Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sonic winced as he looked over the tree, turning an eye towards the young one standing beside him.

The fox kit looked near tears, shrinking into his already dwarfing robes. Sonic sighed, running a hand through his quills.

“Relax, buddy, I’m not mad,” Sonic said softly.
“Promise?” the kid sniffled, looking up at him, his twin tails curling around him.
“Promise,” Sonic reassured, moving slowly so the kid didn’t flinch away while he ruffled his soft orange fur. 

He looked back at the burning tree and gnawed at his lip.
“We just… we should look into getting you a teacher,” Sonic hummed thoughtfully.
“A teacher?” the kid questioned. “For this?”
Tails motioned to himself, confused. 

“Hey, we’ve talked about this, don’t motion to all of you when you’re being self critical,” Sonic said somewhat sternly. “There is nothing wrong with you.”

“There is something wrong with me,” Tails huffed. “And I burnt that tree and I am bad at this.”
“You just need to learn, that’s all,” Sonic said, crouching down. He put a hand on Tails’ shoulder, firm. “Hey, don’t give up on yourself before you’ve even tried, okay?”
Tails sniffled again and nodded.
“But… but where are we gonna find a teacher?” Tails asked, ears flat against his head.
“Oh, I have an idea,” Sonic said cryptically. 

The Waste is inhospitable, a planet of smog and disease and disgust. The natives of the planet are often hardy people, either embracing the grime of the world or surviving in spite of it. 

The Shadow of the Waste is not a native but he fits that unspoken code of survival as well as any other.

His boots squelch in the mud as he walks, a basket stuffed full of the thick but edible swamp grass on his back. 

His door squeaked as he opened it, his long black ears twitching at the sound. 

With a grunt, the Shadow of the Waste tossed his basket down on his table. He let out a sigh, reaching up and massaging his neck, fingers briefly carding through black and red quills before he paused.

 In a single sharp movement, the Shadow turned, a knife made of a sparking green energy flying out of his outreached hand.

Sonic tilted his head just slightly, the knife making a home in the space right next to his smirking cheeks.
“Is that any way to greet an old friend?” Sonic said cheekily. “You waited a good minute to greet me.”
The Shadow internally hissed; the annoyance was right, his reaction was slow. Surely his time on this wetland planet had not made him weak?
“Sonic Star,” the Shadow lowered his hand, the knife fading as he did so.
“I told you, just call me Sonic,” the blue hedgehog laughed, moving as easily as if he was in his own home, if he even had one. 

The Shadow huffed, turning away and back to his grass.
“Why are you here,” the Shadow said. “If there’s been yet another catastrophe, I’ve been here the whole time, I have nothing-”
“I know, I know, geez, Shadow, I wasn’t gonna accuse you of anything,” Sonic sighed. “Look, I need a favor.”
“A favor?” the Shadow glanced over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow at the other. 

“Yeah,” Sonic sighed, crossing his arms. “I’ve… been watching this kid. He’s clever as a whip, smart too, but there’s one problem. He’s… he’s like you. With the glowing and sparking and the, uh, uh…”
“The Spark,” the Shadow exclaimed. He now turned to face Sonic fully. “He has it?”
Sonic nodded.
“He’s got it, alright,” Sonic confirmed. The Shadow tried to suppress any wonder that might show on his face. Those with the Spark were born few and far inbetween… and often, were culled in infancy. “But he can’t control it. I figured…”
“No,” the Shadow said, shaking off his wonder. “Absolutely not.”
“Oh, c’mon!” Sonic exclaimed. “He needs a teacher. If anyone can do it, it’s you.”
“I refuse and the fact you’re even asking me is an insult,” the Shadow hissed, his long tail twitching in agitation as he turned away. “You’re lucky I’m not throwing you out.”
“There’s no one else I can ask,” Sonic insisted. “You’re the only one I trust not to try and indoctrinate him into some order or other.”
The Shadow paused at that, ear twitching. 

It was a good point. If Sonic was not lying and this child had the Spark, chances were people would be chomping at the bit to try and get their hands on such a powerful kid. Those with the Spark and those without, all would try to make him walk their path, whether it hurt the child or not.

The Shadow grinded his teeth for a moment, trying to find some way to justify leaving a child to those vultures. 

He found none.

“Fine,” he ground out. “I’ll tutor this child.”
“Really?” Sonic exclaimed gleefully. “Oh, I knew you would, Shadow. I’ll bring him tomorrow.”
“Hmph,” the Shadow grumbled. “Alone, though.”
Sonic paused, having turned to leave.
“Alone?” he asked.
“You trust me, don’t you?” the Shadow said with a glare back. “Then leave me with the child alone. If you wanted to learn, you should have asked earlier.”
“I don’t-” Sonic stopped before sighing. He frowned but nodded. “Fine. Yeah, that’s… that’s fair.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” the Shadow pulled out a hammer, laying the grass out flat.
“Yeah,” Sonic agreed. “Tomorrow.”
The Shadow’s quills fluttered in Sonic’s breeze as he dashed out, the Shadow pausing to once more adjust his crescent shaped quills. 

He carefully laid the grass out flat before lifting up the hammer, slamming it with a heavy thud against the thin green plant.

Tails knew something was wrong- sorry, something was different about him from a very young age.

It wasn’t just his identical twin tails, trailing after him like a flag to what he was born broken with, though that was definitely a part of it. 

He had this… thing inside him, this energy. It thrummed through his fingers like electricity but… worse. Tails couldn’t control it. For the longest time, he didn’t know what it was.

He just assumed it was a part of whatever curse he’d been born with.

And then Sonic had rescued him. 

The stranger had come into town with his too bright eyes and vivid blue quills, strangely vibrant against the much more dull colors of the residents.

He walked with a confidence none understood and spoke with a casualness as if he’d lived there his whole life.

He’d seen Tails, so small and dirty and utterly worthless, and had asked where his parents were.

Tails didn’t hear the barkeep’s response, too busy trying to scrub the wooden floors clean. 

He looked up, just as a shadow fell over him.

“C’mon, kid,” Sonic had said, his lip bleeding but his knuckles stained a far more worrisome red. “Let’s get out of here.”
Tails had been used to being dragged from place to place so he just took Sonic’s offered hand and followed him out.

Tails’ life had changed from that day. He was given a bath, a meal, told Sonic was going to keep him safe, told him he didn’t have to work for a place to sleep, and left the planet Tails had expected to live and die on.

It had looked so different from space, the dark purple waters seeming almost black from the window of the Star Tornado .

Tails had been living with Sonic for less than a year now, barely up to Sonic’s knees when Sonic took him in, now just at chest level. He liked to think he wasn’t a burden on the nomadic hedgehog, kept quiet, kept out of the way, but the energy that flowed through his veins only seemed to grow louder and louder the older Tails got.

As they walked through the planet Bahhrsa - better known as the Waste's primary port - Tails wondered if this was the final straw, that Sonic was finally gonna hand Tails off to someone ‘better suited’ to care for him.

“He asked me to leave you with him but I’m not going anywhere,” Sonic repeated for the fifth time in the last hour. “Not because he’s not trustworthy, I know you’ll be safe with him, but I don’t want you thinking I’m leaving, okay?”
“I know,” Tails reassured for the fifth time. “I don’t think that.”
Well, Tails did but he’d rather just get this over with. And to think, he really was starting to believe…
“Let’s get you some proper food before I hand you to him, he’ll probably just feed you soup and swamp weeds,” Sonic said, pulling Tails along to a tavern.
“By proper food, you mean chili dogs?” Tails asked in a deadpan.
“Of course!” Sonic insisted. 

The tavern’s atmosphere was warm, at least, until the two walked in.

Sonic strode on, confidently, choosing a small booth in the corner. Tails sank into Sonic’s side, clinging to his hand with both of his little paws, hoping his large robes would hide his tails from sight.

The two sat down, an anxious barmaid rushing over.
“Two chili dogs, please,” Sonic said with a beam before she could even get a word out and she rushed away, almost relieved. “Wow, great service here so far, huh, buddy?”
Tails snorted at that; she was scared, they were always scared, and, in their defense, they should be. 

Tails remained stiff and on guard, Sonic seemingly far more relaxed.

“Your… friend,” Tails said slowly, quietly. “Is he like you?”
Sonic blinked before getting a strange look on his face.
“Like me?” Sonic repeated.
“Is he a… you know…” Tails mimed a gun at his hip and Sonic’s face cleared up.
“Oooooh,” Sonic sighed. “Well, kinda? Not exactly the same and nowhere near as active but… yeah. Does that bother you?”
“No,” Tails replied. He supposed it shouldn’t. “And he has the, uh, the thingy too?”
“Sure does!” Sonic nodded. “And he’s hella good at it. You won’t have to worry about a thing-”
Tails jumped as something was slammed against their table but Sonic just lazily blinked, turning his head towards the sound.

A dingo, tall and muscular, next to a much more lean wolf, had slammed a paper down on the table.
Tails glanced at it, even as he knew what it was.

A wanted poster with a strangely flattering picture of Sonic, grinning at the camera with a manic grin, his gun aimed at the sky in an act of brazen defiance. 

There was no indication of dead or alive, the Ovum Empire’s police force could care less where Sonic was in between those, as long as he stopped being a problem.

“If you want an autograph, you shoulda brought a pen,” Sonic said. “I sure as hell ain’t got one.”
“We don’t want no autograph!” the dingo said.
“We are after the reward,” the wolf’s voice came out like a sickly ooze over Tails’ ears. He shuddered.
Sonic hummed and leaned forward, picking up the wanted poster. He leaned back, seeming to be causally looking the paper over.

Only Tails could see Sonic’s hand hover over the pistol at his side. 

“This is a pretty hefty award,” Sonic admitted. “Could do a whole lot of things with this money. Buy a house, buy a shop, quit your job, pay off your debts, pretty much anything you can think of.”
Tails slowly slid down his seat, ignored by the two eager canines, overlooked by the general tavern occupant, down under the table. A fair bit of time by Sonic's side meant, Tails knew what to do in such cases as these. 

“So you’re gonna surrender, let us turn you in?” the dingo leaned in eagerly, nearly drooling.
“Oh, that,” Sonic snorted. “No!”
The dingo howled in pain as, in a single and smooth movement, Sonic pulled his gun from his hollister and fired a shot right where the muscles of his shoulder and arm met. He fell to the ground, gripping the place where he was shot.
“Why, you little-” the wolf started but Sonic fired again - this time, the shot went past the wolf’s head. It bounced off a hanging mirror by the bar, hitting the back of the wolf’s head. He fell forward, losing consciousness.

Sonic yawned, putting his gun away and standing up.

Tails crawled out from under the table, taking Sonic’s offered hand as the two walked.
“Excuse me,” Sonic said, as if he hadn’t just shot two people in the span of six seconds. “Can we get those chili dogs to go?”

Tails chewed on his chili dog as the two walked. He glanced up at Sonic.
Sonic walked with an air of carefree confidence and ease, wiping the chili off from around his mouth with the back of his leather glove.

Sonic Star, an outlaw feared in at least twenty systems. The sworn enemy of the Ovum Empire. A hedgehog considered hero by many and threat by even more.

Sonic looked at ease because he knew those facts, knew what he could face, what he had, and knew there was nothing any of them could really do to stop him.

Tails wished he could have that ease. Tails wished Sonic wasn’t leaving him behind.

As they walked, the path became less and less polished, walking away from the port. By the time Tails finished his own chili dog, the path was nearly gone entirely.
Tails couldn’t resist a shudder as his bare feet felt the change from weathered stone to patted-down earth, the ground slightly damp from the swampy atmosphere. 

“You alright?” Sonic asked, glancing over at the younger.
“‘M fine,” Tails mumbled in response. He should probably roll up his pant sleeves, if there was a lot of water and/or mud here. Sonic frowned.
Tails squeaked as he was picked up, scrambling for a hold as Sonic put him on his back.
“I’ll pick you up some shoes while I’m out,” Sonic says. “Rubber ones, good for keeping water out. Ask to borrow some sandals until I get ‘em for ya, okay?”
Tails buried his face in Sonic’s relaxed quills, a smell of oil and detergent and bleach, a smell that had lingered on the Star Tornado , a smell of something that was almost home. 

He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as Sonic walked. 

He was gonna miss it.

About twenty minutes later, the ground now audibly more water than dirt, tall grasses and trees with thick snaking roots as far as the eye could see, Sonic lowered Tails onto somewhat stable ground.

They stood in front of a wooden shack, old and decrepit.

“Someone lives here?” Tails asked, turning to look up at Sonic.
“Someone does,” a voice came from the shack and the door opened.

His dark green (or were they black?) boots squelched as the stranger stepped out, crossing his arms as his red eyes landed on the two of them.

Tails ducked behind Sonic.
“This is the kit?” the stranger asked, his cold gaze feeling as if Tails was about to be dissected.

“Sure is,” Sonic nodded, stepping closer and pulling Tails along with him. “Sorry, he’s shy around strangers.”
“Hm,” is all the stranger said.
Sonic knelt down in front of Tails, pulling his cloak gently out of Tails’ hands.
“This is-” Sonic started.
“He can call me teacher. If he needs to call me anything,” the stranger interrupted. 

“...Yeah. That,” Sonic said, frowning at the stranger before turning back to Tails, his face softening. “He’s got the same thing you do! Don’t worry, he’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
“But you are leaving,” Tails said quietly. Sonic grimaced.
“If I could stay, I would,” Sonic said hesitantly. Tails looked away. “Tails. Kid. I’m serious. I will be back, in legit a week, to check on you. I promise.”
Tails dug his claws into the end of his oversized shirt. Sonic sighed and reached up to his blue ears, pulling one of his golden star earrings out.

Slowly and gently, he loosened Tails’ hand from his shirt, pressing the piece of jewelry into it. 

“Here,” Sonic said softly. “You hold onto this for me, okay?”
“...You’re sure?” Tails asked.
“Very sure,” Sonic grinned and nodded. “Can I get a hug before I go?”
Tails looked away again but clutched his hand to his chest. Sonic sighed again before smiling sadly.
“That works,” Sonic stood to his feet and the confidence settled back onto his shoulders, not dissimilar to his cloak. “You two don’t kill each other while I’m gone, yeah?”
He turned to walk away and Tails felt bile and panic he thought he’d buried rising up in his throat.
“Sonic-!” he called out, taking a step towards the older. Sonic paused and turned back to look at him.

The stranger placed his hand on Tails’ shoulder, pulling him back. A tree to the right of them imploded, flames flickering on the inside.

Tails flinched away from the flying splinters, both Sonic and the stranger seeming unphased.

Sonic’s face twisted before he turned away again, walking as quickly as possible through the swampy grounds.
“Hm,” the stranger said, turning an apathetic eye to the now flaming stump. “We’ll work on that first.”

The Shadow watched as the fox kit shook under his hand, staring at Sonic Star’s blue trail.

Undisciplined, uncontrolled, untamed. The Shadow could see it under the tangerine orange fur of the fox, a rippling electricity that threatened to break free any minute. 

It seemed to be especially high-strung, considering the… what did Sonic call him? Tails?

Considering Tails’ emotions, which matched with the destruction of that poor tree. The Shadow doubted it was the first or the last time. 

“Get inside,” the Shadow said. Tails complied quietly, head down as he stepped inside. The Shadow shut the door behind them. “If you have to refer to me, do so as teacher. You’ll sleep there and I’ll sleep here.”

Shadow pointed to his thin cot, on the ground, for himself, and then to a sleeping bag he’d tossed down across the cot, for Tails.
Tails nodded and walked over to it. The Shadow watched as Tails placed the star earring within the sleeping bag. 

Hm.
“How long have you traveled with Sonic?” Shadow asked, crossing his arms.
“Nonya,” the kit muttered.
“Nonya?” Shadow frowned. Was that some measurement of time? He wasn’t familiar with everyone-
“Nonya business,” the fox kit shot a glare over his shoulder. Shadow jolted. “I’m not supposed to talk to strangers. I don’t even know your name.”

“I told you that you can call me-” Shadow started but the impudent child cut him off.
“That’s a title, not a name,” Tails retorted.
“Sonic Star isn’t a name either then,” Shadow bit back.
“Yeah, that’s why I call him Sonic,” Tails said. Shit. That was true. The fool insisted on it with Shadow, why not do the same with his own charge?
“Will Shadow suffice?” Shadow rolled his eyes. There was a slight quirk of the lips on the fox’s face and it infuriated Shadow.

Didn’t Sonic say he was shy? 

“It works,” Tails simply responded. “When do you start teaching me?”
“As soon as you put your things away,” Shadow said. “Is that earring all he gave you?”
“I left my stuff on the ship,” Tails simply said and stood up. “Can we get started?”
“Hm,” Shadow huffed. “Eager to learn?”
“Eager to get this over with,” Tails said.
Shadow scoffed but let that one slide.

He remembered his own lessons. He had been certainly eager to get them over with. After a certain amount of time, the idea of controlling the fire in his veins had seemed… ludicrous.

Well. Not so ludicrous now. Somedays, he wished he had less control of it.

Start simple. Start small. The kit might have great potential but Shadow would have to assess his level of control.

Shadow balanced the can on a log, a good couple feet away from Tails.
“I imagine Sonic has taught some minor firearm skills,” Shadow said, walking back to the kit, his boots sloshing through the swampy water. Tails hopped from foot to bare foot. “This will be a similar principle.”
“You want me to… aim for the can?” Tails asked. Shadow nodded, crossing his arms. “But… but I can’t do it!”
Shadow glanced over to the still smoking tree nearby. Tails winced, face red with embarrassment.
“I can’t do it on command,” Tails amended. “Aren’t you gonna at least walk me through it?”
“There is no language with which I could properly walk you through the Spark,” Shadow said. “You already know how to. All that matters is concentration.”
Tails frowned and turned towards the can.
“Should I hold out my hand or…?” Tails asked, looking back towards Shadow.
“Do whatever you need to,” Shadow waved away the question.
Tails hesitantly outstretched his hand but nothing was happening.
Tails growled under his breath and looked at Shadow again.
“Could I get a demonstration?” Tails requested, lowering his arm.
Shadow glanced over at Tails before sighing, unfolding his arms.
“Fine. But just so you know, I’ve spent nearly my entire life refining this,” Shadow said. “Your… first attempt will look nothing like this.”
Shadow flicked his hand towards the can and Tails barely caught the glowing shape of something like a dagger flying out and slamming into the can and knocking it over on the log. The knife dispersed nearly the second the can fell over.

Tails gaped, shocked. It hadn’t looked that strong but considering Tails was struggling at something Shadow did so easily…!
“How did you- why was it shaped like a dagger?!” Tails exclaimed.
“I told you,” Shadow said. “Years of practice.”
“That’s not an answer,” Tails huffed.
“That’s the only answer you’ll get until you knock that can off the log,” Shadow said, crossing his arms again. “So get to it.”
Tails grumbled but turned back towards the can, holding out his arm, fingers outstretched.

He strained for a minute or two before stomping his foot in frustration.
“This is stupid!” Tails exclaimed. “You can’t explain anything?!”
“No,” Shadow said. “You’re wasting daylight.”
“I’m trying but nothing’s happening!” Tails said.
“Try harder,” Shadow said. “This is nothing to what you’re capable of.”
“It’s nothing in general because I can’t do it!” Tails insisted.
“Sonic left you here to learn,” Shadow said, either ignoring or not noticing Tails’ flinch. “Now try again.”
Tails took a deep breath, feeling frustration rise up in him before turning his heated gaze back to the stupid dumb can. 

He stuck out both arms this time, as if trying to reach out and crush it.

It didn’t even budge.
“I can’t do it!” Tails shouted, whipping on Shadow. “I told you, I can’t, so stop!”
“We won’t,” Shadow said back coldly. “Until you make that can fall.”
“You think if I could, I wouldn’t have already?!” Tails shouted. “You think I can just, what, aim like I’m aiming a blaster and fire-”
He gestured at the can, his fingers folding to make something of a gun shape. 

Both jumped back as something akin to lightning struck the can, sending the now flaming piece of metal into the water. 

Shadow quickly regained his composure, straightening his quills.
“You can do it on command,” Shadow said, Tails staring at his still outreached hand in wonder. “Now, let’s see if you can do it on command… without getting pissed first.”

Shadow, admittedly, did not know how to use the Spark, in technical terms. 

He knew how to use it, had used it, for a good majority of his life. He had not used it in some time but it was less like a skill he had to relearn, like piano, and more like a leg that needed to be stretched. 

Why Sonic thought he was a good idea for a teacher, Shadow had no idea. In Shadow’s own humble opinion, he should not be trusted with children.

But he supposes the wanted government outlaw wouldn’t want his mutant child charge left in the hands of a) a cult or b) a death cult.

And those were just the legally recognized branches of those who could use the Spark! The underground ones were honestly little better! 

But Shadow couldn’t have possibly been Sonic’s sole option, right? 

“Keep your hood up,” Shadow said as he walked, the fox kit two steps behind him. Tails would’ve been keeping up if he didn’t stop every two feet to make a face at his muddied white paws. “And do you have a way to hide your tails?”
The less recognizable the two were, the better. Two days ago, Sonic Star had swept in, probably shot a couple people, and left. That is very recognizable. If people realized that someone who traveled with Sonic Star was now with the Shadow of the Waste, well…

The kid flinched and looked away, nodding. His two tails wrapped around each other, making it appear as if it were just one really fluffy tail. Shadow nodded, satisfied, and carried on, not noting how Tails then pulled his tails into his arms, running through the fur in something close to self-soothing.

Shadow’s own hood was pulled up over his face, obscuring all but perhaps his red eyes.

Shadow’s boots squelched for a moment as muddy dirt became slightly muddy stone, civilization coming into view.

Shadow bit back the jittery feeling in his chest as the landscape became more crowded and more closed-in. These were things he needed; he couldn’t just forgo another trip, like he did last week.

They passed stands and buildings, the kit pausing to occasionally stare at one thing or another before scurrying to catch up.

“Where are we going?” Tails asked.
“Somewhere,” Shadow said. “I’m meeting someone.”
“Who?” Tails asked.
“A friend,” Shadow said.
“You have friends?” Tails questioned incredulously.
Shadow stopped and turned to give the kid a look, the kit looking somewhat cowed by it.
“You ask far too many questions,” Shadow sighed.
“You’re way too vague,” Tails mumbled under his breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing!” Tails squeaked. Shadow rolled his eyes.
“Look, just… run around and… play or something, whatever kids do,” Shadow huffed, gesturing away. “I’ll just be a minute. I’ll pick you up when I’m done.”
“Alright,” Tails shrugged and did as he was told, running somewhere far off. Shadow felt himself relax for the first time in two days. Well, not really; if he was relaxed, he’d be at home alone, but this is pretty close.
“Who’s the kid?” Rouge asked and Shadow bristled. He turned, face to face with the bat smuggler. She leaned against the wall of some tax reform building, a far-too-knowing smirk and far-too-good powder-blue eyeshadow on her face.
“No one of note,” Shadow finally said. “I’m watching him. For now.”

“Really? You know, Sonic Star, that old outlaw friend of yours-” Rouge started.
“He’s not my friend,” Shadow cut off. Rouge raised an eyebrow at him and went on.
“Anyway-” Rouge said. “His two tailed fox travel buddy hasn’t been seen in the last two days, around the same time your new little friend arrived, hm?”
“You’ll note the kid has one tail,” Shadow fibbed. “One.”
“Hun,” Rouge leaned forward, a sound almost like bells chiming as her golden earrings, necklaces, and bracelets moved with her. “C’mon.”
Shadow huffed, looking away, before giving in. How she managed to pry every secret he had from was a magic he did not understand. 

“He has the Spark too,” Shadow said. “He can barely control it and that’s only after a few days of training. Sonic- Sonic Star requested I train him. I figured it was better me than someone else.”

“How generous of you,” Rouge hummed, leaning back. “And are you sure that’s a good idea? They may have stopped looking for you but this… this could draw some serious attention.”
“Why do you think I’m so on-guard?” Shadow hissed.
“You know,” Rouge said. “You probably could just give the kid back. Sonic Star’s smart, he can get some other teacher for the kid. Hell, might just teach himself.”
Shadow scoffed at that.
“Would you have given me up, when I first came to you?” Shadow asked, voice barely a whisper. Rouge’s diamond-blue eyes softened for a moment.
“...Depends on whether or not you’re gonna pay me for doing your chores,” Rouge joked, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice. “I have someone waiting for me, you know?”
“I know, I know,” Shadow scoffed, digging into his pocket. He pulled out a wad of carefully folded cash and held it out to the bat.

Rather than take it, she grabbed his wrist, pulling him close.
“I’m serious, hun,” she murmured in low tones. “The Empire, it’s getting antsy. Something’s going on, surveillance is rising. If they find you-”
“If,” Shadow whispered back. “And if they do, I won’t let them take me. I already told you. I’m never going back.”
Rouge released him after a moment, the cash noticeably missing from Shadow’s hand. She bent down and picked up a bag, tossing it over to Shadow.
“And buy that kid some boots, okay? He looks sad,” Rouge said, already turning to leave. “Now, if you excuse me, I’ve got a flight to catch.”
Shadow huffed, tossing the bag over his shoulder. Insufferable woman, always poking in his business.
…Maybe he should get Tails some boots. For convenience’s sake.

After two days of what Shadow only firmly referred to as ‘Swamp Stew’ for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, it was more than a delight to get a croissant.

Warm, flaky, and fresh, it was delicious and surprisingly cheap to buy! Not that, well, Tails bought it.

He didn’t exactly have money.

Tails was going to choose to blame Sonic for this one, he can’t think of a single time with the hedgehog where they didn’t walk out of the marketplace with slightly heavier pockets. 

…He missed Sonic…

Ahem! Tails wasn’t taking much- honestly, most people would consider what Tails took junk, for the most part; knicks and knacks that Tails could use. 

Tails had been forced to leave his projects on the Star Tornado . Well, not forced, Tails was hoping leaving his half-built ladybug drone and hoverboard would make sure Sonic didn’t forget him-

The point is! Tails needs a project! Something to do when he isn’t trying to blast a can to smithereens while Shadow hmphs and huffs and grumbles. 

He’s not sure what he’s gonna make but he’s been thinking of making a blaster. Yeah, a blaster. He’ll paint it gold and teal! To match Sonic’s! But what to use as a powersource… there’s no way Tails will find a good and easy-to-take battery here. Could he make a battery? No way, right-

Tails’ thoughts are cut off by a jolt of pain, his tails’ fur sharply yanked.

He turns around, finding a kid, maybe one year his senior, staring at him, a handful of white and orange fur in his grip.
“It’s real,” the kid stays, dumbfounded. Tails flushes, glancing at his tails. Shit, he must’ve gotten too excited! His tails always move a lot when he’s excited! Stupid Tails, idiot Tails!

The kid grinned, a smile that felt too… hungry.
“Can I touch it?” they asked, reaching for Tails. He backed up, nearly crushing his croissant in his hands. He shook his head violently. The kid frowned. “Why not? C’mon, I just wanna look!”
They always just wanna look. Wanna see. Wanna touch. Wanna yank it out of his mutant backside-
Tails shakes his head again.
“It’s not a big deal, just lemme-” the kid moves to touch Tails and he jumps back. “Get back here, you little freak!”
Tails turns to run but it’s the wrong call. The kid grabs a hold of one of Tails’ tails and he screams, something like electricity jolting out of him and through the kid forcing him back.

The second hands are off of him, Tails is running like a shot, pushing back people, fur like static electricity when he runs past. 

He doesn’t know where he’s going. Where’s Sonic, he wants Sonic-

He rams face first into rubbery greenish black.

“Tails?” Shadow exclaims, nearly falling over. “What happened to you?”
Tails can’t make himself respond, his voice is gone.
“Why are your tails showing?” Shadow asks, voice now firmer, and Tails hiccups a sob. Shadow freezes.

Tails clings to Shadow’s clothes despite the coldness, feeling… feeling so unbelievably small. He misses Sonic. 

“...Are you hurt anywhere?” Shadow asks. His tail aches from the yanked fur. His stomach feels as if it’s churning hot oil. His feet hurt from the stone on his little peets. Tails shakes his head. “Can you walk?”
Tails nods. He doesn’t want to. 

They stand like that another second more before Shadow sighs, reaches down, and picks Tails up.
“I have a couple more things I need to pick up,” Shadow says. “Keep your tails twined and your head down. I’ll be quick.”

Tails sniffles, surprised, and nods, twirling his tails together and burying his head in the crook of Shadow’s neck.
He doesn’t remember falling asleep but he does remember waking up about an hour later, somewhat tucked into his sleeping bag. 

Shadow’s coat hangs by the door, two sets of blackish green boots, one significantly smaller than the other, left underneath them. 

“You’re awake,” Shadow says and Tails sits up, turning towards him. Shadow is stirring his Swamp Stew, which now actually smells delicious. “Good.”
“Um, sorry,” Tails says. His tail still aches.
“Don’t apologize,” Shadow says sternly. Tails looks down. “What that… brat did. Don’t let it happen again.”
“I won’t,” Tails murmurs. He feels like crying again.
Shadow sighs and walks over to Tails. There’s a clicking sound as he approaches. Tails glances up, seeing dulled red claws where toes should be on Shadow’s feet as he walked over.
Tails jolted, looking up at Shadow. The hedgehog(?) was avoiding his gaze.
“You’re… not the only so-called freak,” Shadow muttered.

Tails blinked, surprised.
“Here,” Shadow said, dropping something onto Tails’ lap before turning back to his stew, back to Tails. “For your star.”
It’s a golden chain and Tails found it incredibly easy to attach the star earring to it.
“...Thank you,” Tails said. 

“Don’t mention it,” Shadow said before he gave a half-hearted glare to Tails. “I mean it. Don’t mention it. Ever.”
Tails snorted but nodded, smiling. 

Sonic downed his third bottle of Chaos Cola and flopped forward onto the table.
“I’m a bad brother,” he lamented, his drinking buddy rolling his eyes while sipping his own grape-flavored Crash soda.

“Yes, Sonic, I know, you’ve already told me,” Knuckles sighs. “Seriously, if you were gonna be such a whiny bastard about it, why not just ask me?”
“Do you know how to blow stuff up with your mind?” Sonic looked up, raising an eyebrow.
“If you’re asking if I know how to use the Spark, yes!” Knuckles snapped before pausing. “Well… in theory. But that’s better than taking the kid to… him.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Shadow,” Sonic huffed.
“If there was nothing wrong, you wouldn’t have invited me to go halfsies at the Chaotix’s Wing Wednesday,” Knuckles corrected. “I don’t get why you trust him so much. He’s-!”
“Hey, don’t piss me off more, Knuxs, I’m already in a bad mood,” Sonic cut him off warningly. He flopped onto the table again. “It’s honestly not the whole Spark thing I’m worried about or Shadow or anything like that… the kid, Tails, he’s had a rough go of it. Tossed from family to family. I tried to tell him I was coming back but… ugh, I’m not sure if he believed me.”
“Hey, us orphans are tougher than we look,” Knuckles sighed, patting Sonic on the back. He held his drink up in an offering of a cheer. “Amirite?”
Sonic snorted and sat up, clinking bottles with Knuckles.
“I guess you’re right,” Sonic agreed.
“I usually am,” Knuckles smirked, Sonic rolling his eyes.
“Excuse me,” a quiet but almost elegant voice asked. The two outlaws looked up as the speaker approached, a human cloaked in suspicious white, feathers hanging from her dress. “I was told I could speak to Sonic Star concerning a job?”
The two friends shared a look, finishing their drinks. No rest for the wicked, they supposed.
“Take a seat,” Sonic said. 

Don’t get mad. Don’t get mad. Don’t get mad-
“You’re straining yourself,” Shadow said and the can imploded. “See?”
“Can you please stop nagging me?” Tails huffed. “I almost had it!”
“Was that what that was?” Shadow said, raising an incredulous eyebrow. Tails grumbled and turned away.
“I almost had it,” Tails mumbled, refocusing. How the hell was he supposed to do this if Shadow was always nagging him? 

The target this time was a busted old basket, having been gnawed on by swamp rats. Shadow had seemed reluctant to let it go but it was past usefulness so it was going into a retirement of being fired upon by a totally-not-irritated fox kit.

“There’s no way you use no emotion for your stuff,” Tails said, holding up one arm with the other.
“Of course not,” Shadow scoffed. “It would be impossible to do anything without emotion.”
“What?!” Tails exclaimed, turning to Shadow. “I thought that was what we were doing!”
“Hm,” Shadow hummed. “That explains why you were making such a strange face.”
“Don’t ignore me, you told me not to get mad!” Tails shouted.
“Being not angry and being emotionless are not the same thing,” Shadow said. “You will never achieve total emotional neutrality. It’s impossible.”
“You seemed to manage,” Tails huffed.
“What was that?” Shadow asked.
Nothiiiiiiing,” Tails sighed, reaiming. “Geez, why didn’t you say something sooner?”
An emotion other than anger… he didn’t want to do sadness… maybe… excitement? 

He means… despite his own complaints, this whole thing has been pretty exciting. He genuinely thought something was wrong with him but ever since Shadow started teaching him, something inside Tails seemed… settled. Like he was solving a puzzle but the puzzle was himself? 

The electricity in his veins had become something tangible, controllable, not just a force that burst out of him like a broken dam. 

He was excited, to grow, to learn, even if it was from Shadow, if only so he could understand this feeling in his fingertips and-

A sparking light covered the basket. Tails’ eyes widened.
“That’s it,” Shadow encouraged. “Now grab it-”
He feels the energy shift at his own prodding, holding the basket rather than just covering it.
“-and turn it over,” Shadow continues.
Tails watches as the basket, no, as he turns the basket over. 

He did it.

He did it!
“I did it!” Tails cries, throwing his arms up in excitement.
Tails catches the slightest hint of a proud smile before it becomes horror and Shadow is reaching for him.
“Tails-” Tails hears Shadow’s voice cry out before the electricity in his veins seems to consume him and the world goes dark.

Tails doesn’t remember waking up. One moment, he was outside, practicing, the next he was inside as Shadow carefully applied something almost foul smelling to his head.
“What are you doing?” Tails asks, hearing his words slur.
“Making sure these burns aren’t permanent,” Shadow says and his voice is so strangely loud. Tails flinches at the sound and Shadow lowers his voice. “How do you feel?”
How does he feel? Honestly? Kinda bad. 

“Not… good,” Tails mumbles. He feels… tired? Like he just ran a marathon or something like that. His body aches.
“Don’t fall asleep yet,” Shadow says. “I need to make sure the damage isn't too severe. Does anything feel… broken?”
“Broken?” Tails repeats. He flexes his fingers and toes, wiggles his tails just in case. “No…”
Shadow either huffs or sighs in relief, Tails can’t tell.
“How is your breathing?” Shadow continues. “Any difficulty?” 

“No,” Tails shakes his head. “I’m… I’m fine.”
“You’re not,” Shadow says firmly. “But… it’s nothing too severe. I’ve put a salve on what I can. Just lay down and try not to move very much, okay?”
“Okay,” Tails nodded, easily curling up. He hadn’t realized he’d been sitting on his sleeping bag. Had Shadow moved him there? When?
Tails supposed it doesn’t matter, as sleep claimed him before he could recognize it’s doing so. 

Dangerous.

Shadow forgot how dangerous the Spark could be, to its own user. After a while, it just becomes a part of you, a limb. Not many people fear getting accidentally stabbed by their own arm.

A baby is more likely to trip and hurt itself than a grown adult. Now imagine tripping as a baby meant you shocked yourself with who knows how many volts of electricity or burned your skin nearly clean off.
Shadow, growing up, had the advantage of the best medical equipment in the galaxy. Tails only has Shadow.

Shadow’s just glad it seemed to be… minor effects, despite the kit’s confused demeanor. Scars and burns could be tolerated, as long as Tails could still breath. 

He doesn’t want to think about how Sonic would react if he came by in the next few days and Shadow had to tell him he let the kit send himself to a far, far too early grave.

Tails woke up just as Shadow started to make the day’s batch of Swamp Stew but only began to stir after an hour.
Tails started to sit up.
“Stay down,” Shadow said, not looking up from his soup. “You got shocked yesterday, remember?”
“I… I did,” Tails nodded, reaching up to touch his head, cringing away when his hand touched the salve Shadow had applied. “Ew, what’s in my fur?”
“Medicine. I put it on you earlier, remember?” Shadow said. Tails looked away, confused. Shadow filed that away under concerning. “I have work to do today and I don’t want you interfering. You’re to stay in the house until I come back, understand?”
Tails nodded and reached up again, this time for the gold earring around his neck. It was less golden now, tarnished by the lightning that coursed through it. Shadow hummed.
“That necklace is probably why your strike redirected towards you,” Shadow mused out loud. “We’ll do more practice with it off your person.”
“I’m not getting rid of it,” Tails snapped, immediately on guard. Shadow reeled back his own sharp reply. The kid was just struck by his own lightning, for goodness’ sake.
“I didn’t say that,” Shadow corrected. “I said off your person. Metal is conductive. That means-”
“I know what it means,” Tails cut off but relaxed. Good.

“I just finished some stew,” Shadow said, walking over to the door and slipping on his jacket and boots. “Stay out of my things. I'll be back in three hours.”
“Will we train after that?” Tails asked, confused.
“No,” Shadow said. “I have…” shit, quick, think up an excuse-! “...letters. To go over.”
Not his best excuse but the kid should buy it.
“Oh,” Tails said and, judging by the slightest hint of a smirk, the kid did not buy it but let it go regardless. “Okay. So I should just sit here then?”
“Do what you think is best,” Shadow snorted and stepped outside. 

Sonic hummed as he hopscotched through the swampy grounds. He hoped his humming made him appear more relaxed than nervous. 

It’s been exactly a week since he left Tails with Shadow. Maybe it’s a bad idea to run off to a planet with a couple of wanted fugitives during a very serious and highly risk-reward job, but he promised the kid, and Sonic was not a fan of breaking promises. 

But still, he couldn’t help but worry, what if the training hadn’t gone well, what if Tails was still scared, what if-
“Sonic!” Tails’ joyful voice cried out. Sonic looks up just in time to see the kid flying at him, opening his arms to catch the kit as he rams into Sonic. “You came back!”
“I told you I would,” Sonic grinned. “You didn’t doubt me, didja?”
“No,” Tails sniffed, beaming with tearful eyes. “Of course not.”
“You can fly?” Shadow said as he approached, looking surprised. “Why didn’t you mention it?”
“Because you didn’t ask,” Tails said, turning his nose up. Sonic snorted, amused.
“You said he was shy,” Shadow now said to Sonic, something accusatory in his tone. Sonic put Tails down, crossing his arms behind his back.
“He normally is!” Sonic grinned. “What, don’t tell me you’re letting an eight year old bully you?”
“He did,” Tails whispered in Sonic’s ear, much to Shadow’s displeasure and Sonic’s cackling laughter.
“Just come inside, you two,” Shadow hissed. “We have swamp stew.”
“We always have swamp stew!” Tails complained. “Sonic’s here, we should eat out!”
“With what money?” Shadow asked.
“I could pay,” Sonic shrugged. “No sweat off my back. Expecting a big payday soon.”
If this so-called duchess was as good as she claimed…
“No,” Shadow said, huffing and turning away. “We have food at home.”
Sonic frowns.
“You never wanna go out anywhere!” Tails whined. “You-”
“Nah, he’s right,” Sonic cut off. “Besides, I don’t really wanna eat out myself.”
“Not even chili dogs?” Tails asked, surprised.
“Nope,” Sonic said.
“Hmph,” Shadow glared. “You can just go without me, you don’t have to make a fool out of yourself lying.”
“How do you know I’m lying?” Sonic shot back.
“You, not eat chili dogs? You’re more likely to eat your own boots,” Shadow said. 

“I’m unchained, I’m unpredictable, how do you know I won’t eat my boots?” Sonic shrugged.
“Fine,” Shadow glared. “Eat your boots.”
“No,” Sonic turned his face away with a smirk. “I’m not hungry right now.”
“You’re insufferable,” Shadow huffed.
“And you’re still gonna invite me in for dinner, aren’t you?” Sonic grinned.
Shadow let out a low hiss before turning and storming towards his house. He paused in the doorframe, looking back at Sonic.
“I’m not inviting you,” Shadow said. “But I know you’ll come in anyway. It’s just how you are.”
“You got me!” Sonic grinned, hurrying after Shadow. Tails blinked, confused, and followed.

Tails watched as Sonic grimaced and swallowed a bite of Swamp Stew.
“Delicious!” he said, giving a forced grin. A strand of green grass stuck out between his teeth. Shadow scoffed.
“You’re pathetic,” Shadow said. “Is my cooking really the worst you’ve ever eaten?”
“No,” Sonic hummed, looking thoughtful. “When was the last time I ate your cooking?”
Shadow lets out a strange sound and Sonic grins, as if triumphant. Tails frowns. Was that sound- was it a laugh?
“Ridiculous,” Shadow says, covering his mouth. Holy shit, it was . “You grow more foolish every time I see you.”
“You love it,” Sonic grins, leaning back. “So, how’s the training going?”
“Pretty good!” Tails pipes up. “I can do it on command now and I usually hit my target.”
“Usually,” Shadow adds.
“Hey, usually is better than never,” Sonic reaches over, ruffling his fur. “I can’t imagine one week is enough to teach something that took a master a lifetime.”
“I’m not a master,” Shadow huffed, looking away.
“You’re better than most,” Sonic grinned. “I’m sure Tails can attest.”
“He doesn’t show off often,” Tails corrected. “Even when I ask.”
“Really?” Sonic asks, surprised, before looking to Shadow. Shadow shoots him a look and Sonic flushes. “Ah, well, makes sense. Could be dangerous.”
Dangerous? Tails thought Shadow was a master. How the hell could him using the thingy, the Spark, be dangerous?
Tails had only seen Sonic and Shadow talk once before, when Sonic dropped Tails off. It hadn’t been the time for idle talk. But now that there was time…
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Star,” Shadow huffed. “I just mean the Spark isn’t meant for such frivolous things.”
“Oh, please, you love showing off,” Sonic teases. “Especially to me.”
“It’s called proving my superiority,” Shadow fires back. “Not showing off. And how do you know it’s specifically for you?”
“Because you don’t talk to anyone else?” Sonic raised an eyebrow.
“I talk to people,” Shadow insisted. “I talk to-”
“Rouge doesn’t count,” Sonic said. Shadow pouted. Pouted!
Tails looked between the two.
“It’s not just for you,” Shadow repeated, arms crossed.
“Relax,” Sonic laughed, leaning forward. “You’re one of the few people who can keep up with me, I show off especially to you too.”
“You show off to everyone,” Shadow said but Tails saw something in him relax, like the slight shifting off of a coat. 

And Sonic smiled and there was something relaxed about that too, like they were sitting in quiet on the Star Tornado , with no one watching.

But Shadow was here and he was very much watching.

“You’re leaving?” Tails asked, dismayed.
“I’d stay longer if I could but-” Sonic started.
“But we made an arrangement. If he wanted lessons, he should’ve asked,” Shadow said, back to the door.
“Yeah,” Sonic grumbled. “That. But I also have a job I’m doing.”
“Is it dangerous?” Tails fidgeted anxiously.
“Would it be worth anything if it wasn’t?” Sonic laughed. “Oh, uh, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. The Empire hasn’t caught me yet and they never will.”
Tails frowned and nodded.
“I’ll be back,” Sonic reassured. “If not for you, then for my earring, right?”
He poked at the earring and then paused.
“Hey, is this burnt-” Sonic started before Shadow butted in.
“We have work to do today, Sonic, I think you’ve said your goodbyes,” Shadow said. Sonic snorted but nodded.
“I’ll see you both later,” Sonic said. “Bye!”
Tails squeezed his eyes shut as a strong breeze hit his face, the only sign of Sonic’s exit.
“Idiot,” Shadow scoffed but Tails would swear there was something almost soft about it.

Tails did not ask immediately. He doubts Shadow would have answered. No, he waited. Waited until the next day, waited until they had done a full day’s worth of training and chores.
Waited until Shadow was tired, simply fiddling with his seemingly constantly bubbling pot.
Tails turned towards Shadow, as the sun faded from the constantly cloudy sky and the only light became the fire under the pot.
“Have… you and Sonic known each other a long time?” he asked.
“Just a few years,” Shadow said. “Long before he took you in.”
“Did you travel together?” Tails asked.
“Not for very long,” Shadow went on, grabbing a handful of… something and adding it to his Stew. Tails had started to think Shadow didn’t know how to cook. “I traveled with him and then we… went our separate ways. Nothing of note.”
“Were you guys close?” Tails asked. “When you traveled.”
“Close enough,” Shadow huffed. “That ship is far too small. Privacy was non-existent.”
“...How close?” Tails pressed on and, this time, Shadow paused, turning to look at Tails.
“Why are you asking all these questions?” Shadow asked.
“You looked at Sonic funny,” Tails said. “And you laughed! At something he said! And not in a mean way!”
“I laugh at things,” Shadow said.
“I’ve stayed with you for a week and you’ve only laughed when I slipped and fell on my face,” Tails crossed his arms. Shadow snorted at the memory. “See?!”
“I don’t know what you’re trying to imply but I recommend not making assumptions,” Shadow said, turning away. “They make an ass out of you and me.”
“It’s not an assumption,” Tails said. “I’m smart. You-”
“I respect Sonic Star’s power and owe him a great debt,” Shadow cut off. “That is all.”
Tails frowned and sat down patiently.
Shadow glanced back at him after a moment of silence.
“What?” Shadow said.
“I’m waiting for you to tell me why,” Tails informed him. “I’m not moving until you do.”

Shadow glared but Tails remained firm.
“...When Sonic was still a little-known outlaw, there were a duo of elite soldiers that patrolled many of the more heavily guarded star systems,” Shadow started. “They were known as Conservators and they were skilled with the Spark, raised to wield it since birth. None could hold a candle to their power and many rebellions, young and old, fell to their might.”
Tails leaned forward.


Sonic held his breath as he was lowered past the fans. Normally, he’d have called the Chaotix for help with a more stealthy job like this but the duchess had wanted to keep it small - just Knuckles and Sonic.

Either she just didn’t want to pay more for a larger crew or…
She didn’t want to deal with too many casualties if this went south.
As such, where Sonic would have a stealth guy and a tech guy clearing the way for him to bust in and do his thing, Sonic had to play stealth guy, tech guy, and Sonic Star guy. Knuckles was currently the distraction and getaway driver.
Sonic’s ear flicked up and he glanced up just in time to see the fans resume spinning, cutting through his wire like a thread.
He bit back a curse as it snapped, and tumbled down the 70-foot shute. 

“None knew how to combat the Spark, much less had the confidence to defeat it. The Conservators had the backing of the entire Ovum Fleet and Military, not that they often needed it,” Shadow went on. “So, one day, one of the Conservators decided they should start patrolling some of the more distant systems, try and… clean house as it were.”
Shadow’s eyes went soft, not that Tails could see.
“She was… confident,” Shadow said. “Confident that the two of them could bend the very rules of nature to their will, if they but tried. She may have been right, if it were not for one small thing.”
“Sonic,” Tails piped up and Shadow nodded.
“Sonic Star,” Shadow said. “A small-time thief and part-time rebel. Had a moral code in a time where most in his profession were simply in it for the gold, no matter the job.”

Sonic struggled, first, to get the wire off of him; it was only dragging him down quicker.
Next time, no matter how weepy the humanoid lady, he was insisting on a team! He knew his hacking wouldn’t stop the fans for long enough!
Okay, worry about that later; wire, off, now.
It fell past Sonic as he yanked it off, wincing as the sound of it hitting the ground echoed up. 

Here’s hoping Knuxs’ distraction was pretty damn good or Sonic’s already bungled the stealth part of this.
Right now, he’s gotta worry about sticking the landing.

“He discovered the Conservators’ ship, decided to throw up a fuss about it, and was quite successful,” Shadow explained. “Most believed the stories about the Ovum Empire’s top enforcers were propaganda, that they were perhaps nepo babies with high positions but away from the main clusters of the empire, were as harmless as any patrol member.”
Shadow paused, reminiscing.
“They were wrong,” Shadow said. “The Conservators were as dangerous as they had heard, maybe even more so. But Sonic was not deterred. It was a welcome challenge to him. He threw himself into battle after battle against them, saving countless lives by focusing their sole ire onto him and then fleeing at the first available opportunity.”
“But one day… well… he cut it a bit too close,” Shadow went on. “The two had him cornered and were prepared to put him down. But then… the Empire double-crossed them. The reason why the Conservators were allowed to the outer rims was because the Empire feared the two were too powerful and was hoping they’d remain there, distracted.”
“But then why attack them?” Tails asked.
“Because the two were causing even more problems by focusing their energy on Sonic. He wasn’t too much of an enemy to the Empire yet; it was seen as a waste of resources. The two were deemed… unnecessary,” Shadow turned towards Tails. “And the ships of the Empire turned on the two just as they were about to put Sonic in the ground.”
His eyes slid to the side, as if seeing something Tails couldn’t, something distant and intangible.
“There was much confusion in the fight but Sonic managed to come out on top, even without his gun or his speed,” Shadow said. “Even as the whole ship they were on started to fall apart around them. He nearly carried half of the ship on his back.”
“What? How?” Tails leaned forward. Sonic didn’t have super strength and super speed, did he?
“He used the Spark,” Shadow said.

Sonic took a deep breath and held it. Held it, held it, held it.

The air around him held him in return, a tight pressure keeping him slowly floating down, his lungs suddenly feeling too full to function.
Hold, hold, hold. 

His hands shook but he persisted, too high up and he could kiss his bones goodbye. 

Hold, hold, hold!
Sonic could almost see the bottom, just-
And let go. 

With an exhale, the air loosened its grip on him, allowing him to land with one knee on the ground.

The guards around startled, turning to look at the sound Sonic’s landing caused.

Sonic didn’t have time to be fancy; his gun was in his hand before they could even blink, three down in one second, five more in another.
He broke off in a run down the leftmost hall, ear flicking up as he heard a distant explosion.
“Guess that’s my distraction!” Sonic laughed to himself. “Good ol’ Knuxs!”

“Wait, Sonic has the Spark too?!” Tails exclaimed.
“Yes,” Shadow says. “But he claims otherwise. I don’t know why and I don’t care to know why. Regardless, as long as he denies it, I have no interest in him learning about it.”
“That’s why you didn’t want him around,” Tails said. Shadow nodded.
“Now, may I finish?” Shadow asked.
Tails went silent quickly. 

“The ship was collapsing and Sonic had beaten the Conservators,” Shadow said. “He could’ve fled on his own then, allowed nature to take its course… but he didn’t. He moved to save the Conservators, even though they were his enemies. Even though they were the enemies of everything he believed.”
Shadow went thoughtful again, looking away.
“...That doesn’t sound like you respect his strength,” Tails said quietly. “That sounds like you respect his compassion.”
Shadow closed his eyes for a moment before opening them.
“I’ve learned… that compassion can be a kind of strength,” Shadow said, voice barely more than a whisper.
“So… you were one of the people on that planet,” Tails guessed.
“...In a sense,” Shadow looked up, his face once more somewhere between impassive and pissed off. “There, I told you. Now go to bed. It’s late and we have much to do tomorrow.”


Sonic forced the vault door open, dropping the limp arm of the main guard as it unlocked.

It was dark in the vault as Sonic stepped in.

“Now, where are you…?” Sonic whispered before his foot bumped into a pedestal. He blinked and blindly turned towards it, feeling for the pedestal. 

His hand followed up it, to a box placed on top. Sonic’s face brightened.
“There you are,” Sonic said, his fingers prying the box open. “Let’s see what exactly is worth 10,000,000 credits…”
A gentle and flickering light came from the now opened box and Sonic’s illuminated face twisted in confusion.
“This? What could she want… and why so much security?” Sonic wondered aloud.

The vault suddenly became painfully bright as the lights came on and Sonic jolted, an alarm sounding.
“Ask questions later, move now,” Sonic said, closing the box once more and tucking it under his arm.
He stepped out of the vault to a crowd of guards, the sound of blasters charging. Sonic pressed his lips into a tight line, bracing himself.
“Fire!” Someone shouted out and Sonic started to move, just as at least thirty triggers were pulled-


Tails jolted awake, the wisps of a barely solid nightmare quickly fading. His hand found its way to his neck, gripping the star charm around it tightly as he shook the last bits of sleep away.

He couldn’t even remember the nightmare now that he was awake, having practiced long into the night just the evening before.

He had better control, so much better control. Tails had never thought that it would all come so… easy! 

Never to usually to always, control like gripping a handful of wires, control like screwing in a lightbulb. 

The bad news was that now Tails could control it, he had so much more to learn. Control was just the beginning and the control Tails had now was not absolute. 

Shadow made sure he knew that.

Tails shook free of his thoughts as he heard the aforementioned hedgehog stir, gasping awake. Seems like he had a nightmare too.

“...Hm,” Shadow grumbled out before standing. He shook the dream off of him physically, his talons clicking against the floor as he pushed the front door open, allowing some early morning light and fresh air in. “What day is it?”
“Thursday,” Tails supplied. “Good morning to you too.”
Shadow frowned.
“We-” he started before glancing at Tails and deciding something. “I… will go into town today. Need to pick up something.”
“Oh?” Tails asked. A part of him was offended Shadow was going to leave him here. The rest of him was relieved.
“Yes,” Shadow nodded. “Actually asked for it last week. Should arrive today.”
“And what am I supposed to do?” Tails asked.
“I don’t know,” Shadow scoffed. “Work on that jigsaw puzzle you insist on hiding, train some more, just don’t burn my house down and don’t get yourself killed. I’ll never hear the end of it if you die on my watch.”
Tails snickered and nodded. 

The older slipped on his jacket and boots, before scooping up some strange bag he left by the door and walking out.

Tails waited until he was even less than a speck in the distance before grabbing his own boots, forcing them on and yanking his project out from under his pillow.

It’s exactly what Tails has been waiting for! With Shadow not around, he can test his homemade blaster with ease!
A quick pause to snatch up a battery Shadow left lying around and Tails was out the door.
Tails’ tongue stuck sideways out of his mouth as he walked, glaring at the battery that struggled to fit perfectly inside.

It finally went in with a click and Tails’ ears perked up, his face brightening.
He came to a stop.
“There we go!” Tails muttered to himself, adjusting his hold on it for use. “Now let’s see if you work, yeah?”
He turned on his heels, boots squeaking in the mud as he pointed his homemade gun at an innocent tree.

He pulled the trigger but all it let out was a small hiss.
“Huh?” Tails blinked, confused. He looked it over, letting out a hiss of his own upon inspection. “Damn it.”
The thing had used up the entire battery without being able to fire a single shot! How had he messed up that-
Tails squeaked as the gun seemed to heat up in his hands, dropping it into the swampy water.

The water bubbled and boiled, Tails yelping as a shot fired off into the air.

…Okay, maybe it just needed some minor tuning. 

 
“You look like a pathetic puppy,” Shadow said.
“He said he’d be back in a week,” Tails said hotly. “It’s been a week.”

Tails leaned back from the hole Shadow dared call a window and shot a glare over at the darker hedgehog.
“Plus, you don’t look much better,” Tails said, waving a hand at where Shadow was noticeably pacing around like a caged lion.
Shadow paused his pacing and turned to glare back at Tails.

Shadow went to argue but the sound of boots sloshing through mud made its way to two pairs of ears.

Tails was up in a moment, tossing open the door and throwing himself outside.
“You’re back!” Tails said cheerfully, Sonic catching him yet again. 

Shadow frowned as he caught the slightest grimace at the motion, a slight baring of teeth before it shifted into a more familiar smile.
“Still surprised?” Sonic asked.
“Nope,” Tails shook his head, hopping down. “I knew you’d come back this time.”
“He said he would,” Shadow huffed. “What reason do you have to doubt him?”
Tails’ look of adoration dropped for a scathing glare at Shadow.
“Anything interesting happen while I was gone?” Sonic asked, cutting in before the two started bickering. 

“Oh, just more training,” Tails said. “I can hold it now! It’s not just blam, blam, blam!”
“His control is steadily increasing,” Shadow nodded in agreement. “He learns faster than I anticipated. It’s admirable, for someone of his age.”
Tails blinked, surprised, and looked up at him.
Shadow looked back, frowning.
“What?” he asked.
“I think that was the first time you’ve ever complimented me,” Tails said.
“What? No, that can’t be the first time,” Shadow responded.
“It so is! The first time in two weeks of knowing me!” Tails tossed his arms up. Sonic glanced between the two of them, something warming in his gaze.
“Two weeks isn’t even that long,” Shadow motioned, as if trying to brush away the concept of time. “Look, just show Sonic what you’ve learned, I’m going to make dinner.”
“Save a plate for me!” Sonic called, his eyes still carrying that warm look as Shadow turned and walked away.
“I won’t,” Shadow called back as he stepped inside.
“He totally will,” Tails scoffed.
“You two have really gotten comfortable with each other,” Sonic pointed out.
“I was kinda just… mad at him at first? But now I don’t think he knows how to respond to people who aren’t a little annoyed with him,” Tails shrugged. “Hey! Wanna see me blow up a tree?”
“Right behind you, bud!” Sonic grinned, giving a thumbs up. Tails grinned, running ahead to find a good target.

Sonic, behind him, relaxed for a moment, his face contorting before straightening up once more and following after the kid.

Shadow, glancing back at the two, frowned.

Several very frightening lightning strikes later, Tails stepped inside Shadow’s shack, beaming but tired, Sonic just a step behind him.
“Impressive stuff!” Sonic says, rustling the younger’s fur. Shadow steps up next to him and Sonic turns to him, lips turned up in their usual position. “Probably helps that he has a good teacher, ey, Shads?”
Shadow doesn’t respond, only reaches over and pulls on Sonic’s cloak.
“Whoa, hey-!” Sonic tries to protest but it’s too late.
“I knew it,” Shadow huffs, motioning to a poorly bandaged and still probably bleeding wound on Sonic’s side. “What did you do this time, you idiot?”
“I just was a little slow on the getaway,” Sonic huffed right back, yanking his cloak out of Shadow’s grasp. “It’s just a gunshot, relax.”
“You were shot?!” Tails exclaimed.
“A plasma gunshot,” Shadow growled. “I could see the burn.”
“You were shot by a plasma rifle?!” Tails squeaked somehow even louder.
“Shadow, stop, you’re freaking Tails out!” Sonic protested, taking a step back only to let a low wince as he did.
“If you didn’t want him to be freaked out, you should’ve taken care of that injury properly,” Shadow snapped. “Now sit down before you make it worse.”
The darker hedgehog pushed Sonic down, the blue hedgehog nearly falling out of the chair he was forced into.
“Geez, Shadow, you ever consider being a nurse?” Sonic snarked but did not move out of the chair. “You got a real knack for it.”
“Wh-what do we do?!” Tails asked, tails flicking nervously behind him.
“Nothing,” Shadow said, crossing his arms. “Well, besides redoing that mess you call bandaging.”
“You try flying a ship while tending to a wound, we’ll see how you fare,” Sonic rolled his eyes.
“And then,” Shadow went on as if Sonic said nothing. “Nothing. He just needs time for his injury to heal.”
“I thought you didn’t want me here,” Sonic said.
“I’m not going to force you out if you’re injured,” Shadow responded. “I’m not heartless.”
“Never said you were,” Sonic said before smiling. “It’s nice of you to worry though.”
Shadow’s face burned and twisted, the darker hedgehog turning away.
“I’m not worried!” Shadow snapped. “Don’t move! And take off that cloak! I’m grabbing my aid kit.”
“Wait, don’t move or take off my cloak? I’m confused,” Sonic teased.
“You know what I mean,” Shadow hissed, back to the irritating hedgehog as he snapped up a box. Sonic went to comply but winced as he did so, quickly lowering his arms back down. “Shit- don’t make it worse-”
Shadow stormed back over, leaning over Sonic.
“Tails, finish taking care of dinner,” Shadow said, not looking away from Sonic.
“Are you sure?” Tails asked. “I can-”
“Listen to your teacher, bud,” Sonic said, staring up at Shadow.
The fox kit frowned but obeyed, walking a few feet over to the kitchen area.

Shadow unhooked the star button, pulling the cloak to the side.
“What happened?” he asked, voice barely more than a whisper.
“A mishap with a job,” Sonic said back, just as quiet. “Ended on a Crust Crusher. Stole something.”
“You didn’t bring it here, did you?” Shadow hissed, quills raising at the mention of a Crust Crusher, that horrid planetary base model.
“No, I wouldn’t risk you like that,” Sonic scoffed. “Honestly, I don’t know why it was so highly protected anyway. Shadow, it was a candle.”
“A candle?” Shadow paused as he carefully extracted the bloody bandages. “Strange. But it must be part of something. Who was your employer?”
“Some duchess,” Sonic said,wincing as Shadow’s hand grazed the burnt and bleeding hole in his side. “I did enough research to figure out she wasn’t a problem and then stopped before I dug too deep.”
“Good call,” Shadow said. “You can’t afford to be so careless. I may be watching him but you have a child.”
“I know,” Sonic nodded, embarrassed. He flinched as Shadow poured hopefully not expired hydrogen peroxide over the injury. “I got cocky.”
“I’d tell you not to let it happen again but knowing you, you probably already have a mile high list of dangerous places to go charging into,” Shadow said, wiping the area clean. The rag came off with fresh blood and old blood, a mixture of red hues. Shadow’s eyes lingered on it before looking back at Sonic. “You need to take better care of yourself.”
“You already said that,” Sonic said.
“Do you think yourself stronger than my sister, Sonic? Or rather…” Shadow asked before sighing, glancing to where Tails was actually trying to make Shadow’s stew edible. “Do you think your brother stronger than me?”

And Shadow finally saw his words sink in, the glass that Shadow imagined over Sonic’s understanding of his place in this world shattered, as Sonic turned his head to look at the fox kit.

He pursued his lips and looked away, almost ashamed.

Good.

Shadow feels a part of him relax, spines softening and shoulders untensing. 

“You can stay until you don’t have a chunk missing out of your side,” Shadow said, now loud enough for Tails to hear.
Sonic brightened up, surprised. 

“Really?!” Tails said eagerly, beaming.
“I thought you didn’t want me to watch your lessons,” Sonic said.
“I don’t and you won’t,” Shadow huffed. “But I’m not heartless enough to kick you when you’re down.”
“Seriously, Shads, you can admit you were worried about me,” Sonic grinned, teasing, but there was something to that smile that was just…
“Don’t push it,” Shadow scoffed, closing his med kit and walking off.

Shadow woke up early, the sky still dark.

Well, the sky was always a little dark. Shadow meant, before the other two were awake.
Shadow sat up and glanced over at the other two, curled up on the sleeping bag.
Tails was tucked under Sonic’s chin, nearly curled up on Sonic’s chest.

Sonic was laying on his back, one arm tucked behind his head and the other around Tails.
Shadow would think it a casual hold if Shadow didn’t know Sonic didn’t hold anything casually. 

He, not for the first time, wondered where and how exactly Sonic found this kit and then, also not for the first time, decided the less he knows the better.

He stood from his cot, stretching as he looks over his med kit. Shadow didn’t get injured often and, when he did, he had an… unconventional means of healing himself, a means Sonic did not.

Little good it would do Sonic to clean it here once and then allow it to fester afterwards. 

“Don’t have enough… damn it…” Shadow hissed.
He knew he just went shopping and he really doesn’t want to go again but…
Shadow glanced back to where Sonic and Tails rest, curled up on each other. He could see where Tails’ claws dug into Sonic’s cloak. He could see how part of the cloak has been pulled over the kit as a blanket.
Shadow huffed.
“Sentimental fool,” he muttered to himself, as he grabbed his coat and stepped outside.
Most of the stores won’t be open this early but he was fairly certain the general store and the local clinic could be open. 

The beads covering the door jingled as Shadow stepped in, a single flickering light on overhead.

The long-suffering employee doesn’t bother to greet him, a fact Shadow deeply appreciated as he hurriedly walked to where first aid things are. 

“Hey,” he heard another employee greet the other.
“Hey,” the other said. “Dude, you won’t believe who was in here earlier.”
“Who?” one employee said.
“Sonic Star,” the employee whispered. “Grabbed some… chocolate and then ran out.”
Shadow froze, hand on a pack of pain medication.
“He paid, right?” the other asked, worried.
“Well, yeah, but he didn’t take his change,” the employee nodded.

“Hey, that’s an extra dollar for you,” one teased the other.
“Yeah but… you don’t think there’s gonna be a gun fight like two weeks ago?” the one asked. “Dude, I need this job, nowhere else is hiring.”
“Eh, it’ll be fine,” the other employee said. “If we get shot, we can like, use it to get a raise.”
“Do you think that would work?” one asked.
“No,” the other scoffed.
Shadow walked up to the counter, dumping the armful of medicine stuff on it.
Both employees startled, one hastily placing the items in a paper bag while the other started counting up the cost. 

As Shadow carried the pathetic paper bag back to his shack, he tried to sooth his paranoid thoughts.

Rumors. That’s all they were, same as when Tails first arrived. They’d pass.

“You’re back!” Tails cheered as Shadow stepped in. Sonic’s snores hitched as Tails did so, the kit wincing, repeating what he said with a whisper. “You’re back! Where’d you go?”
“Nowhere of significance,” Shadow said. He tossed the container of medicine to Tails, the fox taking it. “You make sure he takes it. He’s more likely to listen to you. You’re… strangely persuasive.”
“No, I’m not,” Tails huffed.
Shadow frowned, remembering Tails looking up at him with strangely big eyes. It was strange but when he did that, Shadow could feel his resolve weakening, somehow.
“Yes, you are,” Shadow huffed.

“I don’t get why we have to go so far,” Tails huffed. “We normally practice pretty close to home!”
“Well, your brother’s here now, that’s changed the situation,” Shadow crosses his arms.
“I still don’t get what the deal is with that,” Tails stretched a little, getting ready.
“As long as he stubbornly refuses to admit to his own natural gifts, I will treat him like the outsider he pretends to be,” Shadow said.
“Well, that sounds ridiculous,” Tails sighs.
“What was that?” Shadow asks.
“Nothing,” Tails says. “More power level control?”
“Yes,” Shadow says. “Not every blast needs to explode your target. Could make things… messy.”
“Gotcha, gotcha,”  Tails nodded understandingly.
“You’ve improved a lot,” Shadow went on. “But you have much room to grow. That being said…”
Tails paused, mid-aiming, looking up at Shadow.
“I… I suppose I’m lucky that you ended up being my first and last student, despite your brother’s foolishness,” Shadow said, avoiding Tails’ gaze. “No matter what happens.”
“Really?” Tails beamed before shaking his head. “What brought that on?”
“Can’t I just say something because I feel like it?” Shadow huffed.
“No,” Tails huffed back. “Seriously though.”
“...Just my paranoia getting the better of me,” Shadow finally said. “Now, enough distractions. Let’s get to work.”
“Right!” Tails nodded, focusing ahead.

It was past nightfall when they finally returned, Tails insisting on training extra hard that day, for some reason.

Shadow was more than happy to finish for the day, he didn’t like leaving Sonic near his things for so long. 

As they approached the shack, Tails perked up, his nose twitching.
“Do you smell that?” Tails asked. Shadow paused, turning his own face up to the air.

A smell reached his nose, something warm and savory.
“Oh, that son of a bitch,” Shadow growled, storming ahead.

He stomped in, Tails right behind him.
“Made dinner!” Sonic said cheerfully, holding a pot of chili.
“Where’s my calderon?!” Shadow exclaimed, gesturing to where the oversized thing should be.
“I dumped it and that load of poison you called a stew out,” Sonic said. “And you know what happened when I did?”
“All the surrounding wildlife withered away?” Shadow sighed.
“All the surrounding wildlife withered away,” Sonic nodded. “So I made chili.”
“Chili!” Tails cheered, launching himself into the air. “Oh, thank goodness! I wasn’t sure how much more I could… um…”
Shadow glared at the younger.
“...It wasn’t totally bad?” Tails said weakly.
“You’re a shit liar,” Shadow grumbled, crossing his arms.
“Well, I tried,” Tails shrugged. “Is it ready to be eaten?”
“Sure is!” Sonic grinned. “Mind helping me serve it?”
“I’ll do it,” Shadow said, reaching over and taking the pot. “You both sit down, especially you, you shouldn’t be doing anything.”
“But not doing anything is boring,” Sonic whined but sat down as Shadow fished out the bowls and spooned the chili out. “I had to use only stuff in here so tell me what you think.”

“It’s delicious!” Tails declares, mouth already full of chili, some of it smeared on his white fur.
“That’s what I like to hear!” Sonic grinned, spooning his own mouthful.
“...It’s about what I’ve come to expect of you,” Shadow said and Sonic laughed.

Tails glared at the calderon, his brows furrowed in focus.
“You burn it, I give you an impromptu haircut,” Shadow warned.
“Well, keep distracting me and see what happens,” Tails huffed. “This was your idea anyway. What, too lazy to actually wash it?”
Tails focused on the… something stuck to the sides of the calderon, a slight yellow buzz and the smell of burning lifting into the air as it sizzled away.
Shadow went quiet and looked away.
“Really?” Tails snorted.
“Shut,” Shadow hissed.
“Why didn’t you just use your Spark then?” Tails asked.
“I…” Shadow hesitated. “I try not to use mine. Might catch the wrong attention.”
“And mine won’t?” Tails raised an eyebrow, glancing at Shadow.
“Yes,” Shadow said sternly. “Now focus.”
Tails nodded, turning forward again.
Shadow’s ears perked up as the sound of leathery wings approached, turning just as a hooded figure landed.
“We need to talk,” Rouge hissed, adjusting her hood to cover even more of her face. Shadow frowned, uncrossing his arms.
“What happened?” Shadow asked.
“Tell me Sonic Star isn’t rooming with you, please,” Rouge whispered.
“How the hell did you-” Shadow started.
“People are talking,” Rouge muttered.
“It’ll pass,” Shadow said, mostly to reassure himself. “Same as when the kit arrived-”
“Shadow, the Empire has sent a search squad,” Rouge cut off.
Shadow looked up, his face going blank.
“What did Sonic Star do?” Rouge asked.

Sonic looked up as the duo walked in, pausing from the book he’d clearly nicked from one of Shadow’s shelves.
“Oh, hey, you guys are back early, everything-” Sonic started before Shadow yanked the book out of Shadow’s hands, leaning over the blue hedgehog.
“What the hell did you do?!” Shadow hissed, getting in Sonic’s face. Sonic leaned back as far as he could, practically lying down.
“I already told you everything,” Sonic insisted, ears laying back. “Shadow, what-”
“The Ovum Empire has sent a search squad here after you,” Shadow snapped. Sonic’s eyes widened and his face paled.
“A search squad?! Why the hell would they send a search squad?” Sonic exclaimed.
“That’s my question! What did you take?!” Shadow said.
“I already told you, it was just a damn candle! I don’t even have it with me, I left it somewhere else!” Sonic said. “Will you please get out of my-”
“Bullshit!” Shadow snarled. “Just a candle- the empire wouldn’t send a search squad for a candle! What was it? A bomb? Schematics? A ship?”

It was just a candle,” Sonic glared. “I wouldn’t lie. Not to you.”
“You lie to everyone,” Shadow glared back. “Your friends, your clients, me, your kit-”
“Leave Tails out of this,” Sonic bristled. “Half of the lying I do is for your sorry ass!”
“And the other half is to keep a couple of rings in your pocket!” Shadow snapped. “And right now, you’ve led a search squad right to me! I have not hidden this long just to be discovered because you got sloppy!”
“It was your idea for me to stay here!” Sonic said, something strangely open in his voice.
“And I should have made you leave,” Shadow hissed. Sonic went still before shoving Shadow off of him, the black hedgehog stumbling backwards. 

Sonic stood up, a slight wince leaving him as he did so, but he pressed on.
“Well, should have, would have, won’t change that I’m here now,” Sonic said, his voice biting. “Gonna give me the boot now?”
“Not until you tell what you actually stole,” Shadow said back. “To think I actually bought that stupid ‘candle’ excuse-”
“Well, believe it, baby, because it was a stupid ass candle!” Sonic cut off. “What, you gonna turn me in to save the skin on your back?”
“I wouldn’t do something as underhanded as-” Shadow bristled.
“Oh, please, Shads, don’t try and pull that shit on me,” Sonic cut off, the two circling each other in the small living space. “You wanna talk about liars, no one even knows your real name! No one knows where you’re from, who your family is-”
“Don’t you dare!” Shadow practically screamed. “At least I had a family!”
“With family like yours, I’m glad to be an orphan!” Sonic shouted right back. 

“You piece of shit-” Shadow dove at Sonic, the blue hedgehog darting out of his reach. 

Tails felt paralyzed. Sonic and Shadow were yelling, screaming, fighting, over something Tails didn't understand. 

Whatever it was, it was turning personal very quick.

Sonic was smiling but it was too sharp, too many teeth, is he going to bite Shadow? and Shadow kept lunging at Sonic, no, he's actually trying to hurt him! and Tails was terrified. 

He flinches as he recognizes the words, “the kit”, being said and as the screaming intensifies.

“-clearly projecting-!”

“I already told you, leave him out of this!”

Tails, Tails has to leave before they remember he's here and start yelling at him.

He darts over to his bed, yanking his project out from under it and hightails it out of there.

He's not sure where he's headed. Away is not a very specific direction.

Tails comes to a stop, his tails whipping up a storm, his breath coming out in shallow puffs of air.

Breathe. He needs to breathe. 

Tails forces himself to inhale, pressing a hand to his chest as his heart pounds. 

They weren’t yelling at him. They weren’t mad at him.

Yet.

Tails flinches at the thought.

He just needs to wait it out. Stay out of the way.

With trembling hands, Tails pulls out his blaster. He shakes it, the drained batteries falling out onto the watery ground with a wet thunk. He sniffles, wipes his face, reaches into his pocket for the batteries he’d asked Shadow to grab for him.

His pockets are empty.
“...I left them at the shack,” Tails mutters to himself and lets out a curse, reaching up and smacking his head. “Idiot, idiot, idiot!”
What is he supposed to do now? He can’t go back for them but now he can’t test to see if he fixed the energy problem!
He goes to pick up the dead batteries but he lets out a yelp as he does, a charge darting up his fingers. 

Tails waves his hand, shaking the electricity out of it.

And then he pauses, looks at his gun again.
“Okay,” he says, aiming it at a tree. “Let’s try this.”
Deep breath, Tails. Focus on that buzz under your skin. Focus it, channel it; where do we want it to go?

Tails inhales. He hears the blaster charge. He exhales.

He fires.

A bolt shoots out, burning a clean hole through the tree’s thick trunk. Tails stares at it for a moment, watching the smoke float off, before letting a screech of delight.

“It worked! It worked, it worked, it worked!” Tails cried eagerly. “I can’t wait to show-”
Tails pauses. 

“I… I should test it more,” Tails says, distracting himself. “Make sure it wasn’t just a fluke. Yeah. That’s it.”

It’s dark when Tails finally returns, gun tucked away into his cloak as he slips in. 

Sonic’s awake on the sleeping bag, back turned to Shadow. He keeps wiping his nose, like he’s expecting blood to come out or something.

Shadow’s in the kitchen area, straightening up some knocked over shelves. 

“You’re back,” Shadow says and Tails flinches. “Good. Go to sleep. We have practice tomorrow.”
“Practice?” Tails questions.
“Of course,” Shadow snarls, turning to look at Tails. Tails tries to avoid staring at the noticeable claw marks on his face. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Uh, no reason,” Tails says, shrinking in on himself. “Sorry.”
Shadow stares at him for a second before his face seems to soften.
“Get some rest, Tails,” Shadow says. “It’s late.”
Tails nods and walks over to his sleeping bag.
“Hey,” Sonic greets in a whisper. 

“Hey,” Tails says, curling up against Sonic. “Are you leaving?”
“He hasn’t kicked me out yet, if that’s what you’re asking,” Sonic whispers. “But I doubt I’ll stay much longer.”
“You’ll come back for me, right?” Tails blurts out, clinging to Sonic’s cloak. Sonic rolls over to face him, even as he winces.
“Like hell you could get rid of me, kid,” Sonic reassures. “Now, get some sleep. Don’t wanna be cranky during your training tomorrow, do you?”
Tails shakes his head and sighs, curling into Sonic.
“Night, Sonic,” Tails says. “Love you.”
Sonic jolts, almost as if surprised. 

“Love ya too, kit,” Sonic says in a voice lower than a whisper as Tails drifts off to sleep.

“You’re distracted,” Shadow says and Tails jolts.
“Sorry,” he says. “Just- I- um-”
Shadow watches the fox kit fumble for a second before sighing, closing his eyes.
“Just ask,” Shadow hisses, clearly irritated.
“Are, are you sure?” Tails asks. “I don’t wanna upset you-”
“If you’re distracted, we can’t work, so just ask,” Shadow snaps, the fox kit flinching. Shadow hisses, clearly more at himself than Tails. “Just… ask, Tails. You’re fine.”
“...Why were you and Sonic fighting?” Tails asks. “I heard something about a candle and you seemed really upset after that bat lady showed up.”
“...Sonic took something that could draw unwanted attention my way if he’s found here,” Shadow said. “I’ve hidden for far too long to let his sloppiness put me at risk.”

“Oh,” Tails frowns. “But… that’s not the only reason you’re mad at him. You knew the risk of him coming here, he told us when he arrived.”
“...He did,” Shadow nodded.
“You think he lied about something,” Tails guessed. “That’s why you’re mad.”
Shadow went quiet and Tails shrinked, afraid he’d made another mistake.
“You’re right,” Shadow said after a moment.
“I… I don’t think he would lie to you,” Tails said hastily. “He doesn’t lie to his friends.”
“He lies to his friends the most, kit,” Shadow scoffs. “And I’m not his friend.”
“Well, I don’t think he lied to you,” Tails said hotly. “Not about this. I saw the way he looked at you while you guys were talking, he was being honest.”
“You don’t know that,” Shadow snapped and all the fire in Tails vanished. “Why do you keep flinching?!”
“I don’t mean to,” Tails said, shrinking in. “Sorry.”
The kit avoiding Shadow’s gaze is more in line with the Tails Sonic initially introduced, the shy child Shadow thought he’d be teaching.

Somehow, he prefers the sarcastic brat.

“You’re out of it,” Shadow says, waving Tails away. “Go bug your brother until your head’s clear.”
Somehow, that was also the wrong thing to say, the fox kit shrinking more.
“Okay,” he says, clutching his tails to his chest. “Sorry. I’ll go.”
The kit runs back to the shack, leaving Shadow alone with his thoughts.

Sonic had to have been lying. A candle? The Empire sent a search squad for a candle?

But why would Sonic lie? And about that, of all things? And, additionally, why wouldn’t he just tell the truth in that case? Why let their… discussion escalate to such a level over something so ridiculous?

It was… stupid. But Sonic was stupid and reckless and a liar-

…but maybe not about this.

After all, it wasn’t just Shadow here now. If Sonic didn’t care about Shadow, he cared for the kit. If his lies could land that child in danger, Shadow struggles to believe he wouldn’t come clean. 

…Shit. Could he have been wrong?
“I’m gonna have to apologize, aren’t I?” Shadow muttered angrily. Sonic would have to apologize as well, the things that blue bastard said!, but Shadow would probably have to do it first, since he started it. “I hate that son of a bitch.”
And then Shadow would have to figure out a plan. Would he have to move? Even if Sonic left, there was a chance that the Empire would track his movements here.

If Shadow moved, would he take Tails with him or would he go back with Sonic? Where would Shadow even go? He’d really rather not have to move off planet but it might be a possibility to consider. There were a few other outer rim planets he had considered when he first moved here.

Hopefully, however, just moving somewhere else on the Waste would be enough. He was a rumor to the town, a topic of spectacle but, hopefully, not enough so to point his way if he moved three towns over.

Maybe his attempts at anonymity were backfiring. Everyone remembers a man trying to be forgotten.

Shadow groaned out loud, kicking at the swampy earth. 

What now, what now, what now…

Shadow would think of something. He just… he needed a little time-

Shadow’s ears perked up and his eyes flew open at the familiar sound of sandchasers firing their on-board blasts.

The search squad.

Who were they- oh, hell, Shadow knew exactly who the search squad was firing on-



Tails entered the shack, still gripping his tails.

“Tails? You’re back?” Sonic asked, looking up. “Where’s Shadow?”
“He said I was distracted and bugging him,” Tails mumbled. “So he sent me to you.”
Sonic frowns, sitting up.
“Because of me and Shads’ fight,” Sonic guessed.
“He told me that you guys fought because you lied about something but I said you wouldn’t lie,” Tails said. “And… I guess I made him mad. Sorry.”
“Hey, you haven’t done anything wrong,” Sonic said, standing up. He winced as he did so, walking over to Tails. “It’s just us grown-ups being stupid, okay? Same ol’, same ol’.”

Tails nodded but kept his head down. 

“Hey,” Sonic said, after a moment of gnawing at his lip. “Care to walk me to my ship?”
“You’re leaving?” Tails looked up, panicked. “Now?”
“Just until Shadow cools off,” Sonic reassured. “A week, at most. You know I’ll be back. You trust me, yeah?”
“...Yeah,” Tails nodded, releasing his tails. “Yeah, I trust you. I can show you my project on the way!”
“Sounds great, buddy!” Sonic grinned, heading for the door.
“Shouldn’t you tell Shadow you’re leaving?” Tails asked. Sonic paused.
“...Nah,” Sonic shrugged with a false nonchalance. “Let’s leave it to be a pleasant surprise when he gets back.”
“He does like you, you know,” Tails said, the two walking in the swampy grounds towards a distant swamp grove. “He talks to and about three people max, and you’re honestly the most positive.”
“I know that,” Sonic scoffs. “But I don’t think he does.”
Tails frowned but nodded.
“Yeah, that sounds right,” Tails said. 

“To be fair, he’s right to distrust me and shi-stuff,” Sonic sighs. “I can be pretty shady.”
“But you’re friends,” Tails insisted.
“Whatever the he-ck we are, we ain’t friends,” Sonic scoffed. “But I get what you’re saying.”
Tails frowned but went quiet, thinking carefully.

The shade of the clouds vanished under the shades of the trees.
“You hid the Star Tornado out here?” Tails asked.
“Close by and fairly hidden,” Sonic shrugged. “Plus, don’t have to pay a parking fee.”
Tails snorts in amusement. 

Sonic’s ears flick up and his face goes blank, stopping in his tracks.
“Sonic-” Tails starts but Sonic covers his mouth, raising a finger to his lips.

The two creep forward, quietly.

The Space Tornado is surrounded, men in chrome metal suits, each with a smiling face and mustache engraved on them. 

They look like ants,crawling in and out of the ship.

Tails silently gasps at the variety of their things being tossed onto the muddy earth.

“No sign of the project here,” one armored man says, leaning on a strange floating bike.
“We’ve cleared the entire ship,” another says, stepping out of the Star Tornado . “No sign of it.”
“Our orders are to wait for Sonic Star to return and bring him in for questioning,” the first armored man says.
“Can we use force to bring him in?!” an armored man says, nearly bouncing with glee.
“Oh, we are more than authorized,” the first one chuckles darkly.

Sonic frowns and sticks his hand out, ushering Tails to move, slowly, backwards.

They take two steps before Tails’ boot slips on a root, sending the child falling backwards with a yelp.

“Did you hear that?” an armored man says and Sonic bares his teeth. There’s the sound of blasters being drawn and charged. 

Tails pushes himself up and Sonic draws his own gun, pushing Tails behind him.
“Whatever happens,” Sonic says, voice barely more than a whisper. “Stay behind me, okay?”
“But, Sonic-” Tails starts.
“Just stay behind me,” Sonic hisses. “I got this covered.”
Tails went to argue more but the first armored man came into view, his chrome face looking like a stormy sky before Sonic pulled the trigger and the man dropped like a stack of books.

“Under the chin,” Sonic chuckled darkly. “They always forget to cover it-”
And then six more guys came out of the woods.

Sonic’s eyes dart between them before narrowing. 

“Sonic Star,” one said, stepping over his downed comrade. “You are wanted for crimes of heresy, arson, battery, theft, treason, and for breaking and entering. You can either come in quietly or come in dead.”
“Yeah, I’m gonna go with neither,” Sonic snapped. He fires again and the shot bounces off the chest plate of the first man, forcing him to the ground, and killing one of the others. Sonic turns and grabs Tails while the two are still falling, scrambling to escape.
They don’t get far before Sonic lets out something far too close to a whine, setting Tails down as they duck behind the thick tree stems.
“Sonic, your gunshot wound!” Tails hisses, looking at Sonic’s side. Sure enough, the spot looks agitated, fresh blood dripping out from under the bandages. 

“It’s fine,” Sonic hisses, grining, pained. “We just gotta lose ‘em, is all-”
“Does this mean we can kill him?” Tails can hear one man ask eagerly.
“Sure can,” the other answers. “Grab the sandchasers.”
“Fuck,” Sonic growls, holding up his blaster. “This might be harder than I thought.”

Don’t be dead, don’t be dead, don’t be dead-

It’s a stupid mantra repeating in Shadow’s head as he runs, following the sounds of gunfire.

The Star Tornado , he runs past.

There’s two Eggrunts dead, he notes but hurries past. Another one, halfway through. They reach the outskirts and there’s three dead, still twitching, a knocked over sandchaser next to them.

Wait, twitching? Shadow pauses, looking at the bodies again. That’s electricity, not a blaster shot.
“Tails,” Shadow hisses, resuming his run. 

There won’t be tracks for sandchasers, they made for pursuit above the ground, keeping the sand out of their wheels. Can’t be helped that they’re also good for any other problematic terrain.

But there’s footprints and, shit, a blood trail, that’s more than Shadow needs, he was trained to track with less.

A search squad usually has six to ten soldiers each, assume there’s eight, Shadow’s already counted six bodies, that’s two hunting down a child and, shit, an injured outlaw, this is so bad, it’s so bad, it’s stupid.

“Get away from me!” Tails screams and Shadow turns on his heel towards the scream. 

Don’t be dead, don’t be dead, don’t be dead-

Shadow follows the muddy slope of the hill, seeing Tails in a standstill with a Eggrunt circling him on a sandchaser, pointing a gun at it.
The Eggrunt was laughing and Tails was crying, Sonic slumped on the ground behind him.

Shadow saw red.

Flames rolled down his arms, starting red and growing green.

One hooked end of a flaming sword burns a liquid hole into the sandchaser and the Eggrunt has enough time to realize he’s stopped moving before the other sword is in his leg, sending him flying, his body consumed by green flames.
“Are there any more?” Shadow asks Tails, flames flickering on his arms, his swords held in a tight grip. Tails looks up in a daze, hands shaking as he clutches what looks like a gun made of cobbled together junk.

“I-I don’t know-” Tails chokes out. “There might be more on the ship but, but I didn’t see them-”
Shadow’s ears flicked up as the whistle of approaching sandchasers followed Tails’ words.

The fox kit flinched.
“Pick your brother up,” Shadow said. “Stay behind me.”
Tails looked up, teary-eyed, and nodded.
Three approaching, he can see them coming from the town. 

They start firing as they approach, Shadow twirling one sword, the fire creating a shield. 

“They’re circling us!” Tails cries as one swerves off, trying to go around Shadow.

“A foolish and fatal mistake,” Shadow scoffs, snapping his fingers. The wet ground underneath the Eggrunt bursts into flames, consuming them in a bloodcurdling scream. 

“Holy shit, did he just-?!” one Eggrunt’s last words are before Shadow’s suddenly in his space, his flaming sword cutting through his armor and flesh like butter. 

His rubber boots squeak as Shadow pushes off the now crashing sandchaser, flying over the last Eggrunt.
“He’s real! He’s real! The rogue Spark demon!” the Eggrunt cries, trying to reach someone for help. “Conservator Sombra-”
The man squeaks as Shadow’s hand finds his exposed throat, screaming as green flames envelop the both.

Tails yelps, covering his eyes, before peeking through his fingers.

A pillar of green flames lit up the world around them and Shadow emerged from it, not even smoking.

Tails clung tighter to Sonic as Shadow approached, the darker hedgehog kneeling down.
“We need to move,” Shadow said. “Are you hurt?”
“I-I don’t know,” Tails whimpered. “I-I-”
“Okay,” Shadow said. “We need to move. Can you walk?”
Tails nodded wordlessly. Shadow nodded back.
“I’ll carry Sonic-” Shadow started, reaching for the blue hedgehog, only for Tails to yank backwards. “I’m not going to hurt him. We don’t know who they were contacting or how soon they’ll be here.”

Tails faltered and that allowed Shadow to gently pry Sonic out of his baby claws, scooping up the blue hedgehog. He was surprisingly light.
Shadow’s shack has the med kit but Sonic’s ship would be better for escape.

Let’s go with the Star Tornado, hopefully those assholes hadn’t tossed everything out.

Shadow moved to walk before stopping. 

Tails was frozen in place, his hands shaking, blood staining the front of his shirt. His eyes were wide and staring into nothing.

Shadow frowned before sighing, adjusting his hold on Sonic.

Tails let out a squeak as he was picked up but did little to protest, practically sinking into Shadow.

Tails continued to stare forward, only closing his eyes when they passed the three Tails had clearly shot.

“I didn’t mean to,” Tails whispered. “But they hit Sonic and he was in pain and I was scared and-”
“You did what you had to,” Shadow said. “It was that or you died. Never apologize for choosing to survive.”
Tails sniffled and nodded.

Sonic wasn’t hurt too bad, well, all things considered. His gunshot wound had reopened and he had a much less severe but matching one on the left upper side of his chest now but he’d live.

Lots of blood gone but he’d live.

Tails had been hit as well, on his tail, a wound he didn’t notice until Shadow realized a trail of blood was following the kit despite no longer lugging around his passed out brother.

It was mended and cared for, Shadow moving a few essentials out of his shack into the ship.

“It was fire,” Tails said, sitting by Sonic. “Your Spark.”
Shadow paused, wiping the mud off of something.

“It is,” Shadow nodded.
“And they called you Sombra,” Tails said. “Conservator Sombra.”
“I find myself preferring Shadow,” Shadow responded. 

It’s quiet for a moment, just Sonic’s breathing echoing in the metallic space. 

“...What does it feel like?” Tails asked. “Your Spark.”

Shadow, finally, got up, walking over and sitting next to Tails. He could feel the heat of Sonic’s body behind his head, a quiet rasping from disturbed lungs whistling overhead.

“You know how you can feel the electricity coursing through you? Like energy, like a charge?” Shadow asks. Tails nods. “It’s… similar. More like a burn. A heat in my veins. The intensity grows now and then but, most of the time, it’s just an ember. I honestly prefer it like that.”
Tails nodded, leaning on Shadow’s arm.

“Are you falling asleep on me?” Shadow huffed.
“You’re warm,” Tails grumbled. “And I’m exhausted.”
Shadow supposed that made sense, considering… everything. However, Tails then forced his eyes open in the next second, jolting up.

“But I can’t sleep,” Tails shook his head, sitting up. “What if Sonic wakes up and needs something-”
“Then I’ll wake you up,” Shadow rolls his eyes, pushing Tails back into his side. “Sonic would want you to get your rest.”
“You’ll wake me up, if anything happens?” Tails asked tentatively, struggling to keep his eyes open. So stubborn… both of them…
“Of course,” Shadow nods but he doubts Tails heard, the kit already asleep.

“Someone’s going soft,” Sonic whispered, teasing. Shadow rolled his eyes again. The idiot had been awake for the last few minutes but had faked being asleep, most likely so the kit would fall asleep.
“Considering he’s your kit, I’d say that someone is you,” Shadow whispered back.
“Is he okay?” Sonic asked, moving to sit up.
“Lay down,” Shadow hisses, turning his head slightly towards the outlaw. “He’s fine but you’re not.”
Sonic frowned but obeyed, laying back down.

There was silence again, Sonic’s wheezing breaths, Tails’ slumbering snores.

“Still mad at me?” Sonic asked.
“Shut up,” Shadow said. “...Always.”
“Oh,” Sonic said, surprised. He smiled, something almost relieved to it. “Good to know.”
“I hate you,” Shadow shook his head. “So much.”
“Don’t move too much,” Sonic teased. “You’ll wake Tails.”
“Go to sleep, Sonic,” Shadow hissed back.

Chapter Text

They couldn’t stay on the Waste for long.

Especially now that the Ovum Empire no doubt knew exactly where they were but it wasn’t like they could leave the planet; Sonic’s already worrisome wound had been aggravated by the attack.

“We should leave while we have the chance!” Sonic exclaimed. “It’s not safe for us to stay here!”
“We are not doing interplanetary travel while you have a hole in your chest,” Shadow hissed, forcing Sonic back onto his back. “Do you have a death wish?”
“It’s bad luck to travel injured!” Tails piped up, shifting from foot to foot. 

“Tails, that’s just superstition!” Sonic tried to assure but Shadow was having none of it.

“It being the ghosts of dead sailors infecting the wound is, the various speeds and gravity shifts being proven to slow the healing process significantly aren’t,” Shadow corrected. “You are not moving until I can’t see your guts.”
“You can’t even see my guts,” Sonic grumbled, crossing his arms. “Then what’s the plan? They’re gonna come after us.”
“You get some rest,” Shadow said, turning to head out of the Star Tornado . “Let me handle that.”
Tails frowned as Shadow headed out, feeling his nose wrinkle up at the slightest smell of burning fur.
Sonic frowned and looked away.
“Who’s the idiot here?” Sonic muttered to himself, clearly not meaning for Tails to hear. “The idiot who wants to get out of danger or the idiot who lights himself on fire?”
Tails’ head snapped over to Sonic.
“What?!” Tails exclaimed and Sonic startled, as if he forgot Tails was there. “That’s what his Spark does?!”
Sonic hastily sat up, panicked at Tails’ fear.
“No, no, no, Shad’s fine!” Sonic laughed nervously. “Well, for the most part. If he’s not careful, if he overdoes it… the Spark, it doesn’t make you immune to the element, it just lets you control it.”
Tails frowned and ran his fingers through the fur around his neck, feeling the slightly raised burn scars. That… yeah, that fit.

“Is Shadow gonna be okay?” Tails asked.
“Of course,” Sonic said, even though he clearly didn’t believe it. “It’s Shadow. If anyone can handle this, it’s him.”
Sonic sighed, rubbing his head. He patted the spot next to him with a spot on the cot. Tails climbed up without a second thought, wrapping his tails around both himself and Sonic. 

“As long as you’re safe,” Sonic said, smiling as he closed his eyes. “I’ll be fine. Just you see.”
“Corny,” Tails sniffled, resting his head on Sonic’s shoulder.
“Hey, watch it, you sound like Shadow,” Sonic opened an eye, grinning. “Don’t want to get your face stuck in a sour expression like him, huh?”

Tails stuck out his tongue, making Sonic laugh, which ended in a wince. 

After a week of Sonic and Tails hiding in the Star Tornado , Shadow leaving in the morning and coming back smelling of ash and slightly blood stained despite his attempts to rinse the blood off before coming back, Sonic was well enough to get up in Shadow’s face and demand they leave.

Tails was scared at first, afraid that this would lead to another argument, but Shadow just nodded in agreement and left to go get his things.

Tails was just glad they weren’t fighting. It had been… frightening. 

He… he knew Sonic and Shadow wouldn’t hurt him… but that was often how it started. One little fight and suddenly everyone is so angry and so stressed and Tails is there and conveniently problem shaped-

“Tails, bud?” Sonic asked and Tails started, looking up. “You got everything already?” 

“Uh, yeah,” Tails nodded. “I, um, kept most of my stuff here anyway.”
“Smart,” Sonic grinned. “Shadow won’t bring much and he’ll probably burn the rest.”
“Burn?” Tails questioned.
“He doesn’t like leaving traces behind,” Sonic shrugged. “There isn’t much info you can get from watered down ashes.”
They both jolted as the sound of metal hitting metal echoed up into the ship.
“Shadow, you and I both know there’s no room for a cauldron in my ship,” Sonic sighed. There was silence before Shadow grumbled and the sound of something being rolled away was heard.

Tails snorted and Sonic rolled his eyes.

“Alright, you guys already to go?” Sonic asked as he settled down into the pilot’s seat. Shadow kicked his bag to the side and stepped up next to Sonic.
“Maybe I should fly,” Shadow said. “You may be back on your feet but-”
“Shadow,” Sonic said, baring his teeth in a simulacrum of a smile. “If you think I’m letting you fly my ship even just off this planet, you’re dead fucking wrong.”
Tails winced and Shadow balked but backed off.
“Fine,” he said, waving away. “Do whatever the hell you want.”
Sonic nodded, satisfied, and started to take off. 

Shadow sat next to Tails, crossing his arms across his chest. 

“I forgot how protective he is over this damn thing,” Shadow huffed quietly. 

“Do you know where we’re headed?” Tails muttered back.
“Probably to Speedway Express,”  Shadow mused. “It’s a ship port a few planets over. We’ll figure out where to go from there.”
“Won’t the Empire track us there, if it’s a nearby port?” Tails fidgeted.
“Not the part we’re going to,” Shadow snorted. “We’ll just be three wanted fugitives in a sea of wanted fugitives. The Empire is too lazy to arrest every criminal, especially when some of them might be on their payroll.”

Tails frowned but nodded. 

“We can probably do minor training,” Shadow said. “Nothing too big. I’d rather not blow the ship up, especially with us in it.”
He held out his hand, a small flame seeming to bloom through the red stripe on his hand and form up onto his palm. Tails stared at it, transfixed, watching the dark red, not green, flame flicker before Shadow closed his fist, putting it out.

“Now you,” Shadow said. Tails blinked and looked up at Shadow.
“Uh, but I don’t have fire,” Tails frowned.
“Lightning is also a light source,” Shadow assured. “Try.”
Tails frowned but nodded, holding out his hands. He took a deep breath, tugging at the electricity in his veins, urging it to his shaking palms.

After a moment, Tails saw a few sparks in his palms. He gasped, grinning. The sparks vanished and Tails felt… not drained but stuck. 

“Hm,” Shadow nodded. “Try again.”
“I don’t know if I can,” Tails said, massaging his palm. “I feel weird.”
“Let me see,” Shadow said, reaching for Tails’ wrists. The second his hand touched Tails’ fur, Tails felt a charge jolt off of him and Shadow jumped up, his fur now stuck up and smoking. 

Sonic burst out laughing. Shadow glared at him and sat back down.

“Better?” he asked, face flushed.
“Um,” Tails snorted. “Yeah. the block is gone.”
“Try again but… with less energy, this time,” Shadow sighed.

They practiced for a few hours, Tails managing to hold a steady volt in his hands for a good minute before they called it.

They had some refrigerated meat and cheese sandwiches for lunch, Shadow complaining on how ‘bland’ and ‘dead’ the meat tasted.

“Hey, if you want it fresh, you can go out and get it yourself,” Sonic had responded to that, gesturing outside to the wide expanse of empty space. Shadow had stopped complaining after that.

“How much further?” Tails asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes. 

“Uh, a few more hours,” Sonic winced. “Tell ya what, you get some sleep and we’ll wake ya when you’re there.”
“Oh, okay,” Tails nodded. He stood up from the bench. Shadow watched as he opened a section of the wall, revealing… not quite big enough to be a room but it was too well decorated and cozy looking to be anything but. 

It was what looked like a mix of a bean bag and various pillows and blankets. There were small fairy lights strung up in the closet, lighting up the space. Tails climbed into the space, curling up on the pile of pillows, pulling one of the blankets over his body.
“Are you gonna sleep, Shadow?” Tails asked, yawning, clearly already half asleep.
“Not tired,” Shadow responded.
“Your loss,” Tails said, closing his eyes. He was asleep quickly, a low rumble coming from him. His tails were wrapped around his body, barely peeking out of his blanket. The lights above him dimmed, as if pulled to sleep with him.

“Hey,” Sonic called out, his voice low. “Pull that curtain over him.”
Shadow stood up and stepped close to the closet, grabbing the wooden curtain and pulling it to the side, hiding the fox kit from sight. 

“You can come up here, if you want,” Sonic offered and Shadow hesitated, before walking over. He sat in the co-pilot seat, staring through the glass into the darkness and twinkling distant planets and stars. “Been awhile since we traveled together, huh?”
“I was hoping to not travel again,” Shadow said, a low heat to his voice.

“Again, I don’t know how they tracked me,” Sonic sighed. “You searched my ship, no tracker. Unless someone on that planet knew what I had done and reported me the second I landed on there, there should have been no way for them to know, at least, not as quickly as they did.”
“I know,” Shadow grumbled. It was true. Shadow had checked the ship top to bottom and there had been no bugs. He kept his ear to the ground, the Eggrunts that showed up had no idea either, there was no sign of how the hell they followed Sonic here.

And there was, of course, the question of why the hell they were coming with such ferocity. If Sonic wasn’t lying, they were sending several squads to die for a fucking candle.

It didn’t make sense. None of it.

But Shadow wasn’t going to accuse Sonic of lying again, at least, not in the same way he had before.

“We’ll get a mechanic to do a total sweep when we get to Speedway,” Sonic reassured. “And we’ll figure it out from there.”
Shadow nodded and they flew in silence for a moment.
“It’s not that bad to be traveling together, is it?” Sonic asked, smirking and arching an eyebrow at Shadow.
It… really wasn’t. Sonic’s presence was a breath of fresh air, no pun intended, something that always forced his senses back to life, for better or for worse. 

But Sonic didn’t need to know that.
“The sooner I have a new place to haunt, the better,” Shadow responded and Sonic let out a sharp laugh that he quickly stifled to let Tails sleep. 

Tails jolted awake as the ship landed, the shaking as it was probably gripped and pulled into place. 

He pushed the wooden curtain out of the way, crawling out of his bed.

“Are we here?” he asked, standing up.

“We are,” Shadow said, standing up as well. “We were about to wake you.”
“Probably good that we didn’t have to,” Sonic said, stretching. “Tails is not the best at waking up.”
“Tell me about it,” Shadow huffed in agreement. “He punched me in the face.”
“Kicked me in the gut,” Sonic snickered.
“It was on accident!” Tails protested, face red. “Look, can we just go?”

“Sure, sure,” Sonic grinned, ruffling Tails’ fur. 

The group headed off the Star Tornado , Shadow pulling his hood over his face. Tails did the same, shrinking into Sonic’s side, tails hidden in Sonic’s cloak.

“Hm,” Sonic paused, looking over Shadow. “We gotta get you a new outfit. You look like some swamp cryptid.”
“That’s the point,” Shadow hissed. “It helps me blend in.”
“Yeah, in a swampy area,” Sonic scoffed. “We’ll grab you some new duds once we get this all sorted out.”
Sonic walked over to a booth, leaning on the counter.
“Heya, Belle,” Sonic greeted. The mouse like android startled, looking at Sonic.
“Hey, Sonic Star,” Belle greeted in return. “I thought that ship looked familiar… looks dirtier than I remember though.”
“Yeah, had to make a pit stop, literally,” Sonic snorted. “Think you can give her a tune up?”

“Sure thing,” Belle nodded with a smile.
“Oh, a sweep for any bugs while you’re at it?” Sonic added casually, pretending to fix his gloves. Belle jumped up, panicked.

“Sonic Star, tell me you didn’t bring a bugged ship into my shop, did you?!” Belle exclaimed.
“I’m really hoping I didn’t,” Sonic sighed. “Look, I’ll pay extra, okay?”
“And you’ll actually pay me on time and not wait until the most dramatic moment to do so?” Belle pointed firmly at Sonic.
“Swear on my mother’s grave,” Sonic said, something genuinely serious to his voice. Belle frowned before sighing.
“Okay,” Belle agreed. “But you are paying double my usual cost.”
“Understood, Belle,” Sonic grinned and snickered. “Speaking of, uh, double, any sign of your old man?”
“None,” Belle shook her head. “You’re still keeping an eye out, right?”
“You know I don’t give up on stuff like that, Belle,” Sonic reassured. “Welp, I’ll leave ya to work on it. You have my number!”
“I literally do not!” Belle called out as Sonic walked out of the garage, Shadow and Tails behind him.
“How do you always know everybody?” Shadow huffed.
“Hey, knowing people is beneficial,” Sonic shrugged.
“Considering her knowing you made her upcharge you, I’m not sure if that’s true,” Tails corrected. Sonic shrugged again. “I’ve never been to Speedway Express before… um, is it crowded?”
“It’s a secret pitstop for wanted criminals, fugitives, and people who are looking for trouble that’s in the literal underbelly of a city,” Sonic said. “Eh, could be more crowded.”
The trio exited into what one could not be blamed for assuming was a busy city, a wave of smells and sounds smacking Shadow and Tails like bricks in their faces.

“I hate you,” Shadow and Tails said in unison, Sonic laughing at their misery.
“Don’t worry, we’re just headed to a few places while the ship gets checked,” Sonic reassured. “I don’t wanna fry your fragile loner brains.”

Sonic wakes the streets with the confidence of a top dog, even as far more frightening individuals walk alongside him. He looks comfortable in the city, like he was made for it, the neon lights of the literally underground city glinting off his gold piercings, a blue and red beacon in a sea of bright and dangerous colors. 

Then again, Shadow couldn’t think of many places where Sonic didn’t somehow look comfortable.

Tails, on the other hand, was like a miniature shadow, hidden in the light of Sonic, Sonic’s cloak casually wrapped around the kit. The burnt star around his neck gleamed just as Sonic’s did, if not slightly dimmer. The only sign the kit might be more than a frightened child was the hand he kept at his side, where he’d made a makeshift holster.

It made Shadow nervous, seeing the kit with such a tight grip to a weapon he’d created himself but Shadow had no doubt Sonic would deescalate a situation before Tails would feel compelled to pull out his own weapon.

Of course, said deescalation would no doubt be killing whoever is making the situation hostile but it’s as much of a plan as any.  

Shadow remained close as well to Sonic. It had been awhile since he had visited the Speedway Express and he doubted there would anything or anyone he recognized-

“Holy shit,” a voice exclaimed and Shadow stopped, turning to the speaker. 

Rouge approached, the sounds of her jewelry like a bell alerting Sonic and Tails to her presence.

“Been awhile since I’ve seen you offworld, hun,” Rouge said with a grin, looking over Shadow. Her voice lowered, even as her expression remained exactly the same. “Guess the situation got as bad as I thought it would, huh?”
“You certainly weren’t wrong,” Shadow huffed.
“How’d you get off world anyway?” Rouge asked. “I know you don’t have a ship.”
“Yeah, well, he hitched a ride,” Sonic said, grinning.
“Well, well, Sonic Star,” Rouge smiled back, even though something in her eyes went cold. “Didn’t think Shadow would travel with the person who made him even need to leave.”
“Aw well, it was quick, convenient, cheap,” Sonic shrugged. “What other choice did he have?”
“I suppose that’s true,” Rouge relented to that. “But now, there’s the curiosity of what the two- three, sorry, kid- of you are doing here?”
“Just a quick pitstop,” Sonic yawned. “Got the munchies.”
“We suspect there might be a bug on Sonic’s ship that led the Empire to my hiding place in the first place,” Shadow said. “Sonic knows a mechanic here who is checking it out for him.”

Sonic’s grin went tight and he slightly elbowed Shadow, who ignored Sonic’s prodding.

“My, my,” Rouge laughed. “Getting sloppy, Sonic Star?”
“Hardly,” Sonic scoffed. “I’m getting it handled, aren’t I?”
“But maybe a little bit too late,” Rouge remarked casually and Sonic let out a single bark of a laugh. 

“Well, at least I’m actually getting rid of it and not inviting it to dinner, aren’t I?” Sonic responded. Rouge bared her teeth at that. 

Tails cowered, unsure what to make of this interaction.

After a moment, both hedgehog and bat laughed, the tension evaporating. 

“You’re lucky you’re cute, Big Blue,” Rouge sighed, shaking her head.
“Oh, I’m lucky? You couldn’t touch me, Madam Rouge,” Sonic responded. Shadow rolled his eyes as the two laughed once more.
“It’s good to see you, Blue,” Rouge said before reaching over and patting Shadow’s cheek almost mockingly. “Oh, and you too, you grumpy old man. You needed a change in scenery, even if the reasoning is less than… convenient.”

“Wait, so is she mad at us or what?” Tails whispered up at Sonic, Rouge’s ears twitching.
“I can hear you, kid,” Rouge said, Tails shrinking. “Can’t get mad at Sonic Star for pulling in trouble. That’s like getting mad at the wind for blowing.”
Sonic stuck his tongue out at the older woman.
“Says you,” Sonic said. “We’re two birds of a feather, after all.”
“Not wrong,” Rouge laughed. Her eyes shifted to the side and Sonic followed her gaze.

“Oooohoho, they got chili dogs here!” Sonic said, his attention seemingly drawn away from Rouge. “C’mon, Tails, let’s grab a bite.”

As Sonic pulled Tails away, Rouge turned to Shadow, the teasing attitude dropping. 

“Do you know what the empire is after?” Rouge asked.
“Something Sonic stole but… it doesn’t make sense,” Shadow shook his head.
“Maybe ol’ Blue lied about what it was he stole,” Rouge suggested.
“It’s not that, I’m certain of it,” Shadow said. “It’s too absurd to be a lie.”

“Hm,” Rouge frowned. “Tell me what it is. I’ll look into it.”
Shadow hesitated. Rouge wouldn’t rat him or Sonic Star out but the more people know, the greater the risk…

But knowledge is power and Shadow needs as much as he can get until he’s back hiding under some rock.
“A candle,” Shadow said. “He was hired to steal it, some duchess. She wanted as little people on the team as possible.”
“Is that how he got that charming burn?” Rouge asked, gesturing to the space on her chest where Sonic was burnt on his.
“It used to look worse,” Shadow sighed. “We were grounded for a fair bit of time. Had to play defense.”
“Huh? But you don’t…” Rouge frowned and reached forward, gripping Shadow’s arm. She yanked back as she did so, shaking her hand violently, as if burnt. Maybe she was. “Shadow!”
“I didn’t have many options,” Shadow hissed, looking away.
“Oh, so burning yourself to a crisp is the best one?” Rouge hissed back. “You know that’s not safe for you!”
“I can control it,” Shadow said hotly.
“But do you want to?” Rouge fired back. Shadow went quiet. “I’m not afraid of you or it… but the two of you combined…”
“Why do you always talk like it’s a different person?” Shadow asked, looking away. “It’s a part of me. That’s all.”
“Not the way I see it,” Rouge frowned. Shadow glared at the ground, running a finger along the red of his hands. 

“Shads!” Sonic came back over, two chili dogs in one hand, a meat kabob in another. “You gotta try this, it’s buffalo from Extravont!”

Tails was happily chowing down on his own chili dog, just a few steps behind, but seemed to be eyeing Rouge uneasily.

Shadow took the kabob.
“I’ll look into that candle,” Rouge said. “And that duchess of yours, what was her name again?”
“Oh, Elise!” Sonic grinned. “Of Soleanna, ya know it?”
“Eh,” Rouge gestured vaguely. “If I don’t, I will soon. See you around, Big Blue, Shadow.”
The bat walked off, somehow disappearing in the crowd despite her loud and attention grabbing jewelry.

“Did ya have to tell her about my job?” Sonic huffed, flopping his head on Shadow’s shoulder. Shadow pushed him off.
“We want to know why they came after us in such force, don’t we?” Shadow said. “This is how we find out.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sonic grumbled, waving in the air as if to banish Rouge’s presence. He downed his two chili dogs in two quick bites each. “Now, let’s get you out of that wetsuit, huh?”
“It’s not a wetsuit,” Shadow grumbles, biting down on the kebab. Tails winced as Shadow chewed the wood as well as the meat. “Let’s just go.”

You’d think stealing clothes from a guy who probably stole them himself would be harder but it was surprisingly easy. 

Shadow’s rubber jacket and pants were left on the same hanger as the zip up jacket and parachute pants once occupied. 

Shadow adjusted the jacket as they walked, making sure his chest fur wasn’t caught in the zipper.
“Better,” he said after a moment, pulling the hood up. “Are we done?”
“Almost,” Sonic said, turning to Shadow with a grin. He held up some shoes, air shoes. “Bring back some memories?”

Shadow blinked, surprised, taking them from Sonic.
“They’re in actually good condition,” Shadow exclaimed in surprise. “And they’re models 2001… the superior model!”
Shadow paused and shook his head, setting them down.
“Probably too expensive,” Shadow said. Sonic opened his mouth, only for Shadow to beat him to the punch. “And too risky.”
“Better than your rubber boots,” Sonic pointed out. “Plus, you know how to use them.”
“It’s… been awhile since I have,” Shadow argued, weakly. 

“Are you saying you forgot?” Sonic teased.
“No,” Shadow snapped back, picking them back up. 

“Ah,” the salesman said, popping up. “I see you’re a man who knows good merchandise when you see it! Those are Air Shoes Model 1976, the most popular model!”

Sonic suppressed a laugh as Shadow stiffened. 

“I see,” Shadow deadpanned. “What a find. How much?”
“Oh, for these… I think about 956 rings should cover the price…” the salesman said. Shadow nodded, reaching for his purse. “For one shoe.”
Shadow paused and straightened back up.
“Are you certain?” he asked, a warning in his voice the salesman either didn’t notice or didn’t see as the threat it was.
“Most certainly!” the salesman nodded.
“May I try them on first? To see if they’re worth the price,” Shadow asked.
“Well… be warned, if you don’t know how to use them, they can slow you down,” the salesman said. “Do you know how to use them?”
“Not the model 1976,” Shadow said and Sonic had to bite his hand to hide his laughter. 

“Then be my guest!” the salesman said. “But don’t go far, alright?”
“Sounds generous,” Shadow nodded. Shadow slipped off his rubber boots, socks stolen from Sonic hiding the almost avian claws on his feet. The air shoes fit like a glove, as if they had been waiting for Shadow. “Very comfortable. I can see why you charge so much.”
“Go ahead, walk around, see how they fit you!” the salesman encouraged.
“Very well,” Shadow nodded. He stomped his foot, a plume of dust rising as the small engines in the shoes sputtered to life. He crouched down before seeming to lung forward, leaving a streak of gold behind him.

Sonic’s laughter finally escaped him as he saw the salesman’s expression, scooping up Tails and running after Shadow.

“Models 1976… and for…” Shadow paused mid grumble to count up how many rings the man had been asking. 
“1912 rings,” Tails piped up.
“Ludicrous,” Shadow said, pacing. “Absolutely ludicrous.”
“Well, you saved them, Shadow,” Sonic chuckled. “They’re out of his clearly inadequate fingers.”

Shadow huffed but nodded, finally reaching down to adjust his inhibitors so they rested above his shoes instead of where his boots used to end.

“Find anything you like, Tails?” Sonic asked.
“Nothing here fits me,” Tails sighed. “It’s all… too big.”
“Eh, I’ll adjust it later,” Sonic reassured. “Anything you’d want if it fit you?”

“Um… well…” Tails fidgeted.
“We could also find you a belt,” Shadow added on. “If that helps.”
“Oh! I did see some pants I liked!” Tails said. “Lots of pockets!”
“There we go!” Sonic encouraged. “Anything else?”
“And a jacket?” Tails said. “But it’s really big…”
“”I toldja, don’t worry about that,” Sonic repeated. “Let’s grab ‘em, yeah? And some sturdy boots. We’re gonna do a lot of walking.”

Tails clung to Sonic still but he seemed happy with his new clothes, his cargo pants pulled high on his body and held in place with a black belt, an oversized jacket hiding his small but pleased smile. 

His boots actually fit him just fine, military boots that gave Tails an inch or two in height. 

“Where to now?” Shadow asked.
“Headed to the Morning Dew,” Sonic responded. “Knuckles is meeting us there. I need to get something from him and he can probably give you directions to the planet you’re gonna hide out on next.”
Shadow nodded. Tails frowned, opening his mouth to ask a question, before thinking better of it. He’d ask later.

The Morning Dew was a bar, loud but not crowded, the band a trio of wolves howling about the discord and confusion in the world. 

A large bar but strangely empty… Sonic led the group to a table not far from the front, allowing Shadow and Tails to slide into the booth before sitting down himself. 

“Welcome to the Morning De-” a cyborg bunny started before stopping, laughing. “Well! Sonic Star! Didn’t my husband ban you?”
“Is your husband gonna come out and kick me out himself, Bunnie?” Sonic asked with a wink.

“Do zest me, blue hedgehog!” a voice, audibly trembling, came from the kitchen, a sword poking out and shivering. “I zill face you in battle if need be!”
“Guess that’s a no,” Sonic shrugged. “Am I good to order?”
“Sure,” Bunnie shook her head, amused. “Whatdya want?”
“I’ll take… a shirley temple, a liquid radiator, and… Shads, what do you want?” Sonic glanced over at the darker.
“Water is fine,” Shadow muttered, not looking at Bunnie.
“Yeah, a water,” Sonic repeated.
“Gotcha,” Bunnie nodded, writing it down. “That’ll be a sec.”
“Thanks, Bunnie!” Sonic called as she walked away. “Man, running into a lot of old faces today.”
“Don’t tell me you’re tired,” Shadow said.
“Okay, I won’t,” Sonic laughed but the sound dwindled faster than it should have, ending on a sour note. 

“Sonic!” a piercing voice cut through the awkward silence, a pink blur slamming over the table onto Sonic. Once the blur stopped moving, it was clearly a pink hedgehog, her quills cut short and styled similar to dreads. “I missed you!”
“Ack-” Sonic winced but smiled. “Good to see ya too, Ames.”
“Amy, off,” Knuckles huffed, grabbing Amy by the scruff of her neck and lifting her off the table.
“Oopsie, sorry,” Amy giggled, embarrassed. “It’s just been awhile.”
“You saw me a month ago,” Sonic corrected.
“Yeah, but that was a month ago!” Amy exclaimed. “Hi, Tails!”
“Hi, Amy,” Tails greeted. “I like your new haircut!”
“Thank you!” Amy grinned, shaking her head to make her quills shake. “I’m still getting used to it but I think it really fits me!”
“You look well, Rose,” Shadow finally spoke up. Amy jolted, looking at Shadow.
“Shadow? Is that you?” Amy gasped. “Where have you been?”
“Hardly important,” Shadow waved away her question, his voice gentler than Tails had ever heard him speak. “I’m assuming you’ve been well?”
“Mhm!” Amy beamed. “Knuckles is training me as his apprentice! Just you wait and see, in no time, I’ll be a gua-”
“Amy!” Knuckles hissed and Amy smacked her hands over her mouth.
“Sorry,” Amy said, sounding much more apologetic. “Got excited.”

“It’s fine,” Knuckles sighed. “I wasn’t much better when I started either.”
“Is it a secret what you’re doing?” Shadow asked.
“It’s not for outsiders,” Amy explained sympathetically. “I don’t think you even know what the Spark is.”
“Huh?” Tails spoke up with a frown. “But Shadow-”
Under the table, Shadow kicked Tails, silencing the kit.
“-is a very dear friend but I’m trying to do this right,” Amy said, looking guilty. “I barely have any knowledge of my echidna heritage. I don’t want to mess this up, even if these rules aren’t that concrete anymore.”
“I understand, Rose,” Shadow nodded. “I would never ask you to forsake your convictions for my sake, not after you helped me.”
Amy beamed. Sonic looked away
‘Thank you for understanding, Shadow,” Amy said. “I figured if anyone could, it’d be you.”
“Sorry to cut this off but I sadly didn’t ask ya here for a little chitchat,” Sonic piped up, something almost bitter in his voice. “Knuxs, you got the key?”
“Uh, yeah,” Knuckles reached into a side pouch of his cloak. He pulled out what looked like a chess piece, tossing it over to Sonic, who caught it. “But I’m not… I’m not going near that thing again.”
“Scaredy cat,” Sonic scoffed. “You’re almost worse than Antoine.”
“YOU TAKE ZAT BACK!” Antoine cried from the kitchen.

“Sorry, ‘toine,” Sonic called back. “You’re the greatest scaredy cat of all.”
“Thank you- hey!” Antoine whined.

“Besides, I was gonna take Shads with me,” Sonic said.
“Are you sure?” Knuckles eyed Shadow, who seemed to stiffen under Knuckles’ critical gaze, as opposed to how he softened under Amy’s enthusiasm. 

“There’s only so many times a ‘hog can be called a liar before he wants to kick another ‘hog in the face,” Sonic shrugged. “He can see for himself.”
“Good luck,” Knuckles said to Shadow with a shudder. 

“While I do that,” Sonic went on. “Can you keep an eye on Tails?”
“Oh, now you want me to keep an eye on Tails,” Knuckles rolled his eyes.
“Knuxs,” Sonic said, his voice warning. “It’s a simple yes or no question.”
“Yeah, I can keep an eye on the kit,” Knuckles grumbled.
“More like I’ll be keeping an eye on him,” Tails muttered. Amy guffawed.
“Hey, I heard that!” Knuckles exclaimed.
“Oh, good, so you’re just dumb, not deaf,” Tails teased.
“Tails, behave,” Sonic snickered.
“You are not helping,” Knuckles grumbled.
“Eh, you’ll live, you got thick skin,” Sonic waved away Knuckles’ complaints.
“You owe me,” Knuckles huffed.
“I know, I know,” Sonic said. “Is it something I can do now or do I gotta wait?” 

“You can do it now,” Knuckles said. “I don’t like having you owe me things for too long. You get weird.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Sonic rolled his eyes. “What is it?” 

“There’s a shipment coming in two ports over,” Knuckles said. “I have it on good information that it contains some artifacts. Make sure they’re making their way home, I’ll babysit for ya.”
“I’ll stay here,” Shadow said. “Keep an eye on the ship.”
“You sure?” Sonic asked.
“I’m having enough excitement as is,” Shadow huffed. “Allow me a brief reprieve from you.”
Sonic laughed, sharp, before nodding.
“Sounds fair,” Sonic said. “How dangerous is it, Knuckles?”
“Eh, I’d say… a three on the danger scale,” Knuckles did a so-so sign. “I just don’t feel like running two ports over.”
“Hm… what do you wanna do, Tails?” Sonic asked.
“Um… can I come with you?” Tails asked, fidgeting with his gold necklace.
“Sounds like a plan,” Sonic grinned. “Just a little run, me and you! Got the address, Knuxs?”

They decide to take the bus and then run to the port. Allows them to plan and talk and just… relax.

The bus is mostly empty, an automatic input from when the underbelly was built to be kinder, before kindness was less profitable than cruelty. 

Sonic sighed, leaning his head back against the glass.
“Why didn’t Shadow tell Amy he knows how to use the Spark?” Tails asked, sitting next to him.
“Knowledge is power, kit,” Sonic responded, eyes still closed. “And he doesn’t really like giving away power. The less people know anything about him, the better.”
“She doesn’t know… anything?” Tails blinked. Amy was nosey, in a good way. She was a comfort when Tails didn’t feel like venting to Sonic. 

“She knows he got out of a bad situation, where he was just as much the abuser as he was the victim,” Sonic said. “She’s the one who convinced him that a peaceful life might help him. She… wasn’t wrong, obviously.”
And yet, Sonic said it as if it was a bad thing. Tails decided not to point it out. 

“If she knew who he used to be or even knew he could use the Spark… would Amy treat him differently?” Tails asked.
“As far as I know, Shadow is the only one who can use fire for his Spark… well, only one alive,” Sonic sat up. “So her knowing anything could lead to her knowing everything and her knowing… I don’t think she’d take it well. You know Ames.”
“Did… did Shadow hurt her? When he was…?” Tails asked.
“As far as I know, Shadow never met Ames when he was working his old job,” Sonic shrugged. “Ames and Shads never mentioned anything, at least. What’s with all the questions?”
“I just… Amy is really good at knowing people and Shadow seemed a lot nicer with her, nicer than he was with us,” Tails said. “I was just curious why.”
“You and me both,” Sonic muttered to himself, a strange burning in his voice, before shaking his head. “Shadow will tell Amy when he’s ready, if ever. And Shadow just… recognizes someone in Amy. it makes him go soft around her.”
“Oh, okay,” Tails nodded. “Can I use my gun?”
“Will you be okay using your gun?” Sonic asked back. “You didn’t react well to who you shot last time. I don’t want you to get in a nasty situation and get choked up.”
“I… I’ll be fine,” Tails said. “I’ll shoot to stun, not to kill. I’ll be fine.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Sonic nodded. “Any more questions?”
“...Rouge seemed scared of Shadow’s Spark,” Tails said. “Everyone who sees it seems scared of it. Why?”
“Fire’s pretty dangerous, kid,” Sonic said. “Lightning, water, a lot of the other elements, it’s easy to go nonlethal with them. Not so with fire. Even the smallest spark can destroy… a lot, including the wielder.”
“Could he accidentally kill himself?” Tails exclaimed.
“Well, anyone can,” Sonic said. “But fire… it’s one of the few that is like guaranteed to hurt you. Especially, based on the user’s training and, uh, emotional state.”

Tails frowned, trying to remember the few times he’d seen Shadow’s flames.
“Shadow’s are green or a really dark red,” Tails remarked. “What does that mean?”
“Well, Shadow’s like trained better than anyone alive,” Sonic hummed. “As for his emotional state… when he’s intending to attack or concertating, that’s when he seems to go green. Red is really casual.”

Tails nodded, yeah, that fit with his own observation. 

“You wanna hear a secret?” Sonic leaned over to Tails, grinning. “Once, I saw Shadow’s flame turn blue and purple.”
“Really?” Tails said. “What was he doing?”
“He was singing,” Sonic sighed dreamily. “In some language I didn’t know. He told me later it was a song of war, one he learned from his old man. He told me he had made his mind up that he was gonna wage war on his creators by living long and living well.”
Sonic giggled, like a schoolgirl discussing her favorite boy band member.

“He sounded so angry when he said it,” Sonic went on, ignoring or not noticing how Tails was eyeing him. “I know everyone says fire is dangerous but it’s so easy to forget the risks when Shadow’s around.”
Tails made a face and eyed Sonic. 

“Oh!” Sonic jolted out of his strange grin, jumping up. “Uh, this is our stop. C’mon, buddy, let’s go!”

They walk to the hanger, seeing a few laborers carrying boxes off a pristine ship.
“Alright, check the terminal,” Sonic said. “If they’re headed to anything with Echidna in the name, we leave. Anything else, we’re taking ‘em. Also, see how much they have.”
Sonic handed a handheld over to Tails, with a spare cord. Tails nodded and sneaked over to the terminal, plugging it in before sitting down and popping the handheld open.

Sonic eyed the workers, the two skunks stopping to argue about… something Sonic couldn’t hear. 

“Sonic,” Tails hissed. Sonic looked over at Tails. “Two items. A sculpture and a bowl, headed to… the Britianina Museum.”
Sonic winced. Yeah, Knuckles would blow up a building if anything from his culture ended up in that place. Sonic patted the side where his gun was and Tails nodded, closing the handheld. 

Sonic stepped out of his cover, walking over to the workers, making sure his hood was up, to at least make it a little harder to tell who he is.

“Howdy, gentlemen!” Sonic greeted.
“Huh? Hey, only, uh, qualified personnel are allowed in here!” one skunk said.
“Yeah, I figured, just, uh…” Sonic pointed to the box. “Are those the Angelian Artifacts?” 

“Yup!” the taller of the skunks said cheerfully, his brother smacking him. “Cost the doc a fortune!”
“Great!” Sonic grinned. “I’m gonna need those.”
The two skunks stared at Sonic.
“We ain’t giving you nothing,” the shorter said, crossing his arms. “So get lost!”
“Look, you either give it to me or I take it from you and leave you with some injuries,” Sonic sighed. “Your choice.”
“We ain’t scared of you!” the taller said. “You’re just a-” 

Sonic moved for his gun but Tails beat him to it, the taller dropping to the ground, vibrating with the force of a good couple volts.
“Do what he says or you’re next!” Tails piped up in a voice that sounded firmer than he looked, holding his makeshift gun out. Sonic couldn’t help a grin of pride. 

“Okay, okay!” The shorter skunk kicked it over, Sonic prying the box open and pulling the small statue and bowl out. “Just don’t shock me!”
The two back away slowly before running, leaving the skunks to figure out how to explain this to their boss.

“Nice work, buddy!” Sonic praised Tails.
“Really? I was worried I came in guns ablazing too soon,” Tails fretted.
“Not at all, buddy,” Sonic reassured. “Trust your instincts. If you can’t trust those, trust your head.”
Tails nodded.

The bus came around and the two stepped on, sitting back down.
“All in all, today’s been successful,” Sonic nodded, pleased. “Knuckles is gonna be happy.”
“They look well taken care of,” Tails says, admiring the finish of the bowl in the bus lights. “I know they were stolen and all, but it might’ve been better than having them lost in rubble.”
“True,” Sonic nodded. “But don’t let Knuckles hear you say that.”
“I won’t,” Tails nodded back before pausing. “Knuckles doesn’t trust Shadow, does he?”
“Old bad blood,” Sonic responded.
“Did Shadow…?” Tails started hesitantly.
“No! No, no, he wouldn’t,” Sonic assured. “Even back then, he had a heart of gold. He wouldn’t… he wouldn’t go as far as things went on Angel.”
“You sound pretty sure,” Tails said.
“Eh,” Sonic shrugged. “I trust Shadow, for better or for worse.”
“Oh, is that what we’re calling it now?” Tails muttered at that.
“Whatdya mean by that, Tails?” Sonic raised an eyebrow.
“I mean, you never have a bad word to say about him, you trust him like a lot, and the way you look at him…” Tails snorted. “It does make one speculate, Sonic.”
“Speculate what, I’m interested in him?” Sonic asked and Tails nodded, a teasing grin on his face. “Well, speculate no more, Tails, because you’re right on the money.”
Tails paused before looking over at Sonic, the blue hedgehog digging into his ear. 

“Huh?” Tails blinked.
“I mean, he’s not the worst guy to fall for, all things considered,” Sonic said casually. “I mean, obviously not the best but still.”
“...you’re kidding,” Tails said.
“Hey, you’re the guy who guessed,” Sonic rolled his eyes. “What, did you expect to be wrong?”
“No, I expected you to be in denial, like Shad-” Tails hurriedly covered his mouth but it was too late.

The fox kit anxiously watched for his brother’s reaction but was sorely disappointed. Sonic didn’t seem to be surprised, hell, he didn’t seem to care. 

“Already knew about that too, buddy,” Sonic said. “Don’t worry, you didn’t spill any secrets.”
“Wha- you know?!” Tails leaned forward. “Then why haven’t you said anything?”
Sonic paused, looking away as he seemed to look over his claws.

“You said it yourself, kit,” Sonic finally said. “Shad’s in denial.”
“But if you told him how you felt-” Tails tried.
“He’d reject me,” Sonic cut off. “Plain and simple.”
“But… but he likes you,” Tails frowned. “Why would he?”
“Eh,” Sonic shrugged, facing Tails again. “Lots of reasons, to be honest. But let’s just say… he doesn’t like me enough.”
“...I’m sorry,” Tails looked down.
“It’s okay, little buddy,” Sonic chuckled, ruffling Tails’ fur. “I’ve accepted it, no problem.”

“These are in great condition!” Knuckles exclaimed in glee. “Thanks, Sonic.”
“Anything for an old friend,” Sonic leaned back, crossing his legs.
“Belle said she checked your ship,” Shadow said, allowing Amy to do… something with his quills. “It’s now in peak condition.”
“Any bugs?” Sonic asked.
“None,” Shadow frowned. “Which, somehow, doesn’t ease my concerns.”
Sonic frowned. It didn’t soothe him either. There were only so many ways one could be tracked. 

He wondered if…

Sonic placed an arm against his side, his fingers tracing the feel of his ribcage.

“Well, we can fly,” Sonic said. “Let’s grab that thing and get going.”
Sonic downed his drink and stood. Shadow gently tapped Amy’s hands, the younger stepping back to let him get up.

“Why can’t I go with you?” Tails asked, looking at Sonic. His baby blues seemed to grow impossibly wide and Sonic had to close his eyes.
“Tails, you know using puppy dog eyes are unfair,” Sonic said, eyes closed. “The less people know where we hid this bullsh-stuff, the better.”
“That’s not fair,” Tails grumbled. “I can keep a secret.”
“There’s no doubt of that, kit,” Shadow said and Sonic opened his eyes. “But if worse comes to worse, having no secrets to tell might help you more than anything.”
“Geez, grim, Shadow,” Sonic rolled his eyes.

“Am I wrong?” Shadow turned his gaze to Sonic, glaring at Sonic.

Sonic felt his throat go dry and he forced himself to sigh of annoyance and not dreamily. 

“Whatever,” Sonic said. “Let’s go.”
Sonic ruffled Tails’ fur as he walked past.
“Behave for Knuckles,” Sonic said.
“I will,” Tails nodded.
“He won’t,” Knuckles huffed, finally looking away from the statue. 

Sonic handed over the heavy bag of rings, Belle smiling in something a tad too close like relief. 

He turned, heading onto the Star Tornado , letting his fingers gently rest on its metal hull.

“I knew you were no rat,” Sonic said softly. “How could ya be? If you were, we’d both be dead a long time ago.”
“If you’re done,” Shadow called from inside the ship, Sonic looking up at him.

“Hey, there’s no need to get jealous,” Sonic teased, patting the ship and stepping on board. “I appreciate you too.”
Shadow huffed at that but his ear twitched at the complement. 

“Where’d you even hide this… candle?” Shadow asked as Sonic hopped into the pilot’s seat.

“Not far,” Sonic replied. “Some moons, they used to be vaults. If you can find the keys, they still work.”
Shadow held up one such key, the king of an old chess board.

“Me and Knuxs have one we share for jobs like these,” Sonic went on as they took off, leaving the port. “Places to hide stuff until it’s time to deliver it. This is the first time he didn’t like the thing enough to stay close from it.”
“But it’s a candle,” Shadow said. “Isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” Sonic said. “At least, that’s how it looks to me. How the hell am I supposed to tell if it’s anything else?”
“Guess we’ll see,” Shadow said.

“True that,” Sonic agreed, flicking on the autopilot. “We’re just gonna go straight ahead for a minute.”
“What are you doing now?” Shadow asked as Sonic hopped out of his chair and went digging into a bag.

“We know there’s no bug on the ship,” Sonic said. “But that doesn’t mean there’s no bug at all. What if one was placed on us?”
“On our clothes?” Shadow questioned.
“No,” Sonic said, standing up with a knife. “Inside.”

He approached Shadow, noticing the way he stiffened as Sonic came close.

Sonic flipped the knife in his hand, holding the handle out to Shadow.

“And only one of us got a hole in him recently,” Sonic finished.

“We just got you back on your feet,” Shadow hissed. “Are you that eager to be grounded once more?”

“Just don't cut too deep,” Sonic shrugged.

Shadow hesitated but took the knife.

Sonic pulled his cloak off, laying down on the bench of the ship.

Shadow hovered over Sonic, his world suddenly just Shadow and the intensity of his red eyes. Sonic took a breath and the scent of dried lavender filled his lungs.

“If there’s a bug in you, it’s not going to be just under the skin,” Shadow warned.
“Better to get it out now than later,” Sonic replied. He felt the sharp edge of the knife trace up his chest, resting right where he’d been previously shot.

“You seriously want me to carve you open?” Shadow asked. “Are you stupid?”
Sonic searched Shadow’s face, feeling the warmth of Shadow’s breath against his cheeks.

“Maybe,” Sonic grinned. “I just trust you.”
Shadow made a face, as if Sonic had said something insulting. It hurt more than the pinprick of the blade just starting to dig into his skin.

“Then you’re most definitely a fool,” Shadow hissed. The pinprick blossomed into a sharp agony as Shadow finally cut into Sonic. 

Sonic let out a laugh, the same kind of laugh that always involuntarily bubbled up at the slightest hint of pain.

A warmth went down Sonic’s side, his blood, as Shadow’s brow furrowed as he searched for anything that shouldn’t be there.

Sonic sharply inhaled, closing his eyes, his head leaning back. It hurt. It hurt a lot. But it’s fine. It’s nothing. Better a little pain now then a lot of pain later. Better to be safe than sorry. 

Another burst of laughter escaped Sonic with a wince as Shadow dug a smidge too deep, Shadow pulling back slightly.
“Find anything?” Sonic asked, eyes still closed.
“Nothing,” Shadow said. “Can’t sense anything either. I think we’re good.”
“Good,” Sonic let out a breath, not quite a sigh. “Good.”

Shadow pulled back, leaving Sonic’s space, and, for a brief, foolish moment, Sonic almost wanted to pull him back, pull him close.

But that was just the weak child in Sonic, the cowering animal, that sought out comfort despite the clear lack of it.

Sonic gave himself a moment to breathe, hearing Shadow no doubt washing Sonic’s blood off his hands.

A moment later, Sonic jolted as he felt something brush against the cut, wet and warm.
“Relax,” Shadow said, his voice not quite gentle. “It’s just me.”
Sonic did as he was told, allowing Shadow to clean the blood off of him.
“Trust me with a knife more than with a rag,” Shadow grumbled.
“Well, you have more experience with a knife,” Sonic said, finally opening his eyes. “Probably more likely to hurt me with a rag.”
“Probably,” Shadow agreed. “How bad does it hurt?”
“Not too bad,” Sonic said, wincing as he sat up. Shadow’s hand remained at his side, still pressing that warm rag to the wound. “Shouldn’t ground me or anything.”
“Hm,” Shadow frowned but nodded. He took Sonic’s hand, pressing it to the rag, and let go. “Don’t bleed out.”
He stood up once more, now finally washing Sonic off his hands.

Sonic’s face twitched up into a smile more heartfelt than he meant to let out and he pressed a little too tight against the cut just to pull himself back to reality.

The Star Tornado landed, the deck it landed on flickering to life, barely alive.

Shadow looked around as he and Sonic stepped off onto it.

Sonic momentarily wished he’d cleaned this place up some before bringing Shadow here before discarding the thought. 

“You and Knuckles spent a lot of time here?” Shadow asked, stepping over a pile of wrappers.
“Used to be our old haunt, before he started digging into his heritage and I got a little too big for my own birches,” Sonic nodded. “Didn’t know it was a vault at first.”
They stopped before a chess board, the only thing that seemed to not be covered in dust. It was distinctly missing a king and a queen.

Shadow held out the black king as Sonic pulled out the white queen. The two reached forward, placing them on their places on the board.

There was a shudder, Shadow jolting to an offensive position as Sonic yawned.

A giant door, one Shadow hadn’t noticed, shuddered open, revealing what once was probably a vault stuffed to the brim with treasures.

Now, it just had a box with the Ovum Empire symbol on it. 

Shadow frowned and approached it, opening it.

There was a small golden candle holder, ornamented with wings, a single flame flickering within it.

“...Sonic, there’s no candle here,” Shadow said, dumbstruck. Sonic snorted.
“Well, there’s not no candle,” Sonic said, crossing his arms. Shadow seemed mesmerized by the flame, his concentration only breaking when Sonic closed the box back up. “Believe me now?”
“...It’s absurd,” Shadow frowned. “But… you weren’t lying.”
“Toldja,” Sonic grinned, picking up the box. 

The base shook, Sonic looking up with a frown. 

“What was that?” Shadow asked.
“We’ve got company,” Sonic muttered. “We need to move, now.”
The two rushed back to the Star Tornado , Sonic carelessly tossing the box to the side.
“Do we have time to fly off?” Shadow asked.
“Sure we do-” Sonic responded before an Altitude Limiter, sleek, sharp, practically a gun on wings, flew into the dock, firing down on them. “Okay, maybe not.”
“Get us ready for launch,” Shadow said and Sonic turned just in time to see green flames burst to life on Shadow’s back.
“Are you sure?” Sonic called back. “You’ve been using those a lot!”

“Did you add blasters to this rust bucket since I traveled with you?” Shadow snapped.

“No,” Sonic winced.

“Then we don't have any other options,” Shadow said and stepped out.

Sonic hissed to himself, turning back to his controls. 

“C’mon, old girl, kinda unfufilling way to go, dontcha think?” Sonic muttered quietly as the ship roared to life, the radar lighting up with it. Several very worrying blips popped up. “Hoo boy.”

Sonic jolted as the Altitude Limiter crashed down behind the ship, Shadow running on, still smoldering.

“Can you take off?” Shadow asked.

“Yeah but the issue is staying in the air,” Sonic said. “We're pretty much surrounded.”

Shadow frowned before brightening.

“I have an idea,” Shadow said. “Start take off and stay calm.”

“Alright, if you say so,” Sonic said, hastily doing as he was told.

The Star Tornado lifted off, exiting the moon.

“Sonic Star!” An officer's voice radioed in. “Turn yourself in now or add resisting arrest to your charges!”

“Already got that one, sir,” Sonic radioed back, eyeing Shadow as flames once more burned on his back. “But thank you for the offer.”

Sonic turned off the radio.

“What's the plan?” Sonic asked Shadow.

“Shut up,” Shadow snipped back. “I’d rather not set ourselves on fire too.”

Sonic clamped his mouth shut but was unable to look away as Shadow seemed to be consumed by flames, before he slammed his palms against the dash.

Sonic jumped back, a sharp cry of pain coming from Shadow, as his flames flowed off him, off the ship and onto the surrounding Ovum ships.

They fell out of their flight patterns, the flames smothered by the emptiness of space without Shadow’s support. 

“Holy shit!” Sonic laughed, turning to Shadow. “That was- Shadow?!”

Shadow was hunched over on the ground, cradling his hands, hands Sonic could see as horribly burnt. 

“Shadow, are you-?!” Sonic started, reaching for Shadow.

“Don't touch me,” Shadow strangled out. “Just- get us out of here.”

“Yeah, yeah, okay,” Sonic winced but complied.

“I am not an object but I can be broken,” Amy said, sitting cross legged in the dark dock. “I am not alive but I can get sick. I can not be removed without dying and yet I am constantly given away. What am I?”

“Um… is it code?” Tails guessed, sitting across from her. Amy shook her head.

“Nope,” Amy said. “Try again.”

“Uh…” Tails glared at the ground. “Don't tell me, I'll get it.”

“You're gonna feel so silly when you realize it,” Amy snickered. 

“Hey!” Knuckles called out. “Move, he's coming in fast.”

Hedgehog and fox both looked, indeed seeing the Star Tornado coming in for a swift landing. The two scrambled off the path, the ship coming to a grinding halt.

The hanger door opened and Sonic emerged not a minute later.
“Sonic!” Amy and Tails both cried, jumping on Sonic. Sonic yelped as they did so.
“Ack- careful with the Sonic, he ain’t exactly in mint condition,” Sonic chuckled weakly, pushing them off.
“You got injured!” Amy exclaimed, motioning to a bandage where he’d been shot, a fresh one.
“Eh, we got found,” Sonic said. “Got a lucky shot in before I got to cover.”
“...but that doesn’t look like a gunshot wound-” Amy started.
“Where’s Shadow?” Tails cut her off, peering past Sonic.
“He got hit pretty bad,” Sonic winced. “Said he wanted to be alone while he took care of it.”
He brightened after a moment, looking at Tails.
“But he might be fine if it’s you,” he said to Tails. “Mind making sure he has the salve, you know, for burns?”
“Oh! Yeah, I can do that!” Tails nodded, turning and hurrying onto the ship.

It seemed empty as he stepped in, lifting the bench and pulling out the tube of burn salve. It was pretty old but… it shouldn’t have expired yet. 

But now, where’s Shadow?
Tails’ ear twitched towards his closet as a hiss of pain came from it. Tails turned to his closet, finding the wooden curtain pulled over it, a bloody handprint on the curtain.

“Shadow?” he said quietly, taking a cautious step closer. “Are you in my room?”

Any slight sounds of pain went completely silent for a moment. 

“...Sorry,” Shadow finally responded. “Would’ve asked but… well.”
“No, you’re fine,” Tails said. “Are… are you okay?”
“I’ll recover,” Shadow said. “I’ve had worse.”
Tails frowned, reaching forward and grabbing the edge of the wooden curtain.
“Can I come in?” Tails asked. Shadow went silent again. “It’s… it’s okay, if not-”
“Just close the curtain behind you,” Shadow cut off Tails. “...Please.”
Tails pulled the curtain away enough to slide in, squeezing in next to Shadow.

He was curled up, back pressed against the wall. He was curled up around his hands, panting as if he was actively running a mile, eyes squeezed shut in pain.
“Here,” Tails offered the salve over to Shadow, the darker hedgehog barely opening his eyes.   

Shadow reached out for it, Tails wincing as he saw Shadow’s burnt red and bloody hands, his white gloves charcoal black tatters around his wrists, his rings slightly stained with smoke. 

Shadow took it, hissing as he did so, squeezing some of it on his hands. 

“Sonic said you wanted to be alone,” Tails said. 

“I never said that,” Shadow sighed as the salve seemed to soothe the angry burns on his hands. “I just didn’t want him to touch me.”

“He wasn’t wrong though, was he?” Tails said and Shadow went quiet. “Why didn’t you let Sonic help you?”
Shadow didn’t respond.
“You helped him when he was hurt,” Tails went on. “And me too. We don’t mind helping-”
“I don’t need your pity-” Shadow snapped before reeling in his anger as Tails flinched. “I can handle myself.”
“It’s not pity,” Tails said softly. “We care about you, Shadow. Especially Sonic. He cares about you… a lot.”
Shadow closed his eyes and shook his head. 

“I’m… I’m not like him,” Shadow finally said. “I can’t afford to allow others to see me weak. If they chose to take advantage of that…”
“Sonic wouldn’t do that,” Tails insisted. 

“What does that matter?” Shadow said quietly after a minute. “I can’t take that risk regardless.”
Tails’ ear twitched, hearing a sigh and the slight sound of footsteps walking away.
“Thank you for the salve,” Shadow said, his voice firmer now. “I can take care of myself from here. You can leave.”
Tails opened his mouth to insist on staying before closing it, standing up and weaseling out of the closet.

As he stepped off the Star Tornado , he spotted Sonic leaning against it, arms crossed. His expression looked relaxed, casual, but there was something to it that was…

“How is he?” Sonic asked.

“Burnt pretty bad but he said he’d be fine,” Tails said, fidgeting with his tails. “Did you hear what he, um, said about you?”
“Nothing I didn’t already know,” Sonic shrugged, looking away. His voice held a shell of bitterness to it, one he buried with a sharp bark of a laugh. “Toldja.”

“Huh?” Tails looked up, confused.
“Don’t worry about it, bud,” Sonic said, straightening up. He ruffled Tails’ fur, a warm smile on his face. “Did Knuckles feed you?”
“Of course I fed him,” Knuckles crossed his arms. “I’ve watched kids before, Sonic.”
“No, he didn’t,” Tails overdramatically whined, tugging on Sonic’s cloak. “I’m staaaaaaarving, Sonic.”
“Starving? Oh no!” Sonic gasped in the same overdramatic fashion. “That’s no good! Let’s get you some food, huh, little buddy?”
“And some mint ice cream?” Tails perked up.
“Sure,” Sonic grinned. “If you were good?”
“He was very good!” Amy assured. 

“Eh, I’m not sure he was-” Knuckles started before Amy turned a heated glare at him. “Uh, I mean, he was good as gold! Ice cream for everyone, my treat!”
“You’re a treasure, Knuxs!” Sonic grinned, draping an arm over Knuckles.

As the group walked away, Sonic glanced back at the Star Tornado , an expression of worry flickering over his face before he turned away once more.

Chapter Text

 “Sure you don’t want to come with us? I’ll still make sure you get paid but it’s not gonna be the cut we initially agreed upon,” Sonic said as he prepared to leave, Knuckles fidgeting on the stairs.
“Money schmoney,” Knuckles scoffed. He softened, glancing to make sure Shadow and Tails were out of earshot. “That thing, it’s bad news. Can’t you ask the duchess to come pick it up herself?”
“She hired us to deliver it as well as steal it,” Sonic reminded. “It’s just a candle.”

“We both know it’s not just a candle,” Knuckles hissed, tossing up his arms, the emerald  green painted beads in his dreads making a clinking sound against each other as he moved.”you may not sense it but it doesn’t look right.”
Sonic pursed his lips, avoiding Knuckles’ gaze.

It didn’t look right, a candle with no wick, the flame almost shaping into faces if Sonic stared too long. Far too familiar faces.

“Well, it may not look right and it may not feel right but it’s just a candle,” Sonic said, eyes purposely closed. “Trying to work myself into a tizzy with speculation isn’t going to help me with anything.”
“Well, shutting your eyes to the truth won’t help either!” Knuckles pleaded. “Sonic, you have a kid now. You can’t afford to be careless, you told me that yourself.”
“I’m not being careless,” Sonic insisted. “I just can’t solve every mystery. I’m picking and choosing my battles.”
Sonic looked back at the ship, Shadow and Tails patiently waiting inside, well, Shadow wasn’t so patient.

“And I’ve got a few I’m already fighting,” Sonic sighed. 

Knuckles made a face, following Sonic’s gaze. 

“I gotta make it up to Shadow and I gotta… figure out what to do next to Tails,” Sonic went on. “I don’t have time to figure out a ghost candle.”
It was an excuse, both Sonic and Knuckles knew that. Sonic was going to have so much time while delivering the package, the Duchess’ drop off point being nearly two systems away. 

But Sonic didn’t care what the deal with the candle was and the sooner he got rid of it, and got paid, the better.

Knuckles knew that, of course he did. How many times had their roles been swapped?

“Just… just be careful, okay?” Knuckles grumbled. “Don’t try to do anything stupid.”
“Where’s the fun in that, Knuxs?” Sonic laughed, turning and heading to the Star Tornado . 

Amy walked up beside Knuckles, clutching a handful of cards.

“You did a reading on him?” Knuckles asked Amy, arms crossed.
“I was worried and I was really, really hoping it would make me feel better,” Amy admitted, her hands trembling. “It really didn’t.”
“How bad we talking, Amy?” Knuckles hissed, looking over to the younger.

“Never seeing him alive level of bad,” Amy said, holding up the cards, faces of pain and anguish on the cards. Knuckles’ head snapped back over to the Star Tornado , as it took off.

“Where are we going?” Tails asked, kicking his legs idly on the bench. “I mean, what planet are we going to?”
“It’s called Agape,” Sonic explained. “Orbits a star called Solaris.”

“After their god, if I recall,” Shadow added on, Sonic nodding.

“Yeah, that sounds right,” Sonic said. “I gotta deliver that package.”

“This one?” Tails asked, poking the box. 

“That's the one!” 

Tails looked over the box. It was seemingly simple, a plain black with an Ovum Empire emblem on it in white.

He picked it up, bouncing it a little. He could hear something moving inside the box, feel the warmth inside it, but he couldn't tell what it was. 

“What is it?” Tails asked.

“Nothing important, kit,” Sonic reassured. “But if we're found with it, we might have some problems. Hey, think you can keep it in your closet?”

“Sure, I should have room,” Tails frowned. “But what is it?”

“He doesn't want you to know,” Shadow said, arms crossed. “And, frankly, you don't need to know.”

“But I would like to…” Tails grumbled but decided to let the subject go.

He hopped up, walking over to his closet. He shoved it in a corner, tossing a spare blanket over it before closing the door once more.

“How long will it take us to get there?” Tails asked, curious. 

“Going top speed with minimal stops… I wanna say a month,” Sonic said, calculating as he spoke. 

“A month?!” Shadow exclaimed at that, his head shooting up. 

“Hey, don't get mad at me!” Sonic held his hands up innocently. “The trip is a long one.” 

“Why didn't you mention that sooner?” Shadow hissed at Sonic.

“Because you insisted I lay around all day?” Sonic reminded, raising an eyebrow. “I told you we should go.”

“You didn't mention how far away it was!” Shadow said.

“You didn't even believe me about what the hell I was delivering!” Sonic fired back.

“No one would have believed you, the fact I even did initially is-” Shadow slammed his hand on the dash, flinching. 

All of Sonic’s anger vanished as Shadow curled in on himself, clutching the burnt hand. He reached for Shadow briefly before wincing quietly to himself, pulling away and letting Shadow recover for a moment.

Tails frowned at the both of them but said nothing.
“Is a month really the quickest you can get there?” Shadow asked after a moment.
“Considering we’ll need to eat and sleep? Yes,” Sonic said. Shadow hissed. “On the bright side, that’s plenty of time to figure out where you wanna hunker down next.”
“Huh?” Tails jolted up. “You’re not staying?”
“Never said I was,” Shadow huffed. “It’s not safe for me out in the open. I may not be wanted as much anymore but… one can never be too careful.”
“Because you were a Conservator?” Tails asked, leaning forward. “What even is a Conservator? Why would you be in danger if you were found?”
Shadow made a face, like he was chewing something sour and bitter. 

“Is it something you can’t talk about?” Tails drooped. 

“No, I can talk about it,” Shadow sighed. “I just… don’t really want to.”
“He deserves to know,” Sonic said casually, adjusting his gloves. “If he ends up staying with you, he should at least know why people want you dead.”
“Want him and me dead,” Shadow corrected. 

“Wait, why would they want me dead?!” Tails exclaimed, jumping up. Shadow made another face, closing his eyes and sighing. 

“Shadow,” Sonic said, a warning clear in his throat. 

“I know, I know,” Shadow hissed, standing up. He walked over to the bench, sitting next to Tails. “It’s… complicated.”
“I’m smart,” Tails frowned. “Try me.”
Shadow eyed him before nodding, leaning back.

“Do you know about the Fellowship of Dreams?” Shadow asked. Tails shook his head. “The Unity Collective?”
“No,” Tails shook his head again.

“They’re people who study the Spark, what it is, how it works, everything about it,” Shadow said before shaking his head. “Well, no. That's not right. They’re… more, worse, than that.”
“They are scholars, they do study the Spark… but only their version of the Spark,” Shadow corrected. “Anything else is heretical and must be wiped out.” 

“Their version?” Tails asked, frowning.
“What do you know about Illumina?” Shadow asked, leaning backward. 

“Um… there’s temples to her, like, everywhere,” Tails gestured everywhere. “But what does she have to do with the Spark?”

“You really never even talked to him about the Fellowship of Dreams?” Shadow now said to Sonic, sounding confounded. 

“Why should I?” Sonic huffed. “They’re a cult who would kill him the second they saw him. Nothing to say.”

“They’re the empire’s religion, did you seriously never tell him anything?!” Shadow snapped. “You could’ve gotten him killed!”
“I told him enough to know they’re a danger, I didn’t want him getting it in his head they’d help him and run to them,” Sonic rolled his eyes. “Most of them don’t even have a Spark.”
“I don’t leave the ship often and when I do, we were never near the temples,” Tails defended Sonic. “Sonic said they were dangerous but I never thought it was because I had the Spark, I thought it was because he’s a wanted fugitive and I’m an abomination.”

“Hey!” Both Sonic and Shadow snapped at him.
“We do not use that word, especially not to describe you,” Sonic said firmly. 

“He’s right but we’re getting off topic,” Shadow said, looking at Tails. “The Fellowship believes Illumina was the one who created the Spark, that she created it so that royal families, like Emperor Robotnik’s,could lead the universe to Utopia.”

“Okay, but why is that dangerous?” Tails leaned forward. 

“Because if you have the Spark and not of royal blood, they claim your Spark is from one of Illumina’s rivals, perhaps Chaos or Gaia, and you must be eliminated,” Shadow explained. “If they saw you, they’d probably execute you, at the very best.”
“The very best?!” Tails exclaimed. “What… what’s the worst?!”
“You don’t want to know,” Shadow hissed, closing his eyes. “Let’s just say Sonic did right telling you not to go near those temples.”
Tails fidgeted, clinging to his tails. His mind quickly became a gallery of horrors as he imagined what exactly Shadow wanted to hide from him. Somehow, it felt worse than if Shadow actually told him.

“And the Unity Collective?” Tails asked nervously. “Who are they?”
“The same group, just wearing black instead of rainbow,” Sonic scoffed.
“If you wanted to explain it, you should’ve earlier, now shut up,” Shadow bit at him. He turned back to Tails. “The Unity Collective is… ugh, yes, the same group but wearing black. They share the same beliefs but while the Fellowship follows Lumina, Illumina’s light half, the Collective follows Void. they are the blade of the Fellowship, to sum them up.”

“Void? Lumina?” Tails questioned.
“Illumina has two aspects, the light of dreams and the darkness of dreams. It’s believed Void exposes dreams to despair to strengthen their resolve and Lumina helps dreams be born,” Shadow explained. “The Fellowship and Collective believe that a Spark is a representation of the strength of one’s dream.”
“But if they’re not royal, it’s not a proper dream, is it?” Tails asked.
“You catch on fast,” Shadow nodded.

“Toldja I was smart,” Tails smirked. “Wait, but what does all of this have to do with you?”

“Conservators are part of the Unity Collective, the highest rank of warrior,” Shadow explained. “However, me and my sister, we got too ambitious for the Collective. We’re supposed to be brain dead soldiers, killing whoever we are told to kill and die when we’re told to die.”
“Sounds dumb,” Tails frowned.
“That’s what I said!” Sonic agreed, throwing his hands up. Shadow glared at him. “Sorry.”

“It’s how we were raised,” Shadow sighed. “And defectors are not tolerated. The very idea is antithetical to every belief they hold. They’d execute me and not even dispose of my body. If I am discovered, I must be indoctrinated back into the group or die.”
Sonic snorted.

“Stop interrupting!” Shadow yelled at Sonic.  

“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Sonic rolled his eyes.

“So… if we’re discovered and they find a defected Conservator teaching a heretic how to use the Spark, we’re like super boned?” Tails hummed.
“Pretty much,” Shadow nodded. “We’d be unbelievably dead.”

Tails winced, brushing through his tails anxiously. That… that sounded scary. 

“Which is why I need to find a new planet to hide out on,” Shadow finished. “And why you need to decide if you want to continue practicing with me or not.”
“Wait, what?” Tails blinked. 

“I don’t want to force you to do anything you won’t truly put your heart into,” Shadow said. “I won’t waste my own time like that. If you want to continue learning, you have to know the risk and know what will happen if we’re discovered again.”

Tails frowned and looked at Sonic.

“Hm?” Sonic glanced back. “Uh, yeah, buddy?”
“What do you want me to do?” Tails asked, tilting his head. 

Sonic frowned, turning his chair around to face Tails, leaning forward.
“Buddy, this is really up to you,” Sonic said seriously. “It’s your ability, your learning. If you wanna pursue it, that’s fine, if you don’t, that’s fine too.”
“If I go with Shadow, will you visit?” Tails stressed.

“Of course, buddy,” Sonic said softly. Neither noticed Shadow gnawing at his lip as he looked away. “I’m not going anywhere. But don’t make a decision now. You’ve got until Shadow finds a good rock to hide under.”
“And that might take awhile,” Shadow said. “Especially with the speed we'll be traveling.”

“Hey, that's not true,” Sonic huffed. “Maybe you'll like one of our pitstops.”

Shadow hummed and nodded slightly. 

“More convenient for you to find me again in that case, huh?” Shadow said. “Sometimes I think only death will free me from you.”
“Hey, if I have my way, not even that!” Sonic teased back before cackling at the notion. 

Tails dug into the various blankets and pillows in his closet before jumping back, pulling out… something. Shadow couldn’t quite tell what it was. 

“What is that?” Shadow asked after a moment of Tails yanking on wires and tossing oddly shaped bits of metal away. 

“Oh!” Tails jolted up, grinning brightly. “It’s supposed to be a fan! Sometimes, the closet gets really hot so I thought I’d try to build a fan but I couldn’t figure out how to power it! It’s easy to make a thing but a lot less easy to make that thing work.”
He got up, sitting next to Shadow. He resumed his pruning, his tongue half stuck out of his mouth. 

“Plus batteries are hard to snatch, much less actually good batteries,” Tails went on, tails whipping eagerly behind. “But when I built my blaster, I figured out that I could be a power source!”

Tails patted the cobbled weapon of junk at his side. 

“It’s not a good long term solution,” Shadow pointed. “You can’t safely maintain a flow of energy that long. Good for a weapon that fires in blasts, not so much for a fan.”
“Yeah, it’s not,” Tails nodded in agreement, sighing. “But it’s a start. I can see if the problem is actually the power source or if it’s something else.”
“So, why remove all the other stuff?” Shadow asked.
“So I can do this!” Tails shoved his hand inside. His fur raised up as he sparked and the fan sputtered to life, a wind of dust blowing in Tails’ face. 

Shadow coughed, covering his mouth and shutting his eyes to keep the dust from getting his eyes.
“Ack- maybe should’ve cleaned it first,” Tails winced, the fan coming to a stop as he removed his hand.
“I’ll say,” Sonic called back.
“Well, you know it works now,” Shadow huffed. “Where did you even learn this skill?”
“Oh, uh, before Sonic picked me up, I did a lot of chores,” Tails said, shrinking in on himself slightly. “Sometimes, I had to fix things to use them. I got… pretty okay at it.”
“Hm. you seem prouder of your handiwork than you suggest, considering this,” Shadow reached over, tapping on the side of the fan, where a ‘Prower’ was written in marker. “Or I assume that’s your name?”
“My last name,” Tails nodded before leaning over to Shadow. “Don’t tell anyone but my real name is Miles. Miles Prower.”

The fox kit stuck out his tongue, as if the name was poison.
“You don’t like your birth name?” Shadow said.
“Who would? Miles is a crummy name,” Tails rolled his eyes. 

“And… what are your feelings towards Prower?” Shadow asked. Tails went quiet.

“I mean… it’s a family name,” Tails shrugged with a forced nonchalance. “Means I had a family who cared enough to include me in it, right? Most people don’t even bother with family names anymore.”

“Had?” Shadow said, feeling like he was walking through a swamp and the mud under his foot just caved a little too much under his weight.

“...I never knew ‘em,” Tails said, tails wrapping around him, his fingers carding through it. 

“Oh,” Shadow said. What could he say? 

“I’m not sure where they went either,” Tails admitted. “If they’re dead, if they abandoned me, if they sold me… that’s what the people who took care of me always said.”

“Wait,” Shadow blinked. “You said Sonic took you in. Who did he take you from?”
“I never learned their real names,” Tails said. “Or, if I did, I think I blocked it out. I only ever knew them as Sir and Ma’am…”


His paws hurt from the bleach as he scrubbed but the kit knew better than to complain. Complaining just meant he’d get disciplined and getting disciplined hurt. A lot. 

“Hey!” Sir snapped. Miles flinched as the older fox’s tail seemed to shake with the same fury Sir was speaking with. “What is taking you so long?! These floors are still filthy!”
“Sorry, Sir,” Miles whimpered, keeping his eyes on the ground, scrubbing away. “I’ll be done soon, Sir.”
“Obedient kid you got there,” a patron laughed, kicking one of Miles’ tails, making the kit jolt. “Wish I could make mine listen like that.”
“Ha! Obedient my ass,” Sir scoffed, walking back to the bar’s kitchen. 

Miles pulled his tails closer to his body, scrubbing as hard as he could. His hands ached but Miles just dug his claws into the rag and kept going.

His ear flicked up as the bar door opened, looking up from the corner of his eye.

The hedgehog who stepped in seemed like out of a fairytale, one of the ones Miles wasn’t supposed to read.

He was bright blue, wearing dull red and glistening gold, and he walked as if he owned the bar. 

He took a seat at the bar, leaning on the counter. 

“You got anything fruity?” he asked coolily. “Feeling kind of thirsty.”
Ma’am looked equal parts terrified and starstruck.
“S-Sonic Star!” she exclaimed. “Uh, right away, of course!”
“Thanks! You’re a peach,” Sonic grinned and winked at her, seemingly unphased by her admiration and/or terror at his presence.

Sonic Star… the name rang a bell. Rumors whispered around the well, of criminals and heroes, of treasures stolen and treasures found, of legends. His name came up more and more, like a shadow to his arrival, a long shadow, bigger than the actual figure.

Miles’ eyes went down to Sonic Star’s waist, where a holstered blaster was placed.

Miles gasped in amazement. A real blaster, a real outlaw! Blasters were hard to come by in this part of the system, or so Miles had heard. It was the first blaster Miles had ever seen anyway, and it was just as cool as Miles expected.

“Miles!” Ma’am snapped and Miles yelped, jolting. “Who told you you could stop? Quit your staring!”
“Yes, Ma’am, sorry, Ma’am,” Miles blurted out, immediately turning and scrubbing more furiously against the floor.

He didn’t dare look at the outlaw again, didn’t even raise his head when he heard whispers, probably about him, lord, even an outlaw would find an abomination like Miles disturbing, huh?

He flinched, curling in on himself, when a punch resounded out a minute later. The patron sitting near Miles looked surprised and then angry, jumping to his feet, yelling something that Miles didn’t quite catch.

There was a sound of another punch and then of Sir’s scream as a blaster fired.

Miles stayed curled up on the ground, practically burying his face in his bleach covered rag, anything to avoid whatever violence was happening. 

If it was bad enough, Sir and Ma’am would take it out on him.

“Hey,” Sonic Star’s voice came, from right above Miles. The kit looked up slowly. His voice sounded softer than it had when he had first come in. his leather gloves had the slightest hint of blood on them, a fresh cut breaking the perfect curve of his smile. “Let’s get out of here.”
Miles blinked. But he was in the middle of a task? Surely Sir and Ma’am would want him to finish before sending off to help Sonic Star with whatever he needed help with.
“Um,” Miles muttered. “But I have work-”
Sonic Star’s face darkened for just a split second, too fast for almost anyone but the hyper vigilant to notice, before softening to something almost… pained? Miles isn’t sure if that’s right but he clearly made a mistake.
“Sorry, sorry,” Miles stood up, brushed his paws off on his oversized shirt. “Okay, let’s go.”
Sonic Star nodded and offered a hand to Miles. Miles took it, despite how his paws ached. 

“I didn’t really know what was happening at the time,” Tails shrugged, avoiding Shadow’s gaze. “Sometimes, it’s just easier to go with the pain than fight against it. It… it wasn’t all bad…so maybe my parents didn’t think I was in a bad situation.”
“I understand that,” Shadow said after a minute, adjusting his rings. “Did you know, I’d probably burn myself up in an unending inferno without these?”
“What?” Tails exclaimed. Shadow nodded.
“If the Unity Collective had just left me as is, I probably wouldn’t be alive today,” Shadow said. “Regardless, they did not save me to protect me.”
Tails frowned and nodded.

“Did… did your parents leave you too?” Tails asked.
“...No,” Shadow said. “I know exactly what my heritage is. Somedays, I wish I didn’t.”
The two sat in silence. 

“I still wish I knew who they were,” Tails admitted. “Just so I could know why they weren’t there. Even if it was for a bad reason.”
Sonic’s ear flicked in their direction, the only sign he was still listening to that conversation, even if Tails and Shadow didn’t catch it.
“Well,” Shadow shrugged, closing his eyes. “It’s the curse of a thinking mind to wish for what it doesn’t have, even if the alternative isn’t much better.”

“I’m starving,” Sonic sighed. “You guys ready to stop for some food?”
“Please,” Tails whined. “I’m so hungry.”
“We should try to travel as far as we can before we even consider landing anywhere-” Shadow tried to argue before a loud rumble echoed in the ship, drowning out his words. Shadow’s face burned with embarrassment. “...Let’s stop.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Sonic snickered, pulling up a map of the system they were currently in. “Nearest planet is… thirty minutes away. Mostly uninhabited.”
“Good,” Shadow huffed. “The less people we run into, the better.”
“But won’t that make it harder to get food?” Tails asked.
“Eh, we’ll figure something out,” Sonic shrugged. “It’s a logging planet so it’s bound to have some edible wildlife on it.”
Tails nodded, leaning back as Sonic prepared to land. 

It took a couple minutes to land but, somehow, Sonic was the first out, breathing in the air as if without it, he’d die. 

Tails and Shadow followed close behind, the cool forest air a sharp contrast to the somewhat warm ship. 

The forest seemed to be something frozen in time, a haze of mist chilling them, sunlight peeking through trees shaped like arrows, pointing to the heavens.

“Evergreens,” Shadow remarked, examining the wood. “A pretty pricey wood.”
“Means we shouldn’t encounter many loggers, if any!” Sonic grinned, patting Tails on the back. “Isn’t even the right season for the smaller ones.”
“They smell really good,” Tails exclaimed, surprised.
“Part of why they’re a luxury item,” Shadow nodded. “Now, enough talk. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can leave.”
“Can I explore a bit while we’re here?” Tails asked.
“You sure?” Sonic asked, tilting his head. Tails nodded eagerly.
“I’ve never been on a planet like this before!” Tails said. “Usually we just stick to a planet’s ports or something.”
“Well… I don’t see the harm in it,” Sonic nodded. “Just hurry back if you run into a logger or anything, okay?”
“Will do!” Tails nodded, turning and running through the trees.

“Letting him roam?” Shadow asked and Sonic turned to him.
“He’s just a kid,” Sonic reminded. “It’s important he gets to act like one, ya know?”
Shadow snorted but nodded.

“Haven’t heard many birds,” Sonic remarked as the two walked.
“We could’ve scared them off when we landed,” Shadow said. “Chances are most of the birds here are too small for consumption regardless.”
“Good point,” Sonic sighed. “How’s it looking we could find a deer or some equivalent?”
“On a logging planet of this caliber of wood?” Shadow shrugged. “Fairly likely. A good ecosystem equals good wood, after all.”
“Which means good meat,” Sonic grinned. “Hopefully we find something soon.”

“Hopefully,” Shadow grumbled. “I’m considering eating you at this point.”
“Oh, trust me, I’d be a bad meal,” Sonic laughed. “All muscle, baby.”
“I sincerely doubt that,” Shadow scoffed back.

Both hedgehogs’ pairs of ears flicked up as rustling was heard, the two turning to see Tails running over to them.
“I found, I found,” Tails started, panting. “I found a river! With fish!”
“Fish?” Sonic repeated and then grinned. “Not my choice of meat but that’s better than nothing! You remember where you found it?”
“Mhm!” Tails nodded. “It’s just that way!”
It sure is a river Tails found, wide enough for both hedgehogs and fox kit to be laid across it and still not make it across.

The water thankfully wasn’t moving too fast but Sonic still shuddered at the sight of the moving water, taking an unintentional step back.

“Sonic?” Tails asked the older, frowning.
“Uh-” Sonic blinked hastily, shaking his head. “Sorry, sorry. So what’s the plan for catching these?”
“Do you have a net?” Shadow asked.
“Eh, I can probably makeshift one,” Sonic shrugged. “I-”
Tails stood on the edge of the river and held his arms out. In an instant, sharply bright lightning crashed down, causing both hedgehogs to nearly jump out of their own skin.

Dead river fish floated to the surface and Tails turned to them with a hopeful look in his eyes.
“Nice work, little buddy!” Sonic grinned, ruffling Tails’ fur, as Shadow rushed past them into the water, tossing his jacket off as he did so, grabbing up the fish.

Sonic grimaced after a moment, looking at his glove.
“Not to insult you, little buddy,” Sonic said hesitantly. “But when did you last clean yourself?”
“Uh… maybe when I was wiping your blood off of me after I dragged you away from those Eggrunts?” Tails frowned, pondering.
“Doesn’t count, not a full clean, before that?” Sonic said, sounding slightly more panicked. 

“Um… I think before I started training with Shadow,” Tails shrugged.
“Wait, did Shadow not have a shower or anything in that shack of his?” Sonic asked. Tails shook his head. Both turned to look at Shadow.

As Shadow waded into the river for the fish, a layer of dust seemed to come off, a trail of dirt floating away from him.

“Okay, I’m cooking, you two are taking a bath,” Sonic groaned.

The water was cold but not frigid, Tails dunking his head under the water to get all of his fur wet.
“You need any help, kit?” Sonic asked Tails, tossing the fox a bar of soap. The smell of cooking fish filled the air as Sonic poked the tin foiled wrapped fish resting near the fire. 

“No, I got it!” Tails said as he grabbed the soap, rubbing it between his hands to lather it up. 

It was an older bar so it did not lather very well but it smelled really good, like lavender or something. 

Shadow was just wadding in the water, glaring at Sonic’s back. Sonic had insisted Shadow take a bath as well, even as Shadow insisted he was ‘clean enough’. 

Sonic had responded by threatening to withhold dinner from Shadow if he didn’t clean up some.

Tails snickered as Shadow pouted, scrubbing the soap through his long fur.

He dunked his head back under the water to rinse his head out and turned his focus to his limbs.

“Um, Sonic?” Tails called out. Sonic glanced over at him. “Can you help with my tails, actually?”
“Sure thing, bud!” Sonic agreed, standing up. He kicked off his boots and tossed off his cloak. He, however, hesitated at the edge of the water. 

“Sonic?” Tails asked anxiously. Shit, Sonic hates water, especially deep water, especially especially moving water. Sure, it barely came up to Tails’ shoulders but it was still water.
“Uh, one second, Tails,” Sonic said, staring at the water as if it was a wild beast. “Just gimme a sec.”
He stepped a foot into the river for half a second before jumping back, as if bitten. 

“It’s okay if you can’t,” Tails said, his insides squirming at the panic on Sonic’s face.
“No, no, it’s fine, just give me a second,” Sonic practically squeaked out. “Just gotta-”
With a sharp inhale and shutting his eyes, Sonic power walked into the river, going rigid after a moment. 

“You’re in!” Tails cheered.
“Yup,” Sonic agreed, eyes still closed. “Sure am. Pass me the soap and a tail.”
Tails nodded, not that Sonic saw, pressing the soap into Sonic’s trembling hand, turning around so Sonic could reach his tails.

Sonic’s hands shook as they ran through Tails’ fur, scrubbing just a little harder than need be. 

Tails combed through the other tail with his hand, until Sonic released his tail and motioned for the one Tails was holding.

Shadow watched them, watched Sonic, with a blank expression on his face.

After a moment, Sonic released Tails. He stood there, soap in hand, shaking.

“All done,” Tails confirmed, unsure what Sonic was doing. 

“Yup,” Sonic agreed, nodding. His eyes were squeezed shut still. “I know.”
Shadow finally sighed, walking over to Sonic and grabbing his arm. Sonic jumped, his quills raised. 

“It’s just me,” Shadow reassured before pulling Sonic along. Sonic immediately relaxed, allowing Shadow to yank him along. “Still afraid of water?”
“Seems so,” Sonic chuckled weakly. “Doing better though!”
“Yes,” Shadow agreed. “You actually made your way into the water.”

Sonic’s eyes finally opened as they got close to the banks, Sonic practically scrambling out of the water. 

“Thanks,” he said, shaking the water out of his fur.
“Hm,” Shadow just hummed in reply. “Am I clean enough now?”

“Actually…” Sonic said, looking over at the soap in his hands. He looked around, seeing a place where the water was deep and close to the edge of the bank. “Stand there?”

Shadow huffed but obliged, Sonic following from the shore.

“Okay, now turn around,” Sonic said. Shadow did so and froze as Sonic ran his hands through Shadow’s quills. Sonic paused as Shadow’s quills unexpectedly raised, sharp enough to cut metal. Sonic frowned. Now Shadow got shy? “Geez, relax, you're gonna cut me.”

Shadow didn't say anything but the quills relaxed, not entirely, but enough. Sonic nodded approvingly, resuming his self assigned task. 

Tails walked onto the shore, shaking the wetness out of his fur.

Thankfully, it seemed just standing in the water and dunking himself in it had cleared the bigger bits of debris that might’ve gotten caught in Shadow’s quills but Sonic still scrubbed, knowing a much shinier shade of black rested under the grime. 

“Geez, when did you last bathe, Shads?” Sonic asked.

“That's none of your business,” Shadow said, sounding oddly choked up. He was as still as stone, unmoving, unyielding. Sonic was almost afraid he’d sent the poor guy into shock.

“You used to be obsessed with your appearance, what happened?” Sonic snorted, finally adding the soap to the equation.

“It was an intimidation tactic,” Shadow responded. “If the only damage you could do was superficial, it wasn't worth fighting me.”

“And that stopped being useful… why?” Sonic pressed on. 

“I didn't have access to the products I used to,” Shadow shrugged. Sonic moved from the quills on Shadow’s head to his back. They were softer than the quills on his head and Shadow shivered as Sonic’s fingers combed through them.

“Speaking of, I think this used to be yours,” Sonic remarked, lifting the bar up to his nose. “Yup. Lavender. Definitely yours.”

“... Wasn't exactly mine,” Shadow said quietly.

“What was that?” Sonic asked.

“Nothing,” Shadow reached over, snatching the soap from Sonic. “I'm not a child. I can bathe myself. Go make sure you haven't burned our dinner.”

“Alright, alright,” Sonic held his hands up in surrender, slipping back on his boots as he walked back to the fire.

Tails was poking at the fish, mouth watering. 

“They're probably done by now,” Sonic said, pulling the slightly burned tin foil forward. “We'll just wait a few minutes for them to be cool enough to eat.”

Shadow couldn’t breathe. His heart was pounding, an echo in his ears like a wardrum. His hands still ached in the cool water from the burns he’d suffered but now his head and back throbbed with a different kind of burn.

When was the last time Shadow allowed himself to be touched? When had he last felt hands, any hands, gently run their way through his quills? 

He thinks it was…

Shadow scrubs his body aggressively, as if he can wash off the tingling sensation left by Sonic’s gentle touch, as if it was something he could merely shake off.

The scent of lavender came to his nose and he sharply inhaled; yes, this used to be his, left behind when he and Sonic parted ways, an unmeant marker of Shadow’s presence in Sonic’s ship.

He wonders, briefly, if Sonic had used it at all since the two hedgehogs had traveled, wonders if he got close enough to Sonic, he’d smell the same lavender scent Shadow had come to consider his own on Sonic. 

He scrubs harder. 

Shadow submerges himself in the water for a moment, holding his breath, feeling the river move around him for a moment before emerging, shaking his body off as he came on land.
“Hey!” Tails whined.
“Watch it!” Sonic added on.
“You don’t have towels, what do you expect me to do?” Shadow scoffed, tossing the soap back to Sonic. Sonic caught it, despite its slipperiness.
“Did you rinse it? I don’t want whatever the hell you’ve been carrying on me next time I take a shower,” Sonic asked, setting it aside. 

“Of course, I did,” Shadow wiggled into his hoodie jacket, adjusting the sleeves around his rings. “I’m not an animal.”
He sat by the fire and Sonic nodded, satisfied, finally unwrapping the fish from their tinfoil.

Tails practically pounced upon his fish.
“Hey, easy, we didn’t debone them, don’t choke!” Sonic warned, blowing on his fish before taking a bite.
“They’re a little bland,” Shadow remarked, licking some of the fish flesh off his lips. 

“Hey, we didn’t have any spices or herbs,” Sonic grumbled. “Next time, you can make dinner, huh, wise guy?”
Shadow scoffed but went quiet, eating his fish without complaint. 

Tails greedily gobbled up his first fish and went for another, finally choking on a bone in his hubris.
“What did Sonic say?” Shadow sighed, smacking Tails on the back, the kit coughing up the bone.
“Sorry, just hungry,” Tails said, slowly resuming his nibble on his fish. He watched as Shadow eat, suddenly sitting up. “Woah, Shadow, your hands!”
Shadow blinked, confused, and looked down at his hands.

Where they had been a bleeding, red, almost pulsing mess hidden under bandages, they now looked somewhat usable, the fur starting to grow back on them.

“What about them?” Shadow asked, uncertain why Tails was pointing his own hands out to him.
“They’re healing! And really fast!” Tails exclaimed.
“One of Shadow’s many talents,” Sonic said and Shadow couldn’t help but preen at the complement. 

“One of the few benefits of my heritage,” Shadow admitted. “I should be healed within the week.”
“But let’s not waste all that healing once it’s done, yeah?” Sonic said, something strange and raw in his voice. Shadow didn’t like it.

“That entirely depends on how bad of a mess you drag us into,” Shadow retorted, poking Sonic’s stomach, making the hedgehog grimace from the slowly developing scar. Sonic swatted at Shadow’s hand and Shadow yanked his back before Sonic could even make contact. 

Sonic looked at him surprised but said nothing. Shadow just didn’t want whatever tingling sensation Sonic left on his head and back, still there, still aching, still present, by the way, to spread to his already pained hand. 

“We should have enough leftovers to last us a couple days before we have to stop again,” Sonic remarked, looking over at the pile of still wrapped and uneaten fish. “Hopefully.”
“Hopefully,” Tails parroted, nodding.
“We better,” Shadow huffed. He felt… vulnerable. Exposed. Anyone could find him and… he’d rather not think about what they’d do to him if he was caught.
“Relax, Shads,” Sonic reassured, standing up and stomping out their campfire. “No one even knew you were on the Waste.”
“You don’t know that,” Shadow hissed. 

“Yeah, but I can make a pretty sure guess,” Sonic sighed. “Don’t stress. We’ll get you a nice hidey hole before you know it.”
Shadow sighed, crossing his arms. Tails, carrying arms full of fried fish, rushed back to the Star Tornado.  

“I hope you’re right,” Shadow admitted, stepping onto the ship.

Sonic paused, turning back to the logging planet, something urging him to search the foggy trees for… something.

He found himself staring at one specific spot for a moment, a breeze in his quills and a twitch in his fingers telling him to take the shot-
“Sonic!” Tails called. “Where should I put these all?”
Sonic jolted from his spot, running into the ship.

“Right here, right here!”

The trees rustle as the Star Tornado lifts off before the world goes still once more, undisturbed.

Until-

The cloaked figure emerged from the tall wild grass, shaking.
“He, he was staring right at us!” the small figure exclaimed, adjusting their backpack nervously. “How do we know he didn’t see us?”
“See us?” their taller and bolder companion laughed, a sharp grin visible on their face as an electric blue eye followed the slight cloud trail the ship left behind. “He didn’t see us. None of them. And none of them… will see us coming, squirt.”

Chapter Text

These ones are pretty self explanatory, I made them so my artist co-workers in Big Bang would know what I was Envisioning and shit. 

 

Alright, so Chap. 2 + 3, the goal for Tails was, make that boy look so small so baby but less like a padawan, which was the goal look for his chap.1 look so... do what that what you will. and with Shadow, i wanted more cyber-punk vibes? that's why he's got his class shoes back and those hip windows and the cool belt. he's still edgy, he's just less swamp farmer now. Sonic's look hasn't changed so... no new ref for him.

Chapter Text

The echoes of their footsteps on metal were pounding and yet drowned out by the sirens overhead.
“Which way, Shadow?” Sonic asked as they skidded to a stop at a fork. He held something close to his chest, a light almost seeming to come from the hidden object. 

“If I remember the layout right…” Shadow mused, looking both ways. “This way!”
“Stay close, Tails!” Sonic urged as they followed Shadow’s lead.

Tails looked outside as they ran past the wide window, swallowing a lump around his throat at what he saw.

The planet was mostly water and was now mostly dead, the sun seeming to consume it as the two drew unbelievably close. Ships were attempting to leave the planet, Ovum Empire and others, but were becoming pulled into the maw of the ravenous sun. 

Tails was almost relieved for the view to become a reflection of himself in the polished metal surface of the wall, teary eyed and frightened, his already huge jacket seeming to swallow him more as he shrank into it, the electric scar on his face and lighter blue eye a reminder of what had led up to this. 

Shadow held his arm as he ran, droplets of blood following after them, something Tails was fighting not to look at.

The two older hedgehogs skidded to a stop, Sonic using his free arm to push Tails against the wall, near where a computer made an indent in the wall.

They were near an entrance, Shadow peering around the corner. 

“I was right, it’s the hanger,” Shadow whispered. “If we sneak onto a ship, we can make it out of here with our lives.”
“My ship isn’t going to be in one of their hangers though,” Sonic hissed back. “I’m not leaving without my ship!”
“Would you rather we all end up dead?” Shadow snapped. “Is her memory really worth the kit’s life?”
“Don’t bring me into this,” Tails hissed, his voice somewhere between a plea and anger. Sonic glanced over at Tails and winced.

“...Fine,” Sonic said, a grief already heavy in his voice. “Let’s do it.”
Shadow nodded, Sonic turning to Tails.
“Here,” Sonic said, handing the bright object, why was it so hard to look at?, to Tails. “Hold onto this. Once we clear the way, we’ll call you over.”
“Don’t leave me here,” Tails pleaded, panic in his voice.
“We’ll be right back, baby,” Sonic reassured, ruffling Tails’ fur and pressing a kiss to the top of Tails’ forehead. “Anyone come near you? Fry ‘em.”
Tails reached out to pull Sonic back, keep him close, but Sonic was already standing, Sonic and Shadow circling along the edges of the hanger. 

Tails kept ducked in place besides the computer, clutching the unseeable but unbelievably warm item close to his chest. 

He could see the two of them had already picked a ship, the guards more focused on some other part of the ship, the security of this place was scarce, considering the alarm… maybe too scarce…

Tails’ eyes widened as the realization hit him and he stood, mouth open to warn, but it was too late, a shimmering blue barrier coming down on the entrance, at least six squads and five battalions emerging from the assumedly poorly guarded and empty ships.

Sonic and Shadow were more or less forced to the center, blaster fire already flying, even as Shadow and Sonic returned it, the two hedgehogs put back to back.

A blue hologram flickered to life, larger than life, leering over the hedgehogs. Tails couldn’t hear what was said, the barrier must be sound proof or something.

It was a man, a familiar man, a cape billowing down his backside as his jumpsuit struggled to look competent with both wide shoulder pads and with the strange almost circular design on said jumpsuit. Normally, Tails would laugh at his attire but he was saying something and Sonic was bristling in offense, stepping forward in front of Shadow, as if to protect the darker.

The bald caped man laughed, raising the back of his hand to cover it as he did so. He pointed at Sonic, his holographic finger seeming to try and poke at Sonic. 

Sonic laughed back, his own sharp and cruel laugh, not that Tails could hear it, and grinned, no doubt challenging the holographic man. 

The hologram frowned and shouted something, pointing at the two hedgehogs. The firing resumed, the enormous amount of Eggrunts and Heavies crumbling despite only having two pinned targets. 

The hologram man seemed angrier and angrier, his voice nearly audible as angry mumbling from where Tails stood. 

A shot hit where Shadow was already hurt and the darker buckled, nearly falling backwards.
“No!” Tails whispered in horror, ears falling back.

Sonic turned to him in panic, continuing to fire as he rushed to Shadow’s side.

The two rushed to cover, Shadow visibly wincing.

The holographic man leaned back on an unseen chair, arms crossed and foot tapping impatiently.

The fire was held, waiting for the two to reemerge and Tails waited as well, tails nearly creating a hurricane in his anxiety.

It felt like years, long, painful, torturous years, before the entire battleship shook. Tails jumped to his feet, pressing a hand to the wall, feeling as suddenly the sun, it seemed, caught sight of them.

Tails felt his stomach drop but it seemed that this was what Shadow and Sonic were waiting for, Sonic jumping out from cover with both his own and Shadow’s gun, firing with reckless abandon.

His wild shooting, just as wild as the grin on his face, drew all the attention on him, no one seeming to notice the golden trail of Shadow’s air shoes as he dashed across the field, stopping at the hangar controls.

Tails grinned. It was a brilliant plan, whatever it was, and everything was going to be okay!

A shot hit, Sonic’s smile faltering as the gun was blasted out of his hand, just leaving the gun Shadow had pilfered from that Eggrunt.

He kept firing, ducking behind cover to avoid particularly long firing moments. 

“C’mon,” Tails hissed, nose inches away from the barrier. “You can do it. You can do it!”
There was a pause, as the remaining Ovum forces reloaded, and Sonic jumped from cover, his finger on the trigger-

But no shot came out. Sonic’s eyes glanced at the gun and he pulled the trigger once more but nothing.

Oh.

Oh no.

Oh, no, please!

Sonic fired again and again but no blast came out, Sonic even pulling the gun close to smack at it, screaming at it.

The holographic man was laughing. 

A look somewhere in between horror and resignation and just north of disappointment crossed Sonic’s face and he dropped the empty blaster.

Tails saw Shadow still at the hangar controls, struggling to do something, anything, his eyes glancing between the controls and Sonic.

Tails saw the Eggrunts raise their rifles. 

Tails saw Shadow look up, scream something out to Sonic, something that no doubt pulled attention to him, but it was too late, their target was already decided.

Tails saw Sonic smile, a smile that seemed far too real for Sonic’s face, and far too sad. 

Tails saw Sonic’s lips move, ‘I love you,’ and Shadow screamed something in response.

Tails saw the blaster fire.

“Dad!” Tails screamed involuntarily as Sonic was hit, a barrage of fire that sent Sonic to the ground, fire that didn’t stop even when Sonic wasn’t moving, didn’t stop even as blood started to stain the ship Sonic had been hiding near, the ship that should have carried them to safety. “No, no, no, stop, stop! Stop hurting him!” 

Shadow screamed as well and now guns turned to him, Shadow ducking behind the controls.

“Stop it, stop it!” Tails cried, dropping the hot object, slamming his fists against the barrier. 

His heart caught in his throat as he looked up, the hologram man looking right in his direction.

The man leaned forward, squinting, before the eyes behind his small dark glasses seemed to widen.

He pointed towards Tails and Tails felt horror grip his body in a vice.

The Eggrunts not firing at Shadow turned, following their superior’s notice.

Oh fuck.

Tails took a step back, scrambling to pick back up the bright, hot object.

Attention was yanked away from Tails by a burst of flame, Shadow barreling out of his cover, a raging, fiery demon, tearing through the ranks.

He stopped before the barrier, his fur turning to ash, his body consumed by his own hungry green flame.

And yet… was that a flicker of blue? What could that mean?
His mouth moved and Tails shook his head.
“I can’t hear you!” Tails shouted. “I can’t hear you! Shadow, we have to run! Shadow!”
Shadow winced, either from Tails’ words or from the flames licking at his body.

The ship shook again, Tails nearly falling over.
“I’ll, I’ll figure out a way to lower the barrier!” Tails said. “I can use the computer, Shadow, please!”
Shadow opened his mouth, at first to speak, but all that came out was a silent cry of pain, Shadow turning with a snarl and burning his attacker to crisp.

“Not you too,” Shadow’s mouth was moving as he turned back, keeping the blasts at bay with a shield of fire. “Enough. Already… enough. Run, kit!”
“Not without you!” Tails practically wailed. “No! Don’t, don’t leave me!”
Shadow winced, this time definitely from Tails’ words, and looked up, sorrow in his eyes.

Or was that fire eating at even his eyes?

Shadow’s lips made the shape of an apology and Tails bristled.

“Don’t you say that to me!” Tails screeched. “Don’t you fucking- no, don’t turn away, no, please come back, don’t leave me, don’t-!”
But Tails’ angry and then frightened pleas were ignored as Shadow turned back to the hanger.

The burning hedgehog stepped forward, even as the frightened attackers fired upon him.

He crossed his arms, his fire seeming to be swallowed within him, completely going out.

The hologram man raised an eyebrow.

And then Shadow exploded, his body and everything in the hanger consumed in a vicious black inferno that would make the cannibalistic sun outside jealous. 

“No!” Tails wailed. “No, Shadow, Sonic, don’t go-”



“-Don’t leave me!” Tails cried as he shot upright in bed, arms outreached. 

His hands hit a metal wall and horribly bright fairy lights bonked against his head, sending Tails hurtling back to reality.

Tails stayed in that position for a moment, hands against the wall, fairy lights bright, tears streaming down his face, before he laid back down, slowly.

His face was wet, staring up at the closet ceiling. He was scared that if he closed his eyes, he’d see that blue barrier again, that holographic man, that bloodstained plane, those horrid black flames.

He couldn’t hear anyone.

A panic sent him suddenly flailing, kicking away blankets as he scrambled out of his closet, back into the main body of the ship.

Shadow was reclined against the ship, sitting on the bench, arms crossed, eyes closed. Sonic was at the controls. The lights were dimmed, to make it easier to sleep.

Tails felt his body relax, even as his heart still pounded, assured in his company.

He turned to crawl back into his closet when Shadow called out to him.
“Tails,” Shadow said, eyes still closed. Tails froze. “Come here.”
Tails stood up and sat down next to Shadow, ears flat against his head. Shadow opened his eyes, turning to look at him.

“Another nightmare?” Shadow asked.
“Maybe,” Tails mumbled. “It’s nothing.”
“You were crying,” Shadow pointed out. Tails whipped at his face, doing little more than getting his face fur more disheveled. 

“So what?” he said, hunching in on himself. 

“Acting tough while tears still run down your face does not look better than if you were bawling like a baby,” Shadow rolled his eyes. Tails shrunk in on himself more. “Are you going to tell me what it was about this time?”
“...No,” Tails said after a moment. “It’s not important.”

Tails sees Shadow’s frown deepen from the corner of his eye, sees the older start to reach out for him before deciding better of it, recrossing his arms and staring forward.

“Well,” Shadow said. “It is just a dream. Dreams are little more than snippets of waking thoughts reordered. Nothing to really think about after waking up, anyway.”
“Yeah,” Tails nodded in agreement, even though he didn’t quite agree.

“Breakfast!” Sonic said cheerfully, handing the reheated fish over to the two. “Eat up!”
Tails made a face before unpeeling the foil, biting down.

“I’m kinda tired of fish,” Tails grumbled, mouth full of food.

“Well, lucky for you, we’re out of fish,” Sonic said, slurping the flesh off the bones. “We’re stopping on a planet for more food today.”
“Is it a popular stop?” Shadow asked.
“This isn’t even a popular system,” Sonic shook his head. “Still, we should be on our guard.”
“When will we get there?” Tails tilted his head, trying to see the computer screen.

“Two hours,” Sonic reassured, tossing the bones away. “Not that long.”

“Probably should get some fruit while you’re down there,” Shadow said. “The last thing we need right now is to catch scurvy or anything like that.”

“Well, duh,” Sonic agreed with a scoff. “I’m also gonna see if I can get us some vitamin pills. Probably not, the planet isn’t that well traded but you never know.”
Tails tossed his bones away as well.

Shadow stared out of the window as they flew overhead, one of few ships landing near the town. It wasn’t too big, not much bigger than the town Shadow had lived on the Waste, if not dryer. And… did it have more people? Oh, fuck, was that…

“The Empire has outposts here,” Shadow said, leaning over Sonic to point out the black obelisk. “Oh fuck,” Sonic grumbled, leaning forward. “Can you see what family it is?”
“You still want to land?” Shadow asked.
“I still want to eat,” Sonic huffed. “We keep going, unless it’s one of the big three.”
Shadow frowned but squinted.

“That’s General Snivy,” Shadow finally said. “Kintobor. Close to Robotniks but not enough to worry.”
“Ugh, Snivy,” Sonic made a face. “He’s like in the bottom ten for me, honestly.”
“He is undeniably one of the most irritating beings I’ve had the misfortune of meeting,” Shadow agreed. “But as incompetent as they come, especially when he’s no doubt focused on being a kiss up and not watching one of his outer outposts. We’re at least three galaxies away from the capital.”
Sonic nodded in agreement, continuing their descent. 

“There’s a lot of people,” Tails spoke up now, his tails swaying anxiously. 

“Yeah, the market looked kind of full,” Sonic said, turning to look at the kit. He then glanced over at Shadow.

The dark hedgehog was glaring out the window, arms crossed. There was a rustle, Shadow’s tail trapped in the cloth pants Shadow was wearing.

“You can stay on the ship,” Sonic finally said to Tails, before turning to Sonic. “Shads, mind keeping an eye on him?”
“Hm,” Shadow grumbled, despite him noticeably relaxing. “I suppose. Don’t get distracted, understood?”
“Geez, so little faith,” Sonic chuckled. “I won’t take too long.”
The Star Tornado rumbled as they carefully landed in the dock, as far back as they could.
“I’ll leave the door open,” Sonic said as he got up, ruffling Tails’ fur as he walked past. “Don’t get into any trouble and don’t break my ship.”

Sonic kept his brown hood over his face, hiding the glimmering gold star earring in his ear and vibrant blue quills. His breath was hot against his face with the mask covering his mouth, just seemingly another person attempting to protect themselves from the oppressive heat of the twin small suns.

The patted down red sand crunched under his boots as he walked, open backpack on his back.

Sonic hummed as he walked, ears twitching with the flow of people’s voices. 

Fruit, reheatable food, vitamins, meat… was that all? Probably some vegetables.

They’re supposedly good for kids, help them grow and shit. The last thing Sonic wanted was to starve his kit, or deprive him of necessary nutrients. Tails deserved better than that…

Sonic stopped before a stand, his nose twitching. 

The stand had several sealed bottles, condensation dripping down the glass. There were also steaming small mugs, a sign declaring them samples.

Behind the table stood a broad shouldered and dark red horse, stirring a simmering pot of what looked like apples and cinnamon.

“Fresh apple cider!” the horse behind the counter called out, taking off her wide brim hat to brush some hay yellow hair out of her eyes. “Get your fresh cider here! We got another batch coming, Big Mac?”
“Yeeeup,” the horse stirring, probably the yeller’s brother, responded with a resolute nod. 

And while Tails deserved some healthy foods, Sonic deserved some guilty pleasures!

Sonic hurriedly walked over to the stand, eyeing the cooling bottles of cider.
“How much for a pack?” he asked. 

One overpriced pack of cider later, Sonic was walking down the street, leaving the market area. He wanted to find some of the general stores, pick up some sleeping provisions for Shadow. He may think he’s sooo great and superior for sleeping while sitting upright but Sonic was not gonna let Shadow do that for the entire month or so they spent traveling and it wasn’t like Sonic could take any of Tails’ blankets!

Tails needed those, he needed some comfort after the shithole Sonic found him in and after the backbreaking sleeping bag Shadow provided him. Maybe Sonic should get him another blanket, poor kid’s been having way too many nightmares… and mints! Tails loves mints!
Sonic’s ear twitched as he heard what sounded far too close to a sob. He adjusted his backpack, closing the top, as he approached the sound.

Against a barrel full of trash, whipping tears into bright yellow fur, was a young squirrel, probably just a year or so younger than Tails.

“Hey,” Sonic said softly. “Hey, kid, are you okay?”
The squirrel hiccuped as he jolted up, jumping away from where he was just sitting.

Sonic raised his hands, taking a step back from the kid.

“Hey, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you,” Sonic says, in the same soft voice. “Are you hurt? What’s wrong?”
The kid was shaking, sniffling, terrified.
“Nothing!” he squeaked. “Nothing, I’m sorry to bother you, I’ll go, I’ll, I’ll-”
“Whoa, whoa, you’re fine,” Sonic reassured, lowering his arms. “What’s the problem? Do you need help?”

“I…” the squirrel looked him over, searching for… for something. Sonic’s not certain. He held his arms at his sides, his cloak hiding his blaster from the kid’s sight. The last thing he wanted was to scare the kid more. “N-No, no, I don’t. S-Sorry, bye.”
The squirrel turned and ran, practically fleeing from Sonic. Sonic reached out for the kid but stopped, shaking his head. 

“It’s none of my business,” Sonic firmly told himself, muttering. “Probably just got told off by his- huh?”
There, in the sand, where the squirrel had been, was a shiny square of plastic, a card, with silver embedded on it.

Sonic bent down, picking it up. A security card. 

But why would a kid have it? Sonic shook his head and tucked it into a pocket. It might come into handy. You never know.

Hands, carding through Shadow’s quills. Not cruel. Not harsh. Gentle, slow, caressing. It was all the worse for its kindness.

Tender flesh, bruised, barely healed, thin fur so soft under Shadow’s hands, not even struggling as Shadow ran the blade along his ribs. 

A smile softer than Shadow thought a person like him was capable of, encouraging Tails, urging him, offering a golden star as a tie between the two, as proof that he will return, no matter what Shadow says.

A seemingly unnoticed glance, a suggestion to stay behind, the door open so Shadow didn’t feel trapped.

Shadow felt as if his body was burning, every look, every touch, every moment in Sonic’s presence was just kindling to the fire, burning Shadow and everything he was and everything he was supposed to be up.

Sonic Star was a liar, a thief, a rebel, a troublemaker. These facts are not erased by gentle hands or kindly smiles or crackling laughs, something Shadow brands into his mind for not the first time.

Sonic is a danger, a threat, in more ways than Shadow cares to admit and Shadow must get away from Sonic before the fire Sonic lights in him consumes him completely. 

He made a mistake of that once already.

“Shadooooooooow,” Tails whined, flopping against Shadow. Shadow sighs, cracking open an eye.
“What,” he asked, glaring at the kit.
“I’m boooored,” Tails responded, flopping over, kicking at Shadow’s face.

“Oh, what a tragedy,” Shadow deadpanned. Tails kicked at his face again. “And why is this my problem?”
“You’re not bored too? I know you’re brooding and stuff but even you can’t think just sitting in the Tornado is fun,” Tails huffed. “We’ve been sitting in the Tornado for, like, forever!”
“Okay, 1, I wasn’t brooding, I was… meditating, 2,” Shadow said, rubbing his face and then holding up two fingers, lowering them one by one as he spoke. “It’s been five days, you traveled with Sonic for a year before that, surely five days isn’t enough to bore you.”
“We stopped on a lot of different planets and Sonic didn’t take this long,” Tails argued.
“I doubt it,” Shadow grumbled. “For all his so called speed, he can’t help but take his time.”
“Well, anyway, I just wanna stretch my legs, not sit around here,” Tails grumbled.
“Then be my guest,” Shadow rolled his eyes. “I’m your teacher, not your guardian.”
Tails looked to the open door, where concrete provided shade from the twin suns, a landscape of sand and scraggly trees just beyond.
Tails hesitated, his ears sinking against his head.
“I don’t wanna go alone,” Tails admitted in a murmur, now sounding somewhat frightened. He looked up at Shadow, hopeful. “Can’t we do a lesson? Please?”
Shadow frowned, a part of him softening at Tails’ anxiousness. 

“...You want an assignment? Fine,” Shadow sighed. “This planet has a severely different climate than that of the Waste. You could trust on the clouds above to provide the lightning you commanded of it. See if you can do so with clear skies.Uh, try to be subtle about it.”

“Okay!” Tails hopped up, eager. He took his necklace, tucking it under his bed, pulling out his boots and practically shoving his feet in them. 

He rushed out the door, standing just outside it, as he formed his trusty finger guns, aiming for what looked like a cactus. 

Shadow leaned back once more in his seat, resuming his ‘meditation’.

“And you’re certain these are locally grown?” Sonic asked, raising a peach to the sky, inspecting the pink skin.
“Grew them myself!” the vendor assured. “At an orchid I own not two hours drive from here!”
“Uh huh… and how much are you charging for these again?” Sonic asked, lowering the peach to look the vendor in the eyes.
“Why, for those? About 90 rings a peach!” the vendor said.
“90- 90 rings?! You’re joking, right?” Sonic exclaimed, dropping the peach back into the box. “For prices like that, I just might buy myself a peach tree and grow ‘em myself.”
He turned to leave, slow enough that the vendor could speak up.
“90? Ha, did I say 90? I meant, 19, 19 rings per peach…” Sonic still did not turn back. “..es! 19 rings per three peaches, that’s, uh, almost six rings per peach!”
“Now, we’re talking,” Sonic grinned as he turned back. “I’ll take a dozen, in that case.”
As the vendor carefully bagged the peaches, the busy peace of the market was interrupted by…

“S-Sorry!” the yellow squirrel yelped as he shoved past Sonic, bolting as fast as he could. 

Eggrunts followed close behind, less considerate and less panicked than their prey, a duo of laughing hunters close on a child’s literal tail.

Sonic glared, his hand going to his gun, before blinking, remembering himself. Sonic grimaced. He promised he’d stay out of trouble… pulling a gun in a busy place on the local law enforcement was sure to cause trouble.

The squirrel screamed as he was snagged by the scruff of his neck, kicking wildly as he was lifted up.

But leaving a kid to the fucking empire’s mercy wasn’t any better.

Sonic glanced around the market. Think, think, think, think- there!
Sonic leaned forward on the counter, acting as if he was merely watching his peaches getting bagged, one hand snagging up his blaster.

His ear slightly twitched as a motorbike’s engine got louder, the automobile approaching. The kid wailed as an Eggrunt yanked on an ear cruelly, saying something unheard but no doubt mocking. 

Sonic carefully aimed, the glint of the automobile in the suns moving.

Sonic fakes a sneeze as he fires, yanking back to a stand.

The shot bounces off the hide of the automobile, causing the device to stutter for a moment before resuming its steady stead, slamming into the back of the Eggrunt holding the squirrel.

He yelped, dropping the squirrel, who thankfully wasted no time booking it. 

The Eggrunts cried out in anger and Sonic accepted his bag of peaches, dropping his rings on the table.

He stepped back, right into the Eggrunts’ path.
“Hey!” he snapped in faux anger. “Watch where you’re going!”
“Move!” the Eggrunt snapped back. “We need to apprehend that criminal!”
“Crim-” Sonic looked back. “A child?”
“He stole a high security keycard!” the Eggrunt growled. “Now, move!”

The Eggrunts shoved past Sonic, searching for the kid that had vanished in the crowd. Sonic let out a sigh of relief, dumping his peaches in his bag, resuming his walk. 

High security keycard, huh? Is that what Sonic had found? Sonic wondered if he could find some use for it…

“You’re a sharpshooter,” the squirrel said, awed, and Sonic nearly jumped.

“What are you still doing here?” Sonic hissed. “Do you actually want to be captured?”
“I, I need your help!” the kid cried. “I’ll, I’ll pay whatever you, you, you want! Just… please!”
“Okay, okay, shush, kid, we’re in public,” Sonic said, glancing around. 

“Oh! Uh, sorry, sorry,” the kid motioned for Sonic to follow, a gesture Sonic did indeed follow, even if it was with one hand casually over his gun. No harm in being cautious. 

The kid led him to a laundromat, past one elderly woman grumbling as she tried to scrub what was either blood or tomato sauce out of a shirt.

“O,o,okay,” the kid said once they were in the backroom, door shut. “Um, so, so, it’s my brother, you see? He’s gonna be, be, be executed.”
“Executed? When? And for why?” Sonic asked, crossing his arms. 

“Tomorrow morning,” the kid said. “And… he was working with the Resistance here. Funneling resources to them. They, they, they caught him when he was giving out security cards.”
“Security cards?” Sonic repeated, pulling out the card the squirrel had dropped. “Like this?”
The kid turned pale, hurriedly patting the pockets of his little vest.
“I,I,I dropped that, didn’t I?” the squirrel said, with dread. Sonic chuckled, tossing it back. The kid scrambled to grab it out of the air.
“Maybe,” Sonic said. “So you want me to… what?”
“Help bust my brother out,” the kid said, tucking the card away. “No, no, no one else has any serious weapons, or, or, or skill with ‘em, and the Resistance can’t help me, it’s too-”
“Risky, right?” Sonic scoffed. “Those ‘greater good’ types… always seem to leave someone in the dust, huh?”
“Huh?” the kid blinked. 

“Forget it,” Sonic waved away his words. He really shouldn’t, could draw attention, Shadow would rip his head off, but maybe if he acted as if he was bought out…? “What’s in it for me, if I help?”
“Oh, uh, well… we, we, we, I don’t really have anything…” the kid shrunk into himself.
“Well, in that case…” Sonic sighed and the kid looked near tears. What Shadow doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right? “What’s your name?”
“Ray,” Ray sniffled, looking confused. “What, what, what’s yours?”
“Eh, not important right now,” Sonic shrugged. “Let’s get to work on busting your brother out, yeah?”
“But, but, but we don’t have a way to-” Ray said, anxious.
“We’ll just say you owe me a favor for now,” Sonic reassured, leaning against the wall. “Now, tell me everything you know about where they’re keeping ‘em.”

Shadow can see the first of the suns setting, a chill settling over the desert planet, calling the wildlife from their sandy burrows and Tails into his metallic one.

“Can we close the door?” Tails asked, wrapping himself in a blanket. “It’s getting chilly.”
They had landed about… Shadow wants to estimate mid-day. It’s now evening. It’s been more than an hour, the appropriate time to spend shopping on an occupied planet.

“Shadow?” Tails called out.
Where the hell was that blasted hedgehog? Had he gotten lost? Distracted? Caught? Captured? Drawn? Quartered? Dead-

“Shadow!” Tails shouted at him.
“What?” Shadow snapped back. The kit flinched at the unexpected aggression, shrinking in on himself. Shadow winced, rubbing his face. “Yes, Tails?”
“Nothing,” Tails shrunk into his blanket. “Sorry.”
Shadow grimaced, standing up. He walked away from where he had been pacing by the door, sitting down next to the kit.
“I’m sorry,” Shadow said. “I shouldn’t have yelled. Are you cold?”
“A little,” Tails admitted, coming out a little. “When’s Sonic gonna get back?”
And that was the question of the hour, wasn’t it? Where was that son of a bitch?
“You don’t think he’s hurt or something, do you?” Tails exclaimed. “What if he got caught?!”
“He’s not stupid or slow enough to get caught by anyone under Snively,” Shadow scoffed. He was so giving that asshole a kick in the face for worrying his own baby brother. Had he no care?

“Maybe we should go out and look for him,” Tails fussed. 

“Hm,” Shadow said, standing once more. He kicked against a wall, a compartment coming out. He eyed the weapons hiding within with care, finally settling on a sniper rifle. 

“You stay here,” Shadow said, picking up the rifle, pulling his hood over his face. In the oncoming darkness, the only visible part of him was his sharp red eyes. “Close the door behind me. We’ll knock when we’re back.”

“But I wanna help!” Tails exclaimed, standing up, blanket still wrapped around him.
“The best way you can help…” Shadow said, walking out. “Is by staying safe. Don’t cause me unnecessary grief.”
“...Fine,” Tails huffed, moving to the controls. Shadow waited for the door to close before he turned to face the slowly quieting town.

That hedgehog better be half drunk in some bar and not-



Sonic yelped as his back hit the stone wall of his cell.

“Is it such a crime to egg the face of a bald jackass?” Sonic called out, shaking his fist at the Eggrunt walking away.
“I’m legally required to tell you he has six hairs,” an Eggrunt sighed, walking away.
“Five,” his companion corrected.
“Five?” the Eggrunt exclaimed as they left. “At that point, I’d just say I’m bald.”
Sonic let out a sigh of relief as they finally left, standing up.
“Okay, easier to get arrested than I thought,” Sonic said, brushing himself off. “Usually it takes more than an innocent little prank.”
“You wanted to get arrested?” a voice from a much more secure cell said, surprised.
“Oh, great!” Sonic grinned, pressing against the bars of his cell. “You are here! Mighty, I hope?”
“That’s me,” the voice grumbled, tired. “But who the hell are you?”
“One sec,” Sonic said. He pulled his hood down and yanked a quill free. He carefully inserted it into the lock of his cell, ear twitching as he listened to the inner mechanics. A click sounded and Sonic straightened up, pushing his cell open.

“What was that?” the voice demanded. “What did you do?”
“Same thing I’m gonna do for you,” Sonic said, tucking the horribly bent quill away. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
“Oh, great, you’re crazy,” the voice sighed. “I’m spending my last night alive with a crazy person.”
“You sound like my exe,” Sonic rolled his eyes, pulling free a new quill and kneeling before the lock. “Oh, this one’s a toughie. And these walls, reinforced. You must be a real threat. Ray did mention super strength, didn’t he?”
“Ray?!” the snot of the voice poked through the small window at the top of the door. “How do you know Ray?! Is he okay?”
“He’s right as rain, I promise you,” Sonic reassured. “He’ll meet us on the way out.”
“On the way-” the door swung open and Mighty startled away, raising fists up defensively.
“Name’s not important, just know your brother sent me,” Sonic said, leaning on the door. “You’re defensive.”
“I’ve had a rough few days,” Mighty sighed, lowering his fists. “Who are you?”
“Toldja, not important,” Sonic shrugged.
“Are you with the Resistance?” Mighty said, looking over Sonic. “I don’t really recognize you.”
“Less talking, more escaping,” Sonic said, motioning for Mighty to follow him. He pulled his hood back over his face. “Unless you have a death wish…?”
“Nope,” Mighty shuddered. “Nope, I’m moving, let’s go.”
It’s a simple facility, thankfully, as long as they don’t trigger any alarms, they should be fine.

“Do you know the way out?” Mighty asked.
“Ray showed me a route,” Sonic said, pulling his gun out of his quills. “Clever guy, your brother.”
“Yeah,” Mighty said with a glow of affection and pride. “He is.”
The armadillo eyed Sonic’s blaster as they pressed against the wall, Sonic peeking around the corner before motioning for Mighty to move.
“You’re not from here, are you?” Mighty whispered.
“Just passing through,” Sonic shrugged. 

“Then why are you helping me?” Mighty asked.
“Because I’m a sucker for crying kids,” Sonic shrugged again. “Plus, I was getting kind of bored. Might as well stage a jailbreak. Could be fun. Didn’t know I was signing up for a questionnaire.”

Mighty’s face flushed but he did stop asking so many questions. Just in time too.

Sonic motioned for Mighty to stop, peeking around the corner. 

A group of Eggrunts, helmets off and to the side, laughed around a TV, watching some inane show. 

Distracted. Good.

“We’re going through the staff entrance,” Sonic whispered. “But, uh, looks like they’re kind of in the way. Got any ideas for a distraction?”
Mighty frowned, looking thoughtful, before nodding. Sonic moved back, allowing Mighty to sidle up. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a ring. The armadillo bounced it once, twice, in his hand, before throwing it out a window.

The earth shook with the force and the Eggrunts practically jumped to attention, scrambling to put their helmets on and head outside.

Sonic whistled appreciatively. 

“You got quite an arm on ya,” Sonic said.
“Thanks,” Mighty nodded and the two moved. 

As they passed through the room, entering an adjacent one that Sonic felt almost embarrassed calling a kitchen. 

“Hey!” an Eggrunt, mid digging around in a package of dried oranges, exclaimed, reaching for his gun. Sonic was quicker, the soldier's eyes going blank as his body slumped against the food. 

Sonic hummed, pushing the body aside, popping a dried orange slice in his mouth.
“Blegh,” Sonic said, sticking out his tongue. “Rotten.”
Mighty looked…

Sonic’s ears flicked up and he turned, firing a shot. Mighty ducked, the shot hitting the Eggrunt coming in right behind Mighty.
“You could’ve hit me,” Mighty exclaimed, standing back up.
“Nope,” Sonic said. “I wasn’t even aiming for you.”
Mighty screeched as an Eggrunt entering from the exit they needed to use dropped dead, behind Sonic.

Sonic felt his blood turn to ice.
“How did you do that?” Mighty ran a hand along his shell.
“I didn’t,” Sonic said, his voice a cold breeze. “Get down.”
Mighty dropped to the floor as Sonic peered through the barred kitchen windows. 

A silhouette rested on an opposite building. Sonic squinted at it.

A blast went past Sonic’s face, burning right into the wall.

Sonic let out a scoff, a grin crossing his face.
“We’re good,” Sonic said, voice warm. “Just my Shadow. C’mon.”

They exit into the courtyard, the exit no less than a hop, skip, and a jump away. 

Hell, Sonic could probably spy Ray’s bright yellow fur from here, if he squinted. 

“Next stop, freedom,” Sonic told the armadillo behind him.
“Thank goodness for that,” Mighty sighed. “I thought-”
“Thought what?” a cold, emotionless voice said and Mighty stopped, as if his feet had been frozen to the ground.
Sonic turned to see what the hold-up was.

Facing Mighty, a cannon that was an arm to the older armadillo’s face, was a shorter armadillo, her shell a sickly green, her eyes like the abyss as she aimed. 

“Matilda,” Mighty said, hands up defensively. “It doesn’t have to be this way. Please.”
Sonic glances to the side, spying Shadow carefully aiming.
“Who is this, Mighty?” Sonic asked, keeping an eye on Shadow without exposing his position.
“My sister,” Mighty said, a grief to his voice. 

“I am not your sister,” Matilda said. “Return to your cell.”
“Matilda, please,” Mighty practically begged. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”
Sonic shook his head slightly and Sonic could almost hear Shadow swear before he put down his sniper rifle.

“You won’t hurt me,” the green armadillo said matter-of-factly. “You view me as family, for some reason. Return to your cell or we shall have to reschedule your execution as soon as possible.”
“They’re using you, Matilda!” Mighty cried. “They took you from your home, they took your arms!”
“They freed me from a meaningless existence,” Matilda said. “I serve a higher power. A higher calling. I impose the law.”
“You are hurting innocent people!” Mighty argued. “Doesn’t that matter to you? Don’t I matter to you?”
“...” Matilda stared at Mighty, her cannon suddenly lighting up. Mighty’s face dropped. “No.”
Sonic fires a single shot, Matilda’s eyes barely widening in recognition of the hit, before she toppled to the ground, her cannon going offline.

“Matty!” Mighty near wailed.
“C’mon, we gotta move,” Sonic sighed, turning away. “We have to-”
Sonic heard the click of a rifle and stopped. He glanced back, seeing a teary eyed Mighty aiming at him. Must’ve picked up the gun from his now dead sister.
“Can you at least wait until I’ve let you out?” Sonic said, rubbing his face. Had to give him credit for his quick reaction time. Lord knows how long it took Sonic…
“You just killed my sister and you expect me to be, what, cool with that?” Mighty demanded.
“I saved you from your sister,” Sonic corrected sternly. “I expected you to pick up your sister’s body, grieve, and keep moving.”

“She… she wasn’t really going to-” Mighty tried but Sonic cut him off.
“She was,” Sonic said. “Look, I don’t know you or her or anything but I was asked, by your little brother, to save you.”
Mighty lowered the pilfered gun, glancing back at Matilda.
“I know, having family stab you in the back, sucks, it really does,” Sonic said. “But you have a responsibility. That kid needs someone looking out for him. That kid needs you.”
“...she is my sister,” Mighty sniffled. “I was supposed to look after her.”
“And you are supposed to look after Ray,” Sonic said, voice gentle. “You have to move on, for him.”
The two stood in silence.
“And I mean literally, this whole thing has to have drawn attention, if you wanna live, we gotta go,” Sonic said, gesturing to the gate.

Mighty looked back at Matilda, giving one last long mournful look, before nodding, following Sonic.

“Mighty!” Ray cried as they entered the alley, halfway across town. Sonic’s ears flicked towards the distant sounds of sirens.
The flying squirrel jumped from his lookout into Mighty’s arms, the armadillo holding him in a bruising embrace. Sonic smiled from his spot against the wall.
“Thank you,” Ray said to Sonic. “I thought, thought, thought… whatever. Thank you!”
“No prob, kid,” Sonic reassured, even as he felt Shadow glare at him. “Happy to help. Just remember you owe me, eh?”
Sonic winked at the kid and Ray nodded solemnly. 

“I thought you were just passing through-” Mighty said, confused, and Sonic stood up.
“There’s your getaway driver!” Sonic said, pointing past to where a bus had just stopped, people climbing on.
“Oh, here!” Ray said, tossing a hooded coat at Mighty. “We, we, we gotta leave town, remember? I, I, I kept your ticket!”
“I told you to go without me if things went south,” Mighty said softly, even as he put on the coat. The squirrel shook his head violently.
“No! I, I didn’t want to!” Ray cried, clinging once more to his brother. “You, you, you’re home. I don’t wanna go anywhere without you.”
Mighty sighed, pulling the hood over his head. He picked up Ray, holding him close.
“Well,” Mighty said. “I’m here now and I won’t leave you. Ever. I promise.”
Mighty turned to leave before stopping, looking at Sonic.
“I…” Mighty said before shaking his head. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. No, really, don’t,” Sonic responded before saying softer, “sorry about your sister.”
“Yeah…” Mighty sighed, turning and leaving now. “Me too.”
Sonic watches as the two get in line and board the bus, the dusty old thing leaving nearly as soon as they boarded.

“You just can’t help but stick your nose in places it doesn’t belong, can you, hedgehog?” Shadow said, sliding down next to Sonic.
“I’m weak to crying kids,” Sonic exclaimed, tossing his arms up. “Like you would be any better.”
“I wouldn’t take all day to rescue the child’s brother,” Shadow scoffed. “For one.”
“We had a limited window, the prison had a pretty solid guard rotation and we had to make sure I got arrested,” Sonic crossed his arms.
“They didn’t process you, did they?” Shadow said.
“No,” Sonic scoffed. “In a town like this?”
“True,” Shadow agreed with a huff. “Did you at least actually go shopping?”
“Sure did!” Sonic grinned, pushing himself up. He reached behind Ray’s lookout, pulling free a stuffed to the brim backpack. “Even got us a little late night treat!”
Sonic reached inside, pulling out his pack of apple cider with a victorious grin.

“...You are unbelievable,” Shadow sighed. “Next time, I’m letting you get shot.”
Sonic couldn’t help the cackle that was brought out.

The door is open when they return.

“Tails?” Shadow called as he entered, looking around, before relaxing.

Tails had passed out in the pilot’s seat, face and arms resting on the dash.

“Whoops,” Sonic whispered, scooping Tails up, blanket and all. “Guess we stayed out too late.”
“You fucking think so?” Shadow hissed, unpacking the backpack.
“Hey, language,” Sonic hissed back.
“He’s asleep,” Shadow argued. “And he’s heard and seen literal worst.”
Sonic laid Tails down in his closet, tucking the kit in. as he did so, Tails’ peaceful face scrunched up, turning away fitfully.

“...he’s been having a lot of nightmares lately,” Shadow said.
“He used to have nightmares all the time when I first took him in,” Sonic sighed, standing up. “Hope it’s not the same dreams. He never told me them but he always woke up crying for hours.”
“Hm,” Shadow hummed, looking away. “He’ll tell you if something’s wrong. He’s no liar.”
“Of course he is,” Sonic laughed bitterly, closing the closet door. “It’s what we’re training him to be, right?”
Shadow made a face but said nothing to argue against Sonic’s point.
“Let’s get out of here,” Sonic said, heading to the pilot seat. “And pass me a cider.”
“Get it yourself.”
“I’m driving!”

Chapter Text

In space, days and nights blur together, views of planets and stars and moons and all kinds of heavenly bodies shifting is not a good way to measure time when you’re moving past them.

Even then, not every planet had the same day and night cycle regardless. 

And, yet, like a fact carved into his very bones, Shadow knows what day it is, even if he hadn’t known what day it was yesterday, and had no clue if he’d know what day it is tomorrow. 

But today, oh, how familiar this day is to Shadow, a bitter poison on his tongue that rots in his mouth as he opens his eyes from sleep. 

The blanket (Sonic had bought an extra one for Tails, before realizing Tails had more than enough) was heavy on Shadow so he shook it off, standing from where he was reclined.
“Awake already?” Sonic said as Shadow walked to the cockpit. “Seriously, sleeping like that can not be healthy.”
“Worry about your own sleeping habits,” Shadow grumbled, sitting next to him. He minds what buttons he presses, making sure none of them are the ones somewhat marked as the pilot’s.

Sonic is so damn protective of this ship, you’d think it was his parent or something. Shadow suppressed a scoff at the thought.

A map pops up and Shadow scrolls through the nearby planets.
“Looking for something?” Sonic asked, leaning over towards Shadow. The darker pushed Sonic’s face away, resuming his search.
“...Looking for a planet for a temple,” Shadow admitted after a moment. Sonic was the one driving, after all.
“A temple?” Sonic exclaimed, eyebrows raising. “I thought you wanted to stay off the radar.”
“I do,” Shadow growled, shaking his head. He softened, momentarily pausing in his task, before proceeding on. “But it’s her birthday.”
Sonic doesn’t say a word but that is more than enough for Shadow. Silence speaks more than Sonic usually allows it to.
“Why a temple?” Sonic said after a moment. “You don’t even follow the Collective anymore.”
“I don’t,” Shadow agreed. “But she did. And I believe in her.”
Sonic frowned, looking away. He pressed a button, the map appearing over where he is.

“Still seems silly to me,” Sonic said, scrolling through the nearby planets. “She would want-”
“Don’t tell me what she would want,” Shadow snapped at Sonic before reclining back in his chair. “You didn’t know her. Not like I did.”
Sonic eyed Shadow a moment before looking away.
“That’s true,” Sonic agreed, clicking on a planet, clicking the map back over to Shadow. “This one work?”
Shadow sat up, looked at the planet closely for a moment, before leaning back once more and nodding.
“Alright, we’re on our way then,” Sonic said. “It’s just a smidge out of the way but not too crazy.”
Shadow just hummed in response, closing his eyes. He was done talking. 

The extra blankets did not keep the nightmares away and Tails was grateful to be jolted awake by a landing, the haunting sensation of being hunted sliding off his back as he sat up and crawled out of bed. 

“Where are we?” Tails asked, rubbing his eyes.

The door was already sliding open, revealing a forest not unlike the logging planet they’d landed on, but almost crystalline in appearance, trembling at the slightest motion.
Shadow stood at the door, hood up and covering his face, a bag around his shoulders.
“Called Krustallos,” Sonic said from the pilot’s seat, picking at his teeth.
“I’m going out,” Shadow added. “I don’t know when I’ll be back but it’ll be less than a day.”
“Huh? Why?” Tails asked, frowning. A familiar but unwelcome anxiety pricked up, making Tails’ throat go dry.
“Personal matters,” Shadow said, stepping out. “Don’t draw any attention on yourselves.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Sonic waved away his concerns before pausing, turning towards Shadow. “Hey, Shadow?”
Shadow paused, one foot on glass like grass, turning to look back at Sonic.
Sonic froze, as if he hadn’t expected Shadow to actually listen, and hadn’t had anything to actually say.
“...Take care of yourself, yeah?” Sonic said after a second, putting a strange emphasis on the ‘you’ bit. Who else would Shadow take care of? He was going alone. “Kinda still need a teacher for Tails.”

Shadow scoffed, turning away again.
“He certainly does,” Shadow agreed. “I fear what foolishness you’ve already taught him. Someone has to counterbalance it.”
Sonic let out a sharp bark of a laugh and closed the door as Shadow walked away.

“Like he’s any better,” Sonic said, with a mixture of affection and annoyance in his voice. Tails slightly grimaced. Gross. “Hey, buddy, wanna grab us some breakfast?”
“On it!” Tails said, rushing to the ship’s mini fridge.

Shadow’s never been on Krustallos before, doubts he’s ever been near this system, and he has to admit he’s glad that he has today.

It’s a beautiful planet, a thick atmosphere making the world seem eternally overcast even with clear skies, and yet the crystalline vegetation glistens like the sun is shining directly upon them.

Shadow finds a path into the nearby city and follows it, watching as the road goes from dirt to paved stone, stepping within the borders of the nearby city. 

Merago was a small city but clearly big enough to have a temple. A part of Shadow felt on edge while another part relaxed as he spotted that familiar emblem, the angelic figure of Illumina, whole and complete, an arrow guiding travelers to her temple. 

Shadow followed obediently. 

“If Illumina’s the goddess, why do we worship Void and Lumina?” Maria asked her tutor, innocently interrupting her.

Sombra shared the question but kept his head down. Such questions were not for lowly ones like him to ask.
“Void and Lumina are Illumina, the aspects of her. We worship her whole but we follow the teachings of each separate aspect,” their tutor supplied. “Those teachings are the ways to worship Illumina whole.”

“So… we follow Void… because that’s the best way for us to worship her!” Maria guessed.
“Very good!” their tutor purred, clearly pleased. “Madam Robotnik, you are perhaps one of my brightest pupils yet.”
Maria straightened up under the praise, somewhat preening. Sombra smiled at her joy.

“What are you smirking at?” The tutor’s voice went cold and Sombra’s smile dropped, eyes focused on the ground. “Something you’d like to share, hm?”
“No, instructor,” Sombra said lowly.
“That’s what I thought,” the tutor scoffed, turning away. Maria stuck a tongue at his back and Sombra suppressed a laugh. 

Black wearing guards patrolled the temple, their noses raised, as if to avoid the stench of the worshipers entering.

No Conservators, Shadow noted, with a hint of relief. The relief felt foolish after a moment.

Of course not. Conservators could only come from select families and who would have such noble blood guard such an out of the way temple?

Well, unless said noble blood was disgraced…

Shadow shook his head. No Conservators. That means, if he’s caught, escape should be as easy as taking candy from a baby, which is fine by him. 

He walks up the porcelain steps, the solidness of the building a sharp contrast to the almost see through nature of the world around it. 

The temple is cold, despite the masses of bodies flowing and out, despite the voices in prayer rising. 

The roof is high, pillars of ivory raising it to be so, decorated in angel wings and glimmering gemstones that seemed to light up the place. 

It felt familiar, like one waking up from a bad dream only to find they were still having it.

Shadow pauses, looking into one of the massive halls of the temple.

Worshippers subjugate themselves, on their hands and knees, to a statue of Illumina, her eyes closed and her lips pulled up in a smile, as if she knew something her faithful flock did not, something she was soon to tell them.

Her arms are outstretched, welcoming all, welcoming Shadow, to come and bask in her, to ask things of her she may answer, things she may not-

Shadow forces himself to take a step back. 

He doesn’t worship her, it, anymore. He hasn’t had faith in anything in a long, long time. This isn’t what he’s here for.

He turns on his heel, continuing his walk down a hall.

It’s darker, the only light being the candles of mourners.

There were places in every temple to mourn one’s dead, to light a candle in hopes that their soul had reached Utopia.

There were no gems lighting the area, allowing mourners to light candles for their loved ones’ absence, a reminder of the temporary light every soul brought before it rejoined Illumina. 

Shadow walked until even the light of candles were gone, leaving Shadow in darkness in the dim, thin hall.

There, he knelt, opening his bag.

He placed an unlit candle down, a box of matches beside it, followed by dried incense. He lit the candle before the incense, inviting his sister’s soul to peer down upon him once more.
“Hello, Maria,” he muttered quietly, his voice echoing regardless. “It’s been awhile.”
There was only silence in response. Of course there was. Was he really expecting anything else? How foolish.

“I hope you have been well, wherever you are,” Shadow went on despite himself. “Hopefully someplace pleasant. I’m sorry I haven’t visited. I’ve been… busy.”

“Busy!” Maria squawked, insulted. “Is that what we’re calling it now?!”
“Lady Robotnik, please, you must understand!” the servant cowered under the humanoid’s glare. “These… these are reserved for distinguished guests only, not-”
“Sombra is my future co-Conservator and my brother! Where I go, he goes!” Maria demanded. “You will let us both in or I will make you regret your insolence!” 

The servant squeaked but nodded, hastily opening the door. Maria scoffed, tugging Sombra along.
The room was full of steam, the hot springs bubbling dutifully.
“I’ve been trying to get you in here for days and they say they were too busy to give you clearance, too busy,” Maria grumbled, pushing Sombra into the warm water.
“It’s fine, Maria,” Sombra said softly, trying to soothe his sister’s rage.
“It’s not fine!” Maria exclaimed. “You deserve better and they think less of you just because, what, you’re not a Robotnik?! It’s not fair!”
“Fairness doesn’t count into it,” Sombra reminded.
“Stop it,” Maria huffed, climbing in after Sombra. “You sound like Grandfather.”
Sombra went quiet and the two children relaxed in the warm water, the week of training and practice sliding off their backs.
“This is nice,” Sombra relented. “I’m glad you brought me here.”
“Of course!” Maria grinned, hugging the hedgehog. “Nothing but the best for my little brother!”
“I’m older than you,” Sombra argued, tail stirring the water.
“I’m taller,” Maria teased back.
“I’m cooler,” Sombra shouted.
“Debatable,” Maria stuck out her tongue. Their argument, if it could be called that, was interrupted by another figure entering the hot springs.
Sombra scooched away from Maria as Gerald entered, the older man in his almost plain white robes.
“Grandfather!” Maria greeted cheerfully, either unaware or ignoring the tension suddenly rising. “Did you come to relax with us?”
“I’m sorry, no, dear,” Gerald said. “Just to check on you.”
Despite his dark glasses, Gerald’s eyes fall oh so clearly onto Sombra.
“And how are you, my boy?” Gerald asked, his voice gentle.
“I’m well,” Sombra nodded, looking up. “Thank you.”
Gerald seemed to eye him for a moment and Sombra stood still, allowing Gerald to examine Sombra. It was his right, after all, Sombra was Gerald’s creation.

In more ways than one.

“Is training going well, dear?” Gerald turned his attention back to Maria. “And, ah, yes, a new swimsuit?”
“Cousin Ivo bought it for me!” Maria stood up, allowing the floral pattern to be seen. “Isn’t it nice? My training’s going well, I got a flower to bloom thirty feet away from me!”
“Thirty feet?” Gerald said. “My, such a feat. truly deserving of a break like this.”
“They tried to keep Sombra out, can you believe it?” Maria exclaimed, reminded of her earlier outrage. “It was unfair!”
“Hm, I shall have a talk with them,” Gerald said. Despite the softness of his voice, there was a thread of something in his voice that made Sombra’s hackles rise. “My boy.”
Sombra nodded at Gerald.
The older man smiled at him.
“Don’t worry,” Gerald said to Maria and Sombra. “They won’t give you trouble again. Hm, but to hire… good workers are so hard to find… ah, regardless, they should treat my boy with respect. Don’t stress about it.”
Gerald turned and exited, as unprompted as he came in.
“See, Sombra! Grandpa will teach them respect!” Maria exclaimed.
“Isn’t respect earned?” Sombra asked.
“Not if you’re a Robotnik,” Maria shrugged, like it was a fact.

“I… I don’t have a picture of you to place,” Shadow admitted, resuming digging through his bag. “So I hope it’s the right Maria Robotnik I’ve summoned. Ha. As if there could be any other.”
He placed a plate down, chipped but still usable. He then rested a dried and pressed flower down on the plate as well as a peach he had stolen from the fridge. Shadow takes care to slice it, counting the slices as he did so.

“Six,” Shadow counted out, setting them out and pocketing the pit. His hands were now stained with the juice but Shadow would deal with that later. “And some lavender. I know that’s your favorite. I would have gotten a pear but… circumstances are strange this year.”
He wasn’t on the Waste. There, he just made a small pilgrimage to a nearby moon that had a small temple.

“I’m traveling again,” Shadow said. “Yes, and with Sonic Star again. Not just him but… Maria, I have a student.”

Shadow closed his eyes, imagining his sister gasping and leaning in, gushing over his words.
“I’ve… how did you deal with it?” Shadow asked, looking up as if she would truly appear and offer him some guidance. “He expects me to hold all the answers, even when he’s furious with me.”

Shadow knows less than he cared to admit. Why Sonic had thought him a good teacher, why Tails kept listening, it was beyond Shadow’s understanding.

“I’m trying to be better than our tutors,” Shadow admitted. “I fear I’m not.”

He remembered days and nights working hard to control his flames, to turn them from animalistic red to controlled green. 

He remembered the burns. 

Shadow shook his head. He got better teachers than most, the best teachers in the universe. Besides, he always ended up fine. He should be grateful he had teachers at all.

“I hope you had a good year,” Shadow said out loud. “Wherever you are. Happy birthday, big sister.”
Shadow popped a peach slice in his mouth.

Shadow would normally wait until the candle burned down to nothing but he didn’t have the time for such a long quiet this year so he blew out the candle, collected his things, and moved to leave.

As he went to exit, he paused.

There was… a lot of yelling. 

Shadow paused, peering into the main worship hall. A white robe wearing disciple was yelling at a much larger purple cat, the feline peering down in confusion.

“You are causing a disturbance!” the disciple was screeching. “How is anyone supposed to worship when a clumsy oaf is stumbling around the temple like a drunken fool in a tavern?!”
“I’m sorry,” the large cat said, sounding as confused as he looked. “I’m just looking for Froggy.”
“I don’t care what you’re doing, just get out!” the disciple shouted. They smacked the cat’s arm when he still didn’t move. “Out!”
The cat did exist the hall but it did not seem to be due to the disciple’s shouting. The feline began to wander, calling out softly.
“Froggy? Froggy, please come out…” the cat called. “Where could he be?”
Shadow needed to go. He’d finished what he’d come here for. 

Shadow’s feet turn, leading him to the cat’s side.
“Who are you looking for?” he asked the taller cat. 

“My friend, Froggy,” the cat did not miss a beat. “He’s just a little frog so he can’t have gotten far but it’s normally not so hard to find him.”
A frog? Shadow made a slight face but shook his head.
“I’ll help you find him,” Shadow said. How hard could it be to find a frog? “Are you sure he’s in here?”
“I thought so,” the cat frowned. “This is where I lost him.”
“Ah,” Shadow nodded. “Okay. Have you already searched the temple?”
“Most of it,” the cat agreed.
“We’ll check inside the inner garden,” Shadow said before pausing. “This temple does have an inner garden… right?”
“Oh, yeah!” the cat brightened. “Froggy loves it there. I’m Big.”
Shadow glanced up at the cat, his face smiling expectantly down at Shadow.
“My name’s not important,” Shadow said, walking forward. “Let’s find your frog.”
Big blinked but just shrugged, following Shadow.

Tails yelled into his fan, listening as the blades seemed to chop the sound into little bits. The fan blew the fur out of Tails’ face, only to blow right back in, right into Tails’ mouth. 

Shadow had been gone for two hours now. 

Tails tried not to be anxious; Sonic had been gone longer and Tails had been… fine but Tails finds himself more willing to believe Shadow would run off and never return than he had with Sonic. 

Sonic was in the pilot’s seat, kicked back with his eyes closed. Tails would think he was sleeping if it wasn’t for the occasional twitch of his ear.

Tails removes his hand from the fan, the thing going dead without its power source. 

“He’ll be back soon, right?” Tails asked Sonic, the other peeking an eye open at him.
“Of course,” Sonic said with simple confidence. “As much as he acts like it, he’s not the kind to turn around and run away.”
Tails frowned and nodded, even if he didn’t fully believe his brother. Sonic opened both eyes, frowning with concern for him.

“Hey, why don’t you come up here,” Sonic said, sitting up. “Shadow ain’t the only one who can teach you something.”
Tails looked up, intrigued, before standing up, hurrying over to Sonic.
He clambered up onto Sonic’s lap, tucking his tails out of the way, as Sonic scooched the chair up to the controls.

The controls lit up under Tails’ hesitant paws and, yet, Tails found his brain already putting together how to fly the Star Tornado. Strange. Tails had never flown it before. 

“Shouldn’t be hard for you to do,” Sonic said, moving Tails’ hands around, the ship coming to life under Tails’ touch. “You’re sharp as a tack.”

“Should we be doing this? What if someone sees?” Tails said anxiously.
“We’ll be fine,” Sonic shrugged. “Now, here’s how you start the engine, alright?”
Sonic flies through his explanation, Tails barely keeping up, despite Sonic’s belief Tails would keep up just fine.

Regardless, the ship hummed with life, Tails’ ear twitching at the familiar sound of the engine.
“Alright, pull this lever so it’s getting ready to fly,” Sonic said, still guiding Tails. “And then press this, it’ll give it a bit of a push into the air, allowing you to pull in the legs and begin ascent.”
“Should we really be taking off?” Tails fretted. “What if Shadow sees and thinks we’re leaving him?”
“Then he’ll radio to yell at us,” Sonic shrugged. “But he won’t be for awhile.”
“How can you tell?” Tails asked.
“Just a feeling,” Sonic shrugged again. “Now, begin your ascent!”
Tails swallowed around a lump in his throat but obeyed, adjusting the controls to prepare for takeoff. 

“There you go, perfect angle,” Sonic praised. “See, you’re a natural! Now, just-”
The Star Tornado launches into the sky and halts, the two nearly slamming their heads against the dash.
“...Okay,” Sonic said after a moment, tapping Tails’ right hand. “Easy on the gas. We’re in no hurry, yeah?”
Tails nodded, hands slightly shaking.
“Hey, hey, you’re okay, you’re doing fine, okay, little buddy?” Sonic reassured. “Just keep it up, okay?”
“What now?” Tails asked.
“We’re just gonna do a simple, slow flight, just so you get a hold of the controls,” Sonic said. “It’s good for you to know this, in case I’m not around to fly it.”
The very notion made Tails want to scream but he bit his tongue, remaining silent. 

“Doesn’t Shadow know how to fly the Tornado?” Tails turned his head back to Sonic.
Sonic made a face.
“He probably does,” Sonic admitted. “Tornado ain’t that rare of a model but like hell if I would let him.”
“Why?” Tails asked.
“Hey, if he gets to gatekeep, so do I,” Sonic said, not really answering the question. “But let’s just go with… it being a just family thing.”
The notion of it being special, a family secret between Sonic and Tails, was more than enough of a distraction to keep Tails from asking anymore questions. 

Well, beyond…
“What do I do now?”


The inner garden was supposed to be a reminder of the Fellowship and Collective’s roots, most of the flowers growing within from the planet upon which the faith started.

Not every temple could have one, what with the environment of the planet said temple might be on, but many did their best to have one.

This one seemed to manage.

Not many people were in it, thankfully, allowing Shadow and Big to search for a frog without fear of being seen and scolded, or, worse, kicked out. 

Shadow did not call out for the amphibian like Big did, the feline sounding like he was trying to call a lost dog home, but he was familiar with the species.

Surely if he checked every wet and dark spot in the garden, they’d find their target eventually.
“Thank you for helping me look for Froggy, mister,” Big paused, turning to Shadow. He smiled, easily, pleasantly. “You’re kind.”
Shadow felt his stomach churn at the complement. 

“I wouldn’t call myself that. You shouldn’t either,” Shadow said, turning away from Big and his easy, honest, smile. His voice was sharp, too sharp, and he forced it smooth, even just a little. “You barely know me.” 

“I don’t,” Big agreed, just as easily as he smiled. “But you’re helping me find Froggy. That’s kind.”
“Anyone would have,” Shadow argued.
“But you’re the only one that did,” Big said. Shadow paused at that. “Maybe you are kind.”
“It takes more than one action to determine what I am,” Shadow muttered, barely audible to Big. hopefully. “I don’t even know what I am.”
“Hm?” Big asked.
“Nothing,” Shadow said, louder now. “Let’s just find your frog.”
“Okay dokey, Mister!” Big agreed cheerfully, resuming his attempts to call the frog out from its hiding place. 

Shadow paused, lifting a particularly large rock. In a hole underneath, a frog looked up at him before jumping onto his face with a wet ‘plap!’, knocking his hood down.
“Froggy!” Big gasped joyfully.
“Ugh,” Shadow grimaced, removing the frog from his face. He could still feel the slime on his face. He suddenly really, really wanted a bath. “Here.”
Shadow handed the frog over to Big, Froggy immediately hopping up to Big’s shoulder. Shadow shuddered, even as Big seemed wholly unbothered. 

“Why’d you run off, Froggy?” Big asked, as if the frog could answer. “You had me worried.”
“Well, now that’s taken care of, I suppose I should make my leave,” Shadow muttered, rubbing his face with the hem of his sleeve.
“Thank you again, Mister!” Big said with a grin.
“Hm, no problem,” Shadow hummed. 

“Found you,” a voice snarled in dark satisfaction and Shadow felt his fur rise up from static electricity. 

Shadow turned, seeing two Conservators standing in the doorway to the inner gardens.

“Fuck,” Shadow muttered to himself.

Sonic has little to tell Tails to do after a minute, Tails surprised at how easily he understood the ship as he just kept going.

“I knew you’d get it easy!” Sonic grinned, running a hand through Tails’ fur, like he hadn’t been holding his breath the entire beginning part. To be fair, while Sonic had been doing so, it had felt as if there was some guiding hand holding Tails up, somewhat. But that’s probably just Tails’ imagination. “I learned pretty quickly myself and I was just about your age!”
“Who taught you?” Tails asked curiously.
“Oh,” Sonic hesitated for a moment before continuing with forced casualness. “My mother.”

Tails jolted, the ship nearly rolling over, as Tails turned to look back at Sonic.
“You have a mother?!” Tails exclaimed.
“Nearly everyone has a mom, little buddy,” Sonic scoffed, as if that was the question Tails had been asking. “I certainly didn’t emerge fully formed from the ether.”
“That’s not-” Tails hissed, hastily straightening them out. “I mean, you never mentioned her before.”
“Eh, not a fan of looking back and she is pretty stuck back there,” Sonic shrugged, leaning forward, resting on Tails’ head. “Not really worth mentioning.”
“She’s your mother,” Tails huffed. “There has to be something of note.”
“Hm,” Sonic hummed, his arms wrapping around Tails, making sure he didn’t fall out of the pilot’s seat. “Not really. I’ll let you know as it comes up.”

A pair. Trained together, probably indoctrinated together. 

Shadow could tell, they moved as one.

The taller one, made only taller by her raised green quills, seemed to be dictating the pace and the direction, the left foot leading the right. Blue electricity trailed along her body, her rubber coat protecting her from its effects. 

Despite her mouth being covered, Shadow felt as certain as could be that she was smiling as the two approached.

The shorter, younger, perhaps?, followed right behind his co-Conservator. His long blue ears made him look bigger than he was, or was that the heavy pack the Conservator carried?

Shadow couldn’t see the smaller’s face, blue fur covering his eyes and a black mask covering his mouth. 

As the two approached, Shadow put himself between the two of them and Big, motioning with a hand behind his back to run.

Big did not listen.
“Who are these people?” Big asked. 

“Conservator Surge and Kitsunami, fine citizen!” the green one, Surge, assumedly, said. She snarled the words ‘fine citizen’ like one forced to act a part they do not believe in. “I recommend you step away from the suspect.”
Shadow forced his body to remain relaxed, forced himself not to bare his teeth in an open threat. Maybe he could still walk away from this without problems. 

“Me?” Shadow asked.
“Are you Conservator Sombra?” Kitsunami said, his voice revealing his age. Lord, he couldn’t be older than Tails…

“No,” Shadow lied. “I don’t even know who that is.”
“Really?” Conservator Surge says, flicking a hand. It would have been a harmless gesture, if not for the gleam of lighting that shocks off of her, like a dart thrown from her hand.

Shadow moves without thinking, his body trained for any foe, Spark wielding or otherwise.

Hell, his body recognized he wasn’t the weapon’s target before his brain even recognized a threat.

The stripes on his body smoldered a toxic green as Shadow held up an arm in front of Big, a flame shield consuming the dart of electricity before it even touched the larger cat. 

There’s a moment of quiet, as Shadow’s flames die down and Conservator Surge’s smile grows, where Shadow quietly berates himself for being an absolute fool.

“Gotcha,” Surge said, her voice drowning in self righteous smugness.

Shadow doesn’t wait a second longer; he surges forward, jabbing an elbow into the tenrec’s face, sending her to the ground. 

Her companion moved to defend himself but Shadow’s intention was not to strike his hunters, but to flee them.

Bag tossed over his shoulder, he runs, pushing through worshippers and disciples, uncaring of the obstacles as he flees the holy site. 

Shadow glances back, spying Big holding the two Conservators back, blocking their way.

Conservator Surge is screeching at him, the larger cat’s head tilted in a quizzical manner. 

The cat glances his way as the Conservators finally push past and Shadow notices Big smile and nod at him.

Shadow snorted, half in amusement, half in surprise, and turned his attention back to fleeing.

Shadow followed the path out of the city before scrambling into the woods, the crystalline trees nearly indistinguishable from each other.

He only came to a stop when he was sure he was where the ship should be.

Emphasis on the word should.

 The crystalline grass was burnt and hardened from the landing and take off but the ship itself was absent.

Shadow felt his throat go dry and his heart still.

He scrambled in his bag, pulling out a walkie-talkie.

“Did you fucking leave me?” Shadow hissed into the radio.
“Shadow? You’re back already?” Tails’ voice responded, surprised.

“Hey, watch your language!” Sonic responded shortly after, having taken the radio from Tails. “I was just showing Tails how to fly the Tornado, didn’t think you’d be back so soon. Don’t you usually take longer?”
“I do but I understand the circumstances we’re in so I wrapped up early,” Shadow hissed, glancing behind him. Hopefully, they hadn’t followed him so closely. “We’ve got a problem. Come back and get me now.”
“Already on it, cool your jets,” Sonic scoffed. “Stay out of the landing zone-”
“No time for that,” Shadow snapped. “I’m being pursued. Just open the door, I’ll hop on.”
“Ooo, risky, I like it!” Sonic said and Shadow scowled, imagining Sonic’s stupid smile. Lord, somedays, he would do just about anything to shut Sonic’s stupid mouth up.

Shadow’s ear flicked and he skidded to the side, a tree crumbling in on itself as a strike of lightning hit its core. 

“Good reflexes,” Conservator Surge snickered. “But you can’t dodge forever.”
“I have no intention of dodging forever either,” Shadow snarled as his stripes flared up green once more, familiar heat pooling into his hands, dropping his bag at his feet. Conservator Surge’s grin only grew. 

Shadow just had to buy time for Sonic and Tails to fly back to get him.

Easy enough.

Surge was not prepared for Shadow to go on the offensive, the smug grin in her eyes freezing as she barely dodged flames of sharp green.

Shadow glanced about as he sent her on the defensive; he could fend off one foe easily enough but she had not been alone in the temple. Either she had foolishly ran ahead, leaving herself without backup or her companion was hiding, waiting in the wings to catch Shadow off guard.

Shadow’s flames turned into a familiar shape, one Shadow was very familiar with using, just as Surge gritted her teeth and formed a handheld scythe out of blue electricity, her gloves keeping the charge from peeling the skin off her hands.

Shadow’s sword was blocked by said scythe, flickers of lighting shocking about as Surge forced Shadow back.

“Careful,” the Conservator said. “Would hate for you to burn your pretty paws off. We’ve been ordered to bring you in alive.”
“Really?” Shadow scoffed. “Under whose orders?”
“Not important,” Surge shrugged. “But they might go easy on you if you surrender. Might.”

“Hm, not him then,” Shadow mused to himself before returning attention to the Conservator. “They’ve made a grave mistake in that case.”
“Oh? Care to enlighten me?” Conservator Surge taunted. She let out a strangled sound as Shadow suddenly was in her face, pressing her against a tree. Shadow’s claws dug into the rubber of her suit as he squeezed her neck.
“I’m under no qualms to spare you,” Shadow hissed, eyes narrowed.

“Get off of her!” a young voice cried in panic, something wet and cold wrapping around Shadow’s leg. It was the only warning Shadow got before he was unceremoniously tossed into the air.

The smaller Conservator, Kitsunami, darted forward, panting, standing in between Shadow and Surge.

Shadow hastily righted himself in the air, smacking his air shoes together. They flared to life, allowing Shadow to hover in the air. 

Shit, there was the other one.

Kitsunami’s backpack was now open, tendrils of water coming out in defense of the duo. A Water Spark. Peachy. Shadow’s flames were practically useless against such a foe, well, unless he was willing to burn his own skin off. Shadow’s ear flicked and he glanced to the side, grinning.

“Feel like… feel like giving up now?!” Conservator Surge screeched up at him, rubbing her throat. 

“Something like that,” Shadow said before clicking his heels together, his shoes turning off.

He dropped, dropped right into the Star Tornado as it barrel rolled past them, falling into the door. 

“Ugh, you usually do that stupid trick more smoothly,” Shadow grumbled as the ship righted itself, door slamming close. 

“Not me this time, baby!” Sonic laughed as Shadow stumbled to the front.
“Uh, I was the one flying and it was my first time so cut me some slack,” Tails snapped, hands trembling on the controls. He could only hold the tough act up so long, looking up at Shadow in naked concern. “Are you okay? We weren’t too late, were we?”

“You were the one flying?” Shadow asked, as if it could’ve been anyone else. He was still sitting on Sonic’s lap in the pilot seat, still flying the ship. “Hm. …Not bad.”
Tails blinked, surprised, and then grinned, turning forward.
“So, who are our new friends?” Sonic asked Shadow, subtly taking over from Tails as they prepared to leave the planet.
“Conservators,” Shadow responded. “Looking for me specifically, to take me alive.”
“Hm, probably not that old geezer after you then, right?” Sonic said, coming to the same conclusion Shadow did.
“Most likely,” Shadow nodded. “They had electricity and water Sparks.”
“They didn’t mention us, did they?” Sonic asked.
“No, just me,” Shadow shook his head, looking at Tails. The kid was safe, for now. 

But this just made the task of finding someplace to hide more urgent. Shadow couldn’t allow himself to be caught, dead or alive, it would not end well for anyone.

Shadow grumbled to himself. He should’ve told Sonic to fuck off from day one…
“I’ll take it from here, little buddy,” Sonic said softly, finally acknowledging his own subtle takeover from Tails. “You and Shades get something to eat, huh? All that adrenaline can make even someone as stone cold as Shadow hungry.”
“On it!” Tails agreed, sliding off Sonic’s lap and leading Shadow to the fridge.

“Shadow?” Tails asked, as he dipped into the fridge. “You, um… you didn’t actually think we left you behind, right?”
Shadow hummed in response. There was… a brief moment where Shadow had considered it. If Sonic considered Shadow a waste of resources or a threat, Shadow doesn’t doubt Sonic wouldn’t give him the boot. 

“I would’ve made Sonic turn around if he had,” Tails said firmly, passing a cool slice of cheese to Shadow. “So, even if you think Sonic would leave you behind… I wouldn’t.”
Shadow blinked, surprised, before looking away, shoving the slice of cheese in his mouth. 

Okay, maybe he should keep the thought of indirectly wishing he’d never met Tails to himself forever. 

Chapter Text

The bar is mostly empty, most people having fled at Tails’ entrance. He can’t say he blames them.

For one, he is a mildly uncomfortable sight, orange fur splattered with drying blood. For another, things like him were considered bad omens, and Tails can’t help but agree with both.

Dried blood flakes off him as he puts his feet up, wholly comfortable in his seat. The fox twisted the leafy bracelet at his arm. The leaves were still as green and as fresh as the day they were plucked from her (who?) beautiful palm and twisted into the shape they now hold.

“You look filthy,” a familiar (it was not familiar, who is that?) voice said, pulling Tails’ attention away from the bracelet. A fennec, his magenta eyes burning with annoyance, approached Tails’ table.

His body, small, even at this age (how old was this stranger? How old is Tails himself?) , was dwarfed by the dark brown trench coat he wore, the hood hiding his face where his own teal fur didn’t.

Tails sat up properly, removing his shoes from the table and ran a glove through his fur, blood flaking off.
“Had a bit of difficulty landing,” Tails waved away his blood stained appearance. He leaned forward, a lazy smile crossing his face. “Didn’t think you were gonna show.”
“You didn’t give me a choice,” the fennec scoffed, dropping a package on the table. 

“You don’t show up when I give you a choice, Kit,” Tails said, unwrapping the package. The smiling fox face grinned up at Tails, the timer in its smile slowly ticking down. Tails pulled out a key and inserted it where the nose would be, twisting it. The bomb immediately disarmed. “And I really needed to talk to you.”
Kit huffed but sat down, arms crossed.
“Make it fast,” Kit muttered. “I don’t have all day.”
“There’s been a lot of missing persons in some shared associates of ours,” Tails said, casually. Kit sat up, mouth opening. “Don’t worry, I don’t think it’s you.”
“Then why pull me out here about this?” Kit asked. “If you didn’t think I knew anything, you wouldn’t have ‘called’ me.”
“I think it’s her,” Tails said, barely blinking as Kit more or less jumped to his feet, panic filling his body. “Calm down.”
“Calm down- calm down?!” Kit hissed. “You’re not the one she’s hunting!”
“You don’t know that,” Tails frowned, standing as well. “Relax.”
“I shouldn’t have come, I should’ve dumped that shitty bomb on some distant moon or some shit, mailed it back to you, see how you like it-” Kit rambled as Tails rounded the table over to him.
“Kitsumani,” Tails snapped, the fennec snapping back to attention. “It’s okay. If it is her, hunting you, I’ll help you get away. Just like last time.”
“I don’t know how many times I can run from her, Tails,” Kit shook his head, head in his hands. “I was made for her. You know that.”
“I know,” Tails sighed. “But you don’t have to let her control you.”
“Easy for you to say,” Kit glared up through gloved hands at Tails. “You don’t have anyone to control you.”
Tails swallowed around a lump in his throat.
“You’d be surprised,” Tails muttered and shook his head. “Now sit down. I need to ask you some stuff. I could be wrong. It could be someone else.”
“You’re not,” Kit groaned, sitting down. “It is her. I can feel it.”
“When you’re right, Drippy, you’re right!” her voice came, distorted as hell, but still as nightmarish as Tails remembered (remembered?) .
Kit jumped right back to his feet, Tails casually taking a step forward.

A monster had forced the door open, her long neon quills doing little to help make her stand out less. 

The sound of her straining breath rasped against Tails’ very lungs. He could see her insides, see the delicate machinery that kept her alive, the machinery that kept her in agony. 

Her remaining eye, an electric blue, landed on Kit, as if she’d been blindly following his voice, or his scent, lord forbid. 

Her blood stained and blackened teeth made her mouth look like a layer of hell as she grinned, opening her mouth to say-


“This is not an option, Shadow!” Sonic’s voice snapped Tails awake, his voice barely less than a growl. Tails curled up tighter in his bed, despite being awake. 

“Something that is not an option should have been mentioned earlier then,” Shadow argued back, audibly pacing. Tails could hear his shoes slamming against the metallic floor.

“It wasn’t relevant earlier, my contact only just responded to me!” Sonic said.
“So, what was the plan then? Keep flying around until he responded, since this is so necessary, without mentioning a word to me?” Shadow said. Sonic’s silence was answer enough. “You bastard!”
“You didn’t mention it was her birthday soon! You just sprung it on me, mid flight, and expected me to set you down!” Sonic fired back.
“That- that’s different,” Shadow floundered. “I-”
“Yeah, it is different because I’m the pilot and I decide when and where we stop and you can either suck it up or whine, whine, whine,” Sonic grumbled. “And that worked out for you earlier and it’s gonna work out for me now. So sit down and stop nagging me. We’ll be there in six hours. I think I have some warm coats in the storage, it’s cold there.”
Shadow finally went silent but Tails could feel the fury from where he lay, like the heat of the sun bearing through glass down at Tails. 

He didn’t want to leave his bed yet. He told himself it was because he was still tired; such a weird dream would make anyone restless. 

Tails knew he was actually just afraid of upsetting Shadow and Sonic more. 

Tails’ stomach betrayed him with a grumble and Tails groaned, curling in on himself.

“Kit,” Shadow called, his voice soft but still sharp with anger. “Laying around will not make you less hungry.”
Tails sat up and pushed the closet door open, crawling out of the nest of blankets he called a bed.

“Morning,” Shadow greeted, holding out a half peeled peach to the fox kit. Tails took it and sat down, using the small pocket knife they called a kitchen knife to finish peeling the peach.

Shadow didn’t bother peeling his own, crunching down on the flesh and pit and all. 

Sonic made a face at the sound, his body doing a full shudder, but he remained silent. Shadow cast a smug look his way, as if he knew exactly how irritated he’d just made Sonic.

“Shadow,” Tails said quietly, as if it would keep Sonic from hearing him in this small space. “The storage is next to the weapons. In case you don’t know.”
“I do know,” Shadow said, but ruffled Tails’ fur. “But thank you for telling me.”
He cast a meaningful but furious glare at Sonic, even though Sonic couldn’t see it from where he was looking. Shadow grumbled and stood up, shoving another peach into Tails’ hands.
“Make sure he eats,” Shadow said. Tails nodded and hopped up, hurrying to his brother figure’s side.

“Sorry we woke you up, little buddy,” Sonic greeted Tails as the younger approached, taking the peach from the kit. He bit into it like an apple, prying the pit out with his teeth.
“You don’t wake me,” Tails fibbed, not that Sonic believed him, merely just chuckling at him.
“You heard though, yeah? Six hours, dress warm,” Sonic said. Tails nodded.
“...Why didn’t you tell Shadow?” Tails asked. Sonic frowned, hands tensing on the controls, before he took a deep breath, exhaling. Tails tensed as well, only relaxing once Sonic had.
“Honestly? Just forgot to,” Sonic shrugged. “I’m used to traveling alone. Not good at keeping people up to date. You know that.”
Tails nodded. There were many times where Sonic only mentioned where they were going when they were landing. The older had been trying to be better about it but…

“Besides, what would telling him do? Make him complain ahead of time?” Sonic scoffed. “He thinks he knows so much better than me…”
Sonic sighed and shook his head, shooting a smile at Tails.
“Regardless, we should’ve been more considerate. Sleep is important for kits your age,” Sonic said. Sonic finished his peach, wiping the juice off his face with the back of his hand. He ruffled Tails’ fur, the fox kit leaning into the touch subconsciously. 

“I’m not a baby,” Tails said weakly. “Where are we going?”

“Holaska,” Sonic replied. “The entire planet isn’t so cold, I’ll have to take you to one of the islands one of these days… but I gotta meet someone who lives by the North Pole.”

“Can I meet them?” Tails asked.
“Maybe another time, bud,” Sonic sighed before nodding back to Tails’ closet. “But it’s related to… ya know.”
Tails frowned before brightening up. The box! Right!

“Want me to pull it out?” Tails asked.
“If you’re that bored,” Sonic shrugged. “We won’t be there for another couple of hours.”
Tails rushed back to his closet, pulling his bed apart. Sure enough, right by where he’d normally rest his head, there was the box.

Tails picked it up and hastily dropped it, Shadow and Sonic both snapping their heads towards him.
“It’s hot,” Tails said, shaking his slightly burnt hands. Shadow frowned and put down the various fluffy coats he was holding.

He picked up the box, turning it every which way.
“Feels fine to me,” Shadow muttered, confused. 

“Oh,” Tails frowned. “Sorry.”
Tails didn’t see the mildly concerned look both hedgehogs shared over their heads.

“Coming in for a bumpy landing!” Sonic warned, hastily adjusting the controls. “Damn, it’s a storm. Seems we’re landing at a bad time.”
He certainly wasn’t wrong, Tails can see the window getting absolutely pelted with snow as they came to the ground. Tails gripped the back of Sonic’s chair and Shadow crossed his arms, as if by sheer will he could stop himself from sliding around the ship.

The Star Tornado shook but held steady, as if such a thing could ever be in question. Tails had a feeling in his gut that if the Star Tornado ever crashed, the entire galaxy would crash in on itself.

Sonic held his breath and the ship stabilized even more, giving one final thump as it hit the ground.

“Here we are! Looks like more of a flurry now that we’re closer to the ground, thank goodness for that,” Sonic said, releasing the breath he was holding. “Everyone bundled up?”

“I feel like an overstuffed pillow,” Tails grumbled, swaddled in an oversized coat, fluff emerging from both the collar, the sleeves, and from the ends of the coat.
“Do you want to freeze to death?” Shadow asked, in a much better fitting coat, somehow making Shadow look actually cooler, which was unfair.
Tails shoot a glare up at him. 

The trio exited the ship, the lights of a city not even a stone throw away.
“Shouldn’t take long to talk to him,” Sonic reassured. He was wearing a coat as well but it was under his usual cloak, a thin black thing that didn’t look like it’d keep him much warm. Maybe he didn’t need to, what with that weird box tucked under his arm. “You guys want to come into town? You can’t go with me to meet with my guy but there’s some pretty nice local cafes!”
“No thanks,” Shadow huffed, crossing his arms. “Deal with your guy yourself.”
“I’ll stay with Shadow,” Tails nodded. “Be quick!”
“Don’t get lost in the flurry,” Sonic warned, turning to leave.
“We won’t,” Shadow huffed, turning to look down at Tails. “You do know what you staying with me means?”
“More training?” Tails looked up excitedly. Shadow frowned.
“Don’t look so happy about it,” Shadow huffed.
“But I wanna know how my powers work during snow!” Tails lamented. “I know it can happen in nature, it’s called thundersnow!”

“We’ll see then, I suppose,” Shadow nodded approvingly. Or Tails assumed it was something close to approval. Try as the darker hedgehog might, Tails could see the slight twitch of Shadow’s lips. “Let’s walk away from the ship in that case. Bad enough if you get hurt, Sonic will skin me if I touch his ship.”
“Do you know where he got it?” Tails asked, looking over at the Space Tornado. He hadn’t looked into it much. He did know it was a fairly old model.
“No,” Shadow said. “He’s just always had it. …In my mind, he and it came from the same place, where ever that is.”
Tails hummed and nodded. It fit with Tails’ own perception of Sonic Star, to imagine him coming into being already on the Star Tornado .
“Now, let’s get started,” Shadow snapped his fingers, pulling Tails’ attention to him. “Call some lightning to yourself.”
Tails nodded and turned, pointing at some random point in the white expanse around them.

It felt like pulling on the sleeves of a coat, yanking for the power he knew he had access to, he just needed… permission. Permission, yeah, that sounded right.

It resisted, at first, not fully willing to listen to a whimpering child but Tails was persistent.

The lightning struck, melting the snow in that spot. Tails let out a breath and grinned, turning to Shadow.

The hedgehog nodded, arms crossed. He had a thoughtful look on his face.
“Good,” Shadow said. “Now that we know you’re armed, let’s try something new.”

“Huh?” Tails asked before yelping as Shadow held out an arm, a fiery sword bursting to life in it.
“We’ve encountered other Spark users,” Shadow said. “I’m not so foolish as to believe that we won’t meet them again. You have to be prepared to fight someone like this.”
“But they don’t have fire!” Tails protested, taking a step back.

“True,” Shadow nodded. “But you’ll be facing someone who will turn nature against you. Someone who learned to fight in the same way and same place I have had. Do you want to be caught unaware?”
“No,” Tails admitted. “You… you won’t actually burn me, will you? I can’t heal like you.”
Shadow’s eyes softened at Tails’ fear before hardening once more.
“I can’t make any promises,” was all Shadow said as he charged at Tails.

The fox kit squeaked, reaching for his gun. He had to drop and roll as Shadow came at him, using his smaller size to avoid Shadow’s flames. 

As he stood up, he finally pulled his gun free. Shadow charged at him, like a dark demon charging at him.
“They won’t give you time to aim,” Shadow said. “Or to charge. You have to be faster!”

I’m trying!” Tails cried, finally firing, Shadow skidding to a stop to dodge the blast before picking back up speed.
“And don’t stand still,” Shadow’s voice echoed in Tails’ ear before the kit reeled back, sweeping Shadow’s legs out from under him with his tails. “Good. Your Spark is a part of your body too. A leg, an arm, a tail- use it.”

Tails nodded, jumping back as Shadow jumped to his feet. Shadow opened his hands, flames appearing in his hands. 

He tossed them at Tails, the fox kit dancing like a monkey to avoid them. 

“Try and hit me,” Shadow said. “Electricity is a powerful tool, you know this. One shock is all that’s necessary to paralyze your foe.”
“But I don’t wanna hurt you!” Tails cried.
“A mercy you can only extend to me,” Shadow said. “So pretend I am someone else!”
A wave of flames span in a fan like motion around Shadow, sweeping towards Tails. The fox kit ducked, pushing his fur down out of the way.

Pretend Shadow’s someone else, pretend Shadow’s someone else-

Tails stayed moving once he could get up, darting and dashing around Shadow, if he stayed moving, he could be hit, right?
He aimed as he moved, struggling to keep his arms steady as he moved and as Shadow moved.

He pulled the electricity early, allowing it to coil in his chest like an oversize snake, 

almost giving himself a tummy ache. 

Shadow threw himself at Tails, all flames and teeth, time slowing to a crawl as Tails realized that he was leaping at Tails, practically about to tackle him.

And yet, the motion gave Tails the perfect opening. He pointed and aimed, a sense of calm, of familiarity settled over him, tranquility in the face of success.

Tails fired and the electricity hit Shadow square in the chest. 

Shadow was thrown back from his pounce by Tails’ shot, landing backwards in the snow. Tails blinked, the calmness leaving, before exclaiming.
“Shadow!” Tails cried out, running to the older’s side. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean-”

Shadow raised a single hand from where he lay in the snow, slowly sitting up.

The front of his jacket had a blatant burnt mark on the chest but he seemed mostly unharmed, rubbing his face.

“You did good,” Shadow said appraisingly, sounding genuinely proud. Tails smiled. He didn’t expect Shadow to yank his gun out of his hand and throw it away. “Now do it again.”

Tails scrambled to his feet, away from the reigniting Shadow, tails twisting to give him a boost away. 

Shadow was up and hotter than before, flames encircling Tails, keeping him from retrieving his gun or fleeing. 

How was Tails supposed to fight without a weapon?! 

Tails cried out as flames licked at his heels only to feel them pull away.

“You might not have times to remove your gun, you might be disarmed. You must be ready,” Shadow insisted. “Hit me again.”
Tails shrieked in response wordlessly, tossing his arms to block the attack.

The attack did not hit Tails, thankfully, and Shadow let out a bark of a laugh, surprised.

Tails’ eyes opened, seeing he had stopped Shadow’s blade… with one of his own.

It was nothing fancy, barely the shape of a sword, but it was something.

Tails pushed Shadow back and his weapon vanished in his hands, Tails dropping to his knees, panting.

He felt the slightest bit of heat against his neck and looked up, Shadow standing above him, flaming sword to his neck.

“Boom, you’re dead,” Shadow deadpanned. Tails sighed and Shadow waved his weapon away. “But, still, impressive that you could copy me, when it’s clearly not a form you’re comfortable with.”

“I just… I tried to think about what you would do, if someone came at you like that,” Tails huffed. “But it… it was harder to do than just blasting…?”

“Because you’re forcing energy into an unnatural form, a form it’s not really supposed to take,” Shadow explained, kneeling down in front of the kit. “Let me see your hands.”
“My…?” Tails held up his palms and Shadow peeled off the gloves. Tails winced as Shadow did so, a jolt of pain surprising him.
His hands were singed, angry red lines across them. Tails blinked, surprised.
“Hm,” Shadow nodded. “Until you have better control, don’t do that again. You have to establish a distance between your actual body and your weapon. Otherwise, your Spark can and will hurt you. If you hold too tight…”

Shadow waved his hand, the hand that had been burnt. It was fully healed, looking as if it had never been burnt, but Tails grimaced at the reminder of the pulsing red hand Shadow had had. Tails didn’t have whatever bullshit Shadow did. 

“Got it,” Tails nodded, looking up. “I’ll do better next time.”
Shadow nodded, standing up. Tails slipped his gloves back on, biting his lip to hide the winces. His hands ached but not too badly. 

In fact…

“Okay,” Tails said seriously, standing up. “It’s your turn, Shadow.”
“My turn?” the darker hedgehog repeated, not looking at Tails. His eyes were on the town, a frown on his face. The fox kit nodded.

“Yup,” Tails nodded. “Have to make sure you stay sharp too, ya know?”
Shadow snorted and crossed his arms.

“And how do you plan to do that?” Shadow asked. Shadow jolted as a cold ball hit his back, like an oversized snowflake. 

He turned around slowly, Tails frozen in place, a snowball in one hand.

“So,” Shadow said coldly. “Is that how you wanna play it?”
Tails suddenly had the notion he had made a very serious mistake.
“Um,” Tails said dumbly. Shadow chuckled, making Tails shiver and not just from the cold.

“Don’t start a war you can’t win, kit,” Shadow said before reaching down, packing a snowball.

Tails shrieked with laughter, turning and running from Shadow. 

It had been years since Sonic had spoken to this guy. 

Sonic had worried at first that it would make reaching him awkward but it seemed good ol’ Professor Pickles was used to long periods of silence before being contacted for a favor. 

It made sense, considering…

Sonic adjusted the box under his arm and rapped against the wooden door, the only pine wood door in town. Sonic knew the professor was home, it’s not like the professor went anywhere else. 

The door opened and a young man stood in the entrance, wearing a bowtie and a green suit. 

“I’m sorry, sir, the Professor isn’t seeing anyone today-” the man started but Sonic elbowed his way past, the guy folding like a wet piece of paper.

“I’ve got an appointment, don’t worry,” Sonic reassured, the man following with fretting hands.

“Please, sir, we-” the man started. 

“Oh, let him in, Cucumis,” an older man’s voice came from within the well lit and well furnished house. “He’s the one I was planning to speak to today.”
“Hey, Prof!” Sonic called out, grateful his voice didn’t show what little nerves he had. “Long time no see!”
“Ah, Sonic!” the man greeted as Sonic entered the library. “Glad you still know your way around.”
“Well, you know me,” Sonic tapped his skull as he approached the desk the man sat at, his eyes unseen from under his thick eyebrows. “Memory like a steel trap.”

The professor looked like a king; age was his crown, his wide book collection his throne.

His thin face lit up with a smile, a polite one, the only smile Sonic thought the man was capable of.

There was a pot of tea at his desk, heat coming off of it, a single empty cup waiting to be filled. A plate was at the other side, carefully cut sandwiches with fresh cucumber in them. 

“Business is still good, yeah?” Sonic said at the sight of them.
“Business will always be good, as long as information is valued,” the old man said, motioning for his assistant to procure another cup. “Cucumber sandwich?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Sonic plucked one up, popping it into his mouth. The juicness of the cucumber paired well with the salt of the butter, while the crunch of the cucumber contrasted the softness of the crustless bread. “Perfect as always, Prof!”

A second cup arrived and the assistant poured the two cups full of tea, the professor reaching over and immediately adding just a pinch of honey.
“Have a seat,” the professor offered and Sonic accepted, sitting down. He turned his eyes up to the assistant. “Make sure we are not to be disturbed.”
“Of course, Professor,” the assistant agreed hastily before scurrying out of the room, the door shutting with a click behind him.

Alone now, the professor pushed the bowl of sugar cubes over to Sonic and Sonic placed the box down on the desk.
While Sonic counted sugar cubes out, dropping them one by one into his steaming hot tea, Professor Pickle opened the box, his eyebrow lifting nearly off his face.

“Oh, Sonic,” the professor said, horror filling his voice. Sonic paused. He’d never heard the man sound anything more than distantly polite. “Oh, my dear boy, what have you done now?”
“...How screwed am I?” Sonic asked.
“It depends,” the man sighed, reaching in and pulling out the dish, the flame still as strong as it had been when Sonic retrieved it. “Who knows you have this?”
“The Duchess of Soleanna and the Ovum Empire,” Sonic answered. “One was the clint, the other, the guy I robbed.”

The man hummed, staring into the flame, the flickering light making his face seem almost more aged and whited out. 

“These are the flames of Solaris, also known as the Flames of Hope or…” Professor Pickle looked up at Sonic, his face solmen. “The Flames of Disaster.”
“I thought Solaris was their sun god,” Sonic sat up, frowning. “Is this, what, a part of the sun?”
“Oh, no,” Professor Pickle shook his head. “Their star is the same as any other; a giant hot ball of gas. But this… it is believed to be the one true fragment of the god Solaris, revealing his nature of flame.”
“Whoa,” Sonic frowned. “How come it doesn’t give off any height?” 

“It’s not true fire, if I understood the report clearly,” Professor Pickle said. “But a single flickering flame of time. If you felt heat from it, it meant you saw into time itself. One researcher saw his own demise, months before it happened.”

“I haven’t seen anything like that,” Sonic said, leaning forward.
“It’s believed to be selective with who sees its visions,” Professor Pickle informed him, gesturing to the flame. “What criteria must be filled is uncertain but considering the finicky nature of Solaris, I doubt it is a kind criteria.”

“Good to know,” Sonic glared at the flame. Hadn’t Tails burned himself on the box this morning? He really hoped that the flames were testing and not… not selecting. If Tails was having visions of the future, he’d tell Sonic, right?

Right, yeah. The kid couldn’t keep a secret to save his life.

“Why the hell would the Empire want it then? Sounds like a pretty shitty tool to me,” Sonic grumbled.
“Who's to say?” Professor Pickle shrugged. “The Empire’s attention is divided and strange, what with its many rulers. Perhaps they sought to make a weapon of it. I can’t say for certain.”

“Hm,” Sonic hummed. “Probably safe to return it to Soleanna then, yeah?”

“I would hope so, for their sake,” Professor Pickle shrugged again. “Solaris is not a forgiving god, to incur their wrath is to hold it forever. Few forces have swayed them to mercy.”

“Hope they decide to give the Ovum Empire some trouble then,” Sonic huffed. “Anything else I need to know about?”
“Be careful of who knows you have it,” Professor Pickled warned. “To see through time, well, that’s something of great interest. The flame itself should be harmless, so far from its planet and sun.”
“Wait, I thought you said the sun wasn’t involved in this,” Sonic frowned.
“It’s a god of fire,” Professor Pickle said. “If it couldn’t use the sun to invoke its wrath, I would be shocked.”

Sonic shuddered, imagining trying to flee or fight a sun.
“Point taken,” Sonic said. 

The professor carefully placed the flame back into the box, shutting the unnatural light out with a click. 

“Peachy,” Sonic grumbled, taking a sip of his far too sweet tea. “Can always count on the Empire to fuck around with gods, huh?”
“Indeed,” Professor Pickle sighed. He took a sip of his own tea. “Meddling in the affairs of gods, I doubt even their own chosen deity would approve.”

“Wonder if she bad mouths her own followers to the other gods,” Sonic chuckled.
“I doubt the gods speak to each other,” Professor Pickle said. 

There was a rumble and the two looked outside to see the cause of the sound.

The mountains were distant but close, close enough for Sonic to shift uncomfortably as the snow came down.
“An avalanche,” Professor Pickle acknowledged.
“It won’t hit us, yeah?” Sonic said, already calculating this distance between him and his ship.
“Oh, no, it’s too far,” the professor reassured. “We’d have to be just a fair bit closer in order to deal with that.”
“Hm,” Sonic didn’t relax. After all, Tails and Shadow were out there. Surely they wouldn’t have been caught but, well, a guy can’t help but worry.
The blue hedgehog stood up, setting down his unfinished tea, scooping up the box.
“Well, I better go, the sooner we return the god chunk, the better,” Sonic said with a smile. “Thanks for the info, Prof.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” the professor said with a smile in return. “I have missed exciting company.”
“Sure thing,” Sonic fibbed.

Tails shrieked with laughter, running from Shadow, snowballs tossing after him, hurled after him. 

Shadow followed with a sharp grin, amused by Tails’ faux terror. Shadow wasn’t chasing that hard, wasn’t truly hunting Tails in the way he knew he was capable of.

Tails wasn’t fleeing that hard either, feet firmly on the ground, tails a extension of Tails’ own amusement, not of his escape or fear. 

Tails turned and threw a hastily made snowball back, laughing. Shadow allowed it to hit him, breaking to small pieces on Shadow’s chest.

They’ve strayed as they walked, farther and farther from the Star Tornado , the shadows of the mountains above growing over them.

The storm is mostly gone now, faded to nothing but cold wisps against Shadow’s face, melting upon contact. 

Tails threw another snowball and Shadow threw one back, a sharp laugh escaping him.

And then there’s a rumble. 

Shadow froze.

He looked up, up, up. 

Snow.

No, worse.

Avalanche. 

It’s fast, Shadow has always heard about how fast an avalanche can hit you but it’s still surprising how fast, still surprising how quickly Shadow recognizes the snow will consume them if they don’t-
“Move!” Shadow cried out, reaching out and scruffing the fox kit, turning and running.

He knows he won’t be fast enough but he’s not brave enough to just stand there and let him and Tails be buried.

Shadow felt the snow brush against his quills and dropped, pulling Tails to his chest, conjuring flame to his back.

The weight of the snow covering Shadow nearly knocks the air out of his lungs but he held Tails tight, hoping his flames will spare the both of them.

He knew it wouldn’t.

The avalanche keeps coming and coming. 

Shadow doesn’t feel relief when it stops. Tails trembled in Shadow’s arms, no doubt aware of the situation they were in.
“Shadow?” he called out anxiously, his voice carrying in the small space Shadow had made. “Are… are you…?”
“Breathe slowly,” Shadow warned, allowing his flames to dim. His back ached but he ignored it. He has bigger problems. “We have limited air here.”
Tails stilled and then curled up tighter against Shadow. 

“Maybe I can dig us out?” Tails asked.
“No, it’ll be solid by now,” Shadow said. “We can only hope Sonic finds us, somehow.”
Shadow wasn’t sure how Sonic would find them. If he could find them. He’d try using his Spark, maybe melt his way through, but in this small of a space, with Tails right there- too risky. Far too risky.

But how the hell is Sonic gonna find them? 

“Tails,” Shadow said. “Talk to me.”
“Um, okay,” Tails squirmed slightly. “About what?”

It’s difficult to breathe under the snow but Tails forced himself to remain calm, to breathe in and out, slowly, slowly, he didn’t know how long they’d be stuck down here. He didn’t dare ask.

“Anything,” Shadow said in response to his question and Tails focused on anything but the breathlessness in Shadow’s voice. “Just talk.”
The fox kit’s mind jumped from topic to topic, struggling to latch onto anything, not with the panic he can feel creeping up on him. Creeping, creeping, he hated how he can feel it.

So he clung to what he normally did when he was scared.

“I got sick the first time I was in space,” Tails gasped out, as if he had been holding his breath. “Sonic told me it was probably because it was my first ever flight and having an empty stomach made it worse.”

Shadow hummed, a vibration in his chest that helped ground Tails. 

“He made me dinner and made me take a bath. I mean, it was just a box of lukewarm water he put on top of a towel but it was the cleanest I’d ever been,” Tails went on. “And the fullest too, once I ate. I asked him if he was my dad now.”
Shadow snorted at that, amused. 

“He said that he could be my big brother, if I wanted, that he was too young to be a dad,” Tails said. He frowned. “How old is he anyway?”
“He’s twenty-three, usually,” Shadow answered. “He lies as easily as he breathes. Age is just one more thing to lie about.”

“How old are you?” Tails asked.
“Twenty-two,” Shadow said. “Usually.”

Tails snorted, amused. 

It was cold. Really, really cold, even though Shadow is unnaturally warm, that fire he had within him trying to keep the both of them alive.

“Are we gonna die?” Tails asked distantly.
“No,” Shadow responded automatically. “No. Sonic will find you. Brothers… brothers can do that.”
“Really?” Tails sighed, closing his eyes. “How do you know?”
“Because I used to be a brother,” Shadow admitted, quietly, barely audible. “And I made sure she never stayed lost for long.”
Tails looked up at Shadow, his face resolute. With an expression like that, Tails could see how Shadow was a good brother. 

Tails wanted to be like that.
“Keep talking,” Shadow said.
“Oh, uh, right!” Tails said. “Uh, the first planet I ever visited besides my own was this weird desert planet with way too many snakes. I hate snakes, they’re weird. No arms-”

The snow above them moved and Tails subconsciously flinched into Shadow, burying his face in the small patch of white exposed fur. 

“Sonic?” Shadow called out, recognizing the hedgehog without even seeing him. Tails suppressed a grumble at the thought.
“Shadow!” Sonic’s muffled voice was both relieved and panicked. “Is… is Tails with you?”
“I’m here!” Tails called out.
“Oh, thank…” Sonic let out a sigh. “Sit tight, I’m gonna dig you out!”

“How did you find us?” Shadow said, surprised.
“I’ve been looking for you guys for the last twenty minutes! The snow was less solid here, figured it could be you,” Sonic answered and his voice comes in clear.

Shadow sat up in the snow, Tails still clutched to his chest, the two taking in a breath of fresh air. 

Sonic practically snatched Tails from Shadow’s hold, cradling the fox to him.
“You guys were down there for twenty minutes,” Sonic answered Shadow’s question before he could even ask. He looked up at Shadow, giving a long and careful look, trying to find something. Tauks wasn’t sure what. “You’re both freezing- c’mon, I’m sure my guy won’t mind you stealing the bathroom.”
“Is that wise?” Shadow said as Sonic stood and yanked Shadow to his feet. The darker hissed, nearly toppling over. Sonic forced him to lean against him.
“Just don’t ask him any stupid questions,” Sonic snorted. “You can do that, right?”

“Can we also eat?” Tails shuddered. “I’m hungry.”
“My guy would be more than happy to feed us,” Sonic reassured, slowly walking back to town with the other two clinging to him. “Hope you guys like cucumber.”

The water is warm, not painfully so, just… warm. It soothed the bruises the cascading snow had left, it soothed the slight burn from where he kept him and Tails warm, soothed a bruise that was more internal than external.

It’s been years since he was in warm water. Since he took a bath. 

It required vulnerability, it required energy to prepare, it was not necessary, so why would Shadow do that?

“Sonic!” Tails whined, trying half heartedly to try and escape the older hedgehog’s hold. “Stop!”
“Nope,” Sonic replied, kneeling on the floor next to the tub Tails was in, hands buried in the fox kit’s fur. “My little brother is gonna be the cleanest little fox in the whole system.”
“Didn’t you clean me like a week ago?” Tails grumbled. Sonic grimaced.
“Buddy, kids are supposed to clean themselves more often than that,” Sonic said. “Can’t do it as much as we should so I’m making sure you’re extra clean when I can.”
Sonic paused, something seeming to come to mind.
“Hey, buddy?” Sonic said, his voice seemingly causal in a falseness the kit wasn’t yet trained to catch. “You’ve been messing with that box lately, yeah?”
“Hm?” Tails said in affirmation. 

“Have you noticed anything weird about it?” Sonic asked.
“Weird?” Tails repeated. “Besides it burning only me?”
“Yeah,” Sonic said. “Besides that.”
The fox kit went silent, frowning, thinking hard.
“No,” he finally said. “Nothing weird.”

Sonic let out a sigh of relief.
“Okay,” he said, looking away. “Good. now, turn around, I need to get the back of your head.”

And then he scrubbed harder into Tails’ fur, practically massaging the kit’s head. Tails resumed his childish grumbling but didn’t fight back.
Shadow watched quietly, submerged in the warm water of his own bathtub. Shadow’s chest felt warm, probably from the bath, while Sonic brushed Tails’ long fur out with his fingers. 

Tails’ back is to Sonic so he can’t see the mixture of concern and relief in Sonic’s gaze, can’t see how Sonic’s fingers shake as he brushes through Tails’ fur.

Shadow remained quiet. Sonic was not one for weakness, not anymore than Shadow was.

Sonic Star was a liar, a thief, he was a man who would leave you in the dust if suited him or kill you if you were inconvenient. 

But, oh, he was also a protective brother. A good brother. 

Shadow is no stranger to being two-faced, to reserving the kindest version of yourself for those you love, but it feels… threatening to think of Sonic having one.

To think of Sonic as anything more than the menace he presented himself as. Sonic was a problem. A problem Shadow would not be rid of anytime soon.

Shadow looked away, submerging himself even more into the water.

It was more dangerous than any weapon in Sonic’s arsenal and Sonic didn’t even know it.

If he showed more people this tender care he had for Tails, how many would fall for his charms? How many would relax, would trust Sonic enough to allow him to pull his trusty blaster on them? Yes, a threat, a danger. Shadow had to remember what Sonic was. What he was capable of.

Shadow just had to remember that.
“Want me to get your quills, Shadow?” Sonic asked, looking up from Tails’ fur.
“Touch me and I’ll bite you,” Shadow responded sharply.
“Oh, don’t tempt me,” Sonic laughed but thankfully staying away from Shadow. “Once you guys are done, we’ve got some hot soup. Doesn’t taste half bad!”
“It doesn’t have tomatoes in it, does it?” Tails grimaced childishly.
“No, I remember you hate those,” Sonic reassured. “Told ‘em to leave them out.”

Tails beamed and scrambled out of the bathtub.
“Then let’s eat!” he said eagerly. Sonic hastily got up, snatching up a towel.
“Hey, don’t go running around with wet fur, you’re gonna get sick! It’s still cold out!” Sonic called out, chasing after him, leaving Shadow alone.

Shadow closed his eyes and fully relaxed in his bath, uncurling from the ball he had been, tail flopping over the lip of the tub.

He only opened his eyes again when he heard footsteps approaching, Sonic standing over him.
“Hey,” Sonic said. “Thanks for looking out for Tails.”
“Wouldn’t be much of a teacher if I just left him for dead,” Shadow retorted.
“Still,” Sonic snorted. He smiled, something soft and sweet, something that Tails should be seeing, not Shadow. “Can’t I be glad someone else is keeping an eye on him?”
A silence lapsed there.

“You gonna come and eat?” Sonic asked. 

“In a minute,” Shadow responded.
“Okay,” Sonic nodded and turned to leave Shadow alone. “We’ll keep the pot warm for you.”

Shadow hummed in thanks, looking away. 

He had to get out of here. He had to. He just wondered what he would do about Tails. 

The fox kit needed a teacher, he had such promise, nearly as much as Shadow had had at his age.

But the fox kit was reluctant to let go of Sonic and, unless Sonic was faking his care, Sonic would be just as reluctant.

Shadow glared at the wall.

And if he took Tails with him, they would never see each other again. Sonic’s visits had gotten Shadow discovered, now actively being hunted by members of his old order. Having Sonic visit was a risk Shadow would no longer accept.

The hedgehog invited trouble wherever he went.

However, he didn’t imagine Sonic letting Tails go without a fuss. He had tried, not very hard admittedly, to get Sonic to do so in the beginning, what with his insisting Sonic not stick around for the teaching.

How would he convince Sonic to let go of Tails? Could he?

And could Shadow truly do such a thing to Tails?
How could Shadow look Tails in the eye, teach him anything, knowing he’d willfully separated him from the most important person in his life?
Shadow could feel his claws digging into the tub’s walls and he forced himself to relax. 

He tried to will up… some emotion that could lead to him going through with this.

Anger; hadn’t Sonic done the same to him? Wouldn’t it be fair? 

Sonic hadn’t meant to. Maria’s death was simply and solely Shadow’s own fault and he had known that even in those early days where he raged at everyone within arms’ reach.

Concern; Tails would be safe with Shadow, safer than if he was with Sonic, safer from Sonic’s enemies and from his own budding abilities. 

Except Shadow was not safer than Sonic, was he? Fuck. especially now that the Empire had confirmation of his survival. Getting away would require laying low. Could he successfully do so with a volatile child?

Shadow didn’t think so.

Tails needed a teacher. Tails needed Sonic. Shadow needed to hide. Sonic was a free agent.

Shadow groaned and moved to exit the tub.

How was he supposed to work with these contradictions?

Still toweling down his quills, he exited the bathroom, joining the other two.

Tails was scarfing down a bowl, Sonic listlessly poking at the soup, simply watching Tails. They both looked up as Shadow sat down next to them, tossing his towel away.

“Clothes are drying on the heater,” Sonic explained, motioning back to where Shadow’s coat was resting. “Should be done soon.”
“Hm,” Shadow nodded, accepting a bowl from Tails.

The flavor was rich, like beef, while chunks of carrot, cucumber, and squash filled Shadow’s mouth. He chewed thoughtfully before swallowing. 

“Good, right?” Tails grinned.
“Very,” Shadow agreed. He continued eating, enjoying the warm meal.

“Wow, your tail is so cool!” Tails exclaimed and Shadow glanced behind him to see the long, thin appendage wrapped around Tails’ own fluffy ones. 

He flushed, yanking the limb back into his own space.
“Shadow, are you part lizard?” Tails asked, tilting his head. Sonic winced and flicked Tails’ head. “Ow, hey!”
“Ya can’t just ask people stuff like that,” Sonic scolded, as if Shadow was not the only one in the world who could be asked things like that. “Where’s your manners, huh?”
“I’m just curious!” Tails defended himself.
“Not exactly,” Shadow answered. “But close.”
Tails blinked, turning and looking at Shadow, but that was all Shadow would say about that, downing his own soup quickly.
“You should let your tail out more,” Tails said. “It’s cool.”
“People see it as a bad omen,” Shadow said. “Much like yours. People don’t take people like us kindly.”
Tails’ ears went flat against his head and his gaze lowered. Shadow winced. Too harsh, huh?
Sonic deadpanned at Shadow, the darker one tossing a carrot piece at him in self defense.
“For what it’s worth,” Sonic spoke up. “If anyone gives you any trouble, I’ll kill ‘em for ya.”
Tails laughed, surprised and amused by the causal threat. Shadow knew better.
“I can kill them myself,” Shadow reminded.
“True that,” Sonic agreed with a smile. 

“We should probably leave as soon as our clothes are dry,” Shadow said. “We still have a way to go.”
“How far away are we?” Tails asked.
“Well, in simple terms, which are the only terms I know, two weeks flight, assuming we don’t have any interruptions or get lost or anything,” Sonic said. “Want to get this done as soon as possible. The quicker we get rid of our cargo, the better.”
“Eager, are we?” Shadow raised an eyebrow.
“More than ever now,” Sonic said, explaining nothing. Shadow frowned. Whatever. He’d needle the answers out of Sonic eventually. 

Full and dressed, the group moved to head out.
“Don’t you need to say goodbye to your guy?” Tails said, squirming as Sonic shoved him back into that big fluffy coat. 

“Already did,” Sonic reassured lightly.
“Not close to him, are you?” Shadow asked.
“I used to be,” Sonic answered but did not elaborate. 

The trio stepped out of the small guesthouse, Sonic locking the door behind him, slipping the key under the mat.

“So it is true,” a quiet and unknown voice hissed out, both hedgehogs stiffening at the tone of it.

Shadow forced Tails behind him as they turned, Sonic drawing his gun.

Facing them was a tawny wolf, her face obscured by a bizarre mask. It did nothing to hide the shake in her hands as she aimed her own sniper rifle at them, no, at Shadow.

Shadow bared his teeth as Sonic stepped in between him and the stranger.
“Whisper, right?” Sonic said, his voice confident and controlled. “You don’t wanna do this.”
“No,” the wolf, Whisper, said back, her voice revealing her tremors not to be fear but to be rage. “I really think I do.” 

Chapter Text

There’s something about this wolf, Whisper, that tickles Shadow’s brain and not necessarily in a good way.

Her face is not visible, the single eye on her mask reflecting the group, reflecting the simulacrum grin on Sonic’s face as he aimed his own weapon back at her. 

Shadow pushed Tails further behind him, despite the fox kit wriggling to see what the matter was. 

“I’m telling ya, Whisper, walk away,” Sonic said, his smile not even twitching. “This doesn’t have to get messy.”
“It’s too late for that,” Whisper’s eyes weren’t visible but Shadow could feel them on him, her gaze like a tack pinning him in place. “Do you know what that monster’s done?”

What have I done? Shadow asked himself. Honestly, it would be easier to figure out what he hadn’t done.

Sonic said nothing in response, a stalwart defender with a cheshire grin.

Whisper was just as stationary, not budging an inch. 

At this rate, this was going to become a shoot out.
“What have I done?” Shadow called out. 

Whisper scoffed, her voice a mixture of amusement, hurt, and anger. 

“You don’t remember?” Whisper asked. “No, I suppose you wouldn’t. I’m sure we didn’t register as anything more than a job to you.”
Shadow frowned but stayed quiet.

“We were called the Diamond Cutters, a mercenary group but more importantly, they were my family,” Whisper said. “And you came in, you and your stupid partner-”
Shadow’s hackles raised but he forced himself to stay quiet, biting his tongue. Defending Maria was not an option, at the moment.

“One of our own sold us out,” Whisper said. “We went to dismantle a weapons plant and you two were there.”

Shadow blinked. A weapon plant… a mercenary group… that… that actually sounded familiar.

“You slaughtered us,” Whisper snapped. “Mercilessly. I can still smell their burning corpses, I can still see those thorny vines…”
Oh. Yeah. Shadow remembered now.

He felt a heat in his chest, as if someone had dropped a piece of dry ice down his throat. Shadow looked away now, his feet feeling like lead.

Sonic glanced back at him, frowning.

“Look at me. You didn’t have any problem doing so, when I was the only one you left alive,” Whisper snapped, her voice still quiet.

“That’s not true,” Shadow said.
“What?”
“That’s not true,” Shadow sighed, looking up. “We were ordered to spare your infiltrator, considering he was the one who turned you over to us.”

Whisper now turned to ice herself, frozen in mid-threat. 

“Mimic was… he was the one who sold us out? He’s alive?” Whisper said, her voice a mixture of disbelief and horror. 

“If that was his name, yes,” Shadow nodded. “He came to the Empire, seeking ‘absolution’ and was told he’d receive it upon turning in your Diamond Cutters. He didn’t even hesitate.”
Whisper said nothing, her body entirely still, just another clump of ice or snow in this winter wonderland.

“He didn’t just turn you and your fellows in, if that gives you any comfort,” Shadow said. “He pulled the Empire’s attention to many organizations like yours.”

That seemed like the final straw for poor Whisper, considering she let out a howl of pure agony and started firing on the group.

Shadow hissed and moved out of the way, scooping up Tails as he went. Sonic ducked for cover behind a barren flowerpot, firing back at Whisper.

Shadow took cover behind the wall of a house, eyeing the scorch marks left on the walls from Whisper’s onslaught.

After a moment, Sonic dashed their way, the trio hiding behind a house far too expensive to be lived in. 

“Good job, Shads,” Sonic snarked, running his hand down his face. “I totally wanted Whisper to be even more hostile and angry, you’re a genius!”
“She deserved to know,” Shadow argued.

“Whatever. But I do believe it’s time we make our exit,” Sonic sighed, placing a protective hand on Tails’ head. “I’ll give you guys cover fire, get to the ship.”

“We can’t leave you,” Tails cried in protest, clinging to Sonic’s hand as he started to pull away.
“It’ll be real quick,” Sonic reassured. “I’ll be right behind you. Shadow?”
“Ready,” Shadow nodded, picking up Tails again.

Sonic nodded back and peeked over, firing back on Whisper.

In a black and red flash, Shadow kicked into gear, snow melting under his shoes as he ran out of town on his air shoes.

Shadow heard Whisper curse loudly as Shadow dashed back but the wolf was unable to redirect. Sonic was really good at annoying people. Shadow should know.

 He forces the door open, tossing the fox kit into the ship, glancing behind him.

Just as he does so, Sonic dashed past, a blink and he’s in, already at the cockpit.

“Did you lose her?” Shadow asked, backing away from the closing door. 

“Whisper? The Guardian Angel of the Battlefield? The best mercenary in at least three quadrants?” Sonic scoffed. “Not for long.”
That was the Guardian Angel of the Battlefield? Shadow had made an enemy of her? 

Shadow groaned, burying his head in his hands.
“Peachy,” Shadow snarled, in response to Sonic and to his own thoughts. “Just wonderful.”

“The who of the what?” Tails asked and Shadow hissed, turning to Sonic.
“Do you teach this child anything?!” Shadow snapped at the blue hedgehog.
“Hey!” Tails protested weakly, ears sinking.
“Taught him how to cook, how to sew, and how to fire a gun,” Sonic replied, the ship shaking as the Star Tornado rose into the sky. “But, no, Shadow, I didn’t teach him about every gun wielding maniac that lives!”
“The Guardian Angel of the Battlefield is a mysterious figure who shows up where the Empire is heavily involved, usually targeting higher up and usually untouchable officers of the Ovum Empire. She’s saved countless lives and ended even more,” Shadow explained to Tails. “And now she’s after me. I might as well walk out into open space without a suit.”

“I heard her gun was a custom model wispon,” Sonic wondered out loud, oh so very helpfully. “That she has a team of wisps that follow her and power it.”
“Would fit with the variety of damage said weapon is capable of,” Shadow grumbled. “At least I’ll have some variety about how I perish.”
“Hey, you’re not dying,” Sonic said. “So stop moping, okay?”
Shadow frowned and looked at Sonic.

The blue hedgehog’s back was to him, full focus on navigating off the planet and into the wider breaches of space.

Sonic knew that Whisper hadn’t been bluffing. Perhaps he hadn’t been there to see that exact moment but Sonic knew, better than almost anyone but Rouge, how monstrous Shadow truly could be, truly was.

There hadn’t been many moments, since Shadow left that life behind, where he’d been confronted by it, he’d made sure of it. He’d never been confronted by a victim.

To be fair, his work hadn’t left many victims alive to confront. He had never thought what he would do if confronted by one.

He wondered if Sonic had, considering how quickly he’d acted, or had Sonic been acting out of panic, much like Shadow himself had been?

Did Sonic really intend to protect him from the Guardian Angel of the Battlefield’s justice? Did Shadow really intend to run?

A tiny paw grabbed ahold of Shadow’s, startling Shadow out of his thoughts.
“Don’t worry,” Tails said and smiled, clearly trying to mimic his older brother’s bravado. “We won’t let her hurt you.”

Shadow blinked and sighed, looking away.

Maybe, if Whisper had found him earlier, Shadow would have given her his life, maybe. But as things were, he couldn’t die. Not with Tails relaying on him. 

If not for Shadow, who would teach him? Chances were the child would just electrocute himself to death.

“I know,” Shadow said to Tails. “I’m not worried.”
Tails smiled, a real smile of his own, not a mimicry of Sonic’s facade, and Shadow smiled back. 

“We got incoming!” Sonic called out, bursting the fragile bubble around them. Somehow, Shadow wasn’t surprised. Shadow let go of Tails and walked over to Sonic, peering over his shoulder.
“Is it Whisper?” Shadow asked.
“No, looks like it’s… shit!” Sonic cursed, his brow furrowing as he got a closer look at their pursuers. 

The ship lurched as they hastily dodged, allowing Shadow an eyeball of the ship as he gripped the back of a chair to stay in place.

That was a Shell Cracker, an Empire ship, but what was it doing here? Those were usually used for grounding much larger ships than the Star Tornado. On a ship this size, it would-

Would-

“Don’t let it touch you!” Shadow snapped out, pulling Tails closer to him as Sonic avoided the arrow shaped ship, a quick and nimble thing, made to tear through large ships just enough to damage them but leave possible prisoners alive for the taking. They usually didn’t travel alone but they also usually were used on ships with crews of hundreds or thousands. 

“What the hell do you think I’m doing?!” Sonic snapped back. “They’re not exactly making it easy!”

It was those other spark users, Surge and Kitsunami, Shadow could feel it in his gut. 

The radar beeped and Sonic smacked it with a glare.
“Wonderful,” he hissed, teeth bared. “Why not invite Nack the Weasel while we’re at it?!” 

“What?” Tails cried out, confused.
“Whisper has a ship and she’s caught up,” Sonic said quickly, making the ship twirl out of danger yet again.

Tails frowned, eyes following the dots on the radar before he gasped, leaning forward and grabbing Sonic’s arm.
“Sonic, they’re not just attacking us, they’re trying to-” Tails tried in vain to warn but it was too late, the ship shook as it was hit.

Not by the sharp edges of the smaller Shell Cracker but by its blasters. It… it shouldn’t have blasters! 

“We’ve been herded!” Sonic said, realizing what Tails had also realized, both of them a little too late. “The atmosphere is pulling us in, we’re gonna have to make an emergency landing!”
“Where?” Shadow asked but Sonic didn’t answer, everyone on board flinching as blasts hit metal.

Yet… it wasn’t the Star Tornado that was hit.

The group looked up to see a basic cruiser fall past them to the planet below; Whisper.
“Yikes,” Sonic winced. “Hope she’s alright.”

“Let’s worry about ourselves first,” Shadow said. “Where are we landing?”
“You think I have time to look that up?! We are actively crashing!” Sonic whined. “Just get in the closet, it’s the most secure part of the ship!”
Shadow compiled without a word, scooping up Tails and squeezing into the small space, stepping over the box left on piles of blankets. 

The ship shook violently and Shadow could see Sonic doing that silly little trick of his where he held his breath to help with flying but Shadow doubted that it would work in a place with no air. Hell, maybe it would.

Tails shivered and buried his face in the crook of Shadow’s neck, terrified. Shadow just braced himself and waited. 

It would be a mildly irritating and anti-climatic end, to die in a ship crash but Shadow had already avoided a far more fitting one a long time ago.

The ship shuddered, shook, before one last final lurch as Sonic managed to land them somewhat properly rather than on the ship’s belly. 

Shadow could feel bruises forming and healing from where he’d been tossed around and he glanced over the fox kit in his arms to see if he was in the same state.

Tails seemed fine, physically, at least, so Shadow set him down, emerging from the closet.

Sonic released his breath as Shadow stepped closer, peering through the cockpit window to see where they were.

“Mountains,” Sonic said. “Lots of mountains. Peachy.”
“Our pursuers will probably follow to make sure we’re dead,” Shadow said.
“Any idea who they are?” Sonic asked. Shadow frowned.
“It’s likely those Spark users again,” Shadow said. “The Conservators. How badly damaged is the ship?”
Sonic flicked up the diagnostic, wincing at the multitudes of red.
“Lots of damage but… mostly superficial,” Sonic let out a small sigh of relief. “Shouldn’t take long to repair.”
“If you weren’t being hunted,” Shadow corrected. Sonic winced.
“Oh,” Sonic said. “Right.” 

“No worries,” Shadow said. “I can buy you time.”
“Oh, a game of cat and mouse, yeah?” Sonic glanced up at Shadow. “Ya sure that’s wise?”
“I’ll be faster than them,” Shadow huffed. “Don’t think me so pitiful as to be unable to outpace them.”
“I’d never,” Sonic snorted but he stood, prying open his chair. He tossed a radio to Shadow. “I’ll call you when I’m done. Or you call me if ya need an extra hand.”
Shadow huffed, tucking the radio away.
“Work fast,” Shadow said, moving to exit the ship. 

Tails knows the guts of the ship better than he knows his own. He’s just as unsettled as if it were his own guts laid against the ground, Sonic casually rooting through them.

“It’s gonna be okay, right?” Tails asked.
“We were lucky,” Sonic responded, holding up a pipe with a hole in it. “But not lucky enough. We’re gonna have to make another pit stop after this.”

Tails made a face.
“Shadow won’t like that,” Tails remarked.
“He won’t be the only one,” Sonic agreed, casting a strange look inside the ship. “Our luck isn’t normally so bad…”

Tails would argue that their luck was the same as always, just that Tails was now closer to the heart of it, but he just wanted to get this taken care of.

“Want me to squeeze in for a better look?” Tails asked, peering into the insides of the ship.

“Shouldn’t be necessary,” Sonic reassured. “Mind grabbing the extras though?”
Tails nodded in agreement, rushing back into the ship. 

Sonic wasn’t one to usually think ahead but he thought really far ahead when he did. It was easier to have extras of parts Sonic could replace on the go, rather than landing after every risky maneuver or misfortunate meeting. 

Tails grabbed a couple to match the leaking and damaged pieces left about and carried them out to Sonic.

Sonic let out a hum of thanks as he picked up a piece, turning it this way and that, and placing it in. 

Tails sat next to him and watched, his brain repairing the ship faster than Sonic’s hands did, already figuring what order to put everything in in order to keep the ship flying the longest.
Sonic moved to place a speed clumper in and Tails made a noise, scowling. Sonic paused.
“What’s up, buddy?” Sonic asked and Tails jolted, looking away, tails curling around himself.
“You, um, should put the high riser in before the speed clumper,” Tails said quietly, pointing at the adjacent parts. “Otherwise, you’ll be twisting around yourself and the oil and gas and stuff might mix, which would be bad-”
Sonic hummed and Tails went silent.
“You’re right,” Sonic agreed, setting it down and picking up the high riser. “Good call.”
Tails nodded, looking away again.
Sonic moved to put it in before pausing.
“Actually, buddy, mind doing me a favor?” Sonic asked. Tails looked up. “Put the Star Tornado back together?”
“Wha- you want me to?” Tails exclaimed, delighted. “Are you sure?”
Sonic had never allowed Tails to put together the Star Tornado. Hell, he had never allowed Tails to fly the Star Tornado either. Sonic was protective of the ship.

One time, Knuckles leaned on it and Sonic snapped at him! Like, really snapped at him! It was terrifying!

So for Sonic to be letting Tails so close…

“My little brother knows what he’s doing, doesn’t he?” Sonic said with a smile, ruffling his hair. Sonic stood, walking inside. “I’m gonna try and find a nearby port, maybe contact a mutual friend to meet us there.”
“Okay!” Tails said, glowing with glee. Sonic trusted him with his ship! Sonic saw him as family. 

He hummed as he worked, the star necklace around his neck hanging loose. 

He already knew Sonic did, Sonic proved it again and again, proved it by leaving Tails and then coming back, by giving Tails a home, by proclaiming out loud as well, but every little bit of proof made Tails want to dance.

He was chosen, he was family, despite his two tails, despite his power, despite it all. 

Tails felt giddy. 

Shadow knew exactly when Conservator Surge found him. 

Of course he knew. Every trick, every tactic Surge knew, Shadow had studied years ago and with no doubt far more diligence than this rookie.

Her maneuvers were showy and risky; Shell Crackers were not built for deep space travel, not strong enough, not enough hull integrity. 

If Sonic had managed to escape, the Conservators would have been in trouble.

And then their initial meeting; confronting Shadow in the temple, exposing her and her co-Conservator’s Sparks far too quickly.

If the roles had been reversed, Shadow’s target wouldn’t have even known they were such until it was too late to flee. 

Shadow reminded himself not to mention any of his critiques out loud. For one, they might not know he was a former Conservator himself and he did not want to deal with zealous fools on top of arrogant ones. For another, their loss was currently his gain. 

But, ugh, Tails had gotten him in the habit of correcting little idiots! How could such a small time period change his sharp insults into sharp criticisms?! 

That fox kit was truly too much like his brother, in all the worst ways. 

Shadow shook his head, as if the thought of Sonic and Tails could so easily be shaken from his head. 

He hoped, regardless, that his plan was working and that the two Conservators were following him, not pinning down those sitting ducks.

His nose twitched as the scent of smoke filled his nose, and the rocky earth beneath his feet seemed to have been scraped and scorched. 

Shadow frowned, had they crashed as well? Shell Crackers didn’t exactly have the best landing equipment and this was no Empire landing strip. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Shadow followed the trail of crash landing, the pilot clearly nowhere near as good a pilot as Sonic was. 

It was not a Shell Cracker Shadow found but a basic cruiser, more for leisurely transport than speedy space escapes.

He winced, remembering who else had been on their tail. 

He should leave, now. It was bad enough inviting two Conservators to hunt him, he didn’t want to add the Guardian Angel to it. 

But…

Shadow looked over the crash with a critical eye. If she’d survived, she was in a bad way. He should check. Just to make sure.

Cautiously, Shadow crept forward, slow steps around pieces of shrapnel.

An injured animal was often just as dangerous, if not more so, than a healthy animal.

His ears perked up at the sound of anxious chittering, following the sound to…

Well, Sonic wasn’t often wrong with his information and the cluster of Wisps curled around the collapsed wolf was only proof of Sonic’s claim. 

The tiny creatures jolted up at his proximity, tightening their huddle around Whisper.

Despite the flutter of noise coming from the creatures, Shadow could hear Whisper’s breathing, a low and rasping sound, like wind going through a strainer. 

Shadow let out a sigh of relief and then winced at himself. 

Well, the wolf wasn’t going to be chasing him down anytime soon. Hell, if Shadow walked away now, no doubt she wouldn’t be chasing anyone ever again.

A shame. She truly had been a fantastic sniper. Such talent, wasted…

Shadow shifted uncomfortably, looking around. 

Just walk away, Shadow. She wants you dead, and for good reason. Are you so eager to die that you’ll let her?

Shadow walked closer to the fallen wolf, the Wisps bristling at his approach.

He wondered if they recognized him. He didn’t but, well, they were no doubt inside the weapons the fallen Diamond Cutters had wielded. He hadn’t seen them.

Thank whatever gods existed for that. If he had, well, on that mission, he was supposed to leave none remaining…

“I’m not going to hurt her,” Shadow said to the Wisps. He surprises himself by meaning it. “I need to see what the damage is. Move.”

The Wisps hesitate but they don’t have a choice, drawing back.

Whisper was still wearing her mask and Shadow peeled it off carefully, frowning.

There was a cut on her head, oozing blood onto tawny fur, her leg twisted in a worrying position.

If there were any other major injuries, Shadow couldn’t see them. 

Shadow winced again, debating. 

The leg would have to be checked first, left like that…

“It’s a good thing you’re unconscious,” Shadow said out loud, moving to Whisper’s legs. “Though, if you can stay asleep through this, I’ll be impressed.”
He knew the temptation was to straighten the limb and if it was his own leg, he would’ve already done so, but Whisper didn’t have the advantage of healing that Shadow did. 

Shadow took off the winter coat he was wearing, sliding it under the twisted leg.
“If you’d like to do something useful instead of just distracting me with your chittering,” Shadow said to the cloud of wisps above his head. “You could bring me some tearable cloth.”

Some of the wisps dispersed at Shadow’s words, diving into the wreckage. They returned with a blanket, struggling to tear it with the little nubs they had for arms.

Shadow took it, tearing it into thin strips. He used the strips to tie the leg in place, holding the coat to the leg. 

Whisper whimpered as Shadow tied it in place, ears folding against her head. A wisp cooed and fluttered close to her head, as if trying to comfort her.

He took the leftover strips and reached up, dabbing at the cut on her head. 

She seriously needed medical aid and more than what Shadow could currently provide. He knew Sonic had more supplies but he couldn’t go back, he was trying to keep those idiots safe! 

But what to do about Whisper…

He glanced down at the wolf and stilled.

Her golden eyes stared up at him, as if trying to pierce into him.

“You-” Whisper hissed, moving to sit up, only to cry out in pain and fall back against the ground.

“Don’t struggle,” Shadow said, surprised at the calmness of his own voice. “You’ll only make it worse.”

“What-” Whisper asked and then stopped, looking down at her body.
“If there’s anywhere else that feels broken,” Shadow said. “Try not to move it. I can’t do much besides what I’ve already done.”

The wolf looked at him, somewhere between rage and confusion. Shadow decided not to care.
“I need to hide you,” Shadow said. “We’re not alone here and while they have no reason to attack you, they also have no reason to spare you.”
Depending on their orders, the Conservators might kill her anyway. The Collective didn’t much care for witnesses.

“I don’t understand,” Whisper whined. “I-I don’t- you’re a monster.”

“Do you want me to kill you?” Shadow asked, raising an eyebrow. Whisper glared, wordlessly. “I didn’t think so.”
“But why? Why… help me?” Whisper demanded, voice shaking. “It doesn’t make sense.”
Shadow looked away.

“Because… because…” Shadow hissed out.
“Because he’s a weakling,” Surge’s voice was like being drenched in ice cold water.

Shadow’s quills rose and he stood, turning to face her. 

Her blue eyes were crinkled, a youthful joy tinged with malice, a mask covering the wide grin she no doubt bore. 

“A weakling who betrayed the only people who would ever care for him,” Surge said.
“The Collective never cared for me,” Shadow said, glancing around. “Where’s your co-Conservator?”

“Don’t you worry about my co-Conservator,” Surge said smoothly. “We’ll catch you all in the end.”
“You sent him after the others,” Shadow said. Surge’s face twisted in anger.
“Wha- hey, how’d you guess that, I am not that obvious!” Surge stomped her foot, sparks coming off of her.
Shadow suppressed the scoff. Even Tails had better control than her. Pitiful. He reached for his radio, only for it to get shocked out of his hand, falling to the ground, broken and sparking.

Shadow raised an eyebrow at the smirking Tenrec.

“No matter,” Shadow said. “You both are incompetent. I doubt Sonic or his kit will struggle against your little tagalong.”
“Trust me, he wasn’t my first pick,” Surge hissed. “But if Drippy fucks this up, it won’t be on me.”
“You’re supposed to be a team,” Shadow eyed her critically. “Your failures, your successes, they aren’t just yours. You should know that.”
“Shut up!” Surge snapped. “I’m not hearing shit from a traitor!” 

The tenrec charged at Shadow, a speeding green sparking bullet. Shadow narrowed his eyes.

He waved his hand, almost casually. 

Whisper and Surge both jerked back, in opposite directions, away from the wall of fire that Shadow manifested. 

Shadow surged forward in her hesitance, the flames barely parting for him to jump into her space.
“Why did you stop?” Shadow taunted.

She ducked away from his claws, fiery and flaming, the edges of her coat smoking as Shadow came at her.
“You were gonna fry me!” Surge cried, a whip of pure electricity appearing in her hand, snapping at Shadow. Shadow grabbed a hold of it, ignoring the pangs and following numbness in his hand, the electricity crackling and twisting into flames. Surge’s eyes widened and she dissolved the whip.

“A Conservator follows Void,” Shadow reminded. “Your body should mean nothing to you.”

“Don’t tell me what a Conservator does or doesn’t do,” Surge argued. “You left the order!”
“But I never forgot its teachings,” Shadow said, dodging the jolts of lightning she sent his way. “Which is more than can be said about you.”
Shadow’s hand snapped out, grabbing Surge by the throat. She squeaked in surprise before Shadow hurled her away, down the mountainside.

The wall of fire behind him lowered, Whisper watching the fight with wide eyes, her wisps drawn close to her.
“Don’t move,” Shadow warned, as if she even could move. “I’ll be back.”

He moved to follow where Surge fell.

Sonic’s ear flicked the same time Tails’ tail twitched, a sound drawing their attention. 

Sloppy, a voice that sounded like some weird amalgamation of Sonic and Shadow, equal parts scolding and teasing, echoed in Tails’ head. 

“I’m gonna go for a quick walk,” Sonic yawned, standing up with a stretch. “You good to work on the ship.”
“I got it,” it came out a little stale but, eh, not the worst lie Tails has told. 

Sonic turned and started walking in a random direction, disappearing in some direction in a blue blur, leaving Tails ‘alone’.

Tails could hear whoever was stalking them coming closer and he forced himself to stay still, to not look back.

Here’s the thing; people have snuck up on Sonic and Tails before, thinking Tails a weak link to the seemingly untouchable Sonic. The first time it happened, well, things got messy. After that, they made an unspoken and unofficial plan.

Sonic would seem to wander off, leaving Tails unprotected, only to come back and absolutely body whoever the hell was attacking them before they even realized it was happening.

Normally, Tails would just stay still and wait but, well, he doesn’t have to do that anymore, does he?

Tails feels the shadow of their stalker linger over him and moves, grabbing one of their arms and twisting it, forcing them to the ground.

The attacker yelped, face buried into the dirt, but just enough for Tails to see his purple eye peek out from teal fur.
Wait, Tails thought, nearly releasing his capture by instinct alone. I know you. How do I know you?

“Oh, wow!” Sonic said, suddenly back at Tails’ side. “You caught ‘em yourself! Nice work!”
“R-release me!” the fennec cried feebly. 

“No can do, Mini Conservator,” Sonic chuckled, bending down to get somewhat close to the fennec’s face. “Where’s your buddy? You guys don’t fly solo.”
“That’s none of a heretic like yours’ concern!” the fennec said. He did not sound confident or in control at all but Tails doubted he would in this situation. 

“They didn’t try and follow Shadow, did they?” Sonic guessed and smiled as the fennec went quiet. “Ah, no worries then. Shadow should handle them no problem.”
“Th-there’s no way Conservator Surge can lose to that traitor,” the fennec said.
“Oh, so much way,” Sonic laughed again, standing up. “Now, what’s your Spark, hm?”
“I won’t tell you,” the fennec said quietly.
“Smart,” Sonic said, with an appreciative nod, before reaching forward. “But you should hide  your equipment better.”
He yanked off the backpack the fennec was wearing, liquid sloshing around in the bag. He turned and threw it as far as he could, a small black speck on the horizon.
“No!” the fennec cried in a panic.
“Alright,” Sonic nodded again. “Let him go now, Tails. He’s as harmless as a kitten.”
“You sure?” Tails asked.
“100%,” Sonic said. Tails frowned but released the fennec.

The teal fennec kicked dirt as he scrambled up, moving to chase after his lost bag.
“Hey, watch where you’re kicking, Kitsunami!” Tails cried. The fennec paused, looking back at Tails.
“How do you know my name?” Kit asked.
“Did… you not tell us?” Tails asked.

The two stared at each other longer before the fennec resumed his attempt to reclaim his backpack.

“How did you know his name?” Sonic asked.
“I… must’ve heard Shadow say it or something,” Tails said, a strange feeling crawling up his spine. 

Two Conservators is difficult, for many reasons. First off, the number of people you’re fighting, two people obviously outnumber one. Second off, Conservator pairs are based off their Sparks, if they have one, picked to balance each other out. 

Fighting one Conservator is difficult, yes.

But it’s better than two.

Shadow reminded himself that as he kicked Surge back, the neon green tenrec fell on her ass as he did so, before standing back and charging at him with a scream.

The fall hadn’t hurt that badly, unfortunately, and the Conservator was still kicking.

Regardless, she was making Shadow feel paranoid, how he kept expecting her to be a threat she simply was not.

He blocked her boot with his arm, sweeping her remaining leg. Surge started to fall backwards before forcing herself to swiftly recover.

Shadow swung at her face, the Conservator scrambling backwards to avoid getting hit. 

“Back off!” Surge screeched, beyond irritated, a circle around the two sparking with lightning.

Shadow bit his tongue to keep from screaming as he was hit, sending him backwards from his foe. 

Surge was also forced back, slamming against a small cave wall.

Shadow laid on his back, struggling to breathe, dots dancing in his vision. With a wince, he forced himself to his knees but he wasn’t recovering fast enough to defend himself-

Surge pushed herself back up, teeth stained red, panting.

She charged forward with a scream, only for a shot to hit her in the shoulder and send her back, slamming against the cave wall.

Another shot followed, right at the cave entrance, causing rubble to fall, closing her in.

Shadow stood, shakily, turning around him. Whisper set her rifle aside, her wisps hovering around her.

Shadow walked back up to where she was, slowly.

“Why didn’t you kill her?” Shadow asked, standing over Whisper.
Whisper frowned, cheeks flushed.

“I missed,” she admitted with shame, her voice dripping with pain. Shadow could understand that.
“I’m going to pick you up,” Shadow said, bending down. “You should fly with us to at least a care center.”
Whisper hesitated but eventually nodded, allowing Shadow close.

Shadow picked up the wolf, as gently as he was able, taking care not to jostle her leg.

“Hold on,” Shadow said, starting to run towards the Star Tornado. 

Sonic and Tails both looked up as Shadow ran over, startling at the wolf in his arms.
“She didn’t have your crashing expertise,” Shadow said in lieu of an explanation, carrying her onto the ship.
“We can drop her off at the care center when we meet with Rouge,” Sonic said.
“We’re meeting with Rouge?” Shadow asked. 

“She’s better at fleeing than I am,” Sonic shrugged. “Plus, we need some genuine repairs here.”

“Hm,” Shadow wasn’t against the plan. “I distracted one Conservator already, Whisper ensured she should be incapacitated for a while. Did you encounter her partner?”
“Little blue guy? Tossed his backpack away,” Sonic explained. “Won’t be bugging us for a while either.”

“Good,” Shadow set down Whisper, stepping back out to the others. “Are we ready to go?”
Sonic looked to the belly of the ship, where Tails popped out, a smudge of grease on his cheek.
“All ready to go!” Tails called out with a grin. He wiggled out, wiping his paws clean. Sonic grinned with pride and licked his thumb, wiping the grim off of Tails’ cheek.

“Then let’s go!” Sonic agreed and the group boarded the ship.

“The takeoff will probably hurt,” Shadow warned, sitting by Whisper.
“I know,” she said back. “I’ve flown before.” 

Shadow nodded. The two sat in silence.

“I still hate you,” Whisper said. Shadow hummed and nodded.
“Okay,” Shadow said in reply. “I’m sorry but I can’t let you kill me. Gods knows you have more than the right to but I can’t give you my life.”
Shadow looked up, over to where Sonic and Tails were looking over the controls as they took off.

“I already promised it to someone who needs it more,” Shadow said. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” Whisper sighed, looking away. The tension on her face was not just caused by pain. “I don’t think killing you would make me feel better anyway. You’re not the monster I was expecting.”

“Sorry,” Shadow said.
“Don’t apologize for that,” Whisper glared. “It doesn’t make it better. Killing you won’t bring my squad back or protect others. You don’t hurt people anymore, do you?”
“I try not to,” Shadow shrugged. “But I am only a man.”
“Hm,” Whisper turned on her side, facing away from Shadow.
“...If you want to take revenge and protect people, I know your traitor is still at large,” Shadow said. “He goes by Duo, last I heard. Doesn’t work for the Empire but will take jobs from them if the price is high enough.”
“...Really?” Whisper asked, back still to him.
“Last I heard,” Shadow said. “My information may be outdated, it’s been some time.”
“...Thank you,” Whisper said. Shadow nodded, stood up, and walked over to Sonic and Tails.

“All good?” Sonic asked, glancing back at Shadow.
“Hm,” Shadow replied, crossing his arms.
“Great,” Sonic grinned. “Tails, bud, mind grabbing our guest something to drink? Being injured is thirsty work.”
“On it!” Tails cried, hurrying to the fridge.

The two hedgehogs stood patiently, Sonic setting their course and adjusting the damaged ship for takeoff.

“Why did you protect me?” Shadow asked.
“Hm?” Sonic didn’t look up from his work.

“You know the kind of person I am,” Shadow said. “And I know the kind of person you are but you protected me.”
“Of course I did,” Sonic snorted. “For someone who knows me, you’re asking a pretty silly question.”
“What do you mean?” Shadow glared.
“You’re not that person anymore,” Sonic shrugged, finally looking up at Shadow. His lips were turned upwards in a smile that… that shouldn’t be pointed at Shadow. It should be pointed at Tails or Amy or Knuckles, not… not Shadow. “Conservator Sombra wasn’t a very patient teacher. Shadow is.”

Shadow looked back at Sonic before huffing, looking away.
“You’re better than ya think, Shads,” Sonic said.
“You’re a fool,” Shadow hissed. Sonic laughed.

Kit lifted the last rock out of the way, tossing it aside. He pulled the water back into his carrier, his co-Conservator exiting the cave with a limp and a growl.

“Damn it!” she snapped, sparking with rage. Kit flinched back. “They got away! Again!”

“I-I’m sorry, they tossed my carrier away and-” Kit stuttered.
“Shut it!” Surge snapped again. “Let’s head back to the ship, we still might be able to catch them!”
“But, miss-” Kit tried to warn. “You’re injured, you shouldn’t-”
“Don’t tell me what to do!” Surge shouted. “Just shut up and follow my lead!”

“Y-yes, miss!” Kit squeaked, hurrying after her. He frowned at the ground. “It’s… it’s weird. One of them, not our target… he knew my name. I never met him before and he…”
“Our target probably told him,” Surge said. “Don’t get psyched out by some rando, Kit.”
“Right,” Kit said, shaking blue eyes and golden fur out of his brain, despite the distant familiarity. “Right, sorry.”

Chapter Text

The Space Tornado nearly didn’t make it to the  port, a thing Sonic didn’t say but Tails actually totally noticed.

They barely don't crash, Shadow snapping in what was definitely anxiety for Sonic to fly better. Tails just clutched his tails until Sonic himself relaxed, even though the ship didn’t feel any less shaky.

“Well, this is gonna be a paycheck and a half,” Sonic groaned. “Good thing I don’t respect price labels in most cases.”

With those oh so cheery words, he hopped up, ears flicking as he exited the ship.

Tails, Whisper, and Shadow sat in the same tense silence they had flown in, waiting for Sonic to return.

When he did so, a few minutes later, he was massaging an ear with a wince, muttering something about crackpots named Brian.
“Got us repairs and a recommendation on where to stay for the night,” Sonic relayed. “But we’ll getcha some medical care first, Whisper.”

The wolf nodded gratefully and Shadow moved to pick her up, taking care not to jostle her too much.

“Tails,” Sonic called out. “Can you get the box for me? I don’t wanna lose track of it.”
Tails nodded and picked up an empty bag, hurrying over to the closet the metal package had been tossed in.

The metal was cool as he picked it up, not a hint of warmth, not like last time. Actually, strangely, it felt too cold…

Tails shook his head, ignoring the oddity and placed it within, tying the top closed to hide the contents before placing the whole thing in another bag. 

He hefted the unwieldy thing over his shoulder and followed Sonic and Shadow off the ship.

The second they stepped off, a whole team rushed in behind them, babbling and bustling.

Sonic bristled, something tense on his face, but he forced himself to breathe.

“Ya better not break or replace anything that isn’t already broken or need to be replaced!” Sonic called back.

“Yeah, yeah, we heard you the first time,” the leader of this pitcrew huffed, waving Sonic off.

Sonic pursed his lips and nodded, finally moving on again.

“Here,” he said to Tails, taking the bag from him. “I got it.”
“I had it,” Tails huffed, hands on his hips. Because he really did! “I can carry a bag!”
“Still,” Sonic chuckled. “I need someone to look up where a medical clinic is.”

Tails nodded and handed the bag over, running ahead.

It wasn’t hard to find some map, a symbol like a broken egg or maybe a broken head, not far from where they were standing. 

When he came back, Sonic was holding Whisper and Shadow was holding the bag, glaring at it. 

“What happened?” Tails asked.
“Shadow is just trying to lighten my burden,” Sonic said. “Find one?”
“Uh, yeah! It’s two blocks over!” Tails explained.
“Great!” he glanced down at Whisper. “Hope it’s cool to just drop you off, medical clinics have way too many cameras.”
“That’s fine,” Whisper said, making a face. “I forgot about those.”
“Eh, you’ll be fine, you don’t got a big bounty, do ya?” Sonic reassured. “Benefits of that anonymity.”
Whisper nodded and let out a sigh. 

Hoods up and covering their faces, they approached the clinic, leaving Whisper at the ER entrance before hightailing it.

They watched, from a distance, as a lemur nurse stepped out, quickly and swiftly calling for help, staying by Whisper’s side as they carried her inside.

“Well, that’s my good deed for the month,” Sonic said, leaning against the wall. Shadow snorted.
“Is she gonna be okay?” Tails asked, concerned.
“She’ll be fine,” Sonic leaned forward, patting Tails’ head. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders, a horde of Wisps hiding on her person, and is one of the best snipers in the entire known Galaxy. Why worry?”
Tails frowned but nodded. If Sonic said it was fine, it was probably fine.
“Let’s find a place to sleep,” Sonic said, glancing back in the direction of the hanger. He frowned, rubbing his arm, as if he could feel the repair crew working on his beloved ship.
“Stop worrying,” Shadow huffed. “If they break it, you can just put a hole in their heads for it.”
“I’m not worried,” Sonic said, worriedly, but he finally moved, the trio fading into the crowd as they walked.

They didn’t walk into the first hotel they saw, nor the second. They went for the third, Sonic taking the lead, as usual.

The woman behind the desk blushed and fidgeted while Sonic requested a room, winking and smiling his way into a much cheaper price for one room with two beds.

Shadow glared at Sonic’s back, foot tapping as he talked. Tails snorted, amused by Shadow’s impatience.

Finally, the reddening worker handed over the keycard and Sonic handed her some rings, humming as the trio walked away.

It was a second floor hotel room, in the middle of the row, with only a single window in the bathroom.

Shadow paced throughout the room while Sonic pushed the bag with the box under one of the beds, stretching with a hum.

“Gonna be nice to sleep in a normal bed for once,” Sonic said, peeking open an eye at Shadow. “Eh, Shads?”
Shadow glared into a corner for a minute before turning away.

“It’s fine,” Shadow responded. Sonic scoffed.
“Well, Tails appreciates it, eh?” Sonic leaned over, ruffling Tails’ fur. Tails giggled, leaning up into the touch.
“It is nice,” he said in agreement. 

It was. Tails could count the amount of times he’d slept on an actual bed on a single hand. It was not particularly any better or worse than his closet on the ship but there was something novel to not being curled up, to lay down flat, and let his limbs stretch out. 

“You only got two beds,” Shadow pointed out and Sonic nodded.
“I mean, we’re not gonna be all sleeping at the same time,” Sonic said. “Figured you and me could take turns.”
Tails frowned.
“But you said sleep is important,” Tails accused. “Why can’t we all just sleep?”
“Because we’re being hunted,” Shadow said. “Even if the Conservators chasing us are far away right now, there’s no telling if anyone else is looking for us on the Empire’s behalf. It’s better to be paranoid than to be dead.”
“Then, I should have a shift too,” Tails said, despite the panic welling up at the mere thought of having to be left alone in the dark, watching for danger. But he was getting stronger! He could do it.

“Eh, maybe not,” Sonic winced, rubbing his head sheepishly. “Just leave this one up to us, yeah?”
Tails made a face but accepted it.
“Ya know, this place also has a bathroom,” Sonic said, nodding his head to what Tails had assumed was a closet until Shadow had practically kicked the door down to check it for… whatever he was looking for. “Take a shower before you lay down, yeah?”

Tails perked up and nodded, more than happy to have his fur nice and fluffy and clean once more.

“Don’t use up all the soap, we’re going in after you,” Sonic called after. “Plus, we might wanna take some with us!”

The water was warm, a pleasant surprise once Tails jumped into the shower, sweat and oil and grim swirling down the drain.

Over the running water, he could hear Shadow still pacing, pausing in front of the bathroom door every now and then, checking on Tails from behind the door, could hear Sonic singing some rambly song under his breath as he did… something in the room. Look, there’s only so much one person can determine another person is doing just by listening!

Tails used the provided motel soaps, smelling of citrus and pine, stereotypical and cheap scents, judging by how often they were used.

Clean, he dried himself off the stiff towels stored in the bathroom, pulling back on his clothes.

He stepped out and nearly ran into Shadow, who had stopped in front of the door mid-pace.

“You wanna go next or me, Shads?” Sonic asked.
“I’ll go next,” Shadow said with a scoff. Tails moved out of his way, noting how Shadow seemed to have his lavender bar in his pocket. 

“Hey, bud,” Sonic called out and Tails walked over to him, allowing the older to adjust how his wet fur had fallen over his face. “Hungry?”
“A little,” Tails said. “Did you remember to bring food?”
“Eh, the various crashes kinda fucked with that,” Sonic winced. “What a waste of rings… no worries, we’ll eat at Club Rouge’s in a couple hours. Think you can wait that long?”
Tails had been hungrier for longer.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” Tails nodded and then frowned. “Wait, Club Rouge? Where’s that?”

“You remember Rouge, right? Bat lady, bumped into her,” Sonic said. Tails nodded again. “It’s not far from here. She’ll shove way too much food at Shadow and he’ll shove the food at you.”
“Are they related?” Tails asked, making a face.
“Eh,” Sonic shrugged. “Not really. I mean, they’ll both deny it and claim they’d sell each other for a peanut… but she’d go further for him than anyone else and he actually smiles around her.”
“Oh,” Tails said. It didn’t explain much but… it was more than before. 

He paused. Was that… jealousy he heard in those last few words?
Tails glanced at his big brother.

Oh, Sonic…

It wasn’t that Tails forgot how Sonic so obviously felt about Shadow, it was just… well, you didn’t really acknowledge and point out air every couple of minutes, did you? So was it with those two.

Tails frowned. Well, if Shadow didn’t want Sonic, Tails would just find someone who did! There was no reason for Sonic to keep mooning over Tails’ teacher, which was just awkward in of itself.

The water cut off and Shadow stepped out a minute later. 

“Go,” he said, with a huff at Sonic. 

“On it, on it,” Sonic scoffed, ruffling Tails’ fur before walking into the bathroom.
Shadow sat down on the edge of one of the beds, somehow managing to look both relaxed and incredibly stressed at the same time.
“Get some sleep,” Shadow said. “We’re gonna be here for a while.”
Tails blinked and nodded, climbing into the other bed.

The mattress was stiff and the blankets were slightly itchy, making Tails yearn for the closet on the Star Tornado, but he must’ve been more tired than he realized, because his eyes slid close, forcing him into long awaited sleep. 

It was cold but that was fine, the comforting wisp at her (her?) side keeping her warm. In the distance was a metal building, imposing and frightening, rising out of the ice like some horrible monster.

Someone was crouched next to her, saying something to her.

She couldn’t see his face, her eyes kept bouncing off it, as if something was forbidding her from seeing him. The same with his words, garbled and nonsense, except for the tone; encouraging and cheerful.

Someone bumped against her shoulder and her head turned to who was speaking to her. Her face was clearer, but only in that she could see her smile.

She said something, her words just as encouraging as the ocelot across from her’s, but more grave.

The ocelot said something in response and the howler monkey corrected him. Probably. 

She felt her own mouth move but only heard silence, even as the other two responded to what she spoke.

A shadow fell over her but she wasn’t afraid, looking up.

There was a mask over the lion’s face, that was then pushed up and out of the way, his face impossible to see but still comforting and warm. 

The ocelot, in response to the lion’s words, tossed an arm over her shoulders, squeezing her tight. 

She said something in protest but it only made the howler monkey coo and pinch her cheeks, the wolf (wolf?) waving her hands at the monkey in protest. 

A voice, like nails on a chalkboard, called out but relief washed over the group as someone emerged from the snow, shifting from a snow white wolf form to the inky purple of an octopus. 

Looking at him hurt, like a stake through the heart, like a hole in a lung, like a burn on your tongue. 

And yet, the group flocked to him, including herself, happily chattering to the octopus. He smiled and it felt like a knife in the ribs, he spoke and her gums ached. 

He patted her on the shoulder and she preened under his praise, was it praise? The agony of his voice was hard to pick apart.

The octopus said something and her ears dipped down and she looked to the lion, who merely shrugged in agreement. She sighed and nodded.

The monkey said something sweet and comforting, the words almost cutting through the static in her ears, something like, “this is the best outcome,” but she wasn’t sure.

The ocelot patted her on the back cheerfully, tossing the gun he was holding into her arms. She startled and scrambled to keep a hold of it and not drop it, the warm orange wisp at her chest moving to help as well.

It looked familiar in her hands and yet untouched, a block of clay yet to be sculpted. 

The lion said something and pulled down a bone white mask over his face. The others around him nodded, pulling down their own masks.

Wisps at their sides, the group leaped over the snowy bank, rushing down towards the monolith in the distance.

She laid down, belly first, in the snow, peeking through the scope of the gun. The orange wisp at her side slipped into the weapon, making it glow against the snow as she watched through the scope. 

She laid there for a while, the snow melting under her, until the monolith shook, flames and smoke starting to come from it.

It shuddered and shook, sounds like machines collapsing, echoing throughout the empty landscape.

She peered through the scope, seeing four figures emerging from the burning building.

She smiled, relieved but, really, had she even been worried?
A whistling sound echoed overhead and she looked up to see a small ship above zoom in, firing down on the group.

The group scrambled out of firing range, the very earth scorched by the attack, diving for some measure of safety. 

The ship hovered overhead and two forms dropped from it.

One looked humanoid, covered in complete black, piercing blue eyes, the color of foxglove, stared ahead. Their companion, a hedgehog, curled black quills with red scales on them. 

They moved as if one entity, footsteps perfectly in time.

She watched as they reached the ocelot, reached Slinger first. He jolted to his feet, drawing his pistols, but the humanoid snapped their fingers, thorny vines bursting from the ground and wrapping around his hands.

He dropped his guns with a cry she felt more than heard from this distance, thorns uncaring of his delicate flesh, twisting and turning, finding a home among his bones. 

He struggled to get away, to do something, but all it did was make the thorns dig deeper, sneaking up his arms, just under his skin.

The hedgehog stepped forward and his eyes blazed.

Slinger’s voice was a distant scream as the vines were set ablaze, fire following the greenery up into Slinger’s body.

His screaming did not stop, not even as they turned away, facing the lion, facing Smithy as he charged at them. 

He fired his spike wispon at the duo, the smaller extending his hand, the blasts stopped by the wall of fire.

Then the humanoid burst through the flames, shoving her hand through the hole in his broken white mask.

There was a moment of stillness before Smithy’s body seemed to explode with plants, flowers entirely non native to this planet bursting from his tender flesh.

Smithy dropped like a stone, mouth open as bright yellow black eye susans emerged from it.

The howler monkey, Claire , got the drop on the humanoid, her face twisted in a teary eyed expression of pain as she rammed her wispon into the humanoid.

It knocked the humanoid to the ground, the weight of the weapon making their arm move oddly. The humanoid gripped it as they moved to stand back, despite Claire about to hit them again, when the hedgehog rammed into her.

He held Claire to the ground, hands tight around her throat. She kicked and struggled and fought, terror twisting what little could be seen of Claire’s face. 

The only warning of what was about to happen was the hedgehog’s hands tightening.

Flames, nearly black, consumed Claire’s face, using it as fuel for a funeral pyre.

Claire’s legs went limp and her grip dropped, the hedgehog standing to his feet.

He rushed to the humanoid’s side, helping them up, gentle and sweet with his fellow murderer.

She became aware of a tremor in her body, of a wetness on her face.

She aimed at the humanoid but her hands froze, fingers unable to move.

Why couldn’t they move. They were just standing! Just pull the trigger. Pull the trigger, Whisper-

Tails woke up with a sharp gasp, tears streaming down his face, a hole in his chest like grief. The faces in his dreams were all unfamiliar except- except for-
“Tails,” Shadow whispered, standing over him.

Tails froze, his body freezing in place. It felt like he was hiding, gripping the bed with a tight hold, trying to blend in.

“Tails?” Shadow asked. In the darkness, all Shadow could see his eyes, red like a warning, peering down at him. “Are you awake?”
Tails wants to roll his eyes, wants to reassure Shadow, tell him he’s almost as bad as Sonic, but Tails’ body keeps screaming that if he even twitches in the wrong way, he’s dead.

Shadow’s weight sank onto the bed, meant to be a comfort but undeniably not.

“I’m fine,” Tails’ dry throat finally croaked out. Flames licked his skull, flowers grew from his tongue. He couldn’t move. “Just… had a bad dream.”
“Hm,” Shadow said. “Elaborate?”
“...When… when you were a Conservator,” Tails finally said. Shadow froze now, feeling the terror Tails had. “Did you kill people?”
“Didn’t that wolf say so?” Shadow said, not looking at Tails.

Tails sat up, tossing the blanket away, scrambling both to and away from Shadow.

“But I need to hear you say it,” Tails cried. “I won’t believe it unless you say it.”
Shadow was quiet and there was a moment where Tails almost thought he wouldn’t say a word.

“Long ago,” Shadow finally said. “It was a long time ago but yes.”
Tails felt gutted, as if he was still having that nightmare.

“I saw you,” Tails said. “In my dream. You… you were horrible.”
“I was,” Shadow agreed.
“Why… why did you stop?” Tails asked, gripping his own tails.
“...I thought I was doing something difficult but good. I thought as such because to think otherwise would make all my efforts needlessly cruel,” Shadow said. “And then… then I was shown what I was doing benefited only those who would make me suffer for their benefit. So I stopped.”
Tails looked up at Shadow. He stared forward, at the wall. His face was blank in a way that made Tails’ guts squirm. 

“I wish I could say I stopped for a more… selfless reason but I didn’t,” Shadow admitted, still not looking at Tails. “But I did stop. I have to hope that will make up for the rest.”
Tails looked down, catching a glance of Shadow’s hands. They were curled into fists, shaking ever so slightly.

Tails looked back up at Shadow’s blank face.

He took a deep breath, hoping Shadow was too out of it to hear it, and flopped against the older’s side.

Shadow froze, a statue Tails was clinging to.
“I think it’s a good start,” Tails said. “I know you’re better than that now.”
Shadow did not move, did not breathe.
“I try to be,” Shadow said, something like thin ice over his voice, trembling under Tails’ clumsy feet.

Tails nodded and turned his face into Shadow’s back, closing his eyes. The hedgehog ran hot, pulling Tails back to sleep.
“Where’s Sonic?” he asked, groggy.
“He went to buy breakfast,” Shadow said. “After we eat, we’ll go to Club Rouge.”
Tails sighed and nodded.
“Are you still tired?” Tails nodded again at his question. “Then go to sleep. I’ll wake you when he’s back.”
Tails was already drifting off when he spoke.

Shadow watched as Tails’ breathing slowed to a relaxed and sleeping pattern, his tails curling around him as he relaxed against Shadow completely.

Shadow closed his eyes and looked away. 

He’d thought Whisper would have brought up some awkward questions about his past from Tails, but not to the point of giving Tails a nightmare…

He had woken terrified, flinching away from Shadow when he grew close. It had hurt but Shadow had understood why. The mind could be cruel with filling in the blanks of pain and tragedy. Shadow was just lucky that Tails had never seen Shadow’s actual handiwork when it came to the brand of cruelty a Conservator so readily dealt with.

If Shadow had his way, the kit never would. 

The hotel door opened, Sonic humming as he opened the door. 

He carried packaged food in his arms, probably overly sweet items, along with a couple of bruised pieces of fruit.

Shadow motioned for Sonic to stop playing at being a canary and Sonic hastily went quiet, dumping the mediocre breakfast on one unoccupied bed before joining them on the other.
“He’s still sleeping?” Sonic asked in barely more than a whisper, motioning at Tails.

“He woke up for a little bit,” Shadow said. “Just went back to sleep. Best leave him be.”
Sonic nodded in agreement, stretching over to the other bed and snagging what looked like a filled piece of bread.
“Here,” he said, pulling it out of the package and holding it out to Shadow.
“I don’t need to eat,” Shadow turned his face away.
“Yeah, you do,” Sonic snorted. “You just won’t die from it.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” Shadow challenged, glaring at him from the corner of his eye.
“That’s totally different and you know it!” Sonic hissed. “Now eat!”
Shadow rolled his eyes but finally took the bread, much to Sonic’s irritating delight.
“You’re unbearable,” Shadow grumbled.
“Oh, you love me,” Sonic teased right back, flicking his nose. Shadow forced himself to stay still, with the intention of doing anything but waking Tails right up. 

“Hardly,” Shadow scoffed and Sonic bit back another one of his far too sharp laughs. Shadow hated those laughs. “The sooner I can leave you, the better.”
“Oh, yeah,” Sonic hummed. “Have you decided where you want to go yet?”
“No,” Shadow said but he didn’t doubt Rouge had a few suggestions for him to go to. Well. not just him. “That reminds me.”
“Yeah?” Sonic asked, tilting his head. Shadow watched his teeth sink into a fruit, warmly colored and shaped like an orb. He watched as Sonic made a face, pulled back, watched as Sonic spat out the bruised flesh of the fruit.
“I was thinking what you will do with Tails,” Shadow said, now turning away. “I know, wherever I stay, you need to stay away. I won’t relocate again. But Tails needs a teacher.”
“What are you saying,” Sonic’s voice is cold, clipped, Shadow has never heard Sonic speak to him like this and he knows what it means. He hates he knows what it means.

Exposing Sonic’s weakness like this felt… wrong.
“He can either stay with me,” Shadow said. “Or stay with you.”
Sonic and Shadow sat in silence, Tails’ breath the only sound.

“Why?” Sonic asked.
“Wh- I just told you!” Shadow hissed. “You are a hazard. You will bring the wolves down upon me, everytime.”
“That’s not true!” Sonic argued. “It literally only happened once! I can be more careful!”
“Can you?” Shadow said. “I don’t believe you. You bludgeon your way through life, uncaring of the harm you bring to yourself or to others.”
“That is not true,” Sonic leaned closer to Shadow. “I am careful. I can be careful. Especially if it’s about Tails.”