Chapter Text
Music floated through the air as Sonic trudged back into the main hall, barely aware enough to avoid the waiters still bustling in and out of the kitchen.
A full band was stationed near the entrance of the hall, playing an upbeat jazzy tune as guests continued to mingle and booze. It felt hotter inside, more sunlight filtering through the sunroof as the heat of the day brought a still, humid air to the main hall. Sonic tugged at his collar uselessly, sweat continuing to trickle down his neck and soaking the dress shirt beneath his suit.
At least he wasn’t shaking anymore.
With a sigh, Sonic pulled his earpiece out of his pocket, shoving it back in his ear and bracing for the sound of Shadow screeching. To his surprise, all he could hear was static feedback.
Frowning, Sonic pulled the comm back out, tapping at it a few times. Shoot, had he broken it when he shoved the thing in his pocket? The static still hadn’t stopped when he put it back in his ear, the buttons on the side doing nothing to change the pitchy frequency or static flowing through.
“Shadow?” He whispered, continuing to press uselessly at the comm. “Rouge? Anyone?”
Nothing but static.
Sonic groaned, putting the useless earpiece back in his pocket. Nothing I could do about it now, he figured, and continued to maneuver around guests in the room until he reached the same corner he’d been before.
To his dismay, far more guests had shown up during his absence, and the whole room was packed to the brim with nobility chattering and eating various appetizers. The back corner, which had previously been empty, now seemed to be the spot for various couples to obscenely make out with each other. Sonic made a face as he watched a younger looking gerbil couple practically eat each other’s mouths, barely disguised by the wooden pillars they stood behind.
Even teenage nobility would still act like teenagers, it seemed.
Begrudgingly, Sonic grabbed some random glass off a tray and leaned against the wall, surveying the crowd of guests around the hall. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary yet, though he wasn’t sure he’d be able to tell if there was.
There were just too many people; humans and mobians alike, their bodies constantly moving and shifting in endless blurs of poofy color.
From somewhere above, a disembodied voice boomed across the entirety of the main hall.
“Attention guests! The wedding reception will proceed in twenty minutes, please make your way to your seats.”
Sonic jolted, internally trying to decipher where in this old decrepit castle they could’ve possibly installed a sound system. All around him, the guests began to flood toward the center of the hall where the bright white altar and guest seating were set up. He frowned, scanning the room again for any sign of sinister activity. It was impossible to identify individual guests at all, the already packed ballroom turning into an endless swarm of glittering fabrics.
He’d just have to hope the assassin was just as confused as he was.
Sonic began to move toward the middle of the hall with the other guests, narrowly avoiding stepping on toes or the ends of dresses as he went. It was nearly impossible to avoid touching the other guests as they all surged forward, a rainbow of packed bodies huddling close to the center of the room.
“Sorry, ‘scuse me,” he muttered as he lightly elbowed an elderly cheetah woman, earning a disgusted huff and a glare from the woman’s husband. Sonic simply shook his head and trekked forward, slamming right into yet another guest and earning himself a mouthful of quills.
With a jolt, Sonic stumbled backward to get away, only to slam right back into another guest. Panicked, he flung himself back forward, his foot catching on the back of the first guest’s dress and sending them both tumbling to the floor in a heap.
“Fuck, I am so, so sorry–” Sonic stammered as he tried to push himself up, his gloved hands getting caught in the bright red dress beneath him. The guest beneath him slammed their hands against his chest as they writhed to get him off, sending Sonic tumbling backwards to the floor. His head smacked against the stone with a thwack, sending a harsh jolt of pain through the base of his skull.
He groaned, vision swimming as he stared up at the concerned looking guests beginning to surround him on all sides. Distantly, he felt the guest beside him pull their dress out from underneath his torso, their head coming into view as they shifted to kneel above him.
Familiar red eyes bore into his own.
Sonic couldn’t quite place where he’d seen the stranger, her deep black quills seemingly haloed by the bright light shining from above, giving her an angelic hue. Her sparkled attire matched her deep scarlet eyes, the strapless dress showing off curved shoulders and a small amount of white chest fur peeking out from beneath the top.
“Are you an angel?” Sonic slurred, vision slowly beginning to stop spinning and return to normal. The guest’s face contorted slightly, her eyebrows creasing in some form of anger as she looked down at him in confusion.
Hands suddenly propped Sonic into a seated position, his head still aching slightly as he leaned forward to press his shoulder into his gloved palms. He forced his head back up, looking around at the guests surrounding him.
“Nothing to see here folks! Keep on going to the reception,” he laughed, massaging his head gently as he ushered the noble folk away from him. Most of the guests nodded and kept walking, the crowd around them gradually thinning out.
“I am so sorry by the way–” Sonic started, turning back to the girl in the red dress, only to find angry eyes staring into his soul.
“What. The hell. Did you do,” an uncharacteristically deep voice snarled from the guest, teeth bared in rage.
Sonic jolted back, wrenching himself out of the grip and nearly toppling back to the ground before stopping himself.
Wait.
He knew that voice.
“Shadow??” Sonic whispered incredulously, staring into the very angry looking face of Shadow the Hedgehog, currently perfectly dolled up in red eyeshadow, lipstick, and a gorgeous dress.
Shadow’s hand clamped over his mouth, the ebony hedgehog leaning in close and shushing him harshly.
“You blew our cover to the princess!” he whisper-shouted in his ear, their faces so close that Sonic could also smell a faint floral perfume wafting off Shadow’s neck. “And then you broke the communicator!”
Sonic stilled, breathing heavily as Shadow retreated from his face, daintily brushing off his dress and pushing himself to his feet. He did not offer Sonic a hand up, simply staring at him in pure disgust as he scrambled to his own feet after him.
“W-wait, I-”
Shadow scoffed and turned around, disappearing into the crowd within seconds.
Shit.
Sonic scrambled to his feet, pushing himself forward and elbowing his way after Shadow as quickly as he could. He didn’t bother to apologize to the various strangers he crashed into, eyes trained on the disappearing black and red quills ahead of him.
“Shads!” he called out, huffing slightly as he tried to ignore the new throb in the back of his head. “Wait!”
As he pushed through the crowd, Sonic stared in disbelief at the sequined red dress that flowed easily over Shadow’s body, accentuating curves Sonic wasn’t aware he even had. When Shadow had mentioned a disguise, this certainly wasn’t what Sonic had envisioned.
Suddenly, Shadow whipped around, nearly causing Sonic to crash into him a second time.
“Stop. Calling. My. Name.” he growled, hand yanking down on Sonic’s tie with enough ferocity to send him stumbling.
Sonic nearly choked, grasping at Shadow’s hands as he attempted to breathe through the tightening grip of the fabric around his neck.
“Sh- a—ach–”
“You don’t know me. My name is not Shadow. And you will absolutely not come near me the rest of the night, understood?” Shadow seethed. Sonic nodded quickly, gasping for breath as Shadow’s grip around his tie only seemed to tighten.
“Good.”
Like flipping a switch, Shadow’s scowling face morphed to a perfect neutral, hands releasing Sonic’s tie and settling down to smooth the shining sequins on his dress.
Sonic gasped for air, coughing and hacking furiously as he leaned on his knees and tried to catch his breath. Before he could even look up, a small circular object was shoved in his face.
“Your new comm. Don’t break this one,” Shadow warned, a furious undertone still present to his now softer voice.
Sonic simply nodded and shoved the new device into his ear, cringing when he was immediately met with the disjointed sound of Rouge’s raucous laughter.
“Oh, Blue! You should have heard– snrk– oh I can’t even-”
Sonic groaned, covering his face with his hands.
“...oh he is going to KILL you when this is over–”
“Yeah yeah,” Sonic grumbled, standing up straight and trying to ignore the pain now in his head and throat. “Tell me something useful instead, maybe?”
“Sure hon, whatever makes you feel better~” Rouge snickered into his ear, the noise only grating against the dull throb in the back of his head. Shit, how hard did he hit the floor?
Sonic rubbed the back on his head, relieved not to find any signs of blood. He shook himself out and started forward again towards the seats. It didn’t matter. Focus on the mission.
“I’m stationed on the roof near the middle opening,” Rouge informed him. “I have eyes on both of you. Sonic, I want you on the opposite side of the room as Shadow to cover more ground. Head to the left seat section and sit in the very back. I’m still not sure what you’re looking for, but keep an eye out for any sudden movements or suspicious activity.”
“Right,” he said, shifting his stance and walking to the left side of the seats. Now that he knew what to look for, it was easy to spot the shimmering red dress and black quills across the crowd maneuvering toward the opposite section.
It was hard not to stare.
Even with all the luxurious fabrics surrounding the black hedgehog, that sleek red dress stood apart from the rest, catching the light in a way that seemed to bend reality around his lithe figure. Shadow’s typically upturned quills were styled down, appearing much longer and sleeker than they typically would.
Even that characteristic Shadow scowl seemed less sharp- his face transformed into a thing of soft, simple beauty.
“Eyes on the prize, Blue,” came Rouge’s sultry chuckle in his ear, and Sonic realized with a start just how long he’d been gawking at Shadow. He blushed and tore his eyes away, willing himself to scan the crowd for an empty seat.
The mission. Just focus on the mission.
Quickly, Sonic made his way to the very back row and plopped himself down next to a disgruntled looking human couple.
Vigor renewed, Sonic eyed the humans carefully, the two being the first he’d seen up close that night. He knew the assassin could be anyone, but due to the newly fraught mobian-human relations, humans were far more suspicious.
He sighed. Since he’d driven Eggman out of the Mobian islands with the help of human armies, Sonic had hoped that tensions between the groups would lessen. Hating Eggman was one thing, but all human nations? He couldn’t understand it.
Then again, the United Federations hadn’t exactly been helpful in building any sort of mutual respect with the mobian nations, its foolish new president making insane claims of colonization and new rulership. How anyone would elect an idiot like that into office was beyond him.
Foolishly, he’d hoped Eggman was the only bad human he knew. But with every new interaction with the government, his resolve grew thin.
Sonic shook himself out of his thoughts as serene music began to drift through the hall, ushering all the seated guests into silence. He gave a final sideways glance to the older gentleman next to him, taking in the saggy wrinkles and bald head that characterized elderly human males. He didn’t exactly look the assassin type, but Sonic decided he’d keep an eye on him, just in case.
The music continued to swell across the hall, the sun now perfectly aligned with the sunroof to illuminate the small wooden altar in the very center of the large room. From the hall’s entrance, Sonic could see the beginnings of the wedding procession trailing down the hall toward the center.
He turned away from the line of noble families trailing into the room, instead opting to scan the rows of people ahead of him. Any hints of sudden movement, a glint of light bouncing off a firearm, anything. Looking over the sea of color, Sonic noted that there were a lot more humans than he’d noticed previously. Shit, maybe an assassin would be much harder to pick out than he thought.
A trumpet blared from the center of the room, drawing the eyes of the guests back to the altar. A beaver, adorned with gold and white robes lowered his instrument and raised his hands to address the crowd.
“Now presenting, his grace, the Duke of the Hazelnut family; Orion the Chipmunk!”
Sonic clapped politely with the rest of the crowd, craning his head to see the new figure entering the grand hall.
“That’s our groom,” Rouge’s voice came from his earpiece, low and stern. “Be ready to move at any moment now, we don’t know exactly when they’ll strike.”
Flicking his eyes across the room, Sonic watched as the Duke reached the altar and shook hands with the priest, the chipmunk appearing incredibly short in comparison to the elderly beaver. Sonic snorted. He knew it wasn’t very nice to judge someone based on their height, but he could tell that he would be much smaller in comparison to Sally as well.
A pang of guilt filled Sonic’s stomach. He hadn’t even known who Sally was marrying before the wedding, never seen the man in person. He hadn't ever bothered to reach out to her, try to make things right, be friends, nothing.
Staring at the line of groomsmen and bridesmaids in their matching brown suits and green dresses, he couldn’t help but feel jealous. He could be up there, one of Sally’s oldest and most trusted friends. He, who had saved the Acorn kingdom from ruin by Sally’s side for years. He, who was the reason this castle was even still standing, having stopped Eggman from blowing it to smithereens.
He, who ran away from his girlfriend at the first sign of confrontation, the first sign that things were getting real.
The first sign of commitment.
The first sign of love.
Sonic swallowed away the lump growing in his throat and closed his eyes.
Now isn’t the time for that.
He’d have plenty of time to feel guilty once Sally and her groom were safely married and on their merry way to their honeymoon.
Lightly slapping the side of his face, Sonic turned his attention to the guests standing closest to the altar, the ones with the easiest access to the bride and groom. The people in the front row were nobles of utmost importance, with Sonic recognizing King Acorn and other squirrels from their family. He presumed the chipmunks sitting just next to them were the family of the groom, making it less likely that they would be the ones to cause trouble.
Or so he assumed. For all Sonic knew, there could be a corrupt family member or someone holding a grudge just hoping to get revenge. Stationed just next to the altar and the Acorn family were a line of guards, each scanning the room with their own concern. At least if something went wrong, Sonic might have some help in taking down the attackers.
Unless of course, they were posing as a guard. Sonic frowned at the realization, taking the time to scrutinize each armored guard near the altar. A guard would be the perfect disguise to get close to the royal family without them noticing, and have a weapon on hand that was fully justified to carry around.
Sonic cupped his mouth and spoke as low as he could.
“I’m keeping an eye on the guards. It’s possible one of them could be a spy for the attacker, using their position to get close.”
Rouge hummed thoughtfully, the sound low and soothing in Sonic’s ear.
“You could be right…” she trailed off. “Shadow, I want you to get closer to the stage. Sonic, stay where you are and keep looking at the crowd. Keep me updated.”
“Got it,” he responded, eyes trailing back to the rows and rows of people sitting in front of him.
Flicking his eyes to where he knew Shadow was sitting, Sonic watched as bright red fabric came into view, swishing as Shadow effortlessly maneuvered through the crowd until he was nearly at the front. He sat politely at the end of the third row, taking the time to smooth out his glossy quills and pull the wrinkles out of his dress.
Sonic stared, mesmerized. The dress sat so naturally on him, like it wasn’t the oddest thing in the world for The Ultimate Lifeform to look like a supermodel. He looked like he belonged next to all those nobles, just another girl with access to all the money in the world and more power than she’d ever know what to do with.
Somehow, when it was Shadow, the thought of that stuffy dress didn’t bring up lingering feelings of disgust or resentment. No, the heat in his cheeks was far too strong for that, a simmering under his skin that left him aching and wanting to get as close to Shadow as possible.
Was he… attracted to Shadow?
Sonic nearly jolted at the thought, earning himself a side eye from the old man next to him. No no no, it couldn’t be that. It was just the dress, it had to be. He looked like a beautiful woman, why wouldn’t he be attracted! It wasn’t Shadow.
There was no way.
Another trumpet rang out from the altar, all of the wedding procession finally stationed in their places. The only thing missing was—
“Presenting her royal highness, the crowned princess of the Acorn Kingdom and heir to the throne— Princess Sally Acorn!”
Sonic cringed as the floor broke out into raucous applause, the shrill sounds of whooping and cheering making his ears ring. If Rouge or Shadow were trying to talk to him through the earpiece, he wouldn’t have a clue.
Clearly, Sally had made her mark as one of the more popular monarchs in the Mobian kingdoms. From her brilliant leadership in the rebellion against Dr. Eggman, to all her new laws strengthening the kingdom and caring for its citizens, she was in no want of fans. The only mobian so well known and liked would be, well, him, he supposed.
Even among human nations, the happenings of Princess Sally Acorn drew plenty of media attention, from her proposed laws, to her new projects, and even what outfit she happened to be wearing on a particular day.
And speaking of outfits…
Sonic could hear some oohs and aahs as Sally trailed gracefully down the aisle, her sheer white dress leaving a long train of fabric behind her. Up the sides of the dress were rich, olive green embroidered fabric, curling into shapes of trees and flowers.
Her face was covered with a white veil, something out of a tradition he supposed, but it left him with a lingering feeling of guilt. Maybe he shouldn’t have told her about the assassination plot after all. He’d already practically ruined her wedding day with his presence, and now she had to worry about her and the Duke’s life being threatened?
She could be sobbing in fear underneath that veil for all he knew. Her one happy day, supposed to be all about her and her love, soiled forever by the prospect of death.
Rouge’s voice crackled in his ear.
“Shadow, we have movement. Guard on your right, the tall grey wolf.”
Sonic whipped his head back to the altar, scanning each of the guards until he found the right one.
“I have eyes on him,” Shadow whispered, his voice cutting out just slightly. “Left hand in his pocket, gripping some sort of object. No other guards performing the same movement.”
“I see him too,” Sonic said, straining his head to get a closer look at the wolf guard. Sure enough, his hand was moving in his pocket, though from far away Sonic couldn’t quite tell if he was gripping something or not.
“Shadow, get closer—“
“Wait,” Shadow said gruffly, cutting Rouge off. “He stopped.”
“Maybe he was just itching his crotch or something,” Sonic snorted, knowing Shadow couldn’t yell at him in the middle of the wedding.
Even from across the room, Sonic could see Shadow’s face twitch in rage, his signature frown deepening comically.
“Why you little—“
“Hold on hon, he might actually have a point there,” Rouge butted in, saving Sonic’s sensitive ears from another beating. “His hand is stationed back on his royal spear now, and it looks like there’s nothing in his pants… except for the obvious, of course.”
Rouge gave a little chuckle at that.
“Stay put boys, I’ll let you know if you need to move.”
Sonic breathed a sigh of relief as he looked at the guard, his stature now identical to the rest beside him.
He turned his attention back to the altar, where Sally had finally reached her groom and the priest in the center. Delicately, the Duke placed his hands on either side of the veil to uncover her face, revealing those bright blue eyes and small smile.
Too far away to tell her emotions, Sonic could only assume she looked happy enough. At least she wasn’t crying.
“And now,” began the priest, gesturing to the chipmunk Duke, “the groom and bride will exchange their vows.”
The short chipmunk cleared his throat, his large cheeks curling up as he gave a huge smile to his bride.
“Wow… I uh—“ he cleared his throat, his voice choked up with emotion. “Sorry, this is just a big day for me.
The Duke pulled a crumpled up sheet of paper from his suit jacket with shaking hands, unraveling it painstakingly slowly as he continued to stutter.
Sonic cringed and looked away, turning his attention back to his surroundings. He gave another half-hearted scan of the crowd, pleased and also annoyed that there was no movement for him to focus on.
No trouble, no threat, no nothing.
Just him, the wedding, and his mistakes.
Turning back to the altar, Sonic realized with a start that Sally was staring in his direction. No, she was looking directly at him.
He gulped as the two made eye contact, her face hardening into something unreadable.
It had always been hard to look Sally in the eyes, that harsh blue that always seemed to stare right through your body and straight into your soul.
Eyes that knew exactly what you did wrong.
Sally turned back to her groom, face back to its normal smiling position. But the message in those eyes was clear, just as real as the sickening gurgle of guilt and regret curled in Sonic’s stomach.
He shouldn’t be here.
“And now, Princess Sally will say her vows.”