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Sonic was racing down Hedgehog Pass, grabbing a dozen rings or so as he zigzags through the meadow, and kicks off the pass. It would only be thirty minutes or so until he met up with everyone by the lake side. The area had lots of mountainous cover, despite parts of the ecosystem slowly deteriorating. Several trees had been uprooted by Eggman and so the topsoil didn’t hold together as well as it used to. The more Sonic thought about it, he was surprised the rest of the trees in that area hadn’t toppled over yet. Amy was most concerned about the ecological changes that Eggman’s schemes had on the area, and often would try to rally the others to try replanting the trees. Sonic couldn’t hold back a smirk as the gesture now felt echoed with Black Thorn’s protectiveness in Boscage Maze.
For now, Green Hill was still stable in spite of Eggman’s attempts. Sonic released a sigh as he was grateful the doctor hadn’t been able to obtain the Paradox Prism, or worse had an ally that could overwhelm him and his friends.
“No…” the Blue blur muttered. “I shouldn’t have to worry about that right now. Today is about getting everyone together… like a nice cookout…with stories…about how I almost ruined everything…” He groaned.
“This is why you’re running late? Talking down to yourself already?” A deep voice interrupted his thoughts.
Sonic’s eyes widened as he catches the ultimate life form drifting next to him. They weren’t elbow to elbow, but close enough that the Mobian should have detected Shadow’s presence sooner.
“Hey, who said I was late? I have plenty of time. And besides, you brood pessimistically all the time. I can’t have a couple of self deprecating comments in private?”
“I am not brooding…I meditate. Self reflect. And I’m not pessimistic, I’m a realist.” Shadow soured.
“Yeah…but you do it with that frown and it looks a lot like brooding.” Sonic throws back with a whimsical grin.
“Heh!” Shadow grunts “Well irregardless of what you think I do, and what you claim you are doing…Your friends are already approaching the lakeside.”
“Wait, already?!” Sonic squeaks. “But I haven’t set up!” His face falls into a discontented pout.
“You mean those three boxes of trash by the valley?” Shadow points out in what many would call sardonic, but Sonic catches a smirk under the hybrid’s muzzle.
“Yeah, I wasn’t totally unprepared. Just wanted to get a run in, and make sure Egghead is nowhere near this place.”
Shadow huffs “While it’s relieving that you are taking your hero role more seriously, paranoia doesn’t suit you.” He gives a gentle smirk.
Sonic feels a flutter in his chest. His heartbeat was already immeasurable from the speed he was going at, and yet he swore his heart palpitated.
“Man, who are you?” He asks bewildered.
Shadow’s eye ridge rises with confusion. “You know who I am?” He answers matter of factly.
Sonic murmured through tightly sealed lips and a tiny chortle whistled out. He wasn’t expecting that part to be out loud.
“Nothing…nothing…so…race ya back?” He dashes over a boost pad, running through a loop-de-loop and soaring upward. He lands on a mountainous ledge and continues running. It wasn’t long before Shadow caught up to him again.
Sonic shook off the embarrassment, enjoying the moment of watching the world breeze right by him. He was reminded of the other night when Shadow comforted Sonic in his less than glorious moment. There was a kindness and gentleness that Shadow usually kept hidden. Even now, the hybrid seemed to be keeping watch of him at a distance. The Blue Blur didn’t immediately take to being babysat, he was the hero of Mobius for crying out loud. Was Shadow concerned Sonic would mess things up so quickly? Or, perhaps, there was another motive. As Sonic drew his eyes back to his rival, he was shocked to see the other’s gaze already zeroed in on him. Sonic immediately looked forward, almost missing the bumper pad as his head went dizzy for a moment. He was probably nervous about talking to the others about their adventures.
In a few minutes the pair arrived at the lakeside. Sonic wasted no time throwing decor out of the boxes, unfolding chairs, and gathering kindling for a campfire.
Shadow kept a berth holding his arms crossed while Sonic dashed around the area. The dark hedgehog only stepped in when Sonic was rapidly trying to light a match, but moving so quickly the entire tinderbox went ablaze. Sonic leaped back and tapped his foot on the small flame, which completely missed the kindling and coal.
Shadow sighed. “Not everything can be done at the speed of sound.” He grouses and brushes the cinders on the coal. “Are you burned?” He looks up with a blank expression.
“Heh, only mentally.” Sonic gives a sheepish smile. Shadow did not relent. “Okay my gloves are singed, but I’ll be fine. Not the first time I had to handle…” Sonic’s breath caught in his throat as Shadow stood up to cradle Sonic’s hands to his own. There were soot stains on the sides and fingertips of Sonic’s right glove. Shadow slowly pulled the dirty garment off and gently inspected Sonic’s pads. There were some spots of red, but no other sign of damaged skin.
“The stains might just be from the phosphorus.” Shadow explained as he started to pull Sonic’s glove back on. “Still you need to be care… What?” He sniped. Sonic glanced in wide eyed shock, his peach muzzle growing into a deep red. The hybrid raised his brow then mentally calmed himself asking in a more quiet voice. “What?”
Sonic didn’t even blink, the only sign of consciousness was a subtle bob in his throat as the blue hedgehog made a thick swallow. Shadow’s ears flicked to the side as he heard the others approaching. The hybrid squeezed his hand and Sonic gasped.
“Oh…um…sorry…I wasn’t expecting you to…do that…” The blue hedgehog answered airily.
“You don’t mess with burns.” Shadow replies.
“I guess I forget you weren’t raised around other Mobians…” Sonic chuckles softly. “Or hang out with them a lot.” His flush softens, but Sonic is still very much red rather than blue. Then his own ears flicker to the sounds of footsteps. “Oh no…uh…” His eyes widened with embarrassment.
Shadow steps back, still uncertain what he did to provoke Sonic in this way, but he understood the blue blur was more embarrassed now that his friends were here.
“Run a lap around the lake, I’ll get the fire ready, then greet your friends.” Shadow ordered.
Happy to get some more steam off. Sonic broke into a wide grin.
“Thanks Shads” he jabbed the hybrid with his elbow and sped off.
Shadow’s ears flattened for a moment. Nicknames? Really? He mulled to himself. He grabbed a small piece of flint and the remainders of the tinder box. He should be annoyed, he was annoyed, and yet he found himself smirking as he struck by the pit.
#######
Sonic had enough time to run a lap and get the last set pieces of the gathering in place before Knuckles walked in, with Rouge close behind.
“Look, we get here early and he still manages to be late to his own shindig” Knuckles goads, gesturing to the hedgehogs while looking back at the bat.
“Hey it’s not late if you are being fashionably early.” Sonic smirks as he subtly adjusts a chair. “So you didn’t see the others yet?”
“Tails should be arriving soon. He was picking up Amy in the Tornado.” Rouge informs. “Big and Froggy were hauling in a couple fish for the fire.” She nods as Sonic and gives a quick glance at Shadow. The hybrid mirrored the look, but his ears flickered slightly in her direction. Rouge gave a devious smirk.
“I didn’t realize just how much of his time Shadow was giving you, sugar.” The bat observes with cadence in her step. Shadow tilts his head at that, as if questioning where Rouge was going with that inflection.
Sonic hadn’t suspected anything as he rubs behind his quills. “It’s not that much.” The blue hedgehog chuckles, deciding not to include the time Shadow gave comforting him from his nightmares. “Tails hangs out a lot more, I can’t think of someone else I spend more time with than my best bud.” He concludes with a smirk.
“Well, that’s for certain. I doubt much would keep you and that kit apart for long.” Knuckles agrees. “But that one doesn’t spend much time with anyone. A bit surprised he’s here at all.” The echidna adds pointing to Shadow, giving the latter cause to growl softly.
“Now, now,” Sonic waves his hands in defense. “Just cause Shadow usually shows up for the saving-the-world stuff, doesn’t mean he can’t join us for the fun stuff.” He shrugs. “Besides, I asked him.”
Knuckles smirks. “Really? I thought you said it was, because he didn’t have any friends.” Sonic couldn’t signal the ‘cut it out’ gesture at his neck fast enough.
Rouge chuckles heartily and her wings flutter as she hovers next to Knuckles. “Knux, maybe we should have extended that little stop we made on the way. Obviously the hedgehogs here needed more time to chat.”
“What?” The three standing asked in unison. Rouge gives Knuckles a wink and leans in to whisper. Shadow could barely pick up the words, and Rouge had given him the disservice to cover her face so he could not read her lips. Knuckles’ eyes widened as his muzzle started to match his fur.
“Rouge!” The echidna jolted and swayed away, covering his face with one glove, clearly embarrassed. A moment later he looked up, giving another look at the two hedgehog’s in front of him. Context only known to him as he narrows his glance.
“Wait…does that mean…” He straightens. “Sonic, is there something going on between…” He let his question linger as he gestures to the both of them.
Sonic and Shadow left the question strangled in the air, both misunderstanding any insinuations for different reasons. Shadow glared, while Sonic shrugged.
“I mean, we did share something crazy. That’s why I invited him, to help me explain it to you.” The blue blur offered the purpose of explaining the Shatterverse.
Unfortunately it was not the correct response as Knuckles and Rouge reacted with surprise; albeit more confusion from the former, and intrigue from the latter.
“Ooh…Sonic how long has this been cooking?” Rouge smirked. “And naughty, you didn’t even tell Amy?!” She chided, waggling her finger.
“I wanted to tell all of you together.” Sonic shrugged. “It would have been too much to explain it all several times over.”
“Well you can count me out. Rouge might want those juicy details, but you’re an esteemed friend, Sonic, but I just need to know you are happy. Although I do question his motives in all this.” He gives a sneer to Shadow.
Sonic blinks a few times “Uh…what? Sorry…I know you guys don’t know all the details about the Prism shattering and what…”
“Prism Shattering? When did it Shatter?” Rouge gasps.
“It did…and…well…like I said, Shadow and I will explain it once everyone is here.” Sonic reassures.
“What does the Prism Shattering, or not, have to do with…you…uh…having relations?” Knuckles gestures, still unsure about that idea.
Sonic’s swallows thickly, his mouth twisting uncomfortably
“What?”
Even Shadow’s glare broke, the smallest tint of pink framing his tan muzzle.
“You thought we were talking about…”
“Us…Dating?” Sonic finished airily. Everyone stood silently for a moment before Sonic started belly laughing. Whether from embarrassment or relief was anyone’s guess. Shadow tucked his arms tighter as he scowled.
It was at this moment the sounds of motors whirring overcame Sonic’s guffaw and everyone looked to see the Tornado make a landing.
“Sonic!” Amy waves excitedly as she hops off, Tails following behind her. “I’m glad we were able to make it.” She walks up looking at the atmosphere and places her hands akimbo. “Well, I seemed to have missed a joke. Care to share the joy with us, Sonic?”
Sonic looks up, his face flushed with pink from the excitement as he stood quickly rubbing a finger under his eye. “Uh…n-no…um…well…sorry it’s…uh…” The blue blur quickly got over his nervous guffaw and internally panicked. Why was it Amy? This was going to be so awkward.
“A vampire looked in the mirror” Shadow starts in a deadpan tone. “He sighs and says ‘I can’t see myself doing this forever.’ That was the joke.”
Rouge gives Shadow a sideways glance, Knuckles looks inward to process, and Sonic gapes with confusion.
“Wow…uh…that was interesting, Shadow.” Amy lets out a light chuckle. “I didn’t think Sonic liked word play that much.” She shrugs.
“Amy, c’mon I love wordplay!” Sonic cheeses. “Which is why I really liked it when Shadow says it.” He nodded confidently. Rouge’s brow perked in interest and covered a chuckle with her glove.
“Well, it would only work in the past.” Tails adds on, finally catching up with the group as he leaves the Tornado in the field. “Given that mirrors are built differently.”
“Well, it was told to me a long time ago.” Shadow shrugs. “Now we are just waiting for the Cat, correct?” He adds changing the subject.
“Wait!” Knuckles cries out. “Vampires don’t see their reflections! So how would he be able to see himself doing anything? Oh…wait…that’s the joke.” The warrior gasped as Rouge gently nestled her face into her palm.
“So…uh make yourself comfortable.” Sonic offers, broadening his shoulders. “Wait, we’re just waiting for Big and Froggy, right? Hang on…I got this!” He speeds away and back, only having the Cat and amphibian by his side. “Phew…Delivery complete!” He exclaimed.
“Oh wow! Thank you Sonic!” Big compliments. “I appreciate the lift, but it was so sudden. I almost dropped the fish.” He holds up his quarry. Some of them were still twitching.
“Oh..yeah…no problem.” Sonic grins. “Just make yourself comfortable.”
“Okay…So Sonic what was this all about?” Amy prods as she approaches the hedgehog. “Something feels…off.” She explains.
“I agree with Amy. Sonic I know this isn’t just another gathering, right? As much as I like hanging out with you, we know something is on your mind.” Tails pipes in.
Sonic’s ears flit for a moment, as he gives a compassionate smile to his friends. Even Rouge and Knuckles had this contemplative expression. Sonic was glad he was finally having them in a place together where they could talk. He was only hoping Eggman wouldn’t show up to interrupt the moment.
He was also glad that Shadow was here to offer support, in his own way. Just his presence alone gave Sonic a buzzing sensation in his quills.
“Okay…So sit down everyone…Remember….” He paused recalling the last time he tried to start this story off with everyone. There was no prismatic explosion. Okay, good sign.
“Remember the day we stopped Eggman from getting the Paradox Prism?” Everyone nodded.
“Well…for Shadow and me…that was the second time we had that battle. The first time…went very differently.”
Cue a chorus of exasperated and confused exclamations of
“WHAT?!”