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To the residents of Sunset City, it is one of the most famous cities in the world for its gorgeous views of the sunset (hence the name). Oh, it’s also a great way for Dr. Eggman to mess with new technology. So why do the residents and tourists still come around? Well, Sonic, of course! Many people go to see the iconic blue blur duke it out with the scheming doctor. On most occasions, the city is like any other tourist city. Nothing special, but a few times a month, Eggman runs his creations all over the city in order to show his vast abilities and large arsenal of weapons. But everyone knows that he secretly wants Sonic to come along and play his little game of “good versus evil”, and Sonic obliges because he never gets tired of the adrenaline rushing throughout his body 24/7. Sonic gets the job done and dips away while the restoration does the cleanup.
So, naturally, Eggman does his thing and showers the city with his newest bots. People run and hide, some just stand with their phones out recording for some reason. Sonic arrives because he’s everywhere and gets information about the doctor’s whereabouts from reliable sources.
The city was a wreck with robot scraps flying around and a speedy hedgehog going all over the place trashing the boys with great ease.
“Oh come on doc, is this the best you could give me?! I expected a bit of a challenge, since you’ve been away for a while! Or are you waiting to blindside me with another new crummy invention, Dr. Predictable?”
Sonic was proven right by the doctor’s next course of action was to surround the hero by using much bigger and more durable bots but, of course, they never stood a chance. They were a hump of junk in a matter of minutes.
Eggman, like always gets even more pissed and starts beating his egg mobile, “You stupid hedgehog! You can’t keep getting away with this!!”
Sonic chuckled and smirked right at the old man, “Oh, but I can!” Sonic swept up a robot’s body and tossed it near Eggman with it almost knocking him over his egg mobile.
The doctor’s head was down and to Sonic it looked like out of shame, “What Egghead, you got nothing else, huh? I’ve told you this before, invest it in something that will actually give me a run for my money! Throwing a bunch of cheap junk at me won’t even scratch my skin!”
“You shut it boy! I’ll be back, and I will give you ‘a run for your money’” Eggman’s egg mobile started flying higher, indicating that he was surrendering.
Sonic scoffed and brushed off Eggman’s shallow threats, “Ha! I’ll believe it when I feel it!” He watched as Eggman soared away from his underwhelming defeat. Some started getting out of their hiding spots and cheered for Sonic’s success.
Sonic looked over and smiled at the residents cheering him on. He turned his gaze over to the direction of the sun setting. However, something much more luring caught his eye.
On top of one of the buildings, he sees a recognizable figure. It was Shadow the hedgehog, a long-time rival, standing looking down on him. He noticed Shadow’s well shadow first before the beautiful sunset. Was it strange? Maybe… Once they had made eye contact from afar, Shadow moved to his left and sped off hoping from building to building.
Sonic decided he wanted to catch up with him and mess with him. So he gave a final bow and sped off to locate his dark rival. He ran up onto buildings and jumped onto other ones just like Shadow did and eventually spotted him on the city’s iconic large red bridge.
He made his way onto the bridge cables and sped up to meet Shadow on one of the bridge’s structures.
Once he had landed in proximity to him, he gave Shadow a friendly smile and waved. “Hey Shads, what's up! Been a while, hasn’t it? So what brings ya here in the city?” By this point, the sun had already set, and the sky became a dark blue.
Shadow rolled his eyes, not really wanting to speak to his rival, yet he answered.“I heard a commotion coming from your direction. I should’ve figured it was you. I don’t know why I even bothered checking?”
Sonic snickered, “Maybe you wanted to take my glory or be in my presence.”
“In your dreams, hedgehog. I had no intention of dealing with the man, I simply just observed. Now, did you come to bother me or challenge me in one of your stupid charades?”
Sonic got all up in Shadow’s face to mess with him even more, leaving their noses to touch one another. “Oh come on, you know you enjoy them.”
Shadow took a step back and responded “I shall remain from answering, therefore I wish not to participate in whatever you have planned.” Shadow turned his back to Sonic and made his way to one of the nearby cables of the bridge.
“Come on dude, let's just talk like normal friends! No need for all those fancy terms!”
Shadow pointed towards the metal structure and replied, “If I bash your head against this metal tower will you leave me alone?”
Sonic cheekily brushed his nose with his finger, “I mean it gives you enough time to run away from me, but I wouldn’t recommend that, considering I would still catch up with you.”
“Give me three reasons why I shouldn’t do just that?”
“Alright. One is that I’ll get brain damage and not be able to-“ Sonic was cut off by Shadow, “Haven’t you fallen enough times on your head already to get serious brain damage?”
Sonic raised his eye-ridge and questioned him, “Are you implying that I’m already stupid?”
Shadow gave Sonic a wicked smirk, “I’ve called you an idiot for the longest time, but my words are up for interpretation or maybe that too has gone over your head.”
Sonic was visibly offended by his remarks and snapped back, “Well, at least I have a unique and welcoming personality, unlike you with your whole edgy personality.”
“I am not ‘edgy’. It's a baseless and stereotypical claim if you actually know me.”
“Well, that’s the problem, Shads. You don’t let me know you!”
“Oh please, you don’t need to know me.”
“That makes zero sense. But I think you’d be a lot happier if more people were in your life.”
Shadow rolled his eyes, “That is my worst nightmare,” he sat near the edge and looked up at the small stars.
It got quiet between the both of them, all they heard was the cars passing below them and the occasional honking of a vehicle. Sonic had to eventually speak to stop the silence.
“Hey, the stars are pretty out tonight.”
“Can you shut up?”
“Oh come on man, I’m trying to make this less awkward!”
“Well, leave me be, it’ll be less awkward for you. Oh, also, the stars aren’t that great here.”
“What makes you say that?”
“They aren’t bright, they lack the shine and are too small to even notice them due to the light pollution from the city.”
“I didn't know you were so keen on stars?”
Shadow turned his face to look up to Sonic, “Sonic, I lived in space for a long time and witnessed the abundance of stars up close. So, of course, I would be fond of them.”
“Well, you’re not the only one that can appreciate something so minor.”
Shadow got annoyed at this point. “And what would that be?”
“The sunsets from here are great. You’ve heard it before. It’s nothing special to me. Yet today I saw something better, but everyone was staring at the wrong place because it’s so obvious, and I think it is more beautiful.”
Shadow let out an audible sigh,“Oh please you’re just trying to be different!”
“Hey, I can appreciate the sky, but let me continue.” Sonic got quiet, it only confused his rival even more.
He was now visibly frustrated at him, “Are you going to tell me or not?!”
“It’s you.”
“Excuse me?!”
“You look prettier than the sunset.”
Shadow was bewildered by Sonic’s statement. A slight blush formed across his face. Where did that come from? Didn’t he just ‘insult’ him just a while ago?
Was he saying this as a joke? Was he saying that to be romantic? Snarky? Or in a friendly manner?
Sonic tilted his head in confusion. Shadow was definitely overanalyzing what he said. Maybe he was drawing to a bunch of different conclusions?
“Shads, you good?”
Shadow got up from where he was sitting, “Now, why the hell would you say that?!”
Sonic backed away from Shadow, thinking he might lash out, “I was giving you a compliment? Did you think that was stupid too?”
“No! I mean… it’s just ugh! Sometimes I just don’t understand you?” Shadow walked away embarrassed.
Sonic grabbed his hand and spun to make Shadow look at him. “Aw, I didn’t mean to embarrass you! Come Shads, what I said was true, you are prettier.”
Once Sonic made eye contact with Shadow, he saw how bright red Shadow got.
“Well, it looks like I won.” Shadow smacked the blue blur’s face.
“Ow! Hey!”
He pulled away from Sonic’s grasp and looked away from the hedgehog, “So, you were just saying that to mess with me?! Huh! That was your secret little challenge!”
“What? No! I’m really serious! You are pretty.”
Shadow turned back to look at his rival, “What are you insinuating?”
Sonic looked away from his gaze. Now he is clearly flustered, “Well I was um… Maybe um.”
Seeing the world renowned hedgehog stuttering to find words, he’ll follow Sonic's challenge, “Sonic the hedgehog at a loss for words? I never thought I would see the day!”
“Oh, knock it off, I was just giving you a compliment. But if you want to be romantic, then I surely wouldn’t mind...” Sonic gave Shadow an awkward smile.
Shadow shook his head in annoyance and put his hand in his face, “You’re an idiot.”
“I'm trying dude!”