Chapter Text
The nightmares were always the same.
Raw chaos energy coursing through Sonic’s entire being, so much it hurt. His fur blazing a brilliant golden hue. His hand fisted in heaving white chest fur. The overwhelming rage and anguish that clouded his mind.
What are you waiting for?
That dark hedgehog. Shadow. The spark of desperation, of finality, in his striking red eyes as he begged underneath him, pinned down against the moon’s surface, his hand over Sonic’s trembling fist in his fur.
Do it!
Sonic had nearly done it. Almost killed someone with his bare hands. Killed someone who was suffering, who was in pain, who was grieving. Killed Shadow.
I’m right here!
Sonic had let go.
But it didn’t matter.
Sonic distinctly remembered, through the adrenaline pumping in his veins, the ethereal golden fur of Shadow in his super form as he shot across space, slamming robot after robot with ease, a rose gold streak following in his wake. He was so incredibly beautiful.
He didn’t fully realize what had happened after that, not until he slammed into the cornfield, body aching and blue fur scorched from burning up in the atmosphere. He could only gaze blearily above as the cannon exploded, taking Shadow with it, painting a horribly magnificent galaxy in the morning sky.
Shadow was dead. Gone, just like that. The hands of fate couldn’t even offer him a second chance at life.
***
It’d been a month or so since…everything happened—and Sonic’s nightmares had shown no sign of granting him mercy. Sometimes he would jerk awake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, gasping for breath; other times, his eyes would snap open and he would be gripping his blankets with trembling hands, as if his body wanted to reach out and save Shadow.
Today, he woke up feeling completely numb all over, his muzzle drenched from fresh tears. The morning sun was just barely rising over the horizon, streaks of light peeking through the circular window on the ceiling and bathing the floorboards of the attic in warm orange.
How cruel was it that mornings were so beautiful when Shadow couldn’t be here to see it?
Sonic slowly sat up in his bed and brushed his tears away with gloveless paws. His eyes couldn’t help but wander to the security camera installed in the far corner of the room; Tom and Maddie had set it up a few weeks ago to provide an additional layer of security in their home. Sonic supposed it was reasonable—every incident that came up since Sonic was taken in was worse than the last. Who knew what would come next?
The two guardians checked the footage quite frequently, so there was no doubt they’d ask Sonic if he’d had another nightmare, or at least give him sympathetic looks and warm hugs. Sonic didn’t really mind it, of course, but he’d rather forget the nightmares that terrorized him at night. And they only reminded him of how grave the situation was, how seriously injured his family had gotten—especially Tom—and how easily Sonic could have lost all of them.
His ear flicked when Tails and Knuckles began to stir in their beds. The last of the nightmare’s effects dissipated as he watched Tails let out a huge yawn and did a big stretch, peering at Sonic through one eye.
“Morning, bud.”
“Good morning, Sonic.” Tails sat up in his bed and blinked the sleepiness from his eyes. “You’re up early again. Another nightmare?”
Sonic let out a deep sigh. Of course, no one needed to see the security footage to know. “Yeah.”
Shuffling noises from Sonic’s other side. A gloved fist landed on his shoulder, making him turn to face deep purple eyes. “You are strong, hedgehog,” Knuckles gruffed, his voice rough from sleep. “You are no less of a warrior if you have nightmares. But you must not let them affect your performance. Do not let them phase you.”
“I know.” Sonic patted the echidna’s hand, squeezing it gently. “Thanks, Knux. And good morning to you, too.”
A muffled knock startled the three. “Kids? Are you awake?”
The attic door creaked open to reveal Maddie, a serious expression on her face. “There’s something you should all take a look at.”
***
Every time Sonic stepped foot in the bedroom that Tom and Maddie shared, a sinking feeling would grow in his gut. Though Tom was dispatched from the hospital with no life-threatening issues, he was instructed to remain in bed to recover for a few weeks. Seeing Tom resting, his arm in a cast and supported by a sling over his shoulder, only reminded Sonic of what happened to him in unwanted flashbacks.
Now, Tom was sitting comfortably, a bundle of pillows behind him to support his back and a laptop balanced on his lap. His eyebrows were furrowed, but he relaxed significantly upon seeing his sons as they clambered onto the bed beside him, Maddie moving to stay standing beside them.
Knuckles slammed his fists together, already pumped for a fight. “Tell us what is wrong! Who do I need to punch?”
Tom held his hand up. “Hold your horses, Knuckles, we don’t need to punch anyone. Yet. I was just skimming through last night’s footage, and I thought this was something you all needed to be aware of.” He sighed. “I’ll just let you guys watch it.”
The three glanced at each other nervously. Tom looked unusually apprehensive. Everyone crowded around the laptop as Tom pulled up the footage.
12 AM. The footage overlooked Tom and Maddie’s bedroom, displaying the two fast asleep in the bed, chests rising and falling rhythmically. It was a peaceful night; there was no sound save for the occasional snore.
A resounding click. The bedroom window slowly slid open; the lock was broken. A gloved hand pushed the window blinds aside.
A gasp ripped its way from Tails’ throat. Knuckles growled.
Sonic’s blood turned ice-cold.
Shadow the Hedgehog silently climbed through the window and into the bedroom.
“What?” Sonic said breathlessly. “Shadow’s…alive?”
Could it be true? Were Sonic’s eyes playing tricks on him? Or did Shadow not die along with the destruction of the Eclipse Cannon? Could he really have been alive all this time? It seemed impossible, but the footage was hard evidence proving otherwise.
What business did Shadow have here, in the Wachowski house?
The dark hedgehog slowly began to prowl around the bed upon which Tom and Maddie lay. He looked to be in bad shape—his quills were disheveled, his black fur was matted and dirty as though he rolled in dirt for an hour straight, and he was limping slightly.
But neither of those factors hindered him as he stumbled over to where Tom was resting.
Sonic’s body tensed. Did Shadow do something to Tom in his sleep? Hurt him again? But when Sonic glanced at him, Tom didn’t seem to be any more injured than the last time he saw him. So if Shadow didn’t hurt him, then what did he do?
Shadow finally stopped at the side of the bed, towering over Tom. He slowly leaned over. Hovered an ear over Tom’s chest.
Oh. Sonic let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Shadow was just checking that Tom was okay.
Shadow’s shoulders slumped in relief. He swayed slightly on his feet as he straightened, scanning the room until his eyes landed on the door that led to the rest of the house. He carefully stalked toward it, swung it open, and gently closed it behind him.
Tom wordlessly switched the footage to a different angle.
Shadow began to wander down the halls and around the house, turning his head and swiveling his ears. He stepped through the threshold and into the living room, instinctively jumping and throwing his hands up when he was met face-to-face with Ozzie.
The golden retriever curiously tilted its head, leaning forward to tentatively sniff Shadow’s chest fur. Shadow froze, tensing up but relaxing when Ozzie silently pulled back.
The dog had deemed Shadow safe. A nonthreat.
“Impossible,” Knuckles muttered. Tails simply frowned but didn’t make a comment.
Sonic wasn’t sure how to feel about any of this. Clashing emotions raged in his head, overwhelming him as he watched the scene unfold in front of him.
Shadow glanced around the living room, and after a moment he turned on his heel. Entered the kitchen, left it. Opened a few doors, peeked his head in, and closed them. Ozzie followed in his wake, occasionally headbutting the hedgehog’s legs and begging for pets whenever Shadow stopped walking for even a few seconds.
Shadow finally stopped in his tracks. He’d circled right back to Tom and Maddie’s bedroom door, presumably failing to find whatever he might have been looking for. He moved to open the door again when Ozzie nosed his side. He paused.
Then he reached to carefully pat the dog’s head twice before opening the door and gently closing it behind him, making sure Ozzie didn’t follow him inside.
Cute, came a fleeting thought through Sonic’s head.
Shadow climbed out the window and slid it shut behind him, disappearing.
“Wha…,” Sonic started to say. But he had nothing to say; he was at a complete loss for words. There was absolutely nothing he could say that would convey the mess that was currently happening in his head.
Maddie leaned across the bed to gently squeeze Sonic’s hand, noticing how overwhelmed he looked. “It doesn’t stop there.”
There was more? Sonic couldn’t figure out what could possibly come next after all of that, but it quickly became clear when Tom pulled up more footage, this time of the last area of the house that Shadow hadn’t checked.
The circular window slowly swung open, and Shadow the Hedgehog himself leaped down into the shared attic.
A noise escaped Sonic’s throat at the sight, a mix of grief, disbelief, and laughter all at once. Shadow had been in the same room as Sonic just last night, and he didn’t even realize it. Sonic was probably having that nightmare about the very hedgehog while he was right there. How horribly ironic.
The moment Shadow’s eyes landed on him, he went straight for Sonic, not deterred by any means even when his shoes caught on various items strewn all across the floor. The dark hedgehog stopped at the edge of Sonic’s racecar bed.
Sonic was fast asleep. His blankets were kicked down to his feet, leaving himself vulnerable to the unexpected visitor. But Shadow took this opportunity to lean over, looking over the sleeping hedgehog for any visible wounds or injuries, tilting an ear to Sonic’s muzzle and listening for his breathing and heartbeat. And Shadow nearly collapsed, his entire body relaxing in pure relief.
The adrenaline that fueled Shadow now melted away, leaving him wobbling unsteadily on his feet. He took a few steps away from Sonic and towards the window, but he didn’t make it very far; his knees buckled and he collapsed to the floor at the foot of Sonic’s bed. He made to stand back up before pausing. Then he curled up on his side, pulling his knees tightly to his chest. He was in a position where, if Sonic were to wake up in that moment, the end of his bed would block his view of Shadow. He wouldn’t even notice the dark hedgehog was there at all.
Shadow looked so incredibly small and vulnerable, the way he lay on the floor. He was completely still save for the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest.
The sight broke Sonic’s heart.
Shadow remained unmoving throughout the night, looking almost like a corpse compared to how Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all tossed and turned in their beds. As the sun rose, about a half hour before Sonic had woken up that morning, Shadow suddenly jolted awake and straightened up from his place on the floor. He whipped his head around like he forgot where he was, taking a quick glance at the three asleep in their beds before turning on his heels, leaping out of and swinging the circular window shut, and disappearing.
***
Tom finally shut his laptop, signifying that Shadow didn’t come back after that. Though everyone was silent, the atmosphere was anything but—a million unspoken questions hung over the family like a dense fog. Nobody knew how to even begin to break the tension.
Maddie clasped her hands together. “How about,” she said gently, “we start by talking about how we feel?”
Out of everyone in the family, Sonic already knew that he was the most familiar with Shadow. That heart-to-heart they’d shared on the moon, watching the sun peek over Earth, talking about their grief together…
“He’s alive,” Sonic heard himself say. He could hardly believe it still, even after seeing the footage. “I thought he died, but…he’s still here.” He looked up to face his family members, a mix of unease and stress between them. “Why couldn’t he come talk to us directly?”
Everyone else was more hesitant to speak.
“That hedgehog must have been planning something,” Knuckles snarled. “Why else would he sneak into our home at night, while we were asleep and vulnerable? If he comes back, I say we fight him. Drive him out! We cannot allow him to think he can hurt us!”
Right. While Sonic had told his family everything he could about Shadow, it wasn’t like they’d had the talk with Shadow themselves. The most that they knew from their own experiences was that Shadow had hurt Tom.
Sonic opened his mouth to speak, but Tails beat him to it. “I’m not so sure that’s the case, Knuckles. Sure, he did sneak in, but the way he looked at Tom and Sonic…” He tapped a finger to his chin, deep in thought. “I think he was just making sure they were okay.”
“Maybe,” Sonic said quietly, “he was afraid of how we would react if we saw him.”
“When Shadow attacked me and took the key,” Tom cut in, “I was disguised as Walters. I don’t think it’s too far a reach to say that Shadow meant to hurt Walters and didn’t know that it was actually me disguised as him. He probably wanted to see for himself that he hadn’t seriously injured me.”
“Shadow didn’t hurt anyone last night!” Sonic added. “And Ozzy even decided that he wasn’t a threat to us. I don’t know why he would choose to stay the night, but…” Hope sparked deep in his chest despite himself. “Maybe he wants to be our friend.”
Knuckles’ face contorted at the very idea.
“Or maybe not,” Maddie said. “Don’t needlessly give yourself false hope. Remember that this could be a one time thing. He might not come back after this.”
And we might never see him again. The spark of hope vanished as soon as it came.
Tom shrugged. “There’s no way to know for sure. But so far, Shadow doesn’t seem to mean any harm. I say we wait. See if anything happens.”
Everyone seemed to mostly agree; Tails nodded his head, Maddie smiled approvingly, and even Knuckles relented, although he was more hesitant than the others. Out of everyone, Tom and Sonic were affected the most, so they got the final say. Tom already gave his opinion, so now they turned to Sonic for his.
Sonic took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Okay,” he said. “We’ll wait it out.”