The stamps of hundreds of heels created a raucous bass line beneath the clamor of voices they belonged to. They were but the soles of souls without time to spare. The rolling of backpack wheels on concrete, the static of the intercom, the high-pitched whine of another train as it came to a hasty halt - it was no longer a song to Shadow. It was white noise. It was numbness. It was nothing. How many hours had he slept, two or three? Was that for the night or the week? He'd lost count, counting backwards from his current misery. Even the ultimate life form needs sleep.

Apathy was everywhere. Shadow's quills, coat and breath followed the wind of the cabins coming and going. He held tight to his briefcase, containing the documents he had spent hours preparing the night prior. Another G.U.N. meeting. It was the same song. It was the same song on repeat again and again. It was nothing. Because Shadow felt nothing. Even his fingers were numb against his briefcase, from the cold or fatigue, he didn't know. Perhaps it was a metaphor for his baggage; such a thought would have stung him so.

Shadow slammed his head back against the column he leaned against, a motion far too weak to return him to slumber. Still, he savored the pinch in the back of his skull. Anything to keep himself awake. Suddenly, the intercom crackled. It was the same voice. It was the same line. It was damning.

"Train sixteen to Central City," the automated voice rang out.

Shadow squeezed the handle of his briefcase. His briefcase. What was the most destructive weapon ever created doing holding a briefcase, anyway? That thought made the hedgehog's head pound in frustration. He felt a slight tug in his arm. A cruel motion of fate swung Shadow's case loose, spilling hundreds of important documents into the cool open. A gust of wind swept through the station, almost toying with Shadow's already glum conscience. The papers waltzed through the air like the tip of a paintbrush on canvas, each stroke serving to immortalize this miserable comedic masterpiece Shadow found himself in.

The hedgehog could already visualize himself at his desk, filling out all those papers again. He had never felt a desire to die before, but in that moment, he cursed his immortality. Perhaps he could simply disappear, change jobs, move planets - anything to get away from his responsibilities. 'What has happened to me,' he pondered, stuck in a silent bout of wonder.

Yet, with half-lidded eyes, Shadow watched his hard work flow free in the wind. It swept the indifferent floor. It caught on indifferent strangers. It hid in the indifferent train tracks. All to get away from him. It almost made no difference to him at all anymore, whether the seeds of his past stayed or went. It was freeing. Shadow was prepared to accept this, and moved onward to catch his train, when the effervescent silhouette of a woman caught the edge of his sight.

When Shadow turned, he found an orange echidna wearing thin-rimmed circular glasses and a familiar work uniform. She was leaping in place to catch some of the loose papers, her intentions as pure as her smile. That smile was the biggest Shadow had ever seen during a morning commute. Perhaps ever. It was abnormal. It was trance-inducing. It was almost enough to make it seem like her actions weren't pointless.

Still, Shadow faltered not in his guise of apathy. When the echidna approached him, she smiled as if she had just seen a child take its first steps. She handed over the fistfuls of crinkled papers, and Shadow could see no other person in that moment. It was just her. Her kindness, her demeanor, her beauty - it trumped every other external stimulus. Finally, at long last, it was something new.

The situation was so extraordinary that Shadow couldn't bring himself to brush the gesture off, as he typically would have. Instead, he stood paralyzed, his mouth slightly open as if he wanted to say something. Nothing came to him. Shadow simply stared at the papers like unexpected gifts. Finally, he rested his tongue on the back of his teeth.

"Thank you," Shadow eased those words from his throat, and winced as he realized the window for such a response had passed. Still, it didn't seem to faze the echidna.

"No problem," she answered softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't save any more. You're Shadow, correct?"

The hedgehog felt his blood rush. He knew he had seen her somewhere before; she worked at G.U.N. as well. Yes, that was it. She was a secretary. Shadow nodded.

The echidna extended her hand with another smile, which only further tightened Shadow's muscles. He returned the gesture, though he feared what she might think of his sweat-covered palms. She didn't seem to notice.

"Tikal," she offered, "it's nice to finally meet you."

Careful not to give way to another awkward silence, Shadow snapped back to attention. "Likewise," he replied, perhaps too quickly this time.

Whether time skipped forward, or backward, or if the whole conversation was a dream, Shadow wished he knew. The next sight he saw was Tikal entering the sea of people crowding into the train cabin. She walked with such elegance - how had he never noticed her beauty before? Shadow shook his head at the thought. He was just tired, surely. That was the problem from which all his feelings stemmed, it seemed, and this was no different. Shadow was sure of it.

Shadow was sure of it; until he found himself leaving the train station and heading home, that is. He wouldn't travel to work. He would deal with the consequences at a later date. He would call Rouge and falsely complain of a headache. Actually, the power of suggestion told him that wasn't so false anymore.

Whether Shadow needed sleep or a psychiatrist, he had to settle his mind. As he walked, he felt as though his emotions were pacing him. He felt them on the back of his neck like the breath of a trailing stranger. He couldn't get away. Each time he turned a corner, he would think of her smile. Each time he gained a step, he felt her hand on his. Each time he closed his eyes, he felt oddly happy in her company.

Shadow hardly opened his eyes until he was studying the ceiling of his bedroom once more. He clasped his hands against his chest, feeling himself breathe deeply, trying anything to quell that fire, to fix his unrest. Nothing worked. Silhouettes of emotion crept up Shadow's wall, swallowing his conscience and feeding his soliloquy. He whispered nonsense to himself, words he had never spoken before. "Am I in love?"

No, he thought. She was just an aesthetically pleasing girl. She was pleasant to look at. She was pleasant to talk to. She was pleasant to think about. She was beautiful. She had beautiful hair ornaments that were clipped to her beautiful dreadlocks, which perfectly captured her beautiful face. As Shadow embraced these thoughts, he felt something strange. He felt happiness.

Happiness. Just from thoughts. Just from her. Just from an act of kindness. Shadow felt secure because Tikal helped him for no reason. No, he thought, it was deeper than that. Tikal reminded him of Maria. They shared the same innocent demeanor - the same naïve desire to help others. Shadow shook his head again. It was one time; perhaps he shouldn't be too hasty.

Either way, as Shadow drifted into a much needed slumber, he realized he had an important choice to make. He could either keep these feelings balled up in his core, or he could pursue them and have a chance at happiness. Perhaps these feelings would pass as quickly as they were realized.

Then again, perhaps Shadow would ask Tikal about herself tomorrow.

what's up peoples. i think this is the first shadikal fic i've actually published? crazy bc i love this ship so much, it's good and pure. i originally posted this on ao3! because i'm doing that now for whatever reason. i'm not leaving fanfiction tho, i'll continue to post stuff here alongside my account over there.

i wrote this mostly bc i've been obsessing over the quality of my work lately. what else is new. but ye i just wanted to make something "beautiful" or "amazing" because i often get into slumps where i feel like i can't do that, even if i tried. so i tried really hard with my descriptions and word choices on this one. i hope you enjoyed the read; have a great day everyone.