Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

In the end it was all an accident. 

The results of Robotnik, Tails, and Stone messing around with a Chaos Emerald and one of the Rings several members of the Mobian Defense Force had lying around. 

They were given permission this time, which was the only reason they weren’t getting yelled at more intensely than the last time they did an experiment that resulted in negative consequences. 

Stone still maintained that this may, in fact, be a positive thing. 

Tails wasn’t sure how positive it could be looking at two different versions of himself staring at him with wide eyes. Behind them were two extras of Tails’ family and friends, and a human or two sticking out like sore thumbs.

(The scientist in him remarked that it was strange that there weren’t doubles of the humans, and while Tails recognized most of them, there were a few he definitely didn’t.) 

“Ummmm. Hello?” One of the other Tails spoke, waving slightly right as another sound of something being zapped echoed in their base. 

Everyone, sudden doppelgangers included, looked over to Robotnik with his finger on a button, a fake look of contrition on his face. 

And now there were another two sets of look-alikes. 

Tails sighed. 

Luckily, Stone was on point with letting the crazy scientist know that he was disappointed. 

No one wanted to disappoint Agent Stone. 

“Doctor. Did you press the button again after seeing what happened the first time?” Stone’s voice was completely flat, and if he was directing that stare at Tails he would certainly have his ears flat against his head. 

As it was, Robotnik only looked vaguely ashamed that he did just that. 

“My hand slipped.” 

Stone stared harder and Ivo cursed and kicked the ground like a particularly disgruntled puppy. 

“I needed to verify the hypothesis, Agent Stone! It’s been verified. We created a device that bends universes and realities as we know it and brings forth our alternate selves from said dimensions! Fascinating, truly.” 

“Do you need help kicking his butt? Because I think I’d like to help with that.” A deeper version of Tails’ brother’s voice sounded from right behind him. Tails definitely didn’t jump at it. 

“Oh no. That’s not necessary. Agent Stone has that handled. It really was an accident.” Right as Tails spoke, the agent grabbed onto one of Ivo’s ears and started pulling him out of their lab, berating him the entire time about science not being the point of this particular experience. 

“Well that’s just embarrassing.” 

Tails looked to see a taller, more Dorito shaped Eggman looking out the door that Tails’ Robotnik was just pulled out of. 

“Who was that anyway?” 

“It’s obvious he was this dimension’s version of you, Egghead.” A tall Sonic rolled his eyes and glared at (what Tails’ assumed was) his Eggman. 

“Obviously, you blue nuisance. I was referring to the well-kept man pulling this me out of the room.” 

Tails blinked and looked up at the (slightly) more stylish doctor. 

“You don’t have an Agent Stone in your dimension?” 

“Who the hell is Agent Stone?” four voices overlapped into a very odd Eggman choir. They sounded nothing like Robotnik, so it wasn’t THAT bad. 

“Wow. I didn’t think Ivo could exist without Stone. That’s, like, super weird.” Tails pondered a universe where the two weren’t constantly in cahoots and simply couldn’t imagine it. Those two belonged together much like…well. 

“Uhh, not that this isn’t interesting, you know, Eggmen, but how are we here?” Another Sonic asked, this one looked more like Tails’ but a little shorter and narrower. This Sonic also had a Shadow right next to him. 

Right. 

Tails sent a message off to his big red brother and his parents with a heads up to let Sonic know that there were several versions of them and their friends now in his and the Robotniks’ lab. 

“Uh, Tails?” 

Tails held up a finger while he typed out two different messages, one to his family and another one to Rouge so she could give Amy and Blaze a heads up about the Silvers he saw in the crowd. 

Man, this was going to piss off a lot of Tails’ family and friends. 

There were even Espios and Vectors, so he sent another message to Cream to talk to her mother before these others started walking around the base. 

Tails looked up from his phone and frowned at the four different Sonic’s giving him the same look of disapproval. He crossed his arms and raised his brow. 

Did these Sonic’s really think that he was going to let them big brother him? He had two big brothers, and a few pseudo big brothers already, he didn’t need this from hedgehogs that only LOOKED like his brother. 

(Although not like the brother that has been stalking around the town for the last six months. But looking at the array of Mobians and Humans, well, it looked like these Sonics weren’t missing their Shadows so they could stuff it.) (It was very odd that only one of the Shadows were next to a Sonic, but that was a thought for not right now.) 

“Did you finish…whatever you were doing? Can you tell us why, or how, we got here?” Bandana Sonic asked and looked a little put out when Tails just frowned at him. 

“I was messaging my family about this whole situation, thanks. And yes I’m done.” Tails sassed right back and refused to answer the rest of his question. Because his brothers had rubbed off on him and he was stubborn. 

“You have a family?” Another Tails asked with wide eyes. “You weren’t bullied for your tails?” 

Tails softened a little. (For some reason he had the idea that the Tails that spoke was younger than he was, and therefore a little closer to an awful childhood.) 

“Oh no, I definitely was. I was referring to my adopted family.” 

There was some murmuring around the lab and Tails sighed. Might as well explain the situation so he could get these strangers out of the lab. Who knows what could happen if they touched something.

“Simply put, you weren’t supposed to be here. Ivo, Stone, and I were experimenting with a Chaos Emerald and Mobian Rings to see if we could somehow figure out teleportation.” Tails took a breath to explain the War but was cut off by one of the Shadows somehow not sticking to their Sonics side. 

“Why the hell would you let a Robotnik anywhere near a Chaos Emerald let alone experiment with it?” This Shadow was definitely more aggressive than Tails’ ever was, even when the other was trying to kill them. Wow. 

Tails just deadpanned the hedgehog until he growled and looked away, arms crossed and standing so rigidly it looked like it hurt. (Thanks, Stone, for your endless training on looking done with other’s nonsense.) 

“Our dimension is not your dimension. Sure Ivo has tried to kill us a few times, but he also saved the world when he didn’t have to and showed up to help when the War broke out.” 

“War?!” 

“What war?!” A taller, brawnier, version of Tails’ eldest brother pushed through the crowd and all he could think about was how much fun Knuckles was going to have fighting other versions of himself. 

“The War against G.U.N., obviously.” There were some shocked mutters and a few disbelieving stares, but Tails ignored them. “We somehow made a device that teleported versions of us to our space, and considering we were experimenting, I can’t tell you when or how we’ll be able to get you back to your own dimensions.” 

“What?” 

Again Tails ignored them. 

“So you’re going to be here for an undisclosed amount of time and there are rules you are going to need to follow to stay safe. First, no Mobian is allowed out of Green Hills without a squad of four or more. Second, stay away from the base a few miles out of town if you ever do leave. Third, no fighting in the base, take it outside to the training grounds or one of the gyms. Fourth, no racing.” “NO RACING?” “And finally, leave our Sonic alone.” 

A different, just as growly, Shadow commented on that being a stupid rule while an Amy cooed about wanting to see this dimension’s version of her hero, while longingly looking at, who Tails assumed was, her Sonic. 

Weird. 

And slightly gross. 

Tails let his own growl reverberate in the room, shutting up the entire room. Handy. 

“I mean it. Leave our Sonic alone. He’s going through enough as it is.” 

One of the Shadow’s (not the one next to their Sonic) scoffed and grumbled about the blue hedgehog needing to be coddled in this dimension. 

Tails glared at him. 

“You are visitors to our dimension, wanted or not, and I expect you to ACT like it. The rules are non-negotiable and if any of my versions of you find out you broke them, you will NOT like the retaliation.” 

“Is that a threat, Fox?” 

Tails looked the Shadow up and down, before scoffing and turning away from the entire group, heading towards the door and throwing his response over his shoulder.

“It’s a promise, Faker.” 

--

Maddie was not sure what to do. 

Tails’ message was clear, and she watched Stone drag Ivo out of the lab by the ear, berating him about not everything being about science and boundaries, while Ivo simply said “ow” over and over. 

She sighed. 

How was she going to break this to Sonic? 

Tom smiled at her from across the little mess hall they set up in the base, Rachel giving her an enthusiastic thumbs up, and Knuckles frowning from where he sat next to Matriarch Whipple (his words, not hers). 

Well. No time like the present. 

She gestured to Knuckles and headed out of the base, aiming for a small cave on the outskirts of Green Hills that was technically still in the bounds of the town. 

Knuckles joined her shortly after, a pensive look on his face. 

“Mother. I don’t think this is going to be good.” 

Maddie looked down at her oldest and smiled as genuinely as she could. (Which wasn’t very considering the circumstances.) 

“No, I don’t think so either. But, without knowing what these alternates look like…well. Sonic needs a heads up.” 

Knuckles nodded solemnly. 

They walked in light silence until they were almost at the cave and Knuckles broke it. 

“Wade Whipple and Sarah Perez have received a message from Rhea.” 

Maddie jolted and stopped. 

“They did?” 

“She has found a room he is not allowed in with their credentials. That is where she thinks the others might be held.” Knuckles paused, looking up to Maddie with concern written across his face. “He is going to try and get access.” 

Maddie let out a shaky breath. 

This is the best and worst news she’s gotten in six whole months. 

Shit. 

“We can’t tell Sonic.” 

Knuckles frowned. 

“But, mother-”

“I know, baby, but with how he’s been? And these other…others in the base? He’ll do something dangerous and ill-advised. We need to keep it from him for his safety, okay?” Maddie knelt down and held her son’s shoulders, doing her best to impart just how important this was to keep from his younger brother. 

Knuckle nodded slowly. 

“I do not like keeping this from him, but I agree he would not react well.” 

Maddie let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding and stood, holding out her hand for her eldest who happily grabbed it with his own, much larger, paw. 

They walked the rest of the way to the cave in a lighter silence. 

She really hoped that Sonic wouldn’t take this news badly. Or at least didn’t cause too much trouble as he reacted (badly). 

--

Tom watched his youngest stomp his way out of his and Robotnik’s lab, arms crossed and an unnatural glare on his face. 

Oh boy. 

He smiled as Tails looked at him and waved him over for some pancakes. 

Tails’ expression lightened considerably and happily flew to Tom’s side and started munching, but still sent glares at the door he came out of every now and then. 

Ten minutes after Tails started eating, a colorful bunch of Mobians, with a few humans in the crowd, started tromping in. 

Several utensils hit the floor even though almost everyone knew about their new guests within minutes of Tails’ texts. 

It was very unnerving seeing different versions of his sons and their friends. 

It was more unnerving to see the Shadows, only one of which was anywhere near a Sonic. 

Oh boy. 

Tom ruffled Tails’ ears and stood, walking over to the group now looking around with undisguised questions. 

“Hi there.” Tom waved, trying to keep his smile as two of the Sonics cheerfully greeted him. (When was the last time his first son was that happy? That cheerful? Geez, it felt like forever.) 

“My name is Tom. Welcome to our dimension, I guess. Any questions so far?” 

“Yes! Where is this world’s version of myself? I need to establish dominance as the superior me!” A broader and taller Knuckles quickly asked, three answering shouts of agreement echoing him. 

Hoo boy. 

“Sorry, he and his mom are off breaking the news to his brother. He might be a while.” Tom smiled apologetically as Wade mimed taking a call at him and dashing out of the room, Sarah on his heels. 

Good. Some news from Rhea is very much needed right now. 

“Mother? Brother? Is the Knuckles of this world not the last echidna?” Four versions of his eldest son were looking up at him with hopeful eyes and Tom hated to crush their spirits, but it was better than them holding on to the false idea of more echidnas. 

“No he is.” 

“I don’t understand.” 

“He’s been adopted, Knucks, obviously.” A taller bandana wearing Sonic piped in, shoving the echidnas aside so he was in the front. “Where’s this dimension version of me and why did your Tails just about murder us with his eyes threatening us to not bother him?” 

Tom sighed. 

Yeah that explained Tails’ sour mood, for sure. 

“He’s not here. He’ll probably turn up in a bit after Knuckles and Maddie break the news to him about y’all being here.” 

“I thought you said your Knuckles was going to talk to his brother?” A Tails with goggles asked with an adorable head tilt.

“Pretty sure you just need to rip the bandaid off, sugar.” Rouge floated down next to Tom and he sighed, yeah that was probably a good idea. 

“He is. Maddie and I adopted Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles.” 

The large group was silent. 

“Wow. I haven’t seen a gathering go that quiet since that one party a year ago-” Tom covered Rouge’s mouth and gave her some aggressive eyebrow wiggles. That wasn’t a story these doubles needed to know about. 

“I get adopted in this dimension? Cool.” The only Sonic with a Shadow anywhere near him smiled, sharing a glance with (assumingly) his Tails. 

“Pfft. Parents.” The bandana Sonic scoffed and then glared at a Shadow hanging back by the Dorito shaped Robotnik. 

This was going to get confusing fast. 

“Oh Sonic, sometimes parents are a good thing.” One of the Amy’s piped up, appearing next to Bandana with wide eyes. Bandana flushed. 

Oh boy. 

Tom smiled as they all started chatting about how a Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles would be like as adopted siblings. Two of the Tails were talking with each other so fast that another Tails just looked confused. 

“I think I still want to know why your Tails was so vehement about us not bothering your Sonic.” One of the two Espio’s mentioned, looking up to Tom as he carefully held a Charmy taking a nap. 

(Still adorable, and a sight he hadn’t seen in quite a while.) 

(Tom didn’t see that many Vanilla’s in the crowd, and only one Cream. Odd.)

“Oh, well-” Tom was cut off by a familiar sound of skidding sneakers and a thunk against the wide arch that lead into the rest of the base. 

Well, shit. 

--

Considering Sonic’s last entanglement with other dimensions, he was marginally less surprised than his friends or the other Sonics and Friends. Shadow humming along with this world’s Tails’ explanation, just as familiar. 

It was nice when the other versions of everyone he knew weren’t quite so radically different. Even if this universe was at war with G.U.N. for some reason. (Note to self: find someone to explain that a bit more.)

Honestly, Tails’ rules made perfect sense considering they were all in the dark about what was happening in this dimension. 

However, he was extremely curious about the last rule. 

What in the universe could another version of him be going through to have a rule that equated to leaving him be. 

And it seemed they were going to get an answer one way or another, because while this Tom person (this Sonic’s dad??) was going to explain, a familiar sound echoed in the suspiciously quiet room. 

Sonic didn’t look to the door like everyone else, he instead watched as New Rouge snapped her wings out and sped towards the sound, an unfamiliar look of concern on her face. New Tails jumped up from his seat as well and raced in the same direction. 

Tom also stopped talking, looking to the door with a grimace. 

Shadow nudged him and Sonic finally looked over to the doorway. 

It was definitely a Sonic, in the loosest interpretation of one. 

This one was darker, brows furrowed, a frown on his muzzle, a gold band similar to Shadow’s on his wrist, and disheveled spikes. His green eyes flashed to red and back a few times before settling in a dark green. 

Then he did the strangest thing. 

Sonic scowled. 

It was like looking at a Sonic colored Shadow. 

He didn’t say anything, just growled loud enough to echo in the room, scowled even further (somehow) and stalked off. New Rouge and Tails following him without a word. 

“What the hell was that?” the taller Shadow growled out, very similar to the Sonic that just left. 

Bandana Sonic nodded. 

“Not that I like agreeing with this guy, he has a good point. Why is your Sonic acting like a blue version of Shadow?” 

Sonic held back a grin as three of the four Shadows growled at Bandana. Sonic’s Shadow chuckled under his breath because he was clearly getting a kick out of these other Shadow’s responses. 

(He probably saw the amusement in seeing other Shadow’s that hadn’t gone through what they had and were still acting like they had sticks up their behinds. Also, they didn’t know these versions’ lives. It could be a whole Nine situation for all they knew.) 

(Although Bandana Sonic and his Shadow were certainly very interesting to watch. It was like someone took all the nuance out of Shadow’s background and made him into a disgruntled Mobian-adjacent.) 

“It’s really none of your business.” Tom shrugged, not looking away from the empty doorway two of his sons (that’s a weird thought) just left out of. 

“You were going to tell us. Before Sonic showed up.” A purple chameleon spoke up, an adorable bee sleeping in their arms. 

“No, I wasn’t.” Tom shook his head and placed his hands on his hips while turning to look at them finally, a furrow in his brows. “I was going to tell you the same thing Tails did, most likely. Leave him be. He’s going through it right now.” 

A human walked in through the archway, looking down at a little box similar to the Miles Electric, if Sonic was being honest. 

They walked right up to Tom and started talking without looking away from the object in their hands. 

“Rhea has to go dark for a bit. He’s going to do something stupid and doesn’t want us caught in the crosshairs if it goes wrong. Sarah is trying to talk her out of it.” The new human spoke, finally looking up from their little thing. 

Their eyes traveled through their group but hesitated on each Shadow, the two crocodiles, the two chameleons, and the two silver hedgehogs. 

“Thanks, Wade. Can you ask your mom to check in with Knuckles? I doubt he’s taking keeping things from Sonic very well.” 

“Sure can. I’ll go see if I can’t find him any grapes at the grocery. That’ll make him feel better. At least a little.” Wade nodded and left, but not before glancing at the same Mobians he stopped on earlier. 

Something is definitely going on there. 

Sonic looked over to Shadow, who was watching the human walk away with the same look of concentration that means he was on the same page as Sonic. 

Shadow turned to look at him once the human was fully gone and raised one of his eye ridges. 

Right. 

That was fair. 

Sonic turned to Tom, who was easily fending off questions about his Sonic with ease, letting nothing slip even with so many questioning him. Impressive. 

“Why do people keep looking at the Shadows like they’ve seen a ghost?” Sonic asked, speaking louder than the rest of the group to make sure Tom could hear him. 

Clearly, he did, because he stilled like prey in front of a predator. 

He slowly turned to look at Sonic, but Shadow didn’t let the silence last very long. Like they planned. 

“For that matter, why did your friend, Wade, look at the crocodiles, chameleons, and the two silver hedgehogs like he was trying to memorize what they looked like?” 

This time, Tom looked pained and Sonic knew he wasn’t going to like the answer. 

“What does that have to do with anything? I still want to know why this Sonic acts just like this grump. It’s weird.” Bandana pointed a thumb over his shoulder at (presumably) his Shadow, who just glared back. 

Sonic didn’t bother answering that rhetorical question. Bandana clearly wasn’t thinking about the grand scheme of things. Mainly, if they could figure out this war thing, help out where help is needed, and let the Tails’ work with Robotniks, then the faster they could get back to their home dimensions. 

It was simple math that Sonic learned with the shatterverse. He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes he did before. 

Tom sighed, before he gestured for them to follow him and walked over to a larger table that could feasibly accommodate them all, if some larger members stood. 

It took a minute for everyone to situate, and Sonic couldn’t help but notice that Tom was the only one from this dimension still in the room, all other bodies leaving while the dimension travelers were settling. 

“Alright. I’m gonna give you a brief rundown of what’s been happening in this world. It might not make sense to you, but please don’t ask any question until I finish, okay?” 

Sonic nodded and everyone else must have too because Tom let out a large breath and started speaking carefully. 

“First things first, this is Earth. I don’t know how many of you are from Earth and how many are from Mobius, but this is Earth. Sonic ended up here when he was a hoglet because his main caretaker was killed trying to protect him, he was here without anyone knowing for about ten years before he was discovered. 

“Through a series of events, Maddie, my wife, and I ended up adopting him and later Tails and Knuckles. Robotnik tried to take over the world, Sonic stopped him, he tried to do it again with his long-lost grandfather, saved it instead, faded into relative obscurity for a while. Things happen.” Tom sighed, rubbing his temples with both hands at the starts and stops of questions from the others. Sonic is paying attention, his desire to run, for once, not cropping up at an inopportune time. 

Shadow next to him is frowning, staring at the table like it held the secrets of the universe.

Sonic will ask him about it later. 

“Then Mobians started showing up. First Amy, then Rouge, Silver and Blaze, Vector, Espio, and Charmy, Vanilla and Cream, all one after each other with different stories as to how they got here. And Green Hills had been home to Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails for long enough that the humans that lived here just sort of absorbed them into the community. 

“There aren’t Mobians that live outside of Green Hills, everyone is here. And G.U.N. didn’t like that. They already didn’t like that Sonic was here, that Knuckles stayed here, that Tails stayed as well, that the Master Emerald was some place they didn’t know about. It’s a whole thing.” Tom waved his hand in the air and continued like this wasn’t the craziest thing in the universe. 

“Almost a year ago now, G.U.N. decided they weren’t going to stand for it anymore and demanded we hand over Sonic to them for safety reasons.” Tom rolled his eyes but kept talking, “We obviously said no and told them off, and they responded by started to attack our town. It wasn’t a question that we fought back, even the human population. What they were doing was wrong and unethical and a lot of other words I won’t say. And we’ve been at war with them since.” 

“That doesn’t explain-” Bandana started but Tom simply gave him a bored look and he shut up, teeth clacking as he did. Good, Sonic wanted to hear the rest of the story. 

“About nine months ago, they started taking any Mobians that wandered too far out of Green Hills, when they weren’t launching attacks at us.” 

Sonic bit his lip. That wasn’t what he was expecting at all. 

“Espio was snatched first, then Vector when he went out to look for him. A few others got grabbed before they went for Amy and Silver. They were out on a patrol with three others and were ambushed, Silver bought them time to escape but, of course, Amy went to save him when he got captured. She ended up restrained for a bit before she escaped, but Amy wasn’t in the same place as Silver so she returned alone.” 

That sounded awful. How many of them were taken? How many were still alive? Sonic bit his lip harder. 

“Then, six months ago, Shadow was taken.” 

Sonic felt Shadow jolt next to him. The other Shadows paying more attention to Tom now than previously. Sonic got it. Until now there was no proof that there even WAS a Shadow in this dimension, let alone that he got kidnapped. 

“How?” 

“G.U.N. had Shadow contained for almost fifty years before we knew him, they had gear ready to detain him, and he was gone in seconds. He was out with a group doing recon, Rouge was the only one to make it back and she has no idea what happened to the others.” 

Tom settled back, rubbing his temples again as silence covered their motley crew and Sonic was reeling a bit. 

This G.U.N. was strong enough to contain Shadow? And they had for fifty years? 

Sonic looked at his Shadow who was frowning and staring at his inhibitor rings as he spun them absent-mindedly.

How weak is your Shadow that he could be captured and contained for six months?” The tall Shadow scoffed, looking for all the world like he wasn’t fazed by the news that his counterpart had been held prisoner for half a year. 

(For all Sonic knew, he wasn’t. But that was so unlike the Shadow that HE knew that he didn’t think about it too hard.) (His Shadow was already not taking it well, Sonic didn’t need to worry about the other Shadows.) 

Tom’s entire visage hardened and he glared (actually glared!) at Tall Shadow. 

“He was ambushed, had his weakness exploited, and who knows what else. Shadow isn’t weak, and if you ever try to imply it again you’ll have a whole mess on your paws that you won’t be able to deal with.” 

Tom stood, bringing an end to the conversation, and started heading out of the room. 

“Someone will be by in a bit to show you where you can stay. Remember the rules Tails told you, and stay away from our Sonic.” 

Sonic sighed as some of the Sonics and Shadows started to bristle at the parting words. This was going to be a lot more work than fixing the shatterverse. 

Chapter Text

-Movie Knuckles-

Knuckles did not know if he liked these new versions of him and his brothers. Some of the Sonics were egotistical in a way that he didn’t like, very unlike his little brother who was egotistical in a funny way, for the most part. 

And don’t get him started on the Shadows. 

Only one of them behaved even close to the Superior Hedgehog he knew, and the others were surly and growly. 

Even when the Superior Hedgehog was trying to kill them he wasn’t quite so…aggressive. 

It was dinner time and, as had become usual in the last six months, they were eating in the cafeteria of the base. Sonic was seated right next to him, pressing into his side, while slowly eating a bowl of chili like he was being forced to under threat of death. 

With the way Mother was looking at him from across the table that was likely the truth. 

Father ate his chili dog with a sigh, sending Sonic and his bowl of chili concerned looks, while Tails was pressed into Sonic’s other side and murmuring about the likelihood of an attack any time soon and the surges of Chaos energy in the last few days. 

It worked for the most part. 

Sonic was eating. 

But it was slow and unenthusiastically. 

Knuckles looked over at the other Sonics eating with the vigor he expected of his brother, several chili dogs were a victim of their enthusiastic eating. 

Even if they weren’t his brother, it was still nice to see a Sonic enjoy eating again. 

He tucked back into his own chili dog, smiling as Matriarch Whipple complimented the spices in the food and swearing her turn to cook on Shabbat will be just as delicious. Across from them Rouge flashed her fangs in excitement. She enjoyed the day just as much as Knuckles did, as rare as they were with this war going on. 

Just as Knuckles finished his delicious food, the lights started to slowly dim and a screen started to drop from the ceiling on one side of the cafeteria. 

Sonic stiffened next to him. 

Before the lights were fully dimmed, Sonic had murmured his excuses and left the room almost fast enough to cause a boom. 

Mother and Father sighed in unison before standing to follow Sonic. It was their turn. 

Tails looked up to Knuckles with wet eyes and he pulled his youngest brother close, making sure to squeeze tightly enough to provide comfort. 

Rouge hummed and looked over to the guests from other dimensions, all looking around with confusion even as the projector started up. 

Amy was standing next to it, her arms crossed and hammer at the ready on the off chance this was a night that Sonic broke and tried to break it, again. 

Knuckles waved her down. 

She smiled sadly and went to sit next to Blaze, taking her paw in both of hers and squeezing as the first video started up. This one of Silver talking quickly about his greenhouse on the Smith’s farm and the sustainability of his plants whilst in the midst of a war. 

Knuckles watched them squeeze each other’s paws and he clenched his paw not wrapped around Tails into a fist and placed it on the table. Rouge softly laid one of her paws on his fist and smiled as brightly as she could under the circumstances. 

Knuckles relaxed slightly. 

The next video started, this one of Espio, Vector, Charmy, Cream, and Vanilla laughing while hanging up lights in one of the other larger rooms of the base, turning into a little quiet room for anyone who needed it. 

For the first twenty minutes of their Remembrance Night there was not a single video of Shadow out of respect for Sonic, to give him enough time to finish dinner and escape before he lost control, again. 

During this time, one of the other Sonics approached them, his Tails and Amy right behind him. He smiled carefully. 

Knuckles reclined his head and Rouge flew over to his and Tails’ side of the table so the new trio could have Mother and Father’s vacated seats. They sat slowly and carefully and it was so unlike Knuckles’ brother that he couldn’t hold back a snort. 

“Can we ask what this is about?” Amy asked, looking over to the projector playing a video of some of the other missing Mobians playing in the grass in the middle of the forest outside of Green Hills. 

Tails sighed, looking down at his texts with Sonic and writing out a request for their missing brother to join them for breakfast before going out on patrol with Vanilla, Charmy, and Blaze the next morning. 

There was a single thumbs up emoticon from Sonic. 

“It’s Wednesday.” Tails said quietly, “Remembrance Night.” 

Knuckles nodded and Rouge let a laugh slip at the confusion on the other Mobians’ faces. 

“Since G.U.N. started capturing us, every Wednesday is Remembrance Night. We have a series of videos set up to play to remind us of who we’re fighting for.” Rouge explained, smiling softly at the funniest video in this playlist, one of Sonic and Shadow covered in whip cream and looking surprised at the microwave that had exploded with it. Mother showed up on the screen with an exasperated look before shoo-ing them both towards the bathroom. 

“Your Sonic left here before the videos even started.” Sonic commented, looking at Knuckles with an unspoken question. 

Knuckles curled his lips and squeezed Tails tighter to his side, his brother admirably ignoring it in favor of texting Wade Whipple about Rhea’s next planned visit. 

“Speak your question out loud, hedgehog.” 

“Why? Why’d he leave? I would want to stay and watch these.” He gestured to the screen, the video of Cream and Charmy smiling as Espio and Vector ate a very under baked cake. “Remind myself why I need to keep fighting.” 

Tails scoffed, all three of the others turning to look at him with wide eyes. 

Knuckles couldn’t help but smile at the glare his little brother turned on the interlopers, he was learning well. 

“Sonic doesn’t need to see these videos to keep fighting. He’ll do it anyway, even if it requires him to sacrifice basic necessities. Like eating.” Tails scowled and sent Sarah a message reminding her to take inventory tomorrow before the crews went out to collect things. 

Knuckles nodded, looking off to the doorway the rest of his family left out of, Matriarch Whipple following them shortly after the lights completely dimmed. She was sometimes more successful in getting to Sonic than their parents. Must be the Grandmother part of her. 

“I can understand that. Our Sonic would be just as focused if so many of our friends were being captured. I don’t know that he’d be quite so moody, but he’s been plenty protective before.” The other Tails shrugged with Amy nodding along with his statement. 

Sonic gave his Tails a side-eye before frowning. 

“Even if you were captured I don’t think I’d be moping and growling like that guy.” Sonic pointed his thumb out the door and Knuckles slammed his fist into the table, Tails shooting up with a snarl. 

“You don’t know anything.” Tails growled before flying out of the room. 

Knuckles watched as he left and turned to see Sonic looking surprised then sheepish, folding in on himself just a little bit. 

Rouge wrapped her paw around Knuckles’ fist, gently unfurling it with her other paw before smiling sadly at him. 

“I think you all need to stop thinking about us in the way you would think about your world. Our Sonic is not you,” Rouge nodded at Sonic, “our Tails is not you,” then at the other Tails, “neither is our Amy you.” Nodding at the other Amy with a sad smile. 

“We have been through battles you know nothing of.” Knuckles said, breathing slowly (exactly like his brothers coached him the first time the anxiety of being attacked hit him) and doing his best to not glare. 

They didn’t know anything. They weren’t being malicious, just ignorant. 

“You are not us and we are not you.” 

The three looked pensive, like Knuckles’ words were a new thought they needed to wrap their minds around. 

Ridiculous. 

“I think it would be best if you all stopped mentioning Sonic to any of us. Especially his family. Tails has already stormed off on your lot twice now, he won’t do it a third.” Rouge smiled mischievously at the thought. 

The younger Tails looked confused. 

“What would he do instead?” 

“Honey, I think you’d be best not thinking about that. He’s very protective of his family and let’s leave it at that. Has someone shown you to a place to sleep?” Rouge changed subjects like a professional and Knuckles was glad of her skill. 

He was tired of talking about his family’s situation. 

“Yeah. It’s mostly a giant room for all of us to bed down, but that’s good enough for us. I’ve slept rougher.” Sonic shrugged, Amy nodding next to him even though Tails continued to look pensive. 

“Rougher? How rougher we talking about, sugar?” Rouge purred, tapping her free paw’s claws on the table top while squeezing Knuckles’ fist with her other. 

“I slept all over during our dimensions war with Eggman. Speaking of, super weird to see him on your side when he’s got all his memories.” Sonic shrugged again, glancing over to see the Robotniks bent over something on their table, likely a gadget meant to help with fighting or something to get the doppelgangers back to their homes. 

The Dorito Eggman looking at them with side eyes, the others nowhere to be seen. 

“There’s a lot to unpack there, hun.” 

“Don’t I know it.” Sonic laughed and Knuckles felt a pang in his chest at hearing a laugh so similar to his brother’s but not quite right.

It has been too long since the last time Sonic laughed. 

“Tom said that he tried to kill you all a few times, how did he end up here?” Amy asked, looking over to Sonic with a blush before looking back at Knuckles. 

That was definitely weird. 

“That was before my time, sugar.” Rouge shrugged, also looking at Knuckles with an arched brown line. 

Fair. 

“He was sent by the government to study and capture Sonic before Mother and Father adopted him, but he was sent to a mushroom planet in the end. Embarrassingly, that is where I found him on my hunt for the Master Emerald. I helped him get to Earth after he tricked me into thinking he was going to help me.” 

“Sounds about right.” Sonic nodded and Knuckles bared his teeth. 

“It was dishonorable.” 

 “He and Ivo have a standing sparring date once a week where Knuckles forces Robotnik to apologize and then he takes it back before disappearing into the lab.” Rouge laughed. 

Knuckles slammed his fist on the table again, startling the three across from him. 

“I will make him cave and apologize correctly!” 

“Sure, honey.” Rouge patted him on the shoulder before turning back to the doubles. “Knuckles fought Sonic and Tails at that point, but then Sonic saved Knuckles, Knuckles saved Sonic in return, and they fought Robotnik to stop him from taking over the world with the Emerald.” 

“Ah, yes. We thought he had died, but he turned up when his estranged grandfather tried to destroy the world. Eggman assisted him when he thought his grandfather was just trying to take over the world but switched sides when the actual plan was revealed. He ended up saving the world instead.” 

“Wow. I literally cannot even imagine a world where that happens.” Sonic scratched his cheek and smiled sheepishly. 

It was odd to see his brother’s mannerisms on someone else. (It was odd to see those mannerisms at all after the events of six months ago.) 

“It must have been quite the event if he was on your side after it.” Amy tilted her head, smiling slightly. 

Knuckles snorted. 

“No, we thought he was dead after that too. We didn’t see him again until about six months before the war with G.U.N. started, with the Goat Milker at the Mean Bean, tinkering on the machines.” 

“The Mean Bean?” Tails tilted his head the same way Amy did and it made Knuckles’ heart hurt. He clenched his fist again, Rouge carefully petting it. 

“It’s Stone’s coffee shop. He opened it here after the first time Robotnik was assumed dead. Best coffee in town, really.” Rouge smiled before glancing at the rest of the other thems and her smile dropped. 

Knuckles went to look but Rouge forced his head to stay facing the trio in front of him. He frowned at her. 

“I’ve got it, sweetheart. Keep on talking and don’t look over until I say you can, alright?” 

Rouge was trying to protect him from something and Knuckles didn’t like it. 

“I can take care of myself, Rouge.” 

“I know. But, please, let me do this.” She looked so beautiful when she was focused so Knuckles just nodded dumbly at her. 

She stood, kissed his cheek, and left to handle whatever it was she didn’t want him to see. 

As asked, Knuckles didn’t look. 

That did mean he got to see Sonic, Tails, and Amy’s shocked faces. 

“What?” 

“When did that happen?!” Sonic gestured between Knuckles and the pace Rouge was sitting with wide eyes. 

Knuckles cocked his head. 

“Just now?” They literally just watched everything that just happened, why were they confused? 

“You and Rouge got together just now without talking?” Amy asked breathlessly, eyes turning into hearts as she looked over at her Sonic, who simply grimaced in response. 

“Oh. No. It has been about a year now? A little before the war started I think.” That made more sense than them asking about events that they witnessed. 

There was a loud crash and the three looked over to where Rouge had walked off to with even wider eyes somehow. 

Knuckles kept to his word and did not look. 

He indeed had no idea if he liked these doubles of his family and friends, but these three weren’t awful. 

-Prime Shadow-

Shadow felt like he was having an out of body experience watching the taller Sonic and Shadow fight like they were trying to kill each other. He honestly can’t recall the last time he went after Sonic with such determination to maim, the nonsense with the shatterverse notwithstanding. 

He didn’t even know what set them off. One minute they’re quietly watching the videos of this world’s Sonic and friends, the next those two were grappling for their lives. 

Shadow’s Sonic let out a hum and tilted his head, staring at the two with some degree of seriousness before turning to smile slightly at Shadow. 

He gainfully ignored his pulse speeding up at the sight. 

“I guess we should stop them.” Sonic sighed and made to stand, but was rendered unneeded when this world’s Rouge separated the two with a twitch of her wings. 

The Shadow growled lowly and made to launch another attack when a large hammer came out of nowhere causing him to fly back and hit the wall with a loud smack. It said something about the integrity of the walls that it wasn’t even dented. 

When he turned to look at the being holding the hammer, he was unsurprised to see an Amy. Shadow was more surprised to see the glare she was directing at the bandana wearing Sonic. Almost as if she was hoping to light him on fire. 

“What in the name of Chaos do you think you’re doing? And on Remembrance Night? Have you no common decency?!” She hissed, turning to face Bandana completely. Said Sonic just about cowered before his own Amy (assumingly) came to his rescue. 

“Leave him alone! We don’t know anything about this Remembrance Night! It wasn’t on purpose!” 

This world’s Amy bared her fangs and hissed, Sonic and his Amy taking a shocked step back before the tall wide Knuckles appeared at their side. The echidna smashed his fists together and smirked. 

“I was just thinking tonight would be more entertaining with a fight!” The Knuckles geared up to punch Amy when suddenly he was floating in the air. 

Shadow would have been more surprised if he wasn’t so focused on the Amy of this dimension. She looked at the new silver hedgehog like she’s just bitten into a bitter lemon. 

With a wave of their paw, the silver hedgehog also lifted the Sonic and Shadow in the air and looked at them both with severe disapproval, while simultaneously looking like he was about to vomit. It was interesting. 

His Sonic and Rouge hummed in interest beside him. 

“What part of we’re guests here did you three not understand? We were told the rules so clearly only an idiot wouldn’t abide by them.” Once the silver hedgehog crossed his arms the three floating in the air plummeted to the floor. 

Shadow almost thought it was done on purpose as an intimidation tactic (he approved) when the silver hedgehog winced and said “oops” in the sorriest tone he’d ever heard. Nevermind, approval revoked. 

“Who do you think-” the other, angrier, Shadow was cut off as the silver hedgehog lifted him into the air at the behest of a purple cat now standing next to him. 

“Silver is right. We’re guests and you are behaving like an animal, have some sort of decorum. Our Sonic and Shadow would never.” 

There were grumblings amongst the visitors from other dimensions, the captured Shadow the loudest of them all, but eventually everyone settled when the other two Knuckles agreed to take anyone who wanted to fight out to the sparring ground. It was too late for that kind of thing. 

Silver (the hedgehog) released Shadow who immediately made to start another fight. Shadow was prepared to intervene this time, when a lemur standing next to the video projector loudly cleared their throat. 

They smiled widely as soon as they had the room’s attention, waving something in the air like it was a weapon. Shadow had no idea what it was. 

Sonic hummed again and nudged Shadow to direct him to the wall that was once screening videos of the quiet times (he assumed). 

“Alright. Time to cut the tension. It’s time for the more fun videos!” She sing-songed, pressing a button on the thing she was holding with a flourish. 

A few things happened all at once. 

“Tangle, no!” the Amy from this world yelled, “Tangle, yes!” the Knuckles sitting with a Sonic, Tails, and Amy shouted with his arms shooting into the air, the wall showing the videos went dark, and a high, familiar, voice started echoing in the large room. 

“C’mon, Vector! You’re going to have a great time!” 

Shadow’s eyes snapped to the wall and waited for a video to appear, to see the Sonic that spoke so joyfully for himself. But it stayed dark. 

“I’m not sure about that. Are you sure the skirt is necessary?” A grumbly voice responded, the two Alligators perking up at the voice but frowning at the word skirt. 

“Absolutely! It’s half the fun! Isn’t it swishy!” 

“It’s okay, Vector, I was hesitant my first time too.” The Tails from this dimension sounded younger and happier than Shadow had heard him since they arrived. This must be a video from before this world’s Sonic got surly. 

(And wasn’t that a trip? A surly Sonic.) 

“Are you wearing a black dress, honey?” Rouge’s sultry voice sounded and Shadow glanced over at her to see her smirking while staring resolutely at the wall, not moving from her location between the taller Sonic and Shadow even though they were also enraptured with the screen, despite no video showing. 

“Shut up, Rouge! Don’t read into it! Rhea got it for me.” Well, at least this Sonic pouted similarly to Shadow’s.

He glanced to his right to see the exact face he was remembering on his rival. Sonic glared at him before huffing and turning more fully to the wall. Shadow laughed under his breath. He swatted away the word “adorable” bouncing around in his brain. 

“Oh, it gets even better, Rouge.” A raspy voice that Shadow couldn’t place from any of the beings he’s met in this dimension. Must be this Rhea person. 

“How can it get better? It’s already swishy and way better than the tight one you gave me last time.” The Sonic was audibly confused and Shadow didn’t look too far into it. 

“Just watch. Amy? Can you flash a light at him?” 

“Sure thing!” 

The wall lit up with a beam of light and Shadow’s breath caught in his throat. 

On the wall was a Sonic that looked nothing like the one they briefly saw earlier in the day. He was the beautiful cobalt blue of all other Sonics, a bright smile on his face as he looked down at the dress he was wearing. 

It ended around his knees with thin straps and a cinched waist but a wide flowing skirt. It was clearly black with gemstones of some sort, flowing and fluttering as he turned this way and that, the gemstones reflecting red in the direct light. 

“Ohmygosh I didn’t even know dresses could do that!” the light flashed up to an even brighter smile as laughs echoed from the speakers. Sonic on the screen turning this way and that sparkling in red and blue. 

Shadow felt his face flush involuntarily but he couldn’t look away from the sight. 

“Where did you get it, Rhea?” Amy’s voice piped in, and the one in front of them covered her face with her paws, a blush blazing across her muzzle. 

“Sarah made it. I found the crystals at a craft fair and knew they would be perfect for Sonic.” The raspy voice sounded further away. 

“Sonic is right. It is fun to twirl with a flowy skirt.” The grumbly voice, Vector, hummed out before a crash rang out. “But definitely watch your feet…” 

Suddenly the whole screen lit up, Sonic shining even more in the direct light from above, shrieking in glee and twirling from side to side to watch the skirt glitter in the light. 

Amy was next to him in a more elegant number. A deep maroon with pale purple and silver accents here and there, floor length but slit up on one side for easier movement. 

Rouge was off to the side in a skin tight pink glittery dress that ended just above mid-thigh before dissolving into fringe that went to her knees. She did a twist and laughed when Sonic gasped in excitement at the twinkling in the fringe that slapped against her legs. 

A tall Alligator (Vector, presumably) and Tails slowly walked into the shot, both only wearing plain skirts in dark purple and pale red respectively. 

“I don’t know how good at this I’m going to be.” Vector grumbled again, looking at the happy blue hedgehog now bouncing on the balls of his feet, flapping his paws as he kept twirling. 

Sonic stopped and looked at Vector with wide eyes. 

“It’s not about being good at it, Vector, it’s about having fun and relaxing! Letting your body move to the beat and just enjoy yourself!” Sonic zipped over and ran a short lap around the alligator and laughed as his skirt flew up. 

“Vanilla and Espio ratted you out, Vector.” Tails said solemnly, patting the other on the arm with a sigh. 

Vector deflated. 

“Yeah that tracks.” 

“Besides! Haven’t you been watching all those movies together? I know there are some good musicals and dance movies on it! Just pull out a move like this and they’ll be falling all over themselves!” 

Rouge fluttered to Sonic’s side and, as if rehearsed, they both dropped, balancing on the balls of their feet, knees splaying out, wrists casually draped as they bounced, once, twice, and stood right back up. 

Shadow felt his face heating and he looked over to his Sonic, who’s face was a brilliant red, eyes locked on the Sonic on the screen. He turned to look at Shadow and, somehow, his face got even redder. 

He looked back at the video so he didn’t keep thinking about how good his Sonic would look with a similar outfit. Or doing the same move in his regular clothing choices. 

Vector was looking blankly at Sonic and Rouge before looking down at his legs and then back to the smiling pair. 

“Yeahhh, my torso is longer than the two of you put together, and my legs are about half the size of yours. That’s not gonna happen.” 

Sonic and Rouge blinked at him as music started to play, upbeat and electronic sounding. The Sonic on the screen brightened and he started to sway in time with the heavy beats, smiling at Amy and Rouge doing the same. Tails joined in after a beat and Vector awkwardly copied them. 

A human in a fluttering green sundress walked on the screen, their curly hair pulled back in a bun showing off shaved sides, a dark pair of shades covering their eyes. 

“You don’t normally join us, Amy. Anything specific you wanted out of this jam session?” the human started bobbing to the beat, grabbing one of Sonic’s gloved paws and spinning him, the blue hedgehog laughing as his hips started to shake to the beat. 

“I have a date next week! And it’s going to be nice and elegant and beautiful, so I wanted to brush up on some of my steps.” Amy cheerfully spoke, twirling when Sonic came over to spin her. 

“Where are you getting an elegant date in Green Hills?” Sonic laughed again as Rouge joined him in swaying their hips back and forth as they kept up conversation with Amy. 

The human, Rhea probably, joined them and tilted their head towards Sonic and Rouge as they all bounced to the beat. 

(Shadow wasn’t even aware that a Sonic could even keep rhythm, let alone dance.) 

“…the Rusty Spoon.” Amy mumbled and Rouge started laughing, throwing her head back as Sonic giggled along with her. “SHUT UP! I talked to Pete and he said he’d do an elegant night for me so we can have the perfect date! He’s going to have a dress code and everything!” 

Amy stomped her foot before crossing her arms and turning away from Sonic and Rouge laughing at her (or the situation). 

Tails gave her a sympathetic smile and patted her paw as the music started to fade out. 

“Oooh! Please say you have a good one queued up next, Rhea! I gotta go fast! And we can get Amy warmed up for some slow dancing practice.” Sonic threw Amy a bright smile and the pink hedgehog sighed before giggling, walking over to the other three. 

Tails and Vector joined them more slowly, Vector looking more and more conflicted the closer he got. 

Tails nudged him and smiled up at the alligator as he gained his attention. 

“Don’t worry, Vector, it really is just about moving your body and having fun. So, don’t try to keep up with Rouge, Sonic, and Rhea. Look to Amy if you want someone to follow, but keeping up with those three is a mistake.” Tails bounced on his feet a little and fluffed his tails before settling next to Amy, Vector following his example. 

“Boooo! We are perfectly good teachers! I taught you, didn’t I?” Sonic waved a thumbs down at his fox brother who just gave him the same deadpan they had seen in real life. 

“I’m not sure if what you were doing could be considered teaching.” 

Sonic on the screen opened his mouth, finger in the air, when the song finally changed and a gravelly female voice echoed in the room. 

“Underneath the city lights,” Sonic squealed and flicked his hips making his skirt flare around him, glittering in the lights before posing next to Rouge and Rhea, standing in similar stances. 

As the song continued, Amy sighed and started directing Vector and Tails to sway side to side, their skirts fluttering as they joined her. 

“And you can’t,” Shadow focused completely on Sonic as he started to sway his hips like the others, but popping them slightly every time he hit the sides, “keep a good girl dooooooown.” 

Sonic was squatting, both knees together, paws resting on them lightly, shoulders thrown back, and back arched. He winked at the camera when the music started to pick up. 

It was a flash of colors and glitter as Sonic matched every beat of the song with his hips, snapping his fingers with the background music. 

When the words started up again, but faster, Sonic’s entire body moved with them. Shadow didn’t even have words for the way the blue hedgehog was moving his body, but it was just as fast as he ran while still being in beat with the song. 

Idly, Shadow noticed that Rouge and Rhea were keeping up with him easily. 

The singer slowed again, background singers joining and with every “ooh ooh” Sonic thrust his hips forward, smiling brightly as Tails managed to match the motions. 

“Under the spotlight,” Sonic raised his arms and laughed. 

“We say,” all the voices joined together and Sonic, Rouge, and Rhea flashed a pose before shaking their hips in time with the vocals. 

The chorus was a blur of Sonic and Rouge slowing their movements to show Vector exactly what they were doing, the alligator doing an admirable job of matching them. Shadow doing his best to not focus on the way the Sonic on the screen moved his hips. 

“A little bit of naughty, it’s a little bit nice,” Sonic sped up again, singing along with the song and shaking his shoulders with the song, running his paws down his dress before holding them out and shimmying when the singer said to. 

He thrust his hips quickly with the “what, what” before jumping on the table and moving his feet side to side with his hips. 

Shadow felt like his brain was melting out of his ears as he watched the rest of the dance, Sonic alternating between slowing down and helping Vector and Tails out and speeding back up and effectively letting the music move his body. 

It was a lot. 

His Sonic nudged him, and Shadow dragged his eyes away from the video, blinking the glittering lights out of his eyes, to see Sonic still flustered. 

“I never thought of dancing as a way to get the jitters out before.” He whispered and Shadow smiled slightly when Sonic glanced away. (Why was he suddenly cute?) 

“You’d probably be good at it.” Shadow whispered back, leaning in closer until he was almost whispering in Sonic’s ear, smiling as it flicked and brought the blue hedgehog’s attention back to him. “This dimension’s Sonic certainly is.” 

Sonic laughed under his breath and returned his attention to the dance now coming to an end. Shadow was disappointed (for some reason) to do the same. 

“Whooo! I love that song!” the Sonic in the video cheered, not even a bit out of breath after all the movements he just made. 

Amy was breathing a little heavier and was glaring at Sonic as she fixed her dress and quills from the disarray they ended up in because of the dancing. 

“Not quite the vibe I was going for for my date, Sonic.” She hissed at him and Sonic sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. 

The next song started with a slow piano and Amy’s ears perked up, “is this?” 

Sonic made quick work of grabbing her paw, placing the other on her waist and swinging her around. 

Amy settled with her free paw on Sonic’s shoulder as he started swinging her around the large room, carefully murmuring to her the entire time. 

Their skirts swayed with each movement and Rouge grabbed Tails’ paws to start swinging him around as well, the fox laughing as Rouge used large movements while holding his paws, both of them spinning in wide circles. 

Vector laughed as he carefully took the human’s hand and started swaying with them to the rhythm of the piano. 

Shadow took the opportunity to look at the rest of the misplaced Mobians. Several of them were staring at the screen with dumbfounded looks, echoed on the other Sonics, wide eyes and dropped jaws everywhere. 

The other Shadow’s, on the other paw, were each looking at their respective Sonics with wide questioning eyes. 

At least he wasn’t the only one thinking that this might change some things. 

The music in the video sped up, drums and electric guitar playing into a rhythm that Shadow vaguely recognized. 

“Only you would find a slower version of a rock song to slow dance to, Sonic.” The Amy on screen laughed as Sonic started spinning her around the room, pulling her back into his arms and dipping her with a cheeky wink. 

Twin sighs from the Amys presently in this room resounded after that. 

“Hey, sometimes I don’t even find a slow version. You can dance to anything with the right mentality and partner.” 

Amy smirked at him and lifted a single eye ridge and the dancing Sonic flushed before muttering at her to be quiet. 

That was a very unusual dynamic. 

For the rest of the song there was very little talking besides Rhea calmly correcting Vector’s claw placement or nicely reminding him to try not to step on their toes. 

Rouge just kept happily swinging Tails in circle, the fox cackling in excitement when they brought their strange dance into the air. 

The song ended with a small flourish, Sonic dipping Amy once more and Rhea doing the same to Vector, much to his protestations. Rouge and Tails just landed calmly and bowed at the camera with a smile. 

Another slow song started up but this time no one was dancing. 

Amy tapped her lip, looked down at her dress, and sighed. 

“Change your mind about your date, honey?” Rouge asked, patting Amy on the shoulder with a teasing smile. 

“I didn’t think I was that bad at teaching.” Sonic frowned, crossing his arms and twirling his hips idly to watch the skirt flare around his knees. He smiled after watching it for a few seconds. 

“Oh, you aren’t, Sonic. You’re a wonderful dancer, I just realized that an elegant night doesn’t really suit the dynamic we have, you know?” Amy carefully picked at her dress, “and I’m not all that comfortable in this dress, as beautiful as it is. I think I need something a little simpler.” 

“On it!” Sonic zipped away, a blue trail flickering out of the room before coming right back in, circling Amy before stopping. 

“Tah dah!” Sonic gestured to Amy, who was now clad in a simple white cotton sundress that ended above her knees to show off dark pink cowgirl boots, a matching cowgirl hat on her head. “Perfect for the Rusty Spoon!” 

“Oh, sugar, if we’re going to line dance then I think you need to get shoes and hats for all of us.” Rouge pouted, jutting her hip out as she gestured to her heels. 

“I don’t think I have any that match what I’m wearing…” 

“Didn’t you just get a pair of red boots and hat from Mom and Dad?” Tails asked, cocking his head to the side, a finger on his chin. 

Sonic lit up and zipped out again. 

He came back in, running around each dancer before stopping, now clad in dark red cowboy boots with black embellishments, a black cowboy hat with matching red accents sat atop his quills. 

It matched his dress perfectly. 

Black and red really complimented the cobalt blue of his quills. 

Shadow flushed at the thought, looking to his Sonic with the hopes to get the images of the other Sonic out of his head. All it did was cause Shadow to superimpose the other Sonic’s outfit onto his. 

(Somehow it was even more stunning on the Sonic he knew, the one he saved from disappearing forever, than a Sonic that looked like him.) 

“To the Bar!” Sonic cheered as the song changed into one with a rhythmic beat and a husky male singer. 

Sonic and Rouge spent the first part of the song showing Tails and Vector the steps, Amy following along easily, and then all of them were moving in step with each other. A smooth transition. 

Vector stumbled every now and then but laughed after each one, delighting in the simplicity of the movements. 

“This is definitely more my speed! Thanks Sonic!” 

The video faded out and the lights came up and Shadow remembered that they were in the middle of a cafeteria.

“See? Now wasn’t that nice?” Tangle the Lemur clapped her paws together and smiled widely even as this world’s Amy was approaching her from behind with her hammer raised over her head. 

“Hmmm. If this Sonic ever gets over his issues maybe I’ll ask him to teach me a dance or two.” Shadow’s Sonic spoke quietly and a tingle shot down his spine. 

That would be a sight to see. 

Chapter Text

-Maddie-

Maddie woke up disoriented, the same as she has for the last six months. 

Tails and Knuckles were tucked between her and Tom, Ozzy on the foot of the bed, and Sonic nowhere to be seen. The bed they had at the base of the Mobian Defense League was larger than the one at home, but the room was plain and bare, unlike home. 

When the war first started, this was still Rhea’s dance studio, large rooms for large group choreo and to give him the space to dance large broad movements without worrying about hitting a wall. 

Sonic and Shadow helped her with his classes every Tuesday and Friday, but that was as familiar as Maddie was with the space. 

Now, now she could walk around the entire place blind folded without getting lost. 

At the start of the war, Maddie and her small family still slept at home, surrounded by their memories and lives, but after the first month went by without G.U.N. giving up, Sonic started to refuse going home. He wanted to be here in case anything happened so he could react fast enough to diminish casualties. 

It only took a week before the rest of them were here. 

There were a lot of rooms, but not enough to give everyone who stayed at the base their own, so the Wachowski family took one for themselves, albeit with a California king bed. Maddie and Tom were not new to snuggling with their kids. 

At the time, Shadow and his family were right next door. 

It’s been six months since Maddie woke up to Sonic cheerfully announcing that day’s breakfast. 

Not once since that day six months ago has she woken up to see Sonic at all. He always leaves before anyone else gets up. 

Today was no different. 

“Don’t worry, mom. Sonic promised to eat breakfast with us before his patrol.” Tails whispered into her collar bone and Maddie squeezed him tightly for a moment before releasing him and rolling over to get out of bed. 

Maddie sighed. 

“He’s made that promise before, honey.” 

“Not to me. Sonic would never break a promise to me.” Tails sounded so painfully earnest, but Maddie had learned over the past few months that the blue hedgehog now was barely anything like the Sonic they loved. 

This new Sonic very well could break a promise to his younger brother and not even think twice about it for all they knew. 

Maddie didn’t want to think the worst of her son, but it was hard to deny the pattern he’s had for the past few months. Skipping breakfast and lunch to go on longer patrols and barely eating his dinner before excusing himself to go to bed early. 

More often than not, Maddie would come to bed to find him curled up into a ball and sobbing into his knees. 

She and Tom did their best but this wasn’t something they could fix on their own. Even with Wendy’s assistance Sonic would just cry himself to exhaustion and an unrestful sleep before waking up way too early to patrol. 

It was a cycle she didn’t know how to break. All she knew was that she would keep being there for her son until he felt better, whenever that would be. 

“Do not worry, mother, we will break our fast with Sonic before he leaves to do his self-appointed duty.” Knuckles spoke roughly, sleep still echoing in his words, and Tom groaned from where their echidna son spoke into his ear. 

“Too loud, buddy.” 

“Ah. My apologies, father.” 

Tom grumbled but made his way out of the bed, stumbling for the bathroom with a hand out to catch him from running into any walls. 

Maddie shook her head and let a small smile stretch across her face. 

Even with all the changes their family has been undergoing for the last half a year, they were still the same family at the core of it all. 

Maddie ushered her children through their morning routines, taking over the bathroom after Tom left it, and making sure they both brushed their teeth before doing her own morning routine. 

It was as she was moving everyone from the room that Tails groaned and slumped, leaning into Knuckles’ side as they kept walking towards the dance hall turned cafeteria. 

“Tails?” Tom asked, brushing his hand through fluffy ears and smiling when their youngest pushed into the touch. 

“I just remembered that we have to deal with all the alternates today and felt drained thinking about it. The other Sonics are weird.” 

Tom huffed out a little laugh and moved them along. 

“I gotta agree with you there, buddy. But nothing is as strange as the other Shadows. They don’t even look like they like their Sonics, it’s weird.” 

Maddie hummed along. 

She hadn’t spent very much time with the alternates of her sons and their friends, too busy trying to keep Sonic from losing it on them to bother getting to know them. 

It was a tough balancing act but Maddie was skilled at it, plus Rachel and Jojo were giving her invaluable advice on dealing with an angry teenager. 

Still. 

From what Tom and Tails were saying, it was certainly going to be hard to see. 

Maddie sighed and took a deep bracing breath when they reached the arched doorway that led to the cafeteria. Time to see for herself. 

Despite the early morning, the cafeteria was rather busy, although there was only Mobian with blue fur, darker and slightly disheveled, morosely staring into a bowl of oats but not eating a single bite. 

Sonic. Her Sonic. He kept his promise to Tails. 

Maddie smiled slightly and pushed Knuckles and Tails to go grab something to eat, Tom following behind them with a peck to Maddie’s lips. 

Good. 

They were on the same page. 

Maddie walked over to her son, sliding in next to him and wrapping her arm around his smaller shoulders. 

To her surprise, he leaned into her hold, closing his eyes and breathing shakily, even as Maddie started to comb her fingers through his ruffled quills, trying to bring some semblance of order to his appearance. 

Sonic leaned into her hand but made noise. 

(She missed when he would purr under her touch. A low clicking sound punctuating each vibration and reminding her of a particularly content cat.) 

Ozzie trotted over, pushed his head against Sonic’s free paw, licked it, then settled underneath her first son’s seat. 

Tails, Knuckles, and Tom walked up a few seconds later, Sonic still leaning into her side and pressing into her hand. 

Tom gave her a look but helped Tails settle into the seat across from her, before sliding over a full plate of eggs, bacon, and blueberry pancakes to Maddie’s place. 

She smiled, taking up a fork with her free hand and digging in. 

It was a quiet affair, but it was closer to the mornings they often had before the War with G.U.N. broke out, if missing a few people. 

As if sensing she was thinking about them, Stone and Ivo appeared from nowhere, plates of food in Ivo’s hands and a tray of four coffees in Stone’s. 

Maddie almost groaned in appreciation. (No one could match Stone’s delicious coffee.) 

Stone placed a coffee in front of her, another in front of Tom, and the other two to Maddie’s other side, prompting Ivo to sit down next to her. 

Maddie gave him a smile. 

Stone lightly patted Sonic between his two flattened ears before taking his seat on Ivo’s other side, easily starting in on his meal. 

Ivo and Tails started talking about their experiment that ended up completely different from their goal and how they could go about actually achieving teleportation. 

Sonic stayed buried in her side, even as Wendy, Wade, Wanda, and Sarah joined them, lightly chatting amongst themselves and pulling Knuckles into their conversation about the appropriate methods of using bowling skills as a weapon. 

Maddie caught Tom’s eyes and smiled, a bigger smile than she’s had in months. 

It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. 

Too bad it didn’t last. 

The alternate’s started to trickle into the room in pairs and trios, talking to each other like there was nothing strange about being in a different reality than you were born to. 

It wasn’t until the first Shadow and Sonic pair showed up that her first son tensed up. 

The two were taller than her son, the Sonic with a bandana around his neck and athletic tape around his gloves and shoes and the Shadow had what looked like gauntlets on his paws and shoes that were taller than she was used to. 

They were snipping at each other, underhanded barbs and thinly veiled insults. 

Maddie furrowed her brows and her Sonic tensed up even more, practically a statue against her side. 

Who Maddie is assuming were the Sonic and Shadows compatriots were following them with bored looks on their faces, like this was something that happened all the time. 

Maddie did not know how to feel about this. 

But then she felt Sonic start to rumble against her side and she looked down at him. 

He was glaring at the pair from another dimension, teeth bared and fur darkening as a growl escaped through clenched teeth. 

She opened her mouth, to do what she wasn’t sure, but her side was empty before she could. All that she could see was the blue trail of Sonic leaving the cafeteria, his oatmeal completely untouched. 

Maddie sighed and put her head down on the table, pushing her empty plate out of the way as she groaned into the unsympathetic particle board. 

Wendy moved into Sonic’s seat and put a gentle hand on her back, trying to keep the upbeat conversation with Knuckles going, but it was clear he was no longer interested. 

The table fell to silence. 

“I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help but hate how they flaunt themselves all over the place.” Tails murmured, looking into his unfinished eggs like they offended him. 

“Come on, buddy, they don’t know.” Tom tried to calm their youngest down, but it only caused Tails to bristle in response. 

“Yes, they do! You told them! And here they are, fighting like they hate each other, and their friends looking on like it’s just another Thursday! Right in front of Sonic!” Tails growled and Knuckles echoed him, neither one allowing their vocalizations to be loud enough for others to hear. 

Maddie lifted her head from the table and cautiously looked around the cafeteria. 

The other Sonics had shown up while she was having her pity party, but only two of them were anywhere near their Shadows. One Sonic was ribbing their Shadow and chuckling when the black hedgehog pushed him off the bench seating, and the other was just smiling and making small talk with the rest of their friends. His Shadow was looking at him with wide eyes and a small smile. 

Maddie’s heart clenched. 

No wonder her son left so fast. 

This hurt to watch. 

Knuckles growled and stood as the first pair of Sonic and Shadows started trading blows, knocking into a few bystanders who gave them incredulous looks. 

Knuckles stomped over to them, red sparks escaping his fur with every step. 

“Oh, that’s not going to go well.” Tom muttered, standing just as quickly to stop their eldest from making this whole situation worse than it already was. 

Maddie groaned into the table again. 

“Hopefully Rhea will have some news for us when she visits tonight.” She heard Wade mutter under his breath and couldn’t help but agree. 

Anything would be better than this. 

-Boom Sonic-

Sonic was big enough to admit he was slightly scared of the Knuckles from this reality he and his friends ended up in. 

He wasn’t as big as Sonic’s Knuckles, but he was clearly smarter and seemed more than willing to do physical damage to others. 

Not to mention how he held him and Shadow apart like angry kittens in the cafeteria this morning before laying into them both about breaking one of the rules. Fighting inside the base is strictly forbidden, they had sparring grounds for “this kind of nonsense”. 

That’s where he was wandering to now. 

Sparring grounds sounded very interesting, and there was a high chance Shadow would be there as well considering their fight got interrupted this morning. If there was one thing Sonic could always count on, it was fight with Shadow. 

His friends waved off the idea of watching them, except Tails, who wanted to take readings of their fight to see how their bodies reacted to this new dimension. And some other things that honestly Sonic couldn’t repeat for the life of him. 

It did take a while to find the training grounds, this place was a maze. Even Egghead’s base was easier to navigate. 

But find them, he did. 

Unfortunately, the Shadow from his world wasn’t there already, but one from one of the other different dimensions was, sparring with (who Sonic is assuming) the Sonic from his dimension. 

It was the Sonic with the techno-looking shoes and gloves. 

Him and his Shadow were relatively evenly matched, and it actually looked like they were training, instead of whatever the hell Sonic’s Shadow wanted out of their fights. 

After every move the other Shadow managed to use to get the upper paw, he stopped and explained to his Sonic what he did and when Sonic should use a similar move. 

“Just because you’re fast doesn’t mean you can’t get hit, moron.” Shadow gently (GENTLY!) knocked his fist against the other Sonic’s head. 

To Sonic’s surprise, his other just chuckled and pushed Shadow’s paw gently (AGAIN WITH THE GENTLY) to the side and gave him the Sonic Signature Smirk™. 

“Generally, that’s exactly what that means, Shads.” 

“And what happens when you come across an enemy that’s just as fast?” the Shadow crossed his arms, eye ridge raising. (And if that wasn’t the most stereotypical Shadow thing Sonic has ever seen…) 

To Sonic’s surprise, his counterpart just zipped forward, circling Shadow once before leaning into him, their noses barely a breath apart. 

Sonic held his breath, waiting for the Shadow to aggressively remove the Sonic from his personal space. 

But it didn’t happen. 

It was like the room was frozen in time, the Shadow and Sonic staring into each other’s eyes, and Sonic an unwitting witness. 

The moment broke just as fast, the other Sonic bonking his forehead against Shadow’s before cackling and speeding away. 

“The only one who’s ever been able to keep up is you, Shads. You think just anyone is going to come by and take your place as my equal?” 

Sonic watched the Shadow cover his forehead carefully, looking at his Sonic with something he couldn’t explain before smirking. 

Just like that, they were chasing each other all over the clearing, laughs and barbs being launched at high speed. 

Sonic blinked. 

What in the world?

“Good. You’re here.” 

That was the only warning Sonic got, before his familiar grumpy Shadow pounced, fist aiming right for his face. 

Sonic dodged, still trying to wrap his mind about whatever the heck was going on between the other pair. And he paid for his lack of concentration. 

Shadow punched him right in the gut and Sonic realized that thinking about the other two was going to end up with him getting patched up by Tails again.

He recovered from the punch and kicked out at Shadow, unsurprised when the other jumped over it like it was nothing. There was a reason the darker hedgehog was his least favorite of his gallery to fight. He was just too good. 

Even if he was dumb enough to keep being tricked by Eggman. 

They traded blows for a long while, neither letting up on their onslaughts. 

At a certain point, Sonic wanted to say that he was having fun. 

Nothing quite got his blood pumping like a fight with Shadow. The other Sonic was right about Shadow being his equal. 

(It was a thrill Sonic kept to himself. His friends didn’t need to know about it. It was just for Sonic, not his fans, the villagers, or his friends. Just Sonic.) 

Idly, Sonic registered others joining them on the training grounds, other Sonics, a few of the Shadows, just about every Knuckles, and some of their friends. But Sonic couldn’t really focus too much on them, otherwise he’d get creamed by Shadow, and with this many witnesses? Not ideal. 

“Come on, Shadow! Kick his tail!” 

“You can do this, Sonic! For Sonics everywhere!” 

And other such cheers were echoing in the space and Sonic let them wash over him, smirking as he and his rival slid apart, never taking their eyes off of each other. 

(A shiver ran down his spine but he ignored it. It was just the adrenaline.) 

Shadow growled at him, glaring at their peanut gallery. 

Sonic just laughed, well aware how much the other hated when Sonic didn’t take their fights as seriously as Shadow did. 

“Come on, Shads. I thought you were the ultimate lifeform?” 

Shadow’s eyes flashed and Sonic braced himself. 

Good thing he did, Shadow came at him with all his might and speed and Sonic dodged it, barely. 

“Not much good being stronger if you can’t even hit me.” Sonic mocked, enjoying the anger flaring in ruby eyes. 

He dodged out of the way of another heavy hit, rubbing Shadow’s nose in his chronic misses. 

Just like usual. 

What wasn’t usual was a crackling blue ball hitting him out of nowhere. 

Sonic was too focused on Shadow to dodge or block and spines dug into his side as he was launched into one of the surrounding trees. 

Everything hurt. 

Dizzyingly Sonic lifted his head, trying to clear the blurring out of his eyes and also get the world to stop spinning. 

He squinted. 

Shadow was looking at him with his flabbers gasted (hah) and next to him was the darker Sonic. The one from this world. 

And he looked pissed.

--

It wasn’t fair. 

It WASN’T fair. 

It WASN’T FAIR.

IT WASN’T FAIR.

-Prime Sonic-

“Sonic stop!!” Sonic watched as this world’s Knuckles pushed out of the crowd of spectators watching Bandana Sonic and Shadow’s fight. 

He didn’t get to the other in time before he was spin-dashing at the fallen Bandana. 

Sonic made to zip over and save the other, but Shadow put a paw on his shoulder and shook his head. The grip was tight enough that he couldn’t shake it off. 

Looking back at the scene, expecting to see blood, Sonic instead saw the tall Shadow holding Bandana to his side, looking at the growling darker Sonic with wide eyes. 

Knuckles pushed forward again but not before his brother let loose a snarl and spin-dashed at the other two again. 

Tall Shadow was able to zip them out of the way. 

The same pattern repeated four more times before finally the darker Sonic let out a gut-wrenching scream and started to spark with blue lightning. 

“Shit.” Knuckles cursed, using impressive speed to get in front of the lightning coated Sonic, his green eyes a bright shining blue now. 

What in the name of Chaos? 

“What the heck is that?” a Tails asked, voice high and squeaky. 

“I have no idea, little dude. But I don’t think it’s going to be good.” Sonic said lowly, unable to take his eyes off of the scene unfolding in front of him. 

Shadow grabbed his shoulder a little harder and Sonic leant into the touch. This wasn’t something either of them expected to see. 

“Sonic, stop, you aren’t thinking clearly, you don’t want to do this.” Knuckles tried, large paws coming up like he was placating the other. 

The glowing Sonic growled, fur darkening and lightning starting to zap off of him even further than before. 

Shadow pulled him aside as one hit right where he was standing. 

“Can any of you do that?” Sonic asked, briefly looking at the other two Sonics in the room before looking back at the volatile fight. 

“No…” 

“Uh uh…” 

“Definitely not.” 

“Yeah, me either.” Sonic mumbled. 

--

IT WASN’T FAIR!

IT WASN’T FAIR!

IT WASN’T FAIR!

-still Prime Sonic-

The darker Sonic curled into a ball and started to spin in place, lighting crackling and shooting off of him in wild strikes and the Knuckles of this world braced himself. 

Sonic couldn’t help but push further into Shadow’s hold, not sure what was going to happen, but knowing it wasn’t going to be good. 

“TAILS!” Knuckles roared. 

“On it!” the cranky Tails lifted into the air, something small but pointy in his paws. He hovered far above his two brothers, ready for something. 

“I don’t know if I like other dimensions that have us in them, Shads. They’re all crazy. At least the shatterverse made sense.” Sonic whispered to his Shadow, still unable to take his eyes away from the fight happening in front of him. 

“You and I have a different definition of things that make sense, hedgehog.” Shadow muttered back, pulling Sonic closer and wrapping his other arm around him as well, watching the sparking hedgehog with narrowed eyes. 

There was a short scream and the Sonic launched himself at his brother, spin-dashing hard enough to emit a high-pitched whine. 

Sonic flinched but didn’t look away as Knuckles caught his brother, grunting and sparking with red lightning. The spin-dash continued in his large paws but he kept holding on, even as his gloves started to smoke. 

With another, louder, grunt, Knuckles clenched his paws together and stopped the spin-dash, darker Sonic glaring at his red brother with flashing blue eyes. 

Before anything else could happen, Tails dropped from the air and landed on his Sonic’s back, stabbing something in his neck before back-flipping away. 

--

It wasn’t fair .

- Yup still Prime Sonic -

The other Sonic slapped his paw against his neck, lightning fading away, and let out a confused coo before his eyes rolled back into his skull and he collapsed against his Knuckles. Said echidna hauled his brother in close, closing his eyes and sighing as he cradled the spiky blue head against his shoulder. 

Sonic had so many questions. 

“What the hell was that?” 

Questions that tall angry Shadow were going to voice first, it seems. 

Knuckles gave him a side eye before dismissing him, picking his Sonic up and walking back towards the large building they were calling a base. 

“You can’t just ignore me!” 

“Alien Hedgehog Containment is here!” this universe’s Eggman showed up, his strange shadow following him with a large metal container with buzzing blue sides. “State of the art, capable of withholding up to thirteen kilo-lumens of Chaos energy! And comfy too.” 

Knuckles walked right up to the device and carefully placed his brother into it, stepping back and watching carefully as the final wall was activated. 

“What the hell are you doing? Sure, he attacked me but that’s not a reason to give him over to Robuttnik!” Bandana Sonic shouted, lunging forward only to unbalance and be caught, once again, by his Shadow. 

Knuckles turned his head over his shoulder and glared at the taller hedgehog, who flinched back into Shadow’s hold. 

“Stay out of this. It is none of your concern.” 

Knuckles started to wheel the box away, his Eggman following behind and tapping his fingers on his wrist and laughing under his breath. 

Eggman’s shadow cleared his throat and lightly pet this universe’s Tails on the head, his ears flicking at the soft touch. 

“Did the serum work okay?” his voice was clear and Tails looked up at him with watery eyes. 

Sonic’s heart clenched at the sight. Even if it wasn’t his Tails, he still looked remarkably like his best friend and Sonic hated it when his friends were upset. 

“Yeah…I need to record the effects in my journal, watch Sonic to make sure there are no adverse side effects or reactions to the drug in his system. Although, Eggman is probably already doing that.” Tails muttered, idly walking in a circle. 

The tall suit man smiled a little and put his hand on Tails’ shoulder, carefully leading the fox in the direction Eggman and Knuckles walked off to, nodding and adding small questions as the younger kept talking. 

In a blink they were gone. 

Sonic couldn’t help but look over to Shadow, eye ridges furrowed and mouth downturned. Shadow echoed his expression almost exactly. 

“Well. We should get you to the infirmary. There’s no way you don’t have a concussion after getting hit like that.” 

Sonic watched an Amy with messy quills push her way through the crowd, walking over to the taller Sonic and Shadow with purpose. 

The taller Shadow growled as she approached, but Amy just gave him an unimpressed stare. (Sonic didn’t know she could do that…) 

“It’s more likely to be whiplash, Amy.” A soft-spoken rabbit carefully came through the crowd, sadness practically radiating off of her even as she smiled. 

“Still. Either of those are good enough to visit the infirmary. Especially considering there’s bruised, cracked, or broken ribs to consider.” Amy crossed her arms and glared up at the Shadow still holding a bruised bandana Sonic. 

“They make a very good point. All four of them.” 

Sonic sighed. 

Yeah, that one is definitely a bit messed up. 

“Is anyone ever going to answer our questions about this dimension’s Sonic?” the shortest Shadow asked, standing next to his Sonic with concern in his frown. 

The rabbit and Amy shared a look before Amy went back to hauling the taller hedgehogs off to the infirmary and the rabbit simply said “no” softly. 

That’s what he thought. 

The longer they are here, the more he sees, the more concerned Sonic gets about what exactly is happening in this universe. Sure, evil Sonics were something he thought would happen at some point, but this one is clearly not evil, just angry. 

Sonic only wishes he knew what. So, he could help. 

 Being unable to help is the worst. 

Chapter Text

-Boom Shadow-

Shadow watched the idiotic blue hedgehog carefully. His ribs were bound by the rabbit, “call me Vanilla, please”, from the infirmary. He was cleared of any concussion or head trauma, but definitely had a mild case of whiplash. 

Moron. 

He ate mindlessly while keeping an eye on the idiot. 

It wouldn’t do for his rival to keel over and die because of another version of himself. No. That was Shadow’s achievement to gain and no one else’s. 

(If Sonic was to die then it was going to be by his paw. No one else.) 

The cafeteria was busier than the last few times he was in here, not noisier, but busier. It irked him. 

Shadow wasn’t used to this many all in one place, his cave was often only inhabited by himself, and maybe Rouge if she deigned to stop by. And once by Eggman, but Shadow would rather not think about that. 

He ate in silence a while more, ignoring Robotnik’s attempts to engage him in conversation, continuing to stare down the blue idiot as he laughed with his foolish friends. 

Then the room silenced. 

Shadow finally looked away from the moron, gazing across the room to see why exactly all sound had stopped. 

The inhabitants of this universe were staring at a human standing in the doorway, clad in a G.U.N. uniform with cropped short curly blond hair. 

They looked familiar. Like someone from Shadow’s past he couldn’t remember. 

It was quiet for a breath or two, then the noise came back twofold, Mobians and humans alike clamoring from their seats to greet the newcomer. 

“Rhea!” the larger human who stared at Shadow funny the other day was the first to reach the new person, wrapping his arms around them and picking them up easily. 

Another human with long black hair was right behind him, grabbing onto this “Rhea” from behind and giggling as “Wade” continued to swing them around. 

“Ah, hello, Wade, Sarah. It’s good to be in your presence again.” Rhea smiled, dark glasses sliding down their nose before they were carefully pushed back up. 

“Rhea! We didn’t think we’d see you tonight!” this universe’s small yellow fox yipped and floated next to the human’s heads. 

“Have you brought news, Warrior Rhea?!” the red imbecile echoed, rising from his seat and walking to the group with purposeful strides. 

(Shadow was somewhat impressed by this echidna, he was able to stop his blue idiot with apparent ease and didn’t allow for any questions. It was admirable.) 

“Yeah. I think I found them.” 

Once again the room was plunged into silence. 

“That’s why I came, even though it was dangerous.”

“Can you get them out?” Eggman’s shadow asked, voice firm and gaze unwavering, even as said doctor was madly tapping on his wrist with manic glee. 

“I believe so, but…I need you to do something for me.” Rhea’s face turned towards the humans who claimed to be this universe’s blue moron’s parents. (Feh, parents.) 

The two nodded quickly, not even bothering to ask just what this person wanted from them. Foolish. 

“I need a distraction. A big one.” 

Wade dropped his captives, carefully taking Rhea’s arm in his and patting it softly with his other hand. Rhea idly smiled at his chest. Strange. 

“Anything you need.” The female answered, shoulders set and mouth firm, eyes glinting with a determination Shadow often saw in the mirror. 

Admirable.

“Did you have something in mind?” the male asked, wrapping his arm around the woman’s shoulders and pulling her close. An unnecessary sentiment. 

Rhea nodded her head and started to fidget with “Sarah’s” hand. 

“G.U.N. is going to attack in two days, early in the morning. They’re hoping to catch the town unaware.” Rhea took a deep breath as if he was bracing herself. “I need you to have Sonic on the battlefield.” 

Shadow watched as the room froze once again. 

“Rhea…you know how dangerous that will be. Sonic…he can’t control himself very well, and when we tell him it’s a distraction so you can rescue everyone…I don’t think he’ll hold back.” 

It was a concept Shadow honestly didn’t believe could be possible. A version of the blue idiot who was dangerous and someone to be feared. 

(Shadow wasn’t afraid of him. But watching him spin-dash into his blue moron was something that has been playing behind his eyes nonstop since it happened. It could have killed him.) 

“I know, Tom. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t think it was necessary…and I don’t think you should tell him why he needs to be on the battlefield…” 

This universe’s moron’s parents visibly flinched, taken aback by the idea that they should lie to their son. 

Foolish. 

“Rhea…” Sarah spoke softly, nudging the other with her elbow. 

“I know none of us wants to lie to him. But I need a distraction to get everyone out. The bigger the better. Once G.U.N. sees Sonic in the battle, they’ll send more and more personnel, and I’ll have more time to get them out.” 

Still silence remained. 

Rhea huffed and pulled his shoulders back. 

“You have to think about how he’ll react after. When I bring them all back.” 

That seemed to revitalize the room, several perking up at the idea, and a few sighing wistfully. 

Wasteful. 

How weak do they have to be that they are tip-toeing around the blue idiot just because he’s upset over some of his friends being taken by G.U.N. (disregarding the fact that Shadow’s counterpart in this dimension is one of them). 

“Yeah, that’s a good enough reason for me. I’ll go let him know the good news.” This dimension’s idiot’s father said, walking out of the room with his wife following close behind. 

“How long do you have?” Sarah asked once everyone went about their own business, more active than Shadow has seen them since he was stuck in this awful place. 

“I need to be back before dawn.” 

“Perfect! Want to listen to Sarah and I describe in minute detail the worst movies of all time?” Wade asked, taking one of Rhea’s hands in his own. 

“That sounds wonderful, Wade.” Rhea smiled at his chest and Sarah grabbed her other free hand before the trio headed out of the cafeteria. 

Whatever. 

“She looks familiar.” Another Shadow mentioned, the shortest of the four of them, looking after the departing humans with furrowed eye ridges. 

Shadow scoffed. 

Of course another Shadow would think he was familiar. Clearly they all had a shared history, even if Shadow didn’t remember it. 

“She should. Rhea is a clone of Maria.” 

Several sharp inhales echoed in the room and Shadow looked over to see most of the other dimension’s idiots looking at this dimension’s Rouge with large eyes. 

Who the hell was Maria? 

“What?” 

“Before Gerald built the Eclipse Canon, he had G.U.N. working on cloning tech. With some DNA he had, which gross, he gestated thirty-one clones of his granddaughter. Rhea was one of four that were viable, and the only one to live past infancy.” Rouge shrugged, looking over to her Knuckles for him to pick up where she left off. 

The echidna hummed. 

“That was about thirty years ago, Eggman figured. They were being used as a G.U.N. weapon for quite a while. We only found her because he decided they wanted to be found.” 

“He’s a clone, but even though Gerald implanted Maria’s memories into her, they were still his own person and she was discarded as useless. Gerald refused to research any further into cloning tech, deeming it worthless. That’s when he started working on the Eclipse Canon.” 

Rouge and Knuckles both shrugged and took bites of their brownies. 

Shadow did not know who this Maria was (or why her name invoked something in him that he couldn’t name), but Gerald sounded like the kind of person Shadow enjoyed delivering justice to. 

“She’s been undercover in G.U.N. for us for years. They still have no idea he’s a double agent.” 

Shadow leaned back as everyone else seemed to absorb this information, his dimension’s idiots looking as confused as the others looked shocked. He scoffed. What nonsense. 

“Can we help?” The shortest blue idiot asked, looking at Knuckles and Rouge with unwavering eyes and a set mouth. Interesting. 

Knuckles went to open his mouth when he was cut off. 

“It’s probably best if you don’t, sugar. We don’t want G.U.N. to know that you’re here. Or that there are other dimensions out there that they could feasibly travel to to get what they want.”

Rouge nudged her Knuckles who nodded slightly, before the two of them stood, waving goodbye as they left the cafeteria. 

“Well I’m going anyway. It seems like they’re going to need all the help they can get, even if we’re just helping behind the scenes.” This blue moron spoke, his friends all nodding around him. 

Several other groups nodded as well, some more pensive than others, but Shadow really didn’t care. 

Not about this dimension, not about the angry Sonic, and not about a battle to save some idiots who were stupid enough to get caught in the first place. 

His eyes traveled to his idiotic hedgehog, looking just as determined as the other versions of himself…but maybe he’ll join in just for the hell of it. A battle is bound to be more exciting than anything else he’ll be able to find to do in this dump. 

Shadow nodded to himself and returned to the dark chocolate covered coffee beans he found in a refrigerator somewhere. They were quite tasty. 

--

It hurt. 

Everything hurt. 

If he wasn’t exhausted all the time, then he was in a pain that couldn't be imagined. 

He couldn’t hear anything, he couldn’t see anything, he couldn’t feel anything beyond the pain and the tiredness that permeated into his very bones. 

This was a torturous existence. 

Green eyes, beautiful cobalt quills, and a smile that could light up a room flickered into view before flickering right back out. 

His resolved hardened. 

It was only pain. 

It was only exhaustion. 

It was nothing. 

Not when he was waiting. 

Not when he was out there, suffering just as much. 

Sonic.

-Prime Sonic-

The next day was a flurry of movement. 

No one in the base was idle, everyone was running this way and that, preparing for something that Sonic wasn’t sure he completely understood. 

It’s been a long time since he’s felt this useless. 

Sonic was glad that the shorter him suggested that they all help out anyway. He was going to do it whether or not someone else had brought it up, but with so many of them agreeing they’ll be harder to turn away. 

Shadow stuck to his side the entire day, glancing around warily every now and then, looking for something that Sonic didn’t know about. 

Amy just eyed him before giving him one of those smiles that meant she knew something he didn’t. 

Sonic had no idea what it was this time, but it had to be something that involved him judging by her knowing glances. 

Whatever. 

Sonic spent the entire night before the “battle” unable to sleep, sitting up with Shadow and idly talking with him about their time in the shatterverse and how this was quite different. 

Other pairs were up as well, probably just as anxious as he was. 

Every other Shadow and Sonic were just as awake as he was, even if only two sets of them were near enough the other to chat. 

The bandana Sonic and his tall Shadow were sitting next to each other but not speaking, both staring at something in the distance that Sonic couldn’t name. 

They were definitely a weird duo. 

“Why do you think this dimension’s Sonic is so angry?” Shadow’s voice was quiet, but Sonic still had an involuntary shiver race through him at the low tone, rumbly and gruff. 

Sonic leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath through his nose. 

That was a good question. One he’d actually been thinking about the entire time since he laid eyes on his counterpart here the first time. 

“I think he lost something, or someone. I think he’s angry that whatever, or whoever, it is is gone, and he doesn’t know how to continue on without it, or them.” 

Sonic let the uneasy silence sit. He didn’t know if Shadow expected him to have an answer or not, but it was hard not to think about. Especially after the fiasco at the sparring grounds. 

“Would you ever get like that? If you lost something important to you?” Shadow’s words were soft, but Sonic could tell that he actually wanted to know the answer. 

He couldn’t help but sigh. 

“How do you think I came up with that answer, Shads? I DID lose almost everyone I cared about once. If I didn’t think there was a chance to get them back? Who knows what could have happened. I think this Sonic has lost hope and it’s making everything worse.” 

Shadow hummed and leaned against the wall. 

Sonic let his head fall on his partner’s shoulder and smiled when Shadow let him do so, not even grumbling about the extra weight or Sonic’s laziness. 

They stayed like that in companionable silence until the sun started to poke over the horizon. 

Then it was a whirlwind of rushing around and getting ready, and making sure no one from this dimension caught onto their plans. 

No one was in the cafeteria this morning, unsurprising, so they all rushed through a quick meal and headed out of the base, following the stragglers from this dimension. 

It was quite a walk, but Sonic wasn’t complaining, watching as the empty forest became an open clearing full of humans and Mobians ready for a fight. 

They were caught immediately, Tom hurrying over to them while Maddie was crouched down and talking to her blue son, who was somehow even darker blue than the other day, just a shade or two from navy. 

“What are y’all doing here? I thought Rouge told you to stay away.” 

“No. She told us that it would be better not to fight so that G.U.N. didn’t know about our existence. If we help back here unseen, then they will never know.” Sonic’s Shadow responded, looking bored. 

Tom blinked a few times. 

Shads did have that effect on people. 

“That…actually makes a fair bit of sense.” He looked over to this dimension’s Eggman before returning his attention to them. “Okay, you can help around back here. But don’t go into the actual battle zone. If not so G.U.N. won’t see you, then because Sonic isn’t all that great at holding back right now.” 

Sonic nodded and watched as everyone else did the same. 

They were quickly put to work, running around and getting barriers set up, moving ammo caches, and so on. Sonic spent the entire time focusing on the darker Sonic, watching as his fur bristled and growls escaped his mouth unbidden, standing in front of the line without moving. 

Every now and then someone stopped and tried to talk to him, but he never responded. 

Sonic was worried about what was going to happen. 

And when it did, it was sudden. 

A rocket landed to the left of where the other Sonic was holding vigil, exploding on contact but not managing to hit anyone even as they all scattered. 

It was like a signal. 

This dimension’s Sonic was gone in a flash, running straight for the line of soldiers that were just barely visible across the field. 

All he could see was a blue blur with a blue trail darting around like a demented bouncy ball. 

“Snipers at the ready!” Tom shouted, several humans and Mobians laying on slightly raised platforms with large guns in their paws shuffled into a position and nodded at the man. 

With a wave of his hand they all started to fire. 

Sonic has never seen a battle like this before. 

Mobians were rushing in and out of explosion zones, carrying injured parties and depositing them in a white infirmary tent. Sonic and Shadow were helping, doing their best to clear the areas before the rockets could make contact. But even with eight of the fastest Mobians alive, they couldn’t get to everyone in time. 

They minimized casualties, but they still happened. 

Sonic couldn’t say how long this went on. 

But he was standing by this dimension’s Rouge and Knuckles when a loud ping went off on their little devices, echoing throughout the madness. 

Rouge was the only one to answer it. 

“Rhea?” 

“Rouge! Is Sonic on the field?!” their voice was tinny but loud, several beings stopping to stare. 

Rouge’s eye ridges furrowed. 

“Yes? You told us he needed to be there.” 

“Shit. Can you get him out of the fight?” there was a loud wrring sound followed by a crash and the clanging of metal against metal. 

Knuckles’ eye ridges raised, staring at Rouge’s device with wide eyes. 

“I mean I could try, but I doubt it will work.” 

“Shit shit shit. Do your best.” 

“Rhea? What’s going on?” 

“Fuck.” The call fizzled out, Knuckles already tapping on his device, gesturing his younger brother over as the ringing started up. 

“What can I tell Sonic to get him to come back?” Knuckles asked. 

“Tell him I’m injured.” Tails didn’t even hesitate, and Sonic’s heart clenched at the idea of any of the Tails’ being hurt. 

“What.” Sonic answered, breathing labored and small explosions echoing his flat words. 

“We need you to come back, Sonic.” 

“I’m busy.” 

Knuckles took in a deep breath. 

“Tails has been injured. He is asking for you.” 

Silence. 

Sonic strained his ears, letting them flick this way and that, to try and hear a reaction. Any reaction. 

“Give me a second.” 

Three minutes later, he was in front of Knuckles and Tails, fuming and cursing as he realized he had been tricked. 

Before he could say anything, yell anything, a high-pitched whine like the charging of a laser blasted out from the other side of the battle field. 

Every Mobian turned to the sound, ears flicked up and heads cocked. 

Sonic wished he could have controlled his instincts better, that his ears weren’t completely focused on the sound, that he could have not heard what followed. 

--

It hurt. 

It hurt. 

It hurts. 

It hurts.

IT hurts. 

IT HURTS. 

IT HURTS! 

IT HURTS! 

-Prime Sonic-

But he didn’t. 

And he heard it loud and clear. 

A wail of agony so profound he could feel it in his fur, blasting into his sensitive ears as if it was coming from right next to him. 

Sonic’s ears folded against his head and he watched an orange laser beam shoot over their heads, missing anything important. It was a warning shot. One that couldn’t be denied. 

He was so focused on the sight of the laser that he didn’t process a growl echoing in the clearing until it was accompanied by a loud, guttural, scream. 

“SHADOW!” 

Chapter Text

-Prime Shadow-

Shadow’s ears were pinned to his head as he watched the Sonic of this dimension scream his name as if he was being stabbed. 

His Sonic pushed into his side, wide emerald eyes unable to look away from the anguish on the other Sonic’s face, lip trembling. 

The same lightning from before started to coalesce on the screaming Sonic, his fur standing on end, eyes glowing a bright, almost white, blue. Fur darkened to almost black and loud growls echoed into the air. His eyes narrowed as he looked across the battlefield. 

In the next second, he was gone, a blue trail of lightning highlighting his path. 

Shadow was finally able to draw a breath, not realizing how oppressive the air had gotten until the one causing it was gone. 

Rouge was on his other side, pushing into his arm and shaking almost as badly as Sonic was, both holding onto their respective arms like he was going to disappear on them. 

“Shit.” 

He forced his head to turn, looking at Tails from this dimension, tapping on his device quickly, a ringing sound filling the dominating silence. 

The ringing stopped. 

“I’m a bit busy, Tails!” the tinny voice from earlier whisper-shouted, hissing and pops underscoring his voice. 

“What the hell was that?!” Tails whisper-yelled back, clearly conscious of not blowing the agent’s cover, despite his need for answers. 

“What I was trying to find out for so fucking long. They’re using him as a fucking battery to charge the biggest fuck off laser I’ve seen in my life! Even my cousin could never!” something broke and a soft “thank you” was barely heard under more pops. 

“Well…” 

“Shut up, doctor.” 

“Yep.” 

Tails squeezed his eyes closed and that was moment enough for his older brother to snatch the device out of his paws. 

“Warrior Rhea. How can we help?” 

“Just be ready. I need to get everyone else out before I can get to him. Once he’s gone they’ll enable protocols that lock all doors. The laser takes five minutes to charge.” A loud explosion sounded across the battlefield, echoed in the phone. 

“I am unsure of our ability to hold Sonic back.” 

“You don’t need to,” he cursed under her breath, “I just need you to be ready. Pass me to Wade or Sarah. I need them to describe your location.” 

Knuckles nodded, even if the person on the other side couldn’t see him, before walking over to the two humans and handing them Tails’ device. 

Shadow’s ears flicked in their direction, hearing them describe in minute detail the clearing they were in, with Sarah moving to shoo people out of the area. 

Another explosion from across the plains. 

“What the hell is going on?” Shadow asked, looking at the denizens of this dimension with as stern a look as he could manage. 

Several of them flinched. 

“Sonic is basically a Chaos battery. There’s too much inside of him with too many negative emotions and it's overflowing, to dumb it down for the lot of you.” The strange Eggman answered, shrugging when Shadow turned to look up at him, his shadow smacking his head into his hand. 

“Doctor. Not the time.” 

Shadow opened his mouth, preparing a scathing remark about this Doctor Robotnik and where he can stuff it, when there was the tell-tale sound of teleportation. 

Right in front of Sarah and Wade the human, Rhea appeared holding three Mobians in his arms. She passed them off to the other humans before they disappeared again. 

“Was that Chaos Control?” another Shadow asked, sounding just as dumbfounded as Shadow felt. 

He appeared again, with a silver hedgehog in her arms that they passed off to the Amy of this dimension who ran right up to him. 

“Silver…” she spoke quietly, watching as the silver hedgehog smiled weakly at her with a small “hello, Amy”. The purple cat joined them and carted the tired Mobian to the infirmary tent. 

The human disappeared again. 

“No. Rhea was cloned from a mix of Maria’s DNA and Shadow’s. He can teleport and that’s it. But she tends to sleep for a while if they teleport too many times in too small of a time period.” Tails answered the question with concern clear in his eyes. 

When Rhea appeared again, the rabbit from the fiasco at the training grounds was suddenly right next to him, collecting the alligator and chameleon she had in their hands. 

The rabbit didn’t even look strained as she just about held the other two close to her chest. 

A smaller rabbit and a flying bee joined her, grabbing a paw from each of the others tightly as the adult rabbit carried them away. The kids followed, unwilling to let go of the paws they claimed in their own. 

Twice more they appeared and dropped off more Mobians, flashing away without a sound, when her voice sounded on Tails device, back in his possession, again. 

 “Alright I’m going to get him.” 

Small sounds of heavy breathing, hissing, crackles, and pops played in the silence of the camp, an explosion or two across the way breaking up the soundtrack. 

“Shit. Fuck. Shit fuck.” 

“Rhea?” 

“How much Chaos does Sonic have right now?” they asked quickly, a crack and a thunk reverberating after he spoke. 

“Robotnik?” Knuckles asked, looking up at the doctor who somehow produced a set of binoculars and was moving them quickly along the other side of this fight. 

“Well he’s still sparking, even if his fur is the darkest it’s ever been. I’d say a fair amount.” 

“Good.” Another crack and a thunk. 

“I don’t know if we’ll be able to get Sonic back here. You didn’t see him after…” Tails trailed off, worryingly looking at the blue streaks starting and stopping across the way. 

Shadow swallowed. 

He wasn’t completely sure, but he was mildly positive that the person this Sonic had lost was the version of Shadow that resided in this dimension. 

And the way he screamed his name. 

A shiver rushed down his spine and his fur bristled at the feeling. 

Sonic and Rouge both pushed into his sides, not looking at him as they kept their eyes trained on the same blue streak everyone else was watching. 

“Is his communicator still in?” 

“Probably. It’s built to withstand his speeds and the jostling of battle.” Robotnik shrugged, looking off to the side where three of the four other Eggmen were trapped in a cage of his own design. Jailed for bastard crimes, according to this Eggman's shadow’s reasoning. 

The Dorito Eggman was tinkering with something and ignoring any requests by the others to set them free. 

“Do you still have the transmitter, Tails?” 

“Yes, but…why do you need Sonic’s Chaos, Rhea?” 

A third crack followed by a thunk. 

“Because he’s being used as a battery, Tails. I can barely feel any Chaos in him at all. He needs to recharge.” 

Shadow watched as two sets of the other Sonics and Shadows looked confused (the tall bandana ones and the shorter but not as lean ones) but the last set with the leanest physiques held the same concern that Shadow felt. 

It seems like they were the only ones who realized just who Rhea was working on saving. 

(How dumb do they have to be? The Sonic from here literally screamed his name like he was being stabbed with a knife.) 

A fourth crack and a thunk echoed and Rhea let out a small “yes!” before it went quiet again. 

“Shit. How are you feeling, honey?” his voice was soft and answered only with a barely audible groan and unintelligible mumbles. “Tails, are you ready?” 

“Yes.” 

As soon as Tails agreed, the human appeared again. 

Shadow sucked in a breath. 

She was cradling a pale version of him. His black fur was a matted dull grey, red streaks just as cloudy and sticking in every direction. He held the limp hedgehog with his head in her neck, legs and arms dangling at his side. 

Sonic gasped next to him and pushed into him even further, somehow, breaths sparsely coming out and when they did they were shaky. 

Rhea immediately sat down on the floor where they were standing, moving the Shadow with careful hands until he was laying across her lap. 

His face was scrunched, paler than Shadow has ever seen (on himself), breathing labored, and ears pinned so far back they were barely visible lumps on his head. 

Tails floated over with a small device, smaller than the one he was talking to Rhea on, and carefully maneuvered it to be close to the Shadow’s mouth. Rhea squeezed the other hedgehog gently, and a soft breath escaped him and with it a single word. 

“Sonic.” 

It was weak. So weak that Shadow second guessed that that was what the other actually said if not for Rouge squeezing his paw tightly between her own. 

“…Sonic…” again but somehow even weaker. He shuddered, grey fur lightening before their eyes, head now just as limp as his appendages. 

Shadow couldn’t watch. 

He instead turned his head to the other side, where the blue streak had disappeared. 

Wait, what? 

Shadow shook his head and closed his eyes before looking up again, but there was still nothing on the other side. He blinked again. 

The blue streak reappeared, heading right for them. 

Shadow braced himself, pushing his Sonic and Rouge behind him, ready for anything the other was going to do. But the streak stopped several feet away from them, frozen as he stared at the hedgehog in Rhea’s grasp. 

He watched in silence as this world’s Sonic brought his paws up to his chest, breathing fast as he kept his eyes locked on the other Shadow. His paws were shaking. 

“…Shadow…” his voice was quiet but…reverent? 

The other Sonic walked (Shadow didn’t know Sonics could do that) to the limp Shadow, each step causing his fur to lighten until he was kneeling down with the same bright cobalt fur as the other four Sonics. 

“…Sonic…” Eyelids fluttered open and the pain was so clear in red eyes that Shadow couldn’t help but take a step back. 

It was like a switch had been flipped. 

Angry Sonic peeled off a glove, ignoring the sharp gasps from the visitors to this dimension and did the same for the Shadow, lacing their paws together once they were both bare. Their joined paws started to spark, blue lightning fluttering around them before being absorbed into the Shadow, a soft sigh escaping from him. 

Other Sonic took it a step further, tapping their foreheads together and closing his eyes, bright sparks flickering across his body. Ultimately it all seemed to be moving into the Shadow laying there. 

“Oh.” Sonic made a quiet sound to his side and Shadow looked over at him. He had his free paw over his mouth, staring at the other Sonic and Shadow with wide eyes and raised ridges. 

Shadow cocked his head and nudged his Sonic. He just looked at Shadow with wide eyes before returning his green gaze back to the other pair. 

Slowly, the Shadow started regaining his color, fur darkening to appropriate colors, until his eyes opened into a blazing orange and red. Orange lightning was spilling off of him now as his breathing evened out and he reached his free paw out to dig into his Sonic’s quills and pushed into the forehead leaning against his. 

It was as they locked eyes that Shadow realized the same thing his Sonic just had, he was sure. 

“Oh.” 

The whole thing felt like an eternity and barely a second at the same time. 

Other Sonic carefully pulled his Shadow up, subtly sliding the gold bracelet Shadow had dismissed as a fashion choice onto his Shadow’s wrist. It was one of his inhibitors. 

He felt like an idiot. 

“Sonic. Thank you.” His voice was deeper, deeper than any of the other Shadows here (him included) and his Sonic lit up at the words. 

In a blink they were wrapped in a hug, the Sonic holding the Shadow tightly, to his credit he didn’t even seem surprised, just wrapped his arms around the blue hedgehog. 

Then Knuckles came and wrapped them up in a hug, lifting them from the ground as he did, Tails dropped from the sky and clung to his Sonic’s back, tears streaming from his face. 

Rhea, Robotnik and his shadow, Maddie, and Tom all joined in, cooing and mumbling and overall being mushy towards the hedgehogs in the center of their affection. 

They separated slowly, the Shadow and Sonic still holding paws even if they were no longer holding on to each other. 

No one said anything but it wasn’t awkward, it was like relief was spreading through them all and they didn’t have to hold the world on their shoulders anymore. 

Then Rhea produced a button. 

It was thin and cylindrical and the length of his fist. She held it out to Tom and Maddie with a wicked grin, facing away from the couple. 

Maddie took it carefully, eyebrows furrowed before sharing a look with Tom and both of them turning to look back at Rhea. 

“What is this, Rhea?” 

“A trigger.” 

“For what?” 

“The canisters of Chaos that G.U.N. was harvesting from Shadow.” This dimension’s Sonic started growling at Rhea’s explanation, but calmed when his Shadow squeezed their joint paws and smiled a small smile when the other turned to look at him. 

Shadow felt his face flush underneath his fur. He felt like he was seeing something he shouldn’t be with every interaction between the two. 

The other Sonic brightened at the smile from his Shadow. 

He really felt like he was intruding now. 

“Won’t that explosion kill everyone over there? There are still innocent people who didn’t know what Rockwell was doing behind the scenes.” Tails spoke carefully, looking at the button with concern. 

Rhea nodded. 

“That’s why I moved them all from being on top of each other. There’s one canister in important, but unstaffed, locations across their base.” 

“And you handed it to us because?” Tom asked, looking at the button his wife held like it was a bomb itself. 

Rhea shrugged. 

“I figured you’d want to take some revenge for all the hurt they’ve caused your family. But if you don’t want to then I can give it to Stone.” Rhea held his hand out but there was a chorus of no’s around them, with a singular loud yes coming from this dimension’s not so sane Robotnik.

“No, I think we have it handled, thank you, Rhea.” Tom said quickly, side-eyeing Robotnik’s shadow, Stone presumably, who just shrugged and calmly patted the doctor’s shoulder as he screamed his disappointment into the sky. 

Tom wrapped one of his hands around his wife’s, the one holding the detonator, and then shared a heavy look with her. 

They both nodded and pressed the button together, holding their breaths and looking across the field where small shapes were running around like a kicked ant hill. 

There was a delay for a few seconds, but then one explosion sounded, followed by another, and another, and another. A cacophony of chaos. 

With each explosion, Shadow watched as this universe’s Sonic squeezed his Shadow’s paw, relaxing only to do it again with the next sound. 

The other Shadow looked over to the blue hedgehog with a sad smile, squeezing back. 

Shadow’s Sonic squeezed his arm and Shadow looked over at him with a quirked eye ridge. Sonic was looking at the other pair with wide but calculating eyes before he turned to lock eyes with Shadow. 

His breath hitched. 

There was a determination there that Shadow has only ever seen when fighting adversaries or trying to save his precious friends. And it was directed at him. 

Shadow felt the skin under his fur flush. 

“I think we need to have a talk once this is resolved.” Sonic whispered, knowing full well Shadow’s enhanced hearing would pick it up. 

Shadow nodded, swallowing audibly, before looking back at the other two. 

Apparently, Shadow’s exchange with Sonic was long enough for them to put their gloves back on, thank Chaos, but they were now crackling with the same energy as before. Blue for Sonic and reddish orange for Shadow.

The Knuckles smashed his fists together and lit up with red lightning, grinning as his youngest brother took to the skies fiddling with something in his paws. Their Amy lifted a giant red hammer and matched Knuckles grin, the purple cat next to her lifting her paws with flames dancing in her palms. The silver hedgehog was behind them outlined with turquoise energy as he lifted into the air. 

“Let’s finish this.” Their Sonic smiled at his Shadow before he started running in circles around him, still holding his paw. 

The black hedgehog stood his ground and, in a blink, they were gone. 

Shadow looked across the field and, sure enough, orange and blue streaks were popping in and out of existence all over the place. 

The rest of them took off, Knuckles digging into the ground, the silver hedgehog and the purple cat following him, while Tails grabbed Amy’s paw and zoomed across the empty space. Their Rouge following right after them. 

Rhea the human immediately laid on the ground, a sniper rifle he didn’t have before settled against her chest and familiarly held in their arms. Wade the human and Sarah the human were standing next to his prone position, binoculars in each of their hands. 

“Finally! Be free, my egg children!” Robotnik exclaimed, hundreds of egg-shaped robots flying into the air and shooting off after the Mobians. The doctor and his shadow hopped into a small crab looking robot that followed the flying drones, Eggman cackling the entire way. 

“Shadow, honey, mark me some targets.” Rhea spoke quietly, eye nowhere near the scope mounted on her gun. 

“I’m going to the infirmary tent.” Maddie said, kissing Tom on the cheek. 

“I’m going to start firing grenades for Amy to hit.” Tom nodded and walked in the opposite direction. 

Just like that the entire side had purpose, and were doing damage that Shadow couldn’t imagine being able to do on his own. Very different from the first part of the fight where they were clearly not trying as hard to destroy anything. 

“They were careful because they didn’t want to hit anyone…” Rouge spoke lowly from his side, watching the same thing he was. 

Shadow nodded. That made the most sense. 

Rouge quirked her eye ridge and smiled suggestively at him. She leaned in until her painted lips were right next to his ear, speaking under her breath so that he was the only one that could hear her. 

“This world’s Sonic and Shadow are pretty close…kind of like you and Sonic after your little adventure last year?” 

Shadow flushed and pushed her face away, growling under his breath as Sonic looked over at him with concern, still not dropping his hold on Shadow’s arm. 

They definitely needed to have a talk after all this. 

Shadow moved his attention to the sniper, watching as he took shots without looking, explosions shortly following each one. The humans to her side making small mentions about wind speed and directionality which they adjusted for before each shot. 

Strange. 

He couldn’t help but watch the three of them for a few more minutes, trying to figure out just why he was shooting this way. It was inefficient. She could make the shots twice as fast if they made the calculations himself. 

It was only when her glasses slipped from their eyes that Shadow realized that he couldn’t make the calculations herself. 

“They’re blind.” 

“Yep. Born that way.” Shadow turned to the chameleon that Rhea had brought back, wrapped lightly in bandages and staring across the field with crossed arms. “It was why he was discarded as a failed experiment by Gerald.” 

Sonic clutched Shadow’s arm tighter. Shadow had only recently told him about the ARK and everything that happened with the elder Robotnik and his granddaughter. 

“How is he able to fire at all?” Rouge asked, peeking around Shadow’s body still covering her. 

“That’s part of having some of Shadow’s DNA mixed in with her genes, probably. They can sense Chaos energy, Shadow’s is particularly easy. It’s why he asked Shadow to mark some targets for them. Shadow leaves an imprint of his Chaos and Rhea can pinpoint it. He needs assistance with wind speed and direction, but a more accurate shot you will not find.” 

Their side of the intense battle was quiet, except for the soft murmurs of the two humans helping the third snipe and the wind. 

Until it was cut through by a loud ringing, followed by a mechanical voice saying “Director Rockwell” before ringing again. 

Rhea cocked her head and a mechanical click sounded followed by a harsh “I know it was you.” 

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean, Director.” His voice was unflappable and they shot something else in the distance.

“Project Shadow is missing from his containment field. In fact, it’s completely destroyed. Along with the gun that utilized its abilities. The scientists have already confirmed it wasn’t them, and you were the only one assigned security access.” The voice was hissing, low and irked. Shadow immediately disliked whoever was on the other end of this call. 

“Hmmm. Weird. Have you considered that one of them is lying to you?” Rhea released another shot and the resulting explosion echoed from invisible speakers. 

“I checked the fucking logs, you traitor.” 

“Traitor? To whom do you think I am betraying, director?” Rhea’s voice hardened and they made three more shots, each causing small explosions that echoed. 

From the speaker, Shadow’s superior hearing picked up a familiar laugh and a dark chuckle before the sound of something large smashing drowned it out. 

At least their counterparts were having a good time. 

“G.U.N., or did you forget who you work for, agent.” 

“Agent? That’s a step up from what I was the last time we spoke. Experiment, wasn’t it?” 

Rhea’s two humans frowned but didn’t stop relaying the wind conditions or adjusting coordinates. 

“That doesn’t matter. You betrayed us.” 

“I betrayed no one. You were the fool who thought I still had any loyalty towards you after twenty years of the shit I was forced to do. No. My loyalty changed as soon as I found my little brother locked up in a prison and kept asleep reliving the worst night of his life.” Rhea growled. 

“Brother?! He is an experiment! An alien!” 

“And I was created from his DNA mixed with his older sister’s! He’s been more my family in the past three years than anyone else in my miserable existence!” Rhea breathed heavily, shots still coming from his gun with regularity. “You’re just mad that I outplayed you.” 

“Outplayed?!” 

“You’ve lost, Director. And you know it. That’s why you called.” 

Rhea took a deep breath and visibly resettled into her skin, focusing on their shots while the director was silent on the line. 

Shadow wasn’t sure what surprised him more. The fact that the G.U.N. of this world was that self-assured or that Rhea was that confident in his ability to slide under their radar. 

“I want you to call them off.” The director finally said, sounding like she was speaking through clenched teeth, a hiss ending the sentence. 

“Why should I?” 

“We’re willing to negotiate a ceasefire.” 

Rhea laughed. 

“Negotiate?! You think you have any pull? You think you have anything worth bargaining for? We have all the power.” 

“Fine.” She ground out. “What do you want?” 

“I want it in writing. That G.U.N. and its affiliates will leave Green Hills and the Mobians alone. No more kidnappings, no more fighting, no more ruining lives.” Rhea pushed herself up, calmly flicking her hand to shake out some jitters. 

“They’re aliens-”

“They’re sentient beings living on earth peacefully with its inhabitants. I want it in writing that G.U.N. and its affiliates will leave everyone here in peace.” Rhea waved to Wade the human, who had his little device out and was tapping on it as soon as they did. 

“Fine. Now call them off.” 

Rhea motioned to Wade the human and he handed her his device a low ringing coming from it, taking an ear piece from his ear to hand to Sarah the human who held it carefully. 

“Yes?” 

Shadow’s ears perked. That was his counterpart from this world. 

A delighted giggle followed his answer. 

“Shadow, do you still have that injector I handed you before you left?” 

“Of course.” A pause. “Sonic, please, I’m on the phone with Rhea.” “HI, RHEA!” 

Rhea laughed. 

“Hi, Sonic, are you having fun?” 

“We’re bowling! Somehow Stone is winning.” 

“STRIKE!” 

“Shadow thinks it’s because of Robuttnik’s robots, but I think it’s because he’s scarily good at lining up all the pins. And we’ve been accused of cheating because Shadow can bounce better than the Robotnik’s balls.” 

“Sounds fun. I need to talk to Shadow though, okay? Make a few strikes for me.” 

“Can do!” 

That Sonic sounded so much more cheerful, happy and bright like all Sonics should be. It was baffling that his Shadow being missing could have such adverse effects on his entire personality. 

He looked over at his Sonic, who was smiling softly at the device in Rhea’s hands. 

“What do I need to do with the injector?” 

“Well, little brother, I need you to stab the director. Preferably not on her neck.” 

Shadow blinked.

What?

“My pleasure.” The other Shadow growled out before the line went dead. 

Rhea held their hand out for the earpiece, putting it back in his ear as soon as Sarah handed it over, tapping it once. 

“Well? Are you going to-”

There was a small scuffle from the other end and Shadow cocked his head, trying to hear more details, but couldn’t get anything. 

“What the hell?! What the fuck did that rat do to me?” 

Rhea rolled their head, bored, answering nonchalantly. 

“That was my insurance.” 

“Insurance?!” 

“Robotnik-made microscopic drone. It’ll attach to your heart or brain, whichever it gets to first. A small explosive that will detonate if you ever break your word.” 

Shadow didn’t know how to respond to that. That was…ruthless. 

“You would go so far?” 

“Hah. Rockwell, this is my home, my family, I would go any distance to ensure their safety.” 

“You-”

“Have the ceasefire drawn up, I’ll come collect it in the morning.” Rhea tapped the earpiece again, holding Wade the human’s device out to him. He tapped the screen and the quiet ringing echoed again. 

“Rhea?” 

“Hi, Rouge. Can you convince the blood-thirsty mob to come back?” 

“Mmm. Probably. Do you have a good reason for me to give them?” This Rouge sounded so similar to Shadow’s that he had to double check that she was still at his side. She was, but still. 

“Rockwell agreed to leave us alone. She’s even going to put it on paper.” 

“Oh. Well that’ll convince just about everyone. We’re almost done with destroying anything important and then I’ll tell them.” 

“Good. I’m going to let everyone know the good news.” 

“See you soon, sugar.” 

Rhea sighed before standing, accepting Sarah’s shoulder as she helped the tired sniper towards the rest of the fighting force. Wade the human kept tapping at his screen, carefully disassembling the rifle while he waited for…something. 

Even though Shadow felt like he hadn’t done anything, he was suddenly very tired. 

Wade looked up at him as if somehow knowing his thoughts. He smiled at the collection of them, the visitors from other dimensions. 

“You can all head back to base. Things are wrapping up here and we’re just gonna have a quiet rest of the day anyway. There’ll probably be a party the day after we get the paperwork for the ceasefire, fair warning.” 

Shadow didn’t wait for the human to say any more. He held onto Sonic and turned, walking back towards the large building, not pausing for anything, even when Rouge called out for him. 

He and Sonic had a talk that they needed to get through privately. 

Sonic gave him a smile before he grabbed his paw with both of his, speeding up as he pulled Shadow along with him. 

Shadow smirked. 

It was bound to be an enlightening conversation. 

Chapter Text

-Prime Sonic-

Sonic had a very lovely forty-eight hours. 

Despite the shocks of the battle and the realizations that came with it, the talk with his Shadow went better than he ever could have expected. 

He blushed remembering it. 

Shadow had cradled his face so carefully and kissed him so gently…

Sonic shook his head, dislodging those thoughts for now, focusing back in on the meal in front of him, a delicious feast made by Matriarch Whipple. (Sonic didn’t know if that was her actual name, but this world’s Knuckles was very firm on how she should be addressed. And Sonic wasn’t dumb enough to go against that guy.) 

The cafeteria had been rearranged so that there was a large space towards the middle, tables pressed very close to the walls, but not uncomfortably so. A dance floor, this dimension’s Rouge had said. 

There were still a few people missing from the rowdy meal, notably, the Sonic and Shadow from this world. 

Honestly, Sonic wasn’t too surprised. 

His Shadow had been gone for six months, Sonic would probably want him all to himself, if he had to live through that, too. 

Apparently the other dimension travelers didn’t see the same thing he and Shadow had, besides the smaller, leaner, pair of them, who were sitting suspiciously close as well. 

Sonic took Shadow’s paw under the table, carefully fidgeting with the gloved fingers and smiling when the hybrid let him. 

He was never going to get over that. 

It was when dessert was being dished up, that the pair Sonic most wanted to see showed up. 

They weren’t super obvious, not holding paws or draped over each other, but it was clear based on how they looked at each other. Obviously, they had been together a long time before their forced separation.

To Sonic’s surprise, they didn’t head over to one of the tables with all their friends, instead they headed straight for Sonic’s table. It should be noted that he was sharing a table with the other Shadows and Sonics and friends. 

This universe’s Sonic marched right up to Bandana Sonic and sat across from him, pulling his Shadow to sit next to him. 

Bandana Sonic looks like he’s been slapped. (It should also be mentioned that Bandana’s Shadow perked up and glared at less angry, angry Sonic. Those two were clueless.) 

“Hey, man. I just wanted to apologize for a few days ago. It was really uncool of me.” He was smiling, eyes closed from the sheer breadth of his grin. 

Sonic blinked. 

Bandana Sonic also blinked. 

Tall Shadow growled under his breath. 

Which seemed to be the wrong thing to do, because angry, now cheerful, Sonic’s Shadow’s eyes snapped to him at the sound. His ears pulled back and he bared his teeth at his taller counterpart, eyes flashing a bright orange. 

“Woah, woah! Easy there, angry pants. He didn’t do anything wrong.” This world’s Sonic waved his paws, catching his Shadow’s attention easily. 

Said Shadow had a very put out look on his face (cute). 

“He growled at you.” This Shadow had a deep voice, but it was clearer than a few days ago, and tickled something in his brain with the low tone. Interesting. 

“Yeah, ‘cause I legitimately tried to kill his Sonic. It makes sense.” The Sonic shrugged, folding his paws on the table and leaning in, attention turned back to Bandana Sonic. “I am sorry. It was super not the cool thing to do.” 

Bandana frowned. 

“Why did you?” 

“Hmm?” 

“Why did you attack me?” 

This dimension’s Sonic blinked rapidly, cocking his head to the side, mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out.

“I thought it was obvious?” his blue eye ridges furrowed. 

“Uhhh no?” Bandana Sonic said sarcastically, which, rude, and crossed his arms over his chest, looking down at the other Sonic with a frown. 

Other Sonic frowned back. 

Sonic watched as the other Sonic's Shadow leaned slightly into him, keeping his eyes on tall Shadow as he did so. 

“My guy! It’s because you had him right there!” The shorter Sonic threw his arms in the air, confusion radiating from him as his fur bristled. “He was right there and you were being a fucking asshole to him!” 

Sonic moved to stand, fully aiming on stopping whatever this was before it became physical…again. Shadow grabbed his paw before he was even halfway standing, holding tightly. Sonic looked to him with a question on his tongue when the music suddenly got louder and the two Mobians from this dimension’s ears perked. 

They ignored their taller counterparts and looked out to the dance floor, Eggman and his shadow walking onto it with a heavy techno beat ringing in the air. 

Sonic’s counterpart started wagging his tail and laughing under his breath as the two started a convoluted coordinated dance that involved a lot of angles and abrupt movements. The music was good, despite the odd duo. 

“I have never seen anyone move that badly. Why are they dancing together? This is hilariously difficult to watch.” The Dorito shaped Eggman grumbled under his breath (it was so weird that he had a more amicable relationship with his Sonic and Shadow than anyone Sonic has ever seen...besides maybe this universe's.) 

“It's the Robotniks. Everything they do is difficult to watch.” This dimension's Shadow spoke lowly, watching the two on the dance floor while still sitting so close he was almost in the other Sonic's lap. 

“Robotniks? Plural?” The smaller Sonic, of the only other pair to get their act together, asked, looking confused as he looked between the two men on the dance floor. “I can't imagine having to deal with two. Even though the other one doesn't look like an Eggman...” 

Sonic found himself nodding along. 

One Eggman was enough for him, thank you. Shadow squeezed his paw lightly, flashing him a small (almost invisible) smile.

The Sonic from this dimension turned to look at them with his eye ridge arched ridiculously high. 

“Two Eggmans is nightmare fuel, thank you for putting that in my head. No, there's just the one Eggman and his husband. The Robotniks.” 

Sonic choked, and he heard the sound resound from everyone else at the table, but none louder than the only Eggman in the room. 

“Husband?!” 

“Yes. It was a very short and professional wedding.” The Shadow spoke, eyes staying on the two making fools of themselves in the middle of the room. They looked like they were having fun, though. 

“It was almost like a business transaction, honestly. Weirdest wedding I've ever been to.” The Sonic shuddered, smiling when his Shadow put a paw on his shoulder solemnly. 

“Even the one that was technically a G.U.N. setup to capture you and ended up causing Rachel to snap and then she ended up marrying the agent anyway?” The way he said it was so nonchalant, but Sonic could see a little twinkle in the Shadow's eye as he asked the question. 

His Sonic huffed before pouting at him. 

“Yes.” 

“The me of this universe is married...that man does not have more rizz than me, what in the world is happening...” 

Sonic is choosing to ignore the Eggman in the room. 

“Wait, if he took Eggman's last name, what's his first name?” Sonic's Amy asked, eyes flashing as she watched the two on the dance floor. They didn't really act married. “I could have sworn Eggman called him Agent Stone the day we arrived.” 

The other Sonic shrugged. “Yeah, their relationship is weird. And it’s Stone. Stone Robotnik.” 

“He married down.” the Shadow added, frowning until his Sonic nudged him with a wide smile. 

“I don’t think you’re allowed to talk about your parent like that.” Cheerful Sonic stuck his tongue out at his Shadow and grinned at the wince he caused from the other hedgehog. 

“Don’t ever call him that again. My only parents are Stone and Rhea, arguably.” (“What? He has parents?” “Shut up, Knuckles.”) 

“Yeah, but Stone is a Robotnik now. So that makes you one too.” 

“I have always been a Robotnik. In fact, I was a Robotnik before Ivo was even conceived.” 

“Semantics.” 

“No. Besides, Ivo is not my parent because he is married to Stone just like Sarah and Wade aren’t my parents because of whatever they have going on with Rhea. It’s different.” the Shadow looked away from his Sonic, giving his full attention to the embarrassing couple on the dance floor, effectively ending the argument. (Was it even an argument?) 

Sonic was left reeling from that whole conversation that he was barely involved in, only slightly reassured by Shadow’s periodic squeezes of his paw under the table. (What he wouldn’t give for a kiss…)

At a certain point, the other Sonic shared a glance with his Shadow and they disappeared in a flash. 

Blue and orange streaks sped around the room, twisting around the Mobians from this dimension, and leaving them with cowboy hats and boots, some of them in jean skirts, everyone in collared shirts, and a few humans were changed as well. (Both Maddie and Tom. As well as another male and female pair and a smaller human, and a few others.) 

When the streaks stopped, the other Sonic was back to sitting across from them decked out in a red collared shirt that stopped right above his knees, and a tan cowboy hat with matching boots. His Shadow had a dark blue collared shirt tucked into black jeans tucked into black leather cowboy boots with a matching black leather cowboy hat.

Two extra pairs of boots and a pair of matching hats were sitting next to them. 

Sonic started to play with Shadow’s paw, keeping them carefully under the table and out of sight from everyone else. 

Bandana Sonic’s ears perked and he opened his mouth, a question clear on his face, but the song started to fade out and the two from this dimension excitedly stood. 

The Robotniks hurried over (as much as Sonic has ever seen a Robotnik hurry) and slipped into the extra boots and grabbed  the hats, following the Shadow and Sonic from their dimension. 

Cheerful Sonic had his arm slipped through his Shadow’s, and Sonic chanced a glance at the rest of the table and had to sigh. Not one of them seemed to be picking up on the obvious. It was getting ridiculous at this point. 

The music changed into something Sonic recognized, his ears perking as the familiar sound of the song they watched this Sonic dance to on a video. 

“That banjo beat brings the girls to the bar.” 

All of them started to move on the first beat, moving in tandem, with their thumbs tucked into their waistband, even if they didn’t have a waist band. 

Sonic couldn’t even describe it. They were all in step and rhythm, facing them then turning in sync to the left, boots stomping on the floor with satisfying clicks. 

“Once that work week sun goes down, up to the bar we go.” 

A string instrument started to play without words, and the dancers turned in beat to take the hands, or paws, of the being next to them. Sonic wasn’t shocked that the Shadow took his Sonic’s paws, staying a respectful distance and dancing in long circles and swishes, before stopping on a dime and turning back to dance in the line. 

It was impressive to watch.

Especially considering they were wearing ridiculous shoes. 

The dancers all tip their hats to the onlookers, holding on as they tip their bodies back with a back step. 

When they straightened, Sonic chuckled as his counterpart threw a wink his way before turning with everyone else. 

Sonic smiled, enjoying the show of camaraderie after all the tense days they’ve had since they showed up in this dimension. 

Shadow squeezed his paw and bumped his shoulder, giving him another one of those small private smiles before turning to look back at his counterpart from this world. 

It was almost hilarious how gone on each other the two were. Any excuse to look into each other’s eyes they took, paws brushing up against each other at every moment. It was almost vilifying for Sonic, to see another Sonic and Shadow so happy together after what must have been at least a year together. 

The song wrapped up with a solid beat and another song started up, but the Shadow and Sonic were already zipping around the room. Everyone returned to their previous outfits with delighted giggles and laughs, orange and blue appearing and disappearing in sync. 

Another song started, and the blue streak ended back up on the dance floor, while the Shadow gave his other half a small smile before walking back to their table, expression evening with every step.

He sat down in his vacated seat and calmly looked at them with a bored look. 

Sonic squeezed his Shadow’s paw with his own as the other Shadow raised an eye ridge. 

“What?” 

Sonic looked over and saw Tall Sonic and Shadow looking at this dimension’s Shadow like they had been slapped with a fish. 

“What the hell was that?” Bandana Sonic gestured to the dance floor, and, somehow, the Shadow’s eye ridge raised even further. 

“Dancing. Obviously.” 

Bandana spluttered a bit before quieting and slamming his head into the table, groaning the whole way. 

Sonic laughed under his breath. 

That Sonic was a riot and a half, despite being blind as hell to his own emotions (actually that might make him even funnier now that Sonic was thinking about it). 

“I would also like to apologize for my role in Sonic hurting you.” This world’s Shadow spoke lowly, barely audible over the sound of the music, looking earnestly at the Sonic still trying to beat sense into his own head via table. 

Tall Shadow gave his counterpart a sharp look, and Shadow gave Sonic’s paw a squeeze before releasing it, clearly ready to get between the two if a fight broke out. 

“Honestly? I don’t wanna know. Apology accepted or whatever, I will never understand this dimension.” Bandana Sonic groaned into the table, waving his paw in the air but keeping his head down. 

His Shadow wasn’t quite so ready to let it go, it seems. 

“I want to know why he attacked. The hedgehog and I were fighting like normal, his interruption was unnecessary.” his voice was growly and he was clearly trying to intimidate the shorter Shadow but it seems his intimidation was unsuccessful. The other Shadow barely twitched an eye ridge. 

“Sonic already told you why. It’s not our fault you didn’t listen.” 

Sonic couldn’t hold back a bark of laughter, quickly covering his mouth with a paw as they turned to look at him. This dimension’s Shadow looked way too pleased with himself, and Tall Shadow just glared at him. 

“I mean, why were the two of you even fighting so hard anyway?” The Amy from one of the other dimensions asked, cocking her head to the side as she turned to look at (presumably) her Sonic. The only other Sonic to have figured out what was going on. 

Tall Shadow scoffed. 

“Whatever it takes to beat that idiot.” Tall Shadow growled, glaring at his Sonic who raised his head just to glare back. 

“I don’t know why but every time we run across each other, Shadow attacks me like I insulted his stupid highlights.” Bandana Sonic smirked at his Shadow, who snarled and made to lunge across the table, stopping himself at the last minute. 

“At least I take enough care of my things that I don’t have to tape them to my body because they’re falling apart from misuse.” Tall Shadow leaned back, arms crossed over his chest as he looked down on his blue counterpart. 

Said Sonic hissed and made to stand, only to be shoved down by his Amy, who wasn’t even paying attention to the fight, too engrossed in watching the dancing in the middle of the room. 

Sonic briefly lost track of the argument when his Shadow placed his paw on Sonic’s thigh, tapping along to the beat of the music. Each tap made Sonic shiver and his fur stand on end only to settle and repeat over and over again. 

It was very distracting. 

He zoned back in to the other two still bickering.

“How old are the two of you?” Sassy Shadow asked, quirking a ridge and looking between the two taller Mobians.

Bandana Sonic scoffed. “I’m in my twenties.”

“HAH! That’s a cheap way of not saying you’re twenty-nine.” Tall Shadow retorted, smirking at the glare his Sonic sent him.

Sonic had to stare at them both with wide eyes. Bandana Sonic was almost thirty?! What in the Chaos is happening there??

“Bold of you to point out when you’re already thirty-one.” Bandana Sonic hissed back, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring petulantly at his Shadow.

“I’m not the one trying to get out of mentioning my actual age.”

Oh Chaos. These two were ridiculous.

It was only because there was a lull in the music and the bickering that Sonic managed to hear it, a small squeaking laugh, clearly amused and escaping through teeth.

The whole table actually froze and turned to look at this dimension’s Shadow, arms wrapped around his stomach and shaking, small laughs escaping from him. He paused briefly to take a breath before he started laughing even harder and louder, drawing the attention of his Sonic, who darted over, large smile across his muzzle.

“What’s so funny, Shads?” The other Sonic stood behind his Shadow and leaned around to smile at him, eyes crinkling with pleasure as he continued to laugh.

Sonic watched this world’s Sonic patiently wait for his Shadow to calm down, laughs petering off to small chuckles every now and then. He took a deep breath, obviously avoiding looking at the taller two, and focused on his Sonic.

“They’re in their thirties.” The other Shadow gestured to the taller versions of them, both looking at the smaller Shadow with wide eyes. (“Twenties!” “You’re thirty in like a month, Sonic, chill.”)

His Sonic snapped his head to stare at them with wide eyes, looking between the two like he couldn’t quite believe it.

Sonic was having trouble believing it himself honestly.

The other Sonic’s ridges furrowed before his gaze turned appraising.

“Actually, that kind of makes sense.”

“What?!”

“Well, they do act a lot like kids on a playground, don’t they?”

The other Shadow cocked his head to the side, looking at the taller pair as well, his expression very similar to his Sonic.

Sonic’s Shadow, meanwhile, decided to reclaim his space in Sonic’s head and started to caress his thigh very lightly, barely grazing against the skin. Sonic shivered at the feeling.

“I can see that.” The other Shadow nodded, the taller pair spluttering as the others started to look at them to see if they could see what this dimension’s Sonic and Shadow did.

“Yup. Bickering, attacking him every time he sees him, trying to get his attention...Classic playground tactics.” The Sonic started nodding his head, looking very proud of himself even as the other two started questioning everything he said.

A drum beat started up and the other Shadow’s ears perked, rising from his seat and heading back to the dance floor with a soft “excuse me”, his Sonic immediately took his seat. He was smiling wide as he kept his attention on the darker hedgehog.

Sonic watched as Rhea the Human, Stone the Human, this dimension’s Rouge and, surprisingly, a large robot join their Shadow.

At first they were nodding their head to the beat, then Rhea started mouthing along with the words, fanning his face with a purred “aye papí”, the rest of their little group copying her.

The words of the song suddenly got much quieter but the music stayed the same volume, the dancers on the floor starting to move their hips with the song singing “boooooys” at seemingly random times.

Then the Shadow took the front stage of the group, the music dimming as well with the group chorusing, “make a girl go crazy! Four, three, two”, and the Shadow’s voice echoed in the room.

“I like big boys, itty bitty boys, Mississippi boys, in the city boys.” Hips moving to the beat, face expressionless even as everyone else on the dance floor echoed him, keeping time with the music.

Sonic felt his face flush.

“I like the pretty boys, with the bow tie,” they mimed fixing an invisible bowtie around their necks, “get your nails did, let them blow dry,” fingers showing off an array of gloves and colorful nails, wiggling them slightly.

“I like a big beard, I like a clean face,” the gestured to a large beard none of them had, and then caressing their cheeks, “I don’t discriminate,” their heads jerked from side to side, every single one as expressionless as their Shadow. Save Rouge, who looked at her Knuckles with the most obvious bedroom eyes Sonic had ever seen.

“Come and get a taste,” they crooked their fingers at their audience, “from the playboys, to the gay boys, go and slay boys, you my fave boys.”

The Sonic from this dimension started clapping and laughing, his Shadow giving him a small smile before going back to minimal dancing with his family (it has to be his family, right?). Other Sonic twisted in his seat and smiled at the rest of them watching the other Shadow dumbfounded.

“Wha-?”

“Oh. Yeah. Shads’ family is all like, super tight fisted with their emotions, right? So they think it’s really funny to memorize ridiculous songs to freak people out. The first time he whipped that number out in front of Amy she froze and then started laughing so hard we had to smack her a few times to get her to breathe again. It was great.” Other Sonic laughed.

Sonic looked back at the group, the Shadow now sitting on the tall robot’s shoulder, head still bobbing to the beat. Rhea and Stone the Humans were doing a weird little dance number together, still in sync with everyone else. Rouge was just doing her own thing while staring at her Knuckles.

He wanted nothing to do with that nonsense.

“Do they do it with other songs?”

“Oh definitely. They can stare you down and do the entirety of Half Horse Half Man with the straightest face you’ll ever see. It’s great. They do really great renditions of The Fox and Ain’t No Other Man, too.” The other Sonic smiled at them as the music started to fade out again.

This was really a wild dimension.

Chapter Text

-Prime Shadow-

Shadow enjoyed seeing what reactions he could get out of Sonic now that their discussion resulted in the two of them being together. Simple touches he wouldn’t have thought too much about now had more weight, and Sonic was normally not so easy to fluster. It was delightful.

He also understood this dimension’s Shadow liking to freak people out by knowing the words to songs that don’t fit his image. It’s a good way to keep yourself entertained.

Also the taller pair were idiotic.

They really did act like children on a playground trying to get their crush’s attention.

Shadow watched the other Shadow join his Sonic, giving him a soft smile as he sat next to him, looking over to the rest of them with a raised eye ridge.

“What?”

“Why do you know that song?”

“Because it’s fun?”

“Do you even know what it sounded like?” Shadow’s taller, dumber, counterpart hissed, glaring at the shorter Shadow like he was trying to intimidate him.

It didn’t work.

The other Shadow just blinked slowly.

“That I like boys? It’s fairly accurate for my family, it’s a fun song, and everyone always gives an interesting reaction.”

Taller Shadow spluttered but his Sonic picked up right after him. Still stupid.

“Accurate how?”

The other Shadow looked so unimpressed Shadow had to hide his smile behind his free paw so he didn’t interrupt this interesting confrontation. He squeezed his Sonic’s thigh and hid a larger smile when a small squeak escaped him. Cute.

“That we all like boys? It’s fairly obvious.”

Shadow chuckled and gave his counterpart from this dimension a smirk when he turned to look at him at the sound.

A heavy guitar riff started up and a loud “hey, Sonic!” came from the middle of the floor.

This world’s Sonic turned his head to look at his Amy, head cocked to the side as she gestured to the floor in front of her.

“Come on, show me again how to slow dance to a slow version of a hard rock song!”

The Sonic was up and over to her in a flash, smiling as he twirled her out before pulling her in to start dancing her around the floor.

It wasn’t a rock song, not really, but it was heavier than the music that was playing previously, the Sonic keeping rhythm easily as he pulled his Amy around the floor, both fairly decent at not stepping on each other’s toes.

One of the Amy’s sighed wistfully, watching the pair on the dance floor with her head propped up on her paw, following their movements with her eyes.

“He really is a good dancer.” Sonic placed his paw on top of Shadow’s on his thigh and squeezed lightly.

“Mmm.” This dimension’s Shadow hummed, watching the dancing pair with a bored expression on his face.

Shadow doesn’t know how he’s so comfortable watching his partner dance around with someone else, but if it made Sonic happy…well that makes sense.

The other Rouge fluttered over, lightly sitting on her Shadow’s side and smiled at him with a look of mischievousness he’d recognize anywhere.

His counterpart obviously felt the same.

“What did you do?”

“Oh, just queued up the next song. You up for at least a chorus or two?” Her brow ridges wiggled and Shadow watched his other sigh before standing, walking over to the alligator who was chatting with the silver hedgehog.

The Amy and Sonic on the dance floor bowed to each other as the song started to wind down, laughing at something.

Several Mobians, this Sonic’s parents, Wade and Rhea the Humans, Stone the Human, and a few others started to join the two on the floor. A rhythmic beeping starting up before a husky voice started up, the mob of dancers bobbing up and down to the beat.

The Shadow saddled up to his Sonic’s side and started moving side to side in sync with the other hedgehog as a rap started up. Fast enough that Shadow struggled to make out the words.

Then it got clearing and the whole group seemed to move as one.

“Slow down. Grab the wall.” All of their hands, or paws, out, palms facing away, like they were going to do a standing push-up. “Wiggle like you tryna make your ass fall off.” Their tails all started shaking, several of them bursting out laughing as they did.

Shadow felt his face flush and looked away, towards Sonic whose face was slowly turning as red as Shadow’s felt.

Shadow looked back at the group as “speed up, gas pedal” echoed, all of them dropping an arm and shaking the other as they all started to shake their hips faster, tails wagging as they all started to spin. When the phrase repeated they stopped and did the same dance the other way.

Everyone was laughing at each other and they only managed to do it in sync the one time, but it was clear they were having a fun time.

This world’s Sonic got pulled away as the song ended, and the Shadow and Rouge came back to their table.

“Why do you all know that many group dances?” Shadow asked, curious and unwilling to hear the taller Sonic and Shadow get upset about another thing they learned about this world.

The Rouge laughed and the Shadow closed his eyes and sighed.

“Sonic likes to dance, and it’s a way for me to feel closer to my memory of Maria. Everyone else just sort of picked it up from there.”

“Come on, sugar, you loved teaching us how to line dance.” Rouge elbowed her Shadow and smiled when the hedgehog growled playfully at her. It was a testament to their relationship that Shadow could tell they were playing.

“Sonic certainly did.”

Rouge laughed loudly.

“Puh-lease. I love Blue, don’t get me wrong, but his attention span does not lend itself well to teaching. He taught YOU to dance and then YOU taught us. Own it, babe.” She rested her elbow on her Shadow’s head, cackling and flying away when he tried to swat at her.

Shadow let the conversation fade into the background, focusing on his Sonic. His paw was still on Shadow’s, squeezing it with seemingly no rhythm, but Shadow figured it out and started tapping his thigh between squeezes.

Sonic squeaked the first time, but managed to keep his sounds down for each subsequent time, pity.

Eventually, Shadow turned his paw over, lacing it with Sonic’s and humming at the firm grip the other returned.

Idly, he noticed that this world’s Shadow was keeping a steady conversation with the other Sonic and Shadow pair that got their act together. They were talking about something called a metal virus and how losing people to it seemed a lot like how they had gotten kidnapped.

Commiserating then.

It certainly sounded awful.

Shadow squeezed Sonic’s paw tightly, unable to completely block out the images of his partner slowly fading from existence.

Sonic was kind enough to not mention it, simply returning the grip with his own.

It was soothing.

“Alright, Sonic. It’s time. Prove that you can slow dance to a rock song with the right partner.”

Shadow’s ears twitched and he turned to see this dimension’s Sonic with his Amy, the pink hedgehog looking smug as she poked the blue hedgehog in the chest.

The Sonic smiled widely before zipping off somewhere.

He returned just as fast, smiling as he waited for something.

His Shadow sighed heavily, standing from the table but stopping when the tall Shadow hissed out a question of where he was going. (Apparently, they were having a rather one-sided heated argument about something.)

The Shadow raised his eye ridge with a judgmental glare. He leaned in and smirked.

“Who do you think his dance partner is?”

As the Shadow walked over to the other Sonic, Shadow idly noticed that this world’s blue hedgehog was taller than his partner, just barely, but enough that you could tell. Interesting.

A guitar started up, acoustic, and then a smooth voice started singing out, both hedgehog’s clasping paws and twirling idly.

“Oh my gosh, Sonic! This is a country song!” The Amy pouted, stomping her foot as the rather pleasant song continued.

The other Shadow smirked and pulled away from his Sonic, bringing him back in right in time for a fast drum beat and an electric guitar to start up. The voice singing became gravelly and the other Sonic laughed as his Shadow swung him in a circle.

“Wrong! It’s a hard rock version of a country song!”

They twirled around the dance floor in wide sweeping circles, neither of them quite leading the other but rather moving at the same pace and complimenting each other’s moves.

Shadow wouldn’t call it slow dancing.

The Rouge from this dimension fluttered back into her seat and Shadow tried to remember if he saw her leave it. Her Amy joined her, crossing her arms and huffing, clearly upset.

The bat patted her shoulder softly and flashed her fangs in a wide smile when the pink hedgehog turned to look at her.

“Don’t worry, honey, I’ll get them to slow dance properly with the next song.” She purred.

Amy perked her ears and tilted her head before narrowing her eyes at the other.

“What did you do?”

“Played a song they can never resist.”

Shadow brought his attention back to the dance floor, curious as to what the Rouge meant by that.

Sonic brought his other paw over and lightly trailed the barest trace of his claws down Shadow’s paw, blunt and barely a tease, he shivered at the feeling.

They shared a brief heated look before turning back to the dance floor as the song slowly came to an end and the other Shadow and Sonic pair bowed theatrically to the crowd that was clapping lightly.

It seems like they figured they were done, as they started to head back to the table, when a soft piano riff started.

The Sonic and Shadow froze and turned to each other.

By the time the words had started, they were already clasping paws again, staring in each other’s eyes, Sonic’s free paw wrapped around his Shadow’s waist, with Shadow’s free paw on Sonic’s shoulder.

“I still hear your voice when you sleep next to me.”

They started moving as the lyrics started, closer to each other than they were with the previous dance, still staring at each other, even as Sonic moved them both to every piano key.

“I still feel your touch in my dreams.”

It was a very slow song. And the sentiment seemed overly romantic to Shadow’s ears.

The Amy huffed and muttered to Rouge, “this is still not a rock song, Rouge.”

“Just wait a bit, sweetie.”

The music started to pick up, and the Sonic started moving faster, shifting his Shadow around like it was easy, still making large circles but with more steps and twirls.

“Without you it’s hard to survive!” They stopped, smiling widely as a brief lull started.

“Cause every time we touch,” Sonic pulled his Shadow in closer, “I get this feeling.” The drums sped up and an electric guitar joined in, the Shadow moving his head forward as his Sonic mouthed the lyrics in time with the song.

“And every time we kiss,” the other Shadow leaned in and brushed their cheeks together, mouth moving with the words as his Sonic seemed to melt at the touch, “I swear I could fly.”

Shadow couldn’t look away.

They separated in time for the Shadow to bring their clasped paws to his chest, keeping eye contact like his Sonic was the only being in the world. “Can’t you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last.”

His Sonic swung him around, “I need you by my side.”

They moved quickly, one, two, three step.

“Cause every time we touch I feel the static.”

The other Shadow leaned in again, brushing their cheeks together and smiling as his Sonic nuzzled into his neck as soon as he was close enough.

“And every time we kiss,” they both raised their paws in the air, clasped to each other like they would never let go, spinning slowly, “I reach for the sky.”

In a blink they were resettled, the Sonic pulling their paws to his chest this time, “Can’t you feel my heart be so,” his free paw wrapped around his Shadow’s waist, pulling him in until he was flush to Sonic’s front.

“I can’t let you go. Want you in my life.”

Shadow felt like he was intruding as a guitar and drum riff started, the song very catchy.

The two were swinging around again, feet moving in ways that Shadow didn’t think could work with another person stepping in time with them.

Dance moves he didn’t know the name of were broken out, but were skillfully executed and looked fantastic by a pair that knew them so well.

Shadow idly wondered what the others were making of this display as his Sonic squeezed his captive paw with both of his own, and the Sonic on the dance floor spun his Shadow out.

Remarkably, as they spun back together, both of the Shadow’s paws were now on the Sonic’s hip, his Sonic’s arms now wrapped around his neck. Their smiles were…loving.

“Your arms are my castle, your heart is my sky.” The Sonic mouthed, a single tear slipping from his eye that Shadow only just noticed were glistening.

“They wipe away tears that I cry.” His Shadow actually wiped the tear away, swinging his Sonic around and into the air as the drums resurfaced.

When the Shadow set his Sonic down, they resituated with paws clasps, Shadow’s free paw on Sonic’s hip, the other’s on Shadow’s shoulder.

“The good and the bad times, we’ve been through them all.” The Shadow started to move them quickly across the floor, dramatic swings of their arms and they circled each other as they circled the dance floor.

Shadow felt his muzzle heat up at the implication.

“You make me rise, when I fall.” Shadow watched, a little shocked, when the other Shadow lifted his Sonic by the waist into the air, only to drop him and catch him with a dramatic dip, the Sonic’s head quills brushing the floor.

The Shadow was holding his Sonic up with a single paw, jerking the blue hedgehog up once, twice, before fully swinging him back into his arms.

The music slowed a bit, the two easily waltzing around the space afforded to them.

Sonic pulled his Shadow closer, their foreheads touching as the music picked back up, trading the lead once more.

This time, when the drum beat started up, they both flashed with lightning, the Shadow’s a reddish-orange, and the Sonic with blue. And then in a flash of the same colors, they were gone.

Shadow jerked back, wildly looking around the room, only for another flash to appear, causing him to blink, and they were back, on the other side of the room. The Sonic dipping his Shadow who was laughing brightly.

Another flash and they were on an exposed pipe near the ceiling, twisting in a tight loop, a flash, they appeared by the archway, stretched out, paws holding each other tightly. The Sonic pulled his Shadow towards him, a flash, they reappeared back in the center of the dance floor, Sonic arms around Shadow’s waist, head on his shoulder as they swayed for a brief moment.

They untwisted smoothly, pulling back in, this time with the Shadow once again taking the leading position.

“Cause every time we touch,” the Shadow pulled his Sonic in close, their fronts flush again, “I get this feeling,” he moved his paw from his Sonic’s hip to wrapping around his waist, pressing even closer together.

This time the Sonic was the one to brush their cheeks together, tilting his head into his Shadow’s with a soft smile. “And every time we kiss, I swear I can fly,” the Shadow swung them around, his Sonic’s feet lifting from the ground as they spun.

They slowed and started to turn, still pressed together from hips to shoulders, Sonic’s head still buried in Shadow’s neck. “Can’t you feel my heart beat fast, I want this to last. Need you by my side.”

Their movements stayed effortless and smooth, but they slowed, feet moving slowly between each other’s, bodies entwined.

Slowly the music started to trail off, guitar and piano leaving a lovely melody, and the pair separated carefully, looking into each other’s eyes with a spark that made Shadow swallow roughly.

He was just about to look away with the understanding that this was private, when the Sonic cupped his Shadow’s face with his paw and brought him in for a kiss. They closed their eyes and pressed into each other, Sonic’s free paw wrapping around his Shadow’s waist, as the darker hedgehog draped his arms over the blue hedgehog’s shoulder.

Shadow’s face was on fire.

His hearing also managed to pick up the sounds of gasps, choking, spluttering, and various other shocked reactions from those around him.

It was hard to look away from.

Until Shadow managed to catch a glimpse of pink tongues, then it was particularly easy to jerk his gaze away.

Unfortunately, that meant he was now looking at his Sonic, muzzle flushed a bright red and also gazing right back at him, notably away from the affection in the middle of the room.

Shadow gave him a small smile.

Despite the intimacy of the scene in front of him, it was still beautiful to see a Sonic and Shadow together and so blissfully happy.

(He actively pushed away the memory of this dimension’s Sonic when they first arrived here and how angry and different he was. As far as Shadow was concerned, that was a different Mobian altogether.)

“I told you, Ames.”

“Awwww. So you did, Rouge. I will eat my words.” Amy giggled, standing and walking back over to the silver hedgehog and purple cat from her world. The two greeted her with happy smiles and voices.

“Alright! That’s enough!” Tom the Human’s voice rang out in the room and was answered with a chorus of laughs from everyone. “Laugh it up, why don’t ya, it’s not y’all’s kid!”

“I mean.”

“Shush, Rhea, you can’t see what they’re doing anyway.”

“I have a pretty good idea.”

“And I can still see, thank you for stopping them, Wachowski.”

“Anytime, Stone.”

Shadow turned back to the dance floor, squeezing Sonic’s captive paw in his, and snorted at the scene of the human literally trying to separate the two hedgehogs. It was fairly obvious that they were holding onto each other now as a joke, the Sonic laughing and pulling his Shadow closer every time Tom the Human got them a little separated.

“What the Chaos?”

He turned to the others at his table. Many of them looked shocked.

Shadow’s Rouge turned to him with eye ridges shot high on her forehead, Shadow just smirked at her. Her paws covered her mouth with a small squeak, eyes glittering as they flicked between him and the speedster sitting next to him.

“No, seriously, what the Chaos?” it was the Sonic with the bandana, still staring at the pair on the dance floor, now successfully separated from each other. They clasped paws as they headed back towards their table.

They sat right where they were before they got up to dance, the Shadow scowling as his Rouge ruffled the fur between his ears before heading off to her Knuckles, the echidna lighting up at her presence.

“What in the name of Chaos was that?” Bandana Sonic gestured at them, ears folded back on his head as he purposely kept himself from looking at his Shadow. Said Shadow looked like his brain was melting, Shadow could almost see the smoke.

The pair from this world raised a single eye ridge in tandem, Shadow hid his laugh behind his fist, coughing when the tall Shadow glared at him.

“Dude, it’s pretty obvious. We were dancing.” The Sonic answered, nudging his Shadow with and elbow before wrapping the same arm around his shoulders, leaning in to nuzzle his cheek.

“I’m talking about this!” Bandana Sonic gestured to them again, eyes wide watching the small display of affection. He then rapidly waved his paws between the two of them, jolting slightly with each movement.

Someone wasn’t taking this well.

“What?”

“Why in the name of Chaos are you all over each other?!”

“What does it matter?” The Shadow being gestured at growled lowly, ears folding back as he bared his teeth. Bandana Sonic flinched back.

“Wha- it’s- you-ugh.” He slammed his head into the table and wrapped his arms around his head, muttering under his breath.

“Oh my gosh. You didn’t know? You’re not together?” the Sonic asked, eyes wide as he waved his paws between the taller Shadow and Sonic. “Why do you think I got so mad at you at the training grounds?! Your Shadow was right there and you were treating him like crap while mine had been taken from me for six months! It wasn’t fair!”

Shadow watched as the Sonic’s fur started to darken, pupils shrinking as his eyes narrowed, glaring at the downed Sonic and angrily gesturing at Tall Shadow.

He readied himself for a fight.

Unnecessarily, apparently, as the Shadow of this dimension simply bumped his snout into the side of his Sonic’s face and the hedgehog calmed immediately, smile lighting up his face again as he tapped his forehead to his Shadow’s.

“I am also confused, I think. You two are together?” One of the other Amy’s asked, looking for all the world like everything suddenly clicked into place as she looked at her Sonic, who was staring at the other pair with wide eyes. (Probably from the set that didn’t get their act together. Although they might after this, if the considering look on that Shadow’s face said anything.)

“Yup! For a few years now!” the Sonic was smiling widely, swaying back and forth and giggling every time his shoulder tapped his Shadow’s. Said hedgehog was smiling indulgently and fiddling with his Sonic’s paw with both of his own.

“Our parents want us to wait until we are both eighteen until we make anything too permanent.” The Shadow spoke quietly, glancing over his shoulder at the humans chatting across the room.

“Not that it matters.” His Sonic shrugged.

“Why doesn’t it matter?” A Tails asked, looking at his Sonic and Shadow with a side eye, both of whom gave him too innocent expressions.

“We’re already mated.” The Shadow answered, turning and moving his head spikes to the side to show off a scarred bite mark on the base of his neck.

Shadow flushed.

He’d never actually seen a Mobian mating bite scar before.

The other Sonic lifted and tilted his head, moving some of his fur out of the way to show a similar scar on the juncture of his shoulder and neck.

Shadow felt his face heat up even more.

He didn’t even want to think about mating for at least a few years. That was a serious commitment.

Not that he wasn’t seriously committed to his Sonic. But their lives are anything but normal, and they had only just started their relationship. They didn’t even talk about courtship down the line. He doesn’t even know if Sonic wants to be tied to anyone like that.

Curiously, Shadow looked at Sonic, muzzle bright red once again, and he actually looked…wistful?

Oh Chaos.

Clearly they were going to have the courtship conversation sooner rather than later. Shadow felt a thrill at the thought.

“You got mated without your parents’ approval?” the biggest echidna asked, arms crossed and looking at the pair with disappointment radiating from every part of him.

The Sonic almost rolled his whole head with how hard he rolled his eyes.

“Mom and Dad don’t even know what mating means, neither do Rhea or Stone, it’s not important. They’re not Mobians, they don’t need to know. Besides, Knuckles approved.”

“And Rouge and Omega approved for me, as well.”

“And they’re the oldest Mobians in each of our families, so…doesn’t matter.”

“So what do they mean by more permanent?” The Tails with goggles asked, eye ridges furrowing as he looked over at his Sonic, still muttering to himself into the table.

“Marriage.”

Shadow coughed at the blasé way his counterpart answered the question, eyes half-lidded and bored as he pressed in closer to his Sonic’s side. Said blue hedgehog nuzzled his partner’s cheek and smiled widely.

“Mother and Father have requested that Sonic and Shadow wait until they are eighteen years-old before they get married. The date is already set for the day after Sonic’s birthday. It is very strange, human courtship customs.”

This world’s Knuckles appeared, nodding to the two from his dimension before settling behind them, large arms crossed and staring down tall Shadow.

For some reason, Shadow couldn’t help but think that this was going to be entertaining.”

“It’s because mom and dad don’t know that mating is the Mobian equivalent, if they did, I’m sure Sonic would be grounded forever. I don’t think Stone or Rhea care too much, as long as Shadow is happy.” Now all three brothers were together, the Sonic smiling up at his floating Tails, who smiled back and waved as he tapped on his Miles’ Electric.

“Which is why we made a pact to never tell them.”

“Until after the wedding.”

“What? Knucks, no, we’re never telling them.” The Sonic whipped around, staring up at his older brother while still keeping his arm wrapped around his Shadow.

The Knuckles raised a single eye ridge.

“That was not the agreement, less impressive hedgehog. The agreement was to wait until after the wedding. So I will tell them the day after the wedding, as agreed.” The echidna nodded to himself while his younger brother spluttered and tried to convince him not to.

Shadow leaned into his Sonic a little more, confident that no one would really notice with the show the Mobians from this dimension were putting on.

All in all, this dimension travelling thing turned out pretty good.

Shadow felt Sonic’s arm start to snake around his waist, tapping every so often in only a rhythm that he knew. Shadow shuddered.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t more than ready to get back to their own world.

Mostly so he could finally take Sonic on a decent date, but also because there were somethings that didn’t need an audience.

He smiled even as the taller Sonic and Shadow pair finally restarted and began wildly waving their arms with questions falling from their lips at light speed.

Oh well.

Not his business.

Chapter Text

Sonic led him to a small room, far away from the large room they were staying in with the rest of the visitors to this dimension and far from the heavy traffic of the rest of the base. 

Shadow walked in as Sonic finally released him, turning and locking the door before leaning his back against it, looking at Shadow with a wide smile. Heat rushed through his body at the look, eyes lidded and expression gleeful. 

“So…” Sonic started, rocking back and forth on his feet, paws hidden behind his back between him and the door. 

Shadow couldn’t help but smirk. 

Even though they both knew why they were here and what they were going to talk about, it still seemed like Sonic was at a loss for words. Nice to know Shadow could do that. 

“So.” He responded, smirk stretching at Sonic’s annoyed look. 

“The Sonic and Shadow of this dimension are obviously in love. And probably together.” Sonic hurried out, keeping his eyes locked on Shadow. 

A shiver raced through his muscles, fur bristling and settling so fast he doubts the other hedgehog caught it, but still. 

Hearing it out loud was…well it was. 

“Clearly.” Shadow replied, curious as to where Sonic was going with this. 

“And…well, I guess it made me realize something, things…about us…about…feelings I’ve been noticing since our trip to the Shatterverse and the whole thing with Nine.” Sonic hesitated briefly, but continued charging ahead, much like he did in real life. 

Shadow smiled softly when Sonic looked down at his feet. 

“And how do you feel?” he pressed, curious if Sonic will even admit it. 

Sonic looked up, the same fire from the battle blazing clearly in his eyes. Shadow felt the heat flood his face and thanked everything and one he could think of that his fur hid his blush from outside eyes. 

“I think it’s pretty obvious, Shadow.” Sonic’s smile stretched wide again, but Shadow wanted to actually hear it. 

“Spell it out for me…Sonic.” Using the other’s name got Shadow the reaction he wanted, the blue hedgehog ducking his head and flushing a fetching red. 

Shadow licked his lips, baring his fangs briefly before covering them back up. 

“I like you. A lot. I can’t say I love you, yet, because, well, I’ll get there eventually, but I really really like you.” 

Shadow let the shiver run through him again, stepping forward once, twice, cornering Sonic against the door he was backed up against. And the other didn’t disappoint, bringing his paws up to rest on Shadow’s hips, brilliant green eyes locking with his own. 

“Yeah?” Shadow breathed out, not completely sure that this moment was actually happening. That Sonic, beloved by many, was confessing to him, Shadow the Hedgehog. 

Sonic surprised him by pulling his hips in closer and using the shock of the movement to spin them around, Shadow’s spines meeting with the door. 

A gasp escaped from him as Sonic leaned in, noses touching, paws squeezing his hips tight enough that Shadow had to restrain from bucking into the other. 

“Yeah. In hindsight, I’ve always been a little bit gone over you, Shadow.” Sonic’s breath puffed out against Shadow’s muzzle and the heat returned with a gusto. “You’ve always been the only one who could keep up.” 

Sonic leaned in closer. 

Shadow held his breath, claws scratching into the door as he waited to see what Sonic would do next. 

His eyes closed against his will when green overtook his vision, however Sonic chose to be surprising (shocker) and just rubbed their muzzles together, nuzzling into Shadow’s cheek fur with a soft purr escaping from his throat. 

Shadow wrapped his arms around Sonic’s neck and pulled him closer, a clicking purr escaping from him as well when Sonic let out a little “eek” at the movement. 

He nuzzled back, rubbing their cheeks together and smiling at the warmth of the other hedgehog, pressed close to him from shoulders to knees. 

It was easy to let it happen, to stay in Sonic’s hold and enjoy the feeling of warmth and affection and the rumbling of Sonic’s purr resounding with his own clicking purr.

But this conversation wasn’t finished. 

Shadow gently grabbed Shadow’s head spines, pulling him back carefully, keeping his gaze on Sonic’s pretty eyes, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. 

Sonic’s loving gaze just about rendered him incapable of speech. 

Luckily, there were other ways to get his point across. 

With the same soft grip he used to separate them, Shadow pulled Sonic in, ignoring his brief yelp, closing his eyes, and slotting their lips together. 

 Sonic stilled against him, but Shadow didn’t worry about it, just pushed into the soft lips against his own, humming when Sonic started to kiss him back. 

The other hedgehog’s paws slid around Shadow’s hips to pull him closer via his lower back, one of his paws dangerously close to Shadow’s tail. He purred harder, sliding his paws through Sonic’s ruffled head quills, down his shoulders and wrapping around tense wrists. 

Shadow didn’t remove the paws, he was too satisfied with their placement for that, but he did purr harder, taking the next step and opening his mouth. 

Sonic let out a small hum when Shadow’s tongue flicked against his lips, but he opened them gladly, tangling his own tongue with Shadow’s, purring louder. 

He was perfectly happy to stay here. But apparently Sonic wasn’t created to not need oxygen for long stretches of times, so he pulled away with a gasp, claws lightly scraping along the small of Shadow’s back. 

He could feel his tail wagging, the tip flicking against Sonic’s paws every now and then, but it was easy enough to ignore so Shadow could keep staring at the blue hedgehog. 

Sonic was panting, puffs of breath hitting Shadow’s muzzle with every exhale, eyes roving over his face, taking in everything. The other smiled widely, paws sliding around Shadow’s waist, up his sensitive stomach, and landing on his fluffy chest fur. 

Somehow, Sonic’s smile widened even more, combing through the white fur with delight. 

Shadow took advantage and spun them around again, leaning on one paw, placed perfectly next to Sonic’s head, the other sliding around Sonic’s waist to land right above his tail. Sonic looked up at him, paws still carding through fluffy white fur, eyes locking on Shadow’s and smiling. 

It was easy to lean forward again, capture Sonic’s lips again, licking his way inside and smiling against smiling lips with every small sound that escaped. 

Shadow can’t imagine a better place to be right now. 

But, Sonic used his paw placement to push Shadow away again. 

A low growl built in his throat, interspersed with clicking purrs, but Sonic just smiled at him brightly. 

“As fun as this development is, and as much as I’m enjoying it, and I am, I really really am. I need a little more words, Shads. Where do we go from here? What does this mean? To you?” 

Shadow’s ears folded against his head, almost flat, purr stopping dead in his chest. Did he not convey what he wanted to with his actions? 

Sonic’s paws slid up Shadow’s chest, gently combing through the fur and head quills before they came to a stop on Shadow’s ears, petting them softly. 

He fought to not lean into the touch, more concerned with Sonic’s questions. 

Shadow frowned, pulling Sonic in with his hold on brilliant cobalt hips, pressing into the feeling as he leaned in again. Sonic’s paws slid to his cheeks with a gasp. 

“Clearly I like you too, faker. And this means exactly what you want it to mean, and we can go anywhere you want from here.” Shadow whispered, eyes flicking down to hide his vulnerability from the one hedgehog who always managed to push down his walls with glee. 

The smile his simple statement caused to stretch across Sonic’s muzzle was beautiful. Shadow almost had to look away from the brightness. 

And then Sonic pulled him in by his cheeks, pressing their mouths together again and again and again. The kisses were chaste but Shadow couldn’t help but smile into them as Sonic started to giggle after the third one. 

Shadow couldn’t tell how many times Sonic pecked his lips, but at some point he must have gotten bored of it and settled his cheek on Shadow’s shoulder, sighing happily when Shadow tightened his hold on Sonic’s hips. 

This conversation definitely went his way.