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'Told ya you wouldn't believe me," Sonic huffed a humorless laugh. "Chaos, it sounds even more insane when I say it out-"
"I believe you."
Sonic's hand paused where it was exasperatedly wiping down his face. Emerald eyes blinked up at Shadow, the gloved hand now hovering aimlessly in midair.
"...Huh?"
"Don't give me that idiotic look, hedgehog," Shadow seemed to snap, but his voice lacked any sharp, incriminating edge, "You're not remotely creative enough to come up with a lie that elaborate."
"There's a compliment hidden in there somewhere, I can feel it."
Shadow's round ear flicked in irritation, his eyes rolling and his shoulders heaving as he sighed. Ruby eyes closed, brows furrowed, carefully planning his next words.
"I know how you behave when you lie. This is not one of those instances."
There was silence, save for the far-off twittering of Flickies, muffled by the canopy of the forest. The sun was sinking now, casting orange flares in both hedgehogs' eyes. Sonic sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Well, nothing to do about it now," he mumbled, "I'm sorry I said anything. Doesn't have anything to do with you guys-"
"You said this world seemed to be some exaggerated form of paradise for you, to some extent?"
The blue hedgehog was a bit taken aback by how calmly and objectively Shadow was going about this, but... hey, it was Shadow. He balked for a moment, stammering his explanation.
"I... I mean, I-I guess? I'm not sure how creepy button eyes is an ideal lifestyle but-"
"I'm serious, hedgehog."
Sonic sighed again, averting his eyes to the ground.
"I..." Sonic laughed shortly, devoid of warmth, and threw his hand up in surrender, "Sure, yeah. I guess that's what the thing was going for, but obviously that creepy doll hellscape thing is not my idea of paradise. But Shadow, why is this-"
"Do you think I would be happier if Maria was here?"
Sonic's heart dropped to his feet, and he felt his veins run cold. His body was still for a moment, then he shrugged. Then he started to speak. Then he cut himself off. Then he put a hand to his face and stared at the grass through his fingers. The hedgehog noted how close the toe of his shoe was to crushing a small pink flower. He took a step backwards, then looked up.
"I-I don't know, would you?"
"I'm asking you, Sonic."
The blue hedgehog gave a huff through his nose, shoulders slumping in defeat.
"I mean," he spoke quietly, digging a fang into his lip,
"I guess so? I feel like it's pretty natural to wish we didn't have to lose people we care about."
Sonic's thoughts flitted to his parents. He brushed it away for now.
Shadow looked thoughtful, deadpan, brows furrowed and eyes staring vaguely at the grass in front of him.
Sonic didn't know why he felt like he was poking a grizzly bear. He knew he and Shadow had a tendency to compete rather than talk, so he supposed he expected the black hedgehog to dart off or hurl a Chaos Spear at his skull.
"I don't think I would be."
Sonic blinked in surprise, the tension dropping from his shoulders from when he'd braced himself for an attack. Shadow seemed surprised at his own answer.
"As dear as Maria is to me," the hybrid continued slowly, as if his words were an elaborate chess strategy, "As much as she would've loved this planet, and you---" Sonic felt a pang in his chest. "--what's done is done. If I could speak to her one last time, I would do so in an instant. But..."
Shadow looked solemn. He sighed again.
"It would be selfish of me, to undo the permanence of death. This planet is as dangerous and ruthless as it is beautiful. If people did not have mercy on the ARK, it would be no different here. Her illness would be expedited, and there would be nothing for me to do."
"But what if--"
"The best thing that I can do for Maria is keep this planet safe in her name. That is all."
Twilight now stained the sky softly purple, the faintest glimpse of stars beginning to flicker into existence, and the sinking light cast sunken shadows on the black hedgehog's tired face. Sonic figured talking like this was a fairly herculean effort. The chilled wind softly ruffled their quills. Instinctively, Sonic wanted to lighten the mood by making a jab about Doctor Frankenstein, or Night of the Living Dead, but taking one look at Shadow's exhausted face, he knew it wasn't the time.
The silence was tenuous, both hedgehogs unsure what to do with their feelings out in the open.
Sonic thought about how wrong the Other world had been, how uncanny and fundamentally terrifying it all was. He knew that thing, the puppet made of string and buttons and false fur...it wasn't really Shadow. But it still tried to help him. It was still Shadow's voice begging him not to leave, not to do this to him, not again. He knew the pain in its expression as the little girl in the blue dress unraveled was far from fake. As much as that fake world tried to create happiness, the only real, raw thing? Had been that pain.
Deep down, Sonic thought Shadow deserved to be a bit selfish, at least in this hypothetical, fantastic situation they'd created. And Sonic had the feeling that Shadow really, really wants to be as well. But, ever the realist, he doesn't even allow himself the fantasy. At least that's Sonic's guess. Maybe he's just projecting his savior complex again.
"Race ya home, faker?"
But Sonic also knows that living in a past as painful as Shadow's can be dangerous.
"You mean my home, or the fox's lab you sleep on the floor of?" Shadow smirks challengingly.
He's watched it consume Shadow before.
"That's a low blow!"
It's probably better off for both of them to just live in the present.
"Last one to Rouge's buys drinks?"
Shadow may not have his sister with him anymore, but, maybe the new normal isn't horrible.
"Oh, you're so on! I can taste my victory Shirley
Temple already!"
"A Shirley Temple, are you a child?"
Maybe this freedom is what Maria wanted for him all along.
"You're gonna be crying like one when you lose!"
Shadow hmph's with a grin as his skates spark to life, glowing even brighter beneath the now inky black sky. With no warning, he darts off, leaving billowing ripples in the grass behind him. Sonic gapes for a moment, before his mind catches up and he peels away with an eager smile.
The blue hedgehog slows up near the end of their race, if only to see Shadow's victorious expression as
Rouge opens the club door.