Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Yo Tails! You done?”

“Just about! Just keep watching my 6!”

“You already know I’ve got your back!”

The fox would have fondly rolled his eyes if it weren’t for the laser focus he had on his tablet. The Miles Electric clicked and beeped away as it downloaded the data Tails was transferring to it. Only 9% left, the young genius mused, watching the number at the top right corner slowly tick closer to completion.

“I know, I know, but we can never be too careful,” Tails told his older brother, who merely smirked.

“Careful is no fun!”

“My point precisely.” Before the older Mobian could retort, the handheld tablet dinged, signifying that the data download was done. “That’s it!”

Sonic tilted his head sideways. “That’s it? Boring!”

Tails scowled. “Sonic, you know how important getting that data was—”

“—so we could foil Eggman’s future plans, I get it,” the hedgehog interrupted. “I just don’t get why I had to be here too. This could have been a solo mission, easy.” On cue, the duo heard a boom resounding from a few hallways away. At his sibling’s blank stare, he pursed his lips. “Alright, point taken. Hold that thought!”

With that, the speedster zoomed out of the room, and all Tails could hear were some smaller explosions. This time, he did roll his eyes with a small smile. No matter how decent he’d gotten in battle, Sonic always wanted to be the one to come out on top when it came to wrecking robots. Not to mention, his whole shtick was to provide and protect, so clearly, he would do so.

All too soon, the blue blur came running back into the room, crossing his arms over his chest and flicking his nose proudly. “Coast is clear!”

Tails nodded, pocketing the Miles Electric, but before he could utter a word, he spotted a stray robot out of the corner of his eye aiming a cannon at his brother. “Not quite!” he exclaimed, jumping into his spindash form. In a quick second, the robot was sliced in half, and the fox landed behind his brother. He stood up, smugly facing Sonic. “Now it’s clear!”

Sonic grinned, shooting him a thumbs up. “Nice one, buddy! Let’s skedaddle.”

With an enthusiastic nod from the younger Mobian, the duo made their way out of the base, thankfully avoiding further confrontation from more robots or even their creator.

XxX

Later in the evening, while Sonic was out doing Chaos knows what, Tails sat at his work desk, clicking away on his keyboard as his eyes scanned through all the files he’d downloaded from Eggman’s server. So far, none of them looked too pertinent; he’d even found the enemy’s daily routine, which, quite frankly, was too disturbing to even think about. He’d wordlessly removed it from his own server before sorting through the rest of the files.

He hummed to himself, reading all the folders he could see as quickly as possible until a specific, locked folder caught his eye. Project Shadow. He frowned as he tried to gain access to it, noting the extra firewalls he needed to crack. This has to be important if Eggman’s gone through all that trouble to block it, he thought, cracking wall after wall with no end in sight. Then again, this code is older, much older. This feels like Eggman’s work, but the details and methods are vastly different.

For a brief moment, he feared he’d bitten off more than he could chew, but he shook the thought away with a determined glare. This is too significant to ignore. I’ve got to get through those firewalls. He bit his lip with sheer concentration until finally, he broke through all the security surrounding the files, and he was left with a world of new discoveries.

Professor Gerald Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, the Space Colony ARK, Project Shadow… What were those things?

The very first thing that piqued his interest was the first name he saw. Gerald Robotnik. After quick research, he discovered that the man was Eggman’s grandfather and was also a scientific genius. “Go figure,” he muttered to himself. Upon further access to his files, he discovered journal entries from the professor himself.

Day 1

Subject is unresponsive to all stimuli. Any attempts to wake it have failed. Vital signs remain stabilized. I will continue monitoring it for further development.

Day 9

Subject appears to respond to Maria’s voice, but remains in a comatose state. Vital signs have not fluctuated in the last few days. Odds at further development appear slim, nigh impossible. Will continue to monitor.

Day 10

Against all odds, Subject has awoken. Vital signs are stable but on the rise. Subject appears confused, but too sluggish to act. Confirmed that Subject reacts best to Maria.

Day 14

Subject is awake and aware. Subject understands us and can equally communicate with us. I have done it. I have succeeded at creating life!

At that, Tails gasped. Somebody had been able to create a living being in a secret lab! That seemed like incredible news, yet the fox couldn’t understand why no one had known about it, why the files had been buried away so deep. He had to keep digging.

Project: Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform

Ultimate lifeform, huh?

Gender: male.

Species: part Mobian hedgehog, part alien. It shares the DNA of Black Doom, leader of the black arms.

The black arms? Tails only had a faint recollection of the aliens, but remembered that they were evil. Off to a bad start.

Age: Null, though Subject’s features suggest it could be of mature age.

Right, hard to tell what someone’s age is when they’ve been created in a laboratory.

Purpose: cure for all illnesses. Worldwide protector of peace. Immortality.

Tails’ eyebrows raised despite himself. Was immortality even achievable? If so, whoever Project Shadow turned out to be was quite the being indeed. Without having met him, he already sounded far more impressive.

Primary Location: Space Colony ARK.

Space Colony ARK? How had Tails never heard of that location before? A quick search yielded no results, either; wherever that was, it was buried deep. Too deep. Whoever encrypted those files went through too much trouble so that nobody could know about any of this, and that was a bad, bad sign.

Tails swept through the rest of the files, but nothing of interest stood out to him except for one, final line.

Failsafe: in case of emergency, as an absolute ?a?? re????, send subject to sec??dary locat?on ?????? Isl???.

Great. More encryption. Just what the fox needed.

In fact, he was so caught up in his research that he hadn’t heard the sound of familiar footsteps until it was too late. “Tails?”

“Wah!” The fox jumped out of his chair, his keyboard flying off to the side as well. He leveled his older brother with a glare. “You scared me!”

Sonic frowned. “I can see that. What are you doing up? It’s like 1 am.” Before the younger could even reply, he added, “Did you find anything?”

When Sonic tried to see past the fox, Tails swiftly closed his tabs. “Uh…no, nothing much. He’s blocked pretty much everything from being easy to find and I’ve been working all night trying to crack through his code.” His heart briefly sunk to his stomach at the lie, but something in his mind told him that Project Shadow should be kept a secret for a little while longer. Even from his own brother.

His brother, who merely hummed at the kit’s explanation. Clearly, something was up; Tails had found something, and whatever that was, it caused him to come up with a half-baked lie. Still, the hedgehog could find it in himself to cut Tails some slack. After all, it was late at night, and he just wanted to send his little brother to bed and get some shut-eye as well.

With a shrug, he waved the fox off. “You’ll be able to find something soon enough,” he said, probably contributing to the younger’s lie, but if it helped him find the truth out sooner, so be it. “Turn that off and get some sleep, kiddo. You’ll need it if you wanna figure this whole thing out!”

With a tired smile, Tails offered a nod. “Sure thing, Sonic. Good night!”

“Good night, little bro.” The two were off to their own rooms, and both were out like a light.

When Tails opened his eyes again, it was to the sun shining down on him. Good, no nightmares this time around. He yawned with a lazy stretch as his ears perked up at the sounds coming from downstairs. Sonic was awake before him, which was pretty normal, but he sounded like he was in a hurry.

Slowly, he got up from his bed, smoothing his messy fur down with light pats. After brushing his teeth, the fox sauntered downstairs where he was met with the sight of Sonic making pancakes.

“Pancakes, huh?” he said, his eyes shining brightly with anticipation. “What’s the special occasion?”

The hedgehog turned around with a smile of his own. “Nothing much. Just celebrating another successful mission!”

Tails slightly frowned. “But I haven’t found anything yet. I would hardly call that a success.”

His older brother merely greeted him with a wink. “But you will! You’ve got this in the bag. Now, eat up!”

Bashful, the kit accepted the plate of pancakes handed to him, and before long, both brothers in all but blood had cleared their plates of any food.

As Tails cleaned the dishes, Sonic approached him with a stretch and a groan. “Wanna have a race when you’re done with the dishes?”

“Mh, no, not right now, Sonic,” the younger replied, already feeling bad about the upcoming lie. Almost. “I’m still feeling pretty tired and I wanna try to crack something good today.”

“That’s what happens when you stay up too late on your gizmos,” Sonic teased, sensing the lie, but not commenting on it. “I’ll be back for dinner. You better rest up some more before you get on it! Don’t want my little bro lookin’ like a furry zombie!”

Tails fondly rolled his eyes, failing his battle against a smile. “I’ll be fine. Just go on your run!”

The blue blur winked. “Alright, bud! See ya later!” He ran out of the house, but before he left, shouted out one last, “And take breaks!”

With a shake of his head and a smirk, the fox closed the door. Sonic, never change, he mused, chuckling as he made his way back to his computer. Alright. Time to crack this last code.

At first glance, the first two words made sense. Secondary location. The last word looked like it could be Island, but he wouldn’t assume just yet. It was the remaining word that made no sense to him at the moment. He had nothing to go off of, but with Tails, the odds never stood a chance.

Narrowing his search down to known islands proved to be a bust. He doubted Knuckles didn’t know every square inch of Angel Island down to his thumb. Christmas Island, Sonic’s birthplace, had been razed to the ground when Eggman first attacked, so any secret that hid there would have been revealed. He immediately ruled out West Side Island, as he also knew every nook and cranny of that place from his past and refused to entertain the thought of going back.

Shaking the nasty thoughts away, the final island that came to mind was South Island. He could swear he and Sonic had explored all of its zones, but there could be some hidden secrets still left to uncover. He wouldn’t rule it out, but something told him that it wasn’t quite right.

Time to hack other servers, then, and the obvious one was G.U.N.

By now, he’d lost count of how many times he’d had to hack into their servers because they were keeping vital information away from Sonic. With a theatrical yawn, he broke through their security as though it was second nature—and to be fair, it kind of was.

Immediately, he swept through locations, and the most obvious place ever popped up. Prison Island.

Huh. G.U.N. knew about Project Shadow and kept it from them. Shocker.

Well, that was easy, he smugly thought. The hard part will be infiltrating their base.

Despite his insecurities, he felt like he could do it. He’d taken a few pointers from Rouge where he could. He wasn’t nearly to her level—he didn’t think anyone could be—but he was good enough for the mission.

His solo mission. Without his brother.

With a shaky breath, he got to work.

He would find Project Shadow.

Chapter Text

So. Turns out, finding Project Shadow was simultaneously easier and much harder than he expected.

Getting to Prison Island was a sinch. Granted, he hadn’t pulled the ol’ Sea Fox out in many years, having no further need for it, but he very well couldn’t get near the G.U.N. base with the Tornado. Not only was it quite loud, but it was famous enough that the government agency would easily recognize and identify it and him. Besides, he had to assume that their aerial defenses were much greater than their naval force, and he also had to assume that they weren’t too familiar with the Sea Fox.

Thankfully, he’d adjusted it since his last adventure with it. He’d given it a new paint job to make it harder to spot in the water (plus he’d concealed his signature two-tails logo from being recognized) and he’d added a passenger seat just in case. His caution had come in handy for this particular mission. Proud of himself, he’d made his way to the island, where he faced his first issue; where was Project Shadow located within the entire base?

Hacking into their database was once again easy for him. He almost felt guilty; he would suggest better cyber protection, but bringing it up would arouse suspicion toward him, so he kept quiet and looked for Professor Gerald Robotnik’s creation.

And that’s where he faced his second issue. Obviously, the mysterious hedgehog was located in the most secure room in the facility, frozen in cryostasis for…fifty years?!

Tails could hardly believe it, and his shock almost caused him to blow his cover. Shaking his stupor away, he made place for determination instead. He had to free that hedgehog now. Nobody deserved to be frozen, much less for fifty years.

With only one close call under his belt, the fox did make it into the room undetected. He’d successfully looped all camera feeds leading up to the secret room, and he’d avoided all patrol bots and personnel.

He gulped, seeing his reflection in the cryo chamber. He suddenly looked and felt much smaller than he was, and he wondered if he really should go along with his crazy plan.

And yet, he couldn’t back down after getting so close. With a few careful commands and the push of a button, the only sound that broke the deafening silence was a loud pop, followed by a hiss, and his reflection took shape of a black hedgehog with red stripes.

Almost immediately, the hedgehog’s eyelids shot open, revealing two blood-red irises, and Tails gasped as the creation broke free of his restraints and jumped out of his cell with the shout of a single name. “Maria!”

His voice was hoarse, having rested with him for five decades. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes were wide. And then, he made eye contact with the kit, who completely froze.

“Who are you? Where am I? Where is Maria?”

Tails remained frozen, his anxiety overtaking him. His chest heaving, his wide stare remained on Project Shadow, who looked unsettled, angry.

And yet, he also looked…mildly concerned. “Are you incapable of answering my questions?”

With another gulp, the fox shook his head, attempting speech despite his shakiness. “I…I don’t know, I…”

The hedgehog frowned. “Calm down. Begin with telling me who you are.”

A nod. “M-My name is Miles P-Prower, but…you can call me Tails.”

“How did you find me?”

“Um, it’s a long story, and…and I can tell you about it later, bu-but we need to get you out of here.”

“…Where is here, exactly?”

“This place is called Prison Island. It’s a G.U.N. base. Are you…familiar with them?”

The resulting glare was enough of a response. “Yes,” the hedgehog somberly replied, but before he could add anything, the room they stood in was suddenly basked in a flashing red glow accompanied by a blaring alarm. “We must leave immediately. Do you have a Chaos emerald on hand?”

“How do you know about the Chaos emeralds?” A blank stare. “Right. Probably not the best time to ask that question.”

A nod. “Much like you have told me, I will provide answers once we have escaped. Time is of the essence.”

Hesitation. “Well, I do, but…it’s back at my submarine. We’ll have to make our way out of here by stealth until we can reach it.” He wrung one of his tails out of anxiety; Shadow took note of the fox’s behavior but did not comment on it. “Do you…do you trust me to lead you out?”

More hesitation, from the older Mobian, this time. “I…do not know you, and yet, you have found and freed me. I am grateful for your aid. I suppose I will trust you with our escape until I can return the favor.” Through the alarm’s wailing, the pair could make out the sounds of multiple pairs of boots rushing to their location. “We must hurry.”

Despite the tense situation, Tails found himself smiling softly. “Okay. Let’s…let’s get going.”

Quickly and quietly, the fox led the hedgehog out of the base back the way he came, typing commands into his wristwatch as they snuck out. This time, he forewent the camera feed loops and completely blocked them all. By the time the agents would reach the room, the duo would be long gone and several false traces would be created, never leading directly into the escapees’ path.

Still, the entire base was on high alert, and that included outside defenses. The moment they were out of the bases’ walls, they hid through the jungle, taking a quick breather.

“Which way is your submarine?” Shadow asked, breaking the silence for the first time since they left his cell. Tails, who was slightly out of breath from a combination of intense anxiety and anticipation, pointed to the North side of the island. “Do you trust me with this part of our escape?”

The kit couldn’t find it in himself not to say anything other than, “I do.” Before he could blink, he found himself in the hedgehog’s arms, and Shadow began to run. Immediately and with a yelp, Tails noted the speed and calculated that he could most likely rival Sonic, perhaps even match him. He held on tightly, closing his eyes to shield them against the winds and twigs of the jungle.

It only took a short moment for them to reach the cliffside where he’d parked and concealed the Sea Fox, and, sure enough, the submarine was still there, waiting for them. With a synchronized nod, the two jumped, landing into it, and they sunk into the water before the rapidly approaching ground forces could see where they’d gone.

Tails took a quick breath of relief, but he soon released it when he realized that the base’s naval defenses had been deployed and were quickly approaching. Sensing his unease and the rapidly increasing danger they were in, Shadow once again broke the silence.

“Now would be a good time for me to use the Chaos Emerald you hold.”

Still, while he had pulled it out of his submarine’s storage, he hesitated again, holding it tightly in his hand. Shadow shifted directly into his line of sight. Eye contact, between blood-red and sky-blue irises. The contrast spoke volumes.

“No harm will come to you from my own hand. You have my word.” A slow, careful nod. “Now, allow me to show you my prowess and my skills.”

A slightly quicker nod, realizing that the situation would become much direr soon if they didn’t leave the perimeter in the next instant. Tails handed the Chaos emerald to the ebony hedgehog, not missing how it slightly glowed once he held onto it. Before he could dwell on it, however, Shadow grabbed hold of his shoulder, shouted something foreign, and in a blink, they were gone without a trace.

XxX

When Tails opened his eyes, it was much darker than it had been underwater. It was much colder, too, and the air smelled stale.

He blinked away the sudden dizziness that overcame him. “Where…where are we?”

“The Space Colony Ark.”

The fox’s eyes widened. “What?!” He attempted to glance around, but his eyes hadn’t quite adjusted yet. Before he could take a step forward, however, the lights dimly flickered on thanks to Shadow’s help.

And he hadn’t been lying.

The structure looked old but remained in good shape. Dust particles clung to every surface that surrounded the duo. A little farther away, there was another light source, but he would explore it later.

Right now, he wanted answers. “How did we get here?”

“With this.” Shadow pulled out the Chaos emerald, which emitted a light glow again.

“You can teleport?!”

A nod. “Among other things. However, my skills take a lot of energy, and seeing as I cannot tell how long I have been asleep, I am…rusty. The emeralds help rejuvenate my energy and amplify my powers.”

“Like Sonic…” Tails mused. He took the time to look around, figuring the hedgehog had brought him here for a reason. He investigated the light source, noting with awe that it was actually a window with a full view of the planet. “Woah!” he exclaimed under his breath, gently pressing his hands against the glass. “This is…amazing! I never thought I’d see such a beautiful sight!”

Something inside Shadow’s chest seized up. He felt something he couldn’t explain, something…warm. “I am glad you like it.”

With a jolt, Tails turned around, noting that the hedgehog had followed him, but was still keeping a safe distance between the two.

“Why did you bring me here?”

“This is where I was created,” Shadow calmly replied, “and where I lived my life. It is the first place that came to mind in order to keep the both of us safe and hide away.” He appeared somber as he continued. “I…cannot remember much from my past. I was hoping that if I came back, I could get some answers.” He faced the young, curious kit. “And I was hoping you would grant me this request. You seem to understand technology better than I do.”

“Oh! Well, in that case…sure, I can help! Lead the way!”

It only took a nod for the hedgehog to fall back, heading toward unexplored hallways for the fox. Tails eagerly followed, glancing one last time at the planet he called home. He hoped he would get a chance to witness such a wonderful sight before they left.

Soon enough, the duo stepped into a larger room adorned with bunk beds, work desks, and a large array of computers and gadgets.

“This was occasionally my room,” the hedgehog began, “and my friend’s. This is also where the professor liked to work.”

“Professor Gerald Robotnik,” Tails supplied for himself.

“Correct. The professor’s research should still be on his computer if you can reboot it.”

The fox smiled. “I can try. It might take me a while, so if there’s anything else you want to do while we’re up here, you can take care of it.”

A blink. “You will be alright by yourself? I would not want you to get lost if you are done.”

A flick of twin tails displayed mirth. “I’ll just head back to the room we landed in and wait for you there. Might go gaze at the view while I’m here! I remember the way. Go ahead.”

With a singular nod, Shadow left the fox to his attempts and began strolling around, trying to remember what could have happened to him. Some rooms arose familiar feelings within him, while others didn’t do anything for his memories.

Eventually, he reached a much larger room, which he soon identified to be the landing bay and the location for the escape pods. He noted with a pinch that almost all of them were gone; only one remained. Whatever happened here must have been a horrible event.

As he subconsciously inched closer to the pod, his eyes caught sight of a few puddles on the ground, long dried by time, though he couldn’t tell how much time. Squinting, he leaned forward in order to investigate, and his eyes widened.

It was blood.

And then, utter carnage began.

“Shadow!”

He found himself running out of a nondescript room to the sound of a young human girl calling his name over and over again in desperation.

“Maria!” he called back in haste, following her cries all the way to her location. Behind him, several gunshots echoed, causing him to messily duck.

He ran into the professor, who, out of breath, ordered him to get to Maria before being gunned down with an agonizing scream, several bullet wounds in his legs and abdomen. “Professor!” Shadow shouted, ignoring his instincts to run away in favor of tending to the fallen man, who merely spit out the word “go” with blood spraying his teeth and trickling down his chin.

With a growl, Shadow yelled, “Chaos spear!” while throwing projectiles at the hostile forces, not caring who or what he hit as long as he kept them away from Maria.

And then, he found her.

She was backed against a corner, an unfamiliar man looming over her with a gun drawn.

Shadow saw red.

He yelled out, barrelling right into the man and knocking him out of Maria’s path. Then, with another, menacing growl, he wailed into the man, knocking him out cold but not stopping until he was satisfied with stopping the man who had dared threaten Maria.

Or, until the person he was protecting stopped him by grabbing his arm. “Shadow, stop! Shadow! We have to go now!”

Not caring what state the unknown agent was in, he took Maria’s hand in his, taking her to the landing bay where the duo could take an escape pod and find someplace to hide.

Unfortunately for him, several agents blocked their path, and while Shadow normally would have risked himself to get rid of them, he couldn’t risk Maria’s life under any circumstance. As they took their aim and shot at them, he pulled the two of them into the closest room available, blocking it behind them with the closest large item he could find. He had to get her to safety. He had to.

“Shadow?”

“…Shadow?...”

He wheeled around, his eyes widening at the horrifying sight before him.

“Maria!”

The girl in question was holding her lower abdomen tightly with one hand, the front of her dress slowly growing red. She collapsed on her knees, and Shadow raced to her side, collapsing alongside her.

“Shadow…”

“…Shadow!...”

“You’re going to be okay, Maria, I promise,” the hedgehog declared, carefully wrapping her good arm around his shoulders and hauling her up. He took her to a nearby cot, ignoring the rapping of fists on the door and its squeaking hinges as they threatened to give out as he focused on her pained breaths.

“Hold on, Maria,” he pleaded, pulling her along. He didn’t pay as close attention as he meant to his surroundings until he suddenly found himself being pushed against a wall. Before he could recover from his stupor, a glass wall closed in on him, trapping him in what he now recognized to be a capsule. On the other side, Maria tearfully stood with a bloody hand on the glass.

He desperately banged against the glass, panicking. “Maria!”

He was only rewarded with a smile and the gentle push of a button. “Keep the world safe, Shadow…” she whispered as smoke began to filter into his cell, rendering him drowsy. He recognized it as sleeping gas.

“No, Maria, please!” he yelled, his banging slowing to a stop as he slowly lost his fight with consciousness.

“…Shadow!...”

The last things he heard were the sounds of the door giving out, and men storming into the room with several bangs.

The last thing he saw before closing his eyes was Maria’s body dropping to the ground.

The last thing he truly saw was a dainty, bloody handprint.

“Shadow!”

Shadow came to with a scream of sheer despair. “Maria!”

“Shadow, it’s okay, you’re safe!”

The voice was somehow familiar. The hedgehog, who had been previously hyperventilating, snapped out of the flashback to the sight of a small, two-tailed fox, who looked quite concerned. “Shadow, are you with me?” the young kit asked as he was kneeling down in front of the hedgehog.

“I remember,” he gasped out, taking a few deep breaths. As he did, his anger grew and grew, until he was seething. “I remember everything. Let us get out of here. Now.”

Missing the way the fox shook with fear at the sight of him, he grabbed his wrist and pulled the Chaos emerald out of his quills.

“Wait!”

With a flash, they were gone.

Chapter Text

The sun was peacefully setting, unaware of the inner turmoil in Shadow the hedgehog’s heart and mind.

As soon as he and Tails had teleported back to Earth, the fox had yelled, ignoring his dizziness in favor of getting away from the hedgehog’s grasp. Shadow had let him go without a fight, shocked at the memories that revealed themselves. He stood still and in pure silence for a long time, processing the new information and ignoring the fox, who stood several feet away from him and warily watched him.

Tails had no sweet clue what had happened to Shadow, but whatever it was had caused him to react quite intensely. It had clearly angered him to the point of sheer rage, and that had frightened the kit, who hadn’t expected that amount of raw emotions. As soon as they’d gotten back to familiar grounds, he’d begun to struggle to escape, but he had been met with no resistance. He’d scrambled backward, putting a good amount of distance between the two of them, and only now felt slightly guilty. Clearly, the hedgehog was struggling with something, so he should help him, but…they didn’t know each other. Shadow was unpredictable to him, and he didn’t like that.

So, he opted to keep the distance and let the hedgehog be, instead focusing on where they were. To his utter shock and surprise, they were in the Mystic Ruins on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Tails didn’t know how Shadow had known about the place, but they were close to his workshop, so once the two of them had calmed down, they could room there for the time being.

He soon found himself sitting by the edge of the cliff, watching the sun slowly set. It didn’t take long for him to get fully immersed in the spectacle, and so he missed the light footsteps coming his way.

“I apologize,” Shadow numbly spoke from behind him, startling the kit, who didn’t reply right away.

He took a few moments to calm himself, never taking his eyes off the view. “It’s…it’s okay,” he said, unsure if he even believed himself. “It…it must have been scary to remember everything at once.” He missed the flinch that took over Shadow’s features.

“I prefer to change the subject.”

“Oh…that’s okay.”

“May I see your arm?”

“Mh? Oh. Uh, sure.”

With a quizzical look, Tails watched as Shadow gently cradled his arm, which he now noticed bore a hand-shaped bruise. A dark look crossed over Shadow’s eyes and the kit flinched, pulling his arm away. The ultimate lifeform looked away in shame.

“I truly am sorry. I have harmed you, and I have frightened you. Those weren’t my intentions. I…would understand if you would rather stay away from now on.”

Tails’ brows furrowed. “No! I mean…no, really, it’s okay. I…I know you didn’t mean to. Stay.” Even the fox himself was surprised at his plea, but nonetheless, Shadow slowly nodded and sat by the fox’s side, opting to watch the sunset as well.

To him, it was quite a stunning view. Much like the fox had been in awe at the sight of their planet in its full glory, Shadow found himself speechless at the sight before him. He had never witnessed a sunset before and so, he decided that he would attempt to watch one every day if he could.

“Pretty, isn’t it?”

He stilled, glancing at the fox, who never looked away from the spectacle nature offered them. Despite the events that had just occurred, his facial features were fully relaxed, illuminated by the glow of the setting sun. Shadow merely hummed in reply, facing forward as well.

“I rarely get a moment to just…watch,” Tails continued, slowly swinging his legs back and forth as his namesakes lazily swayed.

Shadow hummed again, calming at the sight before him as well as the sight of the young fox beside him. “How so?”

“Well…Sonic and I are always off on some sort of wild adventure. Most of the time, they involve stopping Eggman’s evil plans.”

“Who is Sonic? Eggman?”

Tails smiled. “Sonic is the one person I’m closest to. We grew up together! He’s the one who found me and has taken care of me ever since.”

“Found you?”

At that, the kit’s smile slowly faded. “…Yeah. I was on my own for four years. Nobody liked me and they um, they made sure I knew that. And then, I met Sonic, and that all changed.” The smile was back. “I’m truly thankful for all he’s done for me. I can’t wait for you to meet him!”

Shadow blinked, then offered a nod. “He sounds like a good…friend.”

“Oh, he’s more than that! He’s my big brother!”

“Big…brother?”

Tails nodded. “Yeah! A brother is like a friend but a lot closer. Like family!”

Another blink. “Family.” Shadow had to admit to himself that the fox’s words often didn’t make sense, but his patience and explanations were highly appreciated. He found that he didn’t mind listening to him speak, even if it was confusing at times. He was sure the young kit would help him understand.

“Mhm! Typically, a family is a kid with a mom and a dad. Adults who birthed you and raised you. I…supposed since you were created, you wouldn’t have parents, and I never really knew mine, but…” The fox paused, seemingly deep in thought, before continuing. “In reality, family is who you make it out to be, y’know? Family is folks who care about you and help you with your issues and your worries. They celebrate the good and assist you with the bad. They make you feel safe, wanted, and loved!”

The hedgehog hummed, taking in all the new information. He noticed that the kit understood his silence as digestion. A…family, he mused. Care…safety…love…It all sounds quite…pleasant.

“I think that is something I would like to have,” he muttered to himself. He faced the fox, whose eyes were slightly wide at the revelation. Of course, he had heard him. “Would you care to be my…family?”

There was a moment of silence before the widest smile Shadow had ever seen broke onto the young fox’s face. His twin tails flicked in delight, and that was as good an answer as he could get without any words involved.

“I’d love that, Shadow! It’s…it’s a little early, of course, but I’d love to get to know you and call you family! You could stay at my place and I could show you everything there is to this world! Yeah, that’d be great!”

“The adventure of a lifetime,” the hedgehog spoke with a slight chuckle at the kit’s enthusiasm. He had to admit that it was hard not to feel relaxed and content with the fox’s mere presence, and his joy was contagious. The warm feeling he had felt aboard the Ark came back, and the corner of his lips twitched upward.

The two settled down before Shadow remembered another name. “You have spoken about your…brother, Sonic,” he began, catching the fox’s attention once more. “What about this…Eggman character?”

Tails immediately sobered up. “He’s the enemy,” Tails almost growled, knocking the hedgehog off guard. He didn’t think the small, otherwise sympathetic fox could hold such an edge to his voice and so quickly at that. “He’s tried to take over the world so many times. Sonic and I have foiled all of his plans, but he always gets up and tries again. And again, and again, we stop him. It…it never ends.”

“Why don’t you end him?”

Tails spluttered. “You mean kill him? No! We don’t do that.”

Shadow was confused. “Why not? This Eggman sounds like he is a massive threat to not only you and your brother, but to the world as well. Wouldn’t his demise solve your problem once and for all?”

While the fox could see the logic behind Shadow’s thoughts, he still frowned. “Taking someone’s life is never the answer. Those are Sonic’s morals, and I stand by them. It isn’t our job to play God. Sure, if anything happens to Eggman, that’s out of our control, but…while we are in control, we make sure nobody dies of our own hand. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

It was Shadow’s turn to frown. “I am…not sure. I must have killed quite a few soldiers in order to protect my friend, and…the events I remember occurring on the Ark bring forth a sense of revenge, which I would like to exercise on those who have wronged me. Would you not?”

“No,” the fox softly answered, despite having no idea which events the hedgehog referred to. “I’m…not like that. Eggman makes my life hard sometimes, and there’s nothing I want more than a peaceful world, but I could never kill anyone to achieve that goal. I…I prefer to let nature take its course, and protect life to the best of my abilities.”

“You are…very young. You are saying you would rather keep risking your life every day than live a free, quiet, peaceful life?”

Tails softly smiled. “I understand it can be hard to grasp, but I can’t not get involved anymore, even despite my own age. It started as Sonic’s fight and it’s mine, too. I’m okay with this life. If it means someone else can live carefree, even if that person could be me, I would do it over and over again. I like knowing that I’ve helped make the world a better place.”

The hedgehog didn’t reply, seemingly deep in thought, so Tails let him be, opting to watch the view in front of them. The setting sun was slowly fading, but it remained just as beautiful. For a brief moment, it was quiet, but the silence was comfortable.

“You remind me of someone,” the older softly spoke out of the blue.

Tails tilted his head to the side in curiosity, staring at Shadow once again. “Who was it?”

“Her name was Maria. She was…gentle. Kind. As happy as she could be despite her situation. She aimed for peace and prosperity. She always wanted to make a difference. She was my…family.” At this, the fox smiled, but that smile soon faded as the look on Shadow’s face darkened. “She did not deserve any of her pain.”

“What…what happened to her?”

“G.U.N. happened,” Shadow replied with a growl, lightly intimidating the young Mobian, though he didn’t notice. “They stormed the space colony ARK and shot everyone on site, including…her. I only survived because she pushed me into that shuttle and put me in stasis. I…don’t know how long it has been.”

While listening intently, Tails gasped. “That’s terrible! Oh, Shadow…I’m so sorry they did that to you.”

Hesitation. “Why are you apologizing? You were not at fault.”

“Well,” the fox began, “I’m not apologizing for my own actions; I know I didn’t have a hand in what happened to you. Rather, I feel pained for the events that you’ve been through. I’m…empathizing.”

“Empathizing. I am unfamiliar with the term. Please clarify.”

“How can I explain this…” Tails mumbled to himself. “It’s like, I’m picturing myself in your situation, and feeling the things you felt to a lesser extent so I can understand you better.”

Shadow frowned. “Stop doing that.” Pause. “I…appreciate it. But I do not want you to feel the same things I have felt.”

“I can’t really help it,” the kit sheepishly said. “That’s just the way I am. But, if it helps, we can change the subject.”

Shadow hummed, opting to leave it at that. Which left Tails with some time to think. It wasn’t long before he knew exactly what to talk about.

“Say,” he started, catching the hedgehog’s attention once again. “I didn’t get to tell you that I managed to grab all the data from the professor’s hard drive. And…we’re pretty close to where I live! Maybe we could head back now that it’s getting pretty dark anyway, get some rest and we could go through it together in the morning?”

And finally, finally, the hedgehog graced Tails with a soft smile. “…I would like that. Thank you, little one.”

The kit bashfully rubbed the back of his head with a giggle. “I’m happy to help!” He glanced forward to note that the sun was done setting and was making place for night to fall. As he slowly stood, he extended his hand to his new companion. “We should probably get going before it gets any darker. Come on.”

Without any hesitation, this time, Shadow took Tails’ hand and allowed the younger to pull him up.

Despite the artificial hurry to get home before total darkness, the duo lazily strolled into the nearby forest, taking in the scenery while their eyes slowly adjusted.

I could get used to the sights of this planet, Shadow thought, and the company. He snuck a glance at the young fox, whose tails swayed behind him in mirth. The Mobian who, despite his age, faced a dangerous foe almost every day and who had defied G.U.N., a powerful government agency, to rescue him. The small child who had easily accepted his presence and offered to help him in anything he needed. It hurt how strikingly similar he was to Maria, his one true friend aboard the Ark.

It almost shocked him how easily he’d made this decision. He wouldn’t allow any force to bring harm to Tails. His new family.

Tails, who had suddenly gone stock still, his namesakes frozen along with the rest of his body minus his ears, who flicked back and forth in every direction. The hedgehog easily recognized the look on his face as that of someone who was extremely on guard, and his demeanor screamed tenseness.

“What is the matter?”

“Ho, ho ho!”

Chapter Text

“Ho, ho ho!”

The fox instantly wheeled around and tensed his body in combat mode. “Eggman!” he exclaimed, leveling the sneaky villain with a glare.

Hearing both the tone of his new friend’s voice and the unfamiliar voice, Shadow faced the man as well. At the sight of him, however, the ebony hedgehog froze. “Doctor Robotnik?”

“Hm, nobody’s called me that in years,” the mad doctor observed, analyzing the new subject that stood before him. “Who might you be?”

“Doesn’t matter!” the young Mobian cut in, throwing a protective arm in front of Shadow. “Whatever you have planned, we’ll stop it!”

Dr. Eggman grinned. “We’ll see about that! Crush them, my Egg Crab, but go easy on the hedgehog! I want him brought to my base without a scratch!” He smoothed his mustache, muttering to himself, “I have a feeling I know exactly who this is.”

The robot previously resting behind the villain whirred to life, its beady red eyes menacingly flashing and illuminating the trees around them. With a roar, it jumped above Dr. Eggman and charged the duo. Tails quickly dodged to the side, grabbing the still-frozen hedgehog at the same time.

Shadow was shaken out of his stupor as he felt the fox’s hand around his wrist. As he finally noticed the 15-foot robot attacking them, he took charge, shifting so he was grabbing hold of his startled friend as he quickly teleported them a safer distance away.

“What the…where did they go?!” Dr. Eggman exclaimed, scanning his surroundings for the enemy as the Egg Crab did the same.

Meanwhile, the two Mobians landed further into the forest, temporarily safe from the threat. Tails, who was still not used to teleporting, dizzily fell onto the forest floor, half-supported by Shadow’s own grip on him. As soon as he was okay, Shadow let go of him, glaring in the direction of the large robot, which the duo could faintly see South of their current location and scouting closer and closer to them. Thankfully, the dark did provide further cover, but their time would be brief.

“What do we do?” the hedgehog asked, keeping an eye on both the robot and his young charge.

“We can easily take it,” Tails replied with a slight nod to himself. Despite Sonic not being around, he felt safe in Shadow’s presence and felt this newfound confidence surge into him. His new friend was counting on him and he wouldn’t let him down. “You can use your speed and your Chaos powers to distract and subdue it. Aim for its legs and watch out for its pincers. That’s where I come in. While you have it occupied, I can look for its weak spot and take it down for the count.”

Shadow frowned. “I do not like this. You should not get too close to it.”

“I have to get close to see its weak spot, and I won’t be able to do that if its attention is on me,” the fox explained, gently but firmly enforcing eye contact with the worried hedgehog. “It’ll be okay, Shadow. Trust me.”

“I can destroy it,” the older male insisted. “I…I trust you; that man, I do not trust. And his machine. It looks dangerous.”

Tails shook his head. “His machines aren’t all that. Sonic and I trash them all the time. I promise you, this isn’t any different. Besides, the doctor’s after you; you’ll have to be careful too, y’know.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“So can I,” the younger Mobian calmly retorted. “You have to understand that I’ve faced Eggman many times before; you haven’t. You have an advantage in combat and I have an advantage in knowing the enemy. We can look out for each other, okay?”

“I could not protect her and because of that, I have lost her, “Shadow admitted, guilty clawing at his stomach as his gaze rested deep within the fox’s own eyes. “I will not make that mistake again. I will keep you safe.”

Tails, overtaken by the serious vow and slightly unsettled at the emotions in his eyes, could only nod. Before he could add anything, however, the two of them heard the doctor exclaim, “There they are! You can’t hide from me this time! Get them!”

And on cue, the giant crab robot came barreling through the woods with another roar, but this time, the duo was prepared. “Scatter!” Tails shouted as he flew upwards and into the tree canopy while the ebony hedgehog dodged, catching the machine’s attention with what looked like a spear.

Almost instantly, that was one leg down, and seven to go. Shadow scoffed. The fox was right, he thought, this machine is weak. He dodged the pincers as they tried to swat him away, without luck.

Meanwhile, Tails, who was hiding within the tree canopy, observed the battle below, looking for a weak spot in the crab’s armor. Finding none at first glance, he slowly inched closer, going so far as to expose himself, foolishly hoping that the growing darkness would make it much harder for the enemy to notice him.

Unfortunately, he hadn’t accounted for his still bright fur, or how observant the doctor could truly be. “Egg Crab, get that pesky fox!”

“Woah!” Tails exclaimed as he hastily dodged a cannon shot, catching Shadow’s worried glance. “I’m okay! Watch out for those cannon shots!”

The older nodded before resuming his attacks, this time increasing in intensity in order to uniquely capture the robot’s attention.

Still airborne, the fox narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out where the cannon could be. All it took was one sneaky glance at the inside of one of its pincers to not only get his answer but also find its weak spot. “Clever,” he mused, “but doable!” And indeed, it would be tricky; he would have to be quick enough to hit his target dead on without getting crushed by the machine’s menacing grip.

While the fox figured out an attempt at disabling the Egg Crab, Shadow managed to knock three of its legs. By now, it only stood at four legs instead of its original eight, and it did not like that. With another deafening roar, it charged the hedgehog, who deftly dodged to the right. However, he did not account for its cannon shots, so while he’d successfully dodged out of the way of the giant machine, he’d stepped right into the path of the shots, which sent him flying a few feet back as one of them hit the ground in front of him.

Shadow landed on his feet, shaking his head to clear himself of any dirt and debris that flew with him on impact. He took a quick moment to recover.

One moment was all it took.

A piercing shriek. “Shadow!”

Two glowering red eyes narrowed, then widened at the sight before them.

The fox was pinned down in the machine’s clutches, his body trapped in its pincers. Shadow had indeed distracted the machine from Tails’ efforts, but only for a quick window of time. Too quick. And no matter how much the younger Mobian struggled to free himself, his efforts were in vain. As Shadow helplessly watched, the Egg Crab rewarded its prisoner with a tighter grip, making the kit cry out.

“Let him go!” the hedgehog growled, bracing himself to come to his young charge’s rescue.

Eggman grinned. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you! Or your little buddy will become quite boiled! Egg Crab, why don’t you show him what I mean?”

On cue, an odd glow emanated from inside the pincers, and it didn’t take a genius fox to figure out that the machine was charging up for a cannon shot. The cub froze, fear overtaking him and making him cease his struggle. The growing heat in his face was stifling, and he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut.

Despite the sheer panic clawing at Shadow’s insides, he growled, narrowing his eyes even further. “I said, let. Him. Go. Now.” He caught his menacing reflection in the doctor’s lenses, and it only took two words and an evil smirk to spur him on.

“Make me.”

With a roar of his own and with speed nearly unmatched, he charged the pincers holding the fox captive. The shot, which hadn’t quite finished charging, exploded inward, causing the pincers to break upon impact and release the fox, who got on his knees with a few coughs. Shadow quickly scooped him up, dashing a few yards away and gently resting Tails against a tree, out of sight from the action.

“Stay here,” he ordered, an unmistakable edge to his voice. “I have a machine to destroy.”

Tails could only nod, peeking so he could witness the hedgehog utterly tear down the Egg Crab for good.

And tear down, he did.

Eggman could only watch as his machine suffered intense assault from who he’d recognized to be Shadow the Hedgehog, Ultimate Lifeform created by his grandfather, Gerald Robotnik. He’d suspect the breach in his system was from the only Mobian capable to rival his technical prowess, but he hadn’t expected the fox to find, free, and befriend him. Unfortunately, he had missed out on Shadow being on his side from the beginning.

He would make another great foe to handle, and for now, Eggman knew just how to exploit him, his one clear weakness having been exposed when the fox had been in danger.

Wordlessly, he flew away, leaving his new enemy and the flaming wreckage of his creation behind.

Shadow paid no attention to the retreating form of the mad doctor. The moment the machine was down for good, he made his way back to his young charge, who was still leaning against the tree, remaining still. Almost too still.

He ignored how his heart skipped a beat and instead, shifted so he was directly in the dazed fox’s eyesight. However, the younger did not initiate eye contact. “Are you alright?” When Shadow wasn’t graced with a reply or even a glance, he snapped. “Answer me, Tails!”

“I’m okay,” the fox quietly spoke, still not looking Shadow in the eye. The expression on his face was unreadable.

“Look at me,” the hedgehog commanded, keeping the edge away from his voice. He was beyond angry, but not at the fox. Never at the fox. He needed the sentiment to speak true.

It took a few moments, but Tails eventually complied, his eyes shining with something Shadow knew all too well.

Guilt.

“I’m sorry,” Tails whispered before the hedgehog could stop him. “I…I was useless. I got myself caught. You had to rescue me.”

“You never would have been in such danger if I had done a better job of protecting you,” Shadow retorted with a protest. “You have no reason to blame yourself.”

“But I froze. I just…panicked. What good am I on the field if I can’t keep calm?”

“You are a child. A smart, courageous child, but a child nonetheless. I believe it is normal for children to experience fear and lose control.”

Tails pursed his lips. “Not for me. I’ve never been normal. I should’ve been able to handle it. Sonic…Sonic taught me better.”

“I do not like your brother,” Shadow decidedly stated. “He never should have dragged you into battle.”

“He didn’t force me to fight; I’m the one who chose to fight alongside him,” the cub tiredly explained, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “He tried to keep me away, but I chose to stay. And now, I took that choice away from you. I’m sorry, Shadow.”

Shadow’s eyebrows furrowed. “Enough. Stop apologizing and feeling sorry for yourself. In very little time, you have shown me that this world is worth fighting for. That you are worth protecting. I have chosen to do so of my own free will and I do not regret it. Do you understand?”

With quivering lips, Tails nodded. He shifted, ready to stand, but a stabbing pain in his side halted him with a hiss.

The hedgehog, alarmed, scanned the kit. “You are hurt. Where are you hurt?”

“It-it’s okay,” the cub said, holding onto his left side. “It’s just a little sore, is all.”

“I will not ask again, little one.”

Tails sighed. “I think it’s my ribs. The robot probably crushed me a little too tight. They don’t feel broken and I can breathe fairly well. I should be fine in a couple of days.” When the older Mobian didn’t budge or look satisfied, the fox insisted. “I’m okay, Shadow. You can’t do much for bruised ribs except wrap them and rest.”

“Then that is what we shall do. Come. I will take you to your home and treat your injuries there.”

Noting the finality in Shadow’s tone, the kit could only nod, bracing himself to fully stand up, when suddenly, the hedgehog in front of him disappeared from sight with a grunt. “Shadow?!”

It didn’t take long for him to catalog the familiar blue hedgehog’s protective presence in front of him. Shadow, who stood a few feet away now, glared at the new person standing between him and his charge.

“Who are you and what have you done to my little brother?!”

“Sonic, wait!”

Shadow narrowed his eyes. “Who I am is of no concern to you. I suggest you step away from him.”

“Stop!”

Sonic grinned despite his own anger, which, granted, he rarely felt, but when it came to Tails, he didn’t mess around. It sounded like the stranger didn’t, either. “I think it does concern me, pal! You’re the one who should back off!”

Tails had had enough. With gritted teeth and ignoring the pain in his ribs, he stood up and stepped in between the two hedgehogs. “Both of you, stop it right now!” he snapped, slightly panting. He leveled each of them with a glare, and both of them instinctively stepped in to support him, then stopped short at the same time when they noticed what the other had done. The kit, who also noticed, could only facepalm. “Seriously? You two are ridiculous.”

Shadow scowled. “I am no such thing.”

“What he said,” Sonic added. “Mind telling me what’s going on here, little buddy?”

Tails scoffed, already annoyed at their behavior. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, how about you tell me why you disappeared for a full day and the next time I see you, one of Eggman’s hunks of junks is up in flames, you’re hurt and there’s a stranger standing over you. That’d be a great start.”

“Do not antagonize him,” Shadow snapped, bristling. “He will tell you if he so chooses.”

“I didn’t ask you,” Sonic snapped back, his mood turning sour.

“Stop. Fighting!” the kit gritted, his tails whipping with anger behind him. “You’re both getting on my nerves! Stand down!”

While the blue hedgehog kept his guard up, Shadow immediately complied, backing away. “My apologies. I did not mean to upset you.”

That was all it took for Sonic to stand down as well. “Yeah…so am I, buddy.”

Tails knew that apology was as good as he would get from his brother. He allowed himself to relax with a slight wince. “Good, thank you both. Now, I’ve had a long day. I want to get those ribs wrapped, take a few pain pills, and pass out on my bed,” Tails firmly listed. “Shadow’s coming with us and that’s final.”

“I do not think that is such a good idea—”

“I agree with Faker over here—”

“Faker?!”

“I said, that’s final!” the fox finalized with a snarl. “Come on, you guys! Don’t make me regret this.” He turned to his brother first. “Sonic, he’s not a threat. You don’t know anything about him, so just…give him a chance. That’s all I’m asking.” Next, he turned to the ultimate lifeform. “Shadow, he’s my brother. He’s been taking care of me for as long as I can remember. You’ve gotta let him do his thing.”

The two hedgehogs slowly nodded, noting the growing distress from the fox.

“Don’t make me choose between you two. I-I can’t, I…”

“Hey, no, none of that,” Sonic said, stepping forward. He began rubbing his little brother’s back soothingly. The younger immediately leaned into the touch with a sniffle. “We won’t make you do that, okay? You’ve got me and you’ve got him, too. He’ll come with us. Will he?” At that, he shot the ebony hedgehog a pointed look.

Shadow, who had been watching the exchange with a bit of a pang in his heart, nodded. “Of course. I will remain by your side and assist the blue one in watching over you.”

“Sonic.”

“Mh?”

“Call me Sonic.”

“…Okay. Call me Shadow, then.”

The blue blur smiled. “Sure thing, Shadow.”

“I wanna go home now,” Tails tiredly whispered, staring at the two of them, his eyes shining with a new emotion now.

Elation.

“Alright, little buddy,” Sonic replied as Shadow nodded. “Let’s go home.”