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When one of the blue hedgehog's friends felt down, it immediately resonated within his soul. As a child, he was less empathetic and would calmly run away from Amy and Knuckles when they were emotionally open with him. The hedgehog doesn't quite remember how he treated Tails. He raised him from childhood, and many years have passed, but he probably did that rather irresponsibly too.
But he grew up and became more emotionally sensitive. And when Shadow stood thoughtfully by a tree, Sonic couldn't just stand by. It was his birthday; as the birthday boy, he had to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves.
“Amazing that the Time Eater decided to dump you here too!” Sonic winked, sitting down next to the hybrid. He openly admired the dark figure, shamelessly letting his gaze linger on the white chest fur.
“I...” Shadow swallowed and, to the birthday boy’s surprise, made eye contact. “ I planned to come originally. I mean… Rouge and I had an agreement. I had to be here anyway.”
The blue hedgehog ignored the strange pang in his heart from that phrase. Of course, Rouge’s deal meant more to the hybrid than Sonic’s actual invitation. That wasn’t surprising. It shouldn’t have made his ears press lower and lower against his jaw.
“Well, I’m glad to see you anyway, Shads! Regardless of the circumstances.”
“Hmph.” A sparse reply.
“So, did you come to stand under a tree like a grim lone hedgehog, or will you finally grace us mere mortals with a drop of attention from the Ultimate Lifeform?” He shifted excitedly from heels to toes, waiting for an answer.
Shadow looked at him with unusual intensity and a hint of contemplation. As if Sonic knew the answer to something the hybrid himself couldn’t grasp. In those green eyes, so similar to the color of Shadow’s favorite Chaos Emerald, the answers to all questions seemed to lurk. The answers he never got from Maria. But all Shadow found there was strange support. Sonic only needed to look at him, and that gaze made Shadow feel wrapped in silent, warm embraces. And that was more than enough.
“I… was going to do that. Let’s go to the others, hedgehog.” The hybrid’s expression softened.
Sonic was ready to rub his eyes. He doubted he’d really gotten such a smile from Shadow, even if it was just a slight upturn of the lips.
A year had passed since that conversation, during which his rival had behaved very strangely. Shadow started initiating sparring sessions himself, inviting Sonic to races, and sometimes, after especially long competitions, even suggesting grabbing a bite to eat! Not that Sonic objected; on the contrary, he was very happy. Shadow was truly getting closer to everyone, which was surely good for his mental health. Maybe the hybrid had even seen a therapist, but Sonic wasn’t sure about that specific part.
Right now, he and Shadow were just… talking? Winded after a fight, he felt like the happiest hedgehog in the world. Sonic was winning the lottery for the Ultimate Lifeform’s attention over and over again and was utterly smug about it.
“Anyway, Tai is kinda like a sea bream, and by island standards, it’s really, really tasty! Seriously, you gotta try it ‘cause it just melts in your mouth. That’s why I’m glad we’re omnivores; it’s delicious. But not tasty without friends. That’s probably what they mean with ‘ 鯛も一人はうまからず ’ Tails hates that idiom; he always sputters, saying I exaggerate the importance of eating together. But you know it’s good to eat together! It’s like opening your soul, but he’s always hiding in the workshop, just like when I first gave him the Tornado. Back then he was smaller and ate a ton; he really understood bream idioms back then. I think Big gets it now, unlike him. Y’know, that cat’s always fishing with that little frog. Oh, did I tell you Big’s frog is part Chaos? Can you call it a homunculus? A froggy homunculus, hehe.”
“You really do love to chatter, hedgehog,” Shadow snorted, settling more comfortably beside the blue hedgehog.
Initially, they were discussing where to eat after their sparring session, but Sonic had used a silly idiom and kept hyperactively talking to the hybrid about it.
“When I thought concerts were loud, I was mistaken. Compared to you, it’s a symphony of silence.”
“Huh?” A cobalt ear twitched with interest. The hedgehog himself edged closer into Shadow’s personal space. “Wait, you seriously went to a concert?! Hedgehog Shadow visits public places? Can’t believe it, dude! You should’ve called me.”
“Because of Rouge,” Shadow grimaced, recalling how he’d pressed his ears against the crowd’s screams and amplifier noise. “Her club needed to find musical performers and test them live. I offered my help. As the Ultimate Lifeform, I can understand how pure and fitting the sound is. And I was trained in the necessary music theory on the ARK…”
“Cool!” The blue tail wagged happily. “So, did you like it? Your first concert is always the most memorable. I was euphoric for, like, probably a week after my first one.”
“Rouge managed to make it fun for me,” Shadow snorted, the corners of his lips lifting slightly. “But still too loud. That’s probably why we didn’t take you, hedgehog. You’d amplify the noise fivefold… Heh.”
In any other situation, Sonic would have wagged his tail even harder at Shadow’s teasing. Their dynamic of annoying each other was dogma, something no one ever planned to change. That’s what the blue hedgehog thought until this moment. He didn’t feel the thrill of being teased, didn’t feel the adrenaline. Only a dryness in his throat. Right now, Sonic wasn’t talking to his favorite rival; he was hungover. It felt strangely unpleasant that Rouge was more acceptable company for Shadow than Sonic himself… even if it was for logical reasons.
Rouge had always been close to Shadow; she was his partner, his colleague at G.U.N. Sonic always understood that the bat was closer to Shadow than he was. So why was his stomach churning?
Yes, he’d gotten closer to Shadow, but it was still only sparring and fights. The hybrid was interested in him solely as a source of adrenaline, and that was supposedly mutual for Sonic. But he’d just been thrown in his face that there were people better suited to Shadow’s company. People not as loud as Sonic, not as irritating to the hybrid over every little thing. The silence seemed to stretch on too long because crimson eyes were staring at him questioningly.
“Well, since the race is over… Gotta dash!” Sonic winked before speeding off towards his home. He was simply too emotional right now, and when that happened, the hedgehog fell back on old habits. He ran, letting his legs think faster than his heart.
“But our snack…” The hybrid didn’t finish the sentence because Sonic was already gone.
Everything he constantly does is wrong. Shadow knows that for sure. He’d decided to get closer to others after an unexpected encounter with his past. His desire to build connections beyond Rouge was sincere. He assumed it would be easiest with Sonic… Shadow quickly realized how mistaken he was. He lacked the courage to openly invite Sonic anywhere just for one-on-one time, except for competitions. At parties, the blue hedgehog was too busy helping everyone with the event or basking in public attention for Shadow to truly get closer.
His plan to feed the blue hedgehog after fights to finally build some rapport had worked great for the first few weeks. But just now, the hybrid had done something wrong, and Sonic had run off. Typical behavior for a hyperactive hedgehog. Usually, though, it implied that Shadow would chase after him. But now, the blue hedgehog had just walked away from Shadow, heading home. The worst part? The hybrid didn’t even know how he’d provoked that reaction.
A growl escaped his throat. He clenched the Chaos Emerald, deciding to channel his accumulated frustration into a Chaos Control. Appearing in the Team Dark apartment, the hybrid impulsively launched a Chaos Spear at a random wall. The impulsive flame of his disappointment and chaos flew towards the new wallpaper, only for its sender to flinch at Rouge’s scream.
“What was that?!” The bat irritably planted her hands on her hips. “I thought Omega was the only one destroying our apartment with projectiles! When did you sink to his level?”
“I didn’t plan that,” Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat, awkwardly returning his Chaos Emerald to his quills. “I apologize, I… my way of venting emotions in the moment just turned out too radical.”
“You’re also annoyed after meeting Sonic?” Rouge giggled, flicking a fluffy white ear. “Usually after your races, you practically glow for a week. Am I dreaming, darling?”
“He left without doing what we planned. I somehow bruised his inflated ego.”
The hybrid flopped onto the couch and, to his shame, began squeezing a pillow shaped like Sonic himself right in front of Rouge. The gloomy Team Dark apartment held an absurd amount of cute Sonic merchandise due to “Shadow’s little crush.” At least, that’s how Rouge had explained it to Omega. Shadow himself simply couldn’t resist the desire to bring something so bright and soft into his comfort zone.
“Oh, darling, don’t worry so much. It happens sometimes. I doubt Sonic, of all Mobians, can stay mad at you for long.”
“He wasn’t mad.” Shadow wrinkled his nose, snorting a strange mix of alien and hedgehog sounds. “He just ran off without any explanation after the race and a few words. He loves his stupid chili dogs, but we still didn’t eat them together! Can I really be that bad?”
“Oh, my poor alien romance monster. I’m almost certain he just spaced out in the conversation. You know Big Blue has his head in the clouds.”
“Well, he gives me a migraine in my head. Now what?” Shadow buried his face deeper into the pillow with Sonic’s cheerful face, hoping it could somehow summon its living prototype back to him.
“Moping won’t help you,” his partner said kindly, placing a gentle paw on Shadow’s knee. “We have to listen to a few more performers for the club tomorrow. What do you say we invite your silly hedgehog?”
Shadow growled but nodded. His gaze was pleading and grateful.
“Rouge?” Tails frowned, standing in the doorway, a soldering iron still in his hand. “If you’re trying to steal something from my workshop again…”
“Not just me, kid!” interrupted the bat girl, grinning widely and winking.
Shadow, as if snapping out of a daze, sharply turned his head towards the fox. His scarlet eyes finally focused, darting around the room, piercingly searching for something.
“Where is Sonic?” His voice was rough, brooking no argument.
“Oh, uh… Not the best time,” sighed Tails. “He’s having one of his melancholic phases. He hasn’t come out of his room since yesterday. I can call him, but no promises.”
“We’re counting on you, kid!” Rouge winked at him while Shadow only furrowed his brows deeper.
Two sharp knocks on the door plastered with medals and photos. Silence. The fox fluffed his two tails irritably.
“Sonic, Rouge needs you and-”
“Just tell her I’m sick,” Sonic’s voice was barely audible through the door; the hedgehog hadn’t even waited for the fox to finish.
“Stop being like this,” Tails huffed. “If Shadow hears about your fake illness, he’ll act like a hypochondriac. That’s the last thing I need in my workshop.”
Sonic poked his head out the door. He looked like a shaggy puppy, with clumps of uncombed blue fur and quills. His green eyes shone cautiously, timid yet genuinely curious.
“Is Shadow here too?”
“ Yeah, waiting at the door.”
A sudden flash of blue zoomed past his muzzle.
“And… he ran off,” Tails stated flatly.
The door to the living room swung open, and Sonic, now without a trace of his supposed illness, flew to the front door. He froze in an unnaturally relaxed pose: one hand on his hip, the other dangling casually on the doorknob. His smile stretched ear to ear.
“Hey, Rouge! How’s it going? Hi, Shads! What can I do for ya?” His voice sounded unnaturally cheerful.
“Hay, handsome. Just in time. Wanna come to a concert with us? Shadow told me you were interested,” she made a playful gesture with her wing and gave him a radiant, mischievous smile.
“Me?” Sonic involuntarily took a step back. His gaze found Shadow… The dark hedgehog stood motionless, his face expressionless, only his eyes intently tracking every movement in the room. “Whoa, what happened to ‘amplifying the noise fivefold’ or whatever?”
“It was Rouge’s idea,” Shadow cut in sharply, not looking at Sonic.
“Oh, uh, sure,” Sonic hesitated, feeling superfluous again.
Of course, Shadow didn’t seek his attention or company unless it involved races or sparring. Sonic was stupid to think Shadow might be interested in him as something more.
“Well, Shadow didn’t exactly object to the idea,” Rouge chimed in cheerfully, cleverly using the dark hedgehog’s silence as tacit agreement.
“Uh-huh. And when’s this concert?” Sonic asked, desperately trying to buy time. His legs were already trembling slightly with the urge to bolt from the shameful feeling of being unwanted and foolish.
“Right now, darling!” The bat clapped her hands joyfully. “And you know what’s the cutest thing?! Shadow was so sweet; he brought the Dark Rider to take us! Isn’t that adorable?”
“Oh, uh, Cool! But Rider only has two seats? How are you planning to fit all three of us?”
“You’ll run alongside.”
With that phrase, Shadow smiled faintly. He’d thought about this for a while: riding alongside the blue hedgehog, watching him smile ahead, weaving around him at insane speed, testing if the hedgehog could outpace his super-fast bike, and maybe stealing a glance or two during the turns.
Sonic sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping, his ears pressing flat against his head. He suddenly looked smaller and more vulnerable. He turned away, unsure what expression his face should even hold. Shadow’s bike was always only for the closest. For Rouge, who, unlike Sonic, had found him after the ARK fell. For someone who wasn’t an irritating blue blur, annoying Shadow just by existing. A burning sensation rose behind his eyes. He quickly wiped them with the back of his glove, unaware of the hybrid’s true intention.
“I’d love to join you guys,” he forced a smile. “But I’m really feeling bad today. Think I caught a chill after yesterday’s race, heh. Raincheck, okay?”
“You… feel bad?” Shadow transformed instantly. All his tense energy, his focus, narrowed onto the blue hedgehog’s awkward figure before him. He took two quick steps forward, his hand instinctively reaching for Sonic’s forehead to check his temperature. The phrase about hypochondria, said by Tails, truly fit Shadow. After a childhood beside Maria, a terminally ill girl, he was overly emotionally sensitive to illness.
“No, no! It’s fine, Shads!” Sonic jumped back, waving his hands. “Not that bad! I’ll just rest today and be good as new, honest.”
Shadow froze. His hand hung in the empty space where Sonic’s head had been before curling into a fist. Ruby eyes scanned Sonic with surgical precision, searching for signs of sickness: pallor (hard to see under blue fur), shivering, or even sweat. But it was difficult to do on the spot and through the doorway crack.
“I’ll come by after the concert to check on you,” he declared in a tone that brooked no argument. His gaze was serious, almost stern, but deep down, anxiety flickered.
“See ya!” Sonic ducked back into his room, slamming the door with such relief that it was immediately replaced by a new, chilling wave of anxiety as he heard the low, powerful roar of a motorcycle starting up outside the window. He leaned his forehead against the cool door, listening as the sound of the Dark Rider faded into the city’s hum.
“I told you faking sick would only make it worse,” the fox kit said softly, with a hint of ‘I told you so.’ He’d been standing behind him the whole time, watching his big brother’s shame.
“It’s not so bad,” Sonic mumbled, burying his face in his knees, unaware of when he’d sunk to the floor. “At least he’s gone. And I figure he’ll be so tired after the concert, he won’t want to deal with my noise.”
Oof, that came out a bit too loud. Sonic really needed to learn to choose his words. Tails shook his head, his twin tails drooping.
“Sonic, listen. I saw how Shadow looked at you when you turned away. He didn’t look irritated. He looked… concerned? Very concerned. He instantly believed you were sick, even though it’s obviously fake, and wanted to cancel the concert right then to stay. That doesn’t sound like you’re just noise to him.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Sonic just slowly started crawling back towards his room. “Think I can manage to get actually sick in time?”
The fox just rolled his eyes.
The concert was indeed deafening. Bright strobe lights stabbed the eyes, bass pounded like hammer blows against the chest, the crowd on the dance floor roared in unison, merging into one pulsing organism. The air was thick with perfume, sweat, and machine smoke. Rouge, standing on the VIP balcony, swayed gracefully to the heavy beat. Her white fur shimmered like a jewel in the colored spotlight beams.
“Not bad!” she yelled, trying to be heard over the cacophony, leaning towards her companion’s ear. She pointed at the stage where a charismatic Maine Coon vocalist in a leather vest was riling up the crowd. “I definitely like this guy! Voice – fire! Energy – endless! Think we could book him, Shadow?”
Silence. She turned to find the hybrid with his ears flattened. He was nervously fidgeting with his inhibitor rings, toying with the clasp of the golden bands.
“Shadow! You’re not listening.”
Shadow startled, as if waking from a deep sleep. His ruby eyes, usually so sharp and observant, were unfocused and wide, looking right through his friend.
“I… uh, yes,” he mumbled automatically, his gaze flickering towards the stage for only a second before drifting away again. “He sings… well.”
His voice sounded flat, devoid of interest. His attention drifted back into the foggy distance, towards the walls of Tails’ workshop and the closed door. His hands returned to the rings.
Rouge frowned. She moved closer so she wouldn’t have to shout over the concert noise again.
“Is this all about Big Blue?” she asked directly, her voice losing its playfulness, becoming softer, almost maternal despite the din.
Shadow tensed. His back straightened, shoulders stiffened. He didn’t answer immediately; his fingers clenched into a tight, black leather fist.
“I… I don’t know,” he finally forced out, his voice strained and tight.
“If he got sick now, it’s probably because of our meeting yesterday,” the hybrid paused, digesting the thought, trying to articulate his feelings. “Did I let him get sick?” A sudden, harsh note of self-blame entered his tone. “Or was he already sick back there at sunset… and I didn’t notice? I should have known! When I’m needed as medicine, as something that can heal… I fail.” He exhaled sharply; the sound was like a groan. “Damn it. What’s the point? What’s the point of me if I fail at what I was made for?”
“Darling,” Rouge placed a hand on his forearm. Her touch was light but firm. “Cool down. I’m almost positive he’s not sick. At all. He just said that to avoid coming with us. That’s all.”
“But he said he caught a chill!” Shadow turned sharply towards her, fire burning in his eyes – sincere, almost childish bewilderment and pain. “Why would he lie? He can just say if he truly doesn’t want to go! I don’t understand.” The phrase, its raw confusion, laid bare all his vulnerability. The Ultimate Lifeform, supposed to comprehend everything, was utterly baffled by the planet’s most unpredictable creature. This inability to understand the reason for the lie hurt more than a direct refusal.
“Well, darling, it’s not that simple,” Rouge explained gently, stroking his arm. “People sometimes find it hard to be as direct as you are. Telling a friend to their face ‘I don’t want to go with you’ or ‘I’m glad I didn’t go with you’… it’s considered rude. It often hurts or seems insulting to close friends.”
“We’re rivals!” Shadow retorted with sudden vehemence, as if that explained everything. He straightened up, a shadow of his usual pride entering his posture. “We say far worse things to each other constantly!”
“Uh-huh,” Rouge chuckled, but without malice, with a touch of sadness, looking him straight in the eye. “And when has Sonic ever said anything like that to you?”
“Well… he,” Shadow hesitated, his confidence evaporating. He couldn’t think of a single example. Only loud laughter, cocky smirks, and soft compliments. His mind felt terrifyingly empty.
“Think about it,” she sighed, glancing towards the stage where the musicians were finishing a song. “I’ll go try to negotiate with that fire-breathing singer… before he burns the stage down.” She gave his forearm a gentle squeeze, turned gracefully, and vanished into the noise of the crowd, heading backstage, leaving Shadow alone with the thundering world and the silent hurricane of unresolved questions raging inside him. The music, so loud moments ago, now seemed like a distant, irritating buzz against the deafening silence of his thoughts.
Pulling up to Tails’ workshop, Shadow walked with his usual firm, resolute stride, but each step echoed dully in his chest. A similarly dull thud followed as he knocked on the front door.
Sonic was sprawled on his bed, a comic in his hands. He tried to focus on the bright pictures, but his ears, like radars, keenly caught every sound outside the door: the distant rumble of the motorcycle, the rustle of grass under approaching footsteps… When the sharp, confident knock finally came, Sonic still jumped, dropping the comic, even though he’d expected it.
He scrambled up, took a deep breath trying to muster all his fake cheerfulness, and opened the door.
“Oh? Hey, Shadow!” His voice sounded too loud, too cheerful for the quiet hallway. “Didn’t expect you back so soon! I’m feelin’ better, way better, so no worries!” He flashed his signature grin, wide and slightly strained, gesturing as if trying to fill the space between them with a shield of words.
“What did I do?” Shadow interrupted. His voice was low, strained to the breaking point, devoid of its usual coldness, detachment, or even challenge. He didn’t step inside immediately. He stood on the threshold, the first bright stars visible in the dark blue sky behind him. His black-and-red silhouette seemed even gloomier against the twilight. But the main thing was his eyes. An unfamiliar fire burned in them – a mix of anxiety, deeply buried hurt, a pleading question, and a desperate resolve to get an answer. He stared straight at Sonic, unblinking, pinning him in place.
“Huh?” Sonic froze, rooted to the spot. The smile slid off his face, leaving only confusion and a sudden chill of fear under his ribs. The interjection escaped him, betraying his complete loss of footing. He hadn’t expected such a direct assault.
Shadow took a step forward, crossing the threshold. The space between them shrank to almost nothing. Sonic involuntarily stepped back.
“You said you were sick,” Shadow spoke clearly, each word hammered out like a blow on an anvil. “But you’re clearly not sick.” Another step. Sonic caught a faint scent of gasoline, evening coolness, and something else, elusive, that always clung to Shadow – the scent of chaos, speed-induced dust, lavender. “You didn’t want to come with us.” Ruby eyes didn’t release emerald ones. There was no anger, only a demanding anxiety for clarity. “Why? What did I do?” The last phrase came out almost as a breaking whisper, laying bare the vulnerability he so carefully hid.
“Heh-heh! Aw, you got me,” Sonic scratched the back of his head nervously, looking away. He couldn’t hold that piercing gaze. “Sorry for bein’ rude, okay? I didn’t mean… to hurt your feelings. It’s just… I’ve been thinkin’ about somethin’ lately. Constantly. And it… it really bothers me?” He hugged his arms around himself, an unusual gesture for the hero. “I, uh, I need time, y’know? Time to sort out this… mess in my head. Figure out how to get back in my groove. Okay?” He looked at Shadow, hoping it would be enough. Hoping he’d be let off the hook after that much honesty.
“What are you thinking about?” Shadow didn’t relent. His shadow fell over Sonic, seeming to fill the room. His voice was quieter but even more insistent. He had to know. He couldn’t bear this uncertainty, this lie, any longer.
“Nothin’!” Sonic waved a hand dismissively, his ears flattening. He looked away again, towards the fallen comic on the floor. “Just… stuff.”
“When you do think,” Shadow’s voice grew sharper, a metallic edge to it, “and that’s rare, apologies— it’s always something important!” Now they stood almost nose to nose. Sonic could feel the heat radiating from him, the tension like a drawn bowstring.
Thick, heavy silence hung between them.
“I’ll tell you when I’m ready. Okay?”
“Okay…” Shadow whispered, and in that word was surrender to the unknown, but also a tiny, fragile drop of hope. He didn’t look away, as if afraid that if he blinked, Sonic would vanish behind the door or in a cloud of dust once more.
The silence in the room wasn’t just thick; it was resonant. It hummed with the echo of unspoken words, the vibration of unresolved questions, the tremor of the promise hanging between them like a spiderweb. Outside the window, the lights of the evening city flickered on – yellow, white, red – reflecting in the glass and casting moving patterns on the walls. The two hedgehogs stood facing each other, separated by mere inches of air and a whole universe of unvoiced feelings, doubts, and expectations.
The city noise, the concert roar, the motorcycle’s bellow – it all seemed distant now, muffled by this new, fragile world of silence they had inadvertently created here, on the threshold of the room where the misunderstanding began. They stood, and time seemed to slow, holding its breath, waiting for the next move, the next word, the next spark that would either ignite a new conflict or… illuminate a path towards something new and unexplored in their eternal dance of rivalry and strange, inexplicable connection. And Shadow finally stepped back as Sonic closed the door behind him.