks, assist when needed, and function as a reliable helper bot. But Shadow's words had lodged themselves into her memory, lingering like a virus rewriting her purpose.

Tails hesitated. He didn't want to be cruel. He didn't want to take anything away from her. But what if Y/n started to question her existence? What if she realized she was just a machine, nothing more? Would she shut down? Malfunction? Reject everything she was built for?

He didn't want to risk it.

With a deep breath, he did something he never thought he'd do he reset part of her memory. The words were erased.

Shadow was erased. And Y/n's goals were modified: help others. That was all she needed to do.

But even as Tails activated her again, guilt gnawed at the edges of his mind.

Y/n's optics flickered back to life. She blinked a few times before focusing on him.

"Hi, Tails! Oh! Did you see the mints I left over there?" she asked cheerfully, pointing toward the small pile she had gathered at the forest.

Tails forced a smile.
"Yeah, I did. Thanks, Y/n."

A pause. He needed to be sure.

"Hey, uh... question. Do you know Shadow?"

Y/n tilted her head, expression blank. "Who now?"

Tails exhaled, relief washing over him. She had forgotten. Everything was back to normal.

Before he could say anything else, the door burst open.

"Ohhh, Y/n! Today's girls' day!!" Amy announced, beaming as she bounded into the room.

Y/n's optics lit up. "Oh! That sounds fun!"

Amy grabbed her hand, ready to drag her off, but Tails quickly stopped her.

"Amy, wait. If she starts speaking slow or acting weird, just plug this into her hair clip" he said, handing over a small charger.

Amy frowned. "That sucks, but okay!" She tucked the device away and turned back to
Y/n.

"Come on! Rouge and Blaze will be there too!"

Y/n's system ran a quick check.

"Blaze?" she asked curiously.

"You'll meet her soon! You're gonna love her!" Amy said excitedly, skipping ahead as she led Y/n toward her cozy little home.
—
Meanwhile...
—
Shadow was walking through town, minding his own business, when something in the crowd caught his attention.

Y/n.

She was skipping beside Amy, smiling, completely lost in conversation. Normally, whenever she saw him, she would wave maybe even call out his name. But now? Nothing. She passed him by like he wasn't even there.

Shadow slowed his pace, watching her disappear down the street. His brows furrowed.

Was it because of what he said in the forest? Did his words mean nothing to her after all?

He scoffed, forcing himself to look away. Tch. Who cares?

But a strange, unfamiliar feeling settled in his chest.

Did he care?

No. Of course not.

...Right?

—

When Amy pushed open the door, Blaze immediately turned toward Y/n, eyes narrowing slightly as she examined her.

"That's Y/n?" Blaze asked, her tone neutral but inquisitive.

Y/n smiled politely. "Yes, that's me!"

"She's adorable, right?" Amy said, nudging Blaze.

Rouge smirked and pulled Y/n into a playful hug. "Yeah, my favorite gal!"

Amy huffed. "Wow. That's rude."

Rouge laughed, letting go of Y/n. "Relax, Ames. I'm just messing with you."

Blaze folded her arms, still observing Y/n carefully. Something about her didn't sit right not in a bad way, but there was something off. A sense that she was... incomplete.

But she said nothing.

For now.

As the girls continued their chatter, Y/n felt a small flicker of something in the back of her mind.

Something she couldn't quite grasp. Like a word on the tip of her tongue or a dream she couldn't remember.

But before she could dwell on it, Amy pulled her into the conversation, and the thought faded into the background.

As Amy grabbed the snacks, movies, makeup, and all the girly accessories, she clapped her hands together excitedly. "Alright, let's start the fun!"

She turned to Y/n, eyeing her current outfit just a simple pair of shorts and a T-shirt. "We need to get you cute pajamas! Let's see..." Amy hummed, walking over to her closet, rummaging for something in Y/n's f/c to match her fur

Meanwhile, Rouge leaned back on the couch, her sharp eyes settling on Y/n. "You know, I couldn't help but notice something... Shadow smelled like mint earlier," she mused. "And Tails told me you went to the forest for mint."

Blaze, who had been quietly sipping her tea, glanced up, now paying closer attention.

Y/n tilted her head, confused. "I don't recall sensing anyone there." She paused, her systems running a quick search.

She scanned for any recorded presence of a "Shadow," but nothing appeared—just a blank space.

Blaze narrowed her eyes slightly. Something about that seemed... off.

"Really? You're not lying to me, are you?" Rouge smirked, watching Y/n carefully.

"Nope. Nothing shows up with the name 'Shadow,' " Y/n answered with a shrug, completely unaware of how strange that sounded.

Rouge's smirk faded slightly, but before she could press further, Amy cut in. "Enough of the personal questions! Here, Y/n, try this on!" She handed her a cute pajama set that were black with white lacy bows on the side and pointed to the room for her to change.

As Y/n stepped away, Blaze leaned forward, her expression thoughtful. "Is she always like that?" she asked. "And... is she really a robot? She looks just like one of us."

Amy sighed, sitting down beside Blaze. "No, she's normally not like that. Weird how did doesn't remember Shadow."

Blaze's ear twitched. "Shadow?"

Amy nodded. "Yeah. Before, she mentioned him a lot—like it was part of her coding or something." She sighed. "And yeah, she's a robot. Tails made her look like us so it wouldn't seem weird."

Blaze thought for a moment. "I'd like to spend time with her alone."

Amy smiled. "You can if you want! Just plan something with her, and she'll remember."

At that, Rouge stood up, stretching her arms. "Well, you girls have fun. I'll be back later." Without another word, she strolled toward the door and slipped outside.

A few moments later, she took to the air, heading straight for the rooftops. She knew exactly where to find Shadow.

—

As Rouge landed on the roof, she spotted Shadow standing near the edge, arms crossed, staring down at the streets below. He was as still as a statue, but she could tell something was bothering him.

She smirked, walking over with her usual confidence. "You've been up here for a while, tough guy."

Shadow didn't turn to look at her. "And?"

Rouge rolled her eyes. "And I noticed a certain someone didn't wave at you today."

His grip on his arms tightened slightly, but he didn't respond.

Rouge continued, "Normally, Y/n at least acknowledges you, but today? Nothing. Like you didn't even exist." She tilted her head, watching him carefully. "So, what happened?"

Shadow remained silent for a long moment before finally muttering, "It's like she doesn't remember me."

Rouge raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's a little dramatic."

Shadow exhaled sharply, his gaze darkening. "It's not just that. She acted... different. Like a complete reset."

Rouge crossed her arms. "Huh. And I bet a certain two-tailed fox had something to do with it."

Shadow didn't say anything, but the slight clench of his jaw was all the confirmation Rouge needed.

She smirked. "So... what are you gonna do about it?"

Shadow's eyes flickered with something unreadable, but he didn't answer.

Rouge chuckled. "Don't tell me you're just gonna let it go."

Shadow looked away. "I don't care."

Rouge laughed. "Sure you don't." She leaned in slightly.

"But if you did care... you'd probably want to do something about it before it's too late."

With that, she spread her wings and took off, leaving Shadow alone with his thoughts.

As the wind rustled around him, he clenched his fists.

He didn't care.

...Right?