I was just sitting at the kitchen table, at the time it was the only thing that I could think of doing...for right now, I know that I was on call with G.U.N, but I just couldn't bring myself to do anything, besides wanting to complete that painting that I had started to add on to. Last night.

The black hedgehog looked down at his hands he could see that they had started to shake on their own...something that wasn't new to him. Every so often he would just get that feeling that something was missing. An empty space within him that just won't go away no matter how much he tries to fill it.

Whether that be pushing that feeling to the side, or downright just using his friends to fill in that void. But even that wasn't enough to make that feeling go away.

"You should find happiness...whether that be the humans...or mobians."

Those words still haunted him even when he had amnesia it was the same voice, the same dying tone...but yet he just couldn't find that.

His hand only closed around nothing, he just had a feeling that someone was holding his hand...but again it was just his imagination. Since there was no one beside him to comfort him in this time of need.

Alone...I feel alone...

He thought to himself as he just watched his hand reopen, again not feeling anything...but his mind was giving him a vision of him holding that blue hedgehog's hand...he could feel his thumb brushing against the palm of the sickly hedgehog's hand.

Come back to me...Maurice...please...

He hadn't realized that his eyes had started to water, from him just thinking about his lost companion, whom he had spent most of his life with...the only interaction that he had besides those scientists, and Gerald. Before he knew it his eyes suddenly closed as he started to just let his mind fill his vision of reality.

✩ ✩ ✩

The moment that I reopened my eyes, I saw that was back on the Ark, but it didn't look like the Ark of the past, but the Ark with all of its empty glory. I was standing in front of the window from Maurice and I was always looking out at the planet. I only placed my hand on the leftover handprint that hadn't been cleaned in years.

"It's amazing is it?"

I flinched when I heard his voice, I felt myself shaking, in both sorrow and joy...I immediately turned to face him, he looked better...not as sickly as he did when we were living on the Ark, his kept blue quills, vibrant green eyes, and a healthy muzzle. He was still wearing the same sweater and baggy sweatpants. "Maurice..." I shakenly called out. I reached my hand out to touch the hedgehog that was beside me.

"Hey, Shady" The blue hedgehog responded, calling him by a nickname that he had given to the black hedgehog...his time on the Ark. He only leaned into my hand with his muzzle, as he reached out to wipe away my tears from my eyes.

"I know this is a dream...but if it's the only chance that I'm going to get to see you, then I don't even want to wake up," I said, my tears not stopping, I could feel my lip quivering and my breaths becoming more shaky. I just held the blue hedgehog's hand to my face, giving the soft pads soft kisses.

"Shadow..." he called out to him, I could tell by the tone in his voice that was hurting...did have that same empty feeling that I have? But further looking at his expression, I can see that he was concerned about me. He had that same look on his face just as Rouge did when I refused to share more on how I felt each day.

"What's wrong Maurice?..."

"Listen Shadow...you need to move on."

I really couldn't believe what I was hearing. How could I move on...is he that void that I was missing? That ever-lasting feeling of loneliness that I've been feeling since the first time that I have been awaken. "I..." I only tighten my grip on his hand, pulling it closer to me, and making him come closer to him.

"You know I can't...all that I think about...you fill in that void that I've been missing since I regained my memories," I explained to him, at this point I can just feel myself starting to sob...with every word that came out of my mouth.

He only looked away from me, before he grabbed a hold of both of my hands. "Shadow...I know that you miss me, and I miss you too...you were the first friend that made me feel mobian, thank just some sick weakling that was struggling to just live a basic life. But you have to move on...this is unhealthy."

"But there is nothing left for me on Mobius...I did everything, that I could to keep your promise...but l-live without is like agony." I tell him, only reaching my hands to feel his soft face, he was so close to me...but yet so far.

"You have a lot to do on Mobius, more than you think..."

He started to fade away from me...not again, I can't lose him again...not when I was too close to filling that empty void in my heart. "No...Maurice please...don't go"

✩ ✩ ✩

There was a sudden grasp that came out of the black hedgehog's mouth, his crimson eyes darted around the room as if he was looking for something, or rather someone. But he only saw that he was kitchen area of his shared apartment. Reaching up to feel his muzzle...he felt tears staining his muzzle, shaking again he only placed his hand over his head starting to just sob again.

This was the first time in his life that he had been able to touch him, and hold him, like that...just looking into his eyes, gorgeous emerald eyes. But like always when he was close to admitting something that he didn't know what that something was, the dream started to fade away and he was forced back into reality. A reality that he didn't want to be in for much longer.

There have to be some memories that he was messing, with to help him to get closer to understanding why this empty feeling is.