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Shadow•Pov
The city below was restless, the lights of buildings flickered against the darkening sky. But none of it mattered to me.

Not when something felt off.

Y/n had always acknowledged me—whether it was a simple wave, a greeting, or even just a glance. But today? She acted like I was just another stranger. Like I didn't exist.

Like she didn't remember me at all.

Rouge's words lingered in my mind.

"And I bet a certain two-tailed fox had something to do with it."

Tails.

I narrowed my eyes, fists clenching at my sides. I had no proof yet, but I didn't need it. The sudden change in Y/n, her lack of recognition, the way she spoke like she had been... reset.

It all pointed to one thing—Tails tampered with her.

I pushed off from the rooftop, landing soundlessly in the alley below. If Tails thought he could rewrite Y/n's memory and erase me from it, he was sorely mistaken.

And he was going to regret it.

—

Tails' workshop wasn't far. I knew he'd still be awake, probably working on some upgrade or tweaking another one of his machines. The fox never slept when he had a project to focus on.

Good.

Because I had questions.

I approached the workshop door and, rather than knock, simply pushed it open. The hinges creaked as the metal door swung inward, revealing the dimly lit room filled with tools, blueprints, and scattered parts.

Tails, sitting at his workbench, barely glanced up. "Shadow?" He didn't sound surprised to see me. "What are you doing here?"

I stepped inside, letting the door shut behind me. "Cut the act. I know what you did."

Tails finally turned to face me, his expression unreadable. "You're going to have to be more specific."

I wasn't in the mood for games. "Y/n. You erased her memories, didn't you?"

His ears twitched. "That's a pretty bold accusation."

I took a step closer. "I don't make accusations. I state facts."

Tails sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Shadow, it's not what you think—"

"It's exactly what I think." My voice came out colder than I intended, but I didn't care. "She doesn't remember me. Not even a trace. And you're the only one with access to her systems."

Tails hesitated. That was all the confirmation I needed.

My fists clenched. "Why?"

Tails let out a slow breath before meeting my gaze. "Because it was for her own good."

That made my blood boil.

"Her own good?" I repeated, voice laced with disbelief. "And who gave you the right to decide that?"

Tails expression hardened. "I built her, Shadow. I designed her to help people—not to be confused about her existence, not to struggle with things she wasn't meant to. She's a machine, and machines don't need complicated emotions getting in the way."

He was trying to sound logical. Rational.

I saw it for what it was—an excuse.

"She's more than just a machine." My voice was low but firm. "She had thoughts. She had choices. And you took that away from her."

Tails looked away. "I didn't want her to feel lost. If she realized she was just a robot, she might've—" He cut himself off, exhaling sharply. "I did what I thought was best."

I stared at him for a long moment.

This wasn't about what was best for Y/n. This was about control.

And I wasn't going to let him get away with it.

"You can erase me from her memory," I said darkly. "But you can't erase me from her life."

Tails' eyes widened slightly, but I didn't wait for a response. I turned on my heel and strode toward the exit.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

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3rd•Pov
Y/n stepped out of the room, her neutral expression reflecting the simplicity of the moment. The white lacy bows on her pajamas caught her attention, their delicate appearance adding a soft, almost whimsical touch.

"CUTE!" Amy squealed, her eyes lighting up as she took in Y/n's appearance. "You look adorable!"

"Thank you!" Y/n replied, her voice calm, "So, what's next?" Y/n asked, her tone curious, almost as if it were a standard query of what was to follow.

"Ooo, we should do each other's makeup!" Rouge suggested excitedly. She always loved getting her makeup done by Amy there was something about the way Amy applied blush that made her feel confident.

"Well, I'll do Y/n's makeup" Blaze offered, gently guiding Y/n to the stool. "Y/n, right?"

"Mhm!" Y/n replied, her head tilting slightly. Her software confirmed her name, a simple program check to ensure the response was correct.

Blaze paused for a brief moment before continuing, as if trying to process her own question. "I was wondering if you'd like to hang out tomorrow. Maybe we could go for breakfast?"

Y/n processed the request just as she would with any other data. "And time?" she asked, her voice unaltered.

Blaze smiled, satisfied with Y/n's response. "How about in the morning? I'll invite you for breakfast... Wait, can you eat breakfast?"

Y/n took a second, her system briefly glitching as it ran the necessary checks. "Yes, but it has to be oil and bolts" she answered with the same neutral tone with a small giggle.

Blaze blinked at Y/n but quickly nodded. "Oh, okay. Well, I'll check with Tails to see what we can do!" she said, her hands working deftly as she began styling Y/n's hair into two neat buns. Y/n's ears twitched instinctively at the sensation, and her tail swayed with every movement.

"I'm surprised you have one tail and not two like Tails." Blaze remarked with a soft chuckle. "But hey, it's still cute!"

Y/n giggled lightly,"I guess I'm just special this way" she replied, her tone light, Blaze smiled as she finished the hairstyle, pleased with her work.

Blaze Hangout: Tomorrow Morning

Blaze smiled again, stepping back as she took a moment to admire her work. "It's now in my software" Y/n said, as Blaze held up a mirror.

"Look how pretty!" Blaze exclaimed softly, her voice full of warmth as she gazed at Y/n through the reflection.

Y/n looked into the mirror, seeing the neat buns, the bows, and the overall polished appearance. There was a slight wave of pride or excitement.

"Wow..." Y/n said, her voice distant, almost flat. The reflection didn't hold any emotional significance for her. It was simply a result of the task being completed.

Blaze smiled warmly at Y/n through the mirror, feeling a little proud of the work she'd done. "You look great." she complimented softly.

"Thank you" Y/n replied, her expression neutral, her voice polite. In her world, emotions had no place. She wasn't sure why she couldn't feel them, only that they weren't there. It didn't bother her—she had no reference to compare it to but she swore she was able to feel emotions.

With her hair done, Y/n's mind drifted onto the next task, processing what was to come. Tomorrow would be another piece of data just a quiet certainty that the cycle would continue.