I Am...All of Me

The Priestess and Her Warrior

A/N: I may eventually write a story or series of one-shots dealing with what happened before this moment, but I really wanted to write this part. Maybe someday I'll go back.

As of right now, this is my first time writing this ship, so please let me know if anyone is OOC.
......
Several thousand years ago....

Tikal stood on the last step at the top of the Master Emerald shrine. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her eyes were squinted in an attempt to see past the blinding green light emanating from the powerful jewel. An unearthly wind whipped around her, tugging at her long orange dreds and lashing at her violently. But through the supernatural storm, she could see the outline of a familiar figure.

"Shadow!" she cried, her voice almost lost to the wind. She tried to take another step forward, but she ended up stumbling. She would have surely fallen were it not for a pair of strong, ebony arms holding her upright.

"Tikal!" he shouted over the winds. Even though he was right in front of her, it felt like the air had snatched his words and carried them away. Garnet eyes burned into the sky blue pair staring back at him.

"What are you doing here?!" he demanded.

"I couldn't let you leave without saying goodbye!" she replied, knowing that he would vanish in the blink of an eye and maybe never return. That thought alone was enough to make her latch on to the hedgehog in an uncharacteristic hug.

But sensing her distress, the red-streaked warrior returned the gesture and shielded her from the fierce winds circling around them.

"Just stay here!" the priestess begged, "Please!"

"You know I can't."

His words cut into her heart like a dagger. And they hurt all the more because they were true.

"I have to return to my own time. Maria and the professor are waiting for me aboard the Ark."

The Ark. He had told her of that place. It was a fortress in the stars and Shadow's home. The professor was the one who raised him like a father would, even if he was a human. Shadow had told her that his upbringing was a complicated matter, and she didn't press for more. Now, she wished she did, if only so it would be one more thing she could remember about the man who fell from the stars.

And Maria. The girl must be a literal angel, if she could bring such a loving smile on the face of such a stoic fighter. Tikal hoped that in the short time they had spent together that she had made a place in his heart like Maria obviously has. She would pray that Shadow's human sister would someday get well and bring another smile to the warrior's face.

The echidna priestess felt tears prick her eyes as she buried her face in his white chest fur.

"I will never forget you, Shadow the Hedgehog," she cried softly. The onyx hedgehog hugged her tighter.

"And I will never forget you, Tikal..."

With those final words, he vanished in a flash of the Master Emerald's light.

.............

Present Day

"I still don't see why all of us need to come to this," Shadow huffed as he and Rouge made their way to the Master Emerald shrine on Angel Island.

"Now, now, handsome, you know that it must be important if Big Blue and Knucky call a team meeting."

"But why here? Wouldn't it be easier for everyone if we met at Faker's house like usual?"

Rouge the Bat waved her hand dismissively. "I'm sure all will be explained soon. After all, it must be important if Knuckles is willing to risk letting me within reach of the Master Emerald."

"Fair point," the onyx agent shrugged.

As the two members of Team Dark entered the clearing, Shadow's eyes instantly drifted up to the Master Emerald sitting atop its shrine. Shadow frowned. It was that same jewel that aided his chaos powers, but it also brought him to and tore him away from the only woman he had dared to give his heart to.

"Rouge! Shadow! Good to see you!" Sonic called from the top of the shrine. Shadow teleported himself and Rouge to the top. The blue blur instantly raced up to them, excited about something.

    "Come on! There's someone Knux and I want you to meet," he cheered and pulled Shadow. The onyx agent snatched his arm out of his rival's grasp and marched alongside him, Rouge trailing closely behind.

   As he rounded the Master Emerald, he saw Tails, Knuckles, and Amy talking to someone hidden in their little makeshift circle.

    "Hey, guys!" Sonic waved, "Found Rouge and Shadow."

    "Shadow?" a female voice asked, and said hedgehog stopped in his tracks.

I know that voice....

    Knuckles and Amy shifted to side to reveal an orange echidna girl dressed in a tribal outfit. Her baby blue eyes widened considerably as she met his crimson gaze, and Shadow felt his breath get caught in his throat.

    Sonic attempted to make introductions, obviously curious about his rival's strange behavior. "Rouge, Shadow, meet—"

    "—Tikal," Shadow finished. His voice seemed to snap the echidna girl out of her trance as she launched herself at the hedgehog agent. Shadow quickly caught her with open arms and pulled her close, as if in a single moment she could be ripped away from him.

     He hugged her even tighter as she began to cry, burying her face in his chest like she had so many years ago. Shadow didn't know what to do. He wanted to cry too. It had been so long since he had seen her, and after what happened on the Ark, he thought he would never get the chance to go back in time again.

   But here she was, Tikal the warrior priestess of the Knuckles Tribe and the chieftain's daughter, being held in his arms after being separated by thousands of years.

    Tikal lifted her head, staring into his eyes. She wondered that if she blinked, would he disappear again? She desperately hoped not. She gingerly raised her hand and cupped the side of face, and she felt him do the same.

    Long ago, she had once wondered whether she had a place in his heart like his human sister, a place that would cause him to smile when he thought of her. She now had her answer, as a disbelieving, yet also joyful, smile spread across his tan muzzle. The unnaturally beautiful sight caused her to smile as well.

   But her smile soon fell when his began to fade.

  "How?" he asked, "How are you—?"

        "My father wanted Chaos's power for himself," she began, "Chaos was outraged and nearly wiped out my people. I had to seal him and myself inside the Master Emerald to protect the island."

   Shadow nodded mutely and brushed one of her peach dreds out of her face with his gloved hand.

   "I'm sorry for your people," he whispered, "but I'm glad it meant I could see you again."

    "Uh," Sonic interrupted, "did we miss something?"

   Tikal giggled, her eyes never leaving Shadow's.
"Knuckles," she called, "have you ever heard the legend about the The Priestess and Her Warrior?"

   "Yeah," he shrugged, "but what does that have to do with this?"

    "I found my Warrior again," she smiled. The group of heroes gaped as the unlikely pair surprised them one more time.

   The Priestess and Her Warrior shared a long overdue kiss.
........
A/N: So yeah, something short and sweet. I hope you enjoyed it. I've never written Shadikal before, but the ship interested me.

Don't forget to leave a review and a vote if you liked the chapter. Comment below if you'd like to see more of this, or if there are any other story suggestions you have!