Work Text:
He knew it.
He knew it couldn't be that perfect, that beautiful.
Weeks ago, when Shadow first laid his lips on his rival, it felt exciting, new, exhilarating even. The mere thought of having someone that could rival everything that he did or was, that could spar with him for hours without breaking a sweat, someone that could match him, understand him in a way no one ever could, was something he wished for and secretly yearned for ever since he 'died' that day—burning in the atmosphere.
He thought he could find happiness—finally feel relief.
And he did, he truly did... until he couldn't.
Every time he looked at him, he could see her.
His small movements when he felt anxious, his awkward giggles, his sparkling eyes, his warm smile. It was all too similar, all too her, and it made his stomach churn in misery.
He hated it, the way he wished that those arms comforting him as he cried were hers. That the gentle strokes on his back were her warm and smooth hands, that the small hums and silent encouragement flowed from her lips.
He missed her, God, he missed her so much. She was everything to him, a mentor, a guardian, a sister, a friend. Still today, he feels the void and crippling guilt haunting his mind, whispering words, hurling comments and poisoned words...
---
"Grandpa said they used them to make... some kind of powder?"
A younger Shadow blinked—confused—then looked up at the girl speaking, but she paid him no mind as she continued to ramble, a book titled "The Ways to Make Coffee" in her hands.
"And then, old people mix it with water to make what we call coffee! Though..." The girl rubbed her chin with the tip of her thumb, deep in thought. "I can't seem to remember if the water had to be cold or hot..." She hummed a few times, then lit up as she looked down at her companion.
"I know!" She spun around, pointing towards the door of their shared bedroom. "Why don't we try and make it ourselves? We can try with both hot and cold, then..." She stopped, seemingly clueless on what to do next, her plan incomplete.
"Then, we can give it to Gerald to drink it," Shadow chimed in.
Fortunately, she wasn't alone.
"Yes! Yes! That's a brilliant idea, Shadow!" she giggled manically, picking up her friend and spinning him around. The other only grunted in mild complaint—too used to it. "Let's hurry up and do it before curfew! C'mon, hurry!"
Shadow nodded, a serious expression on his face. The girl thought it was adorable.
Full of determination, Shadow took hold of her hand as he spoke.
"Hold on to me, Maria. I'll take you to the kitchen as fast as... the rain."
Maria's eyes widened in surprise. Then she let out a snort, quickly pressing her hands against her mouth, trying desperately but failing to cover up her huffs and giggles. Shadow, on the other hand, only looked at her in confusion, not sure whether to be offended or to feel proud of himself for making her laugh.
He decided on both.
"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, a faint but genuine smile on his face.
Maria tried to get a hold of her giggles before speaking, but her words ultimately came out strangled.
"It's—It's wind, Shadow, not rain."
"Wind?"
"Yes!"
Shadow looked down at his shoes—they were too big for him; Maria had to fix them somehow—then looked back up at his friend, his serious face back on once again.
"I think rain sounds way cooler," he stated.
Maria broke out in laughter again.
"Seriously," she started—wiping a stray tear from her left eye—"we've got to hurry up, they're gonna close the kitchen soon!"
The other responded with a quick and firm nod. He then wordlessly took hold of her hand once again—this time quietly. He wanted to save himself from another embarrassing scene.
Unfortunately, Maria was not as merciful as she looked.
"Ah yes," she spoke, "let us go as fast as the rain," her voice at the end of the sentence mimicking the deep and aloof edge of Shadow's.
Shadow growled in annoyance, a faint blush tainting his muzzle, regretting the conversation they had two minutes ago.
Without saying a word, he took off, Maria right on his heels, her own roller skates holding up enough to keep up with his speed—she was the one who designed them; her grandpa took care of the building. They were made to complement Shadow's own without having the components to allow Chaos Energy—due to her lack of it—to flow through them.
As he ran through the halls and long corridors of the Ark, Shadow couldn't help but look behind him, a strange feeling of hopelessness and fear forcing him to keep his eyes on her. Seeing her smile and laugh, a deep sense of guilt and mourning slowly crawled its way up into his consciousness.
He gripped at his chest, right where his heart was beating frantically.
He opened his mouth, the first letter of her name on the tip of his tongue—
"Shadow! Right there!" she exclaimed, pointing a finger towards the door they were approaching.
He came to a halt, steadying his friend with a firm hold.
But his gaze was distant, staring at a spot on the far wall, unblinking..
Maria looked at her friend worriedly. Seeing his hand on his heart, she slowly lowered herself into a kneeling position to reach his height. Then—carefully—she reached both of her hands towards his tanned muzzle and squeezed softly.
He blinked, coming back to his senses from the touch. His chest was heaving. What was that? he thought to himself—his hand still feeling the ghost of his hammering heart.
Sensing that her friend was calming down, Maria spoke in a worried tone.
"Are you... okay?"
Both of them stood still for a few seconds, then he replied with a firm nod, not trusting his voice to speak.
"Are you sure?" she asked, again slowly rising from where she was sitting.
Shadow only looked up at her, his eyes silently asking her for a change of subject.
Maria didn't believe her friend was okay, but she decided to put her worries aside in favor of his silent request. Smiling warmly again, she gestured to the door behind him.
"Let's get in?" she suggested. "We have coffee to make, after all!"
Shadow let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and simply replied with a nod—this time a bit more relaxed.
He swiftly turned around, then laid a hand on the verification panel. A buzz was heard, and the mechanical whir of the generators attached to the door sounded before it opened, revealing a large kitchen. It was spacious—enough to fit a small team of cooks. Its walls stood tall, and countless pans and pots were sitting around—squeaky clean—as was everything else there. Maria could see herself in the reflection of the counters.
"Grandpa is always so strict about cleanliness..." she said, a hint of complaint in her voice. "He always reminds me to clean up my room!"
Shadow huffed fondly.
"Well, maybe if you cleaned your room..." he started.
"Oh, hush now! I already hear that enough from Grandpa!" she interrupted with a pout, hands on her waist.
Shadow chuckled. Then he looked around and wondered where the staff had hidden the coffee.
Without missing another beat, both siblings started to rummage through every nook and cranny of the empty place, cracking jokes every few minutes.
About fifteen minutes passed, and Maria let out a triumphant "Aha!" before crawling out from under one of the iron tables.
Shadow wondered when and how she had found herself under there. But before he could start asking questions, Maria interrupted him.
"I found it, Shadow!" she yelled—a bit too loudly for his taste. "Coffee! Look!"
She pointed at the rusty old can in her hands.
Shadow looked at her questioningly.
"Are you sure this is coffee?" he asked.
Maria blinked at him, then looked down at the coffee between her hands.
"It does say coffee on the label!" she explained.
Shadow squinted at it, and sure enough, he made out the word coffee written on it.
"See? I told you so!" she added cheekily.
Shadow—amused—let out a quiet sigh.
"Alright then..." he said. "Maria?"
"On it!"
------
Shadow was honestly surprised that the amount of ruckus both he and Maria were making hadn't woken up half the Ark by now.
Giggles could be heard as both children mused about the reaction of their grandfather.
"I should take a Polaroid of it!" Maria exclaimed.
Shadow snorted in response. Both of them were waiting for the water to boil.
Shadow was tapping his fingers against the countertop when he suddenly stopped, a chill going down his spine.
"This again...?" he thought worriedly.
Before he could stop and contemplate his well-being, the sound of the kettle coming to a boil shook him out of his reverie. The cheery voice of his sister resonated in his head, waking him up completely.
"It's done!"
Maria jumped out of the chair she was sitting on, her eyes bright and mischievous. Carefully, she turned off the stove before grabbing the kettle.
Shadow raised his hand.
"Careful," he said in a worried tone. "Don't accidentally burn yourself."
Maria sighed and rolled her eyes.
"I'm not made out of sugar, you know!" she whined.
Shadow ignored her comment, fixing her with an attentive glare as she raised the hot object. Slowly but surely, she served a portion of it in a white mug covered in sweet words—World's Best Grandpa!—and hearts, then another smaller portion in a baby blue one.
Shadow raised an eyebrow at that.
"What? It's for taste testing!" the blonde let out with a smirk.
Finished with the kettle, the girl set it down to her left, then grabbed the small box of "coffee".
Curious, the hedgehog moved closer to her, taking the chance to move the still-hot kettle out of the way. He grabbed a nearby chair and jumped on top of it to get a better view of the—simple yet quite intimidating—process of making "coffee".
With a hum, the girl spoke:
"So here it tells us to boil water—which is done! Theeeeen, the instructions say to put either one or two tablespoons of the coffee depending on the quantity of water and to stir the mix until it's one consistency... Down there, it also says that we can add sugar to make it sweeter! Really? I thought adults didn't like sugar—"
"No, that's just Gerald," Shadow interrupted.
"Oh! Right..." she replied sheepishly.
Maria grabbed a nearby spoon, then quickly made work of taking the lid off the can. Without hesitating, she scooped a spoonful of the brown powder, then—careful not to spill any—dumped it into the smaller cup before stirring it furiously.
A few moments passed, then she stopped and admired her work.
A black-colored drink whose smell was so strong that it made her wrinkle her nose. Shadow wasn't faring any better; he covered his nose with one paw.
She glanced at the concoction a few times before nervously handing it to her brother.
"You first," she quavered.
"Me? You made it!" he argued.
"But it smells weird. You wouldn't want me to get sick, would you?" she replied, blinking her innocent puppy eyes down at him.
Shadow sighed for the hundredth time that day and—unwillingly—chugged the whole thing down before Maria could stop him.
The reaction was immediate, and the hedgehog started to gag in disgust as the bitter taste flooded his mouth.
"Shadow!" Maria exclaimed in clear concern.
Said hedgehog made a few gestures indicating he was fine.
Maria gave him a few moments to breathe and sat on a chair.
Then, sounding serious, she asked:
"So... how was it?"
Shadow took a seat himself, then looked up at his sister, mimicking her serious expression.
"Disgusting" he croaked out, his vocal cords still sore from coughing.
Maria stood up silently, then a devious smile found its way onto her face.
"Perfect."
--------
The smell of freshly made coffee was the first thing that hit Shadow's nose as he woke up from his sleep. The next thing was the ray of sunshine coming through the window and hitting him straight in the face, making him groan as he opened his eyes.
He glanced around his—quite plain-looking—room; it was squeaky clean, not a single thing out of place. He let his gaze wander across the few pictures hung on the wall—mostly of him and the rest of Team Dark, as well as a few of his other connections—before landing on the nightstand clock that read six in the morning.
With another groan, he swiftly got up from his bed, ignoring the buzzing headache forming in his head due to his restless sleep—it's been happening for a while now. While the Ultimate Life Form could go for a long period without rest, he himself had gotten used to the idea of sleep ever since he started living with his companions—Rouge and Omega.
Though he would never admit it out loud, their presence brought him comfort in a way, something he deeply needed and relied on nowadays.
Not bothering to put on his gloves, Shadow slipped into his infamous Hello Kitty slippers and opened the door of his room, the previous faint smell of coffee now completely flooding his senses, making him sigh in odd comfort.
The apartment was quiet apart from the low sound of pop music playing, which was strange to say the least, since Rouge always preferred jazz in the morning and Omega never really understood the idea of music.
Following the sound and delicious smell, Shadow found himself being led right next to the kitchen's entrance. The door was cracked open, and so he took the liberty to peek through the opening, and what he found made his eyes widen.
Sonic, his rival-turned-partner, was shuffling around while humming to the tunes of the radio, not a care in the world.
With a small smile on his muzzle, he twirled and spun a few times.
Making sure not to make a sound, Shadow slipped through and leaned against the wall next to the door, facing the back of the blue hedgehog.
The hero continued dancing, unaware of the other's presence, his feet moving in an uncoordinated way.
Shadow stifled a chuckle as he spoke up, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I wasn't aware you were such an avid dancer."
Sonic yelped, his quills standing on edge as he halted his dance.
With a dramatic whine, he spun around, a gloved paw on his heart.
"Shadowwwww, you can't just scare a hedgehog like that!" he complained.
Shadow scoffed.
"And who are you to tell me how to act in my own home, hmm? Last time I checked, I never invited you here," he replied sassily—a hand on his hip.
Okay, maybe Shadow hung out around his roommates a little too much.
"So cruel!" complained Sonic. "And here I thought my sweet love—"
"Don't call me that."
"—would appreciate me making him fresh coffee."
Shadow's eyes lit up at that, and he peeked over the other's shoulder, looking for the source of this delicious smell.
But before he could snoop more in his own kitchen, Shadow was stopped by a pair of hands grabbing onto his shoulders.
"W—w-wait! Hold on a minute, Shads," spoke up the blue hedgehog. "Before I give the mug to you—" Sonic snatched said mug from a counter to his left, and Shadow clicked his teeth for not spotting it earlier. "—you've got to explain to me why you have Hello Kitty slippers."
"I don't owe any explanation to you, Faker," Shadow defended, a small blush finding its way onto his tanned muzzle.
"Ah—I know, I knoooowww," Sonic put on a pleading tone, "but you have to tell me. My curiosity is going to kill me!"
Shadow snorted.
"You're not a cat, though," he grumbled.
"Shadowww !"
Said hedgehog looked at the mug of steaming and tempting hot coffee, then at the other, and was faced by two big green sparkly eyes begging him to share the—not-so-interesting—backstory.
With a sigh, Shadow cracked and brushed past his rival, deciding to take a seat on one of the two chairs next to the counter.
He watched as Sonic's ears fell just slightly and his lips shaped into a pout.
"Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to sit next to me?" he teased.
Sonic let out a small "Oh!" at that and hurried up next to the other.
"Careful with the coffee, it's still hot," warned Shadow.
Sonic rolled his eyes fondly in response.
"I'm not made out of sugar, ya know?" he said, setting the mug between the two of them.
"So..." the ebony hedgehog started. "What exactly do you want to hear, hmm?"
"Uhhh..." Sonic tilted his head. "Alright, tell me how and when you got them—or bought them or whatever."
Shadow raised an eyebrow at the other's wording, then huffed out a reply.
"You should really learn how to phrase things better."
Before Sonic could protest, Shadow continued.
"It was after the Metal Virus catastrophe happened—"
Sonic shuddered at that, and Shadow gave him an apologetic look before continuing, uneasy about mentioning that time himself.
"—most people were recovering, both mentally and physically, but a few Mobians—like us—stayed on the remains of the battlefields to take care of the debris and try to clean up the areas that were the most affected by everything."
Shadow crossed his arms. He could see Sonic's shoe nervously tapping against the wooden floor.
He slowly reached out his fuzzy slipper and soothed the other with light touches to his ankle.
Sonic visibly relaxed at that and mumbled an apology, a nervous but thankful smile stretching his lips.
"One of those days," Shadow started once again, "you weren't there. Most of your friends weren't either. I was busy lifting up some of the wreckage with the help of Omega when a small fox child came up to me—she reminded me of Miles."
Sonic smiled at that, listening attentively to his partner's words.
"She had this look on her little face—undeniably tired but determined. At that moment, I didn't know why, I just wanted to ask her what she was doing out there. But before I could do so, she looked up at me with that fierce look, one of a fighter."
Sonic nodded with a chuckle. He knew that look too well, his fond gaze making the striped hedgehog flustered.
"Then she shoved a bag right into my chest, spoke a few words about a 'thank you gift,' and left as fast as she came. When I looked at the contents of the bag, I found a pair of fuzzy slippers with Hello Kitty's face on them."
Sonic broke out into airy giggles at the outcome of the story, and Shadow couldn't help but follow with his own, finding the story more amusing reliving it with someone else.
"Th-That kid!" Sonic spoke between giggles. "Seriously, I would pay to see it happen in front of me!"
Shadow chuckled.
"You should've seen Omega's reaction. He thought it was a bomb at first. He was getting ready to go after the kid!"
Sonic broke out in full laughter at that, wheezing as tears started to form in his eyes.
"Oh, you're killing me, Shads!" Sonic coughed out.
"Hey now, don't die yet. I still need you to make me coffee every day for the next twenty years at least," Shadow teased.
Sonic's chest felt warm at that. The fact that his partner was—even jokingly—envisioning their relationship lasting for such a long time made butterflies swarm his stomach.
Lost in his reverie, Sonic didn't notice the bare paw taking hold of the mug.
"H-Hey!" he cried out, not sure whether to feel flustered from being caught off guard or from seeing his partner's naked paws so soon into their relationship.
Said partner—oblivious as ever—brought the mug to his lips and took a few sips from the bitter drink.
Delicious,he thought.
But somehow, it tasted better than when he made it himself.
---
The morning passed, and Shadow was called by G.U.N. to aid in some important mission the agency had assigned to him.
To say that Sonic was disappointed was an understatement, but it seemed that bothering the Ultimate Life Form on his "off-day" was a recurring occurrence.
The apartment was empty. Rouge and Omega were both gone even before he initially came to visit his rival. And now that Shadow was gone, the house fell into a deep silence.
And Sonic hated silence, because silence meant he had only himself to talk to, and that meant going against his own thoughts.
Of course, Sonic had a solution for these types of situations: going for a run.
You can call him a coward, but Sonic didn't care. As long as he found himself reminiscing too much, he'd run. He's not the Fastest Thing Alive for nothing, after all.
Taking in a deep breath, Sonic opened the front door of the apartment, plastered on his usual carefree smile, and took off towards an unknown direction, letting the wind take him wherever it pleased.
He could feel it brushing against the quills on his head and back as he passed the numerous buildings and houses of Central City—the wind, its soft touch brushing through his fur, turning it into a mess of stray strands, and throwing each thought into the back of his head.
"Let me enjoy this, for now at least," he told his consciousness, but he knew too well that even after this run, he'd find another way to avoid them.Be it going back to annoying his partner or yapping the ear off his little brother about said partner.
Without realizing it, Sonic ran far enough that the once-massive city was now but a mere dot. Sonic could barely even see it as he looked behind him.He sighed, the sound getting lost in the rush of the wind and his own 'Sonic Boom.'
After a while, he reached one of the many hills that were scattered all around him. He decided then to go up one of them.
Reaching its peak, he noticed a single tree. Thanking his never-ending luck, he quickly found himself sitting against its trunk.
It seemed that Gaia was watching over him that day, because once he looked up towards the sky, the sun was already beginning to set.
"This again, huh?" he spoke softly.
But this time, there was no waiting for a certain black-and-red hedgehog to join him. This time, Sonic was alone, his companions being the sounds of nature and the beautiful colors decorating the usually bright blue sky—a mix of yellow, orange, and red.
"Red... red is a beautiful color," he thought dazily.
Okay, maybe he was a bit tired.
Between waking up at an unusual hour to make coffee for Shadow, running for more than three hundred miles, as well as the obvious emotional baggage that he wouldn't bring himself to acknowledge, Sonic was tired, and it showed itself when he blinked a little too slowly, his eyes closing for a little too long.
Maybe, just maybe, he could rest a little, and then he'd be back to his usual self.
"That doesn't... sound too bad..." were the last words he whispered before sleep clouded his mind.
---
"Are you even listening to me?" a voice spoke up.
Sonic startled awake and was immediately met with two bright green eyes and pink fur. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes adjust to his bright surroundings. It looked like he was sitting on Tails's yellow couch, and in front of him stood an offended-looking Amy Rose.
Sonic was confused. Last time he checked, he was on one of the famous hills located in Green Hill, dozing off.
"So?" she asked, seemingly waiting for an answer to a seemingly important question.
Sonic could only reply with a confused, "Huh?"
Amy groaned in frustration, the pads of her gloved paw slapping against her muzzle. She whispered a few words to herself, some kind of encouragement, and Sonic would be lying if he said he wasn't at least a little offended.
"As I was saying—" she began, "we're going to need more help to clean up the rest of the mess this whole..."
Amy stopped herself in her tracks, breathing heavily.
"We... just need your help, okay? I know you're busy with the whole Eggman and Metal Sonic thing, but we could really use another helping hand and..." Her voice cracked a bit, her eyes getting misty. "And our people, t-they're still recovering. I can't ask them for more... Their children need their parents with them—I-I just can't!"
Sonic's heart broke seeing his friend looking so hopeless and so tired* so he stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. He noticed the heavy bags adorning her usually bright face.
"Of course I'll help, Ames... You don't even have to worry about anything else, okay? I'll take care of everything left..." He gave her a small, understanding smile. "You should get some rest. You deserve it."
Amy's eyes widened at that. She tried to protest, but Sonic beat her to it.
"Shush, Ames... trust me! You can do that... right?" he teased softly.
The pink hedgehog sniffed out a laugh, a tired but grateful smile reappearing on her face.
"Of course I can trust you..." she said, wiping away the few tears that managed to escape with the back of her paw.
"There it is!" Sonic exclaimed brightly. "That beautiful smile! Glad to have you back, Ames."
He meant it in a joking way, but it came out more relieved than anything else.
Amy laughed wholeheartedly as she pinched her friend's cheek.
"Oh, stop it, would you!" she snorted.
Sonic shook his head, mimicking a certain rival.
"Neeeeveeeeer~"
---
Reaching Central City's west side didn't take long for the Fastest Thing Alive. As Sonic dusted himself off, his gaze roamed around the unusually quiet and empty streets.
He could make out the mess Amy was talking about, although it looked like it had lessened a lot since the last time he came here to help.
A sudden sound resonated through the barren city, something between a groan and a growl.
The blue hedgehog turned around in an instant, getting into a fighting pose, ready to bolt if needed. He looked around, his green eyes squinting towards a rather dark alleyway.
"Hello? Is someone there?" he called out, an uneasy feeling taking hold of his senses.
Silence.
Then the sound from before echoed once more, but louder, as if it had multiplied since then.
Shivers ran down Sonic's spine.
"S—so...ni...c..."
"Amy...? Amy, is that you?"
Sonic could make out some sort of form moving—no, twitching—in the barely lit alleyway.
"I thought you stayed home to rest," he spoke up once more, his voice calmer now that he knew who the source of the sound was. "Are you... okay? Do you need help?"
"S—so...ni...c..."
Sonic walked closer to his friend. In a small voice, he called out her name again.
But he quickly stopped in his tracks—frozen in shock.
His eyes widened in dread.
His friend had stepped out from the shadows, but her once-pink fur was now metallic in color, the white of her eyes tinted black and her once-bright green irises a dull red.
Her steps were clumsy as she made her way towards him, almost as if she were being controlled by someone else.
"No... no, no, nonononononno."
Sonic let out a breathless laugh.
No, this couldn't be happening. Not again. Not after everything they'd done—everything he'd done.
He stumbled, backing away from his friend.
Amy continued to make her way towards him, repeating his name as she did so, and he could only back farther away from her.
He had to do something, anything, to save her.
"A-Ames! Hang on, I'll go get help. Don't worry, everything is going to be okay. I'll save you... I have to."
But his hopeful shout was crushed by the sound of at least a dozen other pairs of shoes hitting the hard concrete road of the city.
His dread only grew.
The second one he saw was Rouge, the same dazed look as Amy on her face.
Then came Knuckles, following close behind her.
Then it was Team Chaotix: Vector, Espio, Charmy.
The sight of an infected Vanilla holding the hand of her daughter left him devastated.
Sonic bit back a sob as he made out twin tails and wide ears.
Soon enough, he was surrounded, and he could only watch in horror as his friends and companions—instead of lunging at him—started to speak.
The first one was Amy, and her once-trembling voice was replaced by a cold and empty one.
"You promised me that you'd take care of everything."
"Ames, please, I—"
But he was cut off by the gruff voice of his echidna friend.
"You're nothing but weak, hedgehog. I knew it from the day we first sparred."
"Knux—"
"Honestly, I never understood how someone could see a hero in him."
Sonic couldn't make out who was speaking.
His mind buzzed with the voices of the Mobians surrounding him.
By now, their number had more than tripled.
Some of them were like family, while others were complete strangers.
Still, their words cut through his deepest insecurities.
"I-I—"
"What hero? He couldn't save us. He couldn't keep his promise!"
"The only thing you can do is run."
Sonic gasped.
He recognized that voice.
"That's all you can do. Run away from everything. From your problems. Your responsibilities."
It was Shadow who spoke those words, and Sonic unwillingly felt every single one of them reach his heart.
To hear such a sentence from someone like Shadow—his biggest rival, the one who saw him for who he was—it hurt deeply.
Sonic had no time to breathe as the darker hedgehog continued to speak.
"How much time do you have before everything collapses? Before your legs weaken and stop? Before your body hits the floor? How many miles are you going to run before it all catches up to you? Every single failure. Every person you've disappointed."
Sonic gripped at his ears, refusing to hear anything else.
He hissed as he felt drops of blood stain his gloves.
He cried out:
"You—that's not true! You're not him! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
Suddenly, the earth began to tremble.
His surroundings began to crack as if they were nothing but a mirror—a mirror of his deepest fears and regrets.
They disappeared one by one.
Each friend.
Each Mobian.
As well as the buildings, roads, and vegetation.
Leaving nothing behind but a dark, eerie void.
By now, Sonic was panting.
He wrapped his arms around his body, desperately trying to soothe himself.
But the nightmare wasn't over.
The voices were back, louder this time.
They spoke in sync as if they were one.
"You couldn't save us. The only reason for your success was thanks to the help of the Eye of the Future. Without him, we would all be doomed by now."
"They don't mean that."
"You call yourself Mobius's hero, but you are nothing without your friends. You are nothing alone."
"This isn't real."
"You think you can save us? If something else were to happen, if another virus were to take over and the Eye couldn't make it to your time, do you think you would be enough to save all of us?"
"I'm not—I'm not listening!"
"The only thing you could count on was your speed, but you threw it all away for him. You've slowed down and settled, abandoning the only thing you were still good at. You were selfish—chasing your own desires. That's not very hero-like, is it?"
Sonic gripped at his ears once more.
He didn't care if he ripped them off as long as the whispers stopped.
Eventually, more blood dripped into the pads of his paws—his gloves and shoes seemed to have disappeared the moment he appeared in this dark realm.
Sonic thought he was going crazy.
He had to be.
This couldn't be real.
This couldn't be happening to him.
The voices continued their murmurs, now chanting the same words over and over again:
"You couldn't save us."
But no matter how devastating this outcome was, Sonic would not let himself succumb to darkness.
His friends needed him.
No matter how weak he was, he needed to be there for them.
With newfound determination, Sonic growled into the empty space as he began to move.
There was no solid ground to walk on, so the only thing he could do was swim through the darkness with the little practice he and Shadow had gained since the incident at the tower.
The hedgehog decided to ignore the whispers as best he could as he did so.
He 'swam' for what felt like ages until he finally felt a solid surface beneath his paws—an invisible wall.
He let out a small sigh of relief, but it didn't last long as he realized he had no idea what to do next.
He tried to focus on coming up with a plan, but it seemed that the lack of movement made it harder for him to tune out the whispers of his so-called 'friends.'
Sonic groaned.
If he couldn't think, then he'd act.
He quickly tested the wall, running his paws over it, and came to the conclusion that with enough force, he should be able to break it.
At least, he hoped so.
Taking in a breath—briefly wondering how he managed to breathe in this realm—he then threw the hardest punch he could muster at the surface.
The cracks were heard before they could be seen, and soon enough, thousands of white lines decorated the void until, right before his eyes, the wall fell apart, revealing a sea of blinding light.
Sonic froze in place, mouth agape.
The voices disappeared completely, and he could only watch—mesmerized—as hundreds of memories flashed through his mind.
The day he was born.
His first step.
His first run.
The way the wind felt on his face.
His first encounter with Eggman.
The first time he met Tails.
And so on.
He could feel everything.
Every emotion and sensation.
The happy moments—filled with laughter and joy—and the sad ones—filled with misery and dread.
Unwillingly, his body moved.
He reached out a hand, trying to grasp at the memories.
Oh, how much he wanted to forget them.
Oh, how much he wanted to keep only the joyful ones.
To forget the mistakes he made, the ones that put the people around him in danger.
He could, if he wanted to.
He knew it.
He had the power to do so in this realm.
He felt it from the tip of his quills to the pads of his paws.
But he couldn't bring himself to do that.
These memories, these mistakes, were a reminder.
One of his past failures.
And this reminder was what always pushed him to do better, to aim for perfection.
Who was he without them but an empty shell?
How could he keep running?
How could he protect the ones he loved without the fear of failure?
Sonic would never admit it out loud, but he'd felt fear more than once.
He felt it a lot, actually.
But he knew that if he showed it—if he showed any weakness—then his friends would never rest easy knowing that their hero couldn't always be there to save the day.
There needed to be someone to help, and if that someone had to be him, then so be it.
Swiftly, Sonic retracted his hand and, with a scream born from sheer will, squeezed his eyes shut.
---
Sonic opened his eyes with a gasp, his heart beating thirty miles a minute.
He looked around himself and was met with a starry sky.
Holding a hand to his beating heart, he was relieved to feel the fabric of his glove against his chest. He paid no mind to the red patches adorning it as he got up from where he sat against the tree.
With careful, deliberate steps, he made his way down the hill, not trusting himself to run at the moment.
Walking felt refreshing somehow. With how used Sonic was to running, he never really took the time to look around and appreciate the scenery, at least not as much as he did when he was younger.
Even though the sky was dark, the broken moon made up for it by shining its beautiful rays onto the earth, giving it a unique shine, one quite different from that of the sun.
The breeze was chilly, but not enough to warrant a scarf. The air somehow smelled purer than it did during the day.
Something about the heat, Sonic recalled Shadow saying one late night when they got caught up in a brawl and never noticed the sun disappearing into the horizon.
"Shadow..." he whispered into the wind. "He's probably sleeping by now... that old geezer."
Sonic smirked to himself and shook his head.
"Enough of the sightseeing!" he exclaimed.
__________________________________________
The way back to Central City was quicker than usual. The blue hedgehog soon found himself in front of the building where Team Dark resided.
He didn't remember when his feet decided to take him to their house instead of Tails's, a change in his instincts that he didn't mind much, though.
The moon was high in the sky as he approached the stairs leading to the front entrance.
Now, Sonic could go inside and ask to be let in like a normal hedgehog, but a brilliant idea popped into his head.
With a devious smirk, the blue blur scanned the architecture of the building. He quickly spotted the few designer clothes that a certain bat loved to wear, hanging from a string on one of the many balconies, and made up his mind.
Sonic grabbed hold of one of the pillars holding up the expensive structure and began climbing his way up.
It was only a matter of seconds before he reached his destination. With one last grunt, he jumped over the railing.
Feeling proud of himself, he was getting ready to strike a pose before getting interrupted.
"Sonic?"
Said hedgehog let out a silent yelp in surprise before getting a hold of himself, looking embarrassed.
He looked towards the sound and found Shadow leaning against the same railing he had jumped over a few moments ago.
"Shadow? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I could say the same to you," the other retorted, though there was no bite to it. No nothing to it, actually, which immediately raised alarm bells in Sonic's head.
He decided not to point it out.
"Well—I was on a run earlier in the day and fell asleep on one of the trees in Green Hill."
"Green Hill? Isn't it really far?"
Sonic chuckled, but it sounded dry, even to his ears.
"Yeah—well, let's just say I was thinking a lot."
Shadow spared him a glance as he huffed.
"Hard to believe."
"Hey!"
Shadow's gaze was on the broken moon once again. He seemed entranced, or lost? Sonic couldn't exactly pinpoint it, but it was enough for him to make a move.
He leaned against the cold metallic railing, a sliver of space between him and his partner.
"You know..." he began, "you can talk to me if something's bothering you, right?"
Shadow's head turned at that. His pupils seemed to glow as he looked at the other.
Sonic gulped.
"Well—I mean, only if you want to! I might not come up with the best advice—not that you need any! But—yeah... I can definitely listen."
Shadow's gaze remained on him, and it would be a lie to say Sonic didn't feel a little nervous.
"You're really bad at this—"
Sonic let out an awkward chuckle at that.
"—but sure, I'll share what I have on my mind."
"Wait—seriously?! Just like that?"
Shadow raised an eyebrow.
"Yes? Rouge told me communication is really important in a relationship, isn't that right?"
Sonic, at a loss for words, simply nodded.
Shadow let out an amused huff, but a frown quickly found its place instead.
Seeing that, Sonic's own face distorted into one of concern.
"I—keep dreaming about her. About Maria."
Sonic sucked in a breath.
Oh.
"Well, not just her. But my life on the Ark, the moments I spent with her and Gran—Gerald back then. Just last night, I dreamt of the first time we've ever made—and tasted—coffee together..."
Oh.
"Did you know that I used to hate coffee? But somehow she... made me love it."
Shadow sucked in a deep breath. These memories didn't affect him like they used to at first, but they still hit close to his heart, worryingly so.
"The bitter taste. Every time I drink it, I get reminded of that time me and her pulled a prank on Grandpa."
He smiled, a bittersweet but real one.
"I wish I could show you the face he made that day. The coffee turned out to be expired!"
He let out a laugh, almost as if the scene was happening right in front of him.
Sonic couldn't look away.
He looked so beautiful.
A few more chuckles left Shadow's tanned muzzle before he looked back up at the night sky.
His eyes seemed to hold a sadness, one that never seemed to go away no matter how happy one could get.
"I know I shouldn't dwell on these memories. I know they only make reality hit harder once I get up in the mornings. But—how can I leave all of it behind? How can I turn a blank page when all of the decisions I have made have been in her name?"
He turned to face the now quiet hedgehog, the cold breeze making his striped quills sway in the wind.
If not for the situation, Sonic would have gaped.
Instead, he looked at the other with deep compassion.
"Why forget?" he asked.
And he thought he might've heard Shadow let out a confused noise.
"Why forget about who you were before? About who you stood with? Maria and Gerald have been a part of you for as long as I can remember. They guide you when the voices of your friends aren't enough."
Sonic closed the distance between them by holding onto Shadow's shoulders, a frown on his face.
"They're your precious memories, Shadow," he added. "Memories... they shape who you are. No matter how sad they are—how happy. They're here to remind you how far you've come. They're here to reassure you, to stop you from making the same mistakes again."
He let go of one shoulder and guided his hand towards the other's chest fur, pointing at where his heart was.
"They're part of this," he added as he looked back up at the other. "And it's the most beautiful thing there is."
A thick silence stretched over the duo.
Time stopped for a few seconds—minutes, they didn't know—as both hedgehogs looked into each other's eyes, seemingly in search of something, anything.
Sonic was the first one to take a step back.
He leaned back on the railing, looking down at the streets below instead of the vast skies above.
"You've mentioned doing it all for her. But from what I've gathered—there's a lot of things you did on your own accord."
He said it with a smile.
"Settling here with your friends—with me. Isn't that you being free from the past? Making your own decisions?"
Shadow's eyes widened at that.
An almost inaudible gasp left him.
It was almost as if she was here, in front of him.
Her soft voice blending with that of the blue hedgehog standing there.
He thought of the casual hangouts with his friends, the gifts he'd given and received, the pictures in his room, his relationship with Sonic.
Oh.
"I—I never realized it. I never thought all of these things were things that I chose."
Saying that felt a bit weird, even with the context.
But Sonic only chuckled.
"Oh you, brooding so much you don't even realize that you're right where you want to be."
Shadow made a face at that and decided against arguing as he made his way back to the railing, back to Sonic's side.
"Not the best advice, huh?" he snorted. "Yeah, I believe you."
Sonic looked at him smugly.
"What can I say? Even I surprise myself with how good I am sometimes."
Both hedgehogs' heads turned back onto the scenery ahead.
Silence reigned once again over the pair—less heavy this time.
"Now that I think about it, what were you doing climbing up the building? Couldn't you just use the front door?"
Sonic let out a loud, albeit embarrassed, laugh.
"Nah..." he said. "Way too much trouble dealing with the folks there. I'd rather just get up on my own. Faster this way too."
"Pfft, you are unbelievable... But in all honesty, what brought you here at this hour? Tails's house is closer than mine."
Sonic sighed.
"I knew you'd ask."
"You don't have to—"
"No, no... it's only fair that I share what I have bottled up inside after you emptied your whole soul in front of me!"
"When you put it that way..."
Sonic smiled warmly.
"It's fine. You needed it."
He then took in a deep breath before letting it go again.
"It's about the Metal Virus. I can't stop thinking about it, even in my sleep."
Sonic gripped the railing tightly as he continued to speak.
"I can't stop seeing them. All of them. My family, my friends..."
He glanced at the other.
"...you."
He gripped at his ears, almost like the mention of that event resulted in that reaction.
Shadow reached for his partner's paws—deciding to ignore the small patches of dried blood smeared on his gloves—and slowly guided them to grip onto the railing once again.
Sonic smiled thankfully.
"These nightmares, they make them—make you say horrible things."
Sonic scoffed.
"Of course I don't believe any of that crap. They won't get to me that easily. Not on my watch."
He sighed.
"But I can't help but worry, you know? What if something else like this happens? What if Silver isn't there to help us this time? What if I'm not strong enough—not fast enough?"
Sonic gritted his teeth together.
"What if I fail all of them? Me, the supposed hero of Mobius. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for it."
Sonic's quills bristled at that thought.
"And who do you think you are?"
That response knocked out every ounce of fight he had in him.
"W—what?"
Shadow was fully looking at him now. He looked both angry and determined.
"Who do you think you are, to think you have to bear all of these things on your own? What—do you think that we're a bunch of weaklings?"
"What—no, of course not! That's not what I meant!"
"Then why do you talk as if you're the only one who can save this planet in case of emergency?"
Sonic opened his muzzle to try and defend himself, but found nothing.
"We might be lovers," Shadow added, "but we're rivals first. And last time I checked, I never stopped being on par with you. So get this into that thick skull of yours: if the world turns into flames, I'll be there, prepared this time, on your side, and I won't go down without a good fight."
He smirked.
"And don't think the others will either. Oh, I'm sure if this was Rose instead of me, she would already be cussing you out and chasing you with her hammer."
Sonic blinked a few times, then his lips shaped themselves into a visible 'oh!'
"What I'm trying to convey here," Shadow started.
He framed Sonic's face with both of his hands, looking directly into his eyes with a fire rivaled by none.
"Is that if the world was to turn upside down, then there will always be someone by your side. You won't be alone to fight. You'll continue running, just like always, and everything will be okay."
He smirked.
"And if you do end up messing up and getting yourself killed, I'll be there to take care of your mess."
A wave of relief washed upon Sonic's entire being.
Gaia, was he smitten.
"You have a way with words... and it works," he admits, his words slurred by the gloved paws squishing his muzzle.
"What can I say... Even I surprise myself with how good I am sometimes."
Shadow was aiming for sarcastic, but it ended up sounding fond more than anything.
Shadow's gaze dropped lower as his eyes lidded.
He stretched closer, slowly closing the distance between them.
Sonic's breath hitched and—
"THERE IT COMES."
A robotic voice broke the spell.
Both their heads snapped towards the sound.
"Omega, shush!"
Shadow's face hardened as he spoke up.
"We heard you already."
A groan was heard, and soon enough, a bat-like figure and a bigger one emerged from behind the balcony door.
"Look, Shadow—sweetie, I swear we weren't spying on you both. We were—I," Rouge corrected herself, glaring at her friend, "—was trying not to interrupt."
"Sure, and I'm not blue," deadpans Sonic.
"IF YOU ARE WORRIED, WE DID NOT OVERHEAR ANYTHING! WE ONLY SAW YOU BOTH TRYING TO EAT EACH OTHER!"
"Omega!"