Chapter Text
“You are much larger than I expected you to be, and more impressive. You should spar with me in this beastly form of yours.”
Every version of Knuckles gets cut from the same cloth it seems. Though, he supposes being asked for a fight is better than screaming and running, maybe. It’s not like a little friendly spar would be bad either actually, it might help falling asleep come easier tonight. “Okay.” Knuckles reared up, a rare toothy smile shining across his face. “But we have to get permission from your parents and we’re doing it outside.”
Knuckles nodded and ran off, presumably going to find the human Wachowski’s. “You cannot seriously just tell me you agreed to fight a child who you are nearly double the size of.” There goes Shadow, always trying to take the joy and whimsy out of his bad decisions.
They were both sitting on the porch of the house, basking in the moonlight while they could. It would be the perfect night for a run, if he wasn’t so lacking in the speed department. Though the ambient light from the moon could be the perfect battle ground. Maybe, could Knuckles see well in the dark? Well it was fighting in the dark or not fighting at all so it would probably be fine.
“Relaaaax, it’s a friendly little scuffle, and Knuckles is made up of what, one thousand percent muscle or something?” He waved a big paw around, batting off Shadow while being careful of his claws. “It’ll be fine, I taught Tails how to fight. I can handle fighting a version of Knuckles who is really only two years younger than us by the way. Calling him a kid is like, making fun of us both.”
Shadow just grabbed his hand and let out a short huff of air from his nose, which is usually his closest thing to a laugh. “I hope you lose then, your ego could use being dropped down a few notches.”
Sonic pursed his lips and frowned. “You’re so mean sometimes.” He then swung his feet side to side, stumbling as they caught on each other. “He’ll probably win though, I haven’t let loose like this in a while, I’m so clunky.”
Maddie slid the back door open and leaned against the doorway. “So I heard there was a bit of friendly competition in the air.” She closed the door and then squatted next to Sonic and Shadow. “I’m for it, as long as you’re sure you can fight. Oh, and as long as you don’t break anything, including each other.”
“I mean I’m not sure about Knuckles but I do know I’m just doing this for fun, and to get a bit of a stretch in. Scouts Honor.” He went to stick his tongue out before he got caught up on his fangs and instead settled for a mock salute.
“I’ll allow it.” Maddie put her palms up and sighed while smiling. “Though I think you’ll need referee Tom watching to make sure there’s absolutely no funny business going on.”
Sonic chuckled and set his hands on his knees before standing up. “What? Funny business?” He waved his hand and let out a scratchy laugh. “You’ve got the wrong hedgehog, I’d never do anything like that.”
Shadow set a hand on his shoulder and he definitely didn’t jump thank you. “Don’t insult her intelligence like that.” Then he was given a look that he could only awkwardly smile about now, and pray for his safety later.
Maddie just laughed and then covered her mouth with her hand. “You’re fine sweetie, if I needed help managing a Sonic by now I think I’d be out of a home.” She pat Sonic’s head despite the two of them nearly reaching each other in height and merely gave Shadow a quick wink. “I’m going to go grab Knuckles and Tom, a few other viewers might follow along. I'm sure you know how it is. Try your best not to kill each other in the meantime.”
Before either of them could respond, Maddie left the way she came, leaving the two hedgehogs to look at each other and laugh. Though, perhaps it would be more of a soft exhale in Shadow’s case. “Do you even remember how to throw a punch like this?” Shadow had grabbed onto Sonic’s now larger hand with both of his own, raising an eyebrow.
“That assumes that I ever knew what I was doing!” He went to set a finger under his nose before stopping. Things really are a lot harder when your hands double in size quickly, and old habits die hard he supposes. “Truthfully I kind of just ran off of instinct, so it’ll be nice to not have to worry about dying in a fight like this.”
Shadow just blinked slowly, once, twice, before pulling his own hands away and placing them on his face, sighing for a solid five seconds and grumbling. Sonic just raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head. “What was that? You’re kind of all muffled there man.”
“You’re going to get rolled.” Shadow took his hands off his face and crossed his arms, hunching slightly. “You are going to get beaten up and I am going to laugh at you when the Wachowskis have to tell you two to stop rolling around like fools.”
“I mean yeah that’s probably pretty accurate-” He stopped as the back doors opened again, everyone who was previously in the house came out in varying stages of excitement. Knuckles had a smile on his face that Sonic had never even seen on his own version and it only slightly worked to activate his fight or flight response. Only slightly though, don’t listen to what anyone else says.
Tom set a hand on Knuckles’ head, holding Miles with his other free arm. “Alright, basic house rules, no doing anything too dangerous, the whole point of this is for fun. Don’t throw each other. We can't replace the shed for the fifth time and if one of you does do it, you immediately lose. Call uncle if you need to, and I reiterate this again, this is just for fun.”
“No worries Tom, I promise not to cause any property damage, at least on purpose.” He felt a poke in his side and he looked down to see mini Sonic.
He was wiggling his finger in the come here motion. So, he crouched and leaned down only for Sonic Jr. to get on his tippy toes to whisper in his ear. “Please please win so I can finally say that Knuckles lost to a Sonic.” The older Sonic just stood up and laughed, patting his younger copies head.
“I’ll try my best, but don’t get your hopes up too high buddy.” He then hopped off the porch and stretched. “Alright little man come at me.” Knuckles then jumped off the porch running at Sonic full speed.
Tom set Miles down next to Tails, Shadow, and Mini Sonic before sitting on the other end of the porch with Maddie, who just looked at him with a gentle smile and familiar emotions swirling in her eyes. “Oh come on don’t give me that look, you know we can’t keep them.”
“I know that.” She turned to Tom and sighed. “I do.” She turned back to look in the yard and smiled at the two boys play fighting. “Though I wouldn’t mind them staying longer. I know, they have their own universe and lives to be getting to I just-”
“Want to show them love while you can, I get it. This entire week and a half has felt like going down memory lane from when I first found our Sonic.” He closed his eyes briefly and leaned back on his arms. “It’s hard not to get attached even when you know they have to leave. Especially when they so clearly need and deserve love.”
Maddie thumped her foot and gently bit her lip. “All of these near death adventures they mention so casually, Tails acting like Sonic raising him isn’t a big deal. They’re all so young and yet they’ve had to deal with the weight of the world on top of their shoulders.” She clasped her hands together and gently breathed. “These are all things our kid could have gone through if he was never sent to earth and it-”
She stutters and sets a hand on her head. “It terrifies me to know we’re sending them back to that, and they’ll leave without really knowing love and protection.”
Tom looked at her and swallowed. “I wish I could say I felt differently, but we both know I’d be lying.” He looked at Maddie and gave her a subdued smile. “We also both know that they probably won’t fully open up to us even if they’re here for another week.”
“Shadow seems more receptive to our care than either Tails or Sonic, and I think that’s only because he doesn’t care to deflect as much.” Maddie reached out and grabbed Tom's hand, squeezing. “I just wish that for at least one more week they could drop their guard and let us do the protecting.”
Tom squeezed back and pursed his lips. “You and I both know it’s hard to put down a mindset you’ve had to run with for your whole life. Our Sonic didn’t even consider us his parents for over a year. When me and the boys came back earlier this evening, Tails took me aside and said he was grateful about how we handled the whole werehog situation, and I barely even think we did anything?”
“Ugh stop making kidnapping them from their universe forever sound like a good option.” Maddie let go of Tom’s hand and gently punched his shoulder. “We keep treating them how we have, and maybe try to convince Miles and Tails to keep in contact.”
Tom rubbed his shoulder and chuckled. “Fine, no interdimensional accidental child napping just yet. Oh, would you look at that?” His eyebrow raised and he smiled at the scene in front of him.
Sonic had grabbed Knuckles and held him in the air with his arms wrapped around the echidna’s torso multiple times. “I think I won?”
Knuckles was busy kicking his feet and grunting until he gave up and went limp. “I did not know your appendages could stretch. You are a very formidable opponent.”
Tom laughed and scratched the back of his head. “Yeah, I think that means you won kiddo.”