Archive of Our Own

The tiny hedgehog curled in the egg whimpered. He desperately pressed on the cool wall trapping him in. He let out a desperate wail. Suddenly, a small bundle of damp fur nuzzled his neck. He immediately calmed. He mumbled questionably. He could feel the little bundle of fur’s heartbeat and hear the emotions going through its head. She. That’s what it was. A she.

She curled into what little space was left in the egg. The little hedgehog continued to claw at the wall of the shell. He rested a few times but was always woken by the small creature clinging to his side. A bit of the shell broke away. A wash of cold came in, making both of them cry out. The hedgehog slowly pulled at the edges of the hole. He finally pulled himself out after long hours of working. It was even more cold outside than it was inside.

Rain fell and pattered on his fur. He couldn’t see anything. He mewled in confusion. The wet bundle of fur joined his desperate cries. She pulled him to sleep as she drifted off.

High above, Longclaw had heard him from a while off. She glided over the trees, trying to remember where the sound had come from. It sounded like two tiny voices joined together. She descended into the trees and landed in a mossy clearing. The tiny rustle of something sounded past the gentle roar of rain. She stepped toward a bank of ferns. A tiny mewl came from them. Then another.

Longclaw cocked her head in confusion. She lowered her head under the fronds. A small bundle of blue fur laid in the wet moss, the remnants of an egg laying around it.

“Oh, poor thing…” Longclaw murmured. She brushed back a few fern fronds. She lifted her head in shock. A small lump of brown and white fur clung to the tiny hedgehog’s side. It lifted its head and mewled at her and in turn, the tiny hedgehog did too. “Do you… is that…?” Longclaw slowly lowered her head again and brushed the brown and white fur with her beak.

The hedgehog and the bundle of fur cried out in fear and shock. Longclaw quickly pulled her head back. “Sorry, sorry, I just had to see, I’m sorry,” she said. She watched the pair breathe in tandem for a moment. “A daemon,” she breathed, “he has a daemon.”

She couldn’t remember the last time she met someone with a daemon. She knew there were few left with daemons. Mobians with them were slowly dying off.

“Where are your parents, little one?” she whispered softly. She stared at his egg for a long moment. Her heart cracked when she saw a smudge of dried blood on the shell. “Oh baby… I’m so sorry…” She gently lifted him off the cold ground, being sure not to touch his daemon. He wailed and struggled in her grasp. “No, shh shh, it’s okay, it’s okay, shh, I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

The ball of fur clinging to the hedgehog mewled at him, pressing into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his short stumpy arms around her. His movements were clumsy and uncoordinated. Longclaw held him by the scruff of his neck and lifted off the ground. All the while thinking to herself, Please don’t let his daemon fall, please please please.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tom stared at the blue thing in the dog kennel on his table. He held his hand over his mouth in hard thought. His brow furrowed when he saw a moth land on its chest. It touched its chin with its small antennae. He turned around, placing his hands on the counter to try and steady himself. He heard something small flit by his ear. He looked up and the moth had gotten out of the cage and was flying around his head. He slowly held up his hands to try and smack it out of the air.

“Donut Lord, no!!!”

Tom whipped around at the sound of a thump on the floor. The animal had somehow woken up and fell on the floor.

“Sonic!” Tom heard a tiny voice shriek. The moth flitted down and in a blur of motion, turned into a small ferret. The blue animal sat up, rubbing its forehead. Tom’s eyes widened as the ferret spoke. “Sonic, are you okay?” it asked quietly.

“Am I okay? I’m more worried about you. Are you hurt, did he touch you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m okay.”

They pressed against each other for a long moment. Tom watched, fully bewildered.

“What the hell is going on?” he breathed. Sonic looked up at him. His ears flattened. The ferret curled around his neck, warily watching the man. “What… is that thing?” Tom stared at the ferret.

“Well…” Sonic started slowly, “This is Kivana.” He drew his finger under the chin of the ferret. She leaned into his touch, still warily watching Tom.

“That doesn’t explain what you are, what that is, what you’re doing here, why it can talk, what-what is happening?” Tom ran his hand through his hair. Sonic stood up, his legs still shaky under him. Kivana stood halfway up his upper arm, her small claws digging into his fur. She glared up at Tom.

“You tried to hurt him,” she said. Tom’s brow furrowed.

“It was an accident,” he answered, still too shocked to react properly.

“But what if he had died?!” Kivana suddenly cried. Sonic felt her shaking. “If he dies, I die.”

“I must be having some weird dream,” Tom muttered.

“Donut Lord, let me explain-”

“Why do you keep calling me that?”

“Because you talk to donuts,” Sonic deadpanned.

“And you eat them if they get out of line,” Kivana added. Tom’s eyes flicked between the pair.

“Can I explain now?” Sonic asked. Tom slowly nodded. “Kivana… She's not my like, pet or anything.” She sent him an offended glare. “I had to make that clear!” Sonic cried. He huffed a breath before continuing. “She’s my daemon.”

“Demon? Like… evil?” Tom asked.

“No!” Sonic hugged her closer. “No, not that kind of demon. D-A-E-M-O-N. She’s like… a part of my soul.” The pair stared at each other for a moment. “If we get too far away from each other, it hurts. Physically. And when I get old enough, she’ll settle into a final form. Right now she can change. Her final form will represent something in me. Like a characteristic I have. She’s me, I’m her.” His eyes never left his daemon’s while he spoke.

The room filled with awkward silence. Loud whirring like a truck sounded from outside. Kivana flitted into a sparrow and landed on the windowsill. “They’re coming!” Sonic followed after her.

“No. No no no no no no no!” He yanked the curtains closed. “You have to hide us!” He stared up at Tom, his eyes wide and desperate.

“From who?”

“The government, obviously! They want Sonic’s power! And probably me too!” Kivana shook out her wings in a panic. Tom’s eyes flicked from the trucks outside to the pair.

“Fine.”

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic skidded across the concrete like a stone. He rolled to a stop, his breath pained and shallow. Kivana shakily got to her paws, currently in her leopard form.

“Sonic…?”

Her eyes quickly found his bruised and beaten form. She stumbled over to him.

“Sonic, come on, wake up, please, don’t-don’t die, I don’t w-wanna go yet,” she whispered, pressing her muzzle into his neck. His pulse was low and quiet, barely alive. Kivana collapsed, curling around him to try and protect him. Her ear flicked at a loud whirring coming from the still-open portal.

Robotnik’s plane drifted through the ring. “Poor thing,” he mocked across the street, “And his little pet is trying to protect him!” Kivana felt tears build in her eyes.

I couldn’t keep him safe.

Her vision blurred as she looked across the street to where the whole town seemed to be watching. Tom and Maddie stood there, their eyes glittering in fear and grief. They both ran over, crouching in front of the pair. His hand gently ran over a smudge of dirt on Sonic’s cheek. Guilt flared in Kivana’s gut. They would have loved him.

“I’m sorry,” she barely whispered, “I tried to p-protect him…”

“No, it’s okay, you-you tried. You tried so hard,” Maddie told her.

“B-but now we’re going to die-”

“Are you all finished with your pity party over there?!”

Robotnik had a wide, mocking smile on his face. “Are the little aliens dying? Oh too bad, I wanted to look through them while they were alive…” he whined. Tom glared up at him fiercely.

“Hes not just an alien,” he growled, standing up. “He’s one of the sweetest, and most fearless kids I’ve ever met.” Kivana’s ear flicked at the words.

“Y-you’re just-gonna let him call u-us sweet…?” she whispered to Sonic. Hope flared in her chest when his ear just barely flicked. “C-come on…”

“And-” Tom started again, “And he’s my friend.”

Kivana gasped as she was hit with a sudden blast of energy. Power coursed through her limbs. She stood up, just to find Sonic standing next to her. Her head reached his shoulder in this form. She glared up at Robotnik, who was gaping at the two of them. Sonic laid his paw on her head, feeling the link between them strengthen. Tom stared at them.

“I’ll leave you to him,” he breathed. Him and Maddie quickly padded off the road.

“Go with them,” Sonic whispered to his daemon.

“I’m staying.”

He knew she wouldn’t back down. He turned his attention back to the man in the plane. Dozens of lasers pointed at his face. Kivana’s claws scraped against the concrete beneath them. Sonic crouched, readying himself.

“You can do this,” Kivana whispered. Sonic nodded, his ears flattening to his head. He bolted forward in half a second, leaving behind a trail of energy.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic stood behind Tom in the guest bedroom of their house. They had convinced him to stay the night. Kivana stood on his shoulder in her ferret form again. She jumped to the floor, quickly changing into a cat. She stalked past Tom and hopped up onto the bed. Sonic’s chest clenched with anxiety.

“Kivana, come on, don't be rude, you can’t just… do that,” he stuttered nervously. He chewed on his knuckle.

“This is the softest thing I’ve ever felt,” she breathed. Sonic nervously stepped up to the bed, slipping his shoes off. He couldn’t shake Tom’s eyes off the back of his head. He pulled himself up onto the mattress. It sank beneath his weight. He let a small smile pull across his muzzle.

“I’ll leave you alone then,” Tom muttered awkwardly. Kivana nodded to him, but Sonic stayed silent. She watched the door for a long moment after it closed. Her ear flicked at a sniffle behind her. She glanced back just to find Sonic curling into himself. A pang of his sadness echoed in her chest.

“Sonic…?” She lightly brushed against him before stepping into his lap. “Hey… it’ll all be okay…”

“But it won’t! I ruined it! I ruined everything,” Sonic sobbed, a tear slipping down his face. “I messed everything up just so I could save myself…”

“Come on, that’s not true-”

“It is true! And you know it!”

Kivana stared up at him for a long moment. She wilted into her ferret form again. “I know,” she whispered, her own eyes filling, “It’s only a matter of time before they make us leave.” Sonic lifted her to his chest, sobbing into her fur.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I keep making you upset.”

“No, no it’s okay. It-it feels right…”

Sonic laid down, nearly curling into a ball. Kivana pressed into the curve of his stomach, making him wince. “Are you hurt?” Sonic didn’t answer as she nosed her way along his flank, making him wince more. “Your ribs don’t feel broken. I would know. I think they’re just bruised,” she murmured.

“I’m sorry,” Sonic whispered again. Kivana nuzzled his damp cheek.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

He hugged her close and she curled around his neck. “Even if it was your fault, I still love you. I’m stuck with you anyway,” she said softly in his ear. Sonic lifted his head, pressing his forehead to her smaller one.

“I love you too,” he murmured.

“Now, are you gonna go to sleep now? I know you’re tired.”

“Okay, okay, I will. I will.” Sonic nuzzled her soft fur. He laid his head down, letting himself drift off next to Kivana.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic stood in the bathroom, Maddie crouched in front of the tub. “You know I could just clean myself. You don’t have to draw a bath for me. I lived long enough on just grooming myself.” Sonic rubbed the back of his neck. Maddie glanced back at him.

“You groom? Like… with your tongue?” Sonic’s ears flicked back. He shared a glance with Kivana.

“Well, we didn’t exactly have a shower out in the woods…”

“Then I don’t have to bathe you myself if you want, you can do it. I’ll just fill it up for you, if that’s okay?”

Sonic nodded. “Yeah, yeah that’s fine.” Kivana sat on the toilet lid, currently formed as a white ermine. Her black-tipped tail flicked a bit as Sonic gently rubbed the back of her neck. He nearly winced as the water hit the bottom of the tub.

Sonic had never been real fond of water. The way it bit into his fur in the cold, the feeling of it weighing him down. Whenever it snowed there would be those awful slushy puddles that got his shoes soaked. He shivered. Kivana reassuringly nuzzled his thumb.

He and Maddie awkwardly sat there in silence, the only other sound being the tub filling. Kivana clambered up Sonic’s arm as a small gecko. She nestled into the crook of his neck. Maddie glanced in the tub and turned the water off.

“Alright, it’s all yours. You can use the soap in the corner to wash off,” she said, pointing to the bottle. Sonic nodded. Maddie left the room and closed the door behind her. Sonic reluctantly stared at the water. He hoped it wouldn’t be too cold. He slipped off his gloves and socks before nervously touching the water with his back paw.

He jumped back in shock. The water was hot.

“What? What is it?!” Kivana asked.

“The water’s warm!” Sonic squeaked.

“Warm?”

Sonic stepped into the tub, sloshing the water with his paws. Kivana flitted off his shoulder and landed on the wall of the bath as a moth. She turned into a ferret, peering into the water. Sonic sank down into the water, savoring the way it warmed his fur. Dirt swirled around him from his fur. He reached for the bottle of soap, sniffing the lid. It smelled perfumy and clean. He let Kivana smell it.

“You’re supposed to put that on you?” she asked. Sonic shrugged. He popped the lid open and found a little hole in it. He flipped over the bottle and poured a bit of soap into the water. Kivana leaned even further over the edge. Her paws slipped and she tumbled into the water with a yelp.

Sonic laughed as she climbed up to his knee. She shook out her silky fur and glared at him. “You think you’re so funny!” she retorted. Sonic picked her up and rested her around his neck. He poured water on himself. He squeezed a bit of shampoo onto his paw. Kivana slipped off his shoulder to stand in the water.

Sonic lathered the soap into her fur. “You should clean yourself first, I’ll be okay,” she told him. He shook his head. She had to admit it felt nice. He lifted her out of the water to gently scrub the dirt out. Kivana softly chirped as he rubbed her neck. “Thank you…” she breathed, “It feels nicer when you do it…” She closed her eyes, leaning her head on his fingers. Sonic set her in the water and rubbed the soap out of her fur.

“I think I love your ferret form the most,” he said softly.

“I do too.”

He scratched his finger under her chin before starting to scrub the dirt out of his own fur. Kivana became a snake and rang herself around Sonic’s neck. He laughed softly as her tongue flicked his nose. “Stop, I have to wash,” he giggled.

“Oh bother,” she hissed. Sonic took her off his neck and dropped her in the water. She floated on the surface, the water lapping at her nose. She sent him a playful glare. Sonic finished washing and drained the bath. He let Kivana wrap around his arm. He glanced around and saw a towel on the sink counter. He scrubbed the water out of his fur, Kivana staying on his shoulders.

He padded down the stairs and headed into the kitchen. Tom stood in the dining room, staring at the bullet holes in the walls. Guilt flared in Sonic’s stomach again. Kivana slipped off his arm and onto the counter separating the kitchen and dining room. Sonic stepped up to Tom’s side.

"We're really sorry about this, again,” he said. Tom nodded.

“It’s okay ki-ACK!” He jumped away from the counter. Kivana flinched. “Geez luiz you scared me,” Tom breathed. Both Sonic and Kivana burst out laughing.

“Do you have a thing with snakes?” Sonic asked.

“No,” Tom answered too quickly. Sonic picked her up, lifting her close to him.

“Ooooooo, so scaaaarryyyyyy,” he mocked. Kivana bared her fangs. She giggled.

“It’s not cute Sonic.” Just to rub it in his face, Sonic kissed her head. Tom fake gagged.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic stiffly sat in the side chair in Tom and Maddie’s living room. Kivana curled on his lap, enjoying the feeling of his fingers running through her soft ferret fur. “Sonic?” Him and his daemon looked towards the kitchen. Maddie stood in the doorway, becoming him over. He got up, Kivana flitting to his shoulder as a house finch.

“Yeah?” he asked, turning the corner. Maddie stood on a stool in front of the cabinets, one of the doors off.

“I need you to hold these screws, okay?”

Sonic cupped his gloved paws to hold them. Kivana jumped to the kitchen island, settling down as a ferret again. She laid her head on his paws, watching them interact. She could feel Sonic’s anxiety crawling under her own fur. Sonic nearly shook as he held up a screw.

Maddie held the cabinet door up, putting the screws back into their places. “Why’d you take it off?” Sonic asked nervously.

“It was all squeaky and crooked,” she answered without looking down at him. She motioned for another screw. Sonic got on his toes for her to reach it. He shot a glance over at Kivana, who was quietly snickering at him. He stuck his tongue out at her, which she then answered in turn.

“Shortie,” she giggled under her breath.

“You’re really lucky I have to keep you,” Sonic hissed. He couldn’t help himself from giggling a bit. Maddie got down as she finished screwing the door in.

“Well, there it goes,” she sighed. Sonic watched as she opened and closed it a few times. “I’ve been wanting to do that for awhile,” she said, glancing down at Sonic.  Her hand moved without much thought to pet Kivana’s slinky body. Both her and Sonic jumped with a loud yelp as soon as her hand touched her fur. “What?! What?” Maddie asked, lifting her hands up.

Sonic quickly grabbed Kivana off the counter, holding her under his chin. He sent a scared look up at Maddie.

“Hey, what did I do?” she asked softly.

Sonic only tightened his hold on his daemon, pressing his nose to her fur. “Don’t-” he took a shaky breath, “Don’t. Touch her. She-she’s mine, you can’t just-” Kivana’s tail flick his wrist. Sonic pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “Would-would you want anyone touching your soul…?” he asked timidly.

Maddie crouched in front of him. “No. No, I probably wouldn’t.” She watched the pair of them breathe in tandem. “What… did it feel like? When I touched her.” Sonic glanced down at Kivana.

“Ice,” he answered, “It felt like I was dumped in the creek in the middle of winter…” Kivana gently licked the edge of his chin.

“That felt so… wrong…” she whispered.

“I know, I know it did,” Sonic murmured back.

“I’m-I’m sorry,” Maddie said quietly. Sonic took a step away from her.

“You didn’t know,” he whispered. He backed away from her before turning and heading up the stairs. He stopped at the top, leaning against the wall. “She didn’t know. It’s okay! It wasn’t on purpose, she didn’t know. She-she didn’t-” Kivana pressed her face into his neck.

“It doesn’t change anything,” she whispered shakily. Sonic sank to the floor, his back to the wall. Kivana melted into an arctic fox, curling close to his chest. Sonic breathed into her thick fur. He kissed her muzzle gently over and over. She responded with small licks to his chin.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic padded across the parking lot with Tom by his side. Kivana kept close, weaving between his legs in her cat form. Her gray fur brushed his blue. They got closer to the hardware store. Tom patted Sonic’s head. “Are you gonna be okay in here?” Sonic nodded.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. It’s just a store! Right, we’ll be fine?” He glanced down at Kivana, who nodded in answer. Sonic glanced around the whole building, torn between being nervous and excited to be going inside a store. He lifted Kivana in his arms as they stepped through the door. They had only gone a few feet when the check out person got their attention.

“Hey!” she yelled at them, “No pets in the store!” Sonic looked over at her, wondering if she was talking about him. Tom thought the same thing.

“He’s-um-he’s with me,” he said.

“I’m talking about the cat,” the person answered aggravatedly.

Sonic’s eyes widened. “She won’t do anything!” he said desperately.

“Sorry, a policy’s a policy.”

Sonic wilted a bit. He moved back towards the door and set Kivana outside. “You can’t leave me and you know it,” she hissed quietly.

“I have to try, you can’t come in,” he whispered back. He pressed his forehead to hers for a moment. “Keep safe.” He stood up and forced himself to turn around. Sonic brushed Tom’s side.

“Are you gonna be okay without her?” he asked.

“Yeah, yeah I’ll be fine. She’ll be okay,” Sonic answered. Kivana stared longingly after him, slightly shaking her head. Sonic padded further and further away. A hard ball started to form in his chest. It pressed on his lungs, making it hard to breathe. Sonic took another step, and a sharp spike of pain speared through his chest. He stumbled, nearly losing his balance.

“Sonic?” Tom asked when he realized he was trailing behind him. He glanced around but no one was around. Sonic tried to take another step but he dropped to his knees. He clutched at the fur on his chest, taking heavy, ragged breaths. “Sonic, what’s happening, what’s wrong?” Tom asked urgently, crouching in front of him. He looked up when he heard a loud agonized wail.

Kivana stumbled on her paws, her fur fluffed out to twice her size.

“It-it hurts-” Sonic stuttered, “P-please-”

Kivana nearly seemed to hear his desperate plea. She stumbled through the automatic doors, scurrying across the floor before the checkout person saw her. “S-sonic,” she croaked. She changed into a leopard, pressing her whole side into Sonic’s keeled over form. They both gasped as soon as they touched. The weight in their chests suddenly disappeared. Sonic rang his arms around her neck. She nuzzled his shoulder.

“I told you you can’t do that,” she whispered shakily.

“I’m sorry.”

She drew her rough tongue over his face. “You-you better be…” Tom gently patted Sonic’s head.

“All better kid?”

Sonic nodded. “You’ll have to be something smaller,” he said to Kivana. She quickly shrank into a small moth, flitting to Sonic’s shoulder. He let her small antennae tickle his nose for a second. “I’m okay now,” he said to Tom.

“Good,” he answered with a small smile. Sonic followed him down the aisle, feeling much better than he had a moment ago.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic quietly padded along the familiar path in the woods. Kivana trotted at his side as a ferret. They both breathed in the cool air of the forest. Kivana jumped up and glided over his head as a bird for a few minutes. He sensed she saw something. She flew down and landed on his shoulder.

“There’s someone coming,” she whispered.

“It’ll be fine! People know we exist now, we can walk past ‘em.”

She gave him an uneasy glance before hunkering down on his shoulder as a ferret again. Sonic narrowed his eyes at a few shapes through the undergrowth. Three boys walked along the path, talking lazily. One of them looked up and saw him. He elbowed the other two, who also saw him. Panic started to flutter in Sonic’s chest like a scared bird. Kivana pressed against his neck, her fur bristling.

Sonic lowered his head and flattened his ears in hope that they would leave him alone.

“Hey you!”

Sonic froze, his heart pounding in his chest. Kivana whimpered. “It’s gonna be okay, shh, it’ll be fine, just stay where you are,” he whispered to her. The three boys walked up to him.

“Aren’t you the one that messed up main street last month?” the one in the middle asked. His thick brown hair was combed over. Sonic forced himself to stand taller. Before he could say anything, the boy on the left spoke.

“Why do you have your pet out here?” He pointed to Kivana.

“Oh, she’s not-” She dug her claws into Sonic’s fur as a warning. “She’s not… going to run away or anything.”

“Why do you have a ferret anyway?” the one on the right asked.

“We-uh-we’re kinda a package deal,” Sonic laughed nervously. The boy in the middle narrowed his eyes.

“You didn’t steal it, did you?”

“What? No! Of course not! Why’d you think that?”

“Because you’ve committed alot of crimes before.”

The other two boys spread out around him. Kivana bared her small teeth. Sonic felt even smaller than he had before.

“You broke the window to my dad’s store. That cost alot of money, you know that?”

“No-no I’m sorry, I didn’t know that, I was just trying to stop-”

Sonic yelped as the two other boys grabbed his arms. He grunted as he tried to yank away from them. “Let me go!” Kivana hissed on his shoulder. “It’s just a broken window, it’s not a big deal!”

“I’m not mad about the window, I’m mad they just let you stay here without any consequences,” the boy with the brown hair said.

“It wasn’t even my fault!” He growled deep in his throat. The boy quickly reached out and grabbed Kivana off Sonic’s shoulder. “No-!” She hissed and spit and his hand closed around her neck. Sonic shuddered, his energy sapping as Kivana stayed in his hands. It felt like ice was being dumped down his back. His chest filled with horrible anger and longing and disgust.

Kivana twisted angrily, but her fight was quickly weakening. “Poor thing. Is your pet too tired?” the boy asked. Sonic slumped between the other two.

“L-let her go…” he panted shakily. The kid pulled a flip switch out of his pocket and set the blade against Kivana’s throat. Sonic gasped. She weakly reached out for him.

“What would happen if I killed her right now?”

“I would-I-I would-”

Kivana sent him a desperate, watery look. “Sonic…” She twisted as the sharp cut through her fur and into her shoulder. Both her and Sonic yowled in pain.

“Please, stop, it hurts!” Sonic yelled. Tears built in his eyes. All of them stopped in confusion.

“Why is he acting weird?” one of the boys holding his arm asked.

“Freak,” the other one hissed in his ear. Sonic flinched, closing his eyes.

“Give her back, please, I’ll leave you alone, just give her back…” The two boys were holding him up at this point. Panic fluttered in Kivana’s chest. She hissed, clawing her way out of the kid’s grasp.

“Let go of me!” she yowled. The kid dropped her with a yelp. She quickly formed into a large snake, lifting her head and hissing at the boy. He dropped the knife to the dirt. Kivana whipped around and hissed at the other boys. They let go of Sonic and he fell. She grew bigger and became a leopard. She stepped over Sonic and hissed at the kids. The gash on her shoulder dripped a bit. Her tail flicked in agitation.

“Get out of here. Leave,” she growled. The kids all looked at each other for a second before running away.

“Freaks!” one of the boys yelled.

 “Cowards!!!” Kivana roared back. She looked down at Sonic. She dropped to her belly and gently nuzzled him. “Are you okay, did they hurt you?”

“They-they hurt you… it hurts…” he murmured.

“Shh, it’s okay, we’re okay now.”

Sonic shakily sat upright and gingerly touched his arm. “Here, let me help you clean that,” he said quietly. He licked away the blood from the gash in her shoulder, slowly calming as she gently lapped at his ear. She changed into a snake and reassuringly wrapped around his neck. Kivana pressed her forehead against his cheek. “They took you from me,” Sonic whispered.

“I know they did, and it hurt, I know.” Sonic cupped her chin in his paw, pressing his muzzle to her face. He glanced around and saw a bank of ferns. He slipped underneath them, curling to make himself small. Kivana turned into a wolf this time and pressed against his side. Sonic nestled into the curve of her belly.

“I love you,” she whispered softly into his ear.

“I love you too,” he answered. Tears leaked over the bridge of his nose as they laid there together. The sun slowly fell out of the sky. It was just slipping over the horizon when Sonic heard his name being called. His heart thundered in his chest. “Don’t let them find me again,” he whispered.

Kivana growled in his ear as footsteps sounded along the dirt path. “Sonic! Where are you?!” He recognized the voice. Kivana lifted her head out of the ferns. Tom jumped.

“We’re right here,” she said quietly. Tom came a little closer. He crouched and lifted a few fern fronds. Sonic stared at him, his eyes wide and wet. His fur was clogged with dirt.

“Oh buddy… what happened…?”

“They took Kivana from me…” Sonic whispered, “And they called us freaks.”

“Come on, come here,” Tom said softly.

Sonic crawled out from under the ferns and into Tom’s arms. He sobbed, still holding his shoulder. “You’re okay now, it’s okay.” Tom softly stroked the fur between his ears. “Are you hurt?”

“Kivana is,” he explained, “I can feel it.” She limped out of the ferns. She lowered her head and let him hug her neck. “I should have listened to you.”

“It’s all okay, it’s not your fault,” she whispered.

“Come on, let’s head home.” Tom pulled Sonic to his paws. He brushed a bit of the dirt out of his fur. Kivana leaned against his shoulder as they walked back to the house, Sonic’s paw tangled with Tom’s.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic had settled himself comfortably in between Tom and Maddie on the couch. The Tv was playing something but he was already half asleep. Kivana leaned against his stomach, her soft breathing slightly ruffling his fur. Sonic yawned, leaning his head on Tom’s arm. Kivana lifted her head before sliding her slinky ferret body out of Sonic’s grasp. He watched her as she nervously stepped onto Tom’s lap. Tom sent him an alarmed glance.

“It’s okay,” Sonic said. He let his eyes close. Tom watched nervously as Kivana pressed her head into his stomach. Maddie had told him how he shouldn’t touch her. He hesitantly brushed her back with his hand. He felt Sonic shudder against his side. He quickly lifted his hand.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No-no… I liked that…” Sonic murmured. Kivana pressed her head into Tom’s open palm. Comfortable warmth spread along Sonic’s side. Tom gently petted her fur. Both her and Sonic let out a breath. Tom carefully picked her up off his lap and held her to his chest. He could only think of how much Sonic must trust him to hold her. His soul.

Kivana nuzzled into his warm hands. She pressed into his chest, hearing his steady heartbeat. She climbed up and curled around his neck. Tom scratched under her chin with his finger. “Sweet,” he murmured under his breath.

“Am not,” she retorted. Tom felt Sonic drift off next to him, and soon Kivana followed after. Tom gently lifted her off his neck to hold her in his hands. She shifted, nuzzling his thumb.

“She really is sweet,” he said quietly.

“Can I?” Maddie asked, holding out her hands. Tom carefully passed her over. Sonic’s face twisted for a moment at the transition. Maddie gently stroked the fur between Kivana’s ears. Her eye peeked open a bit. She slipped off Maddie’s hand and into her lap. She laid her head down, letting out a series of quiet chirps. Maddie smiled down at her, her gaze flicking from her to Sonic’s sleeping form.

“They’re the same,” she whispered. Tom looked at her. “Sonic is Kivana. Kivana is Sonic.” They sat there for a moment. Sonic stretched out in his sleep.

“We better get him to bed,” Tom said quietly. He carefully hoisted Sonic into his arms. Maddie carried Kivana in the crook of her elbow. They settled Sonic into bed. Maddie set her down next to him. Sonic subconsciously pulled her closer. She curled around his neck, sleepily grasping at his fur.

“They’re so dear to me,” Maddie laughed softly. She leaned her head on Tom’s shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her hip.

“Yeah. Me too.”

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic grunted as he pulled himself off the floor of the temple. He glared at Knuckles, who was standing across the large space. His daemon, a large black wolf named Decani, stood at his side, her lips pulled into a snarl. Sonic wiped his fist under his nose, a bit of blood smudging on it.

“I’m-I’m not done yet,” he muttered. He readied himself to blast forward again.

His heart suddenly clenched, ice seeming to pour down his back. He yelped, dropping to his knees in shock. Knuckles lifted his head in confusion. He gave Decani a confused glance. Sonic glanced around him.

No.

Robotnik stood at the foot of the stairs to the master emerald, a manic smile on his face. Kivana in her cat form dangled from his closed fist around her neck, his other hand barely holding her weight. She desperately clawed at the air.

“D-don’t touch her!” Sonic cried weakly. He stumbled to his feet.

Robotnik laughed. “These things are nothing but a weakness,” he mocked, shaking her in his fist. Sonic gasped.

“Sonic!” Kivana cried, “H-help me, please! Let me go! L-let-”

“Don’t be so upset!” Robontik said, training his fingers up and down her back. Sonic shuddered at the feeling, curling into himself. “Well what are you doing?” Robotnik asked Knuckles, “Go end the horrible thing.”

Knuckles narrowed his eyes at the hedgehog. “Please,” Sonic whispered, “Let her go…” The echidna turned his head towards Robotnik again.

“What are you deaf? Oh wait, you’re dense. Kill him,” Robotnik said, pointing at Sonic.

“No.”

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Let the daemon go.”

Robotnik furrowed his brow. “Why? He’s weak, it’ll be easy to fight him.”

“You never touch anyone’s daemon.” Knuckles glared at the man, rubbing the bristling fur on Decani’s neck. “It’s not right.”

Robotnik scoffed. “You come any closer, I’ll kill her,” he growled, “But if you let me take the emerald, no one gets hurt.” Sonic and Knuckles were frozen as Robotnik backed up the stairs. Pain stabbed at Sonic’s chest from the distance. Robotnik reached the top platform. “Now you go run back to your owner, okay?” he mocked, scratching under her chin too hard. Sonic cried out far beneath them.

Kivana gasped as Robotnik dropped her to the ground. She laid there for a moment, trying to get her breath back. The big painful spike in her chest compressed on her lungs. Robotnik kicked her off the platform, sending her rolling down a few stairs.

“Kivana!!!” Sonic screamed. He strained to get to his feet but stumbled. Robotnik watched the whole thing with amusement. Kivana slowly pulled herself to her paws. She fell a few times down the crumbling stone steps. She made it to the floor after what felt like forever.

“Sonic… I’m-I’m almost-” Kivana fell and didn’t get back up again. The pain in their chests and the feeling of ice clinging to their fur was unbearable. Robotnik laughed when she didn’t get up.

“Oh boo hoo.”

Decani trotted from Knuckles’ side over to Kivana. She stood over her, and their eyes met. “S-sonic…” she croaked, “He-he’s so far… help me…” Decani leaned down and took her scruff between her teeth. “What… what’s happening…?” Decani padded closer to Sonic, who had fallen limp on the floor. He slowly looked up as they got closer.

“K-kivana…?” he asked hoarsely.

Decani stopped in front of him, gently setting his daemon down. “Sonic,” she said under her breath. “Not the enemy…” She turned her head to glare at Robotnik, who was goggling over the emerald.

Kivana pulled herself across the short distance between her and Sonic. She collapsed in his arms with a gasp. Sonic held her close to his chest, breathing into her fur. “M-my girl, Kivana, my soul… never again, n-never never never.” He pressed a million kisses to her forehead. Tears welled in both their eyes with relief. He only looked up when loud roaring sounded up above.

Robotnik disappeared in a haze of green. The temple suddenly started crumbling around them. Sonic jumped to his feet. Kivana brushed under his chin in his arms. “What do we do?” she squeaked.

“We get out of here,” Sonic growled.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic’s eyes fluttered open two weeks after the fight with Robotnik. Kivana had fallen asleep against his chest as a brown fox, but now she was a ferret again. It felt different this time. More solid. She yawned, her eyes fluttering open. She felt it too.

“Something’s different,” she muttered. Sonic sat up to look around the room. Kivana looked herself over. “I didn’t turn to a ferret last night,” she said. Sonic gently scratched the back of her neck. “You don’t think-no, it can’t be. Not yet…”

“What are you thinking?” Sonic asked. Kivana’s eyes widened.

“A dream. I had a dream,” she said.

“What dream?”

Kivana looked up at him. “Longclaw was there. She-she asked me to look after you. I’m supposed to protect and guide you. That’s what daemons are for.”

“Longclaw was there…?” Sonic asked shakily. Kivana climbed up his chest to press her head to his nose. “Mama saw you and not me?”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“But what happened?”

Kivana smiled. “Can’t you tell?” Sonic stared at her for a long second. He gasped, his face cracking with a smile. She giggled.

“Is it true? Do you really-is this real?” Sonic asked. She nodded. Sonic let out loud, delighted laughter. He pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re beautiful!” he exclaimed. He stroked her white and brown fur. “You’re really beautiful…” She chirped happily against his affection. He jumped out of bed, Kivana in his arms. Sonic ran down the stairs.

“Dad! Dad!” he exclaimed, running at Tom in the kitchen.

“What? What is it?” he asked nervously.

“Look! Look at her!” he cried excitedly, holding Kivana in his paws. She looked down as her long body dangled from his paws. She kicked her legs a bit.

“Sonic, you’re holding me all wrong,” she whined. He laughed, pressing his nose in her fur.

“That’s just Kivana, what’s so special about that?” Tom asked.

“She settled!” Sonic exclaimed, "She's a ferret! This is what she’ll be for the rest of my life!”

“Really? Cool, that’s cool, that’s great!” Sonic set Kivana on the counter so he could hug Tom. “You’re really excited about this, aren’t you?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I’ve been waiting for this forever!”

Tom rubbed the fur on his back for another moment. He turned towards Sonic’s daemon. “Kivana,” he breathed. She leaned into him as he rubbed under her chin. “My sweet girl.” Her short ears pricked. “I’m sorry I never said it earlier. I guess I just never thought of you as your own person. I still thought you were just Sonic’s little animal. I know that’s not right, and I’m sorry. You’re both one. I get that now.”

Kivana’s heart swelled in her throat. She’d been waiting to hear that. Sonic knew she’d been waiting but she usually kept quiet about things. “Thank you,” she whispered. Tom pressed a small kiss to the top of her head. She giggled a bit. Sonic pulled her off the counter into his arms.

“You’re my girl too,” he murmured into her fur.

“And you’re my boy,” Kivana answered.

“Can you look up what ferrets represent? I wanna know,” Sonic asked Tom.

“Yeah, come look.” Tom typed on his phone, pulling up something. Sonic and Kivana looked over his shoulder. “Playfulness, curiosity,  resilience, and perseverance. Pretty accurate if you asked me,” he said. Sonic’s heart seemed to swell in his chest. Kivana bumped her head into his chin.

“You’re perfect,” he said quietly, kissing the top of her muzzle. “Where’s Tails?”

“Doing something in the back, I think,” Tom answered. Kivana jumped down, skittering towards the back door.

“Hey, wait up!” Sonic followed after her out the door. He found Tails sitting on the stairs with Lupin, his daemon, perched on his shoulder. Her black feathers glinted in the light. Kivana crouched behind them before jumping and tackling her. Tails jolted in surprise. Lupin shifted into a white ermine, scuffling with Kivana in the grass.

“Why do you have to do that?” Tails asked. Sonic laughed.

“I’m just excited!” Kivana grunted, “Hey-Lupin!? Why, are you bitin-ow! Your teeth hurt cuz’ they’re smaller-ow!”

“Lupin, get off!” Tails yelled, hopping down the steps to separate them. He pulled her off Kivana, tucking her under his chin. “You can’t bite her, she wasn’t trying to hurt you,” he scolded.

“She attacked me first! She can’t just do that! Let me at her!” Lupin squirmed in Tails’ paws. He shushed her quietly, pressing his nose to her cheek.

Kivana skittered back to Sonic and climbed up to his shoulder. She licked at a small bite mark on her shoulder. “Sorry about that,” Tails said, “She’s a bit feisty when you pick a fight with her.” Lupin bared her teeth at them.

“Nah, that’s fine,” Sonic waved him off.

“There were a few other daemons where we grew up,” Lupin hissed. Her white fur bristled. “They were all bigger and meaner because Tails wasn’t able to eat much. I had to fight alot of them.” Her tail tucked between her legs. “They didn’t fight fair so neither could I.” Tails pressed the side of his muzzle to her head.

“I’m sorry,” Kivana murmured, “I didn’t know.” Lupin shrugged. The air went quiet. “I settled,” she broke the awkward silence. The air seemed to immediately lose weight.

“You did!?” Lupin cried happily. She hopped down, Kivana quickly following. Lupin nosed all along her flank before snuffling at her chin. “You look great!” Kivana laughed, resting her head on the top of the other. Tails stepped closer to Sonic.

“She does look great,” he said. His tails drooped. Sonic cocked his brow in a question. “I wonder what Lupin’ll settle as.” He rubbed his palm with his thumb. “I hope it’s not deformed like I am. She doesn’t deserve that.”

“You’re not deformed. Your extra tail is a bonus if anything.” Tails’ ears pricked. He glanced down as Kivana padded up to his feet. She chirped in agreement. He crouched down, extending his open palm.

Kivana briefly touched her nose to the tip of his finger. She backed away and pressed her side to Sonic’s ankle. Lupin shifted into a crow again, flitting up to Tails’ shoulder. “I’m happy for you,” Tails said. Kivana’s tail swayed happily.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic stepped through the ring portal onto the roof, fury coursing and twisting and whipping his insides. Kivana stepped up next to him, a growl sounding deep in her chest. She felt his slight prick of confusion when Wade turned around in a hockey uniform, the emerald in his hand. He barely got a greeting out before Sonic snarled.

“I’m here for the emerald.”

Kivana hissed at his feet.

“I’m sorry, I can’t give you this, I promised to protect it with my life-” Sonic snatched it out of Wade’s hand. “Well I tried.”

“Come on, let’s go,” Kivana said to him. Sonic didn’t look down at her. “Sonic? Come on, I’m coming with you.” He let a huff out of his nose. The emerald glowed in his paw. It separated into the seven emeralds and spun toward his chest. His fur exploded with gold. “No! You’re not leaving me down here! No! Take me with you!”

Sonic met her eyes for less than a second. He didn’t say a word. He shot into the air in a blur of gold.

“Sonic!!!” Kivana screamed after him. “Please, please, don’t leave me here, I know you can go like this but please, I don’t want you to leave me, come back, please…” Her knees failed underneath her and she collapsed. “Sonic… please…” She knew he could be far away when he went super, she knew that. The only teller of the distance was a slight twinge in her heart. Why did he leave her?

Tears leaked down her muzzle. Wade crouched next to her and tried to pet her. She hissed, dodging out from under his hand. Her back arched angrily. He backed off. Kivana stalked toward the back ladder to the ground. She made her way down to the street, slowly padding along the sidewalk with her head down. She winced when she felt Sonic’s body getting battered.

Kivana limped along the street back home. Several people turned and stared at her. One person crouched in front of her and she snarled. “Don’t touch me,” she growled. She kept walking out of downtown and into the wooded area of the street. She yelped quietly at a blast of pain in her front. She looked up and gasped.

The giant laser had shot up in the sky, but something was stopping it. It slowly turned away from earth. She stood frozen on the side of the road. “Sonic…?” she breathed. That would explain the blasting heat on her front. Was he alone? Is he okay? Is he hurt? What happened? She tried to conjure up Sonic’s fury at Shadow, but found none.

Did he forgive him?

The feeling of the fiery blast suddenly stopped. She kept staring up at the ship. She yelped as it suddenly exploded. Her body felt like it fell from thousands of feet in the air.

“Sonic? No no no no no,” she whispered. Kivana waited a moment. He wasn’t dead. Fury boiled up out of her chest despite the fact. “You think you can just scare me like that?!” she screamed up at the sky, “I don’t need you! We can just separate, I won’t care! I won’t care! Do you hear me?! I won’t care! And I hate you! I hate the way you hold me, and the way you always know something’s wrong! I hate you! I can’t explain how much I hate you! I hate you!!!”

Kivana screamed her anger at the sky in her small voice. She hoped Sonic could hear her. She hoped and prayed with all of her little daemon heart that he would leave and never come back. Her voice trailed off, leaving her chest heaving in anger. She whipped around back up the road.

Kivana slowly made her way home. She circled around the house and through Ozzie’s dog door. She stood inside for a moment and breathed in the house. She collapsed.

Kivana screamed into her paws, her anger and frustration and betrayal pouring out of her. Ozzie turned the corner and snuffled her fur. She lifted her head, her fur crusted in salt. “Oh Ozzie, my poor boy…” He licked her face. “Thank you.” She shakily got to her paws and leaned against Ozzie’s leg. Her whole body felt like one big bruise.

Stupid Sonic, gone and got himself hurt. Of course I have to feel it, I didn’t even do anything. I hate him.

“Sonic left me all alone,” Kivana whispered. She padded next to Ozzie into the living room where he laid on the floor. She settled into the curve of his belly, his soft fur keeping her warm. Exhaustion pulled down on her like water. Kivana drifted off into a restless sleep.

That’s how her days went for the next week. Only the neighbor came to the house to feed Ozzie, and she hid whenever they came over. Why hasn’t anyone come home yet? Where are they? Are they safe? Why hasn’t her connection with Sonic hurt with distance yet?

Kivana spent most of her time laying around and asking these questions. She buried herself in Sonic’s bed, smelling his scent and crying. She could feel his quiet frustration at her feelings. Shut up. Shut up shut up shut up! I hate you, I hate that I miss your stupid face, I hate you!!!

Kivana was drowsing under his bed when she heard the front door open. She expected the neighbors.

“Kivana?!”

She lifted her head. “Sonic…?” She scrambled out from under the bed and down the stairs. She froze in the middle of the main hallway. Sonic stood in the doorway. Kivana’s heart pounded in her chest.

“Kivana…” he breathed. She glared at him. Her body instinctively pulled to him. She dug her claws in the ground, stepping back. “Kivana?” She bolted away from him, running back up the stairs. She heard him run after her. “Wait! Let me talk to you, please!”

Kivana crammed herself into the corner of the attic, curling into a tiny ball. She trembled and shook as he came closer. It was nearly too much, way too much.

“My sweet girl, come on, I’m sorry, it’s okay,” Sonic said softly. Kivana snarled, her muzzle twisted in fury. “Kivana…?”

She stared at him for a long moment, her gaze icy.

“I hate you.”

Sonic stopped short. He drew back a bit, his heart tearing in two. His eyes drifted out of focus. Kivana crept around him, scrambling down the stairs. Knuckles stood in the doorway next to Decani, who was slowly looking around the hallway. Maddie had helped Tom go and rest in bed, despite his protests. Kivana skittered down the hallway and pressed herself into Decani’s soft belly fur. She hiccuped and sobbed underneath her, making herself as small as possible.

“Shh, it’s okay, what’s wrong, are you hurt?” Decani said softly down to her. Kivana pressed against her leg, tears slowly dripping down her muzzle. She let Decani lick her salt-crusted face.

“I hate him,” she whispered. Decani shared a glance with Knuckles. He padded up to Tails, who was leaning against the dinner table.

“Could you go check on the hedgehog?” he asked. Tails’ ear flopped over.

“Why, what’s up?”

“His daemon keeps saying she hates him.”

Lupin nuzzled Tails’ neck at his words. He gently kissed her forehead. “Yeah, yeah I’ll go check on him.”

He left the three alone and headed up the stairs. When he poked his head into the attic, Sonic was facing away from him, sitting on his knees. His ear twisted as the door creaked. He quickly wiped his face, turning back toward his younger brother.

“Tails, hi. I didn’t know you were… um…” Tails padded up next to him and sat down. He leaned against his shoulder. Sonic sniffled, still able to feel Kivana’s true, raw hatred like fire on his back. “She hates me,” he whispered. Lupin settled down in Tails’ lap as a small weasel, wanting to comfort him but knowing she couldn’t.

“She’s just upset,” Tails said softly, “Just give her time.”

“There’s been time,” Sonic nearly sobbed. “I missed her so much, and now she hates me.”

“Sonic, you left your soul and didn’t come back for an entire week. Wouldn’t you be angry if she did that to you?” Sonic hesitated for a moment. He nodded slightly.

“I still miss her. I miss her so much, Tails…”

Tails rubbed his lower back. He couldn’t imagine Lupin hating him like that. She nuzzled her head into his free paw. “It’ll all be okay. She’ll come back.”

Sonic sniffled again, wiping his paw under his nose. “Okay. Okay, yeah. She’ll-she’ll come back. She will.”

---------------------------------------------------------

It took an entire week. And it was the longest and loneliest week that Sonic ever went through. Even when he was alone out in the woods, he always had her.

Kivana.

She kept far away from him the whole time. Sonic spent most of his time around Tom anyway. One day as he turned the corner into the living room, his eyes immediately flashed to Kivana cuddled up on Tom’s neck. No wonder he was feeling so calm and comfortable. Tom’s eyes quickly flashed from him to his daemon curled close. She quickly lifted her head to stare at him.

Kivana huffed a breath out of her nose. She clambered down Tom’s good arm and stalked past him, her tail held high. Sonic’s fists clenched in frustration and longing. He padded over and settled next to Tom.

“Why won’t she talk to me?” he asked quietly. Tom wrapped his arm around his shoulders. He wished he could understand what it felt like.

“Well… you stayed with me the whole time at the hospital, right?” Sonic nodded. “And you left her here?”

“I did, but I thought she would understand. I had to protect you.”

“You couldn’t even leave for a few hours to see her?”

Sonic didn’t answer that one. He fidgeted with the cuff of his glove. “I miss her. I wish she’d come back,” he whispered hoarsely. “It’s lonely.”

“You always got me here,” Tom said to him.

“I know, but it’s not the same,” he murmured. Tom gently kissed right behind his ear. Sonic longingly watched the hallway where Kivana disappeared.

That night he was asleep. Kivana’s paws dragged as she tried to fight off his sleep. She hesitantly jumped onto his mattress. She gingerly snuffled at his muzzle. Kivana jumped back as his face twitched. Her heart begged her to touch him, if only for a moment. No. Sonic abandoned her. He didn’t deserve it if he didn’t care. She felt her heart wrench as she hopped off the bed and curled into the curve of Decani’s belly.

It was only a few days after that when her heart ached like crazy. Her chest felt heavy and sore. It’s nothing, it’s really nothing, she told herself. She stared at Sonic across the room from her. She could tell he felt it too. His shoulders were drawn tight. She narrowed her eyes in determination and padded across the room, flicking her tail to get Sonic’s attention. He stared at her as she trotted across the room and into the hallway.

Sonic followed her down the hallway and up the stairs into the attic. Kivana stood there, facing away from him.

“Kivana…?” he asked quietly. She shook her head.

“You left me,” she whispered. Sonic crouched, sitting on the floor.

“I did, didn’t I?”

Kivana whipped around, her face drawn into a snarl. “You did.” She took a step towards him, and his heart thrilled. “I never thought you would come back. I thought you died.”

Guilt curled in Sonic’s gut. “I know you did.”

“You were hurt. Bad.” Sonic nodded. “And-and I missed you. Alot.” She took another step. “I would just lay in your bed and cry sometimes. You were frustrated that I was so upset. But-but you left me. You didn’t say anything and you just left.”

“I know, I know,” he answered. “I’m so sorry. So so sorry.” Tears built in both of their eyes.

Kivana’s legs shook under her. She stumbled forward. “Sonic…” She suddenly ran at him and jumped into his chest. Sonic hugged her close, breathing into her fur.

“Kivana,” he sobbed, “Oh Kivana, I missed you, I missed you so much…”

“I know, I know, I did too, I missed you too,” she breathed.

“Never again, I’ll never leave you again, never never never.”

They breathed in each other’s familiar scent. Kivana nuzzled under his chin, relishing the familiar feeling. She gently nipped at the edge of his jaw. Sonic pressed a light kiss to her muzzle before repeating the motion all along her neck. She chirped quietly deep in her throat, the sound coming out as a purr.

“I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you too,” she answered, nuzzling closer into the crook of his neck.

---------------------------------------------------------

Sonic sat with Shadow on the back porch, moonlight gently shining on the wooden planks. Kivana laid on Sonic’s lap, half asleep. Shadow didn’t have a daemon. His amber eyes watched Kivana breathe. His chest felt hollow. Ever since he fell back to Earth, he felt as if he’d been missing something.

Sonic looked up at the sound of someone stepping on a stick came from the woods. Shadow stiffened. He heard a quiet, high-pitched grunt. A cat stumbled through the bushes lining the yard. Shadow’s heart swelled as their eyes met. Its eyes were bright blue, its fur a beautiful gold color. Her eyes lit with recognition. He felt another thrill when she took a step closer. Sonic’s eyes flicked from him to her.

“I found you,” she whispered. Her voice was quiet and soft. Shadow’s body seemed to gravitate toward her. She took another soft step. Her long fur was crusted with dirt and twigs. “I’ve-I’ve been looking for you. For weeks.” Her voice cracked. Shadow’s chest clenched. “I always knew you were out there. I never gave up trying to find you.” She searched his face for anything. “Weren’t you looking for me?”

Shadow nervously glanced over at Sonic. “Go up to her,” Kivana encouraged quietly. Sonic nodded. Shadow looked back over to the cat, who had seemingly shrunk into herself. He quietly stepped down the stairs, padding across the grass. He crouched a bit away from her.

She stared at the grass, her ears pressed flat to her head. “You weren’t looking for me,” she said quietly. “You never even thought of me.” Tears leaked down her cheek.

“No… that’s… that’s not right. I felt there was something off-”

“So why didn’t you look for me?!”

“I didn’t even know you existed.”

“I almost died out there! If I had died, you would’ve died! I tried so hard to get here, just to find you don’t even care about me! Fine! I don’t need you either!”

Shadow knew she was lying. He could nearly her need for his touch. She turned her head away from him, drawing her paw over her face. He slowly reached out his paw, his palm open. His heart wrenched when she stepped away. “Plumaria.” The name slipped from his lips. She looked up.

“Plumaria,” she whispered, “She-she would have loved that name.” Shadow’s heart swelled in his throat. He kept his paw open. She eyed him nervously. She took a small step toward him. Plumaria gently pressed her muzzle to his open palm. Warmth bloomed up Shadow’s arm. Something seemed to snap into place in his chest as soon as they touched. She felt it too. She nuzzled his paw, drawing herself closer to him. “Shadow…” she breathed.

He hugged her to his chest, the warmth in his arm spreading over his body. Plumaria pressed her forehead to his, a purr coming from her throat. “I’m sorry,” Shadow whispered, “I’m sorry I didn’t know…” She nuzzled his neck, breathing into his fur. “My own.”

Sonic gently slipped off the porch and into the grass. He sat down next to Shadow, Kivana settling between them. Hers and Plumaria’s eyes met. She sent a reassuring smile. Plumaria pressed her cheek into Shadow’s shoulder.

“I’ve never felt this way before,” he murmured.

Sonic let out a quiet hum. “I can’t imagine not living like this.” He gently rubbed under Kivana’s chin with his finger. She climbed up onto his knee, trying to get a better view of Shadow’s daemon. “Leave them alone,” Sonic whispered in her ear. He laid down in the grass, Kivana settling on his chest.

The stars sent faint light down to the four of them. Shadow lifted his head and leaned back into the grass. Plumaria gently stepped off his chest and snuffled Sonic’s fur. She yelped as she pawed at him. Shadow sat up in shock. She jumped into his arms, pressing into his stomach. Her ears were flat to her head. Sonic had sat up.

“You’re not supposed to touch other people unless you really trust them,” he explained. Kivana slipped off his leg into the grass.

“You can touch me though,” she said softly. Plumaria hesitantly stepped down. She quickly touched noses with Kivana before drawing back. Kivana took another step closer and touched her forehead to Plumaria’s leg. She responded by sniffing her fur on the back of her neck. Shadow watched with his ears pricked.

The two daemons respectfully stepped away from each other. Kivana was first to go back to Sonic and she curled in his lap. Plumaria turned back to Shadow. Her tail flicked a bit. Shadow held out his paw. She leaned into it and pressed to his side.

“Are you settled?” Kivana suddenly asked. Plumaria cocked her head.

“What do you mean?”

“When Sonic was younger I could change forms, but now I’ll be a ferret for the rest of his life,” Kivana explained.

“I didn’t know I could change.”

“That means you are settled,” Kivana said, “It’s nearly natural when you can do it.” Plumaria hummed thoughtfully. She purred as Shadow lifted her to his chest. She pressed the side of her head into his chest fur. They both yawned at the same time.

Sonic laid his arms behind his head and stared at the sky, lying down. Kivana curled around his neck. The four of them slowly dosed off in the grass.

It was morning when Tom stood in the doorway to the backyard with a mug of coffee in hand. His eyes widened when he saw two shapes laying in the grass. He went out and stepped onto the porch, finding Sonic and Shadow asleep in the grass. He walked down and crouched next to Sonic. He gently brushed his thumb under his eye.

Sonic slowly woke, the first sign of it being Kivana lifting her head, blinking slowly. Sonic sat up, blearily looking up at Tom.

“Hey Dad…” he murmured.

“Did you sleep out here all night?” he asked. Sonic nodded. Tom glanced over at Shadow’s sleeping form. He noticed the bundle of gold fur clinging to him. “What… is that a cat?” he asked.

It took Sonic a moment to answer. “That’s Shadow’s daemon.”

“What? I thought he didn’t have one.”

“They must have separated when he fell back to Earth.”

Just then, Plumaria shifted, her eyes peeking open. She lifted her head in surprise. Shadow woke up, giving her a confused glance. “Who are you?!” she asked.

Tom’s eyes flicked across her face for a moment. “I’m Tom,” he explained, “Sonic’s dad.” Her brow furrowed as she stared at him and then Sonic.

“It’s a long story,” Sonic snickered. Shadow sat up and rested his chin against her head.

“What’s her name?” Tom asked. The pair stared at him for a moment.

“Plumaria,” she whispered. Her eyes met Shadow’s red-amber. “I like it.” He pet the back of her neck. Sonic smiled at them. Kivana pressed her forehead to his stomach. He ran his paw along her slinky fur.

“Why don’t we head inside and get some breakfast, all right?” Tom suggested. Sonic nodded, getting to his feet. It took Shadow another second to get up. Plumaria clung tight to him, her tail brushing his flank.

“Come on, I want you to meet Lupin and Decani,” Kivana called over Sonic’s shoulder. Plumaria’s ears flattened.

“You don’t have to go in yet,” Shadow murmured in her ear. She shook her head.

“I want to go. I’ll be okay.”

Shadow stared at the grave determination on her face. This is who he was. She was him. He brushed the fur in between her ears with his thumb. She looked up at him. “We’ll be okay.” Her words flared warmth in his chest. Shadow nodded.

“We’ll be okay.”