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It had been a quiet day on the island, the sun’s heat gradually lessening as evening made its way closer. Sonic was contentedly swinging in his hammock, staring out at the blissfully calm ocean that was decorated with the colours of the nearing sunset, waves slowly making their way to the shore before retreating once more.
There hadn’t been an Eggman attack that day, so he and his friends had been left to enjoy themselves for once, playing on the beach before having a mediocre meal at meh-burger and going home once more. It was nice, not having responsibilities for even a short time, and at that thought he closed his eyes and listened to the waves.
Right up until a sharp light flashed behind his eyes.
Eyes shooting open, he irritably went to retort, but the words caught in his throat as soon as he processed who exactly was standing in front of him.
“Evening, faker.”
“Shadow? What are you doing here, Egghead isn’t around if you’re looking for him.”
“Hmph, what would I want with that fool?”
Okay fair enough, but now he was just more confused.
“Then why are you here?”
Silence was his answer and honestly Sonic doesn’t know why he’s surprised. The black and red hedgehog was notoriously secretive, which is what made it so strange that he’d turn up at his shack on a random Tuesday evening.
“Alright then, I guess I’ll just continue sitting here and you can go.. Brood or whatever it is you do,” the blue hedgehog finally broke the silence, moving to lay back in his hammock before he was surprised once more.
“Follow me.”
“...What?”
“Are your ears as slow as you? I said follow me.”
Okay, what.
Trying to snap out of his baffled state, Sonic scrambled out of his hammock to catch up to the other hedgehog, who had begun skating along the beach and towards the forest.
As soon as his feet hit the ground he took off, the same exhilarating feeling coursing through his veins like it did every time as he caught up to the other, smirking as they ran side by side.
And they ran, as far as possible. Across the beach, through the forest, across the bridge towards the mainland and weaving between the few people finishing up for the night as the sun inched closer to the horizon, and finally to the mountain that overlooked the city, reaching so far they could see Hedgehog Village in the distance.
“So, am I finally gonna get an answer about why I had to follow you here, Shads?” he asked, foot tapping impatiently as he stared down the other hedgehog.
“Don’t call me that.”
“That doesn’t answer my question~”
Silence again, Shadow making his way to the edge of the mountain and staring out instead of replying.
With a shrug, Sonic followed him.
“Woah…” was all he could say.
The sun had finally reached the ocean, golden glow expanding across the water and sky, fading to orange to pink to purple, the clouds above shaded in a multitude of colours and the ocean below catching the display through slowly lapping waves. Stars were twinkling above in the gradually increasing amount of indigo, watching down on them calmly, glittering like the city lights below.
“It’s something, huh?”
If the sunset hadn’t taken his breath away already, the sight of the normally angry and pessimistic hedgehog at his side did.
Shadow looked content and that was something Sonic didn’t know he needed in his life until now.
“Yeah, yeah it is.”
A strangely comfortable silence stretched out between the two as they watched the sky lose the golden glow, gradually being replaced with the splotches of indigo and speckled with stars.
“Hey, Shads?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for bringing me here.”