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Chapter Text

Awareness comes to him in waves. 

The first thing Shadow feels is the tingling sensation flowing through his body, and the first thing he sees upon waking up is the bright, almost blinding light erupting inexplicably from his body. It takes him a second to realize that it’s the light of the strange gems that gave him all that power. The gems that might be the only reason he survived. 

He survived. 

Shadow closes his eyes once more.

He… hadn’t accounted for that. 

Shadow takes a moment to consider this unexpected turn of events, and gives himself a few more moments to lie on the ground and collect himself. 

He survived. 

He’s still here.

Shadow stands. Or rather, he attempts to stand, and quickly falls back to the ground, his leg giving way under him, throbbing with pain. Shadow pauses, and runs his hand over it, feeling for a wound. It’s possibly broken. 

Not that Shadow knows enough to make an accurate and precise assessment.

It’s not going to stop him though.

So Shadow pushes himself up, ignoring the pain lancing through his leg. He stalks over, with unsteady steps, to where his inhibitor rings are buried, embedded in the dirt. He picks up the first one, clasps it around his wrist, and picks up the other one. He feels himself moving, rather than consciously acting, brushing specks of dirt off the metallic surface, barely registering the click it makes as it fastens around his other hand. He mechanically picks up each of the strange, shining gems, putting them away safely in his quills. 

And then he lets his hands drop to his sides, flopping listlessly. Nothing seems real. He can barely believe he’s here. Alive. 

Without Maria. 

The world around him seems like another planet, nothing like the sterile walls of the lab or the homey atmosphere of Maria’s room. There’s green as far as he can see, stretching far and wide, an endless sea of brightness that nearly blinds him. 

He’s never seen anything like it before. He doesn’t know what it is, or where he is at all.

Where is he supposed to go? 

“Maria,” he mumbles, despite himself. “What should I do?”

Whether or not Maria would have said something, Shadow doesn’t know. Because his musings are interrupted by the unmistakable sounds of helicopters and tanks, the kind that came after him the moment he escaped that prison. Of course, he should have expected that GUN would come after him. 

Shadow knows nothing about what he has to do now, he doesn’t know anything about this world or his place in it. But he knows this: he will never let GUN get their hands on him ever again.

Desperation fills his being as the sounds get louder, indicating that GUN is drawing closer. He can pick out human voices, detached and monotonous commands, ordering a thorough search of the area. He needs to leave now. 

So Shadow reaches within himself, reaching for the remnants of his energy, trying to find somewhere, anywhere, to go. He tries to think of some place safe, something he knows. 

A vivid image pops into his mind. One with deep blue quills, green eyes and the most hopeful smile he has seen in a long time. Shadow reaches for it, for him, and allows himself to be pulled away. The air crackles around him, and he can feel the world twisting, turning, and the greenery disappears with a snap.  

Sonic, he thinks, and moves across the world, tethered by the only thing he still knows. 

Sonic.

Sonic lets himself laugh as he waves through the forest, leaving Knuckles and Tails far behind him. “And once again, I remain undefeated!” he crows, loud enough for his voice to carry over to where they’re trying desperately to keep up. 

“Come on!” Tails whines, tails whipping around each other, trying to keep up. Knuckles bares his teeth, obviously at the point where he’s accepted his defeat but isn’t happy about it at all. Sonic knows he’s gonna get beat up during sparring, but really? It’s still worth it. 

“There you are,” Maddie says, as Sonic sprints over casually to the finish line. “I was beginning to wonder why you took so long.” 

Sonic grins, accepting his victory power bump. “I took a little break in between, figured I could catch some Zs out there while I waited for the others to catch up.”

Tom frowns playfully at him. “I recall telling you a story about a hare that did the same thing. Didn’t work out too well for him.”

Sonic scoffs. “I think we’ve established that I’m way faster than a hare.”

“That you are, bud.”

Sonic laughs, plopping onto the log, waiting for Knuckles and Tails to make it. And sure enough, the both of them arrive within seconds, neck and neck. What’s left of the race seems to have turned into a competition for second place. Knowing them, they probably made a bet that the winner would get the last slice of pizza today during movie night. Sonic grins to himself as Knuckles barely makes it across to win second place. 

“Yes!” he yells, throwing his hands up in the air. “I have defeated you, fox! Prepare to relinquish the last pizza to me on this night of movies!” Tails just sighs.

“Fine, you win this time.”

“And I will win again the next time as well!”

“Alright, boys,” Maddie says, clapping her hands. “None of us are getting any pizza if we don’t get back home right now, so let’s hurry it up!” Knuckles smoothly picks Tails up, and they dutifully troop over to follow Maddie back home. Sonic watches them go, feeling a familiar pang of fondness for them. 

“You coming, Sonic?”

Sonic looks over at Tom, who’s wearing that understanding expression on his face. Sonic smiles over at him. “I’ll catch up. Just… gotta do something first.” Tom nods, and pats his shoulder. 

“Alright bud, see you at home. I’ll try to stop Maddie from putting on her romcoms before you get home to back up my movie choices.”

Sonic offers him a thumbs up, and Tom gives his shoulder a final pat before walking off to join everyone else. Sonic watches them go, and then breaks into a run, as though beckoned by an invisible force. He runs through the woods, traversing the familiar, well loved path, worn down by his repeated runs across it, and slips through a hole into his old cave. 

He lands in a crouch, and straightens up, dusting himself off. Then he approaches his painting of Longclaw, and reaches up to trace along the owl’s image. “Hey, Longclaw,” he murmurs, smiling fondly. Even after all this time, she’s still so important to him. 

Sonic lets his gaze fall, then, to the other little memorial he’s made. “Hey, Shadow,” he says. “Sorry I haven’t been around much. I’ve been busy.” He smiles at the picture he’s placed against his handmade gravestone, the one where Shadow’s smile is immortalized, his arm wrapped around Maria. 

Sonic hasn’t been here in a while. He’s trying not to let Shadow’s death consume him. That’s not what Shadow would want, and truthfully, Sonic doesn’t want to be stuck in grief either. 

But…

Sonic feels that familiar pang in his heart. The one that’s been affecting him all day. A strange feeling, a sensation that drew him here, to Shadow. Somehow, Sonic feels like he needs to be here right now, but he can’t understand why.

“Wish you’d just tell me what you want, Shadow,” he says, and he’s only half joking. Even after all this time, Sonic can’t fully understand just why he’s so drawn to Shadow. 

Sonic stands, and stares at Shadow’s picture for a while longer, heart churning. But despite standing there, he finds no answers. Sonic sighs, and with a last, lingering look, leaves the cave, speeding back along the path to home.

If he’d stayed for a few fateful seconds longer, he would have seen a familiar glow fill the cave, red electricity crackling in the air. And he would have watched as a figure he’d thought long gone materialized in the empty space, looking like he’d stepped out of a dream, a fantasy. 

In the emptiness of the cave, in Sonic’s old home, very much alive despite the odds, stands Shadow the Hedgehog.

Chapter Text

Shadow blinks, reorienting himself. GUN is nowhere to be seen, so he feels safe in assuming that he’s escaped them. For the time being, at least. Shadow isn’t foolish enough to assume they wouldn’t come searching. 

Looking around reveals to him that he is in a cave. It seems like a completely natural formation. However, there are several man-made objects strewn about, almost like someone is living here. There’s a strange object that Shadow has never seen before in the middle of the cave, and Shadow can’t resist poking at it, marveling at the soft, squishy texture. It’s then that a flash of color catches his eye, and he turns, staring at the cave wall, covered with a drawing which is distinctly not natural. 

Despite himself, Shadow steps forward for a closer look. There’s a giant owl, and a smaller figure next to it, practically miniscule in comparison. But Shadow stops, breath catching in his throat, eyes fixated on the smaller, blue figure. 

“Sonic?” he mutters, reaching out a hand to trace over the drawing. It’s hardly the most commendable portrait, but to Shadow, it suddenly feels like so much more.

For the first time since he woke up in that crater, he feels something other than apprehension and fear. There’s some strange security he feels, eyes staring unerringly upon the one familiar face he knows still exists on this planet. He can tell that Sonic is close. 

His instincts didn’t fail him, after all. 

Relief washes over him like a wave, and with it comes a strong wave of exhaustion. Shadow stumbles, his broken leg finally deciding that it can’t be ignored anymore. Shadow tips over backwards, landing with his back against a stone. He draws in some deep breaths, fighting the sudden dizziness that overcame him. 

Despite his above-average endurance, it takes him a while to pull himself together. Shadow grips the rock behind him, and breathes in heavily. Compared to the smell of smoke and burning grass that had welcomed him back, the earthy smell in the cave is a pleasant change. He gulps in the fresh air greedily; it’s been so long since he’s had any chance to catch his breath. 

He breathes out, the gesture somewhere between an exhale and a sigh, and twists himself over to lean his chin on the rock. His eyes travel downwards, spotting a picture frame toppled over on the ground. Curiously, he picks it up and turns it over. 

Small shards of glass fall from the cracked frame, the picture is worn and yellowed with the passage of time. But there’s no mistaking that picture, there’s no mistaking that smile. He’s seen nothing but her in his mind for fifty years. It’s the person who keeps him going, for whom he lives.

Maria.

Shadow feels his heart lurch in his chest, a profound ache piercing through him at the sight of her face. No matter what he sees in his memories… they seem like nothing, compared to the real image in his hands. 

Maria.

It’s been so long.

His hands tremble with grief. Shadow grips the frame tighter so as to not drop the treasure, and gasps as the old frame splinters in his hands. He watches the pieces fall to the ground, and slowly sifts through the remains in his hands to carefully pull out the picture itself. His eyes are burning, vision blurring. 

Shadow doesn’t know how long he sits there staring at the picture, trying to commit it to memory. Maria’s face is still fresh in his mind, and he has a tangible, solid memory of her in his hand, but he wants to be absolutely sure that he never forgets her. 

By the time he rests his eyes, unable to bear the burning sensation, the light has faded from outside. Shadow stands, wobbling, and carefully tucks the precious reminder into his glove. He doesn’t want to put it in his quills. It might damage the picture. Shadow could never forgive himself if he destroyed the only thing he had of her.

He walks with purpose to the mouth of the cave, peering out at the large, tall trees outside. The sky is dark, but Shadow’s vision has always been impeccable. He takes a single step forward, and pushes himself outside, feet finding the familiar rhythm as he skates through the trees, weaving around the large trunks. The paper tucked in his glove brushes against his arm, a burning touch. Shadow doesn’t know where he’s going, but he knows it’s the right way. 

He moves through the forest until he comes across a home. He makes his way over, limping over to rest against the wall with a wince. He can hear voices, and he can see darkened silhouettes moving, their shapes visible against the golden glow of the lights inside. He can’t make out anything they’re saying, but he can hear the sound of laughter. Whoever they are, they’re clearly very happy. 

Shadow stares closer, and frowns. Some of those silhouettes do not look like human children. 

His heart seems to skip a beat. Could it be—

He presses himself up against the glass, listening closer, straining his ears. 

“I don’t understand why you guys always have to fight over the movies, since we’d already decided who got to pick last time.” The man’s voice sounds stern, but Shadow can’t detect any traces of anger in it.

“But Knuckles’ movies are always bad! Why can’t we fight against mediocrity?”

“Outrageous! My movies are excellently picked. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your taste!”

“I agree with that,” a woman’s voice pipes up, and ‘Knuckles’ whoops in victory. 

“Anyway,” says the young voice, “where’s Sonic? He never misses movie night, let alone the pre-movie night debate.”

Shadow freezes, heart thumping. 

Sonic.

He steps back from the wall, bracing his hands against the rough surface. 

This is Sonic’s house. 

Then that must mean—

Shadow hesitates, and then peeks back through the window. It’s pathetic to cling so hard to someone he doesn’t even know, but Shadow can’t think of anything else to do.

He has nothing else here. 

So he stares through the curtained window, and takes in the golden glow emanating from inside, trying to find comfort in the sounds of laughter that he knows he can never share in.

“Sonic!”

Sonic startles, nearly dropping his comic, though he wasn’t really reading it anyway. He sighs, moving to toss it onto his bed, and then thinks better of it, carefully placing it onto the sheets instead. 

“What is it?”

The attic door opens, and Tails steps in, looking at Sonic expectantly. “It’s movie night, and we’re waiting on you. Are you coming?”

Sonic stares dumbly at him. “Me? Oh, yeah, ‘course I’m coming.”

Tails frowns. “You okay, Sonic?”

“Yeah, never better!”

Tails looks at him with that inquisitive look he usually directs at one of his gizmos. Sonic hates being under that look. It makes him feel like he’s being dissected on a table, without even the promise of a chilidog for his trouble. 

“Come on, buddy,” he says instead, walking over to Tails and wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s go. I just got caught up in that comic, that’s all.”

“…If you’re sure.”

Sonic gives him a thumbs up, pulling him closer against his side. Then he grins, scooping Tails up and rushing down the stairs to the living room. “Sonic!” Tails shrieks, but the distraction seems to have done its job. 

“Sonic Wachowski, no running in the house!”

Sonic grins sheepishly. “Sorry Maddie.” Maddie just shakes her head, smiling. 

“You can apologize by helping me bring all the plates to everyone.”

“Yes ma’am!”

As Sonic is collecting the plates, he hears Knuckles and Tails arguing over what to watch. Naturally, that just means that Tails is taking another soon-to-fail crack at getting Knuckles to change his mind on something. However, Knuckles’ stubbornness is second to none, only made worse by his inexplicable love for La Última Pasión.

“I’m just saying that it’s objectively a waste of time! The show hasn’t progressed even a little since the first episode!”

“It is not about the destination, Fox, but about the journey!”

“It’s still an unreasonably long journey, especially since they’re just running in place!” Tails retorts. “Besides, it’s Sonic’s turn to pick anyway.”

“Please,” Knuckles huffs. “We are just going to watch Speed again anyway.”

And now Sonic is offended.

“What’s wrong with Speed?”

Knuckles turns to Sonic. “It is tiring to watch the same thing over and over again. At least La Última Pasión offers a new episode every week.”

“At least Speed has something to say!”

Knuckles turns back to Tails, and soon the war is begun anew. Maddie rolls her eyes, and Sonic looks over at Tom, who’s watching them both like they’re a TV show of their very own. 

Sonic smiles at the sight. And then he frowns. 

He’s got a nagging feeling, like his instincts are telling him to get up and run. And it’s not like Sonic isn’t always ready to run, but this feels different. 

It feels like something he needs to do. Like something is pulling him. 

Sonic sighs to himself. What a strange coincidence that these emotions correspond perfectly with the fact that he can’t get Shadow out of his head. And it’s also not like he doesn’t think about Shadow often, but this is excessive. 

“Sonic, back me up here!” calls Tails, and Sonic tries to push his troubles to the side to fight for his favorite movie. Eventually, Knuckles gives in once Maddie promises to watch the episode with him tomorrow. Sonic settles in with the rest of his family to watch the movie. Tails sits next to him, Knuckles on his other side, and the pizza is delicious.

Everything is perfect. 

So why he so restless? Why can’t he stop thinking about it?

Why can’t he stop thinking about Shadow?

Sure, he misses Shadow. He’s missed him ever since he saw the Eclipse Cannon blow up in a fiery explosion. He misses him every time he looks up at the moon, which is now a fragmented mess. But this feeling is different. 

Sonic can’t pay attention to the movie. However, his senses are alert. Sonic wants to keep an eye out to find whatever is going on to have him on edge like this. 

Whatever it is. 

And about halfway through the movie, there’s a loud crash outside the house. “Damn Raccoons!” Tom curses. Sonic hears the sounds of the trash cans toppling over, and winces. Those Raccoons are in for it now. 

He pauses. Surely his heart isn’t hammering away in his chest because he’s afraid for the Raccoons, right?

“Tom, you are not going anywhere with your arm in that condition,” Maddie snaps, and Tom looks over at her. Tom and Maddie generally don’t argue, but Tom’s passion on the subject of their unwanted visitors always leads to a light, meaningless spat. It usually ends with Tom going out there. 

But Sonic feels anxious about that prospect, suddenly. It really feels like he should be going out there. It feels like it’s where he needs to be right now. Every instinct in him is telling him that he needs to go out there now.

“I’ll check it out, Tom. You just sit there and keep watching the movie for me,” Sonic says, and bolts out of the door before anyone can stop him. He slams the door shut, and rounds the corner in a fraction of a second. Sure enough, there’s a Raccoon scampering away with something in its mouth. But there’s also something else. Someone else.

Sonic just stands there, staring at dark quills and red highlights, golden rings, and red, glowing eyes that he hasn’t been able to get out of his head. 

“Sh— Shadow?”

For his part, Shadow stares right back at Sonic like a deer caught in headlights. He’s turning to face Sonic now, some bizarre expression on his face. 

“Sonic—” he starts, but Sonic can’t register anything else right now. 

“You’re alive,” he murmurs, and Shadow’s eyes flick to the side. 

“Yes.”

“You’re alive,” Sonic says, again, and now he can move.

Shadow grunts as Sonic wraps his arms around him, lifting him into the air and spinning him around. “You’re alive!” Shadow’s hands find his arms, squeezing them in an effort to hold on. It kinda hurts, but Sonic couldn’t care less.

Shadow is alive. He’s alive, and he’s here. 

“Sonic,” Shadow grunts, and Sonic comes to himself. 

“Sorry,” he says, putting Shadow back down. That turns out to be a mistake, however, when Shadow’s leg buckles under him once it touches down.

“Woah!” Sonic exclaims, moving to catch him before Shadow gets intimately acquainted with the ground. “You okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Sonic frowns. “That didn’t look fine.”

Shadow frowns right back. “Well, it is. So let it go.”

Sonic raises his hands in surrender. “Okay, I will.” And then he smiles. “I’m… I’m glad to see you.”

Shadow purses his lips, like he doesn’t know how to respond to that. 

“So… what’ve you been doing?”

“Nothing,” Shadow replies. He straightens up a second later, reaching into his quills. “I just came to return these.” He hands over a handful of chaos emeralds to Sonic. 

“You… you found them?”

“They helped me survive the fall.”

Sonic reaches out, taking the emeralds. He basks in the familiar warmth emanating from them, feeling the power pulsating from them. And then he looks over to Shadow. 

Shadow… is a mess.

His quills are sticking out haphazardly, his fur is matted and dirty, and there are bruises all over him. He’s thinner, and looks like he’s about to fall over anytime. Sonic looks him over, and feels worried. He stuffs the chaos emeralds into his own quills, and gives Shadow his full attention.

“Shadow,” he starts, “you’re hurt.”

Shadow looks away, staring at the ground. “It’s not a problem. I have accelerated healing.”

“And that’s nice and all, but you still look really awful.”

Shadow gives him a weak glare out of the corner of his eye, and that’s how Sonic knows he’s really not at his best. 

“Come on,” he says, and— before he can think better of it— holds out his hand. “Come inside.”

Shadow’s gaze snaps to him, expression panicked. “What?”

“Come inside. We can help you.”

Shadow looks over at the window, and Sonic can faintly hear the movie playing. “I don’t think I’d be welcome.”

“What’re you saying? Of course you will!”

Shadow stares at him. “I hurt Tom.”

“Oh, that? Yeah, that was kind of bad—” Sonic watches Shadow’s face fall almost imperceptibly, expression clouding with guilt, and tries to collect his thoughts faster.

“—but Tom’s all good now! Good as new! And he doesn’t hold it against you, since you didn’t know it was him and all, so you don’t have to worry about a thing! So, come inside.”

Relief washes over Shadow’s expression, but only for a second before he’s back to looking ready to bolt. Sonic watches his eyes dart from him to the woods, and feels a sudden jolt of panic rising in him.

“I thought you were dead, Shadow,” he says desperately, trying not to let his voice shake. “Please, come inside.”

Shadow stares at his hand, his own hand twitching at his side. Sonic waits with bated breath. Suddenly, it feels like everything is on the line. 

Because Sonic doesn’t want Shadow to go. Not after Sonic just got him back. 

“I… I can’t. Not after what I did.” Shadow looks up, meeting Sonic’s eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me.” Shadow steps back, looking ready to run, and Sonic stares at him, feeling like sand is slipping through his hands, carried away by the wind to places he can never reach. 

“Shadow—” 

Energy dances around Shadow, illuminating him in red. His eyes glow, and Sonic stares at them in dismay. He takes a step, reaching out. 

“Wait—” 

“Goodbye, Sonic.”

Sonic makes a split-second decision, and dashes forward. However, it’s not enough. Shadow’s gone, leaving Sonic standing there, all alone. 

“Finally, you’re back, Hedgehog!”

“We thought the Raccoons had kidnapped you.”

Sonic shuts the door, and looks over at his family. The pizza’s nearly gone, and there’s a large chunk of his own slice missing. 

Tom looks at him, and frowns.

“What took you so long, bud? I was just about to come after you.”

Sonic shoots him a smile, though it comes out more like a grimace. “Oh, you know, just thought I’d follow those pesky guys and track down their leader. Someone’s gotta put an end to their tyranny, right?”

Tom looks at him quizzically, but drops the issue. “If you say so.”

“Anyway, the movie’s over,” Tails says, yawning. “And I’m exhausted.” He flops over onto Knuckles, who lifts him easily over his own shoulder with one arm. 

“A warrior needs his rest,” he intones sagely. “Come along, Hedgehog. It is bedtime.”

“Good night, guys,” Tom and Maddie say, and Sonic gives them a wave before trudging up the stairs behind Knuckles. He moves on autopilot until he’s tucked into bed and can let his mind wander.

And wander it does. 

Shadow’s alive. 

He’s alive, and he was warm against Sonic. And he’s hurt, and he still ran away.

Inexplicably, Sonic misses him more now.

Shadow had said he didn’t want Sonic to worry. But Sonic could see in his eyes— through the sharp, red glow of his eyes— how desperately Shadow had wanted to come inside. Clearly, the guy was feeling massively guilty about everything. Even though Sonic didn’t blame him anymore. 

Sonic turns to lie on his side, gripping his blanket tightly. Then he sighs, and huffs a laugh. 

Well, the guy didn’t have a clue, did he.

Sonic sits up, and after making sure that everyone else is asleep, pulls out the chaos emeralds. He stares at them, watches them glow, and he remembers the way he and Shadow had shone with the same light, fighting side by side, hand in hand. 

Shadow’s sorely mistaken if he thinks Sonic’s gonna give up that easily.

Sonic slips out of bed, quietly padding over to Knuckles’ bed, where he places the emeralds in Knuckles’ hand. Then he slips back into bed, and shuts his eyes with a small smile, resolving to look high and low for Shadow tomorrow.

And when he finds him, he’s gonna stick to him like glue.

Chapter Text

“Sonic, wake up!”

Sonic rolls over in his bed, trying to bury his face in his pillow. “Five more minutes,” he grumbles. He’s just about to sink back into sleep when a large fist wraps itself around his ankle, lifting him off the bed. Sonic is left hanging upside down in Knuckles’ grip. He takes a moment to feel grateful that Knuckles has learnt not to shatter everyone bones upon contact. 

Knuckles gives him a little shake, just to wake him up, and then drops him back on his racecar bed. “Alright Knuckles, what’s up?” Sonic asks, rubbing his eyes to try and wake himself up. 

“The chaos emeralds have returned.”

That wakes Sonic up good and proper. 

“That’s… that’s great, right? Good for you, buddy,” Sonic says, directing what he hopes is a grin that conveys his happiness and excitement at Knuckles. Tails frowns in his direction, and Sonic can practically hear the gears turning in his brain.

Sonic clearly needs lessons in controlling his facial expressions. Shadow’s good at keeping his face in that perpetual frowny expression; maybe when Sonic sees him later, he’ll ask.

“I don’t understand,” Knuckles says, sounding frustrated. “I have never known the emeralds to return of their own accord. Their power must be sought. That is what the elders of my tribe always taught me.” 

“Maybe they chose you, big guy,” Sonic says, giving Knuckles a teasing grin. “You’re the chosen one!”

But Knuckles isn’t in the mood for jokes, clearly. “Impossible,” he says, ignoring Sonic’s attempt at humor. “I have never even wielded the power of the emeralds. However…” he turns to Sonic, a pensive expression on his face. “You have.”

Sonic gives him a look. “Yeah, but they came to you,” he says, trying to hide his rising panic. He did not think this through, did he? See, this is what happens when you get distracted, and unfocused, and consumed by thoughts about lookalikes with cool highlights—

Woah, Sonic thinks, dial it back.

He needs to get Knuckles to stop focusing on him. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, buddy,” he consoles, and Knuckles pins him with a doubtful look. “You’re their guardian, right? Maybe they came to you back once they weren’t needed any longer!”

Knuckles hums. “Perhaps,” he concedes, and Sonic breathes a sigh of relief. “I suppose that they would need to return, once their weilder is no longer of this world.”

“…What?”

Tails raises an eyebrow at him. “You know,” he says, slowly. “Shadow?”

Oh.

They still don’t know. 

Duh, he thinks, resisting the urge to smack his own head. Of course they don’t know. 

“In any case,” Knuckles states firmly, “we have only retrieved half of the missing emeralds. I will continue the search for the rest after entrusting these to their reliable guard.” 

“You don’t mean Wade, do you? Cause, no offense, he’s not exactly the best at keeping it safe. Taking it from him was child’s play.”

“Nonsense! He is my prized pupil!”

Sonic raises his palms in surrender. “If you say so.”

Knuckles gives him a satisfied nod. “Excellent! I will request that Pretzel woman escort me to his home in the afternoon. Then,” he gives Sonic a look. “You and I will settle the score for your victory yesterday.” 

The look Sonic gives him in return is laced with more nervousness than the one he received. “You got it.”

Tails turns to him once Knuckles stomps out of the room. “You’re done for. But I’ll hold on to your comic book collection.” Sonic sighs dramatically, and pulls Tails close to his side. 

“You’re the only one I can trust, little buddy.” 

Tails laughs, patting his hand. 

“Yeah, yeah. Now, go get ready for breakfast.”

As he watches Tails exit the attic, Sonic frowns, biting his lip. He’d been so caught up with the excitement of Shadow’s return that he hadn’t even thought about Knuckles and Tails and what it could mean for them. They’d said they weren’t mad anymore, but Sonic’s not sure that it means they would be comfortable having him around. Not to mention that he doesn’t know if Shadow would want that either. 

And then there’s Tom and Maddie to consider…

Sonic closes his eyes, and shakes his head. He can worry about all that later, he decides. Because none of it really matters if he can’t even find Shadow at all. 

Sonic spends the rest of the day in a state of restlessness. He tries to tell himself not to get his hopes up, but it’s hard. He’s always been a little too hopeful, but to his credit, stuff usually does work out for him.

Besides, Sonic has a good feeling about this. 

So, in the middle of the night, once he’s sure that Tails and Knuckles are fast asleep, Sonic sneaks out of the skylight, and hightails it into the woods. Now, he begins his search. It’s gonna be hard, but Sonic’s a professional. He can handle this efficiently, with class.

“Shadow!” he screams, cupping his hands around his mouth. “Are you here?”

No response. 

“Shadow!”

Nothing. 

Third time’s the charm.

“Shaaaaadooooowww!”

There’s a pop behind him, and Sonic turns to be greeted with the nastiest glare he’s ever received in his life. 

“I thought I told you to leave me alone.”

Sonic grins. “No, you said that I didn’t have to worry about you. I’m not worrying. I’m just here for a friendly visit.”

Shadow only glares harder. “My meaning was obvious.”

“And yet, here you are.”

Shadow doesn’t seem to have a retort to that. Instead, he just looks down at the ground, staring like he’s trying to bore holes in the earth. “I was just about to leave.”

Any humor Sonic had been feeling dies at those words. Still, he remembers how poorly his earnest attempts at trying to appeal to Shadow had failed yesterday, and he’s determined to not make the same mistake again. 

“Oh, where to?” he asks, trying to keep his voice casual. Shadow already looks skittish, so there’s no need for Sonic to pile it on. 

“Somewhere. Not here.”

“Well,” Sonic says, trying to choose his words carefully. “Why not stay here?”

“…I can’t. I can’t stay anywhere.” 

“Sure you can,” Sonic tries, and takes a step closer to Shadow. “It’s a great place to call home.”

Shadow’s gaze briefly lifts over to meet his, but the brief shared look is gone in a second. “It’s not my home,” Shadow murmurs, voice sounding hollow. “My home is gone.” He pauses for a second, closing his eyes. “I destroyed it myself.”

Sonic looks at him, heart heavy with sympathy. He knows that feeling all too well. Sure, he didn’t blow up his home, but he lost it all the same. 

“Anyway,” Shadow says, breaking the spell of silence around them, shaking Sonic out of his reverie. “Goodbye.”

Sonic stares. 

He’s not going to let him get away this time.

“Wait!”

Shadow pauses.

“What?”

Sonic racks his brain, trying to come up with some excuse to get Shadow to stay. Or at least stick around until Sonic can come up with some incredible argument to get him to stay permanently. 

“I…” he looks Shadow over, taking in his appearance. He’s still covered in dirt and grime, and though some of the bruises have faded, he still looks impossibly tired and weak. Plus, he’s still not putting all this weight on his right leg, which still worries Sonic.

Sonic had been about to start rambling, hoping that something that came out of his mouth would have convinced Shadow to stay put, but he finds that he doesn’t need to search for a false excuse.

“When was the last time you ate, Shadow?” he asks, quietly. Shadow looks at him in surprise.

“I don’t need to eat,” he recites, words falling smoothly out of his mouth like he’d practiced them. “My chaos energy replenishes my strength when I need it.”

Sonic wonders how many times the scientists told him the same thing back in that creepy lab. He stops himself from gritting his teeth. Getting angry won’t help him, and it definitely won’t help Shadow. 

“No offense, but everyone needs to eat. Even ultimate lifeforms.”

“That’s factually incorrect.”

“Maybe so,” Sonic says, trying to arrange the thoughts swirling in his head into some kind of structured argument. “But it can’t hurt. Food’s good for you, and if you’re going to be travelling a lot, you need all the nourishment you can get, right?” 

Surprisingly, Shadow seems to consider this. “…I guess.”

Sonic beams at him. “Great! So come with me and I’ll get you something to eat. How’s that sound?”

Shadow frowns. Sonic considers making a joke about those lessons, and decides against it. 

“I shouldn’t.”

“You should.”

Shadow glares at him. Sonic stares him down unflinchingly. Maybe he’d have been intimidated before, but with Shadow looking the way he does, like a kicked puppy left out in the rain, it’s not that hard.

In the end, Shadow relents, dropping his gaze back to the forest floor. “Fine. But I don’t want to go inside your house.”

Sonic suppresses a sigh of relief. “No problem, dude. You just wait up, and I’ll get you some food.” And Sonic dashes back home, heart pounding. He sneaks back into the house through the skylight, tiptoes to the kitchen. Opening the fridge reveals a lack of leftovers, because feeding three kids didn’t leave much room for those. 

So Sonic grabs a bag of chips, a packet of cookies, and a water bottle. He stares at the bottle, contemplates, and then grabs two more. He retrieves a backpack from his room to stuff it all in, and bolts back to where Shadow is waiting for him. Or rather, Sonic hopes he’s waiting. With how Shadow was, Sonic doesn’t put it past him to have run off while Sonic was gathering up food for him. 

But, by some miracle, Shadow is still there. He hasn’t moved an inch, standing so still that Sonic might have mistaken him for a statue if it weren’t for the way the light breeze gently ruffles his fur. Sonic takes in the sight, and smiles.

He slows down, and tries to make his steps as loud as possible so that he doesn’t spook Shadow. “Hey Shadow,” he says, keeping his voice calm and even. “I’m back with nourishment!”

Shadow stares at the bag of chips and the chocolate chip cookies, and then directs a judgmental look at Sonic. Sonic just grins sheepishly. “Having Knuckles in the house doesn’t leave much of dinner left over,” he explains. “This is all I could find, but they’re all for you.”

Shadow doesn’t say anything, choosing instead to pick up the bag of chips. He carefully opens the bag like it’s a ticking time bomb, and selects a chip to put in his mouth. He chews slowly, the crunch echoing through the air. Sonic watches his eyes widen imperceptibly before Shadow is shoveling the chips into his mouth like its his last meal. 

“Woah, buddy, slow down!” Sonic exclaims, almost shocked. But Shadow doesn’t listen, eating like a man starved. He fishes the cookies out of the backpack next, tearing into them fast enough to give Sonic a run for his money. And once he’s done with that, he rips the cap off the water bottle and downs the whole thing in a few gulps. 

Sonic can only watch, some strange mixture of satisfaction and fondness swirling around inside him. He watches Shadow wipe his mouth with the back of his hand, staring at the empty plastic in his hand. Sonic offers him a smile. “You can give those to me,” he offers, holding out his backpack. “I’ll throw them out later.”

Shadow just looks at him, some strange, lost expression in his eyes. He slowly drops the trash into Sonic’s bag. “…Thank you,” he says, voice quieter than he’s ever heard it. Sonic just gives him another smile. 

“No problem, buddy.”

Shadow just stares at him, looking supremely awkward now that he’s done with the almost violent meal. Sonic pulls out the other two bottles of water, shoving them at Shadow. “I brought these too,” he explains. “I thought you might need them.” 

Shadow stares at him, expression turning stormy. “Don’t… patronize me,” he mutters, though the words aren’t as forceful as Sonic thinks they would have been in some other circumstance. 

“What do you mean?”

Shadow glares at him. Sonic just can’t understand this guy. One second he looks like a baby panda, then next he’s glaring daggers at Sonic. 

“I can take care of myself,” Shadow says. “You don’t have to do so much.”

“Is that what the problem is?” Sonic asks. “You think I think you can’t handle being out on your own?” Shadow pauses, apparently not having expected Sonic to grasp onto his words so quickly. 

“…Yes.”

Sonic just shrugs. “Well then, I’ll just tell you that I’m not doing this because I think you can’t take care of yourself. I mean, have you seen you? You totally kicked all our butts the first time we met, man. It’d be real moronic of me to think that.”

Shadow stares back at him, seemingly caught of guard by Sonic’s response. “Then why—” he stops, curling his hands into fists, fingers digging into his palms.

Sonic lets his hands fall to his sides, each one holding onto one of the bottles of water he’d tried to give Shadow. “Just because you’re so strong, doesn’t mean you need to be all alone. It’s not wrong to let people help you.”

Shadow just holds his gaze, eyes wide. His mouth opens, and closes. 

Sonic presses forward, wanting to make sure that Shadow understands. “I know what it’s like to be hungry,” he says, taking a step forward. Shadow stays rooted to the same spot, unmoving. “I lived in a cave for seven years, foraging through trash cans for food. When I first got to Earth, I spent many nights hungry, because I didn’t know how to find food on a completely new planet.” He smiles to himself. “I used to think, ‘It wouldn’t hurt for them to throw out a chilidog every now and then, would it?’”

Shadow cracks a barely perceptible smile at that, and Sonic’s heart soars. 

“Anyway,” he continues. “I know that it would have really helped if someone could have brought me food. I just thought it would help you too.”

“Sonic…” The smile slips off his face, and Shadow’s voice is soft, softer than he’s ever heard it. “Why are you doing this?”

“Uh, I kinda just poured my heart out here, it’s gonna be real awkward if I have to do it again.”

“Not that,” Shadow says, shaking his head. “Why are you helping me? After everything I did—” 

“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there,” Sonic interrupts, and Shadow does actually shut his mouth. Sonic presses forward, because it’s really important to him for some reason, that Shadow understands this. 

“I know you did some really awful things,” he starts, and Shadow’s expression remains stoic. However, his ears flatten against his head, betraying his true emotions. Sonic watches them, watches Shadow’s posture droop, and feels his tone soften. 

“But you turned yourself around, Shadow. Believe me, I know how hard that is.”

“You seemed to know exactly what to do.”

Sonic shakes his head. “I didn’t. It wasn’t easy. All I could think about was getting revenge on you. I forgot who I was. I almost didn’t make the right choice.” He meets Shadow’s gaze, stares directly into those brilliant red eyes. “I know exactly how you felt. And I know just how strong you are to have made the right choice.”

Shadow’s stoic expression falls, eyes shining. Sonic keeps talking, wanting to get it all out there. “You saved us, all of us. You could have died. I think you knew that, too.”

Shadow nods. “I thought I would have.”

Sonic smiles. “You made a mistake,” he says. “So did I. But I think we both fixed what we messed up, and everything turned out okay.”

Shadow’s lips twitch upwards. “I guess it did.”

Sonic grins back. “So, chin up, Shadow.” He holds out the water bottles, and Shadow accepts them this time with a small “thanks.” It is at this point that Sonic has an epiphany. 

“Say, Shadow, you plan to travel all over the world, right?”

“I wouldn’t call it travelling.”

Sonic just waves him off. “If you’re gonna travel, you’ll need supplies!”

“That’s not necessary.”

Sonic just holds up a finger. “Nuh uh! Who’s the expert here? Is it the guy who just got here, or the guy who spent seven years in a cave and watches a lot of Discovery Channel?”

“What’s Discovery Channel?” 

“Only one of the best things ever! I’ll show you sometime. But trust me, I’m an expert on this sort of thing. And two water bottles just aren’t going to cut it, even for you.”

Shadow frowns, considering. As he should, Sonic’s credentials are so impressive that they might be concerning to other people. 

“Come on, Shadow,” he says. “Let me help you out, at least this once.”

Shadow stares at him, and then closes his eyes with a sigh. “Fine,” he mutters, and Sonic whoops in jubilation. 

“First order of business, we need to get you set up somewhere. Where have you been crashing at night?”

Shadow just looks up, pointing at one of the higher tree branches. Sonic shudders. “Dude, you slept in a tree?”

“Yes. Is that a problem?”

“No, but what if you fall? Can you survive broken necks?”

Shadow just stares at him. He does that a lot, Sonic notes. 

“I won’t fall.”

Sonic opens his mouth to argue back, and thinks better of it. “I’m sure the tree branch is lovely, but we gotta get you a better place to sleep for the night.”

"Do I need to remind you that I don’t plan on staying?”

“And I hear you,” Sonic soothes. “But we need to do this right. Travelling the world is no laughing matter. And it’ll take a while for us to get supplies, so we can’t have you just sleeping in trees all that time.”

Shadow just shrugs indifferently. Sonic, in contrast, makes a big show of thinking deeply. 

“Alright,” he says, finally. “Meet me right here tomorrow at the same time, and I’ll find you a better place to sleep. Deal?”

Shadow just nods. “Okay.”

Sonic grins back at him. “Okay then! Nighty-night, don’t let the tree bugs bite!” Shadow narrows his eyes at him, and Sonic gets the hint. “Alright, I get it. See you tomorrow!”

He expects Shadow to wave him off, but instead, Shadow purses his lips, looking an awful lot like Tom and Maddie when Tails is trying to explain his latest invention to them. “Something wrong?”

“To answer your question,” Shadow says, haltingly. “The last time I ate was fifty years ago. I was watching a movie with Maria, and she insisted on sharing her popcorn with me.” Shadow doesn’t meet his gaze the whole time, and the moment he finishes speaking, he teleports away. He reappears on the branch of the tree, and settles down, leaning against the trunk. 

From what he can see, Shadow’s eyes are closed. Sonic smiles, feeling inexplicably fond. 

“Good night, Shadow,” he whispers, and returns home.

Chapter Text

Shadow wakes up the next morning feeling incredibly thirsty. It seems a taste of water has opened the door to the sensation of thirst that he had ignored. He quickly downs the two bottles of water Sonic had left with him, suddenly impressed by and grateful for his foresight. 

For better or worse, Shadow finds himself reluctantly thinking about Sonic’s offer to meet the next day. Every second is filled with some strange nervousness. He should be leaving; he should be getting away. But he’s sticking around anyway. 

It’s not an experience he’s ever had before. Choosing to stay. 

He didn’t choose to be with Maria; she came to him, and even though he knew without any doubt that he’d choose to be with her over anything else in the world if he had to, Shadow had never been offered much in the way of choices in the facility anyway. Being with Maria wasn’t a choice, because Shadow never had anything else to choose. And he didn’t want to choose anything else. There was never anything else to begin with. 

Shadow had nothing before her. 

And then she’d been taken away, and he certainly didn’t have any choice in that.

Maria always wanted to know what Shadow wanted. She’d ask him what movies he wanted to watch; she’d ask him what snacks he wanted while they watched their movies, she’d ask him which pillow he liked best and who his favorite character in Star Trek was. Everything Shadow wanted mattered to Maria.

But deciding on snacks and the most comfortable pillow weren’t choices. In technicality they were, but they were not the ones that truly mattered, anyway. The only choices he’d made in his life were ones he’d come to regret terribly. Destroying the lab. Hurting Tom. 

Trying to end the world, taking himself and the Professor and his grandson along with it. 

But if there’s any decision he’s ever made that he has the right to be proud of at all, it’s when he chose to fight alongside Sonic, and fix his mistakes. To push the cannon away from the Earth, making sure that the people on the planet did not suffer because of Shadow’s misplaced rage and grief. 

And now Shadow is here, in the woods of Sonic’s home, staying because of Sonic’s excuses. To his credit, it isn’t as though Sonic’s reasonings are unfounded. The other hedgehog has clearly put thought into whatever he’d told Shadow, and even he has to admit that they make sense.

Shadow chaos controls down the tree, and limps away before he can think better of it. He wants to move. After fifty years of being trapped, and then the following day of nothing but fighting, he wants to move at his own pace. He feels sticky and filthy. The dirt clings to his fur, making it feel stiff and uncomfortable. He needs a bath. 

After searching for a while, in what is an unusual stroke of luck for him, Shadow finds a small stream. It’s a strangely picturesque place. The trees are lush and green, and sunlight streams in through the gaps between them, making the water sparkle gently. The water splashes gently as it flows, and there’s a light breeze blowing through the air, making the leaves on the trees rustle. A few float down to land in the water, and Shadow watches them be carried away by the current. 

It's nothing like the pictures he’s seen. They looked appealing, but this… this is incredible.

Perhaps it’s nothing special. But to him, it feels ethereal. Like it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. It almost seems ephemeral, like it’s too good to be true. He’d never imagined a life for himself outside of the cold, white and emotionless walls of the lab. He’d briefly entertained thoughts about Maria taking him away from there to live with her, but the outside world had always seemed like a fairytale, about as attainable as the treasures in those stories. Maria had loved to show him pictures of the world outside, talking about the places she’d like to visit. 

“Those mountains look beautiful, don’t they? I really want to climb one, but Grandpa says it’s too dangerous. He says I’ll have to wait till I’m older, but I think he’ll still be saying that when I’m old and gray like him.” She sighs. “I don’t know what he’s so worried about. As long as you’re around, I’ll be totally fine. Right, Shadow?”

Shadow had not bothered to think of those moments after he’d been freed from stasis. He’d thought only of her death.

He can’t believe he had been ready to destroy this. 

Shadow pulls off his shoes and socks, takes off his gloves, and gently steps into the water. It’s cold, but compared to the heat he’d endured in the past day or so, it feels soothing, seeping into his fur, soothing the burning ache in his muscles. Despite himself, he sighs, and sinks deeper into the water. He doesn’t have soap, so he makes do with just trying to rinse out all the grime. 

It’s relaxing. It isn’t until he feels the tension leave his body that he realizes just how much he needed that. He floats in the water, basking in the warmth of the sunlight, simultaneously relishing the cool water. 

And he wonders what he’s still doing here. 

Choices, he’s realizing, are a lot of work. 

Because it’s rather foolish of him to try and pretend he couldn’t just leave. Objectively, he doesn’t need anything from Sonic. He doesn’t need food or water. He can survive just fine in trees. His broken leg is manageable, and Sonic doesn’t even know about that anyway. In fact, it’s a more rational decision for Shadow to leave before he brings danger to Sonic’s doorstep when GUN inevitably tracks him down. Everything points to the conclusion that Shadow should leave. It hadn’t even been a question before, when Shadow had assumed that once again, he had nothing left.

But Sonic had asked him to stay.

And despite seeing the logic in his arguments, Shadow can’t ignore the fact that it’s not just Sonic’s rational assertions that are making him stay. For whatever reason… he wants to stay. It’s irrational and impossibly selfish, but he doesn’t want to leave. He wants to stay. 

It’s a dangerous way of thinking. Especially with the metaphorical price on his head. 

But Shadow thinks about green eyes and an outstretched hand and a blinding, yellow glow in the dark void of space. He thinks about those things too. And so, he made the choice to stay.

Shadow closes his eyes. He’ll just have to make sure to spend only as much time as he needs to here. Only enough to collect whatever supplies he might need to go on. In that way, Sonic and his family would not be in any danger. Shadow just needs to get out their hair at the right time. Then he’ll be free.

Shadow doesn’t feel as free as he would have liked. Even when he’s not in a lab or in a cryo-pod, he’s still trapped by GUN. 

But still… it feels good.

To make a choice.

Sonic checks for any signs of life in the doorway. Spotting none, he leaves his hiding place, creeping towards the door. He feels a bead of sweat roll down his face. Sneaking around is always a challenge for someone so used to going fast all the time like him.

But his minimal skills don’t fail him this time, and Sonic is running through the woods at top speed in a matter of seconds. He feels almost giddy with excitement. He’s been waiting for this all day. He’d tried to occupy himself by reading comics and spending time with his brothers, but none of them filled the void. 

He really just wants to see Shadow. Maybe it’s because he’s the only other hedgehog he’s met, maybe it’s because it’s something new and special, but he really, really wants to see Shadow again.

And sure enough, Shadow is waiting for him, leaning against the tree that had been his bed last night. He looks up just as Sonic steps into the clearing, and Sonic puts on a nonchalant expression, trying not to make it obvious just how much he’d been looking forward to the meetup. He doesn’t want to start off this friendship by having Shadow think he’s a loser. 

“Shall we?” he says instead, pointing in the direction of his old cave. Sonic had wanted to go back there and maybe fix up the place, but he’d been unable to get out of the house. Ozzie had decided that this was the day to camp out before the door, and there had been no way to get out of it. But if Shadow’s as cool as Sonic thinks, then all of Sonic’s cool stuff will be right up his alley. 

Shadow just nods at him. Sonic flashes him a grin, and starts walking forward. Behind him, he can hear the crunching of Shadow’s shoes on the fallen leaves and old branches covering the forest floor. Sonic slows his pace, discreetly, until Shadow has caught up to him. He’s walking remarkably steadily, but Sonic can still see the way he favors his left leg. 

But other than that, Shadow looks a lot better. Most of his bruises have largely disappeared, and he isn’t all dirty anymore. He still looks like he hasn’t eaten in weeks, but Sonic hopes to fix that soon. 

“Did you find the stream?” Sonic asks him, after a while of silence. It’s nice and calm, but Sonic has always liked to talk and fill the silence. 

Shadow nods. 

"How’d you like it?”

“It’s… nice.”

Sonic grins. “Yeah, it’s really pretty in the morning. I used to go over there a lot. Didn’t get in the water too much though.” Sonic smiles sheepishly, deciding to be a little candid. “I can’t really swim.”

That little tidbit of information has Shadow looking at him curiously, finally acknowledging him. “Why not?”

“I don’t know, I just don’t like the water. I can never go as fast as I can when I’m running, so I guess it freaks me out a little.” Sonic laughs a little. “Guess that’s kinda silly, huh.”

Surprisingly, Shadow shakes his head. “It’s not. It’s an unfamiliar environment. For someone used to navigating the world through speed, being constricted like that is naturally off-putting.”

“I’ve… never thought of it like that.” 

Shadow just shrugs. “Makes sense to me.”

Sonic regards him, smiling. “Thanks for understanding, Shads.”

The name slips out before Sonic can catch himself, and results in Shadow stopping mid-step. “What did you call me?”

“Uh,” Sonic starts, wondering if he’s screwed everything up. “Shads?”

Shadow narrows his eyes at him. “What is that?”

“It’s a nickname. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of one?”

That’s right, Sonic. Play it cool, and it might be like this never happened. 

“I know what they are,” Shadow says, sounding like each word is a chore to get out. “Why did you call me a nickname?”

Sonic wonders, briefly, why Shadow seems so upset by this. 

He wants to tell him why. Because you’re my friend, Shads.

Somehow, he doesn’t think Shadow will take too kindly to that sentiment. 

Sonic, despite his occasional bouts of poor decision making, isn’t naïve or unaware. And Shadow isn’t as unreadable and stoic as he thinks. He can keep his face in a perpetual frown all he likes, but his eyes betray him all the time. And Sonic can’t help but watch them closely. 

Because Shadow has some of the most incredible eyes he’s ever seen, deep as an ocean, fiery as an inferno. Sonic wouldn’t mind staring into them for years and years. And staring into them now reveals confusion and fear, the kind that comes with wandering into uncharted territory and not knowing where you are. 

And Sonic has to remember that Shadow isn’t him. They have so much in common, but Shadow’s a whole other hedgehog. Sonic grew up with Longclaw, and then got taken in by Tom and Maddie. Before that, Sonic had been incredibly lonely, wanting nothing more than to get to know the nice people of Green Hills who didn’t even know he existed. He’d never known anything else other than the fact that he wanted to be among them desperately. 

But Shadow’s not like that. He’d been surrounded by people too, in his own way. They’d all known he existed. And all they’d done was experiment on him, treating him like an object instead of a person with feelings and wishes of his own. 

Sonic had grown up seeing the good side of humanity; he’d grown up surrounded by loving and accepting people, and he’d desperately wanted to be a part of it. Shadow had never seen anyone like that, except for Maria. Everyone he’d come into contact with probably just wanted to use him for whatever reason. 

Sonic could jump at the chance to become friends with everyone. He didn’t have any reasons to distrust them. Shadow did. It’s clearly not easy for him to find companionship with others like it was for Sonic. Sonic found a home with people who loved him. He found a place where everyone accepted him. To Shadow, Maria was the only one who would. She was an exception. 

Sonic can’t push him. All he can do is be there for Shadow, and let him know that Sonic’s gonna help him in any way he can.

So, Sonic just offers him an awkward smile. “It’s just something I do,” he says. “I can’t help it if I’m creative! Honestly, you should see my repertoire. I’ve got some gems in there.”

Shadow frowns, ear twitching. “So, you walk around nicknaming everyone you see?”

“Pretty much, yeah.  I used to call Tom ‘The Donut Lord’ way before I even knew his actual name. That’s just how I am.”

Sonic is pleased to notice that Shadow’s hard expression gradually relaxes at his words. “That’s a stupid name.”

“Tell that to the Donut Lord sweater that Tom had made for him. I’d say it’s caught on.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Aw, you love it,” Sonic says, and daringly nudges Shadow lightly with his elbow. “So, can I call you Shads?”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pleeeeeaaase?”

Shadow sighs. “Fine.”

“Thanks, Shads!”

Shadow looks at him. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Sonic grins back. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

They spend the rest of the time in silence. Sonic finds that he doesn’t mind. Despite the lack of interaction, Shadow’s presence at his side is firm and solid. Sonic finds that staring at him out of the corner of his eye is enough for him right now. Shadow doesn’t notice, too wrapped up in looking around, a hint of awe in his eyes. 

Sonic smiles. When Shadow isn’t frowning or glaring, he really does look his age. Like a kid. 

“Oh, we’re here! This way, Shads.”

Sonic slips down the familiar opening, dropping neatly into his old cave. He hears Shadow drop in behind him, and turns, throwing his arms wide open with a grin. “Welcome to Casa de Sonic!” he exclaims.

Shadow, for his part, looks unimpressed. “I’ve been here before.”

The smile drops off Sonic’s face. “Seriously?” 

Shadow nods. “When I came here, I teleported into this cave.”

Sonic looks at him curiously. “How’d you know to come here? No offense, but I’m pretty sure you didn’t know this cave existed.”

“I didn’t.”

Shadow doesn’t say anything else. Sonic waits expectantly. “Well?”

But Shadow isn’t listening to him. He walks forward instead, pushing past Sonic to stand in front of the gravestone Sonic had made for him, back when he’d thought that Shadow was dead.

Now it just feels weird.

“Uh, Shadow? I know what it looks like—” 

"You made this?”

Shadow doesn’t turn to face him, instead staring straight at the stone with his name carved onto it. But he doesn’t look angry, or weirded out, Sonic notes. He looks more… surprised. Disbelieving. 

Almost like he’s touched.

“Yeah,” Sonic says, quietly. “I made it for you. I wanted to remember you.”

Shadow doesn’t reply to that. “I didn’t see it when I came here the first time.”

“That’s fine, buddy,” Sonic reassures, relieved that his little gesture hasn’t driven Shadow away. “There’s a lot of stuff in this cave.” 

“Like that?” Shadow asks, pointing straight at the picture Sonic had drawn of himself and Longclaw. Sonic smiles, and walks up to stand next to Shadow. 

“Yeah. This is Longclaw.”

Shadow doesn’t say anything, but somehow, he doesn’t need to. Sonic can feel it from him. The acknowledgement—the understanding—of what they have both lost. 

“Oh!” Sonic exclaims, breaking them out of their thoughts. “There’s something else I had here of yours, a picture—”

“I found it.”

“What?”

Shadow reaches into his glove, and pulls out a carefully folded picture. “I… saw it here. I took it.” He looks at Sonic, an expression in his eyes like he’s ready to fight Sonic if he asks for it back.

It’s like he doesn’t even know Sonic. 

“I’m glad. It’s yours.”

The expression melts away, leaving behind something raw and open. Shadow stares at him with wide eyes, looking every bit like the kid he is. 

“How’d you get it?”

Sonic rubs the back of his neck. “Truth is, I got it at the lab. I found your pillow fort, and the picture was in there. I thought it was important, and I didn’t want to leave it there, so I took it. And… it looks like I was right?” Sonic phrases the last sentence as question, ready to let Shadow tell him himself. 

And Shadow takes his offer. “You were. I didn’t think I had anything left of her.” He looks up at Sonic, and Sonic notes with mild alarm that his eyes are glossy and shining. “I was so focused on her death and how to get revenge, that I destroyed everything we built together. But you… you saved this. And you stopped me from destroying everything that’s left, too.”

“What do you mean?”

Shadow traces the picture, and even though he’s looking at it, Sonic can tell that he’s seeing something else, something far away. Words spill out of his mouth like he’s rambling, and Sonic knows that it isn’t a confident, calculated admission of vulnerability as much as it’s an unconscious, uncontrollable reaction that’s been a long time coming. 

Maybe fifty years in the making. 

“She liked mountains. She wanted to climb them someday. She wanted to visit Paris. There was a lot she wanted to do. If I’d… I was going to destroy everything. Everything she loved would have been gone.” He thrusts the picture out in front of Sonic, seemingly moving before thinking about what he’s doing. “She would have been gone.” He breathes in shakily. “You stopped that.”

“Shads…” Sonic shakes his head. “You’re the one that stopped it yourself.” He smiles, and reaches out to pat Shadow’s shoulder. “My words wouldn’t have done anything if you hadn’t chosen to stop by yourself.” He lets his hand rest on Shadow’s shoulder, and when Shadow doesn’t give any indication of batting it away, squeezes his shoulder comfortingly. “I’m sure Maria would be proud of you.”

“Sonic,” Shadow says, staring into Sonic’s eyes, his own eyes watery and glistening. “Thank you.”

His voice comes out suspiciously choked up, and Sonic resists the urge to hug him. “You don’t have to thank me, Shadow. I’m… I get it. And I’m here to help. Whenever, however. I’m here for you.”

Shadow just nods. And the next second, he freezes, almost like he’s realized what just happened. 

Sonic would rather not leave here with things ending on a bad note. 

“Okay, that’s enough emotional honesty for one day, so...” He claps his hands a little too loudly, wincing as the sound echoes around the cave. “Food! How about it?”

Sonic turns around before Shadow can reply, pulling off his backpack and pulling out the picnic blanket he’d bought with him. He spreads it across the cave floor, in front of his old beanbag. He takes a second to look it over before dusting off the old thing with his superspeed, coughing as the dust flies everywhere. He pulls out the sandwiches he’d bought, the leftovers from today’s lunch. 

He makes a mental note to try to bring Shadow some non-leftover food next time. 

Sonic’s been taking his time arranging everything, enough to give Shadow some time to collect himself. By the time he’s done, Shadow seems to have pulled himself together, and comes to stand over the little spread, looking like he’s back to being his stoic, grumpy self.

“Sandwiches?”

“Yup!” Sonic replies, popping the P. “Why don’t you sit down over there?” he suggests, pointing at the beanbag. Truth be told, he’d been noticing Shadow wobbling all day, just a little. He doesn’t think that Shadow should be sitting on the cold, hard ground. 

“I don’t need it.”

“Well, do it for me. I need to find someone else who appreciates a good beanbag as much as I do.” At Shadow’s mildly dubious look, Sonic shoots him a big smile. “Come on, Shads.”

Shadow narrows his eyes at him, but dutifully sits on the beanbag, sinking into it. Sonic takes a second to marvel how small he looks like this, almost enveloped by the thing. He looks nothing at all like the terrifying, vengeful figure that Sonic had been fighting just a few days ago. 

So much has happened since then. 

“You’re in for a treat, Shads,” he says, putting a few sandwiches on a paper plate and handing it to Shadow. “Maddie makes the best grilled cheese sandwiches in the world!” 

Shadow accepts the plate, picking up the sandwich and taking a bite. Sonic resists the urge to coo at the way his eyes light up, and picks up his own sandwich. 

“Although I have heard that when you’re really hungry enough, even mud can taste like the best 5-star meal.”

Shadow pauses, sandwich halfway to his mouth. “That’s disgusting.”

Sonic laughs. Shadow watches him for a while, and then quirks a small smile of his own.

Yeah, so much has happened. But right now, Sonic feels like there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

It’s pretty late at night (or rather, it’s really early in the morning) when Sonic finally gets back home. He sneaks towards the house, trying to keep to the shadows. Like Batman.

It is then that he notices a strange vehicle rolling to a stop outside his house. Sonic pauses, then creeps closer for a better look. He keeps to the bushes, peering at the big, black car. Someone gets out, and Sonic wonders if he’ll have to fight them.

That doesn’t seem to be the case, however, as the strange figure openly and briskly marches up to their front door, ringing the doorbell. In the darkness, Sonic can’t really see who it is. So he slowly creeps back around the house, and speeds into his room through the skylight. 

Tails and Knuckles are still asleep, the sound of the doorbell not being enough to wake either of them. Sonic gives them a once-over, and presses his ear to the trapdoor to the attic. He hears faint mumbling, the sound of a door opening, and knows that Tom and Maddie have just left their room. 

Sonic tiptoes out of the attic, and crouches near the top of the first flight of stairs so that he can hear. Tom rubs the sleep from his eyes, and Maddie opens the door. They both stare at their unexpected visitor. Sonic stares too, apprehension building in his gut.

“I apologize for the intrusion, but I need to speak with you, Mr. and Mrs. Wachowski,” says Director Rockwell. 

Oh boy.

Chapter Text

Sonic watches with a sickly nervous feeling as Tom and Maddie stare down Director Rockwell, who seems completely unaffected by their less-than-welcoming reaction. 

“What does GUN want with us? Haven’t you done enough?” asks Tom, and Sonic knows he’s angry because he’s forgone the usual passive-aggressive pleasantries and the sardonic wit. Maddie stands right next to him, and even though she hasn’t said a word, Sonic can feel her rage. 

Their intense emotion is only matched by Rockwell’s cold professionalism. 

Sonic does not like her. 

“It’s not GUN that has committed an innumerable number of crimes, Mr. Wachowski,” Rockwell says, voice like steel. “You’re lucky GUN decided not to pursue any legal action against you.”

“That’s probably because our kids almost died trying to stop the superweapon you commissioned,” snaps Maddie, and Rockwell’s lips press into an even thinner line. Sonic tries not to laugh.

“Nevertheless, that’s not why I’m here.” 

Maddie crosses her arms. “Let’s hear it, then.”

Rockwell narrows her eyes, but doesn’t retort, instead choosing to cut to the chase immediately. 

“We have reason to believe that Project Shadow might be alive. I’m here to confirm that you have not seen him, and that if you did, you would report your findings to GUN immediately so that we could apprehend him.”

She offers no other context, no other information, but she doesn’t need to. Sonic takes in Tom and Maddie’s shell-shocked silence, and feels like his blood is turning to ice inside him. 

“Shadow?” Maddie says, finally, breaking the silence. “Alive?”

“That’s correct.” 

“Impossible,” Tom says. “He blew up along with that cannon. There’s no way anyone could have survived that.”

“You would think so,” Rockwell says, as though she were talking about some smelly thing stuck to the bottom of her shoe. “But Shadow is no ordinary creature. He is the ultimate lifeform. A living weapon. Until we can be absolutely sure he is dead, it’s GUN’s top priority to make sure there is no threat from his end.” She glares at Tom. “And that means making sure that no one is aiding and abetting him.”

“Hey, we didn’t know he was alive at all until you barged in here in the middle of the night.” Tom snaps, and Sonic notes that he hasn’t answered the question. “I don’t appreciate your baseless accusations.”

“Forgive me,” Rockwell says, sounding entirely unapologetic. “But considering your track record with taking in… their kind, you can understand why we would be suspicious.”

“Their kind?” Maddie growls, and Rockwell purses her lips. 

“I have better things to do than to argue with you,” she offers, as diplomatically as Sonic thinks she’s capable of. “Just know that if you are caught helping him, things won’t turn out well for you.”

Tom wraps his uninjured arm around Maddie. “Is that a threat?”

“No,” Rockwell shoots back. “It’s a warning. You may have been let off for your numerous crimes last time, but don’t think you’ll always be that lucky. Goodbye.” Before Tom and Maddie can say anything else, she turns, marching back through the pathway to her big car. 

Sonic watches Maddie shut the door, watches them start to climb the stairs, and speeds back to his room. He falls onto his bed, mind whirling. 

This must be why Shadow was so insistent on getting away. 

Sonic wonders why Shadow never bothered to mention this humungous detail. Sure, Sonic never asked, but Shadow could have mentioned it. 

It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, Sonic has to tell Shadow. Then they could make a plan about what to do. 

Following this line of thought, Sonic falls asleep. But sleep doesn’t stay with him for long, and he wakes up at around seven, a nauseous feeling coiling in his stomach. He lies in bed until he hears Knuckles shifting around, undoubtedly waking up. Knuckles always wakes up early, a product of his upbringing. He’s been making an effort to accept that Sonic’s never gonna wake up that early though, and Sonic appreciates that. 

Sonic waits till Knuckles exits their room in search of breakfast before he sits up himself, unable to sleep again. Tails is still asleep, having stayed up late to work on some project. Sonic looks him over, and reaches over to adjust his blankets and tuck him in more securely. Tails sighs, curling into himself and snuggling into the bed. Sonic lets himself smile at the sight before jumping out of bed and making his way to the kitchen. 

Knuckles is already sitting at the barstool near the counter, chomping away on some grapes. “Might wanna leave some for the rest of us, big guy,” Sonic says, sliding into the seat next to him.

“Hedgehog,” Knuckles greets, not making any effort to hide his surprise. “You are awake. At this hour.”

“You got me, Knux.”

“I didn’t think you were capable of that.”

“Yeah, neither did I,” sighs Sonic. At Knuckles’ hopeful look, he clarifies, “don’t expect it to be a regular thing though.”

Knuckles huffs, chewing on his grapes thoughtfully. 

It’s then that Tom and Maddie make their way to the kitchen as well. And Sonic winces at their faces; it’s clear that they haven’t gotten much sleep. He can’t blame them, cause he didn’t sleep too well either. 

“Lord of the donuts, Pretzel woman,” Knuckles greets. “You look awful.”

Maddie breathes in deeply. “Thank you for your honesty, Knuckles.”

“You are welcome!”

“Sonic,” Tom says, glancing at him curiously. “You’re awake too?” Sonic just offers him a shrug and a smile. 

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“Something wrong?”

“Nah,” Sonic replies, waving his hand dismissively. “Just one of those night, I guess.” Before Tom can dig deeper, he makes a show of peering at him. “What happened to you?”

“Ugh, don’t ask.”

Maddie gives him a pat. “Ignore Tom. We’ll tell you soon.” She looks up the stairs. “It’s… something you all need to be here for.”

And right on cue, Tails stumbles down the stairs, still looking half asleep. “Morning,” he yawns. 

“I don’t think your body knows that, bud. Maybe start going to bed on time, yeah?”

Tails smiles sheepishly. “Yeah, maybe.”

Sonic pulls himself onto the counter so that Tails can take the stool. He lets his legs hang off the edge, and watches Tom and Maddie glance at each other nervously. “So…” Maddie starts, and stops, clearly trying to figure out how to go about this.

Tom clears his throat. “We had an… interesting visitor last night. Or today morning, I think—”

“Tom.”

“Right. Director Rockwell showed up, and she had some interesting information for us.”

Knuckles and Tails lean forward in their seats. Sonic watches them all apprehensively, eyes darting back and forth. He already knows what’s coming, obviously, but something about their possible reactions makes him nervous. 

“She mentioned that there was a possibility that Shadow might be alive.”

Knuckles and Tails erupt into a cacophony of sounds. “Shadow?” Tails yells. 

“Hah! So, the more impressive hedgehog survived after all!”

“Hey!” Sonic exclaims, still feeling the need to defend his honor. “I resent that.” Knuckles just sticks his tongue out at him. “Yeah, real mature there, buddy.”

“Guys, focus,” Tom says, and three sets of eyes snap over to look at him. Sonic observes his expression. He doesn’t look angry, or upset. More just… stressed. 

Tom had mentioned that he wouldn’t be upset with Sonic for grieving Shadow, back when Sonic had thought he was dead. But he’d never said that he’d forgiven Shadow. And for whatever reason, Sonic really wants Tom to forgive Shadow. What’s more, he wants Tom to like Shadow.

Knuckles looks impressed, though Sonic isn’t fooling himself into thinking that it encapsulates all his thoughts on Shadow, nor that it means that Knuckles would welcome Shadow if he ever revealed himself. Tails looks conflicted, some kind of fear mixed with reluctant relief. 

“Now, if Shadow really is out there, what are we going to do about it?”

“We need to track him down at once!” 

“Woah,” Sonic interjects, laughing nervously. “Do we really need to do all that?”

Everyone turns to him. “What do you mean, Sonic?” Tails asks, tails swishing. “Shadow’s out there. Don’t we need to, you know, make sure he’s not up to anything?”

“I get where you’re coming from, but if he was going to try anything, don’t you think he would have done it by now?”

“He must be biding his time,” Knuckles proposes, banging his fists on the counter. “Waiting for the perfect moment to strike, when we are weak and defenseless.”

“Or,” Sonic argues, “he’s just out there minding his own business. And we could just leave him be.”

A brief, tense silence follows his words. Sonic can feel everyone’s gazes pressing down on him. 

“Sonic,” Maddie says, slowly. “He tried to kill you.”

“And then he saved us.”

“I have to agree with Maddie,” Tails says. “I’m really glad he turned himself around at the end, but… none of us can know for sure if that stuck.”

Knuckles nods solemnly. “I am willing to accept that the other hedgehog is capable of change,” he says. “Seeing as how I myself have changed my behavior. But until we see it for ourselves, we must be prepared for anything.” He gives Sonic a meaningful look. “For the safety of our family.”

Sonic swallows. There’s a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“We need to start searching,” Tails says, firmly. “Sonic?”

Sonic looks back at him. “Fine,” he murmurs, slowly. “Whatever you say, buddy.”

“Shads?” Sonic calls, stepping into his old cave. Shadow looks up at him from where he’s curled up on the beanbag. 

“You’re back.”

“Yep!” Sonic shoots him a grin. “Didja miss me?”

“No.”

“I missed you too.” He saunters over to Shadow, plopping himself down on the ground in front of him. “Sooo… what’ve you been up to?”

“Nothing.” He watches Sonic’s expectant stare for a while longer, and relents. He tips his head over to some of the comic books that Sonic had left behind. He’d left them buried behind some other stuff that he’d collected, and Tom and Maddie had missed them while moving all his stuff over to the attic. He’d moved most of his collection to his home, but hadn’t cared much for those particular ones, so he’d completely forgotten. 

Shadow’s apparently pulled them out from whatever hole they’d been in, as evidenced by the neat pile in the corner of the cave he’s arranged them in. Sonic spots one on the ground next to Shadow, and deduces that Shadow must have been reading one before Sonic came in. 

Sonic wonders if he’s interrupting, but Shadow doesn’t seem to mind. Besides, if Shadow really wanted him gone, he’d have no problems telling him so. But Shadow actually seems to not mind his company.

Of course, considering the bombshell Sonic’s about to drop on him, that might not last much longer. 

Sonic had debated on whether he should even tell Shadow about all this. It was a surefire way to get him to leave and never come back. He might go out there, all alone, with nothing and no one but himself and his hurt leg. 

But Sonic didn’t want to lie either. Shadow had been deceived and used his whole life. Sonic doesn’t want to contribute to that and keep Shadow here under false pretenses. He wants it to be Shadow’s choice. 

So, seeing no other way other than to say it outright, he clears his throat. Shadow looks over at him questioningly.

“Uh, Shads, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Shadow just looks at him, and Sonic stares right back. The silence lasts for a few seconds before Shadow breaks it. “Well?” he asks, and Sonic startles.

“Oh,” he mumbles. “Right. Well, there’s no easy way to say this, really, it’s kind of a mess—” 

“Sonic,” Shadow interrupts, voice firm. “Spit it out.”

Sonic takes a deep breath. “Okay.”

The entire story tumbles out of his mouth. He’d wanted to keep it brief, but once he starts talking, the words just keep spilling out of his mouth like a waterfall. He recounts everything, from Tom and Maddie’s meeting with Rockwell to their conversation at breakfast. Shadow listens to it all, still as a statue, features expressionless. 

Once Sonic is done, he quietly gets to his feet, and stalks over to the entrance of the cave. 

“Woah, Shads!” Sonic yells, racing after him. He reaches out to grab Shadow’s arm. Shadow whips around, fixing Sonic with the nastiest glare he’s ever seen. 

“Where are you going?”

“Away. Far away.”

Sonic gives him a look he knows is pathetic and desperate. Shadow looks unaffected. 

“You’re seriously running away?”

Shadow glares at him. “Obviously. This is why I’ve been intending on leaving anyway.”

“But why? You’re so much stronger than GUN. There’s nothing they can really do to you.”

Shadow scoffs. “That doesn’t mean I want to pick fights where I can just avoid them. GUN’s like a disease; they’ll just keep coming back. I’d rather not put myself in a position where they might take me down.” He levels Sonic with a dirty look. “Not to mention your friends are trying to find me too.”

Sonic tries another trick. “What about what we agreed on? That you’d stay here until we could get you all the stuff you’ll need to go traipsing around the world?” 

“I don’t really need all that stuff. I’ll manage.” 

“Still,” Sonic insists. “I can’t just let you go out there all alone, Shads.”

“I just said I’d be fine.”

“Yeah, well—” Sonic debates on whether he should play this card, and decides on it. It’s not like it can get much worse—either Shadow will hate his guts for his audacity and leave, or Sonic can say nothing, and Shadow will leave. It’s a lose-lose situation, so Sonic decides to just run his mouth, consequences be damned. 

Shadow’s so ridiculously stubborn. Sonic really wishes that something could be easy about all this. But apparently, with Shadow, that’s all just a pipe dream. 

Strangely, his irritation gives him courage.

“You say you’re fine, but I’ve seen the way you’re walking. Oh, sorry, limping,” Sonic snaps, and Shadow narrows his eyes.

“I have—”

“Accelerated healing? No offense, buddy, but that leg doesn’t look any better.”

Shadow purses his lips. Sonic seizes the moment of silence, desperately trying to make his case. 

“Look, I’m not gonna stop you from leaving, if that’s what you really want,” he says, and curls his fingers tighter around Shadow’s arm. “But please, just stick around until I can make sure you’re totally okay.” At Shadow’s dubious expression, Sonic hastens to continue explaining. 

“Look, let’s just stick to our arrangement, okay? I’ll get you all the stuff you need, and you just stick around here until you heal. I’ll keep my team off your back, too.”

Shadow’s heated expression fades a little, though he still looks ready to argue. 

“And,” Sonic continues, “if GUN really finds you out there, you won’t be able to do much until your leg heals. But I can help you out if you stick around here. At least until you heal. And it’s smart to hide here. It’s like hiding in plain sight, right?”

Shadow frowns at him, though he doesn’t look angry anymore, just doubtful. “You said that your family could get in trouble for helping me.”

“They can’t get in trouble if they don’t know,” Sonic counters. “I won’t tell them. Then they can have, like, plausible deniability or whatever.” 

“Sonic—”

“Please, Shadow,” Sonic says, feeling his ears droop. Unthinking, he brings his other hand up to hold onto Shadow too, fingers digging into his arm. “I—I thought you were dead once before. I don’t want something to happen to you.”

Shadow’s expression, stoic and unyielding, softens considerably. Sonic tracks his gaze, seeing it reach behind him to fall on the stone bearing Shadow’s name. Despite having rummaged through the cave, Shadow has not touched the gravestone. 

“Why do you care so much?” Shadow insists, voice quiet and soft, and Sonic shrugs. 

“I just want to help,” he repeats, and he can tell that Shadow isn’t satisfied with his answer, not after the last thing Sonic said to him. But Sonic’s not about to drive him away. 

And clearly, Shadow is just as afraid to push… whatever this is.

“You could get hurt,” he warns instead. “GUN isn’t incompetent.”

“Sure, I know that.” Sonic replies. “But we’ve fought them before. And between the two of us, we can take them no problem.” He grins at Shadow. “We do make a pretty good team, right? Remember when we fought all those robots in space? It was so—”

Magnificent. Beautiful. Ethereal. 

“—cool. They’d never stand a chance.”

Shadow stares at him, searching. Then he sighs. “I suppose.”

“So… you’ll stay?”

Shadow looks away from him, staring intently at the cave wall. “I don’t think you’d stop hounding me if I left.”

“Damn right.” Sonic shoots back, smirking. Then the smile falls off his face, and he looks at Shadow seriously. “So you’ll stay?”

Shadow keeps his face angled away from Sonic, eyes firmly fixed at a point on the wall. However, he nods slowly, carefully.

But that’s all Sonic needs. He feels his heart soar, unable to resist the wide grin that makes it’s way onto his face. Without thinking, he pulls on Shadow’s arm, making the other hedgehog stumble, and wraps his own arms around Shadow in a hug. Shadow freezes, going stiff and rigid in his grip.

Sonic curses himself. A perfectly good thing, and he’d ruined it. Now Shadow’s going to leave forever, and—

He finds his thoughts coming to a screeching halt when Shadow’s arms snake around his waist, holding Sonic close to him loosely. Sonic feels his eyes widen, trying to glance at Shadow through the corner of his eye. But the comfort of the hug, the warmth from Shadow’s body… the pleasant sensations overwhelm him, and Sonic gives into the urge and lets his head drop lightly onto Shadow’s shoulder. Shadow’s arms tighten around him, and Sonic closes his eyes.

Then Shadow seems to come to himself, and Sonic pulls away just as his body tenses up once more. He looks embarrassed, ears flattening themselves against his skull. Shadow keeps his gaze directed towards the ground, and if Sonic didn’t want to keep his head, he’d tell Shadow that he looked kinda cute like that.

As it is, he keeps it to himself, just letting himself think about it instead. 

There’s no need to ruin a perfectly good thing. Sonic can just stick around Shadow, and help him out. 

And when the time comes that Shadow wants to leave…

Well. He’d rather not think about that.

Shadow feels himself be taken aback when Sonic throws his arms around his neck. He feels his body go stiff, preparing subconsciously for some kind of attack. However, the logical, rational part of his brain recognizes this as a hug.

Sonic is hugging him. Instinctively, his arms wind around Sonic in turn. 

Shadow doesn’t know what to do in this situation. Normally, he would push someone who tried to hug him like this off immediately, maybe even punch them for good measure. 

But this isn’t just someone, is it? It’s Sonic. And Shadow doesn’t know what Sonic considers him to be, he doesn't know what he considers Sonic to be… but he’s not just anyone. He hasn’t been since that moment on the moon, where he reached out to Shadow, pulled him from the darkness and into the light. 

Shadow remembers Maria’s hugs, warm and comforting. He remembers the way she’d wrap her arms around him and hold him close. He remembers when she would hug him, on the days when the tests he’d been put through were particularly intense and draining. She’d pull him into her lap and hold him close. He’d never experienced a hug before her, and he’d never craved anything more. 

Sonic is not Maria. He can never be Maria. No one can replace her, and no one ever will.

But Sonic isn’t trying to replace her. He’s just some earnest idiot who won’t leave Shadow alone. Just some strange and bizarre hedgehog who gave him food, water, a place to stay, and saved him from himself. He’s just some weird guy who won’t give up on trying to help Shadow, always showing up with a grin on his face, like he’s excited to see Shadow. Like there’s something about meeting up with Shadow that’s worth being excited for. 

And Shadow is so tired of everything.

He feels Sonic’s head land gently on his shoulder, and lets himself go, tightening his grip around Sonic and closing his eyes tightly, desperately, soaking in the warmth brought about by their proximity. He stays that way for what seems like a long time, though objectively it’s only a few seconds. But he doesn’t want to let go. 

It’s that jarring realization that has Shadow crashing back to reality, finally taking note of what he’s actually doing. He feels himself freeze, body tense in Sonic’s grip. Luckily for him, Sonic takes the hint, backing off immediately. He doesn’t say anything, and Shadow turns away, directing his gaze to the ground, feeling profoundly embarrassed by his impulsivity and lack of self-control.

But Sonic doesn’t bring it up again. He doesn’t ridicule Shadow for his foolish reaction. Instead, he nudges him. “Since we’re here,” he says, “we might as well finish hanging out. Whad’ya say?”

Shadow shrugs. “Might as well, since I doubt you’re leaving anytime soon.”

Sonic grins, offering him a thumbs up. “You got it! Don’t worry, I always have the best hang out ideas.”

Shadow looks at him, unimpressed. “I doubt that. Although,” he starts, and can’t resist smirking. “I didn’t think you’d know what ‘plausible deniability’ is either.” 

“Hey! I’ll have you know I’m plenty smart! Also, I watch a lot of detective shows.” He looks at Shadow. “Do you even know what it is?”

No. “Yes.”

“Hmph. Well, I still watch more detective shows than you.” Sonic looks at him curiously. “Have you watched many detective shows?” At Shadow’s confused look, he clarifies. “You know, murder mysteries and stuff.”

“No.”

Sonic beams. “Well, you’re in luck! You’re looking at a real connoisseur of the murder mystery genre. Honestly, I need someone who can appreciate them with me. Knuckles hates watching them because they’re scary and also because he can never keep track of everything, and Tails always figures it out before the big reveal so it’s no fun watching it with him. But I have a feeling you’ll be a perfect murder mystery buddy.”

Sonic throws an arm around his shoulder. “Maybe I’ll sneak you into my house one day and we can watch something.” He flashes Shadow a sickeningly cheerful grin. “We’re going to have so much fun.”

“I’m on the run from a corrupt organization with superweapons,” Shadow replies. “This is serious. Not fun.”

“No reason it can’t be both,” Sonic snarks back, before becoming serious and business-like. 

“But enough about that! We have some important business to attend to.” Sonic gestures solemnly to the comics stacked in the corner. “Let’s talk comics. Here’s what you need to know—”

Shadow can’t help himself.

He lets himself get swept up in Sonic’s infectious energy as he explains the intricacies of the DC Universe’s continuity. Sonic’s arm slips off his shoulder as he picks up a comic, and Shadow falls back onto the beanbag, trying to ignore how much he wants the warmth of Sonic’s arm around him back.

“What am I supposed to do?”

Maria looks at him and laughs. “Here,” she says, with a smile. “Just put your arms around me.” She takes Shadow’s hands in her own, placing it gently around her own body. Shadow holds his hands loosely, barely touching her at all. 

“… Like this?”

“Well, yes, but you don’t have to try not to touch me at all.” She frowns. “If you don’t want to hug me, it’s okay, Shadow. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“It’s not that,” Shadow insists. “I just don’t want to hurt you.”

“What do you mean?”

Shadow looks away from her. “All the scientists… that’s what they were saying today. They said that I was full of destructive power, and they needed to test it. That’s why they made me do so many tests.”

He closes his eyes, feeling them sting. “I don’t want anything to happen to you because of me, Maria. If—if anything happened to you because of me, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Maria reaches for him, and tilts his head over to look into his eyes. “You could never hurt me, Shadow,” she says, voice firm but kind, the most beautiful sound he’s ever heard. “You’re my friend.”

“Even though I’m destructive? And dangerous?”

“You’re not destructive or dangerous, Shadow. But even if you were, I’d still be your friend.” She smiles fondly at him. “In fact, you’re my best friend.”

“Maria…”

She gives him a grin. “Now, how about we—oof!”

Shadow wraps his arms around her, squeezing tight. He buries his head in her shoulder, almost instinctively. Maria reacts almost immediately, an arm coming to hold him in return, her other hand resting against the back of his head, burying itself in his quills. 

“Isn’t that nice?” Maria says. Shadow doesn’t reply, lost in the feeling of comfort, drowning in the warmth. He feels Maria pull him closer, shifting until he’s in her lap and she can hold him properly. 

He doesn’t ever want to move. 

“There, Shadow,” she says, stroking his head gently. “I’ll always be here with you. No matter what.”

Yes, Shadow thinks, closing his eyes. No matter what.

Chapter Text

“So, I was thinking we could start searching for Shadow today.”

Sonic looks up from his cereal. “Today?”

Tails nods absently, fiddling with one of his gizmos that Sonic can’t understand. “Nuts,” he exclaims, shaking the thing a little. “The Miles Electric is still broken.”

Knuckles scoffs good naturedly at Tails, sitting next to him at the table. “Once again, your reliance on technology cripples you in your hour of need. Fortunately, I have no need of such devices! I am one million percent muscle!”

Sonic shoots him a smirk. “Can your muscles track down Shadow too?”

Knuckles flexes his arm thoughtfully. “Perhaps not,” he acquiesces.

“It’ll take me a while to fix this,” Tails grumbles, dropping the hunk of metal on the table and staring at it wistfully. He drops his chin onto the table as well, staring miserably at his creation.

“You usually fix it up fast, though.”

“Yeah, but I need to get the parts. It’ll take me a while to track them down.”

Sonic grimaces. “Well, good luck searching, buddy.” He nudges Tails gently with his elbow. “Bet you wish the Miles Electric could help you with that, huh?”

Tails whacks him with his tail from under the table, and Sonic makes a big show of yelping. “Oh, stop it,” Tails says, grinning. Sonic and Tails proceed to get into a little slap fight, giggling all the while.

Meanwhile, Knuckles has picked up the broken gadget, frowning at it. “So, how does this useful contraption work?”

“Oh, it senses energy signatures. More specifically, it senses chaos energy. So, if I get it fixed, it should be able to track down Shadow.”

Sonic frowns. “How can you be sure it’s Shadow?”

“Are you kidding? He’s practically made of chaos energy. The readings were off the charts! They’re completely distinct from any other living creature. If he’s anywhere, the tracking device should be able to pick up on him.”

Sonic stares at the tracker, and gulps nervously. “So, there’s no chance we can miss him with this,” he says, watching Tails take it back from Knuckles and fiddle with some circuit inside it.

“Yeah!”

“Excellent,” Knuckles proclaims. “With this device, we will be able to locate the other hedgehog with ease. I admire your intelligence, Fox.”

Tails blushes. “Aw, thanks.”

Knuckles smiles at him, and then grows serious. “It is important that we find him,” he says, and it’s now that he chooses to look at Sonic. Sonic straightens in his seat, finding it difficult to hold Knuckles’ gaze. “The other hedgehog may very well not be what we think,” Knuckles continues. “But we are warriors. It is our responsibility to do the right thing.” Sonic can’t even move, rooted to the spot by the gravitas in each of Knuckles’ words.

Knuckles always talks like every word he says has to shake the world, but he rarely ever talks like this, with a tone so deathly serious that his voice commands respect regardless of who is on the receiving end.

And he can’t help but think back to that terrible time, watching Tom be wheeled away on a stretcher. When he almost fought Knuckles for the Master Emerald, and would have if Knuckles hadn’t upheld the promise that Sonic broke.

And the thought brings up a bitter realization.

“Am I justified in my confidence of your commitment?” Knuckles asks them, steely gaze sweeping over both him and Tails, even though Sonic feels like Knuckles is only talking to him. Tails answers with a yes, though Sonic barely hears him.

“Hedgehog?”

Sonic stares into Knuckles’ eyes, and draws in a shaky breath.

“I—”

“Sonic!”

Sonic jumps, whirling around at the sound of Tom’s voice, floating in from upstairs. “I need you here!”

“Oh, look at that, I gotta go,” Sonic rambles, jumping off the chair. “Good talk, guys.” And Sonic runs, feeling Knuckles’ hard, heavy gaze following him on the way out.

The next time he drops in, Sonic finds Shadow pacing the confines of the cave.

“Shads,” he calls, and Shadow looks up at him. His face is stoic as ever, but Sonic notes the agitation in his eyes. Shadow’s still here, so it can’t have been anything related to GUN’s pursuit of him, or even something threatening. Sonic racks his brain, trying to figure out what it could be, before he throws caution to the wind and decides to ask. Hopefully, Shadow isn’t in too much of a bad mood that he clams up like he is wont to do.

“Something wrong?” Sonic asks, and Shadow bites his lower lip.

“Nothing.”

Sonic’s not going to get any answers out of him like this, so he switches tracks.

“Your leg seems to be doing better.”

Shadow looks down, and shifts his foot experimentally. “I suppose,” he says, almost like he hadn’t noticed it at all. Sonic resists the urge to shake his head. Only Shadow.

But he has to admit that Shadow wasn’t kidding about his accelerated healing. Sonic heals fast too, but not that fast.

“Have your friends—”

“No,” Sonic interrupts, used to Shadow asking about whether Tails and Knuckles have made any leeway on figuring out their little secret. “I mean, we’ve been talking about plans to look for you, and we’ve been ‘searching’ Green Hills.” He grins. “I took the forest, so they wouldn’t find you.”

“And they believed you?”

Sonic feels his grin slip of his face. “Yeah,” he mumbles, and kicks the dirt. Apparently, Shadow notices.

“Sonic,” he starts, slowly, choosing his words. “You don’t have to do this.”

“Will you stop with that? I want to, okay? I’m not gonna stop.” Sonic snaps the words, and feels a little guilty when Shadow looks away. He sighs. “Sorry, Shads. It’s just that—it’s not your fault. This is my choice.”

He offers Shadow a smile. “You could just say thank you instead,” he teases.

Shadow looks back at him. “Thank you,” he says, with the utmost sincerity. It almost makes Sonic forget about everything with Tails and Knuckles.

He feels almost taken aback by how much those words mean to him. How they make him feel—

Get it together, Sonic.

“And you know, saying ‘Sonic is the coolest hedgehog I’ve ever met’ can’t hurt either.”

Shadow gives him a judgmental look. “I am not saying that.”

“Stingy.”

Shadow doesn’t reply to that, instead staring down at the ground. Sonic follows his gaze, but lets his focus drift over to Shadow’s foot, still shifting uneasily. Sonic stares at the twitchy movement, and is struck with a sudden realization.

“Oh,” he exclaims, slapping his forehead. “I didn’t realize!”

Shadow glances at him curiously. “Realize what?”

Sonic offers Shadow a sympathetic look. “How you must have felt cooped up in here!”

Shadow bristles. “That’s ridiculous,” he replies, sounding incredulous that Sonic would even suggest such a thing.

Sonic places a hand on Shadow’s shoulder, feeling him tense under his grip. “I get it, dude,” he says, comfortingly. “I get antsy all the time if I can’t run. And you’ve been cooped up in this cave for so many days. It’s gotta be frustrating.”

Shadow looks at him. “I suppose,” he accepts, sounding less offended now that he knows Sonic isn’t insulting him.

Sonic looks back at Shadow, and makes a decision.

“Hey Shads,” he says, and wiggles his eyebrows. “Wanna race?”

“…What?”

“You know, a race. When two people go as fast as they can—”

“I know what a race is,” Shadow interrupts. “Why are you suggesting one now?”

“Cause I can tell you need to get going,” Sonic says, and holds up a hand before Shadow can interject. “And also cause I really wanna race you.” He pauses, considering, before admitting, “and I’ve wanted to race you ever since we first ran through the streets of Tokyo.”

“Tokyo?”

“Uh,” Sonic stutters, intelligently. “You know, where we met?”

“…I see.” Shadow looks rather downcast about the idea that he hadn’t even known where they had met.

Sonic looks over at Shadow. He feels his tone soften, somehow affected by Shadow’s downtrodden look. “Hey, tell you what. You race me, and I’ll give you the greatest geography lesson you’ll ever have.”

Shadow still looks doubtful. “Are you forgetting that GUN is trying to track me down? If they see me running carelessly across the world, they’ll waste no time in hunting me down.”

“They won’t know,” Sonic says, waving him off. “If they come knocking, I’ll just tell them it was me. I’m more than capable of creating a large enough energy signature for two people.” Shadow raises an eyebrow.

“Sure.”

Sonic scoffs. “Says the guy who’s too scared to race me,” he goads, and watches Shadow’s eyes narrow. Sonic throws Shadow a wicked grin, and stares him right in the eyes. “And here I thought you were the ultimate lifeform. Turns out, you’re just a faker.”

“Faker?” Shadow sounds unbelievably insulted, and Sonic just smirks in reply.

“You heard me, faker. You gonna prove me wrong?”

Shadow doesn’t say a word. He just crouches, assuming a starting position right there in the cave, and turns to Sonic expectantly. Sonic just grins widely, and crouches next to Shadow. “On three,” he says. “One, two—”

Both he and Shadow take off at two.

“Cheater!” Sonic yells, even as Shadow fights to keep his place at Sonic’s side. Shadow just shoots him a look, and Sonic can see the competitive fire in his eyes. He grins again.

“Keep up if you can,” Shadow growls, and Sonic feels fire shoot through his nerves.

“Try me, faker!”

Shadow just bares his teeth, shooting off like a missile. Sonic keeps pace with him, running at his right. They don’t have a destination, they just run. Sometimes, Shadow turns, and Sonic swerves to match him. Sometimes, Sonic makes a quick direction change, and Shadow is still there, not giving an inch. Sonic doesn’t even know how fast they’re running, or where they are.

All he knows is that he’s never run like this before.

It’s different when he’s running to save the world. Sure, running is fun no matter the circumstance, but there are stakes there that weigh him down, preventing him from relishing in the feeling as much as he can. And competing with Knuckles and Tails is not as fulfilling either, because as much as Sonic likes being family champion, it’s not really a challenge. They really can’t match his speed.

But Shadow can.

And running like this, Sonic can feel nothing expect the wind pushing against him, the satisfying pounding of his feet against the ground, and the sharp, piercing feeling of absolute freedom. He throws his hands wide open, whooping in joy. Next to him, Shadow is a blinding, radiant figure, eyes glowing red, energy crackling all around him. Red and blue light fighting for dominance, lighting up the air around them, energy pulsating, shooting through him like his very blood has been lit on fire.

Shadow pushes forward next to him, and slides in front of him. He tosses his head back, turning to look at Sonic, and Sonic’s heart almost gives out at the grin Shadow sports, which he directs at Sonic. And he is reminded of glowing platinum fur with streaks of pink, glowing red eyes, and a firm, powerful hand in his.

All he can think of right now is that Shadow is beautiful.

Because Shadow glides over the ground, movements graceful and effortless. Try as he might, Sonic can never manage to make his movements look elegant, always looking messy and frantic. But Shadow, Shadow practically dances across the Earth, like the surface below his feet is just another extension of him, a part of his body. He is magnificent, and Sonic can’t look away.

“Who’s the faker now?” calls Shadow, his deep, guttural voice cutting through to his core, and he reminds Sonic of the one other thing he can’t do.

Lose.

Sonic pushes himself to go faster until they are neck and neck once more. He pushes himself to his limits, feeling the familiar, satisfying ache in his legs that bely his effort. He can feel the heat emanating from Shadow’s body as they race across the Earth.

Sonic laughs, exhilarated, and Shadow mimics his enthusiasm in his own way, flashing him a wide grin. Sonic feels like nothing matters, nothing except the hedgehog next to him. He wishes this would never end.

Because Shadow is the most incredible being on this world and every single other world out there. Being there next to him, running next to him, against him… Sonic feels cut open, taken apart. He wishes this would never end. Because Shadow is here, and he’s running, and Sonic…

Sonic has never felt more alive.

But unfortunately, everything comes to an end, and Sonic ends their race in the most anticlimactic way possible: he trips. He gives a decidedly embarrassing shriek as he pinwheels, rolling across the unforgiving earth to come to a stop, dizzy. He observes Shadow turning around from where’s he’s taken the lead, and watches him come to stand next to Sonic, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Guess I win,” he says, and grins. “Faker.”

“I should never have said that,” Sonic grumbles, but he isn’t irritated by it, not really. He holds out a hand to Shadow, and when Shadow doesn’t move, wiggles his fingers expectantly. Shadow rolls his eyes, but reaches out his own hand and helps him up.

“Where are we anyway?” Sonic has no idea, but it looks kinda familiar, sprawling hills and emptiness for as far as he can see. There’s no one else here but them.

Shadow follows his gaze, looking around curiously. Then he tenses, eyes widening imperceptibly before he’s taking off again.

“Hey, wait!” Sonic yells, speeding off after him. This guy…

Shadow moves across the hills, looking like he knows exactly where he’s going. Sonic just follows, dying to ask, but willing to wait. Soon, Shadow screeches to halt, and Sonic mimics him, coming to a stop next to him. He opens his mouth, but closes it when he sees Shadow’s face.

Looking around reveals a familiar environment, and a giant depression in the land before them. And Sonic remembers a giant black hole, remembers watching an entire base full of memories and remnants of a former life collapse into itself.

“Shads…”

Shadow swallows thickly. Small remnants of the energy he’d built up during the run still spark around him, dancing in the air. But it’s dying down, and Sonic can see the haunted expression in his eyes.

“Hey,” Sonic asks, gently, not finding it hard at all to slip away from the ferocity of their competition. “You okay?”

“I—” Shadow starts, and stops. Sonic waits, almost at a loss. He’s not used to seeing Shadow like this.

“I destroyed it,” Shadow says, finally. Sonic’s traitorous thoughts flare up, making him wonder how they even got here so conveniently.

But there’s another part of him that feels like it had to happen eventually.

So, Sonic stops himself from thinking, and focuses on Shadow.

“It’s okay, Shads,” he comforts, and rests a hand on Shadow’s shoulder.

“It’s not,” Shadow snaps, and shakes off his hand. “It’s all gone. All of it, all of her. Because of me.”

Sonic debates on whether he should say something. There are so many things he could say. Maria’s not gone, Shadow. She’ll always be in your heart.

But that doesn’t change the fact that the physical reminders of their life together, the cherished treasures of home, are gone forever. And those matter, Sonic thinks, remembering the sole feather he has of Longclaw’s, protectively kept along with the map she had given him.

So Sonic steps closer to Shadow, and says nothing. But he does reach out to take his hand, holding it in his own, squeezing it comfortingly. He feels Shadow’s hand twitch, before fingers curl around his own hand. Sonic smiles, and lets Shadow mourn.

They stand there until the sky turns from black to blue, a bright light on the horizon. Shadow finally shifts, and draws in a deep breath. Sonic is about to ask if he’s okay, but Shadow beats him to it.

“Did you see?” he asks. “What was inside… did you see it?”

“Yeah. A pillow fort,” Sonic relates, remembering. “A guitar. The picture.”

Shadow lifts his arm, staring at his glove. Sonic reaches into it for him, pulls out the picture, without breaking his grip on Shadow’s other hand. Shadow takes the picture from him, staring at it with profound melancholy.

“This is all that’s left.”

He says it so matter-of-factly, and Sonic tightens his grip on Shadow’s hand.

“I’m right here!” Shadow yells, finger jabbing at his chest, right where his heart is.

Sonic watches him, surrounded by stars, and remembers that this is not who he is.

“It’s not all that’s left,” he says, knowing that now is the right time to say something. He raises his other hand, presses his finger to Shadow’s heart. “You’re still here.”

“I almost wasn’t. I almost destroyed that too.” Destroyed myself too, Shadow doesn’t say.

“But you didn’t. You’re still here. She’d want that for you, I’m sure. She’d be happy you’re still here.” And even though Shadow doesn’t look at him, Sonic grips his hand tighter. “And I am too.”

Shadow’s eyes turn glassy and wet. His lip quivers. Sonic follows him as he sinks to the ground, knees hitting the earth. He doesn’t let go of Shadow’s hand. He just follows Shadow’s gaze, and lets him commit the empty space to memory.

Sonic watches as Shadow looks over his old home, and says goodbye.

After what seems like an eternity, Shadow moves.

“We should go,” he says. Sonic stands, hand slipping out of Shadow’s, ready to make the trip back. He can see the tracks they’ve made, born of the force of their run. He turns to Shadow, waiting.

Shadow stands, and wobbles. His knees buckle, and Sonic moves to catch him before he hits the ground again.

“What’s wrong?”

Shadow grits his teeth, looking ashamed and embarrassed. “My leg,” he says, slowly. “It’s broken.”

“Broken,” Sonic repeats. His voice pitches higher as he yells, “Your leg is broken? And you still ran anyway?”

Shadow glares at him through the corner of his eye. “You talked me into it.”

“I didn’t know your leg was broken! I thought it was, like, a twisted ankle or something!”

Shadow doesn’t reply to that, looking away from him. Sonic looks him over, and sighs dramatically.

Honestly, he’s a little offended that Shadow tries to put up a fight when Sonic lifts him into his arms. “Why are you fighting?” he snaps, and Shadow pauses, still not letting go of his ear. “You can’t walk, so I’m helping! Why am I getting pulled by the ear?”

Shadow glares at him. “Do you have to carry me like this?” he asks, and Sonic watches him cross his arms and look away. Despite the situation, Sonic grins.

“Aw, are you embarrassed about being carried bridal style?” When Shadow doesn’t reply, Sonic continues. “If it’s that embarrassing, I can just toss you over my shoulder. You know, like a sack of potatoes—”

“This is fine,” Shadow interrupts. Sonic just smirks, satisfied.

“Now put your arms around my neck.”

“No.”

“I’m sorry, do you want to fall off?”

Shadow grumbles something under his breath, but wraps his arms around Sonic’s neck.

“Let’s go,” he says, not looking at Sonic.

“You got it,” Sonic replies. “And thank you for choosing Sonic Express, we hope you’ll enjoy—”

“Go.”

Sonic grins, and speeds off, following their tracks, retracing their steps. He glances at Shadow, who has his arms wrapped around Sonic’s neck, and his face turned away. He tries not to think about how hot his face feels, how Shadow fits into his arms like he belongs there. Sonic doesn't know where these thoughts are coming from, and figures that he doesn't want to know either.

Then he frowns. Despite their light banter, Shadow still looks downcast, ears drooping, laying flat against his head.

“Can I ask you something?” Sonic starts, and Shadow offers a grunt in reply.

“When you both were living in the base, what did you do?”

Shadow doesn’t reply, arms stiff around Sonic’s neck, and Sonic is sure that he’s going to be ignored. But after a while, Shadow replies.

“We’d watch movies,” he says, quietly, like he’s imparting some precious, well-hidden secret to Sonic. “And eat popcorn. She’d play her guitar for me. We’d read to each other.” His eyes flit over to Sonic for a split second before he glances away again. “We’d—”

Shadow starts his sentence, and then stops before he can finish the thought. “Yeah?” Sonic prompts, but Shadow clams up, seemingly not ready to share that bit of information.

But Sonic waits, and eventually, the dam breaks.

“We looked at the stars,” Shadow says, and Sonic remembers their time together on the moon, when Shadow opened up to him, and made the choice to show him who he really is. 

“Sounds fun,” Sonic offers, and Shadow nods after a small pause.

“It was… home.”

Sonic understands what he means. The base wasn’t his home. Maria was. Because Sonic knows that home is where your family is. Home is the memories, the cherished moments. And Maria’s not here anymore, and all that Shadow thinks he knows of her is in there.

“What about you? Shadow asks. “Where did you come from?”

Sonic shoots him a small smile. “I’m from a planet called Mobius,” he says. “I lived on a really secluded island there. But it was fun,” he adds, thinking back wistfully. “Sandy beaches, cascading waterfalls, public access to loop-de-loops… I could run across the entire island in less than two seconds.”

“Do you miss it?”

Sonic thinks of the beaches, and the trees, and the sea of green stretching as far as he can see, and the endless blue sky. But most of all, he thinks of Longclaw and her little shack, and how she’d tuck him under her wings and pat his head, how he’d go around the island hunting for colorful flowers, and how she’d accept them with a smile and press them into their special book.

“Yeah,” he answers. “I do.”

Shadow doesn’t reply. But Sonic feels him drop his head onto his shoulder, tucking his face into the crook of his neck. In return, Sonic tightens his grip around Shadow's waist.

They both know what they’re thinking. That the pain isn’t going to go away. It’ll always be there, and they can never recover what they once lost.

But that doesn’t have to mean it’s all over, that they can never find a new home. Sonic wants Shadow to understand that too. And as he tears through the woods, nearing the cave, Sonic looks at Shadow’s drawn, apprehensive face, and has an idea.

“Hey,” he says, and Shadow looks at him curiously. “Want a tour of Green Hills?”

Sonic sets Shadow down, but takes his hand, and leads him across the entire town. He points out the park, the library, the post office, the school, everything. He takes Shadow to the grocery store, and as they peer in through the window, he points out his favorite isles, where they keep the snacks and the chocolates. He shows Shadow where the ice-cream truck usually stops by. 

As the sky turns brighter and brighter, he takes him to the baseball court, and Shadow listens as he explains the rules.

“And then you hit the ball, and run around the bases.”

“That’s stupid,” Shadow says immediately. “If you’re just going to end up where you started, why run at all?”

Sonic is viscerally reminded of Knuckles’ naïveté. They move on rather quickly from the baseball court.

“Where do you live?” Shadow asks, abruptly. Sonic, who is in the middle of a rant about chili dogs and how the food cart that comes around here has the best ones, pauses.

“Follow me,” he says, and Shadow walks behind Sonic. Sonic watches him turn his head up at the sky, frowning at the lighter hues. Shadow’s never been out of hiding this late before. So he just holds his hand tighter, and pulls him along faster, ducking behind buildings and avoiding people. If it’s obvious that he’s kinda showing off how much he knows about Green Hills, Shadow doesn’t say anything.

“There it is!” Sonic points, and watches Shadow’s gaze sweep over their home. It’s in a quiet, peaceful area, and Shadow seems to take it in.

“You wanna go closer?” Sonic asks. Shadow says nothing. He just grips Sonic’s hand tighter, and teleports them onto the roof. “Dude,” Sonic says, falling to his knees. “Warn me next time, ‘kay?”

But Shadow isn’t even paying attention, staring around his house. He takes in the path leading to the door, their lawn, their garage and the shed, everything. He even scuffs his feet along the shingles on the roof, and Sonic notes the small look of wonder in his eyes.

Sonic has always loved his home. There’s nothing extravagant about it. It’s peaceful and serene. Standing outside, it smells like grass. There are crickets chirping somewhere, and the sound fills the air. Sonic breathes in the fresh, crisp air.

“You wanna see my room?”

Shadow nods, and Sonic walks him over to the skylight. “We can’t go inside because Knuckles and Tails are still sleeping, but I can point out all my stuff.” Shadow peers in through the glass, and Sonic kneels next to him, pointing out his racecar bed, his prized comic book collection, his traffic signs, and his new beanbag. Knuckles and Tails are still asleep, blissfully unaware of Sonic’s absence.

“Pretty cool, huh?”

Shadow nods. “I like the lights.”

“Me too!” Sonic replies. “Tom and Maddie put them up for me when I first got here.”

Shadow nods absently, still looking around at the trees and the greenery. Sonic joins him, taking in the sights around him. No matter how long he lives here, it always feels surreal, especially in times like this. Like he can’t believe this is his life.

“I have to go,” Shadow says, abruptly, breaking Sonic out of his reverie. “I can’t stay out any longer.”

“I’ll go with you.” Shadow looks over at him, and nods. He teleports off the roof, and Sonic follows. Shadow moves slower on account of the broken leg, and Sonic doesn’t want to ask to carry him again. Something tells him Shadow won’t take too kindly to that.

“So, what did you think of Casa de la Wachowski?” asks Sonic, the moment they step into the cave. Shadow just tilts his head.

“It’s nice,” he answers, after a beat. Sonic smiles, relieved. 

"It's home," he responds. 

Shadow frowns, looking at his feet.

“And no one knows you’re sneaking out to meet me?”

It’s Sonic’s turn to look away, and he turns his gaze to the leftover signs on the cave walls, and the few scattered trinkets still left here. “No,” he replies, again.

He observes Shadow, and clears his throat.

“You know, you don’t have to hide here forever with just me to keep you company.” Before Shadow can object, he presses on. “Knuckles and Tails are really understanding,” he says. “If they see you, they won’t turn you away.”

“No,” Shadow replies, immediately, crossing his arms.

“Why not? They’ll totally understand. They won’t hold anything against you if they just got to meet you.”

“I tried to kill them. I almost killed Tom.” Shadow shakes his head. “They shouldn’t have to face me.”

“Don’t assume that,” Sonic retorts. “Did you know Knuckles tried to kill me the first time we met?”

Shadow looks up at him at those words, an expression of surprise on his face. “He did?”

“Yeah. But we’re thick as thieves now. I can’t imagine my life without him. It could be like that for you too.”

Shadow purses his lips, and redirects his gaze back to the ground. Sonic taps his foot rhythmically, feeling frustrated.

“I don’t get it, Shads,” he says. “You don’t want to meet them, but you’re fine meeting me?”

At that, Shadow sighs, dropping his arms back to his sides. “You…” he starts, and despite himself, Sonic leans forward.

“You’re different,” he says, finally. “You… understand.”

The words pierce him like an arrow through the heart.

And Shadow doesn’t say anything else, but Sonic understands.

He understands, even as he turns on his heel and sweeps out of the cave, running through the forest to go back home, suddenly craving the familiar warmth of his room with a desperation he hasn’t felt in a long while.

Of course he does.

Because only Sonic knows who Shadow really is. Beyond the grief and rage, Sonic knows who Shadow is.

And Shadow is the only one who knows Sonic in his entirety. Not only the part of him that’s bright and cheerful, but the part of him that’s angry and vengeful. The broken part of him, that’s torn up by grief and loss and the fear of losing everything all over again.

Knuckles and Tails had seen him like that, seen him lose control and succumb to his worst urges before he could remember who he really was. But Shadow knows that part of Sonic intimately; he's lived it, as Sonic stood above him, fist curled in the fur on his chest. Shadow understands him.

And when they’d fought together, wielding the power of the chaos emeralds together, they’d been the same; mind, body and soul merged into one, they’d been more connected than Sonic has ever been to anyone else.

Even Tails and Knuckles.

Tails and Knuckles…

It’s not like Sonic doesn’t want to tell them. He’d like nothing more than for his teammates, his friends, his brothers, to know. But clearly, that’s not something Shadow is comfortable with right now. And Sonic won’t push him.

But beyond that… there’s a part of Sonic that’s just scared. Scared that they’ll push him away for working with the enemy. They clearly don’t trust Shadow, and… Sonic’s broken their trust before too. Knuckles had dismissed his actions as water under the bridge, but Sonic still feels guilty. He feels afraid that Knuckles’ forgiveness is tenuous at best. And it’s less that Knuckles isn’t a forgiving guy, and more than Sonic’s actions are so horrible that forgiveness is difficult, even for someone as principled as Knuckles. And no matter what Knuckles says, Sonic knows that something shifted between them that day, something he’s not sure they ever got back.

Sonic doesn’t want to lose his family.

But, he thinks, it goes both ways. Despite how complicated his life’s gotten with Shadow around… Sonic can’t imagine life without him anymore either. Because even though Sonic’s been helping Shadow out, Shadow’s been doing the same for him, without even realizing it.

No matter how different he and Shadow are, no matter how incomprehensible their relationship is… Sonic has never met someone who can keep up with him. And it’s not just during a race. In Shadow, Sonic finds a kindred spirit, someone who understands. Someone who has reached out and taken his hand, looked into his mind, and seen his heart.

Around Shadow, he feels whole. Around Shadow, he feels complete.

Around Shadow, he feels alive.

And despite everything, Sonic doesn’t want to lose him either.

Chapter Text

Shadow hears Sonic leave the cave, hears the telltale sound indicating that he’s taken off. He wonders if this is the end. Whether Shadow has finally driven Sonic off with his unpleasant demeanor. Maybe he should have been nicer about Sonic’s friends.

Shadow knows he’s hard to get along with. It took him so long to let himself enjoy the time he spent with Maria. It just didn’t come easy to him like it did for her. Like it does for Sonic.

And how could it? He’s not like them. He’s not cheerful or brave or kind or strong. Shadow’s weak; he’s cruel and hurtful and only leaves disaster wherever he goes. Sometimes, he barely feels like a person. He stayed in the military base for so long, even though he could have broken out, because he knew he didn’t belong anywhere else. At least there, he had a purpose. He had some use.

For a while, Maria had shattered that. Shadow had believed that he could find some joy in life, that maybe it was worth living even if he wasn’t of any use to anyone. He could just be Maria’s friend.

But it all shattered again once she was gone. Shadow doesn’t know a life without her. He doesn’t know how to live without her. He doesn’t know if he deserves a life without her.

Shadow looks around the cave once again, takes in all the signs and trinkets and little vestiges of personality still left, and he can see what inspired the decorations in Sonic’s room. And then there’s the thing he’s avoided looking at, Sonic’s little memorial for him. Proof that someone had actually cared enough to do that for him, after everything.

Shadow doesn’t deserve it.

The cave suddenly feels oppressive, suffocating, like the walls are closing in on him. And even though his leg can’t seem to hold on much longer, Shadow knows he can’t stay here.

So, he leaves.

He glides through the forest, following a worn, beaten path that has clearly been traversed many times. He saw this path before, when Sonic brought him back to the cave from where he’d shown him his home. It doesn’t take long for Shadow to reach the Wachowski residence.

He finds those strange creatures rummaging through the trash cans once more. Looking closer, there’s some lock placed on the lid, and the creatures struggle to penetrate it. Shadow watches them for a moment, and then moves closer. It only takes a spark of chaos energy to spring the lock open, and he carefully removes the lid and places it on the ground.

It occurs to him that the locks are there for a reason, but Shadow can see the hunger on the animals’ faces, and ridiculously, he can’t help but understand them.

He turns his gaze to the window, noticing movement inside. And despite himself, against all his better judgement, he creeps over to the window to peer inside.

What greets him is a picture of pure domesticity. He watches a woman teaching the fox (Tails, his mind supplies), how to flip pancakes. Knuckles is setting out plates on the table, surprisingly gracefully despite the fact that he doesn’t use his fingers. And then there’s Sonic, who’s chatting with the man he recognizes as Tom, laughing and grinning as Tom pats his head.

Shadow watches them all, and feels a deep pang in his heart. A deep, consuming feeling of longing.

The closest he’s had to a family like this was Maria. He’d thought, once he’d been freed, that at least Gerald cared about him too. But it’s clear to him that the man only ever saw him as an extension of Maria, and once she was gone, Shadow was nothing more than a tool to him, something he could manipulate and use to further his own goals.

And Shadow curses his own audacity. The nerve of him, to want something like this. To—even just a little—actually want to be there next to Sonic. After he nearly broke this family by killing one of their own. It’s a miracle Sonic even wants to be around him at all. Not to mention that none of the others want to be around him. Shadow can’t blame them, not one bit.

Shadow shouldn’t even dare to dream about such delusions. It’s an insult to the good people living inside, despite everything he’s done to them.

He doesn’t even deserve to watch. Even that seems like an intrusion. So, Shadow leaves, teleporting himself away.

But he doesn’t go to the cave. He wanders further into the town itself, ducking behind buildings and keeping to darker corners, like he and Sonic had done earlier. It’s not as easy now, with the sun in the sky, but Shadow has his chaos control, and it’s easier to blend in now that it’s just him.

Despite his curt words to Sonic earlier, Shadow has to admit that Green Hills is a lovely place. It’s quiet and peaceful compared to the bustling hub that was Tokyo. There, it had been a cacophony of noises, a bustling hub of shops and people who walked too fast and overstimulating neon signs and lights. But here, the air is fresh and clean, the people don’t crowd and push and shove, instead walking calmly through the sidewalks, exchanging pleasantries and smiling at one another.

Shadow can tell that nothing happens here, maybe aside from the occasional disaster brought about by Sonic and his friends. But he finds himself relaxing as he lets the calm atmosphere wash over him.

He ducks into an alley, settling down to watch people go about their day. He tucks his knees close to his chest, wraps his arms around his legs, and rests his head on his knees with a sigh. The alley is dark, the barest hint of sunlight streaming into it, still not enough to reach the darkened corner he chooses to hide himself in.

Shadow feels his eyes droop. The scientists had told him he didn’t need sleep, but aside from that one night on the tree, he hasn’t slept since, fearful that GUN would catch him off guard. He had chalked his need for sleep that night up to the fatigue that came with the day’s events, but he hasn’t done anything that strenuous to warrant tiredness now.

Maybe it’s his complacency, he thinks. Maybe his mind feels relaxed enough that it accepts his need for sleep. He could never allow himself to do that back at the base. But he remembers napping with Maria, laying on her pillows in their pillow fort. Shadow remembers curling up under a blanket with her sometimes, when she’d yawn and pull it over herself and insist that he get under it with her.

The first time, he’d tried to stay far away from her as possible, but she’d rolled her eyes and pulled him into her side, hugging him close. He’d fallen asleep, then, for the first time. He never remembered his dreams, that time and all the times after that, but he always remembered the warmth of her embrace once he woke up. Maria snored sometimes, and Shadow couldn’t sleep then, but he’d still try to snuggle up to her when she’d inevitably pull him closer. “You’re better than any teddy bear, Shadow,” she’d told him once, laughing. Shadow had stuck his tongue out at her.

Sleep had been another thing Shadow had associated with Maria, and yet, he finds his eyes drooping of their own accord now. He finds himself swaying slightly, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic sounds of footsteps.

Until the comforting, monotonous sound is interrupted by a mechanical whirring. Shadow opens his eyes in alarm, squeezing further into his corner just as a strange, egg shaped robot comes into view. He feels his eyes widen, recognizing it as one of those odd robots belonging to the Professor’s grandson.

But Ivo Robotnik is dead. Shadow knows this. He was unable to save the man, and only survived because of his superior strength and the power of the strange gems. There’s no way the Doctor survived.

The robot hovers in the alley, also retreating back into the shadows. Occasionally, it beeps, the sound so small and inconsequential that Shadow only manages to catch it with his superior hearing. The robot waits for a few more seconds before it moves further back into the alley. It doesn’t notice him.

Instead, the wall behind him opens up, revealing some sort of secret tunnel. The robot drifts inside.

Shadow doesn’t stop to think. He pulls himself to his feet, ignoring the urge to wince as the sudden movement upsets his leg. He all but jumps through the opening, and limps after the robot. It doesn’t seem to notice him at all, slowly traversing the tunnel.

He doesn’t know how far he follows the thing, but the narrow tunnel soon ends. Shadow watches as a hole in the ceiling opens up, and the robot begins to drift upwards. Shadow grabs onto it, and holds on tight as the contraption staggers, but rights itself and continues its upward journey.

Shadow doesn’t know what he’d been expecting to find. Perhaps some high-tech facility like the base, or even something like the mechanical crustacean they’d inhabited for a while to travel to London. He doesn’t expect to find a rather normal room, with wooden floors and a red carpet. The only other indication of abnormality is the presence of other egg shaped devices, all turned off and arranged against the wall. The robot he’s holding onto beeps, and Shadow releases it as it makes its way over to settle on the pile, and shuts down.

What the…

Shadow approaches them curiously, but just then, the door swings open. Shadow freezes, finding that he has no time to teleport. He can only watch in apprehension as the mysterious figure steps into the room, revealing themselves to be—

“Agent Stone?”

If Shadow is surprised to see Stone, then Stone is downright shocked. His eyes seem ready to fall out of their sockets with how wide they get. “Shadow?” he asks, in disbelief.

Shadow supposes that it makes sense. The Doctor’s assistant would undoubtedly have the means to control his tech. He glances at Stone, who is now blinking rapidly at him, as though clearing his eyes would make Shadow go away. Shadow looks him over, noting the dark circles under his eyes, his messy hair and his worn clothing, and decides that he’d better explain himself.

“I saw the… robot,” he says, waving at the drone he’d followed. “It led me here.”

“I see,” Stone says, nodding. “That doesn’t explain how you’re alive.”

“That was a result of my superior endurance and the power of those gems—”

“Chaos emeralds.”

“…Yes, those. That’s how I survived.”

Stone, whose face had grown a little brighter upon seeing Shadow alive, quickly deflates. “So that means…”

Shadow understands what he’s getting at, and guilt settles in his mind. “Yes,” he confirms. “I’m sorry.”

Stone shakes his head. “It’s fine,” he mutters. “I didn’t expect it to be true.”

Shadow doesn’t know what to say to that, so he doesn’t say anything.

Stone breaks the silence eventually, pointing down at his leg. “What happened there?” Even as he asks, it’s clear he already has his suspicions, so Shadow sees no point in trying to lie.

“I suppose I broke it when I fell.”

Stone hums thoughtfully. “Come with me,” he says, and walks out of the room before Shadow can protest. Shadow considers teleporting away, but something stops him. Perhaps it’s guilt or the relief in seeing the man alive, but Shadow follows him out of the room and into a modest living room. “Want to sit?” Stone asks, pointing at the couch. Shadow nods, at a loss for what to do, and sinks down onto the couch. He finds himself melting into the soft, plush fabric. The beanbag was a step up from the tree branch, but even it pales in comparison to how comfortable this is.

Stone walks over to the kitchen, and Shadow can hear the sounds of dishes clinking, and the sound of some liquid being poured into a cup. He wants to look, but feels far too tired all of a sudden, muscles relaxing involuntarily upon contact with the couch. He wonders if he should be concerned about any schemes from Stone, but dismisses the thought; the man doesn’t seem to be concocting any schemes.

And even if he was, Shadow can take him. He decides to enjoy the couch for as long as he can.

Stone returns with a tray, balancing a cup on a saucer, with some other things on it. Under his arm, he carries some other strange device. “Here you go,” he says, setting it down on the small table in front of Shadow. Upon Shadow’s curious look, he explains. “It’s coffee. You look dead on your feet, I thought you might like some.”

“I’ve never had coffee.”

“Really,” Stone says, not really asking. Shadow doesn’t reply to him.

“One could say I’ve had too much,” Stone offers instead, picking up the steaming cup and handing it to him. Shadow thanks him, and takes a sip.

He tries, and fails, to hold in his sigh as the warm, rich beverage flows down his throat. Stone glances at him in mild surprise, and then smiles. “I take it you like it then.” Shadow forgoes answering him in favor of taking another sip. He already feels far more alert and refreshed than he has in so long.

Stone kneels next to him, presenting the strange, flat device to him. “May I take a look at your leg?”

“What for?”

Stone raises an eyebrow. “People usually get their wounds looked at.”

“I have accelerated healing.”

“Still doesn’t hurt,” Stone argues. “Maybe it’ll make you feel better if you knew what was going on with your leg too.”

Shadow can’t argue with that logic. “Fine,” he says, eager to get back to the coffee. He takes another sip as Stone taps the device in his hand, and a bright light shines from its back, sweeping over Shadow’s leg.

“Well, it’s definitely broken,” Stone reports. “There’s some inflammation there, too.” He frowns. “You haven’t been running around a lot, have you?” He seems to take Shadow’s silence as an admission of guilt, because he sighs.  “Why would you run around on a broken leg?”

Shadow bristles. He doesn’t need to listen to Stone questioning his decisions. But Stone is already up and about, and it occurs to Shadow that the man just likes to air out his thoughts. He resolves to not think much about it.

“Where are we?” he asks instead, looking around the house. It’s not as big as Sonic’s house. But there’s a couch, and a bigger, sleeker version of what is assumes is the television that he and Maria used to watch movies on. There’s a kitchen too, and a few boxes scattered here and there. The house looks used, but not lived in.

“I guess it’s my house,” Stone says, though there’s a complete lack of emotion in his words. It sounds nothing like the way Sonic talks about his home, with unbridled fondness. “After the doctor went missing, I needed somewhere to crash and manage his affairs, so I bought it.”

Shadow finishes his drink, and stares at the dregs of coffee at the bottom of the cup. “Isn’t GUN looking for you?”

Stone snorts derisively at that. “No, they’re too busy looking for you. Priorities, am I right?”

Shadow frowns. Vitriol spews out of his mouth before he can stop it, and he finds he doesn’t regret it one bit. “For a wretched organization like GUN, anything goes,” he spits, and Stone laughs.

“You’ve got that right.”

Shadow looks over at him. Stone has his back turned to Shadow, busy with something in the kitchen. “Should they be looking for you?” he asks, and Stone stills for a second before he returns to whatever he’s doing.

“Nah,” he says. “I’m not looking for trouble. I’m just trying to get all the Badniks back.” From context, Shadow assumes the egg shaped robots are what he’s referring to. Shadow stays quiet, but Stone must pick up on his doubts.

“Honestly, I just followed him around,” he says. “He was a genius. A visionary. That’s what drew me to him, and once I found him, I couldn’t let him go.”

Shadow remembers the way the doctor had spoken to Stone upon the ship. Cutting, hurtful words. “Was he good to you?” he asks, delicately.

Stone pauses for a few seconds. “As much as he could be,” he replies, finally. “He was… damaged, hurting. I could see he needed me, and I knew he’d fall apart if someone wasn’t there for him. So, I stayed.”

Shadow reaches over to place the cup back on the table. “Do you miss him? Don’t you want him to come back?”

Shadow looks straight ahead, staring into the black, empty screen before him. But he can see Stone turning around to look at him in his periphery.

“Of course I miss him. Of course I want him to come back to me,” says Stone. “But it’s not worth dwelling on, because this time, I know he’s gone.” He sighs. “Last time, I spent months waiting for him to come back. But I can’t wait this time, because he’s really gone.”

“So what will you do?”

“I don’t know,” Stone answers, honestly. “I’m just getting all the Badniks back from around the world right now. Maybe I’ll open up the Mean Bean again.” Shadow remembers that. Sonic had mentioned it when he’d taken him around Green Hills.

“You’ve already moved on?” he asks, despite himself.

“I… wouldn’t say that,” Stone replies, humoring Shadow’s invasive questions. “But I heard what he said to me; what he thought about me. I know he loved me like I did him. And… I think it’s better to hold onto that than to wallow in grief. Honestly, I did enough of that the last time.”

Shadow stares firmly at the television, even though he finds that he can’t focus on it anymore. His ears are ringing, and he curls his hands into fists, trying to stop himself from sinking his claws into the upholstery.

Everyone seems to have it all figured out. Sonic, and even Stone. Only Shadow is left, mired in grief, only darkness surrounding every path he sees around him.

“You lived for him,” Shadow spits. “And now you’ve found yourself a new life already? How is that even possible?”

“Shadow?”

“How?” Shadow bursts, jumping off the couch to face Stone, who looks properly shocked at his outburst. “How can you choose to love someone else when the only person you loved is gone? How can you choose to have another life? It doesn’t work like that,” he says, feeling his voice lower to a whisper. “It can’t.”

He’s not talking about Stone anymore. The man never mentioned loving someone else.

Maybe he’s talking about Sonic. Maybe he’s talking about Sonic’s family.

Or maybe—

Shadow closes his eyes tight, and turns away from Stone. He crosses his arms tight over his chest, refusing to let himself fall further apart.

“You think you choose to love someone?”

Shadow whirls around to stare at Stone, who’s looking at him with amusement. “What?”

“It’s just—” Stone gives him an amused smile. “Do you think I would have chosen to love the doctor? He was the most difficult man I have ever met. Working with him wasn’t easy. I often wondered what my life could have been like if I had walked away.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying,” Stone replies, and here his voice takes on a more serious tone. “We don’t choose who we love. What we do choose, is if we fight to keep it, or let it slip away.” He regards Shadow earnestly. “I could have left him. I knew life with him wasn’t going to be easy. I might have a had a simpler one if I hadn’t followed him. But what I chose was to hold onto him. Because I loved him. And even if it wasn’t easy, I can never regret any of it. It was still the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Shadow stares at him, finding himself speechless.

Stone walks around the counter, and comes over to kneel next to him. “I don’t know your story, or your grief,” he says, with a strange weight that Shadow never expected from him. “But I can tell you’re at some kind of crossroads in your life now. You have a big choice to make. So, just follow your heart,” he continues, and Shadow is reminded of Maria, telling him who he is.

All he can do is nod, strangely touched. “Okay,” he says, because he can’t think of anything else to say.

Stone gets up rather quickly, seemingly embarrassed by the earnest conversation. “Okay, good talk,” he says. “Now let’s see to your leg. I think a cast would—”

“No.”

Stone quirks an eyebrow. “No?”

“No.”

“Fine. Then a splint, at least.”

Shadow purses his lips. “Fine.”

Shadow sits back onto the couch as Stone stalks deeper into the house and returns with supplies in his hand. Shadow lets him work. And it’s different, so different from the way the scientists would poke and prod at him, like he was nothing more than an experiment. Stone is careful, patiently setting his leg with the splint.

“There,” he says. “Stay off the leg, and your healing should take care of it in no time.”

“Thank you.”

Stone nods. He bites his lower lip, and then asks, “where are you staying?” When Shadow glances at him suspiciously, he puts his hands up. “Just want to make sure you’re doing okay.”

“I found a place.”

“That’s good,” Stone replies. A beat. Then—

“If you ever want to come stay here,” he offers, “I’m happy to take you in.”

Shadow stares at him as though the man were out of his mind. “You would let me stay with you?”

“Sure.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

“You barely know me,” Shadow argues, trying to impress this fact upon the man. “I left you to die in that thing—”

“The crab.” And Stone smirks at him. “If it helps, I would have left you too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Look,” Stone says. “I get it. We haven’t been the best people, to others or to each other. But we have another shot at the whole redemption thing. It wouldn’t hurt to have a friend while doing it.” He shrugs. “Green Hills isn’t a bad place to live. Pretty small town.”

“It must have hundreds of people.”

“That’s what a small town is,” Stone says smugly.

“I… whatever,” Shadow mutters, and Stone’s countenance softens.

“Think about it,” he says. “It’s your choice. If you decide to leave and then change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Shadow looks at him, and nods. “I’ll… remember that.”

Stone nods, and walks back into the strange room filled with the ‘Badniks.’ Shadow follows him, and Stone opens up the tunnel. He offers Shadow a tiny wave. “See you around, I hope.” He winks. “If you ever want to finish watching La Última Pasión, my door’s always open. I know you like that show.”

Shadow feels his face heat up involuntarily. “Shut up,” he snaps, and Stone just laughs. Shadow doesn’t waste another second shooting through the passageway. The fake wall opens up easily enough, and Shadow ducks and sneaks his way back to the cave in the forest. By that time, the heat in his face has disappeared entirely, replaced with a feeling of contemplation.

Shadow finds himself crouching in front of the stone bearing his name, and for the first time, reaches out to place his hand over it. Slowly, he runs his finger over the name etched onto it, feeling the bumps and ridges in the otherwise smooth surface. The stone is cold, even through his glove, and Shadow finds himself thinking of the Wachowski family. Sonic’s words ring in his mind, reverberating like an echo, like the anthem of his heart.

“You always have a choice.”

“Maria,” he asks, even though he knows she won’t answer, she can’t. “What should I do?”

The stone crumbles beneath his hand.

Chapter Text

Sonic stares with dismay at the rain.

Tom passes by behind him, patting his head comfortingly. “Cheer up, bud,” he says. “I know you wanted to go for a run, but there’s tons of fun stuff we can do in here.”

“Like what?” Sonic pouts. “We’ve already done all the fun stuff, now there’s just… bleh.”

“There are other things we can do,” Tom suggests.

“You mean play Monopoly? No offense, but that got boring the last time we lost to Tails. I am not interested in repeating that experience.”

“I’m totally interested,” Tails interrupts, and earns a flick on the head from Sonic for his efforts.

“Alright, boys,” Maddie calls, clapping her hands. “Who wants to help me bake more cookies?”

“Me, me!” Tails pipes up, tails spinning in excitement, lifting him off the ground.

“I also wish to help!” yells Knuckles, voice carrying from the top floor. Sonic can hear his feet thumping as he descends the stairs.

“All you do is lick the batter off the spoon,” Sonic points out. Knuckles shoots him a look from where’s he’s appeared on top of the first flight of stairs.

“Exactly,” he says. “I am helping.”

“Why do I even bother?”

Knuckles ignores him, trudging over to the kitchen and taking a seat on one of the barstools. Sonic watches Tails picking out ingredients, and taps his feet on the ground. He stops, then rocks back and forth on his feet.

There’s nothing to do.

Sonic smiles.

Perfect.

“Okay,” he announces loudly. “Seeing as I’m not needed here, I’m gonna go take a nap.”

“A nap,” Tom repeats, suspiciously.

“Look outside, Tom,” Sonic replies, staring him down. “This is ideal napping weather. I have to take advantage of it.” Tom sighs.

“Knock yourself out,” he says, turning back to the TV, and Sonic grins.

“Hey Maddie? Can I get what’s left of the cookies?” Maddie doesn’t even look up from where’s she’s teaching Tails something about the batter, just tossing him the box containing the leftover cookies. Sonic hugs the box close to his chest, oddly giddy.

He speeds up the stairs, the familiar excitement already coiling in his stomach. He gathers a few essentials, and bolts out through the skylight. He traverses the familiar path, feet splashing through the puddles of water forming on the forest floor. He jumps over fallen branches, ducks under some of the low-hanging ones, and weaves through the trees until he reaches the cave.

He expects to find Shadow inside, curled up on the beanbag, but surprisingly, he’s standing outside, soaking wet. Sonic prepares to call out to him, but pauses.

He watches Shadow stare at the sky, eyes wide. Water covers every inch of him, dripping from his quills, running down his face. But Shadow doesn’t seem to mind, eyes fixated on the droplets of water falling down onto him, mouth slightly open in wonder.

Sonic watches him, feeling the same fluttery fondness curl up inside him, making itself at home. Shadow reaches out, palms facing upwards, catching the droplets in his hand. He stares as the water slides off his hand, falling to the floor with a plop.

Sonic considers him for a while, and then manages to slip back home quietly. He shoves a towel into his backpack, fighting to fit it in amongst all the other stuff he’s got in there. Then he heads back to the cave. Shadow is still there when he arrives, not having moved an inch, eyes still firmly transfixed upon the rain.

“Hey Shads, whatcha doin’?”

Shadow barely acknowledges him, now staring down at the ground, observing the puddles forming from the heavy rain, his reflection visible in the water, although distorted by the disturbances in the water caused by falling raindrops. Sonic decides that he doesn’t want to stand in the rain any longer, and heads inside. Shadow’s distracted demeanor will give him more time to set up all his stuff, anyway.

Sonic busies himself with unpacking his giant backpack, pulling everything out and dumping it on the cave floor. He pulls out the tarp, and heads over to the big hole in the cave ceiling. There’s a big puddle of water there, and Sonic grimaces. It might not have made much of a difference whether Shadow had stayed outside or inside. Sonic remembers huddling in the corner of the cave, wrapped in the worn, ragged blankets he’d found here and there. Hence his distaste for the rain.

But Shadow doesn’t seem to mind it at all.

Shadow wanders back into the cave just as Sonic finishes putting up the tarp to cover the giant hole. “You look like a wet cat,” Sonic informs him. Shadow just brings up his hand to wipe at his eyes, trying to get rid of the water disrupting his vision. He looks kinda cute like this, all wet and droopy. Sonic doesn’t even bother to dial his thoughts back this time; he can’t help it.

“You came back,” Shadow says, then, quietly. Sonic feels the smile leave his face.

“Yeah,” he replies. In all honesty, he’d been so caught up in his own thoughts, he’d never even considered what his sudden escape must have looked like to Shadow. Before he can even think about it, he runs over to Shadow, and reaches out to take his hand in his own.

“I’m sorry,” he continues, squeezing Shadow’s hand a little. “I didn’t mean to give you the impression that I didn’t want to be around you.”

Shadow just nods uncomfortably, eyes looking away from him. “What are you doing?” he asks, pointedly changing the subject.

Sonic grins at him. “Now you won’t have to worry about the water getting in. We can be nice and dry. At least, if we stay away from the big puddle.” Sonic lets go of Shadow, who is still dripping wet. Sonic makes a displeased noise. “Hold on,” he says, and recovers the towel he’d brought with him.

“Here, you can dry yourself off.” Shadow stares at his, looking adorably confused, before he accepts the towel. Sonic watches him run it through his quills for as long as he can without being a total creep before he lets his gaze wander lower, observing the splint on Shadow’s leg that hadn’t been there before. “Where’d you get that?”

Shadow pauses, before he hesitantly answers. “I found Agent Stone.”

“Huh. Imagine that.”

Shadow raises an eyebrow. “You’re not bothered?”

Sonic waves a hand. “Nah, as long as he’s not plotting anything.” He looks at Shadow curiously. “Is he plotting anything?”

“Not as far as I know.”

“Okaaaay,” Sonic drawls. “I’ll take it.”

Shadow rolls his eyes, and lets his gaze travel to the heaps of stuff behind Sonic. “What’s all that?”

Sonic grins. “This, my good hedgehog, is the first of the many pieces of equipment needed for surviving in the wild. It’s a tent.” Shadow stares at him dubiously. “If it doesn’t look like one, that’s because it hasn’t been assembled yet. I thought we could figure it out together.”

“I don’t need this.”

Sonic scoffs. “Psh, of course you do! What’ll you do if it rains, or snows?” When Shadow doesn’t respond, Sonic offers him a smirk. “You’re so lucky to have me around to think of these things.”

He expects a snarky comment or an insult, but Shadow just rolls his eyes again, before walking over to pick up one of the poles. Sonic watches as he turns it over in his hands, examining it. And maybe it’s like, insensitive or something, but Sonic loves watching the small sparkle of wonder in Shadow’s eyes when he sees these things. It completely transforms his face, almost like someone is shining a soft, warm light onto him.

“How do we put it together?”

“Well,” Sonic says, and fishes out the instructions. Tom usually puts up their tent while Sonic is racing, so Sonic has never actually learned. “Let’s see here…”

Shadow watches Sonic turn the large sheet of paper around and around, like the text on it is written in some unfamiliar, undecipherable language. From its back, Shadow can see images next to instructions written in points. Sonic bites his lip, brows furrowed as he tries to make sense of it.

Despite himself, Shadow has to admit that the sight doesn’t irritate him, somehow. Before he knows it, he’s walking over himself. “Let me see that.”

“Nuh uh, I got it,” Sonic insists, even as he turns the page again. Shadow resists the urge to sigh in consternation, and instead grabs onto one end of the sheet. He shoves at Sonic until he moves so that Shadow can take a good look too. Shadow looks from the instructions to the actual parts of the tent, and back again.

“This is doable,” he says, and Sonic sighs.

“Yeah, ‘course you got it right away.”

Shadow can’t resist smirking. “Just try to keep up.”

Sonic doesn’t respond to that, choosing to toss his head and walk over to pick up one of the poles. “Okay, we gotta set up the base,” he says, and pulls out more tarp from the other bag he’s brought with him. Shadow walks over as he opens it up, and takes one end, helping him spread it across the floor.

They spread out the base of the tent next, and drive the stakes in. Sonic only brought one hammer, so they take turns nailing them down. The poles come in next, and slide them into the sleeves of the tent. It’s not as easy as it seems, and they have to go back a few steps on more than one occasion, on account of messing up here and there. By the time they raise the tent, Shadow can’t even tell how long its been. The rain, while heavy before, has turned into a torrential downpour. They’re just lucky the rain can’t get into the cave, but it seems like Sonic is stuck here for the foreseeable future.

But Shadow doesn’t mind. It’s not even worth it to lie about it to himself. Sonic has been uncharacteristically silent the whole while, tongue sticking out in concentration. But his presence is inescapable, like he drives away every vestige of solitude and loneliness the moment he sets foot into a room. Despite himself, Shadow finds that there’s a certain warmth in Sonic’s company; it’s something he actually enjoys.

“Okay, that was exhausting,” Sonic comments, wiping theatrically at his forehead as he steps back to admire their work. It’s a little crooked, the poles aren’t placed exactly straight, but Shadow finds that he’s rather pleased with the result. It’s satisfying to see it be functional at all, especially since he has never seen one before in real life. Maria and Shadow only fashioned their pillow fort out of blankets.

Shadow takes a step towards it, but Sonic grabs onto his wrist. “Hold on,” he says, and Shadow observes the gleeful glint in his eyes.

“What?”

Sonic just smiles mysteriously. “You’ll see.”

He speeds over to the larger bag he’d apparently brought with him, and proudly displays its contents to Shadow. Shadow stares at the pillows squeezed into the bag. “What’s this for?”

Sonic smiles, small but genuine. “When you talked about building pillow forts, the other day… I thought it might be something you’d like to do. I build pillow forts with Knuckles and Tails sometimes too, especially on rainy days like this. So, I thought you might like to do it too.” He shoots Shadow a nervous look.

Shadow is tempted to be gratified by Sonic’s nervousness. He feels like he should be yelling at him for presuming too much, for daring to think that Shadow would want this. Maybe, in the beginning, he would have.

But he can’t. For some reason, he can’t.

“Okay,” he says instead, and Sonic beams.

“You’re the best, Shads!” he exclaims, easy as breathing, and Shadow ignores the way his breath catches in his throat. He just nods minutely, not trusting himself to speak. There’s some strange, unidentifiable warmth curling in his stomach, heating up his face. He resolves to not think about it.

Instead, he helps Sonic pull out the pillows, only half listening to him ramble about how he pilfered them from his bed and the couch, and it’s lucky that he had made a pillow fort with his brothers so he could just pick them up and bring them over, and how that had been good practice for this. Shadow doesn’t really register most of it, only really catching every other word, but he finds that he’s content to let it just wash over him as he places the larger pillows on the ground.

“Why don’t we put that one here?” Sonic suggests, and reaches out for one of the pillows Shadow had strategically placed. Shadow whacks his hand lightly.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“But it’d be better here. It’s more structurally sound!”

“Hardly.”

Sonic puffs out his chest, eyes glinting with the familiar competitive fire. “I’ll have you know that I’m a pillow fort expert.”

“So am I.”

“Oh yeah?”

Shadow stares him down. “Yeah.”

He’s ready when Sonic lunges at him, but they still go down in a tangle of limbs. They roll around on the ground, tussling. It’s an unspoken agreement not to deal any blows, but Shadow still buries his hand in Sonic’s quills and pulls. Sonic yelps, gripping his arm. “Okay, okay, I give up! Sheesh,” Sonic mutters, but he’s smiling.

Shadow offers him a small smile back, and feels all the tension bleed out of him. He helps Sonic arrange the rest of the pillows, laying the shorter ones over the bigger, flatter ones laid out on the ground already. Despite their disagreement earlier, Sonic and Shadow have largely the same framework for arranging pillows, and they make it work.

“That’s it,” Shadow states, peering into the tent, where the base is hardly visible because of the pillows covering it up. He makes to go inside, but Sonic stops him again.

“Wait,” he says, and presents a large, coiling wire, embedded with tiny bulbs. Shadow stares at them, and then back at Sonic. “Ta daa!”

“Sonic,” Shadow feels himself saying. “What…”

“Fairy lights,” Sonic explains, pulling out some sort of device along with it. “And one of Tails’ portable power generators, or whatever. But it’ll help us light these bad boys.”

Shadow looks over the lights. There’s a strange, heavy feeling in his chest, one that’s all too familiar. He doesn’t have to look at Sonic to know that he’s noticed Shadow’s brief turmoil. But Sonic only steps in front of him with a smile. “Come on, Shads.”

And Shadow finds himself helping Sonic put up the lights inside the tent. Sonic uses tape to hold them up, lacking any other means of them staying up. Shadow finds himself moving largely on autopilot. Doing this is almost second nature to him.

Maria liked to rearrange the lights in their fort often. She insisted it got boring to see them strung up the same way all the time. Sometimes, she’d insist that Shadow should learn, and direct him on how to set them around their pillow fort. Shadow tries to imagine how she’d want him to arrange them here.

By the time he’s done, Sonic has long abandoned the task, instead choosing to fiddle with the box-shaped device he’s brought with him. “Okay,” he says, connecting the lights to it somehow. He presents it to Shadow, smiling. “Let’s light it up!” Shadow nods, reaching out and flicking the switch on the side.

He watches the lights come alive, illuminating the tent in a warm, yellow glow. Sonic cheers by his side, but Shadow can’t really pay attention to him right now.

All he can see are the bright lights, and Maria’s face lit up by them as she strummed her guitar, playing the same song over and over because she knew Shadow liked it. He stares at the open tent, suddenly apprehensive about going inside. It’s not the same. It’s not made of blankets that they’d taken from Maria and Gerald’s rooms, it’s made from a tent. The lights aren’t arranged inside the same way.

Maria isn’t inside.

And that’s all Shadow’s ever known.

“Shads?” Sonic calls, standing next to him. “You okay?” He turns off the lights, and Shadow shakes his head.

He glances over at Sonic, feeling rather disturbed by the obvious concern in his gaze. “Fine,” he replies, though he doesn’t make any move to go near the tent. Sonic’s hand brushes his own for just a second before its gone again.

“Let’s do something else,” Sonic suggests, and now he does take Shadow’s hand, pulling him away from the tent-fort. Shadow, for lack of a better idea, goes along with him, relieved to be away from the thing.

“Have you ever played UNO?” Sonic asks, even as he pulls out a deck of brightly colored cards. Shadow just shakes his head, having never even heard of it. “That’s okay, I’ll teach you. It’ll even be fun now that Tails isn’t here.” Sonic sighs. “I love him, but he always wins, and it gets a little boring, you know?”

“Must be how they feel racing against you.”

“Yeah, sure, but…” Sonic pauses, eyes widening. “Was that a compliment?”

Shadow frowns, already regretting opening his mouth. “No.”

But Sonic is already grinning. “It was! I can’t believe it! Shadow the hedgehog—”

“It wasn’t a compliment.”

“—complimenting me! Praising me!”

“Stop pushing it.”

Sonic elbows him. “Man, that’s doing wonders for my ego. I just know getting a compliment from you is as rare as, like, getting the Nobel Prize or something.”

Shadow gives him a half-hearted glare. “I don’t know why it matters so much that it’s coming from me,” he grumbles.

“Are you kidding? You’re so cool! You’re so strong, and you can ride a motorcycle, and you sound like Keanu Reeves—by the way, we’re totally watching Speed at some point—and you’re so mysterious, like Batman! You’d totally pull off a Batman costume, by the way—”

“Are you just saying random words?”

“No!” Sonic yells, hands dancing around uncontrollably. But he calms down, and folds them behind his back, offering Shadow a smaller, more subdued smile. “I just think you’re cool, Shads.”

Shadow just stares at him, feeling dumbfounded, at a loss for how to respond. “You think I’m cool?”

“Well, yeah.”

Shadow can’t remember the last time someone offered him a compliment. The scientists at the lab never bothered. Weapons didn’t need affirmation. To them, he just existed to be the guinea pig for their experiments.

Maria, in contrast, loved to tell him how much she loved the streaks of red in his fur. She often told him he was cute. Shadow didn’t know what to make of it, honestly. But he soaked it up all the same.

Sonic isn’t calling him cute like Maria did. But the simple fact that he sees something, anything in him worth acknowledging is disconcerting. Shadow had never believed that anyone but Maria could find something in him worth liking. Especially not Sonic, who has been hurt by Shadow in innumerable ways. And no matter what Sonic says, Shadow doesn’t believe that it’s that simple to move on and forgive.

And yet, he lets Sonic’s words wash over him, selfishly feeling proud of the fact that Sonic thinks that of him.

Sonic sinks down onto the beanbag in the cave, shuffling the cards, seemingly oblivious to Shadow’s existential crisis over a few words that had casually fallen out of his mouth. Shadow, for his part, follows him over, not wanting to draw attention to himself. He listens as Sonic explains the rules, pointing out the different symbols on some of the cards and explaining what they mean. Shadow feels his leg hurt, just a little, and makes to sit on the floor.

“What’re you doing?”

Shadow pauses, crouching. “Sitting down.”

“I see that,” Sonic replies. “Why are you sitting on the ground? It’s cold.”

“You’re sitting on the beanbag already.”

“So?” Sonic retorts, and pats the space next to him. “We can totally share!”

Shadow stares at him, befuddled. Sonic always manages to find a way to confuse him. “Share?”

“Yeah,” Sonic says, smirking. “Don’t tell me you don’t know what that is.”

Shadow nudges the glorified cushion with his foot. “How are we supposed to share it? It’s only meant for one person.”

“It’s meant for one human,” Sonic responds, quick as ever. “We can manage.” At Shadow’s doubtful look, he sighs, and reaches over. Shadow watches Sonic grab his hand, and wrench him forward. Shadow stumbles, somehow landing on the beanbag. Sonic grins at him, shuffling over a little so that Shadow can have room. “There,” he says, smugly. “Was that so hard?”

Shadow scoffs. “Pull me like that again, and I will punch you.”

“Whatever you say, Shads,” Sonic dismisses, handing over seven cards. Shadow stares at his cards, and barely manages to catch Sonic as he leans over to take a look at them too.

“No peeking,” Shadow chastises, redundantly, and flicks Sonic on the head. The gesture is surprisingly natural, coming to him without much thought at all. Shadow stares at his hands in surprise at his own actions, even as Sonic groans exaggeratedly, acting like he’s toppling off the beanbag onto the ground.

“If you’re going to fall over, do it already,” Shadow suggests, forgetting his previous dilemma in the face of Sonic’s ridiculous theatrics.

“You’re soooo mean, Shads,” Sonic whines in response. “I’m hurt on the floor, and you don’t even care.”

Shadow shoots him a look. “You’re being pathetic. Get up.” He tosses a card onto the one laid on the ground. “It’s no fun defeating you if you don’t even put up a fight.”

“Oh, you’re so sure you’ll win, huh?” Sonic looks over his own deck, pulling out a card and tossing it onto Shadow’s one.

“There’s no doubt about it.”

“We’ll just see about that!”

Shadow chooses not to reply, focusing on his turn. It wouldn’t do to lose after all that talk.

Not that it’s going to be much of a challenge.

The game goes on, and Shadow finds himself losing track of time. Between someone who is as strategically unsound as Sonic, and someone who is as new to the game as Shadow, it progresses rather slowly, with both of them counting on chance rather than strategy. But the silence is companionable, and Shadow finds himself enjoying it more than he would have had if Sonic hadn’t shown up. In fact, he’s gotten used to having Sonic’s company around.

The game continues on and on, and the cards in the deck they pull from gets less and less. The rain still pours outside, and its pitter-patter is the only sound they can hear. Sonic sticks out his tongue in concentration, staring intently at the cards in his hand. He has amassed a giant pile, while Shadow is down to three cards.

“Give up yet?” Shadow asks, voice cutting through the silence. Sonic glares at him playfully.

“Gimme a minute and I’ll turn this around.”

“I don’t think that’s even possible.” Shadow watches Sonic lay down a card, and instantaneously tosses one back onto the giant pile in front of them. “Just surrender.”

“No way.”

Sonic goes back to staring, and Shadow can almost see the gears turning in his head. He’s taking his own sweet time thinking, but truthfully, Shadow doesn’t mind. It’s peaceful like this, and Sonic brushes up against him every time he shifts in place, warm body pressing against Shadow. Having someone else next to him is… nice, and Shadow doesn’t dislike the feeling one bit.

“Wanna trade cards?” Sonic says at last, picking one up from the deck on the ground, not having any that he could use from his own. Shadow doesn’t even bother to reply to him, and drops another card onto the pile.

“UNO,” he says, smugly, and Sonic groans.

“Fine, you win.”

Shadow just smirks at him. “Don’t feel bad, Sonic,” he says, and Sonic glares at him again. “Maybe someday you’ll win. Maybe.”

“Whatever,” Sonic huffs. “Now we’re gonna do something I’m good at.”

Shadow raises an eyebrow. “And what’s that? If such a thing even exists.”

Sonic grins. “We’re gonna dance.”

Shadow feels his smirk slide off his face. Sonic doesn’t notice, picking himself off the beanbag and stretching. “What?”

“You heard me. Let’s dance.”

Shadow frowns at him. “I don’t dance.”

“Oh, come on. It’s fun! I promise not to go too hard on you.” Sonic pulls out a rectangular device Shadow has learnt is an iPhone. “I’m kind of an expert, but I’ll take it easy on you.”

“Again, I don’t dance, Sonic.”

“Oh, okay, I get it,” Sonic says, not sounding like he gets it at all. “I would be scared too, if I had to go up against someone like me.”

And those words stir up something inside him, something fierce. “Scared?” he echoes.

Sonic just smirks, flashing him a satisfied grin. “Yeah. Scared. So what’s it gonna be? You going to prove me wrong, or are you just going to sit there, Faker?”

The name does it. Shadow feels himself lose all reason, even as he shoots to his feet, ignoring his leg. “Prepare to lose,” he sneers, and Sonic laughs.

“Bring it on, Faker.”

Sonic just scrolls through his phone, and some upbeat sound fills the air. “What is that?”

“It’s called Uptown Funk. It’s the song to dance to.” Sonic looks over at Shadow. “I forgot you’re an old man,” he comments, amusedly.

Shadow just crosses his arms. “Get on with it.”

And Sonic, for all his talk, does get on with it. Shadow watches him perform moves that he’s never seen before, feeling a little bemused by it all. Sonic spins in circles and at some point, on his head. Whatever he is doing, Shadow can tell it’s good. His movements are effortless, keeping pace with the rhythm of the song. It’s enough that Shadow is starting to regret prematurely accepting this challenge. Compared to whatever Sonic is doing, with all his complicated movements, Shadow is starting find his knowledge of dancing woefully inadequate.

Sonic dances through the song, and when it ends, pops upright with a flourish. “There!” he exclaims, and Shadow furrows his brows. Sonic grins at him, breathing deeply, seemingly a little winded from going non-stop for a few minutes. “Now you.”

Shadow looks away. “I’d rather not.”

Sonic leans closer, grinning smugly. “Why not? Afraid you’ll lose?”

Shadow glares at him. His instinct is to deny it, but that’s what got him into this mess in the first place. He averts his gaze then, turning his glare towards one of the cave walls. “Yes,” he murmurs. “I don’t know how to do what you did.”

He expects mockery, maybe. Or some form of taunting. What he doesn’t expect is for Sonic to move over to stand before where Shadow has directed his gaze. “That’s okay, you know,” he says, smiling more genuinely. “Dancing’s not just one thing. Show me what you can do.”

“It’s… compared to whatever you did, it’s barely anything.”

Sonic just shakes his head a little. “Dancing’s more about having fun than anything. As long as you’re having fun, it’s totally something. And I want to see it.” He steps closer, and Shadow stares at him as he casually lays his hand on Shadow’s arm. “Come on, Shads,” he says, smiling. “Show me.”

Shadow can only look at him, unable to do anything but take in the upward curve of his mouth, the shine in his eyes, even in the darkened cave.

“I… I can’t dance to this song,” he mutters, and Sonic’s hand drops off his arm. Shadow watches it fall back to his side, oddly aware of having lost his touch.

“No problem,” Sonic replies, still smiling. “What song do you want to dance to?” Before Shadow can reply, he dashes over to retrieve his phone, and hands it over to Shadow. Shadow stares at the letters covering half the screen. “Just type it out and you should get it.”

Shadow does, clumsily typing out the letters, painfully aware of how bad he is at it. His fingers don’t know where to go, and he presses the wrong letter several times. It’s so unlike the way Sonic’s fingers fly over the letters. But Sonic doesn’t make fun of him for it. Neither does he offer to do it himself, just pointing out that the little X on the side lets you erase your previous letter. Painstakingly, Shadow types out the words ‘End of the Line.’

“I’ve never heard that one before,” Sonic comments, peering over his shoulder. Shadow doesn’t respond. He’s danced with Maria to this song several times, but he feels oddly self-conscious now. He’s never really done it without her, and in front of someone else. It’s always just been Shadow and Maria’s thing.

Or it used to be, at least.

Shadow lets his finger hover over the results that pop up, trying to push down the growing heaviness in his heart. “Something wrong?” Sonic questions.

“No,” Shadow answers. “It’s just been a while.”

Fifty years.

And everything is different.

“Hey.” Sonic’s voice is surprisingly soft, gentle in a way Shadow wouldn’t expect from someone as loud as him. He turns to look at him, and Sonic lays a hand on his shoulder, squeezing. “It’s just me, Shads.”

Shadow nods, selecting the song on the phone. And he closes his eyes as memories flood into his mind.

So many things are completely different. But this song is still the same.

As the guitar starts strumming, Shadow keeps his eyes closed, trying to remember how Maria danced to this part. He remembers her moving around, arms waving gracefully. And Shadow lets himself move, trying to replicate those movements.

He finds that it comes easily to him, having watched her do this over and over. The memory is etched into his mind in gold, and he can’t believe he didn’t think of this at first, before thinking of anything else the moment he was freed.

Despite himself, a smile comes to his face, and he lets himself sway in time with the music, losing himself in song, in the memories.

Though, as he dances, he hears a crunch under his feet, and opens his eyes, realizing once again that he is not in Maria’s room, and that he won’t see her when he opens his eyes. His eyes land on Sonic instead, and Shadow finds him staring his way, wide-eyed, mouth open in surprise.

But there’s nothing there that Shadow might have expected. He doesn’t look weirded out, or amused, or as though he is ready to laugh. Shadow keeps his own gaze on Sonic as he watches Sonic’s eyes follow him, like he’s transfixed, a hint of awe in his gaze. And Shadow doesn’t normally pretend to understand Sonic, but he finds that, in this moment, he can read him like a book.

And as Shadow dances, reaching that familiar part of the song, he remembers Maria and how she’d take his hands in her own. He remembers how she’d dance with him, laughter in her eyes.

Shadow refuses to be embarrassed of what Maria had taught him. He refuses to be embarrassed of her memory.

And looking at Sonic, watching him like he’s something meaningful, Shadow thinks of the moon, and a sunrise, and a hand offered to him with a smile, and finds that he wants to share it with him.

So, Shadow dances towards him, and Sonic’s eyes get impossibly wider as he reaches out and takes Sonic’s hands into his own. Shadow says nothing as he swings their linked hands around, stepping to the side and back. Sonic stumbles, not making any move of his own.

Shadow wonders if he’s misjudged the situation. But Sonic seems to break out of some trance. He stares down at Shadow’s feet and tries to follow. Sonic is not nearly as graceful as Maria, and he stumbles more than Shadow ever did. Shadow only ever let himself be pulled along by Maria until he understood how to do the steps himself properly. It was how he learnt. But Sonic is more proactive than Shadow, trying on his own to get the steps right.

Shadow keeps dancing, and Sonic gradually gets used to it, moving his feet and swinging his arms in time with Shadow. As the song comes to an end, they are in perfect sync with each other.

And as it plays all over again, Sonic looks up from where he’s been staring at their feet, and meets his eyes. A grin erupts across his face, so large and wide that Shadow fears it might split his face in half. Sonic squeezes Shadow’s hands, and swings harder, carried away. And Shadow lets him, matching his pace, finding that he can’t help the smile on his face either.

They just dance through the song again, hearing nothing but the song and the beating of their own hearts, and the smile never leaves Sonic’s face.

Once it starts again for a third time, Sonic breaks through the monotony. “Hey,” he says, giggling. “Mind if I do something?”

“What?” Shadow asks, knowing that he’s not going to refuse, but curious, nonetheless.

“This,” Sonic says simply, and before Shadow knows it, his hand is dropped from Sonic’s grasp, his other hand is lifted high, and Sonic spins him around in a circle.

Sonic takes his limp hand back into his own the moment he comes around to face him again, and shoots him a cheeky grin, exaggeratedly swinging their arms. Shadow narrows his eyes at him, even though his heart is leaping into his throat and his face is warm.

“Don’t do that again,” he says.

“I’m going to do it again,” Sonic shoots back, and that’s what Shadow wants.

So Sonic spins him around again, and again, and once more.

It’s when the song is playing for a fourth time that Sonic stumbles, feet tangling with Shadow’s own. He winces, but steadies himself. Shadow takes in their proximity, and pushes forward again. Sonic’s eyes widen as he realizes that Shadow is trying to trip him.

“Shads, are you serious?”

Shadow doesn’t dignify that with a response, shamelessly reaching out with a foot to try and make Sonic lose his balance. Sonic seems to realize that the intent is to catch him, though, and that’s when he pulls Shadow closer.

“If you wanna do that,” Sonic says, quietly, even as he lays one hand on Shadow’s waist, “do it right.” Shadow stares into his eyes, twinkling like the stars, mischief in his gaze, and boldly places his own hand on Sonic’s upper arm. They spin around together, to the beat of the song, trying to trip each other up. Sonic’s grin is infectious, and Shadow finds himself smiling wide in turn.

It feels like there’s nothing else. Shadow can’t do anything else; he can’t even think of anything else except Sonic’s hands holding him close, and the thrill searing through him as they spin around and around.

He feels like he could do this forever.

He almost wishes that it would never end.

But it does, and it ends with Sonic managing to one-up Shadow for once, sneaking his foot between Shadow’s own and knocking him off balance. He keeps his grip on him, and dips him like he’s seen people do in the movies when they dance with each other. He stares up at Sonic, who stares back, eyes still wide and full of… something.

They stare at each other, unmoving, as the song keeps playing in the background.

But just as it’s about to end, Shadow feels something come over him. Over them. He throws his head back, just as Sonic lets his own fall forward, and together, they laugh. They laugh, voices melding together in some strange song of its own, Sonic still holding Shadow up in his grasp. They laugh until it hurts and they can’t stand straight anymore. Sonic lowers Shadow to the ground, and Shadow lets him, sinking onto the ground to lay on the cave floor.

And Sonic just lets himself do the same, and lays on top of Shadow, head against his chest. Shadow feels his ear flick, coming to rest over his heart. Shadow raises a hand and places it gently on Sonic’s head, burying it in his quills. He closes his eyes, breathing deeply.

He finds that he can still hear the sound of Sonic’s laughter in his ears, ringing around like an echo in his mind.

When he closes his eyes, all he can see is Maria.

They stay like that for who knows how long, holding each other close. Shadow can’t really see it, but he knows Sonic’s eyes are closed as well. He runs his hand through his quills, unthinkingly. Sonic makes a small noise, but is otherwise quiet, seemingly content to listen to his heart calm itself.

The song, playing sonorously in the background, fades to a stop. Suddenly, Shadow feels exhausted, energy draining out of him. But he watches as Sonic clambers to his feet, and extends a hand to him.

Shadow takes it, and they traipse over to the tent-fort, hand in hand. Together, they collapse onto the pillows, spent. Shadow feels for the power generator or whatever, and flicks the switch, watching the lights come alive.

“Aren’t they pretty, Shadow? It’s like we’re sitting under our own stars.”

“I brought cookies too,” Sonic comments offhandedly, and Shadow glances over at him. His eyes are closed, and his fingers twitch around Shadow’s hand. Shadow wonders when he’ll realize that he should be embarrassed about holding Sonic’s hand like this, and lets himself sink further into the pillows as he admits to himself that the moment will never come.

He stares at the yellow, glowing lights. Outside, the rain has slowed, playing a comforting rhythm against the tarp protecting the cave.

He’d never even considered that he could do any of these things without Maria.

Playing games, building pillow forts, hanging up lights…

Dancing…

He’d never imagined a life for himself without her. He’d never even thought—never even bothered to think—that it was possible to share these activities with anyone but Maria. She was all he’d ever known.

But Shadow has to admit to himself that he knows more now. He knows Sonic. He’s spent the whole day with Sonic, interacting with him in ways he’d thought only Maria would care to do with him.

He’s fought battles with Sonic, sharing unimaginable power, where their minds seemingly melded together, burning with energy and forging a bond so strong that Shadow cannot even understand it now.

And Shadow feels nothing but terrible, horrible guilt. Guilt for not having her with him. Guilt for her being gone while Shadow messes around with Sonic, sharing her memories with him. Guilt for almost taking away Sonic’s own Maria. Guilt for Sonic feeling obligated to be here. Guilt for daring to want for this again.

He doesn’t deserve this. Any of this.

And yet, Shadow doesn’t pull away. He selfishly lets Sonic hold his hand, drinking in the warmth of his touch.

“You’ll still help me, won’t you?” he asks, selfishly, again.

“What do you mean?”

“When I’m leaving. You said you’d help me. You will, won’t you?”

Sonic doesn’t reply immediately, and Shadow hears him breathe deeply, though he can’t imagine why. When he does respond, his voice is flat and dull.

“Yeah, ‘course I will. I said I would.”

“You don’t have to.” Shadow says it again, because the least he can do is offer Sonic a way out.

“I know.”

“Good,” Shadow replies, and closes his eyes. He knows that everything is fine this way. If Shadow is gone, then Sonic won’t have to worry about him anymore. He can go back to his family, unburdened by Shadow and his problems.

Because there’s no way Sonic is as attached to Shadow as Shadow has become to him.

Even as Sonic releases his hand and zips out of the tent, Shadow lets his eyes remain closed. Sonic is probably gone, back to his family.

But he’s back in mere seconds, and Shadow opens his eyes to the sound of Sonic shaking a box of cookies. “We still need to eat these,” he says, like he hadn’t just been speaking miserably. Shadow sits up, and Sonic opens the box, shoving one into Shadow’s hand.

“Eat it, and tell me how it is. It’s Tom and Maddie’s special recipe, so I know you’ll like it. But it’d totally be nicer to hear it from you!”

Shadow takes a bite, tasting the chocolate chips sprinkled in the cookie. “It’s good,” he replies, and Sonic grins. The box is left between them as they go through the cookies, eating them all one by one. Sonic’s hand reaches for Shadow’s own, resting on the pillows beneath them, and he laces their fingers together. Shadow lets him, suddenly rather desperate for the contact for reasons he can’t even understand.

Once they’ve finished with the cookies, Sonic shoves the box aside and flops backwards onto the pillows, pulling Shadow with him. He throws a hand over his eyes. “I should be napping right now,” he grumbles. “This is napping weather.”

“Then sleep,” Shadow suggests. His own eyes feel heavy, drooping with sleep. There’s no logic to it whatsoever as far as Shadow can tell, but the weather is compounding his need for sleep.

Sonic glances over at him. “You first, sleeping beauty,” he says, voice amused.

“Shut up,” Shadow says, though his voice is muffled by the way his face is buried in the pillows.

“Don’t fight it, Shads,” Sonic intones obnoxiously. “Let it flow through you. Accept it. Embrace it.”

“What are you talking about?”

Sonic just laughs. “Just sleep,” he says, and moves closer. He bravely lays an arm over Shadow. Shadow would scoff at the audacity and threaten to kick him, but he finds that he’s too tired to do anything right now. He just shuffles closer, and Sonic curls a hand behind his head and pulls his head against his shoulder.

Surrounded by warmth and lulled by the calm sounds of the rain, Shadow sleeps, and dreams of warm smiles and a world of blue.

“You’ll still help me, won’t you?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I’m leaving. You said you’d help me. You will, won’t you?”

Sonic knows what he has to say. What he wants to say. Because first and foremost, Sonic is Shadow’s friend, and friends help each other. Besides, Sonic did promise.

 “Yeah, ‘course I will. I said I would.”

“You don’t have to.” Shadow says, again, and Sonic tries to reply like he did the last time.

I want to help you.

Only, it’s not true anymore.

Because that would mean that Shadow would be gone. And Sonic doubts that he’s the type to visit or send postcards. Which means that Shadow’s departure from Green Hills might be the last he ever sees of him.

And Sonic doesn’t want him to go. He doesn’t want Shadow to slip away from him again. But hearing his words, Sonic knows that it’s not possible.

Because there’s no way Shadow is as attached to Sonic as Sonic has become to him.

Even if there’s a part of him that selfishly hopes Shadow stays. And Sonic feels horribly selfish for that, because if Shadow wants to leave, who is Sonic to stop him? Shadow doesn’t deserve to be forced to stick around under the burden of Sonic’s excuses and wishes.

So, Sonic offers Shadow the truth.

“I know.”

“Good,” Shadow replies. And Sonic feels his touch burning against him, even through the glove. He drops Shadow’s hand and rushes out of the tent, leaning against the wall of the cave, eyes burning. He wipes at them, trying to quell the feeling of tears forming.

Sonic’s convictions haven’t changed. If Shadow wants to leave, and if he wants Sonic’s help, Sonic will help him however he possibly can. And he won’t burden Shadow with whatever sadness he has about his inevitable departure.

So Sonic pulls out his box of cookies, plasters a smile on his face, and heads back to the tent.

And when they’re both laying down together, Shadow’s head tucked between his neck and shoulder, Sonic holds him as close as possible, trying to sear the memory into his mind.

Outside, the wind blows.

Chapter Text

At what he believes is midnight, Sonic rushes home. His heart pounds in his chest, but he knows it’s not because of the effort of running.

He screwed up. He fell asleep, and there’s no way Knuckles and Tails didn’t make their way up to the attic and see that his bed’s empty. He almost doesn’t want to go back, for fear of discovery, for fear that they’ll finally catch him, and then when he inevitably has to reveal that he’s been meeting Shadow, the guy that almost killed Tom, they would totally not want Sonic around anymore, and who could blame them—

Calm down, he thinks, feeling absolutely hysterical. Sonic’s not half bad at excuses. He’ll find a way.

Sonic reaches home, and tears up the walls, peering in through the skylight. To his surprise, Knuckles and Tails aren’t there. Sonic stares, confused, but gratefully slips back into the room. He tosses the pillows back on their respective beds, hangs up the lights once more, and unconsciously picks up their blankets laying on the floor to return them to their beds too.

He doesn’t have his blanket, though. He’d taken that with him to the cave, and he’d left it there. Along with the tent, but that’s an old one. No one would even notice it’s missing, not when they have a bigger, more spacious one, on account of the gaggle of alien children living in the house who require refuge in it during post-race campsite napping.

Sonic flops onto his bed. He isn’t sleepy at all. But Shadow certainly was, he thinks, and remembers the way Shadow had just… not woken up at all when Sonic had left. He’d practically been curled into him, but he hadn’t even stirred when Sonic jumped up to leave.

Sonic had carried him over to the beanbag, draped his blanket over him, and silently left. He had also stared at Shadow’s sleeping form for a while. But that was nobody’s business but his own.

All in all, it had been a fun time.

Except for when Shadow had totally killed Sonic’s good mood.

Sonic kicks off his shoes, and plugs his phone into the charger. Then, he acknowledges the wistful pang in his heart, and opens the trapdoor, exiting the attic. He makes his way down the stairs quietly. When he reaches the first floor, he takes a seat on the lowest stair, and rests his head on his hands, elbows digging into his legs.

He watches his family sleep. He observes Tails do that mumbling thing he does when he’s really sleeping deeply, curled up in Tom’s lap. Tom’s broken arm is resting on the armrest, and his other arm is wound around Maddie, who’s leaning into his side. Knuckles has his head on her lap, laying still and silent, in contrast to Tails’ quiet mutterings and the tiny twitches of his tails. The TV’s still on, the gentle blue light washing over the room.

Everyone looks peaceful, huddled together, snuggling in with each other. And it’s amazing, it’s wonderful. It’s everything he’s ever wanted. Sonic wants nothing more than to be there, nestled between Tom and Maddie, part of the family. And he is part of the family.

So why does he feel like it’s all slipping away?

It’s not just Shadow that Sonic feels desperate to hold onto. He’s been caught between two worlds for a while, never able to choose, and he’s losing both of them, isn’t he?

Sonic watches them for a while longer before he slips away, running around the house and fetching everyone’s blankets. He takes off his shoes before padding over to everyone on socked feet, gently draping the blankets over them too. He tries to cover Tails’ tails with the blanket, and ultimately gives up as they swish around and throw it off.

Sonic notices that the movie they’d been watching is over, stuck on the end of the credits. Upon a closer look, he discovers that they’ve been watching Speed 2, a movie which Sonic had categorically refused to allow during movie nights. It seems that they’ve taken the time to watch it in his absence.

For some stupid, overly dramatic reason… he feels guilty all over again. Like he’d been holding them back from doing something they liked.

Sonic looks back at his family, takes in their peaceful, content expressions, before he forces himself to go back upstairs and lie down on his bed. He doesn’t have his blanket with him tonight. It’s cold. And yeah, Sonic can survive freezing temperatures and snowy climates without a blanket, but still, he’s cold tonight. He’s cold like was when he was living alone in his cave during stormy nights. He’s cold like he was whenever he saw people playing in the snow, laughing with their families.

He thinks of his own family, snuggled together downstairs, and doesn’t think that a blanket could fix this.

Breakfast is always a complicated affair in the Wachowski household.

Tails always insists on eating only sugary cereal in the mornings. According to him, it’s the quintessential breakfast food. Knuckles, on the other hand, eats exclusively fruit. According to him, it is important to break the fast with healthy food that rejuvenates his strength. Every day, he tries and fails to get Sonic to join him.

Maddie and Tom usually whip up something like pancakes, or waffles, or toast, or something else in the morning. Sonic, as a food connoisseur, is always up for anything.

And on the days when Tom or Maddie decide to make something special, like on some weekends, they all pitch in to help, and eat whatever they make. At least, they let Tails help out with the cooking, and Sonic and Knuckles help wash up after, on account of their destructive lack of talent when it comes to cooking.

Sonic loves breakfast time. It’s the one time of the day apart from dinner when everyone will definitely be together. Tom and Maddie aren’t around during lunch, and there’s always a chance that they could get held up at work during dinner. So, Sonic has always loved it when they can all spend time in each other’s company. And this simple fact always makes sure that he has a ravenous appetite during breakfast.

But today, he just feels nauseous. He stares at his stack of pancakes, feeling queasy. All the same, he takes a bite and tries to chew. It’s the best he’s ever had, like it always is, but he feels like he might throw it up.

Tails is sitting next to him at the table, tails swishing around in excitement. He’s holding up some sort of flyer, talking about some science convention thing and practically begging Tom and Maddie to take him. Tom and Maddie seem to be considering it. Sonic can understand it, since Tails never really asks for much stuff.

“Alright,” Tom says. “I guess it’ll be an educational weekend!” As Tails cheers next to him, Sonic pokes at the stack of pancakes left on his plate. He startles as Tom nudges him, and his head snaps up to find everyone staring at him.

“Huh?” he asks, intelligently.

“We were asking if you’d like to come,” Tom informs him. Sonic looks around at all the eyes on him, suddenly feeling very small.

“Uh, no thanks, Tom. You know me, I don’t really have the patience to stick around a science fair.” He tries to straighten up and inject some more energy into his words. “I’ll probably just get tired of not knowing what’s going on and ruin it for Tails. But you go have fun, yeah?”

Everyone else at the table just turns to look at each other. Sonic winces when they refocus on him. “Sonic,” Maddie asks, concern evident in her voice. “Is everything alright?’

“Yeah,” Sonic says, smiling and offering her a thumbs up. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Tom sets down his mug of coffee. “You seem… out of it today.”

“Who, me? I don’t think you understand who you’re talking to, Tom.”

“Sonic.”

Sonic stares at his worried expression, and sighs. “It was just a rough night. I… had a little nightmare, I guess,” he fibs, guilt rushing through him. But everyone’s expression shifts from concern to sympathy.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Maddie says, and Sonic guiltily basks in the term of endearment. “You know you can come to us, right?”

Sonic nods, finding it hard to speak, suddenly, like there’s something stuck in his throat. Tails’ tails brush against him comfortingly, and Tails offers him a small smile. Sonic smiles back at him, avoiding trying grin like he usually does, knowing that it would only come out as a grimace.

“I don’t have to go to the fair, Sonic,” Tails says instead, placing a hand on his arm. “I can stay behind.”

“Tails… you don’t have to do that.” Tails makes to protest, but Sonic continues. “I don’t want you to miss out on this for me. I’m fine now, so you go have fun, okay?” Tails nods, still looking dubious.

“I’ll bring back something fun for you,” he insists, and Sonic pats his head, overcome with fondness.

“Sure, can’t wait.”

Tails swats at his hand with a grin, though he still looks worried.

“Guess it’s just you and Knuckles in the house today, then.”

“Regrettably,” Knuckles interjects, “I will also not be in the house today. I believe Wade requires additional training, so I will be spending the day with him.” He turns to Tom and Maddie. “Will that be alright?”

Maddie gives him a smile. “Sure, Knuckles. That’s fine. Sonic, do you have any plans?”

Sonic frowns at his pancakes. “No, not really.”

“And will you be okay alone at home today?”

Sonic looks over at Maddie, and smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring way. “I got it,” he says. “You guys go have fun! I’ll have some me-time, Sonic style!”

“If you’re sure,” Tom accepts, and gets up from his chair. Sonic listens to it scrape against the floor, and leans back in his own seat, chewing on another mouthful of pancakes just to have something to do. “Tails, we’d better get going now if we want to make it to this science thing.”

“Yeah!” Tails rejoices, sliding off his seat and scampering up the stairs. Knuckles approaches Sonic just as Sonic is about to give up on breakfast.

 “Hedgehog,” he calls.

“Yeah?”

“If you are troubled, you can confide in us. We are Team, are we not?”

“Still gotta workshop that name, big guy. But yeah, we are.”

“So you will share your troubles?”

Sonic sighs. “Maybe later,” he says, and offers Knuckles a smile. “It’s honestly no big deal. You know, sometimes you just have one of those dreams.”

“I suppose.”

Sonic just grins back at him. “Cheer up, Knux,” he says. “Have fun with Wade. Put all thoughts of bad dreams and grumpy Sonics out of your head. I’ll be over it by the time you get back.”

Knuckles nods. “Very well, Sonic,” he says. “I will accept your reassurances. But know that I am here for you.” He walks away before Sonic can say anything else, disappearing after Tails. Sonic watches him go, his eyes burning for some inexplicable reason.

Once Tails, Tom and Maddie have peeled off and Knuckles has made his way over to Wade’s house, Sonic meanders around the house. He tries to watch a movie, but he can’t concentrate. He tries to finish that puzzle he’d started but got stuck on, but finds that he’s still clueless about how to continue.

Which leaves only one thing to do.

Sonic makes sure he’s locked the door after him securely, and then runs. He runs through the forest again, across the hills and then runs back. He passes the signs they’d planted along their favorite racetrack, and gives them a little tap as he passes them, laughing as they spin around and around. He whoops, throwing his arms out wide.

“And to the surprise of absolutely no one, air hedgehog absolutely shatters his previous, yet again remaining number one in the known and unknown universe!” Sonic takes a moment to admire his own incredible commentary, still speeding through the forest.

It is at this point that Sonic, busy getting caught up in the moment, fails to notice the dark, obvious obstacle standing in front of him. By the time he notices and tries to stop himself, it’s too late. Sonic collides with it, and is send skidding across the ground a short distance. He groans as he sits up, rubbing his head. However, there’s another voice making a distressed noise, and Sonic winces as he realizes what he’s just run into at full speed.

Or rather, who.

“Shads!” Sonic gets up and runs over to the other hedgehog, who is also sitting up. Shadow gives him a glare.

“Can’t you look where you’re going?”

“Sorry about that,” Sonic says, grinning sheepishly. “Lemme help you up.” Shadow grumbles, but accepts his hand.

“Where were you going in such a hurry anyway?” he enquires, and Sonic shoots him a smile.

“Just running. It helps me clear my head.” He peers at Shadow curiously. “What are you doing here?”

Shadows shrugs, gaze wandering. “Same as you, I suppose.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to be running around with that leg.” Shadow looks at him like he’s wondering if Sonic hit his head somewhere, and Sonic raises his hands in surrender. “Hey, I’m just saying. I think it’d heal a lot faster if you didn’t exert it so much.”

“I was just walking,” Shadow mutters in his own defense. “Before you bumped into me, that is.”

“Walking? To where?”

“Where exactly do you think I could walk off to?”

Sonic shrugs, deciding to let go of that line of questioning.

“Hey, wanna hang out?”

Shadow scoffs. “As if you’re going to let me go.”

“See, you get it!” Sonic nudges Shadow with his elbow. “I’d race ya, but…” He gestures to Shadow’s leg.

Shadow just looks at him. “We can just go back to the cave,” he suggests. Sonic frowns.

“We always hang out there,” he complains. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but we don’t have many options there.” Shadow just rolls his eyes, choosing not offer up any more suggestions. It’s then that a particularly brilliant idea occurs to Sonic.

“Hey, we can hang out at my place!”

Shadow stares at him like he’s wondering why Sonic even speaks at all. “Is that a joke?”

“No, why?”

Shadow’s fingers twitch like he wants to either slap his own forehead, or maybe slap Sonic’s directly. “Your family,” he hisses.

“Ohhh,” Sonic realizes. “Don’t worry, no one’s home. Tom and Maddie went to this science thing with Tails, and Knuckles is out with Wa— a friend of his.”

Shadow just narrows his eyes at him. “It’s too risky,” he says. “I’m not going to your house.”

Sonic sighs, and decides to bring out the oldest trick in the basket.

“Please.”

“No.”

“Please!”

“No.”

Sonic opens his eyes wide, leaning as close to Shadow as he can. “Please please please please please—”

Shadow claps his hands over Sonic’s mouth, looking flabbergasted and distressed, expressions mixing to create a very funny reaction to Sonic’s little trick. “Fine,” he snaps. “If it’ll make you shut up.”

“Yay!” Sonic says, and throws his arms around Shadow. Shadow grumbles, even as his hands come to wind around Sonic in return. Sonic gives himself exactly five seconds to enjoy it before he pulls away. “Let’s go!”

Shadow sighs, but follows behind Sonic as he makes his way back home. However, he does pause right at the place where the woods open up to reveal their home, looking apprehensive. Sonic looks back at him, unwillingly remembering when he’d do the same thing, working up the courage to make his way over to the window to watch movies with an unsuspecting Tom and Maddie.

“Hey, it’s okay. No one’s home.”

“You can’t say for sure,” Shadow retaliates. “What if they come back early?”

“Then you can just teleport out,” Sonic replies. “You can do that, can’t you?”

“I suppose…”

Sonic gives him a grin. “Then what are you waiting for? Come on,” he says, and holds out a hand. Shadow pauses, and stares at his palm, considering. Then, he takes it, fingers winding around Sonic’s hand. Sonic holds onto him tight, and they walk along the grass and onto the path leading to the front door. There usually isn’t anyone out here, and Shadow’s heavy shoes clunk on the gravel.

Sonic digs through his quills for the house key, and opens up the door. “Welcome to Casa de la Wachowski!” he exclaims, standing at the side and ushering Shadow in. Shadow just stares at the interior like he’s staring into the mouth of a giant, horrifying monster that’s looking forward to a hedgehog snack. Sonic just plants his hands on Shadow’s shoulders, gently pushing him forward. Shadow, despite his hesitation, doesn’t fight him.

It’s quite the sight to behold. Shadow, standing inside his home, taking it in. Sonic has hoped for this for so long. Of course, his ideal fantasy involves his family welcoming Shadow in with him, but Sonic is willing to take what he gets.

“It’s… nice,” Shadow says, unprompted. Sonic unthinkingly curls his hand around Shadow’s arm, and adjusts his grip a little when Shadow doesn’t throw him off.

“Want a tour?”

Shadow looks at Sonic out of the corner of his eyes, and nods slowly. Sonic beams at him, and pulls Shadow along as he points out the living room, the kitchen, the unfortunately not-carpeted staircase. He practically drags Shadow upstairs, showing him around, and then they get to the part he’s most excited about.

“And this is our room,” he says, taking both Shadow’s hands in his own and pulling him into the attic. Shadow steps in, trapdoor swinging shut behind him. Sonic watches him look around, that familiar look of awe in his eyes. Sonic feels a rush of fondness flooding through him, and fights to keep the cheesy smile off his face.

“Come on, sit over here,” he says, and drags Shadow over to his beanbag. Shadow lets himself be pushed around, and sits heavily onto the beanbag. He moves his leg slowly in front of himself, and Sonic just grabs his pillow, placing it under his leg.

“I don’t need—”

“Don’t even bother saying it.”

Shadow purses his lips, but obliges. Sonic turns to look around his room, tapping his foot. “What should we do…” he ponders. His eyes land on his stash of comic books, and on one of the few outliers among endless issues of The Flash. He smiles to himself, running over and grabbing the book. “Ta da!” he says, presenting it to Shadow, who just looks confused.

“What is that?”

Sonic grins. “It’s an Atlas!” At Shadow’s dawning look of realization, he winks at him. “I believe I promised you a geography lesson?”

“You did,” Shadow agrees. Sonic grins.

“Then move aside and give Professor Sonic some space!” Shadow scoffs a little at Sonic’s self-given title, but does shuffle a little to the side of the beanbag so that Sonic can sit next to him. He opens up the Atlas and hands it to Shadow. “Whaddya want to know?” Upon Shadow’s silence, he nudges him gently. “Come on,” he says, reassuringly. “It took me a while to learn this stuff too.”

“…You said you’d show me where Tokyo is.”

Sonic smiles. “You got it.” He flips through the Atlas, locates the right page, and points. “There, see!”

Sonic spends the next few hours talking Shadow through the entire Atlas. It’s not like he knows everything in it himself, but he relays whatever knowledge he does have to Shadow. And for his part, Shadow sits still as a statue next to Sonic, listening to every word coming out of his mouth with rapt attention. There’s that enraptured sparkle in his eyes, the one that Sonic can’t get enough of, and he tries to ignore the giddiness he’s feeling as he points out all the different states, and launches into the story of how he’d asked Tom and Maddie how they knew the names of all the states by heart. They’d sat him down that evening with a map and taught him tricks their parents had taught them to help them remember all of them.

Shadow just nods, listening intently as Sonic sort of loses himself in the story. He wouldn’t trade Knuckles and Tails for anything in the world, and it might just kill him if he ever lost them. But sometimes, he likes to soak in the nostalgia of the time when it had just been him, Tom and Maddie. He doesn’t miss those times, and his life’s totally better off with his brothers in it, but he likes remembering. They had some good times.

When Sonic finally pauses for a breath, Shadow takes the opportunity to speak up after hours of silence. “Why do you know all this?” he asks, quietly.

“Well, I do watch a lot of Discovery Channel—”

“I asked why, not how.”

Sonic turns to look at him, understanding dawning upon him. Shadow himself isn’t looking at Sonic, staring resolutely at the wooden floor, eyes tracing the small spiral patterns.

“Well…” Sonic says, leaning back in his seat. “I just love this planet, ya know? I had to leave Mobius behind, and I went to a lot of different planets before I got to Earth, but none of them ever felt like home. I was lonely all the time, wherever I went. But here… it’s so big, and there’s so much to do, and so much to see. More than anything, I found a family here. It’s my home.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Guess that’s why.”

He doesn’t know what he expects Shadow to do in response, but he doesn’t expect Shadow to lean back on the beanbag with him, arm brushing his own. “Was it that easy to make a home here?” His voice is strangely thoughtful, and Sonic tries to choose his words carefully.

“I don’t know,” he confesses. “But I do know that I wanted to be here so bad. I wanted to be with people like Tom and Maddie, and when I had the chance to connect with them… I tried my best to do it.” He laughs a little. “Tom wasn’t too keen on helping me out the first time we met, you know, but I got to him. Now, I can’t imagine my life without him.”

He looks over at Shadow, who still isn’t looking at him. “How’d you meet Maria?” he asks, feeling a little bold. Shadow only turns his face further to the side, staring at the wall now. But Sonic waits him out, feeling oddly sure that Shadow will tell him.

And he does, voice quiet and soft. “She came to me,” he says, “when I was still being experimented on. She was the Professor’s granddaughter, so they let her into the restricted area where I was being kept. She saw me, and decided she wanted to be my friend.”

“And… they let her?”

Shadow nods. “The Professor loved her so much. When she asked, he agreed to whatever she wanted. They let me out of the tank, they let me run around the base with her. They let me eat popcorn and build pillow forts. They—they didn’t work me as hard after she came. She insisted that they treat me better.” He pauses and turns to Sonic for a second before turning away again, eyes closed.

“Shadow?”

“I still don’t understand what she saw in me. I couldn’t give her anything.”

Sonic opens his mouth, and closes it again, feeling rather shocked by the brutally honest revelation. “Shadow,” he starts, trying to think of something—anything—to say. But Shadow silences him himself, abruptly standing up from the beanbag and walking away. For a torturous second, Sonic wonders if he’ll leave.

“Let’s go do something else,” Shadow says instead, and relief courses through him.

“Sure thing,” he replies. “Wanna watch a movie?”

Sonic and Shadow find themselves in the kitchen. Sonic wants to make popcorn, and he’d asked Shadow to take a seat in the living room, but Shadow had insisted on accompanying him. Evidently, he’s never seen a microwave before, and looks confused as Sonic places the bag of popcorn inside. Sonic doesn’t really know how to explain it, so he searches for an explanation about popcorn on Google and reads it out to Shadow as they wait for the snack to be done.

Once it's done (finally), Sonic pours all the popcorn into a giant bowl. “Hm,” he says, considering. “This might not be enough.” Upon Shadow’s bewildered look, he clarifies. “I eat a lot. If we’re sharing, I’m gonna need a lot more food.”

“You can have it all, if it’s a problem.”

Sonic stares at him, aghast. “Are you kidding? You have to eat popcorn while watching movies. It’s the law!”

“That can’t possibly be the law.”

“Well, it’s the law in this house. So here!” Sonic hands over the bowl to Shadow, who takes it, somehow managing to make it look like he’s carrying both a bomb and a precious jewel in his arms. Sonic shakes his head, and grabs some of Tails’ overly sugary cereals and Knuckles’ Cool Ranch Doritos. “All right, we’re all set. Let’s go!”

Shadow follows him to the living room, and takes a seat on the couch while Sonic arranges everything on the table while simultaneously flicking through their extensive movie catalogue. “Any recommendations?” he asks Shadow, who just narrows his eyes at him.

“I don’t know any of these. You pick,” he says. And so, Sonic does. But he tries to get Shadow to pick it indirectly, at least.

“You wanna watch an action movie?”

“No.” Shadow pauses for a second. “Especially not ones involving fights with monsters.”

“Okay,” Sonic says. Talk about a tough customer. “Shads, I really wanna know what kind of movies you’re into. The movies aren’t going anywhere for me, but you probably aren't going to get a chance to watch any for a while.”

Shadow frowns, and bites his lower lip. Sonic watches his eyes dart here and there, before he finally closes them with a sigh. He looks at Sonic, daring him to say anything. “I… liked the romantic stuff,” he mutters, and Sonic refrains from pointing out how utterly shocking that is. He’d never have in a million years expected Shadow to be invested in romance.

Sonic racks his brain for any romance movies he knows, but all that comes to mind are the ghastly romcoms that Maddie likes and the contrived telenovelas Knuckles goes crazy over. He wants Shadow to see something with real quality, so after a minute or so of thinking, Sonic sighs and puts on one of the few romance movies he actually enjoys.

“What is this?” Shadow snaps, as soon as he sees the Beast on screen. Sonic looks at him, confused.

“What do you mean?”

Shadow just waves a hand at the screen, looking absolutely disgusted. “I told you I didn’t like movies with monsters.”

“Dude, it’s not an action movie.” When Shadow glowers at him, Sonic just pats his shoulder. “Just watch.”

Shadow, seemingly now in a foul mood, just sits there silently, glowering at the screen. Sonic tries to alleviate some of the tension by grabbing the bowl of popcorn and plopping it onto Shadow’s lap, and just steals popcorn with a wink when Shadow glares at him. He points at the screen, putting a finger to his mouth, and makes a show of watching it intently.

He hears a put upon sigh from Shadow, but his companion doesn’t say anything else. Sonic just falls back against the cushions, shoving popcorn into his mouth and watching mindlessly.

It’s around the part where Belle and the Beast start hanging out with each other that Sonic frowns at the screen. Oddly, there’s a strange feeling swirling around in his chest as he watches Belle and the Beast throwing snowballs at each other. It’s not like he’s ever hated the scene, but he’s never been too invested in it either. It’s… fine, it’s sweet or whatever, and that’s all the thought that he’s historically given to it.

But it feels different to watch it, now. Somehow, Sonic feels strangely akin to the characters on screen. It’s almost like… he gets it. He stares at the movie as Belle and the Beast huddle close to read with each other, as Belle reads to him and then tries to help him read to her.

And then it clicks, like a candle being lit in his heart, and Sonic feels like his heart is about to jump out of his throat. Because he gets it; he understands.

He just might… know that feeling.

His mind takes him back immediately, to playing cards and dancing and falling asleep in bootleg pillow forts and racing through the hills like there’s nothing else in the world to do. He doesn’t even dare to look to his side as he becomes all too aware of the heat rising to his cheeks, and Sonic knows that he’s blushing crimson.

But he can’t even help it. He watches on as the Beast and Belle come together for their dance scene, and it’s at this point that feels brave enough to sneak a glance at the hedgehog sitting right next to him.

And Shadow’s staring right at the screen, unblinking, eyes wide and filled with something like wonder. He seems absolutely enthralled by the movie, leaning forward, eyes never leaving the screen for a second. Sonic stares at him, at the light shining onto his face and making his eyes glow, and he can’t help but smile, utter warmth making itself at home inside him, rushing through him like its been infused into his very blood.

And all he can think of right now is that he’d like to hold Shadow’s hand; he’d like to grip it tightly and never let go.

Despite himself, Sonic ends up staring at Shadow throughout the movie. He misses everything, because he can’t take his eyes off Shadow. For his part, Shadow doesn’t seem to notice at all, enraptured by the proceedings of the movie. It’s only when it’s over that Sonic comes to his senses, fighting to draw his gaze away from Shadow and pretend that he hadn’t just been staring at him the whole time.

Shadow, on the other hand, blinks as soon as the credits start playing, and Sonic watches his head fall, eyes dropping down to stare at his lap. The popcorn bowl is still there, and Sonic reaches out, taking it out of Shadow’s hands. Shadow’s eyes widen for a split second before he turns to look at Sonic, almost like he’d forgotten he was there.

Sonic can’t relate, honestly.

“Sooooo,” he says, drawing out the word awkwardly. “What did you think?”

“It was… good,” Shadow says, but the quiet way he says it reveals that he’d definitely thought it was a lot more than ‘good.’ Sonic finds himself smiling fondly.

“It was?”

Shadow nods. “All the monster movies I’ve watched usually have the monster be killed at the end,” he shares. “I… didn’t expect the Beast to live and be happy.”

“Well,” Sonic says, offering Shadow a smile. “Now you’ve seen it.”

“I guess so.”

They sit in silence for a while longer, just taking in the moment, and each other. Then, Sonic sighs. “I’m hungry,” he states, and Shadow huffs in annoyance next to him.

“Then eat,” he says, pointing at the large bowl of popcorn in his hands. Sonic just smirks at him, and gobbles up the entire bowl in about ten seconds. Even as he congratulates himself about his new record, Shadow stares at him, nose scrunched up in disgust. Sonic just sticks a tongue out at him.

“That wasn’t enough,” he complains.

“Then eat the rest, Sonic,” Shadow snarks, gesturing to the Doritos and cereal laid out on the table.

“Nah,” Sonic replies, waving a hand. “I didn’t eat them, might as well save myself from a chewing out.” He looks at Shadow. “But… we do have some mac and cheese left. I can reheat it, and we can both eat.”

“I don’t—” Shadow starts, and stops himself when Sonic raises an eyebrow at him. “Never mind.”

“See? Wasn’t that simple?” Sonic doesn’t wait for Shadow to respond, speeding off to the kitchen and pulling the leftovers out of the fridge. Just as he starts to reheat it, he hears the clunking of Shadow’s shoes on the floor. They stand quietly in the kitchen, listening only to the beeping and whirring of the microwave, illuminated only by its soft, dim light.

Sonic wordlessly grabs two plates and hands them over to Shadow along with two forks. He then takes out the mac and cheese, and walks out of the kitchen, with Shadow following. Sonic serves them both, and sits down. Shadow, however, just stands there, one hand resting on the back of the chair right across from him.

“Sit down,” Sonic tells him, smiling. Shadow still looks doubtful, insecurity flashing in his gaze. So Sonic reaches out a hand across the table. “Sit,” he says, again. “Please?”

Shadow looks at the hot food sitting before him, and then at Sonic’s outstretched hand. Slowly, he takes it, and pulls out the chair, sitting down. He picks up the fork, poking a little at the pasta, picking them up with the fork and watching them fall back to the plate.

“It’s good,” Sonic says, shoving more into his mouth. Shadow watches him, and then spears some pasta himself, putting it in his mouth. He chews slowly.

“It’s not bad.”

Sonic shoots him a grin. “I’ll take it.”

They eat the rest of the food in silence. The only sounds are of them chewing, and some occasional random noise from outside. Their hands are still linked together, fingers curled with each other’s, since their hands aren’t long enough to properly reach across the table.

Once they’re done, Sonic puts away the dishes, and stretches. “What should we do now?”

Shadow just shrugs. Sonic looks at him, and turns towards the window, staring out at the night sky. He smiles.

“It’s okay,” he says. “I have an idea.”

“Someone could see us."

“If no one saw us in the morning, they won’t us now,” Sonic explains, even as Shadow follows him up onto the roof.

“If you say so,” Shadow says with a sigh. “What is it that you wanted to show me?”

“That,” Sonic says, pointing up at the sky. He follows Shadow’s gaze as he looks up, eyes widening when he sees the stars shining brightly in the sky. His mouth falls open a little in awe as he stares at the millions of twinkling lights, wonderstruck.

Sonic smiles. “Knew you’d like it,” he teases.

“Shut up.” Even as Shadow says it, Sonic can tell his heart isn’t in it, too focused on the bright lights above them. Sonic knows it’s not easy to look at the stars through the dense treetops, but from the Wachowski rooftop? Nothing beats the view.

Sonic just stands next to him, and shivers a little as the wind blows. Both Sonic and Shadow are capable of surviving in freezing temperatures, but the cold is still uncomfortable, and that’s not something Sonic wants.

So he unfolds the blanket he’d brought with him, and drapes it over Shadow’s shoulders. Shadow turns to him, opening his mouth to say something, but Sonic grabs his shoulders and pushes him to sit on the rooftop. Shadow goes, surprisingly compliant. Sonic just sits next to him.

As Shadow’s head remains firmly tilted up, he unscrews the flash he’d brought, and pours out a generous cup of hot chocolate. He nudges Shadow, and when the other hedgehog looks back at him, hands him the cup. “Here,” he says, and Shadow accepts it with a thanks. Sonic watches him take a sip, hands wrapped delicately around the cup. Sonic pours some out for himself, and takes his own sip, relishing in the taste of the drink, letting the heat soothe his throat.

Very soon, their drinks are done, cups left abandoned at their sides. Shadow tucks his legs into his chest, wrapping his arms around them. Sonic, in contrast, stretches out his legs, hands planted on the rooftops, the shingles rough under his hands.

The stars twinkle, and Shadow and Sonic sit under them in silence.

Sonic glances at Shadow, watching the stars twinkle in his eyes, their light reflecting in his piercing gaze. He thinks of the moon, where they’d spoken with each other, and Sonic had seen the same sight, of the light of the stars shining in Shadow’s eyes like they belonged there.

His heart threatens to explode in his chest, pounding ferociously. His instincts, his emotions, they’re all screaming at him, and Sonic feels like a cup filled to the brim, overflowing with longing and absolute fondness.

“Shadow,” he starts, and Shadow just hums to indicate that he’s listening. “I—” Sonic can’t continue, nervousness seizing him in a vice grip. Instead, he says, “it’s about that thing you said, back when we talked on the moon.”

Shadow doesn’t reply, though he tenses a little. Sonic, emboldened by his lack of dismissal, continues.

“The light shines, even though the star is gone,” he quotes, and Shadow remains silent, as though he’s waiting for an inevitable explosion.

“What does that mean?”

Shadow looks at him, but Sonic keeps his eyes fixed to the sky above them. Sonic feels his gaze on him, and almost breathes a sigh of relief when Shadow looks back up with him.

“It can take hundreds of years for the light of a star to reach Earth, and by the time you see it, the star might not even exist anymore,” Shadow says, voice soft and reverent, and Sonic gazes at the stars with a newfound appreciation.

“That’s crazy,” he breathes, and Shadow’s breath seems to catch in his throat.

He doesn’t say anything for a while longer, and Sonic closes his eyes, breathing in the chilly air.

“Sonic.”

“Yeah?”

“…Thank you.”

Sonic turns to Shadow, feeling utterly surprised. Sure, Shadow has thanked him before, but never out of the blue like this. “What for?” he questions.

Shadow just keeps his head turned up, but closes his eyes. “I never thought I’d see these again,” he explains, voice hushed, like he’s entrusting Sonic with the most priceless treasure in the world. “The stars. But you made it possible. So,” Shadow says, and he turns to face Sonic. And Sonic watches him, feeling his eyes widen, mouth falling open.

Because Shadow is smiling at him. It’s not one of his small, secretive smiles that he wipes off his face the moment Sonic looks his way, nor is it one of his competitive smirks. It’s a smile that makes him look like the most beautiful person alive, one that makes his eyes crinkle and twinkle in the light of the stars above them. It’s one that makes Sonic feel like nothing else matters, just as long as he can gaze at that smile forever, etching it into his memory with gold.

“Thank you,” Shadow says, again, and Sonic is lost.

He opens his mouth to say something, something like ‘sure thing, buddy,’ or ‘no problem,’ or anything else. But Sonic can’t hold himself back anymore, and before he knows it, it’s all out in the open.

“I want to kiss you.”

And he can only watch in horror as the smile falls off Shadow’s face, his eyes widening, as big as saucers. “What?” he asks, and Sonic feels cold dread pooling in his stomach. Because he know now that it’s all over.

“I…”

“Sonic,” Shadow says, voice firm and hard. “Say it.”

“I… I want to kiss you.”

Shadow just stares at him, and no matter how much Sonic wants to look away so that he can run away and curl up into a ball in some dark corner of the world, he holds Shadow’s gaze.

“Do it.”

Sonic blinks. “What?”

“Do it,” Shadow says, and Sonic stares at him, searching his eyes for a hint of mockery. But he finds nothing except the calm, resolute look in Shadow’s eyes.

He’s really serious.

“You—you’re sure?”

“What do you think?” Shadow replies, voice deep and smooth, and Sonic hears those words reverberate through him, echoing in his mind, charging through him like a shock to the heart. And he responds to it the only way he can. He reaches out his hand, takes Shadow’s in his own. He pulls Shadow forward, leans in, and presses his lips to Shadow’s own.

And it’s the best feeling in the world, one he can’t believe he ever lived without. Shadow’s lips are soft, moving against his. It’s definitely not exactly right, and it’s probably very amateurish compared to whatever he sees on TV. But Sonic soaks it up like a sponge, leaning in and kissing Shadow for all he’s worth.

When he finally pulls away, Sonic looks at Shadow, and finds that his appetite, now awoken, is making him absolutely ravenous.

“Can I—” he starts, and Shadow just gives him a glare, red eyes boring into his own.

“Stop talking,” he growls, and that’s all Sonic needs to hear.

The blanket falls off Shadow’s shoulders and onto the roof as Sonic pulls him closer. Shadow swings his leg over Sonic’s own and sits in his lap, hands coming to grip his shoulders. Sonic leans in and kisses him again, pressing his mouth to Shadow’s in a sort of manic desperation. Shadow responds in kind, and Sonic wraps his arms around Shadow’s waist, pulling him closer.

Sonic can’t hear anything else, he can’t even think of anything else except the hedgehog in his arms, kissing him like there’s no tomorrow. When they break apart for air, Sonic sucks in the cold air greedily, and then looks at Shadow. His face feels hot, and Sonic knows he’s blushing. But he also observes the green tint on Shadow’s own face.

“Am I that bad at it?” he asks, lifting a hand to brush at Shadow’s face. Shadow grumbles, and swats it away.

“My blood is green,” he says, slowly, almost like he thinks it’s a dealbreaker. He turns his head to the side, staring away from Sonic.

Clearly, he still doesn’t understand Sonic at all.

Sonic reaches for his face, brushes his fingers along Shadow’s cheek and turns his head back to face him. “That’s so cool,” he whispers with a smirk, and Shadow stares at him for all of a few seconds before he plants his hands on Sonic's face and captures his mouth with his own again. Sonic kisses him back, liable to explode with all the feeling in his heart right now. They swap kisses for what feels like an eternity, Shadow’s hands slipping off his face at some point and finding their place around his neck. In response, Sonic tightens his grip around him.

Shadow is warm, and Sonic can feel the thrum of his power surging beneath his skin. His own heart is going crazy, beating a mile a minute, and Sonic isn’t sure that even running has made it beat so fast. He can’t seem to get enough, and apparently, neither can Shadow.

But, again, they need to break apart for air, so they do. Shadow draws in a deep breath, staring right at Sonic. There’s a strange expression on his face, and Sonic, still caught in the euphoria of the night’s events, suddenly feels himself coming back down to Earth. “Shads?” he says, concerned. But he’s interrupted when Shadow tightens his grip around his neck, and buries his face in the crook of his neck in what is unmistakably a hug. Sonic freezes for all of one second before he hugs him back, soaking in his warmth. Shadow squeezes him, and Sonic does the same, feeling a new kind of desperation, his instincts going haywire inside him mind.

When Shadow finally pulls away, he turns his head away from Sonic again. “Shadow,” Sonic asks. “What’s wrong?”

“Sonic,” Shadow replies, voice flat and absolutely detached, even as his arms are wound in a vice grip around Sonic. “I’m sorry, but tonight, I’m leaving Green Hills.”

Chapter Text

Sonic stares into Shadow’s eyes, feeling his blood turn to ice.

“W—what?”

Shadow stares at him, face filled with grim determination. “I’m leaving.”

Sonic opens his mouth, and closes it, unable to do anything but gape at Shadow. He fights to find his voice, to find a way to say something, but nothing comes out his mouth but a strangled whisper.

“Why?”

Shadow’s hands slide off his neck, though he does place them on Sonic’s shoulders. His very touch feels like it’s burning through him painfully, and Sonic tightens his own hold around Shadow, like he might be able to keep him here if he does.

“I’ve stayed too long,” Shadow replies, voice remaining mechanical and unbothered. “It’s not practical.”

“Practical?” Sonic repeats, hardly able to believe his ears. The sheer force of his disbelief seems to crack, giving way to unparalleled terror.

Shadow just nods, like he isn’t reaching into Sonic’s heart and ripping it straight out of his chest. “It’s the only logical thing to do,” he says, coldly. “You understand.”

Sonic just stares at him, eyes burning. He fights to keep himself under control, knowing that if he lets anything slip, Shadow will be gone. But it’s hard, and Shadow isn’t making anything fair.

“I don’t understand,” Sonic says. “Why do you have to go?”

“Because GUN isn’t going to stay away for long,” Shadow shoots back immediately. “I’ve already spent too much time here. I have to go.”

“Right this second?”

“I’ve already overstayed my welcome here.” He looks at Sonic, and he seems to think that he’s doing Sonic a huge favor like this. “This is for the best.”

“The best,” Sonic repeats, again. Shadow’s eyebrows furrow.

“What’s the matter?” he asks, and Sonic feels the blood rushing through him. Every word out of Shadow’s mouth feels like it’s mocking him, taunting him. Making fun of him for daring to think—how could ever have thought—

“And you just… decided that. For me too.”

Shadow raises an eyebrow. “You should understand,” he says, firmly. “You know how dangerous they are.”

“Sure. I also know we’ve fought them off multiple times.” He looks at Shadow, whose face is unreadable. “And we can do it again.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Maybe not,” Sonic snaps back. There’s a cold fire flooding through him, something irrational and spiteful. “But at least I’m not running away,” he says, and Shadow’s own eyes flash, even as he remains rooted in place, still sitting in Sonic’s lap.

“Don’t be naive, Sonic,” he spits, expression venomous. “If you think that GUN isn’t trying their absolute hardest to come after me, then you’re sorely mistaken.”

“Do you think I don’t know that? They’ve chased me down too.” He draws in a breath, and tries to let his voice soften. “But I didn’t run away. I fought them. I made a home for myself. I found a family.”

“That’s nice,” Shadow replies, almost sneering. “I’m sure that it will help when GUN comes to capture me.” He ducks his head, eyes burning red. “I will not let them take me away again.”

“Shadow…” Sonic bites his lip. The cold air feels like it’s freezing now, pressing down on him, keeping him unable to move. “You don’t have to do this.”

Shadow looks at him. His eyes shift from a glare to a look of desperation. “I do,” he says. “I have to.”

“Where will you go?” Sonic tries. “What will you do?”

“I’ll figure it out,” Shadow says, voice sharp.

“There has to be something else we can do,” Sonic tries, desperately.

Shadow barks a derisive laugh. “Like what? What are we supposed to do?” He looks into Sonic’s eyes, and his mocking tone peters out, replaced by something else, something softer, but no less cruel. “Sonic,” he says, voice so light and gentle when saying his name that it could be carried away by the wind, “just let me go.”

Sonic says nothing. He can’t say anything, not to that.

“Can’t you see that this is for the best? You can go back to your family.” When Sonic still doesn’t reply to him, Shadow squeezes his shoulders. “You won’t have to worry about any of this anymore. You won’t have to worry about… me, anymore.”

“I said I’d help you,” Sonic says, finally. His voice comes out weak, quiet, like he’s lost it completely.

Shadow closes his eyes in front of him. “I don’t need it,” he says. But it’s different from the usual dismissive way he says it, like he’s trying to cover up his weaknesses. Now, Shadow says it like he’s stating a fact, an immutable truth of the world. He says it as casually as if he’s saying the sky is blue.

Sonic looks at him, and feels nothing but confusion. He feels it from the tips of his fingers to the deepest parts of his heart, like it’s all he knows. He can’t seem to understand any of this, even though it’s all so clear.

“If none of what I said convinced you, then why—” Sonic bites his lip, closing his eyes. He ducks his head down, not trusting himself to be able to speak if he keeps looking at Shadow.

“Then why’d you stay?” he finishes, voice hushed.

Shadow shifts, hands still gripping his shoulders, sending pinpricks of pain through him. His thumb moves up and down on Sonic’s shoulder in a gentle caress, even as his words pierce through Sonic like a spear of ice. Now, Shadow is silent, and Sonic feels his familiar temper scorching through him.

“You owe me this,” he says, trying to stop his voice from breaking. “You never believed what I said, but you stayed anyway. Why?” Sonic demands. Shadow looks ready to argue, but Sonic thumps his head against the white fur on his chest, and Shadow freezes. Sonic closes his eyes tightly, fighting back tears.

“Just tell me,” he whispers. “Shadow, please.”

“It was… an excuse.”

Sonic looks up at him, eyes wide. “An excuse?”

Shadow’s face is turned away, eyes firmly situated away from Sonic. “I… wanted to stay.”

“…What?”

Shadow doesn’t repeat himself, but Sonic doesn’t need him to, as his words truly sink in.

“Then why not stay?”

Shadow glances at him. “I can’t.” He says it so firmly, even though Sonic can hear his voice shaking in a way he had never even imagined Shadow was capable of. And it’s something Sonic knows intimately well; the feeling of wanting something desperately, and knowing he can’t stay.

But Sonic managed to make it happen. And he wants Shadow to understand that too.

“You know,” he says, and offers Shadow a smile. “I had the same problem, once. The military was after me, and I was trying to flee to another planet. Longclaw had told me to do that if I was ever discovered, so I was running away. Again.”

Shadow’s hand leaves his shoulder, sliding to the base of his neck. “Longclaw… was your…”

“Yeah,” Sonic says, and leans back against Shadow, his hand burning against Sonic’s neck. “She wanted me to be safe. That’s all she ever wanted.”

He can hear Shadow’s soft breaths above him. Sonic feels hyper aware of everything going on around him, from their breathing to the crickets chirping to even the rustling of the trees, and he feels like if he listens hard enough, he might even hear the stars twinkling in the sky.

“But you stayed.”

“Yeah. I didn’t want to run away. I wanted a life here. And I have one now.”

“It’s that easy for you, isn’t it.”

“It wasn’t easy,” Sonic corrects, arms hugging Shadow close to himself. “But it’s the best decision I ever made.”

When Shadow doesn’t reply, Sonic presses forward. “If I can do it, so can you,” he tries. “After all, you’re the ultimate lifeform.” Sonic laughs a little wildly at that, and Shadow’s hand brushes against his quills, fingers following them before Shadow drops his hands to his sides. Sonic almost wants to take them back in his own, and make Shadow hold onto him again.

“I’m not like you, Sonic,” he says, like he’s trying to impress the fact upon Sonic. “I’m nothing like you.”

Sonic looks back up at him. Shadow stares at him, and Sonic can see in his eyes, the desperation to get Sonic to understand, the urgency in his gaze. And so, Sonic decides to do the exact opposite.

“How so?” he asks, wide-eyed and innocent, and blinks his eyes rapidly for good measure.

Shadow’s own eyes widen, like he can’t fathom Sonic’s sheer audacity. Then his face contorts into an expression of pure anger. “You fool,” he spits, voice laced with rage. “Do you not understand the difference between you and me? I tried to destroy everything. Everything!” Shadow raises a hand and sweeps it through the air, gesturing around them. “All of this… your home, your family… they would all have been destroyed! And you’re still here, pretending I have the right—like I deserve—"

He trails off, chest heaving with the force of his outburst. Sonic just holds his gaze, watching his expression change from one of anger to a raging, tortured guilt.

“But you fixed it,” he counters, hands pressing on Shadow’s sides. “You saved the Earth. You saved everyone.” When Shadow just shakes his head, Sonic presses on, voice firm. “Without you, none of us would be here.”

“You don’t understand,” Shadow says, voice shaking. “I’m the one who caused it.”

“And I almost killed you.”

Shadow sucks in a sharp breath, but Sonic holds steady. “I made a terrible choice too. I almost went through with it too. But I didn’t. And neither did you.” Shadow says nothing, breaths long and shaky.

“You said the other day, that you felt like I understood you,” Sonic continues. “Isn’t this what you meant, Shadow? I understand. I might be the only one who does.”

Shadow closes his eyes tightly. “Sonic,” he says, but Sonic doesn’t even know if he’s even actually calling him, or if everything he wants to say is just dying in his throat. He watches as Shadow shakes his head again, ears twitching before they lay flat on his head.

“Shads,” he says. “You can have a life here. You don’t have to run away. GUN won’t catch you.” He tilts Shadow’s head towards himself again. “I won’t let them.”

“You won’t?”

“I won’t.”

Shadow stares at him. In a split second, his expression shifts. His hand comes up, to grab Sonic’s wrist. Sonic winces at the tight, powerful grip, and lets go of Shadow completely, only able to watch as Shadow all but tosses his wrist away, pulling himself off Sonic’s lap and staggering backwards on the roof.

“Shadow—”

“Why?” Shadow yells, hands curled into fists at his sides, eyes flashing, full of turmoil. “After everything I’ve said, everything I’ve done, why are you still here, Sonic? Why do you keep coming back?” He takes another step back, the force of his movement cracking the shingles on the roof. “Why do you keep doing this?”

Sonic reaches for him, but doesn’t move from his position. He feels himself breathing heavily, almost desperate for air. His own arm trembles, and Sonic wills himself to let it fall back to his sides. He stands still in front of Shadow, trying to remain calm in the face of Shadow’s overwhelming emotions.

“Because you’re my friend,” he says, simply. And he closes his mouth as Shadow’s eyes widen yet again, as he sucks in a strangled breath.

“What?”

“You’re my friend,” Sonic says. “So I’m going to help you, however I can.”

“Friend,” Shadow repeats, eyes glowing, fists crackling. “You think of me as your friend?”

“Yes.”

“What,” Shadow says, derisively, mouth curling into a sneer. “You’ve forgiven me all my faults? All my mistakes? None of that matters to you anymore?”

Sonic just meets his gaze, suddenly feeling very calm. “No,” he replies. “It doesn’t matter. I forgive you.”

“Impossible,” Shadow snarls. “It can’t be that easy.”

“Maybe not,” Sonic says, watching Shadow glow in the red light surrounding him. “But I have forgiven you, Shadow. Whether you believe it or not. And no matter what you say, even if you don’t feel the same way, you’re my friend.”

Shadow bares his teeth, eyes glowing red. Sonic can feel the electricity in the air, and watches Shadow’s chaos energy surround him. The rooftop beneath Shadow is suddenly charred, and Sonic just watches as Shadow growls from deep in his throat.

But he just stands there, staring him down, hoping that Shadow can see that he’s being honest. That he can understand that Sonic is not going anywhere.

And as soon as Shadow prepares to attack, his eyes fall shut, and he straightens up, red energy fading away like petals on the wind. Shadow keeps his eyes closed, head ducking down. Sonic watches as he shakes, and takes a few steps closer.

“Shadow?”

“I hurt you,” Shadow says, voice soft and quiet, a stark contrast to his raised voice just a few seconds ago. “I hurt Tom. I hurt everyone you love.”

“Yeah,” Sonic agrees. “You also saved everyone. You fixed your mistakes. And you weren’t even the only one up there, Shads. You did more than your fair share of making up for things.” When Shadow says nothing else, head still bowed in shame, Sonic walks forward some more, reaching out towards him. “You almost died. For so long, I thought you actually did.”

Shadow just crosses his arms, hugging himself, eyes squeezed shut. “It doesn’t excuse anything. I don’t—I don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

“I don’t agree with you,” Sonic says, gently. “Because I forgive you.”

When Shadow says nothing else, Sonic just walks towards him, standing right in front of him. And he lifts an arm, placing his hand on Shadow’s face. Shadow tenses, hands gripping his own arms in a death grip, as Sonic brushes his thumb under his eyes. He just tips his head sideways, into Sonic’s palm, seemingly unconsciously. Sonic runs his finger gently over his eyelid too, cupping his face.

“You could have died, Shads,” he says again. “But you’re here. You’re alive.” When Shadow sucks in a breath, Sonic asserts his words again. “You’re still here,” he reiterates. “You haven’t died.”

At those words, Shadow looks up at him. His face crumbles, expression an amalgamation of indescribable grief, guilt and pain. Shadow looks tired, hurt and confused, and Sonic nearly stumbles at the sight of his eyes, shining and wet, ridden with torturous emotion.

And then Shadow opens his mouth, and instead of speaking, lets out a sob instead.

“I wish I had,” he cries, tears flowing down his face, and Sonic reels, stumbling backwards, hand leaving Shadow’s face and flying to his own, fingers skimming along his mouth. There’s a numb sort of horror spreading through him as Shadow weeps silently in front of him, having just admitted that he wishes he had died.

“Shadow,” he calls, and reaches for him again. But Shadow turns away, still curled in on himself.

“I don’t know what I’m doing here,” he sobs, and Sonic feels his heart break. “I have nothing here. All I ever had was Maria. But she’s gone, and I’m still here. I shouldn’t be here, Sonic,” he cries, and Sonic resolutely steps forward, blinking away his own tears and laying a gentle hand on Shadow’s shoulder. “I don’t deserve to be here.”

Sonic bites his own lip and takes a deep breath. The words he’s about to say sound baseless, and they sound like empty platitudes. But they are the truth, and that’s all that Sonic has to offer to Shadow right now.

“Of course you do,” Sonic says, leaving no room for argument in his voice. “You deserve to be here.”

“No, I don’t,” Shadow argues, voice riddled with grief. “Not without her. She was all I had. I have nothing left to live for.”

“You can find something else,” Sonic replies, and when Shadow doesn’t push him away, wraps his arms around Shadow, pressing against his back. “You can have a second chance.”

“I can’t,” Shadow says, voice shaking furiously, trembling like a leaf in the wind. “I had my chance.”

“You’ll find another,” Sonic responds, closing his own eyes. Shadow just whimpers, and some of his ears fall on Sonic’s arms, soaking into his fur.

“I felt the same way when I lost Longclaw,” Sonic continues, feeling Shadow go still in his embrace. “But I found another family, with parents and brothers who love me. Longclaw will always be in my heart, but I found another reason to live too. I found another chance, and I chose to take it.”

“No one can replace Maria in your heart,” Sonic breathes, leaning his head against Shadow’s shoulder, and Shadow’s breath hitches when Sonic mentions her name. “But you can find another friend. You can find another family. You can find another reason to live.”

Shadow doesn’t move, just bowing his head once more, standing still in Sonic’s grip. And Sonic just holds him close, not wanting to let him go.

But the moment doesn’t last. Sonic, fast as he is, watches Shadow move, and knows before anything is done that it’s all over. Shadow twists in his grip, and Sonic lets go of him, watching with a sickening feeling of realization as Shadow looks at him. His eyes are bloodshot, cheeks wet with the tear tracks on his face, but his expression is as cold as steel. Sonic feels his own eyes widen in terror, feeling desperation and an already forming sense of loss all but consume him.

“Shadow, please—”

You can’t do this to me.

Shadow’s gaze is cold and emotionless. He stares at Sonic unfeelingly, and then lets his eyes fall shut. Sonic finds his power burning within him, and runs forward as fast as he can.

But Shadow is quick too. Shadow is the only one that can ever keep up with Sonic. There’s no one else in this world who can.

And by the time Sonic reaches for him, it’s already too late.

“Goodbye, Sonic.”

And Shadow disappears with a crack, as Sonic’s arm closes around thin air. He falls to his knees, feeling the wet trails of tears rolling down his face, staring numbly at the small wisp of steam rising from where Shadow had once stood.

Chapter Text

Sonic doesn’t know how long he stays like that, kneeling on the rooftop. His knees hurt, but he feels like he can barely register the pain.

Shadow’s gone. He’s really gone.

Sonic lets himself fall over on the roof. He feels tired, and exhausted, and his heart aches, twisting violently in his chest. He just closes his eyes and lies there, trying not to think, even though he can do nothing but that.

However, he finds a distraction in the form of the sound of their truck pulling up to the house, and listens as the doors open. Tom and Maddie’s voices float through the air, even though he can’t quite make out what they’re saying. Nevertheless, Sonic pulls himself to his feet and slips back to his room through the skylight, choosing to curl up on his bed instead.

He’s there for all of five minutes before Tails enters. “Sonic?” he calls, sounding worried. Sonic forces himself to sit up straight and plaster a smile on his face.

“How was the science fair thing? Didja have fun?”

“It was a convention,” Tails corrects, though his thoughts seem to be elsewhere. “And yeah, it was fun.” He frowns. “Sonic, are you okay?”

“Yeah, why?”

Tails looks concerned, tails swishing behind him. “You just look really sad.”

“Oh,” Sonic says. The crushing emotions of the day have been reduced to some cold, pervasive numbness. Sonic can’t even find it in himself to cry.

“It—it’s nothing, Tails,” he says anyway. “I just watched a sad movie.”

Tails clearly doesn’t buy it. But he lets it go. “Sonic,” he says instead, and Sonic feels himself sit up straighter at the urgent, heavy undertone in his voice. “I need to speak with you. It’s important.”

“What’s up, buddy?”

Tails chews on his lip, and then shakes his head. He takes a deep breath, and then looks Sonic directly in the eyes. “I just want you to know that I fixed the Miles Electric.”

Sonic stares at him, dormant mind kicking back into overdrive. “What?” he asks, watching Tails twiddle his thumbs nervously. “When?”

“Yesterday.”

Sonic feels like the ground is opening up beneath him, because he has a good idea of where this is going.

“And I was worried about you today,” says Tails. “You’ve been acting weird for a while, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. So while we were out, I… I kept it on, to check on you.” He levels Sonic with a meaningful look. “And I found another energy signature in the house with you the whole day. And as far as I know, there’s only one other person with an energy signature that distinct.”

“Really,” Sonic says, and Tails doesn’t even bother to ask.

“Shadow was here, wasn’t he.”

Sonic opens his mouth before he can think of a reply. His first instinct is to deny it all, insist that Tails’ device must have been wrong. But one look at Tails’ face silences him. The hesitant, yet expectant look, one of complete trust that Sonic truly doesn’t deserve.

“Yeah,” he answers, staring into his lap. He looks up for a second, though, long enough to see Tails’ face fall.

“And… how long has he been coming over like this?”

“Never,” Sonic answers honestly. “He never came to our house before.”

“But you’ve been meeting him for a while.”

Sonic just nods, not trusting himself to speak.

“I… I don’t understand,” Tails says, and now his voice raises a pitch higher. “Why were you meeting Shadow? Is he—is he threatening you? Is that why you didn’t tell us about him?”

“No!” Sonic snaps, and Tails flinches. Sonic stares at him, guilt tearing through him. “No,” he repeats, more gently. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, Tails. I’m sorry. But Shadow hasn’t been threatening me.”

“Then why didn’t you tell us?”

“I… Tails, it’s all very complicated, and I didn’t know how, so I just—”

“You lied.”

Sonic whips his head up, staring at Knuckles, who has just entered the room. In a contrast to Tails, his face is severe, eyes clouded with anger and worse, disappointment.

“Knuckles,” Sonic says, dumbfoundedly, dread pooling in his gut. “I can explain,” he tries. But Knuckles holds up a hand, effectively silencing him.

“We swore an oath to each other, hedgehog,” he says, words heavy and commanding. He’s not even yelling, and that’s the worst part. “We swore that we would trust each other. That we would not keep such secrets from each other. I…” he pauses, and closes his eyes. “I had hoped, that after the last time, that you would do better. I was wrong.”

Sonic stares at him, and then ducks his head. He really has no defense, no justification. Because Knuckles is right.

Sonic’s the absolute worst.

But it’s not even over yet. Because the trapdoor swings open, and all three of them jump as Maddie enters the attic, Tom following closely behind her. Tom looks worried, and glances at Sonic with a pensive expression. But Maddie looks absolutely furious, eyes glaring with the force of her temper.

“Sonic,” she snaps. “Have you really been meeting Shadow this whole time?”

Sonic stares at her, words dying in his throat. Even Knuckles looks cowed by the sheer rage emanating from her, eyes wide and apprehensive. He turns to Sonic, and Sonic feels less than dirt, with everyone’s eyes on him.

He nods, because there’s nothing else to do.

Maddie’s face cycles through several emotions, so many that Sonic can’t really tell what she’s feeling. It finally settles on grim determination. “I don’t want you seeing him anymore,” she says, laying down an ultimatum. Sonic stares at her, heart dropping, crushed on the ground.

“Why?” he asks, pushing himself off his racecar bed.

She gestures to Tom, who is just standing there, looking alarmed. “Do you need to ask?” She levels him with a look. “It was very irresponsible of you to do this, Sonic, and it was even more irresponsible to keep this from us. I don’t want it to happen again.”

“Mads,” Tom starts, but Maddie turns to him with a glare. They have one of those silent conversations that Sonic doesn’t understand, and in the end, Tom sighs and looks away.

“But why not?” Sonic asks, feeling something inside him give way. “He’s not the same person anymore! He saved us all,” he says, and looks around. Now, everyone looks away from him, directing their gazes elsewhere. Sonic stares at them, feeling aggravated. “You don’t even care about that, do you!”

“Sonic,” Maddie responds, voice cold. “I understand that you care about him. But he hurt a lot of us. Almost irreparably.” Her voice breaks here, and Sonic stares at her as she closes her eyes, drawing in a shaky breath.

“It nearly tore us all apart. I can’t go through that again,” she says, voice considerably lower. “None of us can.”

“Maddie…”

She shakes her head, and when she opens her eyes, they are calm, but cold, and Sonic is reminded of Shadow telling him that he’s leaving. And Sonic isn’t ready to lose everyone he’s ever had.

But it’s not like he has a choice. All he can do is watch as everything he ever had slips through his fingers, washed away by his mistakes.

“You won’t be seeing him again, Sonic. That’s final,” Maddie says, and then turns on her heel, disappearing through the trapdoor. Sonic ducks his head, and hears Tom step closer, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll talk to her, bud. She’s just afraid for you.”

Sonic just glares at him. “Why?” he spits. “You agree with her, don’t you?”

Tom doesn’t reply to that, eyebrows furrowing, and Sonic can see him struggling to formulate a response. He finds himself angry at the thought, enough that it feels like it’s going to explode out of him.

Because he’s angry. He’s angry at Shadow for leaving, he’s angry at Maddie for telling him he can’t see Shadow anymore. But more than anything, he’s angry at himself, because everything that’s happening right now is his fault, all because Sonic wanted more than he deserved.

At that thought, Sonic finds himself feeling tired, all the fight draining out of him. “There’s no point anyway,” he mutters, and Tom’s hand slides off his shoulder.

“Sonic,” he starts, but Sonic interrupts him.

“Just leave me alone, please,” he says. Because he knows that this is for the best. It’s better that Sonic gives Tom an out to leave like he knows Tom wants to do, so that he won’t feel obligated to stick around and bat for Sonic, who doesn’t deserve it in the slightest. Because he’s completely worthless.

Tom just sighs, and stands up. He gestures to Knuckles and Tails, who follow him out quietly, casting concerned looks at Sonic. Sonic just watches them go, feeling dull and listless.

And that’s when he hears the explosion.

Sonic sits still for a second, wondering if his mental state has him hearing things now. But he then hears yelling and the sounds of a scuffle, and hastens to run downstairs. He just makes it down to the first floor when he comes face to face with a very familiar, horribly designed egg shaped drone.

“What the—”

He doesn’t have time to finish what he was going to say; the drone doesn’t even wait that long, instead blasting him with some laser beam or whatever. Sonic dodges it, and jumps onto it, steering it into the wall. The drone drops to the floor, and Sonic makes a beeline for the front door, where he can hear noise.

Outside, he’s greeted by the familiar yet unwelcome sight of Director Rockwell, accompanied by a cohort of GUN agents, surrounded by multiple egg-drones. His family stands outside, staring them down.

“Hey!” Sonic yells, looking straight at her. “What’s going on here?” Everyone turns to him, and Knuckles and Tails yell something, but Sonic keeps his eyes on Rockwell.

Her mouth curls into a satisfied sneer. “What’s going on is that GUN is finally going to put you in your place.” She taps at the device she has in her hand, and multiple robots turn towards Sonic, their singular robotic eyes glowing red.

“I didn’t realize you liked eggs so much,” Sonic quips, even as he stares down the robots warily. If he can just get them to focus on him…

Rockwell just smiles. “Things change. I know how to adapt.” 

“Uh, you’re not very good at it, obviously,” Sonic shoots back, smirking at her. “I could take these guys down in my sleep!”

She just smirks back at him. “We’ll see.”

Sonic takes off, running into the woods. He turns around, sure that he’s left the infernal robots in the dust. But they’re right behind him, preparing to fire.

“What? How?”

Then they do fire, and Sonic barely manages to duck. He watches as the beam slices through several trees, toppling them instantly. He stares at the destruction, surprised. He’s never seen an egg-bot do anything like this.

Nevertheless, it’s not like Sonic usually strongarms them into destruction. He spins, and jumps onto one of them, using it as a weapon to destroy the rest. He then opens up the conveniently noticeable panel on the top of the robot he’s sitting on, pulling out the wires and leaving it to die on the ground. Satisfied, and impressed with himself that the whole interaction only took about twenty seconds, he rushes back to their house.

“Why are you here, Rockwell? We didn’t do anything!” he yells as he runs to stand next to Tails and Knuckles.

“I beg to differ,” she says, and turns her tablet towards them. Sonic can see two energy signatures flashing on her screen. “These are records we took only an hour ago,” she explains. Her lip curls. “I think you’ll know what they are.”

Sonic frowns, confused. But Tails blanches, paling. “No…”

“What’s the matter, Fox?”

“Those energy readings,” Tails murmurs, eyes fixed on Rockwell’s tablet. “They’re… from the Miles Electric.” He swallows, trembling. “They hacked it. That’s how they knew to come here.”

Sonic stares at him, something like fear seizing inside him. “So that means…”

“Yes, it means we know of your crimes. Aiding and abetting an alien fugitive,” she clicks her tongue. “What will you think of next?”

Sonic glares at her, opening his mouth. But Knuckles beats him to it, staring Rockwell down. “Why are you so concerned with capturing him?” he asks. “He has not harmed anyone since he came back to Earth.”

“After almost sacrificing himself to destroy your weapon,” Tails adds, and Sonic looks at them in shock. Just then, they’d been against the idea of Sonic visiting Shadow entirely, but here they are, defending him in the face of GUN’s idiocy. Sonic takes a deep breath, trying not to cry over how much he loves them.

“Be that as it may,” Rockwell dismisses. “He’s dangerous. Nothing more than a weapon. It’s best that he remains in our possession until we decide what to do with him.”

“Possession?” Sonic snarls, rage almost overwhelming him. “He’s not a thing! He’s not just a weapon!” He clenches his fists, feeling the familiar thrum of his power building up inside him. “You’re the dangerous ones,” he spits, “for what you did to him!”

“Your words mean nothing to me,” Rockwell dismisses with a wave of her hand, and Sonic feels the urge to obliterate her on the spot. “Your actions, however, concern me. Clearly, you cannot be trusted.” She snaps her fingers, and more egg robots spill out of her truck. They surround them all, almost as numerous as the stars in the sky.

“Prepare for battle,” Knuckles commands, and Sonic prepares to run forward.

“There’s nothing you can do,” Rockwell says, and her robots attack.

As they watch the laser come towards them, Knuckles grabs Tom and Maddie, shutting them in the garage. Sonic rushes towards the robots just as Knuckles lands a punch on one of them. But the robot holds, even in the face of Knuckles’ indomitable strength, and Knuckles pulls back his fist with a cry of pain. He seems stunned, and Sonic rushes in to pull him away from another laser that fires right at his head.

“I don’t understand,” Knuckles says, holding his fist. There isn’t even a dent on the thing. Sonic stares too, feeling almost paralyzed by fear. There’s a slow, heavy weight settling on him: the realization that they might not make it out of this after all. The robots all converge on them, and Sonic finds himself backed up against Tails and Knuckles as the robots surround them. A glance towards them tells him that they’ve reached the same conclusion he has.

“This is your last chance,” Rockwell says, voice assured and satisfied, “to tell me where Shadow is.” She looks specifically at Sonic. “I’m well aware that you know,” she says. “Tell me now, and we’ll spare your lives. Refuse, and, well…” she tails off. “I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Sonic looks at her, eyes wide, heart filled with intense revulsion. She can’t possibly expect him to choose! Sonic can’t sacrifice his family. He just can’t do it.

But he can’t leave Shadow with her. He won’t let Shadow go through that pain again.

Fifty years of it.

Sonic squeezes his eyes shut, bowing his head, trying to keep his tears at bay. But they pop open when Knuckles and Tails take his hands into their own. And when he looks into Knuckles and Tails’ eyes, he finds that to them, it’s not even a choice. Sonic stares at them. “You guys,” he says, finally giving up the fight against his tears. Tails squeezes his hand, and smiles. Knuckles doesn’t smile, but his gaze is resolute, and Sonic finds that it gives him strength.

“Over my dead body,” he spits, glaring defiantly at Rockwell. Her own face contorts into an expression of pure rage.

“As you wish,” she snaps, and the agents behind her start working on some type of controls, making the robots ready to attack.

“Let’s do this,” Sonic says, grimly. And the three of them rush at the robots together, not ready to give up without a fight.

But it’s a hard fight. Sonic feels downright incompetent, watching them all get tossed around by the machines. It doesn’t help that they’re splitting their focus between actually fighting the robots and keeping their attention away from the garage where Tom and Maddie are. Worst of all, the robots are actually better now. They’re somehow as fast as Sonic and as strong as Knuckles, and Tails can’t even hack into them like he’d tried.

As such, the fight comes to its inevitable conclusion, and Sonic finds himself on the ground, Knuckles and Tails right by him, groaning in pain. “Guys,” he struggles to say, coughing. They sit up beside him, and shuffle closer. They watch as the robots converge on them, the whirring sound piercing through the stillness of the night as their lasers charge up, preparing to fire.

Sonic throws his arms around Knuckles and Tails, closing his eyes. “I love you guys,” he says, as the sound in his ears gets louder. But his team, his friends, his brothers… they’re warm, huddling together with him, and Sonic knows that if he goes out tonight, he’s glad he’s with them.

“Foolish creatures.” Rockwell’s voice is filled with disgust, and Sonic ignores her. He braces himself for the impending pain.

“Wait.”

The new voice cuts through the air like a knife, and it’s like the whole world freezes at the power behind it. And Sonic gasps, because he knows that voice. He knows it like the back of his hand, because it’s seared into his mind, carved into his heart.

A sole figure walks up to stand before them, proud and mighty, black and red quills flaring majestically. Sonic takes in the red light, more beautiful than anything he’s ever seen.

“Shadow.”

Shadow doesn’t take a second to look back the moment he teleports away. His throat feels constricted, his eyes are still burning from the force of his tears. Shadow has never cried like that in his life. In hindsight, it’s rather embarrassing. But he manages to compose himself.

He has to.

He reaches the cave that has been his hiding spot for about two weeks now, and looks around forlornly. He’s gotten used to the place; it’s only natural. But feelings like this, bordering on attachment, are what got him into this mess. It’s time to go.

And it won’t be too hard, because Shadow has nothing here.

He wasn’t lying when he said that to Sonic. What happened earlier was… disconcerting. And Shadow cannot allow himself to get attached. After what he’s done, he doesn’t deserve any of it.

And he doesn’t even think it’s possible to begin with.

Shadow feels his vision blurring again, clearly not past the breakdown he’d had on Sonic’s roof. He bites his lip as tears fall down his face, soaking into his fur in one of the most uncomfortable experiences he’s ever had. Shadow knows he should leave. It’s foolish to stay.

But he can’t help it if he can’t forget everything. On that rooftop with Sonic, he’d actually felt like he belonged. Like there was some future for him. He’d started to… imagine things, pressed against Sonic, surrounded by his warmth, the likes of which he’s only ever felt from one other person. Imagining things like actually being forgiven. Building pillow forts and eating popcorn while watching movies and racing through the hills.

Imagining being able to kiss him, over and over.

It’s not lost on Shadow that these things have actually happened. But they confuse him. It’s unfathomable to him that they did. He’d never imagined that he could do things without Maria. That he could have a life without Maria.

And imagining these things with Sonic… it’s another meaningless fantasy. Sonic’s family hates Shadow. He knows that they should, after what he’s done. Shadow had his chance at a life, and now, he’s taking things out of context, imagining the possibility of a new life he can’t have and doesn’t deserve. It’s… it’s just a delusion to think that he could have a life here.

That he could have a life at all.

He’d understood that the moment Sonic had pressed his lips to his own. It’s when he’d realized how deeply he’d come to care for Sonic, and he’d gotten lost in the intensity of his feelings, swept away by instinct, chasing after the loving, familiar warmth. He’d gotten attached, and it had impacted his judgement. He’d chased after him, and even when he’d made up his mind to leave, he hadn’t been able to let go without one last embrace, trying to sear the memory into his mind before he lost it.

It had distracted him from the truth. He’d just been lost in the feeling of happiness, the briefest thought that he could possibly have something entering his mind.

And it’s dangerous to even consider the possibility of it happening again. Because whenever Shadow looks for happiness, it inevitably ends in disaster, for him and for everyone else.

He had his chance. And it’s gone, and that’s all there is to it.

So Shadow leaves the cave, and tries to forget it. It’s not worth holding onto. It’s just another painful reminder of what he doesn’t and can never have. It’s a distraction, a temptation to think about things that can never happen.

He wanders through the woods, trying to find his way out. Shadow never went out in the night, because Sonic was always coming to visit him at this time. The forest looks completely different, empty and cold. Shadow resigns himself to the fact that this will be his life now. Escaping through forests, searching for places to sleep in the cold of the night, evading GUN for the rest of his days.

Shadow takes a few steps forward, staring up at the trees, and stills as he hears strange noises. He chaos controls to the top of the tree, settling on a branch and peering down, searching for the noise. And he doesn’t have to wait long before Sonic comes barreling down the path, pursued by some Badniks. Shadow stares at them in bewilderment, wondering if Agent Stone had fallen back on his goal of redemption and had begun to attack Sonic again.

He watches Sonic make quick work of the robots, and feels something like amazement flood through him. Because Sonic is incredible, even when he’s doing the simplest of tasks. Which makes it all the more important that Shadow leaves right away, so that he doesn’t cast a darkness upon his light.

But something holds him back. An instinct that grips him and pulls him one way, even when every ounce of common sense says he should go the other. Shadow looks at Sonic and wonders why he should even care. Sonic is more than capable of handling these robots, and Shadow doesn’t need to concern himself with him anymore. He’s freed Sonic of the burden of having to put up with him; whatever Sonic does should be none of his concern anymore.

But he stares as Sonic wastes no time in running back to where he came from, and Shadow finds that he can’t seem to even waste a second before he jumps down from the tree and discreetly follows Sonic. He watches Sonic come to a stop, standing beside his brothers, and ducks behind a bush, watching.

Then, Shadow looks over the enemy he’s facing, and his blood runs cold.

GUN.

They’re here.

Shadow feels like he’s in a daze. He barely registers Sonic and some woman in a GUN uniform arguing loudly, but the sound of his own name being spoken cuts through the fog clouding his mind. Shadow feels disoriented, drowning in mindless panic, even as he tries his best to remain silent. But there are images in his mind, phantom sounds reverberating through his skull. He feels the sharp pain in his shoulder from the taser a solider had used on him. He can feel the water rising, cold and wet and terrifying, as he bangs on the glass, unbreakable and hard to his touch.

He hears the sound of a gun firing, a tank filled with his own harvested energy exploding, and he can see her.

Shadow needs to leave. He needs to leave now. He’s being so utterly foolish, acting like some senseless creature, operating on pure instinct instead of getting away like he should be. But he remains where he is, rooted to the spot, staring straight ahead as the Badniks start to come to life, ready to attack. He watches as they position themselves, pointing directly at Tom and someone else who Shadow infers is Maddie. Something like horror takes form inside him as he stares at the sling holding Tom’s arm in place. He almost feels himself staggering to his feet, acting purely on instinct, ready to throw himself out there, because Sonic can’t lose Tom.

But the echidna—Knuckles—swoops in instantly, grabbing both of them and ushering them away, locking them in some strange room with a strong-looking door that he pulls from the top. Shadow falls back from where’s he’s unwittingly crouched, poised to start running, and keeps his eyes peeled on the happenings before him. His entire body feels tense, ready to start moving in a moment. His quills bristle, and he fights to keep himself from calling on his chaos energy, lest it lead to his discovery.

And yet, he watches Knuckles deliver a blow that could shatter bones to one of the robots, only to cry out in pain as the robot hovers unflinchingly, looking no worse for wear. Sonic pulls him out of the way of another attack, barely escaping being killed by the laser. Knuckles mutters something, and Shadow watches with a growing, churning unease as they all stare at the robots. He notices something flash in Sonic’s eyes. A look Shadow himself has worn many times, and one he never hoped to ever see on Sonic’s face. The look of resigned acceptance, much like how Shadow felt pushing away the Eclipse Cannon, when he believed that his time alive was over.

It looks so utterly wrong on Sonic’s face, like the world has been spun off balance. He almost can’t bear to see it, and curses himself for his sentimentality. He should be leaving. He has a chance now. But these feelings… they won’t let him. Shadow can’t even fight against them, weak-willed as he is.

Rockwell and Sonic are exchanging words with each other, expressions murderous. But Shadow can’t hear them over the loud, mechanical sounds from the Badniks and the pounding of his own heart that seems to deafen him. He just keeps his eyes trained on Sonic, on the acceptance in his eyes, even as they spark with some kind of fiery passion that leaves Shadow in awe. Sonic and his friends rush at the robots, and there’s a growing terror in him at the sight of them being beaten back with astonishing ease, leaving them sprawled on the ground.

Shadow hopes desperately that Sonic will get up; that he would gather his brothers and retreat. Maybe he could run, like Shadow is doing.

But Sonic isn’t a coward like Shadow. He wraps his arms around Knuckles and Tails, closing his eyes tight. And Shadow knows then, no matter what, that he can’t lose another person to GUN.

He won’t let them hurt Sonic. He can’t.

Some strange clarity washes over him, drowning out the conflicting desires in his heart, replacing it with steely resolve. It happens so fast that his next course of action isn’t even a question in his mind.

Because Shadow has nothing to live for. He has no one and nothing. But Sonic has a family. Sonic has so much to live for, so much life and light inside him. Shadow cannot—will not—let anything happen to him or the people he loves.

It’s the least he can do after everything Sonic has done for him.

After everything Shadow has done to him.

So, Shadow stands. He gathers his chaos energy, oddly comforted by the familiar power that heightens his senses, dulling the inconvenient ones. This is who he is: a tool, an experiment. He isn’t made for families, or pillow forts, or warm hugs and kisses.

But he can protect someone who is.

“Wait,” he says, finding the words coming out of his mouth to be calm and controlled. He walks over and positions himself in front of Sonic and his brothers. He watches the woman stare at him in shock, and hears the voice he’s grown to care so deeply for say his name.

Instead, he keeps his eyes on the woman. “I surrender,” he says, and lets the chaos energy he’s summoned dissipate, leaving the air around him charged and electric. He stares her down, ignoring the sudden nausea coiling within him.

On her end, she looks at him in disbelief. “What?” she says, eyes scanning him as if searching for a trap or trick. Behind him, he hears a loud gasp.

“Shadow, what are you doing?”

He ignores Sonic, using every ounce of his self-control to do so. “I’ll go with you,” he says to the woman, who still looks flabbergasted at her easy victory. “But only if you leave them alone.”

She recovers quickly enough, frowning thoughtfully at him. “And what if I refuse?”

“Then you’ll never find me. You know you can’t,” he says, and she purses her lips. “I am the ultimate lifeform. You cannot catch me, or defeat me. This is your only chance to accomplish your goal.”

She seems to acquiesce. “And you want me to leave them alone in exchange for you?”

“Yes.” Shadow narrows his eyes at her. “I’ll cooperate with you,” he says, and takes a step forward, letting his fists light up. “But know that I can escape anytime. If I find out that you’ve gone back on your word, there will be consequences. And I will find out if it happens.”

The woman just snorts. “If we have you, they are of no consequence to us. Of course, I’d prefer the whole set, but you’ll do.” She turns to nod at the agents behind her, and they head back to their vehicles.

“Shadow,” Sonic calls from behind him. There’s something anxious and urgent in his voice. “Shadow, you can’t go with them! You have to get out of here!”

“Quiet, alien,” snaps the woman. “Hurry up back there!”

Sonic ignores her. “Please, Shads, get out of here!” When Shadow doesn’t say anything, Sonic just yells louder at him. “Shadow, just look at me!”

Shadow doesn’t let himself turn around. He knows that if he does, all his conviction will disappear. Because Sonic always finds a way to bring out his deepest vulnerabilities, his most earnest emotions, and if Shadow loses focus now, he will never be able to go through with this. Even though he desperately wants to; even though he’d like nothing more than to turn around and run to Sonic, begging for his company, his embrace, he resists the urge.

Instead, he watches the GUN agents bring out a giant containment tank, reminiscent in shape of the tube he’d been thrown in after a day’s testing back at the military base. But this one is different in design. For one, it’s not transparent. And it looks stronger than the average test tube or containment tank. Shadow forces himself to remain calm.

He tries not to think about what he’s doing, even though panic and deathly fear rise in him, growing overwhelmingly by the second. He worries that he may not be able to stand any longer, overpowered by the force of his emotions. But he keeps his face expressionless, any inkling of vulnerability wiped clean off his face.

Sonic is still yelling for him behind him. He hears scraping on the ground; Sonic is clearly trying to run, but is being held back. He hears the grunting and straining from his brothers too, and assumes that the modified Badniks are restraining them.

The agents work on the tank for a few more seconds before it swings open, revealing an interior that’s as black as night, with nothing in terms of lighting inside. Shadow stares into it, feeling like he’s staring into a never-ending abyss, drowning in the depths of its darkness.

The woman gestures at it. “Get in,” she says. Shadow stands his ground.

“You first.”

She considers him, and then presses a few buttons on her flat device. The Badniks retreat, but Shadow can tell from the sounds behind him that some are still restraining Sonic and his friends. “All of them,” he says.

The woman sneers. “What, and let them run off or try to save you? I don’t think so.” When Shadow doesn’t move, she waves her device at him. “I could destroy them right now,” she comments. “Even you can’t move fast enough to save them.”

“How will I know that you’ll keep your end of the deal?”

“Like I said,” she replies, “as long as we have you, I don’t give a damn about them.” Shadow searches her gaze, and finds that she’s being truthful with him. So he forces himself to take a step forward, and one more, and one more. He feels detached, like he’s moving unconsciously, and before he knows it, he’s standing in front of his newest prison.

“Shadow!” Sonic yells behind him, voice choked up, and Shadow knows that he’s crying. He can’t help himself any longer; he turns around, and watches Sonic strain against the robots holding him down. His face is wet with tears, and he yells desperately for Shadow to stop. Shadow takes in his face, tries to commit it to memory. He tries to feel happy that at least his last memory of Sonic won’t be his gruesome death.

Apparently, even a few seconds are too much for GUN. Shadow doesn’t see it coming as he’s electrocuted, the agent standing next to him holding a baton with a taser built in. He grits his teeth to stop himself from crying out in pain as he spasms from the shock and crumples to the ground, landing heavily on his side, falling inside the tank. His leg twitches, agony searing through him as the shock and the subsequent fall aggravate his injury. He tries to push himself up, but finds that his body is failing him, his suppressed panic finally consuming him, making his limbs tremble and collapse under him once more.

And as the reality of what he’s done washes over him, he feels like he’s losing all control over everything. All he can do is curl in on himself, and stare as the closing door makes the world grow darker.

He watches Sonic’s disappearing face, barely visible, but clearly filled with devastation and despair. Shadow tries to hold his gaze as long as he can, trying to soak in the memory so that he never forgets his face. He hears one final call of his name, and closes his eyes in quiet acceptance.

The door slams shut with a portentous sound, and Shadow is alone once more.

Chapter Text

Sonic doesn’t know how long he struggles, trying to push away the robots clinging onto him, pinning him to the ground. He can only watch in horror as the door closes, Shadow disappearing from his sight. Sonic tries to focus, tries to put up more of a fight. But he can’t. He can only watch as the tank is loaded into some large GUN vehicle, and feels his heart breaking over and over inside him, filled with despair and worry and so many other emotions that he can’t even name.

“We’re done here,” Rockwell announces. She stares up at the sky, where the first rays of sunlight are beginning to break through, and puts on her sunglasses. “Let’s move out.” She turns to Sonic and presses a few buttons. “They’ll deactivate once we’re out of range,” she says. She sounds satisfied; Sonic supposes that it’s like she said. Once she got Shadow, she didn’t really care about them anymore.

Sonic opens his mouth, ready to call out some threat, some promise that he’s not going to sit by while they take Shadow away. But Tails nudges him with his foot. “Sonic, don’t.” Sonic turns to him, feeling enraged, but Tails shakes his head. “If we do something wrong now, they might take it out on Shadow. We have to wait till we get free.”

Sonic grits his teeth. “Okay,” he mutters, and lets his head drop to lay on the grass, suddenly exhausted. He notices Knuckles bow his head beside him, and he looks lost in thought. Sonic feels helpless as they watch the helicopters and tanks and other vehicles take off, leaving behind only the carnage as evidence that they’d been here. The Badniks holding onto them shudder once Sonic can’t see anything GUN related, and drop to the ground. Sonic shoots to his feet, ready to run after them.

“Sonic, don’t!” Tails cries, and Knuckles grabs his wrist.

“Hedgehog, calm yourself,” he demands. “You are acting irrationally.”

“Irrationally?” Sonic questions, quills flaring. “You think I’m stupid for wanting to save Shadow?”

“No, you are stupid for charging ahead with no plan. We are a team, even if you have forgotten that.” Sonic meets Knuckles’ steely gaze, and shuts his mouth. Guilt swells in his mind, and Sonic looks away, unable to bear Knuckles’ gaze. He hears the sound of the garage door opening up, and Tom and Maddie run towards them.

“What happened?” they ask, even as Maddie comes over to wrap all of them in a hug. Knuckles and Tails instinctively lean into the hug, but Sonic can’t bring himself to. He’d lied to all of them; they were all so angry before. He doesn’t deserve to be hugged right now.

What he needs to do is save Shadow.

He twists in everyone’s grip, breaking free of the group hug. “I… I have to go,” he says. He takes a deep breath. “I have to save Shadow.”

He looks over at his family, and closes his eyes to stop himself from crying again. His face still feels wet and gross because of the drying tear tracks from when he’d cried a few minutes ago, watching Shadow disappear from his sight, trapped in his worst nightmare.

“Sonic,” says Tom. “Wait up.”

Sonic glares at him. “Waiting isn’t going to help Shadow,” he snaps back. “Who knows what they’ll do to him?”

“Sonic—”

“You don’t understand!” Sonic yells. “Shadow, he… he was so afraid of them! They hurt him for so long, and he’s been trying to get away from them this whole time! And he just gave himself up to them for us. He sacrificed himself. Again.” Sonic screws his eyes shut, bowing his head. “I don’t even know what they’ll do to him now,” he whispers, voice dying in his throat.

A hushed, tense silence falls over everyone, and Sonic feels the weight of what’s truly happened sink in, feels the magnitude of what Shadow has done settle upon their heads.

Next to him, Sonic hears a sob. He feels his eyes widen, and looks over to see Tails crying into his hands. “Tails?” he asks, hearing his own voice crack.

“I’m so sorry, Sonic!” Tails sobs. “This is all my fault! They found him because of me.” He rubs his eyes furiously, to no avail. Sonic watches Tails cry, and feels a sharp pain in his heart at the sight. He wraps his little brother in a hug, and Tails sobs into his shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, Tails,” Sonic says, stressing the words as best he can in spite of his own trembling voice. “You couldn’t have known.” Sonic closes his own eyes, hugging Tails closer. “I should have told you something sooner. Maybe then we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Sonic turns his head towards Knuckles, expecting some form of disappointment or judgement in his gaze. But he finds none of that. Knuckles’ eyes are downcast, and he just looks defeated, and so painfully earnest.

“I just… I understood him,” Sonic reveals, and Knuckles stares at him. “He was all alone, he’d just lost everyone who ever cared about him. He was hurt, and he had nowhere to go. I had to do something. He needed help. I couldn’t leave him alone, not after everything.”

He looks around at Tom and Maddie and Tails too. “I know you guys can’t trust him,” he says, slowly. “But I do. I know who he really is, because he showed me,” Sonic murmurs, and closes his eyes.

“He’s my friend.”

Knuckles’ eyes darts away, and then fixes onto Sonic’s face, scrutinizing him in that deep, analytical way that Sonic has always been in awe of. “And your feelings of friendship towards him impacted your judgement and prevented you from telling us?” Knuckles doesn’t say it in so many words, but Sonic feels like he might fall over with the force of his question, because Knuckles wants to know whether Sonic chose Shadow over them.

And the worst part is, with the way Knuckles looks right now, eyes looking regretful and lost, Sonic knows that Knuckles is ready to accept Sonic’s choice. The very choice that Sonic never wanted to make.

“I didn’t choose him over you,” Sonic says. “I didn’t choose at all.”

“Then,” Knuckles asks, almost pleading. “Why did you keep this from us?”

Sonic stares hard at Knuckles. The echidna holds his gaze, eyes more serious than Sonic has ever seen them, and he’s taken back to when Knuckles had stared him down the last time. When Sonic had demanded he reveal the location of the Master Emerald, all so that he could enact his revenge on Shadow. Knuckles knew why he was acting the way he was then, and he wants to know now.

There’s a lot of things Sonic could say. There are selfless reasons; there are ways he could embellish the story to make him look good. Knuckles looks like he’d accept anything Sonic says at this point, so Sonic could totally just… not tell him about his fears, his flawed thinking, and come out blameless.

But Sonic doesn’t want to lie to Knuckles. If he’d just said something sooner, even if it wasn’t revealing Shadow’s secrets, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. He takes a deep breath.

“I was scared,” he says, the words struggling to exit his throat. “You guys didn’t trust Shadow, and no one can blame you, because he hurt you. But… I thought you’d hate me too, if you knew I was meeting him. I didn’t want to hurt you,” Sonic says, and drops his forehead onto Tails’ head when Tails squeezes him tighter. “I didn’t want to lose you.”

No one says anything, and Sonic finds himself holding his breath, like he’s waiting for their judgement. “I’m so, so sorry,” he whispers into Tails’ fur, feeling the stillness around them and knowing that everyone could hear him.

Then Knuckles places his large hand on Sonic’s shoulder. “I… I apologize as well,” he says, voice quiet in a way which is so unlike him. “I accused you of being consumed by your emotions, that day,” he says, squeezing Sonic’s shoulder. “But today, I made that mistake. You did a good thing for Shadow, and I let my own emotions dictate my judgement of you.” He turns his head down to the ground. “It seems that I too am still afraid of losing my family, to the extent that I hurt one of them.”

“Knuckles…”

“And I’m sorry too, Sonic,” Tails says, and Sonic brushes his hand through Tails’ fur. “I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did, by accusing you. You were afraid, and you were only trying to help.”

“Tails,” Sonic starts. “You didn’t—”

“But I did,” Tails interrupts, breaking their embrace and staring up at him. “I didn’t know how to say it, but… I thought the same thing Knuckles did. That you were just lying and leaving us behind.” His eyes tear up again, and Sonic pulls him close once more. “I don’t want to lose you either,” Tails says, sniffling.

“You guys…”

Sonic grabs Knuckles and pulls him in, hugging him and Tails close. Despite the turmoil in his heart, there’s something warm there, something like relief. Like the dam placed over his heart, constricting his emotions, has finally broken. He feels lighter, unburdened by the weight of his secrets and his shame. “You really are the best brothers a hedgehog could ever ask for.”

A hand finds its way to his shoulder, and Sonic looks over his shoulder to find Tom there. “I guess we’ve all made some mistakes along the way, huh,” he says, smiling ruefully. “But there’s only one other way to go now.”

Sonic looks into his brothers’ eyes. “Guys,” he starts, but they interrupt him, as usual.

“There’s no time,” says Tails, smiling at him. “We have to go save Shadow.”

Knuckles nods, pounding his fist into his palm. “So let us go do battle with GUN, and recover the more impressive hedgehog from their evil clutches!”

“Hey,” Sonic says, voice somewhere between a sob and a laugh. “I resent that.”

They share a laugh, and even despite the grim situation ahead of them, the sun’s rays falling over them has never been more appropriate.

“Alright,” Sonic says, feeling more alive than he has in a while, determination fueling his energy, “let’s do this.”

“But where do we start?”

“Won’t they just be at GUN headquarters again?” asks Maddie, coming to stand next to Tom.

“Maybe not,” Sonic muses. “Remember the military base we went to?”

Tails looks at him, understanding in his eyes. “They might have many more like it all over the world. They might even be hidden away for all we know.”

“So what should we do?” asks Knuckles, fists curled tight.

Tails hums thoughtfully. “If I can hack into the robots, I might be able to track them down.”

“Good idea, Tails!” says Sonic, and Tails smiles his way.

Knuckles frowns, though. “But you weren’t able to before,” he says. “How can you be sure of your victory now?” Tails deflates at his observation, something that Sonic had also forgotten about.

“One of the problems is that I just don’t know enough about their programming to know the most efficient way of hacking into them,” he says. “If I had someone who did know, I’m sure it’s possible.”

They all fall silent. Sonic thinks of Eggman, who blew up along with the Eclipse Cannon, and feels a sudden desperation come over him. But his catastrophizing is interrupted by a singularly unexpected voice, breaking through the tense silence.

“Actually,” the voice says, and Sonic turns to find none other than Agent Stone walking up to them. “I might be able to help.”

Shadow remembers, with astonishing clarity, the first time he’d lost control of himself.

The scientists at the lab had been talking about more intensive tests. They weren’t getting the results they’d hoped for. Shadow had overheard them, and he’d felt himself fall into a panic so mindless that he’d cracked his containment tube open. They’d shoved him in a cage for the night while they worked on fixing it. He remembered sitting there, surrounded by darkness and unable to see, helplessly trying and failing to stop his mind from sinking deeper and deeper into the mindless panic, unable to stop his breathing from becoming erratic and physically painful.

All he’d been able to think back then is that he couldn’t let the scientists see. They’d want to do more tests on him, trying to figure it out. Shadow didn’t want to do more tests. The ones they did hurt already.

It had been years later, when Maria came to the base, that he’d ever felt comfortable discussing it. He’d briefly described the sensations he’d felt, purely out of a state of curiosity, and Maria had asked her grandfather about it. He’d told her it was something that often happened in a state of extreme stress.

When he’d asked why Maria was asking, she’d told Gerald that she’d seen it in a movie she had watched. Shadow had begged her not to tell him that it had happened to him before. “I don’t want them to know. I don’t know what they’ll do,” he’d said, over and over, and Maria had taken his trembling hands and held them until they both feel asleep. She’d asked him later to come to her if he ever felt afraid, and Shadow had assured her that he was well past that kind of fragile fear that left him shaken and hurt.

Because Shadow had never himself fall into that kind of mental state ever again. He found a way to push it all back and bury it deep within the confines of his mind. He learnt to push himself and deliver on what was asked of him, so that they couldn’t come up with new tests and experiments. The whole time, he’d felt defective, incomplete. He had one purpose, which was to serve as the subject for their tests, to provide them with enough chaos energy for their needs, and there he was, trying to stop them from doing it.

But he was afraid. Afraid of the darkness, of the fog clouding his senses, afraid of more severe tests that left him weak and shivering as they all but threw him back into the giant tube filled with liquid they kept him in. But at least there were lights there. They were green and sickly, but they were there, and at least he could look at them.

Locked inside this tank, there’s only darkness.

Shadow can’t see anything. He can’t see the walls, he can’t see the floor, he can’t even see himself. He holds his hands out, trying to see them. He tries to summon his chaos energy, at least to dispel some of the darkness. But he can’t. There’s something that’s inhibiting his powers, making him unable to use his chaos energy at all. Shadow is truly stuck in here, with no way out.

At least he can take comfort in the fact that they’re moving, which must mean that they’ve left Sonic alone. Now, Sonic can truly be free of Shadow, since there’s no chance Shadow is ever coming back.

Shadow doesn’t know what to do, or what to think. He just lies there, the floor of the tank cold and sharp against his body. His senses feel muted, trapped in this tank with his powers limited. They’ve always been a constant sensation pervading his every sense, as important to his life as his blood. The scientists had always said that Shadow seemed to be practically made of chaos energy. To have that power taken away like this… he feels helpless. Defeated.

And suddenly, the darkness is too suffocating, like its choking him, crushing him under its weight. He can’t see the walls, but they’re closing in on him, he can tell. He feels dizzy, despite his position, and he feels lightheaded. He can’t even seem to tell where he is anymore. He desperately wants to bang on the walls, yell for someone, anyone at all, because he has to get out, he needs to, but he can’t move.

His body is a dead weight, feeling like it’s completely out of his control, even as his breaths come in short, painful bursts, constricting his breathing. Every sense in his body feels numb, unresponsive despite his best efforts, and at the same time, they’re all so alive, they work so well that Shadow knows that there is nothing around him, because all he can hear is his heart.

The world around him is a never-ending darkness, black as night. Shadow gasps and trembles, clawing at the fur on his chest. His heart beats painfully fast, echoing in his ears like a drum. It hurts, it hurts, and Shadow wonders if he’s dying. There’s an uncomfortable fog in his mind, clouding everything. Shadow can’t think, but images flash through his mind, of giant tanks and rising water and explosions and dead bodies—

He screws his eyes shut, in pain from the experience of his labored breathing. Shadow feels like he is trapped in his mind, like he once was, for fifty years, watching the same nightmare play out in his head over and over and over again. And now, he’s going back, and who knows how long it’ll be this time.

Shadow doesn’t want to go back. He wants this nightmare to end. He wants Maria.

Shadow tries to call her name, but he can’t. He feels something wet drip down his face. It’s his tears, of course, but he can’t ignore the thought that says that it’s blood. His blood, Maria’s blood, Sonic’s blood…

Calm down.

Shadow needs to calm down. He must. The GUN agents—they’ll see him like this. He can’t let them see. He can’t let them see.

He tries to focus on something, and lets himself feel the chilliness of the floor beneath his body. The cold is sharp and piercing, and it may be artificial. Shadow can hear his fast breaths, and he tries to ignore the pounding of his heart. His hand falls listlessly to the floor, and the cold seeps in through his gloves, and it’s like a light in the middle of a terrible storm. Shadow clings to the sensation, alleviating the pervasive numbness.

Shadow sucks in air greedily, and feels his breathing slow down. He feels exhausted, mentally and physically, and his body still refuses to listen to him, shaking and trembling. But despite feeling dizzy and nauseous, he no longer feels like he is on the verge of death. He feels well enough to staggeringly push himself to sit up, leaning his back against the wall, closing his eyes with a shaky inhale.

He tucks his knees to his chest, hugging his legs close to him, and buries his face between his knees. He closes his eyes, and it’s almost relieving to be in a natural darkness, one that always accompanies this action, instead of the artificial, crippling darkness created by this tank, one that reminds Shadow of what he’s lost.

He's just lucky he knows how to calm himself down. It wasn’t so easy the first time.

In a way, he thinks, it’s rather poetic. This has happened exactly once to him before. And then she’d come to him, like a ray of sunlight breaking through the endless darkness, a sliver of hope in his sea of despair. And she was gone, but Shadow had escaped by then, free from the endless experiments, free of GUN.

He should have known better than to hope to be more than he is. An experiment. Because inevitably, he’s ended up back where he started, caught in the same, weak, panicked state. It tells him, more than anything, that there is no life for him outside this. He was foolish to want it, he was foolish to even try and run.

But at least he accomplished something. Sonic is safe. And perhaps GUN will be satisfied with him and will leave Sonic alone.

So he stays still, feeling unaware of the passage of time. Every second seems like an eternity, and Shadow can’t tell how long its been. He sits there, in complete and utter silence. His thoughts are too loud, but the silence is even more unbearable. He wonders if sleep will help, but decides against it; he doesn’t want to be caught off guard by GUN.

Not that it matters anymore, since Shadow is theirs once again.

Shadow sits where he is, eyes closed, until a violent jerk of the tank sends him reeling forward, barely managing to catch himself before his face connects with the hard ground. He pushes himself up to a kneeling position, slowly, raising his head to stare at where he thinks the door is. He’s wrong, as it turns out; there’s a loud slam from behind him, light streaming in to light up the wall he’s staring at. Shadow all but scrambles to turn around, uncaring of the sudden overstimulation of his eyes upon seeing light.

There are some agents crowding the door, and they look at each other before tapping their electrified weapons against their hands. “Get out,” says one of them, and Shadow stares at him, feeling defiant. He’d like nothing more than to smash them to the ground and escape. The familiar anger, the one raging within him for fifty years, tells him to raze this entire place to the ground and leave, and for a foolish second, Shadow is tempted.

But common sense catches up with him soon enough, the one that tells him that he has nothing else. The one that tells him that his rage almost led to him destroying everything on the planet.

The one that tells him that escaping is selfish, because it’ll be Sonic who pays the price, and Shadow has already hurt him enough.

So he pulls himself to his feet on shaking legs, and staggers out of the tank. He tries to straighten up once his feet hit the ground. He may have resigned himself to his fate, but that doesn’t mean he owes GUN his respect. Shadow keeps his head high, and resists the urge to turn around and start punching when one of the agents prods his shoulder with the end of his glorified stick. “Walk,” the man says, trying to sound important.

Shadow doesn’t laugh, but it’s a close thing.

“Where?”

They look at each other, practically radiating incompetence. “Uh…”

The woman from before shows up, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What are you doing?” she hisses, and the agents behind Shadow gulp nervously.

“We were just—”

“Why is he out and about?” she snaps. “He’s a dangerous extraterrestrial. Restrain him before you let him roam free.” When the men look confused, she sighs, and pulls out some strange contraption. “Hands,” she snaps, looking down at him.

“What?”

“Put your wrists out.” Upon his confused glare, she shakes them. “Handcuffs,” she says, even though they don’t look like any he’s ever seen.

“I will not wear those.”

“You don’t have a choice,” she snaps. “You’re not in control here. I still have the robots left at your accomplices’ house. Do you still want to refuse?”

Shadow glares at her. “You said they’d let them go if I came with you.”

“And they have,” she says. “But there’s no reason I can’t reactivate them if need be. It’s a tiresome process, but if it’ll keep you in line…”

Shadow glares at her, and she meets his look with calm certainty. The kind that says that she is willing to go ahead with her threat.

So Shadow looks away, and holds out his hands. He tenses as the metal clamps around his wrists, and they also seem to cover his entire hand. He watches as they start to glow, and turns to the woman for an explanation.

“Power inhibitors,” she explains, like she’s taking pity on him. “Inspired by those rings you wear, actually.”

“I’m honored,” he responds, venomously. She just rolls her eyes, and beckons him to follow her. He does, uncaring yet painfully aware of the stares he’s getting. At least the scientists stopped looking at him like a shiny new toy after a few weeks in his company. Then they just looked at him like a regular toy.

Shadow can hear voices behind him. “It’s so small,” the man says, and it’s the same guy who tried to be special earlier. “Hard to think it almost destroyed the planet.”

“Don’t be fooled,” says another voice. “You’ve read the files. It’s dangerous. It’s a rogue weapon.”

Despite being accustomed to it, the word rings in his ear.

It.

The woman briskly leads him through winding hallways, and Shadow notes the white, sterile walls. It doesn’t look like the little he saw of GUN headquarters. He assumes it’s some other military base, hidden away from prying eyes. Shadow keeps his eyes forward as he’s escorted to a lab of sorts, with a table and various devices decorating the interior, very reminiscent of the military base that served as his home for a few years. The scientists working there don’t look any nicer than the ones he knew prior. They have the same wary look in their eyes.

Shadow pulls himself up onto the table on instinct. He sits still as the scientists attach various electrodes to his body. He takes a deep breath, sitting still like he knows they want. He watches the scientists exchange surprised glances with one another, apparently surprised by his easy cooperation, before turning their attention back to the readings they’re getting from him. Shadow watches them, some odd peace settling over him.

Because this is familiar. He knows this. He knows how to sit still and let them poke and prod at him. He knows how to answer their questions and follow their instructions. Despite his newfound disillusionment with everything about his earlier life before Maria, he finds himself falling back into old behaviors with great ease.

So Shadow sits there, not moving a muscle unless specifically asked to. The scientists shine lights into his eyes, run scanners over his fur, pull out some of his quills. They take of the splint on his leg, jostling it in the process. They press down on his leg experimentally, and Shadow tenses in an effort to not cry out in pain. When they let go of him, his leg flops back down to hit the edge of the table. He can’t help but groan a little in pain, and that gets the scientists whispering.

“It might not be as effective,” they whisper among themselves, and Shadow strains to hear them. “With an injured limb—"

“We don’t exactly have time,” another retorts. “Besides, prior research indicates that the subject has performed with injuries before. Ones worse than a broken leg.”

“Then we’re all good to go?” the woman speaks up, having stayed in the room to watch the proceedings with a grim face. The scientists all look at each other once more, and nod in unison.

Shadow frowns, wondering what they’re up to. One of them approaches him with a needle, and he watches her inject it into his arm. “What is that?” he asks.

The scientist glances at him for a second before looking away again. “Adrenaline. Among other things.”

Shadow knows better than to ask what it’s for. He knows he won’t be getting an answer, but he expects he’ll find out soon enough.

“Director Rockwell,” calls another agent, peering in through the door. Shadow watches the woman next to him turn at the address, and feels a little glad that he can finally put a name to the face.

“What is it?”

“It’s ready.”

She nods, straightening up even more. “Follow,” she says to him again, and Shadow slides off the table. He can’t hide his wince as his broken leg touches the ground. He’s grown too reliant on the splint to hold it up. But he solders on behind her as he leads him away from the lab. The scientists are quiet as they leave, and Shadow doesn’t look back.

Rockwell leads him into another room, a larger one. It’s almost identical to the particle accelerator in his old lab, where the scientists used to make him run so that they could collect his energy. Shadow supposes that’s why he’s here again.

But the room is also filled with large tanks, extending from floor to ceiling, and they take up nearly all the space, leaving no room for him to run. He frowns, confused, as Rockwell takes him up to the command tower in the center. Shadow steps into the tower, noticing the technicians and the other scientists and oddly, some GUN agents standing there in wait.

“Are all preparations complete?” Rockwell asks, and an agent salutes.

“Yes, Director. We’re all good to go.”

She nods.

“What’s going on?” Shadow asks, finally giving into his curiosity. Rockwell glances at him, a little strangely. He gestures to the agents, relaying instructions with it that Shadow doesn’t understand.

“You must be familiar with this,” she says, and points outside the tower. Shadow nods, and Rockwell folds her hands behind her back.

“That’s what’s going to happen here,” she explains. “We’re harvesting your chaos energy.”

“But I can’t run.”

Her lip curls, just a fraction. “We’ve made some improvements in the last fifty years. The older method was useful, but it was… limited. It took time to collect your energy on account of you having to run in order to channel it. We’ve eliminated that need, making the process more efficient.”

She turns to the tube in the center of the tower. Shadow follows her gaze. “This will allow us to collect all your energy at once.”

“All at once,” Shadow muses, and then turns to face her. “That would kill me.”

Rockwell nods. “Unfortunately,” she replies, looking entirely unbothered. It is at this point that Shadow hears the charging whir of weaponry, and finds the agents pointing guns at him from all directions.

“We can’t have anything go wrong,” Rockwell continues, offering him a premature justification for why her agents are fully armed and ready to fire at him. “And the main issue here is your cooperation. Don’t try to run,” she warns. Shadow glances at her. Despite the situation, his mind feels calm, comforted by the knowledge of what’s going to happen.

He doesn’t need to worry about being trapped for years. He doesn’t even have that long.

“You don’t need the weapons,” he says, voice firm and filled with confidence. “I don’t plan on escaping.”

Rockwell narrows her eyes at him in suspicion, but her expression clears, leaving behind a hint of surprise. But she does signal to her agents to stand down, and Shadow can hear their weapons powering down.

Rockwell produces a key, and bends over to unlock the restraints on his hands. She looks wary and tense as she does it, but her shoulders drop when Shadow just lets his hands flop back to his sides. He immediately feels the familiar feeling of his chaos energy flowing within him, and finds that he can stand a little more easily now. It even feels more active than usual, and Shadow guesses that has to do with whatever the scientists had injected into him.

“What now?” he questions. Rockwell turns to the tube, and back to him.

“Get in.”

Shadow makes to step forward, but stops himself. “What?” Rockwell snaps, nervousness in her tone. But Shadow just bends down, unclasping his inhibitor rings from his feet. He stands up straight, doing the same for the rings around his wrists. When he looks up at Rockwell, he sees understanding in her gaze. She accepts the rings when he hands them to her.

The rings are supposed to limit his power for the sake of protecting others, but also himself. If left unchecked, Shadow’s power could destroy everything around him, including himself.

But he supposes that it doesn’t matter anymore. If they want all his power, he might as well give it all to them.

Shadow looks up at Rockwell. “You’ll keep your end of the deal,” he says to her, not asking her anything. “You’ll never try to attack Sonic and his family again.”

Rockwell stares at him, and nods, leaving Shadow surprised by the strange lack of derision in her gaze. But he turns away from her, and steps into the open tank. He feels strangely serene, like he’s at peace. He feels no fear, no regret or sadness. Just a calmness unlike anything he’s ever felt before.

Because this is what it was always going to come to. This is all Shadow is meant to do; this is everything he’s meant to be.

The tank slams shut, and Shadow watches the scientists fiddle with various buttons and levers. “Alien,” Rockwell calls, and Shadow turns to her. She observes him, gaze cold and satisfied. “You deserve this,” she says, and Shadow doesn’t say anything in reply, as her words wash over him, another drop in the sea of his thoughts that chant the same words over and over.

Instead, he watches as she brings his rings up to her face, examining them closely. “Though I suppose you already know that.”

She turns away from the tank, tossing his rings on top of one of the control panels. “Begin the process now!” she orders, and Shadow watches the scientists work faster. The floor beneath his feet starts to glow, sparking with some kind of charge. The energy flows more violently through him, and he feels his quills flare up as his powers manifest, unbidden. He stares at his own glowing hands, and closes his eyes.

He’s felt this way before, he remembers. When he’d pushed the Eclipse Cannon away, fulling expecting to die along with it. He remembers accepting his fate, and the tranquility he’d felt in that moment, knowing that it was all over. It feels the same way now, and Shadow lets his mind wander.

His tumultuous thoughts all seem to vanish, until Shadow can only see one thing. He sees himself dancing, laughing, watching movies and listening to the guitar. Only, there are two other people in the memories flashing through his mind, and Shadow is lost in a sea of blue, even as light fills his vision behind his closes eyelids.

And as the charge erupts, Shadow finds himself unable to hold back the scream that rips itself from his throat, even as he feels his flesh burning almost instantly. But in complete contrast, his mind is relaxed, only one painless thought floating through his head.

I’m coming, Maria, Shadow thinks, even as his vision goes dark. See you soon.

Chapter Text

Sonic stares at Agent Stone, who just stands there before him, an impatient expression on his face. Knuckles ends up being the one to break the uncomfortable silence in the air. “Goat Milker,” he says, voice low. “We have no time for your games.”

Stone looks like he has a few choice words to say about being addressed by Knuckles’ nickname, but seems to refrain. “It’s not a game,” he says. “I’m here to help.”

“Like we’d ever believe that!” Tails scoffs. Sonic feels Tom and Maddie come up to stand behind him. “Maybe you’re working with them! These are your robots, after all!”

Sonic glares at Stone. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing here, but—”

“I’m not here to cause harm,” Stone interrupts. “I’m here to help Shadow.” That makes Sonic pause, feeling his eyes widen.

“And what makes you think we’d trust your words?” Maddie seethes, glaring at the man. “You’ve helped your boss try to kill us more than once!” Sonic looks at Stone, whose expression flashes with a hint of guilt, which is smoothly covered up. And Sonic doesn’t really know the guy, but he knows that look. And he knows what Stone had done for Shadow.

“Wait,” Sonic interrupts. He takes a step forward towards the man, who only glances at him. “I think we can trust him, guys.”

“What!”

Sonic turns to them. “It’s kinda hard to explain, and I don’t know all the details myself, but I think we can trust Stone when he says he wants to help Shadow.”

“Likely story,” Knuckles snaps. “This may be another trick. He’s good at that.” Knuckles’ voice is heated, and Sonic remembers that Knuckles had been personally tricked by Eggman, and Stone by association. He’d put it aside to work with him before, but he supposes that it doesn’t extend as far as this.

“Look,” Stone replies. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the past. I’ve hurt you, I know. But I’m not here to ask for your forgiveness or your company. I’m just here to help Shadow. I know what GUN’s going to do to him, and we cannot waste any time if we want to save him.” He sighs. “I know it’s hard to believe, but I don’t want anything to happen to him. He’s just a kid.”

Privately, Sonic thinks that it would have been nice if Stone had come to this realization a while ago, so that he wouldn’t have attacked Sonic and his family, who are also kids. But better late than never, he supposes.

But then, another part of Stone’s speech registers in his mind, and he looks at the man with wide eyes. “What—what’s GUN going to do?” he asks, finding that his voice won’t stop quaking. At that, he feels Knuckles and Tails tense beside him.

Stone’s face is grim. “They plan on harvesting his energy. All of it,” he says, and looks at all of them.

“But…” Tails looks stunned, his two tails whipping around frantically. “That could kill him!”

Stone closes his eyes. “They know that.”

Sonic feels his mind whirling, panic taking over his every thought. There’s something lodged in his chest, and he can only stare at Stone. He jumps when a hand lands on his shoulder, squeezing firmly. “Breathe, bud,” Tom says, and Sonic shakes his head, taking a deep breath.

“We have to go save him, now.” His tone brokers no room for argument, and luckily, no one disagrees.

“We have to find them first.” Tails looks at the robots lying on the ground. "We thought we could use them to track down GUN'S base," he says, addressing Stone. 

“I can help,” Stone says. “I know them like the back of my hand.”

Knuckles frowns. “They were stronger than before. Was that your doing?”

“No. I was just tracking them all down. I noticed some were missing, so I hacked into them, and found that they were being stored in GUN headquarters. The only other thing I could find about them was that they were being modified somehow.” Stone kneels next to one of them, opening it up. Sonic can tell he really does know these things like the back of his hand, because he frowns almost immediately. “This wiring shouldn’t be here,” he explains. “That’s new.”

“Maybe it’s an extra power source,” Tails muses. Knuckles picks up one of the robots, and he must have held it really tightly, because it breaks to pieces under his grip. They all stare, shocked at its weakness after it had been so resistant before.

“But what kind of power source strengthens the metal and the laser?” Tails asks, looking confused.

Sonic frowns. Now that the robot has been opened up, there’s… something within it, something that feels oddly familiar. “Maybe… maybe it’s not some electrical thing,” he murmurs. Tails looks back at him, looking lost.

But Knuckles places a hand on his shoulder, wide eyes looking into Sonic’s own. There’s something like hope in his eyes, along with a look of great loss. And it’s like a bolt of lightning goes off inside his head, the memory snapping to the forefront of his mind. He understands now, why he’s drawn closer and closer, like he’s found a part of himself.

“It’s the chaos emeralds,” he whispers. “They’re powering it using the chaos emeralds.”

“But… how?”

Stone hums. “They must have found a way to use it to channel chaos energy into these robots.”

“But how?” Knuckles questions. “The emeralds don’t work like that. They do not know nearly enough about them.”

Stone gives him a grim look. “They might not know enough about the emeralds,” he says. “But they know plenty about chaos energy.“

“How’d they figure it out?”

Stone looks a little sick. “Project Shadow gave them all they needed to develop the technology that could study and utilize chaos energy as much as they needed. They ran all kinds of tests on Shadow to learn how to harvest chaos energy.”

Sonic feels very ill himself, listening to Stone talk about how they had experimented on Shadow. He’s not sure he wants to hear the details. He just wants to give Shadow a big hug.

Focus, he chides himself. There won’t be a Shadow to hug if he doesn’t snap out of it.

“How long will it take for you to hack this thing?” Sonic asks, staring firmly at Stone.”

“With your help,” Stone says, looking at Tails, “it should take about ten minutes. We can work on the way.” And before Sonic can ask what he’s talking about, Eggman’s giant robot crab walks up to their house, standing before them. Stone just grabs one of the robots and starts to walk over. Sonic turns to Tom and Maddie.

“We’re off,” he says. They nod at him.

“Be safe, guys,” Tom says, wrapping an arm around Maddie. Then he looks at Sonic. “And bring Shadow back safely too, yeah?”

Sonic gazes at him, eyes wide. He feels his face break into a smile, despite everything. “Okay,” he says, voice suddenly thick with emotion. “We will.”

Tails and Stone waste no time getting to work on the robot. Sonic and Knuckles just stare out of the crab. Sonic knows that they still have a lot to talk about, but one shared look with Knuckles lets him know that they will talk when this is all over. For now, Sonic just appreciates Knuckles’ steadfast presence by his side.

Suddenly, he feels very stupid for ever doubting his brothers’ love for him.

“We’ve got it!” Tails exclaims, suddenly. Sonic listens as he rattles off some coordinates.

“I have no idea where that is,” he says, and Tails turns to him.

“That’s probably why it’s hidden, Sonic,” he says, and Sonic can’t help but smile, flicking Tails on the head. Tails swats at him, laughing. And Sonic feels a little lighter, the painful tension in his chest uncoiling a little. They turn to watch Stone fiddle with some controls.

“We’re locked on their coordinates,” he says. “It won’t be too long now.”

Sonic offers him a smile, and doesn’t wait for him to respond. He turns to Knuckles and Tails. “The chaos emeralds will be a problem, won’t they?”

Knuckles nods. “Especially if they have found a way to optimize their power. Which they have, in the most unnatural of ways.” He shakes his head in disgust. Sonic places a hand on Knuckles’ shoulder, knowing that it must be hard to think of the emeralds he’d sworn to protect fall into GUN’s hands.

“We’ll make a pit stop at wherever they’re keeping them to get them back,” he says, flashing Knuckles a grin.

“Very well, Hedgehog,” Knuckles retorts. “I just hope you do not drop them, clumsy as you are.”

“Hey!”

Stone clears his throat. “I hate to interrupt, but we’re here.”

Sonic doesn’t even wait for the crab to open up completely, speeding out to take note of his surroundings. It’s another mountain, eerily similar to the location of the last military base they’d been to. Except, the one in front of him isn’t a run down, dilapidated mess.

“So, what’s the plan?” asks Tails, coming to stand next to him. Sonic turns to look at him, and Tails stares him down. Sonic takes the hint.

“I’m not gonna run off, Tails,” he says, and Tails sighs.

“I know, Sonic. It’s just that… I know you’re worried.”

“Yeah, I am,” Sonic agrees. “But we’re a team. I can’t do this without you.” When Tails flashes him a grin, Sonic smiles back. “So, what’re we looking at here?”

“While we were in the Crab, Stone and I hacked into a GUN database, and found a map of the facility.” Tails pulls up a complicated map on the Miles Electric, and they all crowd around it. “There are guards stationed here,” Tails says, pointing to one entrance to the base. “There aren’t any guards anywhere else, but that’s because the Badniks are stationed everywhere else.”

“How did they get so many of your robots anyway?” asks Knuckles, glaring at Stone. Stone glares right back.

“They didn’t,” he grouses. “They must have made more.”

“Wow,” Sonic says, disgusted. He can’t help but acknowledge the irony. All that talk about peace and safety, and GUN had gone ahead and made more Egghead-bots to capture them.

But he can’t expect anything better from GUN, he supposes. Nothing can really top the giant death cannon, after all.

“Here’s the plan,” Tails announces, shaking Sonic out of his reverie. “Stone will attack in the Crab, drawing everyone’s attention to him. We’ll wait until he draws the Badniks stationed outside away from the base.”

“That’s when the three of us get into the base through here.” Tails points at what seems to be a secret passage, but upon closer inspection appears to be an air vent. “Sonic, you go on ahead and get Shadow. Meanwhile, Knuckles and I will look for the chaos emeralds.” He glances at Sonic, and Sonic nods, encouraging him to continue. Tails looks at the base, biting his lip for a second, before he turns back to the map. His expression is pensive as he points at one of the largest rooms.

“If what Stone and I found on the plans is right, then Shadow should be here.” Sonic looks at the map too, suddenly struck by an intense feeling of foreboding.

“What’s in there?” he asks, and Tails narrows his eyes.

“It’s a particle accelerator,” he says. And that doesn’t mean much to Sonic beyond what he’s seen in movies, but from the way Tails says it, he knows it can’t be anything good.

“Sonic,” Stone calls, and Sonic looks at him, irritated. But surprisingly, Stone’s expression is concerned. He actually looks worried. “When you get in there,” he says, “you may not be prepared for what you find.” He doesn’t say it explicitly, but Sonic understands.

By the time he gets there, Shadow might very well be badly, horribly hurt. Or worse.

“Hedgehog,” Knuckles says, and his hand finds Sonic’s arm, squeezing gently. Sonic looks at his hand holding his arm, and meets Knuckles’ gaze, shooting him a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about me, Knux,” he says. “My mind is clear. I know what I have to do.”

And Sonic does. He can’t deny that he’s been compromised by his emotions before, making bad calls and horrible decisions. But he looks up at the base, imagines Shadow in there, fighting for his life, and feels nothing but steely determination.

Because Shadow’s his friend, and Sonic promised to help him. Even if they hadn’t thought about this at the time, Sonic isn’t going to break his promise.

He’ll get Shadow back if it’s the last thing he does.

So he places his hand over Knuckles’ and gives it a pat. “It’s fine,” he says, and Knuckles smiles back at him, releasing his grip. “Let’s do this.”

True to his word, Stone disappears with the Crab. Sonic, Tails and Knuckles sneak through the mountain, hiding behind trees and ducking behind rocks until they have a clear view of the air vents. In the distance, he can hear the sound of a wall smashing and guns firing as the soldiers try and defend their base from Stone’s attack. They crouch where they are, still keeping low. The Badniks, as they are apparently called, are still hovering in their positions, blocking access to the air vents.

“Please let this work,” Tails mutters, and even though Sonic doesn’t reply, he desperately hopes for the same thing.

Soon enough, the Badniks covering their way in start whirring even louder. Sonic looks at Tails and Knuckles, and they all assume their starting positions, like they would before a race. And though this is much, much more important than a race, Sonic can’t help but smile. Because in the end, it all inevitably comes down to one thing: running.

And when the Badniks fly away from the vent, chasing after the giant robotic contraption making it’s way away from the base, they do exactly that. The wind whips through his fur, ruffling through his quills as they barrel towards the vents, faster than anyone can see. Sonic’s heart is pounding in his chest, but he keeps his mind calm and focused. Knuckles pries open the vent with a single hand, and they all slip inside.

“Okay,” Tails whispers, as they crawl through the vents. “This is where we split up. Sonic, you turn left, and Knuckles and I go right. Maybe in such close proximity, I’ll be able to pick up the chaos emeralds’ readings on the Miles Electric.”

“What about Shadow?” Sonic asks, quietly. “Can you see him?”

Tails looks at him with a troubled expression. “I… I don’t know,” he confesses. “There’s an energy signature where we think Shadow might be, but it’s so weak, it doesn’t even look like any readings I’ve ever taken from him.” He looks at Sonic, expression urgent. “He’s fading, Sonic. You have to get to him.”

“Go, hedgehog,” Knuckles urges. “Hurry, before it’s too late.”

Sonic doesn’t need to be told twice. He looks around for people, but they’ve all been distracted by Stone’s massive attack. He pries open the vent cover, and jumps down, using the momentum from his descent to gain speed, blitzing through the hallways so fast that no one can see him.

“Come on, Shadow,” he mutters, “where are you?”

Sonic rounds the corner, and seeing no one there, decides to move in. He gets a few steps forward before feeling a sudden wave of dizziness. He clutches his head, groaning, trying not to sink onto the ground. Shadow doesn’t have that kind of time. Sonic staggers to his feet, and barges ahead. Oddly, it seems to vanish as soon as it overtook him. Sonic wonders if he’s coming down with something, but he puts a pin in that thought.

Because in front of him is a giant door. And he has a pretty good idea of what’s behind it.

“Shadow,” he whispers, more to himself than anything. “I’m coming. Hold on.” He closes his eyes, crouching. “Please.”

Sonic is just about to spin-dash into the door and break it down, but he finds that he doesn’t have to. The door opens, and Sonic runs backwards on instinct, crouching behind some boxes that have been conveniently left there. He watches as two GUN agents exit the room, leaving the door open. They walk off… somewhere, he doesn’t really care.

Because there’s an ominous, threatening red light in the room, and looks an awful lot like—

Panic stirs in his heart, and he wants nothing more than to dash into the room, grab Shadow, and run away with him. But he can’t do that. Knuckles and Tails are still in the building, and any reckless moves from him could lead to them hurting Shadow more too.

He remembers his words to Knuckles, his reassurances that he’ll stay focused and calm. Sonic’s not about to betray Knuckles’ trust again.

So, he puts on a small burst of speed, just enough to slip into the room and duck behind one of the table-like things covered with buttons and lights and stuff. He glances around frantically, looking for Shadow. But all he can see are the giant tubes, stretching all the way from the floor to the ceiling, filled with some strange, pulsing red light.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what it is.

He stares in horror at the sheer number of tubes, and the size of them all. And they’re all nearly full too. There’s so much. They’ve taken almost everything from Shadow.

Shadow.

Shadow, where are you?

Desperation feels like it’s blinding him, and Sonic tosses his gaze around wildly. And it’s a mistake, as Sonic is prone to making. Because he fails to notice the stealthy figure creeping up behind him.

He lets of a cry of pain, feeling his body convulse violently before losing all control, dropping to the ground. “What…” he groans, and struggles to open an eye, trying to notice his attacker. And he feels nothing but rage and terror as Director Rockwell stands above him, holding her taser-stick, a smug smirk adorning her features as she gazes with satisfaction at him.

“Well, well. Look who we have here.”

Sonic tries to push himself up, and yells again as she shocks him once more. “Kinda… trigger happy… aren’t you?” he wheezes, struggling to catch his breath, limbs twitching from the shock.

The satisfied smile never leaves her face. “It’s a real shame for you that I am,” she responds.

Sonic groans, pushing himself over to lie on his back instead. “How’d you know?” he asks.

She chuckles, short and spiteful. “You just can’t help it, can you?” she says. “The meddling, the thrill-seeking… I knew you’d come eventually. I was prepared for you.” She regards him with amusement, and he feels absolute rage overcome him.

“Didn’t you notice how smoothly everything went for you? The drones leaving your point of entry at the right time, the empty corridors…”

“So it was all a trick,” Sonic finishes, staring up at her in horror. Damn it.

She nods, looking pleased with herself. “And you fell for it. Again.” She kneels before him, and grabs him by the quills, pulling him up to face her. “So thank you for that,” she says. “Though I suppose you owe me, after your numerous crimes the last time.”

“You mean the last time we beat you? Yeah, that was real funny,” Sonic mocks, trying to hide the pain of having his quills pulled on, and she glares, shaking him a little.

“Enough of this,” she says. She drops him, and Sonic grunts in pain as he falls back to the floor.

“That’s my line,” he spits. “Enough games, Rockwell. Where’s Shadow?”

She just smirks at him again, tilting her head to the side. “None of your concern,” she says. “You’re not going to get to him. And in the impossible scenario that you did manage that,” she gestures around, pointing at the large containers filled with Shadow’s chaos energy, “it’s probably already too late.”

Sonic stares at her, feeling his eyes widen in terror, mind whirling, unable to do anything but imagine the worst. “No…”

She grins, clearly enjoying his torment. “Yes,” she says. “Take it all in. It’ll be you next.” She stands, and starts walking away, heading to the strange tower in the center of the room. But not before she snaps her fingers, and suddenly, the door is flung wide open. Sonic stares as the Badniks come flying into the room, glowing red eyes trained on him. He watches as his body is covered with little red dots, and the robots prepare to attack. Sonic tries to move, but finds himself unable to stand, legs giving out under him.

He can see Rockwell now, standing atop the tower, staring at him through the glass. There’s no satisfaction or any smugness on her expression anymore. All Sonic sees is cold, hard professionalism, and he plants a hand on the table next to him, trying to pull himself up again.

He can’t go out like this. Not without saving Shadow. After everything Shadow has done for him, it’s about time Sonic returned the favor.

After everything that Shadow has lost, it’s about time Sonic brought him home.

The beeping gets louder, and Sonic knows it’s a matter of seconds before the lasers tear him into pieces, and tear those pieces into even tinier pieces.

5…

He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. In, and out.

4…

He stands on shaky legs, and only focuses his hearing on the robots in front of him.

3…

Sonic summons his strength, and it’s like a switch flips inside of him, because he can see blinding blue light surrounding him even as his eyes remain closed.

2…

He crouches, preparing himself. One leg bent at the knee, the other stretched out behind him, hands on the ground, fingers pressing onto the cold, hard floor.

1…

Sonic stares at the robots, at their artificial and soulless red lights, knowing that they can never compare to the red glow that he knows so well now, the one that takes his breath away every single time.

He opens his eyes, knowing that there’s only one thing to do.

“Gotta go fast.”

And even as he hears the sound of lasers being fired, the bolts of energy the ground and tearing through it, he curls in on himself, hurtling through the air.

They seem almost slow now, barely moving as Sonic reaches for them. Because the robots may be endowed with the power of the chaos emeralds, but compared to Sonic? They’re nothing.

Because Sonic is the fastest creature alive, and nothing will stop him from saving his friends.

He rolls through the air, bouncing off each robot, gaining momentum with each jump. He hears the sweet sound of metal being crushed each time, and knows that the robots are done. And, he realizes, with his own growing satisfaction, that he’s built up enough speed.

So, he opens his eyes right before his grand finale, and in that split second, he sees Rockwell, her face white with shock, fists trembling at her side. Sonic smirks, and propels himself through the air, heading straight for the thick glass of the control tower. And as he rolls through the air, cutting through the wind bearing down on him, there’s only one thought racing through his mind, giving him more and more strength, helping him push through every single obstacle being thrown his way.

Hang on, Shadow. I’m here.

Chapter Text

One of the features of super speed is that it’s impossible to miss even the most minute sensations.

Most people like running their hand through grass, but Sonic doubts that they can feel each single, solitary blade brushing against their hand with extreme focus like he can. Sometimes it’s a good thing. Sometimes it’s not.

But this, Sonic thinks, as he hits the cold, hard glass and breaks through it, can only be the very best thing to ever happen. He can feel its surface split into shards upon his touch, he can see them flow through the air slowly, hitting the walls, the floor, making little noises upon impact.

And better than anything, through his rolled-up form, he can see Rockwell’s incredulous, enraged expression, her face shifting slowly from cold, calculated professionalism to sheer terror. He watches he mouth open in slow motion, and allows himself a smirk.

“Open fire!” she screams, and the GUN agents surrounding them raise their guns, pointing it at him. Sonic feels bad for them, really. It’s a pity when you try so hard and still have no shot of winning. He keeps his momentum going, and spins into one of the soldiers, destroying the gun before the guy even has time to press the trigger. He ricochets around the room, smashing every single weapon aiming his way. He doesn’t feel a single bit guilty for the way Rockwell’s eyes widen in fear as he shoots towards her, disarming her and slamming into her hard enough that she hits the control panel and tumbles to the ground.

And then he lands, staring at Rockwell for all of one second before he turns his attention to the glowing, electrified contraption in the middle of the room. It’s lit up so brightly that he has trouble making out what’s going on. But when he squints, there’s a shape, a vague outline of something, or someone…

Sonic feels his blood go cold. He whips his head around, trying to look for an off switch. He spots a giant lever, and dashes towards it, tossing the scientist cowering near it to the ground. He scrambles to get his hands around it, and pulls. The electricity fizzles out, and the figure inside becomes visible. Sonic wastes no time in getting to him, throwing the door open and all but throwing himself inside.

“Shadow,” he whispers, sinking to his knees in front of him. Shadow doesn’t respond, he doesn’t even move, and Sonic lets his hands hover over his prone form, not even daring to touch him. There’s a burning sensation in his eyes, and a suffocating lump in his throat. His very heart threatens to tear itself out of his chest as he takes in the state of Shadow, curled up on the floor, unconscious.

Shadow looks terrible. There are severe, horrible wounds all over him, and Sonic can smell his burnt flesh. Sonic notes that his quills have lost their vibrant, striking red, instead having dulled to a facsimile of their former selves. Shadow’s eyes are closed, and his breathing is stuttered and slow, coming out in soft rasps rather than proper breaths. Sonic tries to touch him, but pulls back quickly when Shadow’s body spasms, limbs twitching violently. Sonic knows that it can’t be good, whatever it is.

But at least he’s breathing, he thinks, almost sobbing with relief. He’s alive.

He gently maneuvers Shadow onto his back so that he can slide his arms under his legs and his back. He lifts Shadow up carefully, and holds him close, trying to avoid his wounds. Around him, the GUN agents are groaning, but Rockwell is sitting up.

Shadow’s head falls forward, resting against Sonic’s shoulder, and that spurs him into action. “Hold on, Shads,” he says, keeping his eyes peeled on the slow, barely visible rise and fall of Shadow’s chest. “We’re getting out of here.”

And before anything can be done, Sonic speeds out of the room, and it feels like wherever Shadow’s body touches his own, it burns.

He keeps himself steady, winding around corners in wide arcs, trying to not to make his turns too sharp so that he doesn’t jostle Shadow more than he has to. He races through the hallways, heart pounding so hard that he feels like it might fall out of him. He rounds another corner, and slides to a halt as he comes face to face with another batch of drones. He tenses as they prepare to attack. He can take them down on his own, he knows, but there’s nothing he can do with Shadow in his hands.

And he doesn’t think Shadow can take that much action.

So Sonic turns on his heel, running back, listening to the sound of the Badniks following him. He runs the opposite way, back towards the particle accelerator. The GUN soldiers seem to have recovered, spilling out of the room and blocking the corridor off.

Sonic barrels through them, holding Shadow close and trying to avoid their hands as they try to grab at him. He leaves them all in a heap, speeding in the opposite direction. He’s lost the soldiers, but the robots are still following him, and now Sonic has no idea where he’s going. He comes to a stop at a dead end, staring at the wall before him, feeling the panic he’d been suppressing for so long bubble to the surface.

In his arms, Shadow’s body is wracked by another fit of convulsions. Sonic listens to the small noise he makes, a rattling, haunting sound. Sonic stares at the wall, and then looks behind him, staring as the Badniks all come into his sight. They don’t seem to be modified, hovering towards him at their usual speeds. Sonic is too worked up to even think about why; he just feels grateful for the luck.

He turns back to the wall in front of him, emboldened by this new discovery, and weighs his options. After a few seconds of consideration, Sonic decides to keep moving forward. He gently lays Shadow on the ground, valiantly ignoring the way his body twitches when he lays him on the ground. He curls in on himself, and rams through the wall.

He wobbles on his feet for a second, shaking his head to clear away the dizziness. Then he scoops up Shadow and throws himself through the collapsed wall. He weaves through the people in there, who immediately start to either scream and throw themselves to the side, or pull out their weapons to fire. One of the agents in the room presses a button on the wall, which makes Sonic notice the light fading in the room, caused by the previously open door beginning to close.

Sonic takes a deep breath, and rushes through, sliding towards the door. Luckily, he escapes before it closes. But he strains his ears, hearing the sound of furious typing, and knows that he doesn’t have much time. He gets to his feet, ready to run.

But it’s then that he pauses, suddenly feeling something stirring inside him. A familiar feeling, one that makes him feel the blood flowing through his veins. His blood, and his power, and it all feels like something more.

And how could he forget this feeling? There’s no way Sonic could ever not know what exactly this is.

“The chaos emeralds,” he breathes, and feels a grin stretch across his face. In a fit of frenzy, he turns to Shadow, staring at his drawn, pale face. “Do you feel that, Shads? We found the emeralds.” Shadow doesn’t say anything, but Sonic doesn’t need him to. He feels almost giddy with relief, excitement, he can’t even tell anymore.

But what he can tell is that he knows exactly where to go.

Sonic gets to his feet, and follows his instincts. He feels the familiar pull of the emeralds coursing through him, and lets his legs lead the way. He takes twists and turns he never knew existed, assured and confident in his ability to navigate through the place. He feels his muscles straining as he gets closer, feels Shadow becoming lighter in his arms.

Sonic tears through the halls, and slides to a stop before a large, armored door, leaving skid marks on the floor. The door is large, thick and supposedly impenetrable, if all the movies he’s watched are to be trusted.

But when has that ever stopped him?

He leans Shadow against the wall, and stands in front of the wall, summoning all his power to the surface. His own blue light nearly blinds him, but Sonic closes his eyes, and curls in on himself once more.

And he doesn’t think. He just moves, smashing himself into the door and pulling Shadow away as it falls with a loud slam. And Sonic stares at the interior, practically a maze of wires and tubes, filled with colorful, wispy energy. But he can’t focus on that, not when he feel practically propelled to the center of the room.

The chaos emeralds. He’s found them.

Sonic feels like he’s in a daze, body moving forward of their own accord as he draws closer to the shining stones. He can feel their power pulsing through the room, charging the air and making his quills stand up straight. In his hands, Shadow stills, agonized expression fading ever so slightly. Sonic just closes his eyes, willing them to come to him like they always have.

And through his heightened senses, he hears every single footstep coming his way, every single voice crying out, every single robot flying towards him. He feels the power of the emeralds coursing through him, flooding through his veins, exhaustion washing away from him like the last vestiges of a bad dream. The gentle glow of his super form envelops his body, sending a flash of gentle warmth through him. In his arms, Shadow feels like a feather, weightless.

And when the soldiers run into the room, Sonic just looks at them with red, glowing eyes. He tightens his grip on Shadow, and flies forward. Sonic punches through everyone, sending people and robots alike flying. He doesn’t wait, speeding through the entire base. He flies through room after room, tearing down walls and breaking down doors, looking for Knuckles and Tails. Because even though he’d like nothing more than to stay and raze this place to the ground, it’s time to go.

A sound crackles on his wrist, and Sonic looks down at the communicator. “Tails,” he greets, and Tails’ voice fills the air.

“Sonic,” he says, voice muffled and urgent. “You need to get over here now.”

Sonic follows Tails’ whispered directions, even as he hears some ominous clicking in the background. Tails assures him that he and Knuckles are safe, though Sonic can tell that it’s only for the time being if he doesn’t get over to them immediately. Luckily, it only takes him a few seconds. Sonic bursts through yet another metal door, and comes face to face with a giant robot, a super oversized mech. It looks a lot like whatever Eggman had cooked up the last time they’d fought, but this…

Somehow, this looks worse. More dangerous. Sonic’s gaze is drawn to the transparent part on its chest, watching the chaos energy from the emeralds swirling around inside, colorful and almost magical.

“Sonic!” He turns at the sound, pulling his gaze away from the thing, and spots Tails and Knuckles in the corner. They’re ducked behind a fallen part of the roof, and Sonic speeds over to join them.

“You found him,” Tails breathes, eyes widening in some mixture of relief and horror as he takes in Shadow, shocked by the state he’s in.

“And the chaos emeralds,” Knuckles notes. Sonic just nods at them.

“So, what’s up with the metal monstrosity over there?”

Tails bites his lip. “We were looking for the emeralds, but we ended up here instead. We had to fight off a bunch of agents, but one of them accidentally tripped the switch on the robot, and it started firing missiles. It took off the roof. We tried to break it, but Knuckles couldn’t even make a dent.”

“We fear that it’s capabilities are far beyond a few missiles as well,” Knuckles adds. “It’s the same as Robotnik’s drones: it is imbued with chaos energy from the emeralds. If it is woken up…”

“Then it’s all over for you.”

They all startle, turning to find Rockwell standing there. Some other agent is supporting her, but her eyes are filled with hatred and pure, unbridled rage.

“Don’t you ever give up?” Sonic mutters, even as he rises to his feet, ready to throw down. She snarls at him, but Sonic find himself wary of the lack of nervousness or doubt in her gaze. She seems surer than ever that she’s going to get them.

And it’s then that Sonic hears a loud creaking sound, the groan of metal filling the air. He watches in horror as the robot’s eyes light up, and it starts to move. The very action of uncurling makes it seem ten times bigger, even as it starts to break through the walls and what’s left of the ceiling. Sonic doesn’t wait; he grabs onto Knuckles and Tails and pulls them along with him, speeding out of the room and into the air as it comes crumbling down.

Kneeling on the ground, they all stare at the robot as it stands to its full height, its head almost invisible from where it’s practically buried in the clouds. Sonic glares at it, and then closes his eyes.

“Knuckles,” he says, and Knuckles holds out his hands when Sonic passes Shadow’s unconscious body to him. “Take care of him, please. I’ll stop this thing.” Knuckles just nods, cradling Shadow’s body to him gently, eyes widening when he spasms again.

“He does that,” Sonic laughs, not finding it very funny at all. “Tails, can you figure out what’s wrong with him?”

Tails nods. “I’ll do my best.”

“Okay,” Sonic breathes. He turns back to the robot. “Let’s do this.”

Sonic flies up, landing a punch on the robot. He expects it to give way under the power of his fist, just like Eggman’s old mech did. But the robot holds, barely fazed, and Sonic remembers the chaos emeralds. It strikes him, then, that the reason none of the drones had any power was because they were channeling it all to the robot, so that they could still have it perform at full capacity if Sonic, Tails and Knuckles did manage to get the emeralds back.

But Sonic has the emeralds now. And he finds himself going blow for blow with the robot, meeting every single punch it throws his way, the impact of each one sending him flying backwards. He glances back at Knuckles and Tails, who are fighting off more GUN agents, who just seem to keep coming. Shadow is laid out on the ground, ensconced inside Tails’ portable miniature force field.

In hindsight, losing focus like that is his mistake. Sonic is so preoccupied with watching his friends and fighting the robot that he loses focus, and fails to notice the tubes that are being attached to it. He only notices when it’s too late, when he watches the wild red light flow into the robot, mixing itself with the energy from the emeralds. He stares in horror as the robot visibly grows larger, the transparent part of its body flaring with light that’s as red as blood.

They’re powering it with Shadow’s chaos energy, he realizes, feeling some strange combination of indignation and disgust.

He doesn’t have time to dwell on it, however, as the robot slices a hand through the air with a force that might just be able to split the sky apart, bringing it down with a speed that’s completely disproportionate to its size. Sonic finds himself unable to react, watching with some building sense of horror as the hand bears down on him. He barely raises his hand to block the strike, feeling something crack as he’s sent hurtling to the ground.

“Sonic!” He looks up blearily as Knuckles and Tails yell his name. He groans, pushing himself to his feet, only to find himself shoved forcefully back down as the robot slams its hand onto the earth. The impact of his body being shoved further into the ground forms a giant crater in the earth, and Sonic gasps in pain, barely managing to lift his hands and shove the robot off. He staggers to his feet and takes off into the air.

“Take Shadow and run!” he yells, facing Tails and Knuckles. Tails opens his mouth, ready to argue, but Knuckles places a hand on his shoulder, looking at him meaningfully. He turns to Sonic, a determined expression on his face, his gaze conveying his trust. Sonic lets himself watch Knuckles pick up Shadow again before he’s forced to dodge another strike from the robot. He glances back at them for a single second, relief washing over him as they disappear from sight. He sees the GUN agents give them chase, but knows that they’ll never be able to catch Tails and Knuckles.

For now, at least, Shadow is safe. And that’s all that matters.

“All right, big guy,” Sonic says, addressing the robot. “Let’s dance.”

He flies at the robot, trying to use his superior speed to catch it off guard. But no matter where he strikes, the robot is unbothered, impenetrable armor holding strong. Instead, it swats at Sonic, hand cutting through the air in a neat arc, catching him in the ribs and sending him flying into one of the nearby mountains. Sonic braces himself against it, and flies back in, only to get thrown back once again.

He feels a desperation unlike any other seize him as the robot stands tall, brushing off everything he throws at it. Their once equal punches now result in him being thrown backwards as the robot advances forward, barely fazed by the impact. Sonic briefly takes a second to acknowledge Shadow’s power, because it’s almost unbelievable how much stronger the robot is just by getting fed some of his chaos energy.

The little moments of contemplation costs him, as the robot grabs him in a humungous fist. Sonic struggles in its grip, wiggling around and trying to get free. The fist tightens around him, and he can’t help the cry of pain that falls out of his throat. He can hear his bones cracking, feeling the pain surging through his body as his ribs break and his arm snaps like a twig. The robot raises the hand with Sonic trapped in it, and swings it around, tossing him through the air.

Sonic must black out, because when he finally comes to, he’s in yet another depression in the land. The first sensation that pervades his body is one of incomprehensible pain. “Why does it always have to be like this when I fight giant robots?” he wheezes to himself, cracking a grin. He regrets it when his subsequent laugh jostles his ribs.

“Sonic!” Sonic forces his eyes to open, staring in horror as Knuckles and Tails run after him. They’re still holding onto Shadow, Sonic notices. He just watches, dumbstruck, as they slide down into the crater and drop to their knees beside him. Knuckles carefully lays Shadow on the ground, and as their hands hover over Sonic, he glares at them.

“Why’re you here?” he rasps, throat refusing to cooperate with him. “You have to get out of here. The robot—"

“We’re not going anywhere without you, Sonic.” Knuckles nods at Tails’ words.

Sonic stares at them, feeling almost too emotional to respond. In the distance, he can hear Rockwell ordering her agents to direct all of Shadow’s collected chaos energy into the robot.

“Shadow,” Sonic says, finally. “He can’t die here.” Almost on cue, Shadow’s body convulses again, and he curls in on himself. A few tears escape his eyes, soaking into his fur, and on instinct, Sonic wipes them away carefully.

“But I have to take that thing down,” he says, conclusively. “I’m not leaving until I do.”

“Sonic,” Tails says, slowly. “Shadow might not have that long.” He looks over the expanse of mountains, stretching before them like there’s no end.

“And you are wounded too, Hedgehog.” Knuckles closes his eyes. “It pains my heart, as an echidna warrior, but we must retreat.”

“No.” Sonic looks at them, channeling all his stubbornness into his gaze. “I can’t let this thing run lose. It could hurt so many people.” He looks into Knuckles’ eyes, watching the silent agreement in his gaze, mixing with his worry for Sonic.

“But you are—"

“I have the super form,” Sonic interrupts, and he can already feel his broken arm putting itself back together, even though it’s almost maddeningly painful. “But Shadow… I don’t know what to do. That’s why you gotta get him out of here.”

“We won’t leave you here, Sonic. Not alone.” Tails looks at him meaningfully. “We’re staying with you all the way.”

Sonic opens his mouth, ready to protest. But Knuckles stops him. “There is something we can do,” he says, and Sonic listens intently. “You can use your power to heal him. He can escape while we return to battle.”

Sonic stares at Knuckles. “Heal him? How?”

Tails looks over Shadow’s battered form. “If he’s like this because they took almost all of his chaos energy, then you can replenish it. It’s probably a stretch, since his energy signature is distinct from the chaos emeralds, but it’s worth a shot.”

Sonic looks at Tails and Knuckles, and steels himself. “Okay,” he says, taking a deep breath. He leans over to place his hands on Shadow’s body, one over his heart and one on his forehead. Suddenly, he knows what exactly to do, and closes his eyes. The warmth of his power rushing through him overwhelms every sense, until all he can feel is that familiar rush and the feeling of his hands on Shadow. He directs his energy to his arms, willing it to flow through him and into Shadow.

And he opens his eyes, jumping back when Shadow twitches under his hands again. “It’s—it’s not working,” he murmurs. Suddenly, Sonic feels almost faint with disbelief, and the sheer crushing disappointment that might cost Shadow his life.

“I’m sorry, Sonic.”

“I don’t understand,” Knuckles says, shaking his head. “The energy did not even reach him.”

“Really?” Tails says, voice slipping back into that curious tone he gets whenever he’s pondering a problem, despite the situation. “It would be one thing if it didn’t support his body, but to be rejected entirely? That’s odd.”

Sonic stares at them, mind on fire, trying to figure out why.

Then it hits him, the realization washing over him like a sea, drowning him in unbridled terror and despair.

“Knuckles,” he calls, voice shaking. “How do the emeralds work again?”

“You want me to explain this now? Sonic—”

“Knuckles!” Sonic raises his voice slightly, and Knuckles looks at him with mild alarm. “Please.”

“…They respond to strong emotions,” Knuckles says. “The emeralds respond to what is in your heart, and help channel and provide chaos energy to achieve them.” He frowns. “I don’t see how this is relevant.”

Sonic takes in the explanation once more, confirming his worst fears. Suddenly, he feels exhausted beyond belief, despondence overtaking every sense in his body. He just shifts over, pulling Shadow’s head into his lap, and leans against the wall of the crater. Knuckles and Tails just stare at him confusedly, obviously having not reached the obvious conclusion.

“Then,” Sonic says, cracking a wry smile, despite the situation, “I guess he just doesn’t want it.”

He observes their expressions vaguely, feeling almost disconnected from the moment, like he can’t even register what’s happening. Knuckles and Tails are wide-eyed, expressions stricken and horrified. Sonic just contemplates their faces, and closes his eyes.

Shadow’s words from earlier echo through his mind like a promise, a premonition of doom. I wish I hadn’t, he’d said, when Sonic had told him he wasn’t dead, and Sonic had been too shocked to say anything of merit that could have convinced Shadow to stay. Sonic doubts that Shadow is even conscious enough to reject the chaos energy, but rather, he’s accepted his death, and doesn’t want or expect to be saved. His body jerks once more, looking painful, and Sonic just runs a hand through his quills, noting the faded, muted color.

In the distance, he can hear Rockwell telling the agents to hurry up with getting all the collected chaos energy into the robot. Sonic listens to her yelling, and lets his head fall back against the wall of the crater, closing his eyes. Like this, he can almost imagine that this is all a bad dream. Because all Sonic wants to do right now is sleep.

Knuckles and Tails seem to watch him for a second before they join him. He keeps his eyes close, but shifts in place as Tails leans his head on Sonic’s arm, and Knuckles sits on his right, a solid, warm presence against him. Sonic can’t tell how long they sit like that. It’s probably only a few seconds, even though it feels like an eternity.

“Guys,” Sonic says. “Please, get out of here. At least get Shadow away from here. I…” he screws his eyes shut, thumping his head against the wall. “I don’t want to lose him again.”

“We’re not leaving,” Knuckles insists, adamant, and Sonic turns to him. He’s ready to yell, to beg, to do anything, but everything trails away when he takes in the contemplative look in Knuckles’ eyes.

“Sonic,” he says, urgently, “you can convince him.”

“Convince him?”

“You must try. Try to convince him to accept the energy.”

Sonic stares at him, confused. “You can do it, Sonic,” Tails encourages next. “You’ve helped Shadow once before. You convinced him to switch sides, didn’t you?”

“No, I didn’t,” Sonic replies, shaking his head. “He—Shadow made the choice. All I did was help a little.”

“Then do that again,” Knuckles responds. “Help him make the choice to live again. Help him like you helped him once before.” He pauses, and offers Sonic a smile. “Like you helped me.”

“Knuckles…” Sonic murmurs, meeting Knuckles’ gaze, touched by the trust he can feel Knuckles has for him. Then he looks down at Shadow. Shadow, who’s touched Sonic’s life too. Who’s gone so far as to sacrifice himself for Sonic twice now.

“How am I supposed to reach him?” he asks, staring at Shadow’s unconscious form. “It’s not like I can get into his head.”

Knuckles turns Sonic’s head to face him. “You can,” he says. “You have done it before.”

Tails nods. “We saw the both of you fight off those robots in space,” he says. “I think… I think you’ll know what to do.”

Sonic looks at both of them, and turns back to Shadow. He can remember it now, almost as vividly as he could see when it was actually happening. The feeling of connection unlike any other that the both of them shared, reading each other’s thoughts and minds as they moved in a perfect harmony Sonic hadn’t thought possible, reaching for each other without needing to speak a single word. In that moment, Sonic had known, more than anything, that he’d finally found a kindred spirit, the other side of the coin.

He closes his eyes, remembering the flashes in his eyes, Shadow’s radiance breaking through the darkness of space as he flew by Sonic’s side, white and pink melding together in his fur to create the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen. The way he’d watched the sun make Shadow’s eyes glow, finding it physically impossible to tear his eyes away from him.

And, in a moment where the world seems to be still, Sonic knows, with perfect clarity, what he has to do.

Knuckles and Tails gasp in surprise beside him as Sonic feels the light around him grow brighter. He gently brings his hands up to cup Shadow’s face, letting the warmth of his super form flow into Shadow as well. “Come on, Shads,” he murmurs, reaching out and searching for that familiar feeling. “I’m not leaving without you,” he promises. “We’re not done here.”

He watches Shadow’s face carefully as wisps of golden light sweep along it, quills flaring out, disturbed by the sheer power emanating from Sonic’s super form. They sway in the disturbance, and Sonic watches Shadow’s expression change, from a still, pained one to an expression of serenity. And so, Sonic leans over Shadow, pressing their foreheads together, and closes his eyes, feeling the world fall away.

Chapter Text

“Shadow?”

Shadow opens his eyes, not remembering when he had closed them. He turns to the side, where Maria’s lying next to him, head resting on her hand, propped up by her elbow. “Did you fall asleep?” she asks, a teasing look in her eye.

“I… guess I did.” How odd. Shadow has never fallen asleep before.

“You must have been really bored if you fell asleep,” Maria muses. She flops back onto the grass, staring up at the sky. “If you don’t want to keep watching the stars, we can go do something else. I know it might be boring doing this all the time.”

“No,” Shadow says. “I like them.” He laces his fingers together, resting his hands over his stomach. “Even if I didn’t, you like them. That’s all that matters to me.”

Maria sighs, and Shadow wonders if he’d said something wrong. Anxiety grips him, forcing him to run over the entire conversation, trying to figure out what mistake he’d made so that he could eliminate the deficiency before he repeated it again. But Maria just shuffles closer to him. “One of these days, I’m gonna figure out something you like to do,” she says, and Shadow smiles, feeling his undesirable feelings slip away already.

That’s just what it’s like with Maria. Everything that’s bad and painful in the world just seems to vanish when she’s around. She makes the world better in every single moment.

She is Shadow’s entire world.

Shadow looks at her. “Can you…” He stops himself, shaking his head. “Never mind.”

“No, tell me, what is it?”

Shadow looks away in the opposite direction, feeling his face burn with embarrassment. “It’s nothing,” he mutters. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Shadooow,” Maria says, voice sing-songy. “Tell me. Please?”

Shadow looks back at her, drowning in the earnest, hopeful expression in her eyes. He finds himself powerless to resist, as he always is.

“I just wanted to ask if you could tell me about the stars again,” he murmurs.

Maria giggles, but Shadow has come to understand that she isn’t laughing at him. Maria giggles when she is excited, like the jingling of a bell, the kind the scientists would hang up sometimes during their Christmas parties. Last time, they’d stolen one to hang in their pillow fort. Personally, Shadow had always thought Maria’s laugh was a thousand times more melodious than any bell.

“Of course I’ll tell you about the stars, Shadow.”

Shadow shifts to make himself more comfortable, staring up at the vast, endless sky as Maria talks about the stars, hands waving in the air as she points out the different stars and their names. And Shadow has never known with more clarity that this is where he belongs, by Maria’s side, listening to her talk about the stars. The world beyond is so foreign to him; Shadow knows that there is no hope of him ever going there.

But he doesn’t need to. Watching the stars with Maria, in the quiet silence of the night, Shadow has all he’ll ever need. He doesn’t need to go there, nor does he want to. All he knows is that he will stay with Maria forever.

And yet, Shadow is afraid to touch her. He feels like she’ll shatter into pieces if he does. It feels like she’ll leave him. The world already feels like a dream, flimsy and shallow and liable to tear itself apart to reveal… something.

“Shadow?” Maria frowns, expression full of worry, and Shadow feels terrible for making her feel that way. About him, of all things. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he replies. Because it’s the truth; nothing is wrong. It must all be a figment of his imagination. Maria is here, she’s real and alive and well, and Shadow is going to spend the rest of her life by her side.

Maria looks at him, long and heavy, and reaches out, drawing him closer. Shadow lets her, afraid of moving himself closer and doing something he shouldn’t. Maria lets Shadow rest his head on her shoulder, and Shadow curls into her. Bravely, he grips her sleeve, holding onto the flimsy fabric like a lifeline. It feels very important that Shadow do this, suddenly.

Despite it all, he feels like there’s something he’s forgetting. Something that’s missing.

Something isn’t right.

But that can’t be. So, Shadow ignores it. He closes his eyes again, letting Maria hum one of her favorite songs, now that she’s finished talking.

This is where he belongs. This is all he’s ever wanted.

Maria is all he has, and without her, he is nothing.

Shadow doesn’t know how long they lie there like that. Time seems to be inconsequential, a non-factor that somehow ceases to exist in the face of Shadow and Maria’s time together. Maria finishes humming her song and starts on another, and Shadow wonders if her voice will get tired enough that she’ll go fetch her guitar, since she seems to be in one of her ‘music moods.’

“Shadow?” Maria asks.

“Yes?”

“What do you want to do?”

Shadow buries his face into her shoulder. “Whatever you want,” he answers, earnestly. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care about anything.”

“Are you really going to stay with me forever?”

“Yes.”

“Even if someone calls you away? Someone you care about as much as me?”

Shadow lets go of her sleeve, running his hands through the grass beneath them. “I’ll never care about anyone else like I care about you.” He closes his eyes, ignoring the pervasive, foreboding sense of wrongness in the air. “You’re all I have, Maria,” he says, hoping that if he says the words out loud, he’ll believe them. “I’m nothing without you.”

Because nothing makes sense. The things he’s saying now are immutable truths of the world. He doesn’t understand why he needs to convince himself of them now.

He tries to let them slip out of his head, focusing instead on Maria as she smiles up at the sky. “Look at all those stars,” she whispers, and Shadow does. They shine brightly in the sky, though Maria had said that many of them might not even exist anymore.

The sky above suddenly feels so familiar, like there’s something significant among them. Shadow can’t bear to look at them anymore. He turns away, facing Maria.

The light shines, even though the star is gone.

He wonders why he’s thinking of that now.

Shadow reverts course again, staring back at the stars, suddenly finding himself wishing he were there. Bizarre sensations seize hold of him, forcing him to conjure up obviously fake memories of the feeling of flying through space, along the stars. He’s never wanted anything like this before, but there’s something up there, something that draws Shadow closer.

He doesn’t want to go. He plans on staying with Maria forever. He can’t leave her.

Even if he feels like he’s being torn in half, being pulled away from his life here, sucked into the void of space.

Instead of dwelling on it, Shadow listens to Maria speak again. “Don’t you think they’re so beautiful?” Shadow nods. He knows them intimately, after all.

“They’re twinkling so brightly,” Maria says, sounding spellbound. “Maybe if we listen closely, we can hear them.”

“The professor said that that wasn’t possible.”

Maria just laughs. “Why don’t you listen to them? And then tell me what you hear.”

So Shadow does. Even though it fills him with strange, unfounded desires and fears, Shadow listens, for Maria’s sake. And perhaps it is his imagination gone haywire, but Shadow feels as though he can actually hear the stars speak, calling his name. The feeling of discomfort grows larger and larger, even as Shadow tries with all his might to ignore it.

Shadow!

“You’re… right,” he says to Maria, slowly. “I can hear someone.”

Shadow!

The voice calls to him again, and Shadow stares into the air, confused. Who could it be that’s calling him like this, trapped in the never-ending sky? And why does their voice sound so, so familiar?

Shadow closes his eyes tight, even as the voice calling him becomes more desperate, calling his name with more urgency and more frequency. Shadow lets the words ring through the air, interrupting his thoughts and pervading his mind, filling it with the same, hollow feeling of recognition.

“Who is it?” Maria asks, enthralled. “Who do you hear, Shadow?”

Shadow knows that there’s nothing for him beyond Maria. He has no one else to speak to, no one else to spend time with, no one else to be there for him. However, the question strikes Shadow, prompting him to open his mouth, filled with the odd sensation that says that he has an answer to that question. Which is ridiculous.

As ridiculous as the voice, now getting louder and louder, calling for him so desperately.

Shadow!

Shadow’s mouth opens of its own accord.

“Sonic,” he mumbles, and frowns. Maria stares at him.

“Who’s Sonic?”

“I… I don’t know,” he says, truthfully. Shadow doesn’t even know why he said that word. Maria just laughs.

“Sure you do,” she teases. “Just concentrate.”

Shadow doesn’t want to concentrate. He wants to forget all this and go back to staring at the stars with Maria, not try to recognize some voice among them. But it’s like the voice has gotten louder, breaking through some invisible wall, shattering some poorly placed construct. Bizarrely, Shadow feels the corner of his vision fading.

“I don’t want to listen to it,” he says. “It’s distracting. I don’t even know what it is.”

“Okay,” says Maria, expression unchanged. “We can keep looking at the stars together.”

Yes. Together.

Maria turns her eyes back to the sky, a glimmer of awe in her eyes, the one she always gets whenever she looks at the stars, even though they’ve seen them so many times already. Shadow tries to follow her, turning his gaze back to the sky, staring at the patterns above him with as intense a focus as he can muster, trying to let it consume his thoughts.

But now that he’s heard it, the voice itself gets louder and louder, until it’s both an oppressive, inescapable sound that rends the air in half with its volume, and a tiny whisper in the corner of his mind. Suddenly, it’s impossible to even feign ignorance, as everything is consumed by the sound of this voice calling his name, the sound itself a familiar one.

Shadow!

He tries to ignore it, even as the strange, ominous feeling coiling around him threatens to squeeze the life out of him, increasing with every call of his name. It’s been a persistent nag this whole time, never overwhelming or obvious. It feels like the sensation of being poked by multiple sharp objects, each one never hurting too much, but causing him great discomfort. It itches at his mind, and Shadow cannot for the life of him place the feeling.

Shadow!

He wants to ask Maria if she knows what it is. But every time he wants to try, he is overcome by a terror that seizes at his heart, making him choke on his words. Every time the thought springs to his head, it feels like Maria slips away from him, lost to the void of his mind, filled with endless stray thoughts, ones so outlandish that Shadow fears he’s losing his mind. It’s ridiculous, because Maria is right next to him, solid and alive, her voice ringing through the air.

Shadow!

Shadow’s mind refuses to cooperate with him, even as it strays into dark corners he’d fastidiously ignored. And it fills with the sound of his name being called, over and over and over again, blocking out everything else. And try as he might, Shadow can’t ignore it any longer.

“What do you hear, Shadow?” Maria asks again. Her whispered words are impossibly striking, even against the loudness of everything else. And Shadow has never been able to refuse her anything. He stares up at the stars, watching them twinkling.

Shadow!

Wake up, come on, please.

“He’s telling me to wake up.” Shadow glares up at the sky, hoping that whoever is bent on bothering him like this will take a hint and leave.

“Are you going to?”

Shadow doesn’t reply to her. It’s so unlike Maria to ask these questions to him.

“No.”

There’s a beat of silence, tense and coiling and liable to burst at any second. And Shadow hates whoever it is up there for ruining everything.

“Hm,” Maria says, thoughtfully. “Do you remember when we pranked grandpa, Shadow?”

Shadow nods quietly. Maria laughs. “That was funny,” she says with a giggle. “We did a lot of fun stuff, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Like when we built that pillow fort, right? And that time we watched movies all night, and ate popcorn! Those were pretty fun!”

Shadow smiles, a small, feeble thing, unable to deny her claims. He had enjoyed himself in a way he only could with Maria. Something he could never hope to replicate. And Shadow tries to focus on those memories; he tries to remember the truth of his entire life, the one constant he’s always known.

But the voice—Sonic’s voice—just won’t leave.

Shadow!

And images spill into his mind, of a warm, loving home he’d been allowed into. The wind rushing through his quills, ruffling his fur as he pushed himself to go faster and faster. The emptiness of space, lit up by twin lights spiraling through the darkness, cutting through it like a mighty blade. It’s bizarre, watching these vague, undefined shards of what might be memories, and it’s all made worse by the fact that Maria is somehow not in any of them.

Shadow tries to shake them away, put these… fantasies out of his mind. But it’s like they’ve written over everything he’s ever known, washing away everything he’s come to understand, leaving only some forlorn sense of longing. He feels like something in the world around him is crumbling.

And in the midst of his contemplation, he feels a warm hand take his own.

“Shadow,” Maria says, slowly, like she’s trying so hard to be nice about it. “You know I’m not here, don’t you?”

Her words sear through him like a fiery brand, even as he feels like he’s been doused with freezing water, the sensations combining to create one singularly horrible experience.

Despite it all, Shadow thinks he just might prefer to have had those things done to him, because then his heart wouldn’t hurt, at least.

But Maria’s words are grounding, making the whirling mess of memories and emotions in his mind settle, neat and orderly, breaking through the haze in his head.

And Shadow can only close his eyes, acknowledging his lack of ignorance. “I know.” He turns his head away from Maria, feeling almost sick at the thought of facing her at this moment. “It’s fine,” he insists.

“But I’m not even real,” Maria argues. “I’m just in your head.”

“I know.”

“And that doesn’t bother you at all?”

“No.” Shadow looks over at her, feeling frustrated. “Is it supposed to?”

“I don’t know,” Maria responds. “It’s just that I’m not real. But he is.” She looks at him. “You know that, don’t you?”

“No.”

“Shadow,” Maria says, like she thinks he’s being difficult. “Come on, don’t lie.”

Shadow purses his lips.

Shadow!

“I know he is,” he admits, refusing to acknowledge Sonic any further. But the very admission alone shifts the air around him, until Shadow is forced to look around, reminding himself that he is exactly where he was before, with Maria.

Even though the place feels viscerally different now. The very atmosphere seems thick and tense.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” he adds, wanting Maria to understand.

Maria points at the sky. “Your friend over there seems to think it does.”

Something seizes him at those words, something ugly and vicious and uncomfortable. “He’s not my friend,” Shadow snaps. “You’re my friend. He’s just—he’s just someone who won’t leave me alone with you. He just won’t leave me alone.”

“He does seem very insistent,” Maria agrees. “So you really don’t want to go with him?”

“No,” Shadow snaps, again. He regrets it the moment the words leave his mouth, feeling like he’s less than nothing for yelling at Maria. But Maria seems unfazed by his outburst, chewing on her lip like she does when she’s really thinking hard.

“Well, why not?”

Shadow doesn’t answer her, choosing to turn his head away and stare over the other side, trying to make out the shapes of the rest of the mountains. He feels Maria poking his arm with her finger. “Shaaadoow,” she sings, “come on, tell me!”

It feels unnatural coming from her now, like it’s a mere imitation of her, an inauthentic copy, cobbled together through fractured memories and events lost in time. Shadow takes in the feeling, like everything he’s ever built up here is shattering, and looks away.

“I don’t even know where he’ll take me,” he admits, softly, unable to bear it any longer. “I don’t anything about the place he’s from. There’s nothing for me up there.”

Shadow!

“This is where I belong,” he says, and turns back to stare into Maria’s eyes. “With you.”

He ignores the way his voice wavers, ignores the doubts that threaten to creep into his mind now. Because it’s a delusion to think otherwise. It’s silly to even entertain them.

And yet…

“Is that what you want, Shadow?”

“Of course it’s what I want.” Shadow looks at her, almost startled by the seriousness of her gaze. “I have nowhere else to go.”

Shads, you’ve got to hear me.

“It really sounds to me like you’re just saying that.”

“What?” Shadow looks at Maria, confused. But her eyes are turned back to the stars.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter,” she muses. “It really won’t matter anymore, in a few minutes.” When Shadow continues to look at her, she simply raises a finger, pointing behind him.

Shadow looks, and stares at the creeping darkness, suffocating and all-consuming. He watches it devour everything near him, swirling and cold, moving towards them. “What is that?” he tries to say, words coming out in some strangled whisper.

“You wanted to be with me, didn’t you?” Maria reminds him, voice soft and gentle. “You’re dying, Shadow.”

Shadow watches the emptiness that’s approaching him, transfixed. This must be what death is. A darkness closing in on him, until every sense is gone, leaving behind only nothingness. The end of every single light, the loss of every single memory.

“I suppose that’s it,” he murmurs. It’s strange; he’d made peace with this, he remembers. But there’s none of that serenity to be found now. All Shadow feels as he watches his inevitable end draw closer is a pervasive feeling of emptiness. It’s like he’s incomplete, unfinished.

It’s strange. He’d always assumed this would be peaceful. He’d had no objections to the fact. He’d welcomed it, even. But now, there’s none of that calm acceptance to be found. There’s just the voice calling him from above, distressed in its cadence. Sonic’s voice cuts through the veil, leaving him feeling disturbed and confused, overwhelmingly unsure of what comes next.

And Shadow lets the voice echo through the air around him, feeling it start to reach his deepest beliefs and convictions, overwriting everything he’s ever known. And that, at least, seems familiar.

That’s so like you, Sonic, he thinks, despite himself.

And he can hear Sonic’s voice, now louder and closer, calling his name over and over again, until it’s a haunting chant, desperate for acknowledgement, calling for him from the stars above.

Shadow!

Shadow!

Shadow!

Listening to it, Shadow can’t help but remember the other times he heard that voice, calling for him, reaching for him. And it’s like a sudden stroke of clarity, as every suppressed memory floating around in his head comes together, as every call of his name makes every fragment of his hazy, disjointed memory settle into place with a click.

Maria hums. “It’s up to you, Shadow.” When he glances back at her, she smiles at him. It’s the same one she always gives him, the smile that he’s held so carefully in his heart for all the years of torment and pain. And despite the unchangeable fate in store for him, Shadow reaches for her.

“Maria,” he asks, desperately. “What should I do?”

“I don’t know, Shadow,” Maria says, still smiling serenely. “I’m not really here.”

The words seem to echo through the air, carried by the wind. Shadow feels them tear through him this time, even as the darkness of the void beyond creeps closer, ready to claim its newest prize. Desperately, he reaches for Maria, trying to hold onto her. But his hand passes right through her, and Maria fades away in front of his eyes.

“Maria!” he calls, looking around wildly for any sign of her. But Maria is gone, leaving him all alone once again. And Shadow watches as the approaching darkness sweeps over everything, covering the stars, the grass and the flowers, everything. He watches as the fragile illusion crafted from his memories breaks, done away with by what he knows are his own latent thoughts, leaving only an empty void in its place.

Leaving him floating there, all alone.

Shadow looks around himself, seeing nothing but the crushing darkness, and wonders if he is finally dead. And then, there’s a single light breaking through; a sole, lonely star, still glowing brightly in the sky. And before he knows it, Shadow’s mouth is open.

“Why won’t you leave me alone!” he yells, glaring right at the glowing star he knows is Sonic, foolishly calling for him.

“Shadow,” Sonic breathes, and Shadow can make out a muzzle, made of light, eyes wide and relieved. “Shadow, you have to wake up.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” Shadow snarls, and Sonic winces. “I already told you, there’s nothing for me up there. So stop trying to save something that doesn’t exist, Sonic.” His own voice fails him, and he looks away, staring into nothing. “Just stop,” he begs. “No more.”

“I can’t do that, Shads,” Sonic replies, gently and Shadow closes his burning eyes tightly. “Because it’s not true.”

“And you presume to know that? What do you know about my life, Sonic? Everything I had is gone.”

“I don’t know anything about your life,” Sonic replies, and there’s a flash of light, one that sends a tingling warmth through him, born of Sonic’s conviction. “But I know you, Shadow. And I know that you still have that second chance. If you’d just take it—”

“And what chance is that?” Shadow interrupts, sneering. “I have no one. Everything I had is gone. I have nothing.” He looks up at the glowing visage of the other hedgehog trying to reach for him, and looks away. Sonic is silent, like his voice too is lost to the void. Shadow looks at him, watching his face contort, the thin outline of his face shifting as his expressions change rapidly, so fast that he can’t even make them out.

“You’re an idiot, Shadow,” Sonic says, finally, voice sounding amused, despite the lack of smile on his face. Shadow stares at him, shocked at the insult.

“How dare—” he starts, offended beyond belief, but Sonic cuts him off.

“Me, dumbass! You have me!”

The words shock Shadow into silence, and he can only stare at Sonic, dumbfounded. Impossibly, his figure, drawn by lines of light, seems to deepen, gaining weight and depth. It’s a muted realization, even as Sonic’s words seep into every part of him.

“What?”

“You have me!” Sonic insists, and he tries to push himself closer to Shadow, trying to tear himself out of the sky, so far above where Shadow is. “And you can find so much more too!”

“…You?”

Sonic gives him a grin, tinged with desperation. “Yeah,” he affirms, gently. “And I know you’re going to ask me why, so I’ll just say that I really, really like you, Shadow. And I want you to be with me all the time.” He smiles, brighter than the sun, and Shadow hadn’t thought it possible, but this is Sonic, after all. “I’m your friend, Shads. No matter what,” he says, voice ringing through the still air, cutting through the oppressive silence.

“I don’t understand,” Shadow replies to that, because he doesn’t. “You make it sound so easy. But it’s done. It’s all gone. There’s nothing left.” He stares at Sonic, desperately. “Can’t you see? It’s very clear, Sonic.” Shadow closes his eyes, barely feeling the wetness rolling down his face. “This is how it has to be.”

Sonic just looks at him, compassion etched into his features. “Shads,” he says, smiling gently. “That’s not true.”

“How?”

“Because any new life, a new family… it’s not about something that falls into your lap. Family is a choice. It’s a choice you make every day. It’s something you choose to hold onto.”

Sonic keeps smiling even as his eyes turn nostalgic. “I didn’t even get along with Tom at first, you know? But he didn’t give up on me. And I was ready to run away to another planet and leave everything I wanted behind. But I didn’t,” Sonic says, eyes meeting Shadow’s own, twinkling. “I chose to stay. And I made the choice to reach out to Knuckles and Tails. Tom and Maddie made the choice to welcome me in, and they chose to do the same for Tails and Knuckles. Knuckles and Tails chose to stay too.”

“And,” Sonic adds, glancing at Shadow with something stirring in his eyes. “I chose to be your friend, even back then. I’m doing that again now. Because life’s all about the choices we make,” he says, laughing a little at some inside joke. And as Shadow continues to gaze at him, Sonic meets his eyes, his own flashing green. “It doesn’t have to be over, Shadow,” he says, voice a whisper. “You can find another chance at life.”

And Shadow watches as a glowing hand extends from the sky, reaching for him. “So please, come with me.”

Shadow stares at the hand offered to him, and then at the hopeful, warm smile on Sonic’s face. Everything is confusing; Sonic’s words sound earth-shattering, completely falling against everything Shadow has ever believed. And yet, Sonic’s words, about choices and second chances… they fit into the gaps in his mind like missing pieces of a puzzle that have been found once more.

Maria…

Maria had chosen to be Shadow’s friend. It’s a perspective he’d never considered before, but he can see now, how easy it would have been for her to dismiss him like everyone else had. But she’d come to him instead, and she’d chosen to lay her hand on the glass, asking him to do the same.

And Shadow… he’d done it too. He’d made that choice.

In the moment, it had seemed inevitable. Of course it had, for someone like Shadow who had nothing else. But he can see now that it wasn’t that way at all.

It still sounds unbelievable to him that anything more is left in the world for him.  All he’d ever known were the memories he shared with Maria, that he thought he could only share with her.

But he’s known such similar things with Sonic, too. The thought had occurred to him before, but maybe it’s just the realization of what it truly means to have shared those things with Sonic as well. And Shadow thinks that he finally understands what Sonic means when he’s talking about seconds chances.

Because it seems to be the real truth of the world, that it all comes down to choices. Sonic said it to him, Stone had said the same thing. And Shadow knows it too, deep down.

He knew this when he placed his hands on the cannon, pushing it away from Earth. He knew it when he chose to stick around Green Hills, despite the threat of GUN. He knew it when he gave himself up to GUN for Sonic and his family.

He knew it when he chose to be Sonic’s friend.

And it comes down to a similar choice now, he realizes, staring from Sonic’s outstretched hand, glowing light piercing through the black void, to the crushing, overwhelming darkness surrounding him.

“We always have a choice,” he murmurs, Sonic’s words from their time on the moon ringing in his ears, where he’d reached out his hand, just like he’s doing now.

All this time, Shadow had believed that there was no life for him without Maria. And he’d thought that without her, there was no choice but to die. But there is something else out there.

And he watches Sonic, realizing that the opportunity, the chance Sonic had talked about… it’s come looking for him. It’s right there. And all Shadow has to do is reach out and take it.

He stares back into the abyss. Despite the newfound clarity, there’s still a part of him that fears the unknown; a part of him that fears the loss of whatever he might find. That it would all slip away, like Maria was taken from him. There’s a part of him, racked with the fresh pain of grief, that wants to be with her. It would be so easy to close his eyes and let himself fall, giving into what has seemed to be his only way forward all this time.

But Shadow knows that too. Sonic had taught him. Making the right choice is never easy.

And the other thing he’d learnt that day was that he couldn’t fix his mistakes alone.

The first part is true enough. It’s not easy. Not when Shadow barely knows what might become of him. Looking around, Shadow knows that all of it is familiar. The darkness is almost welcoming in its promise of relief, of freedom from the burden of hurting, of feeling. It’s not as easy as it seems, despite all logic and all the chances in the world that have sought him out.

He stares down into the darkness, and closes his eyes, expecting more of the same. But instead, he sees flashes behind his closed eyes, new memories, pulled to the forefront of his mind. Of the picture of Maria and himself, tucked into his glove. Of racing through the forest, dancing and watching movies. Of coffee and clean, fresh air in a quiet, idyllic town.

Shadow opens his eyes and looks at Sonic, with his palm facing upward, hand extended to him, and knows the second lesson to be true as well, because the evidence before him is clear as day: he is not alone.

Sonic had come for him, despite Shadow’s own preconceptions that Sonic would be better off without him. Despite his guilt that only seems rational, his belief that he did not deserve any sort of life for himself, let alone one where he intruded into Sonic’s own… Sonic is still here, fighting to bring Shadow back.

Regardless of Shadow’s intentions, Sonic’s own choice is clear. And what his illusion of Maria said, parroting what he’d probably known deep down but refused to admit, comes back to him. Shadow knows now, that what becomes of him is up to him. Not Sonic, who is only silent, unmoving in his offer. Not Maria, who is not here anymore.

Between the enthralling pull of Sonic’s hand, and the magnetic atmosphere of the void surrounding him, the choice is entirely his own.

And there’s only one way to make the choice on his own, untouched by anything other than his own mind.

Shadow closes his eyes once more, and finally acknowledges himself. He pushes beyond his instinctual thoughts, his own burning assurances that he deserves only death, and reaches the part of him that wants. The want, the longing he’d felt when he stared into Sonic’s home through his window, wanting desperately to be a part of it. The desire he feels to know this world beyond the walls of his lab, because of all that he’s seen. The states on the map, the wide, sprawling hills, the rain.

The stars.

The grief over Maria too exists within him, the desire to see her again ever present. But Shadow acknowledges it, and admits to himself that he would still like to see the stars again.

Shadow thinks of Sonic, and Maria, and he remembers that their love for each other remains, even if she is gone. And Shadow would like to protect that love, hold it close and never let it go, keeping it alive, keeping her memory alive in his heart.

And when he opens his eyes again, Sonic is there, right before him. No longer is he a wispy outline of his visage, but a being of flesh and bone, quills bristling, vibrant blue fur messy and unkempt. His hand is still stretched out towards Shadow, green eyes glowing bright, dancing with hope.

And Shadow makes his choice; he reaches out, and takes Sonic’s hand.

He feels the wide, wondrous smile Sonic gives him etch itself into his mind, and finds himself returning it as Sonic’s fingers wrap around his hand, warming him from the tips of his fingers to the edges of his quills.

“Let’s go,” says Sonic, green eyes flashing before they turn red, and Shadow watches as his blue fur slips into a familiar gold hue. His hand never leaves Shadow’s, and Shadow can feel his power, moving through the connected hands from Sonic to himself, rushing through him, making him feel alive. The darkness around them seems to shatter, as rays of golden light break through.

“Let’s go,” Shadow agrees, as Sonic’s hand squeezes his own, and the world around him turns to white.

Sonic opens his eyes, almost suddenly met with a blinding light. Lifting his head, it takes him a second to realize he’s still stuck in the same crater, Shadow’s head cradled in his lap. And yet, there’s a warmth there, in contrast to how cold to his touch Shadow had been only minutes prior.

And Sonic watches as his own power leaves his hands in soft, gentle waves, making the body in his hands glow with a soft light.

“Sonic,” Tails says, next to him, watching as his energy flows into Shadow’s body. “You did it.”

And all Sonic can do is shake his head. “Wasn’t me,” he murmurs, distracted by the sight before him. He watches, almost spellbound, as the large burns on Shadow’s body heal, golden energy swishing over them. They’re less like the erratic sparks that manifest when they call upon their powers, and more like smooth streaks of light. They dance across Shadow, mending and closing his wounds, leaving shiny black fur in their place like they had never been there.

As Sonic watches with bated breath, there’s a familiar tug, wrenching his gaze from Shadow to the skies above, now blue and bright despite everything that’s happening. A familiar ringing fills the air, melodious and soothing. Sonic watches as the remaining chaos emeralds streak through the air, heading towards them with purpose. And he watches as they all converge before him, absorbing themselves into Shadow, just like they had done before.

And suddenly, there’s a burst of light, powerful enough to send Sonic, Tails and Knuckles scrambling for purchase, trying not to be blown away. The very earth under their feet seems to shake, as the beam of light extends up to the sky, parting the clouds and lighting up the air.

When the light fades, Sonic can only stare, feeling nothing but pure, unbridled joy and relief and so many other emotions he can’t even name. He gazes upon the hedgehog floating through the air before him, and takes in the soft light emanating from his now white fur, streaks of red as vibrant and magnificent as he’s known them to be for as long as he’s known Shadow himself. Sonic lifts himself off the ground, hovering before Shadow.

“Shads?” he calls, carefully, observing his closed eyes, head bowed slightly. Tentatively, Sonic reaches for him, unsure of what to do with his hands. But the moment is taken away from him, replaced by something else, something even better.

Because Shadow smiles—an assured, confident smirk—even as his head shoots up to stare straight at Sonic, and opens his deep, red eyes. And Sonic, feeling a strange feeling of completeness wash over him, like a part of him that was lost has returned, watches them spark with the force of his power: dancing, glowing and alive.

Chapter Text

It takes Sonic a while to come back to reality, utterly captivated by Shadow’s glowing form. He reaches out once more, fingers hovering before Shadow’s face. Shadow’s eyes track his movements, and his smirk turns softer, a genuine smile on his face.

“You’re here,” Sonic says, his voice sounding quite small to him. Shadow nods, reaching up to take Sonic’s hand in his. Sonic feels suspended in the moment, frozen in place and unable to feel anything other than Shadow’s burning touch.

The moment passes, however, as the loud, groaning sound cuts through the air. Shadow’s smile fades, eyes turning serious and determined as his gaze moves behind Sonic, undoubtedly falling onto the giant GUN mech. It must be ready, Sonic reasons.

But he’s not worried about it anymore. Where there was once a feeling of despondence, now he can only feel assured in their victory. Because Shadow is here, right by his side.

“Round two,” he says, grinning. “Ready for more recycling?”

Shadow returns his grin with a confident smirk. “Just try to keep up,” he replies, parroting those familiar words. Sonic turns to Knuckles and Tails, and flashes them a grin and a thumbs up.

“Let’s do this.”

The very ground trembles under their power, the earth cracking under their feet as Sonic and Shadow take off, flying towards the giant robot. The impact of their movement stirs up dust clouds, and Sonic revels in the chaos even as they tear towards the huge thing. The robot is straightening up as the GUN agents meticulously pull off the tubes connected to its large body. Sonic and Shadow share a look, and make their first move.

The robot flails as they ram into it with all their might, barely staying upright as Shadow and Sonic pull back, ready to move back in and knock it to the ground. He hears the GUN agents’ horrified mumblings, only punctuated even further by Rockwell’s angry shriek. “No!” she rages, and Sonic can’t resist the triumphant grin that makes its way to his face.

“Guess who’s back and ready to kick your science project’s ass!” he sings, and Shadow goes along with it, raising a hand to offer Rockwell a two-fingered salute, mocking smirk placed firmly on his face. Sonic nudges him with a fist, sparks flying as his hand makes contact with Shadow’s arm. “Wanna go again?”

Shadow nods, and they slam into the robot again. It stumbles once more, and they don’t let up on their momentum, spinning into the thing over and over again. Sonic can hear Rockwell yelling at the scientists present to start making the robot fight back. Sonic pulls back, mind suddenly filled with shocking clarity, a single idea forming in his mind.

He doesn’t even need to look at Shadow, knowing that whatever idea he had, Shadow had had too. He simply raises an arm, finding Shadow’s hand grasping it a mere second later. He smiles, and spins, pulling Shadow with him and tossing him straight at the robot’s shoulder. The force behind his assault helps Shadow push through the robot’s nigh indestructible material, tearing through it like he would a piece of paper. Sonic watches with great satisfaction as a giant arm falls to the ground, slamming against the earth with a loud noise.

“All that screaming can’t be good for your throat!” Sonic calls, as Rockwell lets out another frustrated yell. She sneers at him, whipping her head up so fast that Sonic worries for her neck. “Take a chill pill!”

Rockwell growls, grabbing something from one of the GUN agents and pressing furiously on it. Sonic frowns, trying to make out what she’s doing.

He comes to find out soon enough, as the robot lets out another ominous creak, bending over. There’s something on its back, putting itself together. Sonic watches as it forms itself into some kind of cannon, oddly reminiscent of the large one they’d put a stop to not so long ago. The chaos energy stored at the robot’s core glows brighter, almost thrashing around.

“Watch out!”

He lets out a gasp as Shadow’s arm wraps around his waist. Shadow pulls him away from where he’d been hovering before, just as a giant beam of pure chaos energy fires at the exact spot, leaving the ground it hits utterly destroyed.

“I don’t think she appreciated my observations,” Sonic laughs, staring with some apprehension at the new cannon attached to the robot’s back. He whistles, trying to alleviate some of his tension. “How much do you think this whole thing cost, anyway?”

“More money than GUN should have ever gotten their hands on.”

Sonic nudges him again. “Let’s help them make the most of it.”

Shadow doesn’t need to be told twice, flying in towards it alongside Sonic. “Get the cannon!” Sonic calls. “The sooner we get rid of it, the better!” Shadow nods, disappearing beside him and appearing right above the cannon. He charges in, trying to grab it.

Rockwell presses a few more buttons, and Sonic watches as the cannon turns upwards and fires, forcing Shadow to teleport out of the way. Sonic tries to fly in himself, but the robot swats at him, and he has to duck out of the way to dodge its fist, which is moving almost as fast as he is.

“This isn’t working,” Shadow informs him, appearing right next to Sonic.

“I figured,” Sonic agrees. “Any ideas?”

“We could go for Rockwell,” Shadow suggests. “Maybe it’ll stop if we take out its controls.”

Sonic feels his eyes burning with power, and clenches his fist, letting the sparks dance around them. “Let’s do it.”

Shadow takes off towards her, Sonic flying close behind. Predictably, the cannon fires, and Sonic shoves Shadow out of the way, throwing himself in the opposite direction to avoid it as well. Out of the corner of his eye, he watches Shadow vanish, appearing right before Rockwell, his hands wrapped around her tablet thing. Shadow wrenches it out of her hands, and she growls, even as he disappears.

Sonic moves out of the way of the energy beam, leaving it to crash into one of the mountains. “Man, Google Maps is really gonna hate me for this,” he mutters, staring at yet another decimated mountain. Shadow reappears before him, holding the device in his hand. Sonic stares at all the complicated buttons and stuff on it, finding himself supremely confused.

Shadow moves to break it, but Sonic grabs his wrist. “Wait! Last time we broke something like this, it didn’t go so well,” he explains, at Shadow’s questioning look. “We gotta do this right.”

“And how do we do that?”

“Not sure,” Sonic confesses. He smiles, then, satisfied. “I bet Tails can figure it out, though.”

Shadow nods. “Go,” he says, and Sonic nods, bolting off, scanning the ground for any sign of Tails and Knuckles. He finds them huddled around one of Tails’ bright yellow gadgets, Knuckles listening intently as Tails says something. Upon a closer look, it’s a hologram of the robot.

“Tails,” Sonic calls, landing.

“Sonic! What—”

“No time to explain,” Sonic interrupts. “I need you to figure out how to shut that thing down.”

Tails takes the device from Sonic, frowning. “Okay,” he says, turning it over and over in his hands. A large boom resounds from behind them, and Sonic winces.

“Better make that quick.”

Tails nods, pulling out a flash drive. But before he can do anything, the screen goes dark. Tails stares at it, looking very shocked. He taps on the screen, and glances at Sonic, looking extremely worried.

“They’ve shut down the controls,” he says. “The robot doesn’t need them anymore.”

“What does that mean?”

Tails chews his lip, looking contemplative. “It’s… essentially, it’s gonna go berserk,” he says, finally, voice quiet.

Sonic stares at him, suddenly feeling very nervous. “Won’t that be a problem for them too?” he asks, desperately. “Why would they do that?”

“I guess they’ve got nothing to lose.”

Sonic stares at him, feeling his eyes go painfully wide. He stares at the ground, mind whirling.

“It keeps getting worse,” he mutters, closing his eyes tight. But he tries to pull himself together, taking a deep breath.

It’s then that he hears the sound of the cannon firing, and Sonic looks up, just in time to watch Shadow get hit by it. He stares in horror, a strange ringing in his ears, as Shadow is flung backwards, thrown so far away that Sonic can’t even see him anymore. His mind feels empty, filled with nothing but static, a single word repeating itself in his head, a mindless chant of no no no no no…

Not again, he thinks, desperately. I can’t lose him again.

“Shadow!” he calls, flying off again. He makes to chase after him, flying in the direction he knows Shadow had been thrown towards. He doesn’t get the chance, however, to get more than a few feet ahead before a massive form appears right in front of him, a blinking light pointed right at him. “What the—”

The cannon fires right at him, and Sonic changes course, moving upwards to avoid being disintegrated. He fights to stay afloat, his terror and dread lending strength to the gravity threatening to pull him back down. He glances with fear over the horizon where Shadow had disappeared to.

He glances wildly around himself, spotting Rockwell and her cronies. They aren’t even standing around to watch, crouching behind rocks and hiding from the robot’s sight. It isn’t even attacking Sonic anymore, since he’s higher above, apparently out of its field of vision. He takes a breath.

All he can do now is take it down.

Sonic swallows down the feeling of loss, already mounting in his heart, and prepares to dive back down. But a rumble from below him makes him pause, and he watches from above as the robot turns, cannon positioning itself to point down.

And Sonic realizes with horror that it’s pointing at his brothers.

“No!” he cries, the sound ripping itself from his throat unbidden, and he races through the air, feeling the wind push against him as he dashes towards the ground. The cannon fires—because the robot is as fast as Sonic—and a cloud of dust erupts, the sound of its impact filling the air. Sonic watches as streaks of red and yellow exit the explosion, heading away from their attacker.

But the robot keeps up a steady stream of energy, firing it continuously. It draws deep, terrible lines on the earth as the beams continue to head towards Knuckles and Tails. And Sonic knows that he can’t outrun it, and if Super Sonic can’t do it, then neither can Tails and Knuckles. His heart pounds, the sound thumping in his ears as his entire body seems to be caught between reckless movement and paralysis, despite the one-track thought in his mind, feeling like the only thing he can hold onto.

I can’t lose them too.

Sonic yells as he charges down, racing along the robot’s body, spiraling across the cannon itself, planting his feet on it and skidding along until he reaches the edge. He feels the vibrations under his feet, the steady thrum of Shadow’s chaos energy exiting it, and crouches, preparing to jump. The whole endeavor only takes a second in real time, but to Sonic, it feels like hours, as he watches bits of rubble scatter through the air in slow motion, evidence of the sheer amount of power from both fighters.

Sonic pulls his eyes away, and focuses on the twin streaks of color circling the landscape. Just as they come to a halt, he pushes off, jumping along the path of the beam. He flies in an arch until he reaches the right point, and then he dips down, right into the trajectory of the energy beam, arms already extended before him.

The impact feels shattering as he flies right into its path, and it feels like everything inside him is a jumbled mess. Sonic grunts in exertion, feeling the pain searing through his arms and the rest of his body as he holds the beam back, leaving it suspended in midair, like he and Shadow did for the Eclipse Cannon. He yells as he feels the scalding sensation burn through him, and uses every ounce of strength he has to push it back.

It’s hard. It was hard the last time too, and Sonic knows that he couldn’t hold on then, despite the stakes. He’d fallen, stripped of his super form.

And he’d had Shadow with him too, pushing the beam back, right by his side.

Sonic grits his teeth. “Gotta… keep… pushing…” he grunts to himself, even as his arms tremble from the strain.

He glances back, his eyes meeting Knuckles and Tails’ own. “Sonic!” calls Tails, the sound feeble and faint in his ears. Knuckles is gripping his shoulders, staring with no less worry at Sonic.

They’d saved him, Sonic remembers, the last time this happened. Sonic had been unable to hold on, but Knuckles and Tails had jumped down from a space station, careening towards Earth. They’d risked their lives to save Sonic. Even when Sonic had been unable to finish the fight, they’d had his back.

It’s about time Sonic does the same for them.

So he closes his eyes, hands twitching as he curls his fingers inwards, forming fists. He summons all his latent energy to the surface, lighting up his entire body, the golden glow subsuming the shocking red hue of the energy channeling itself towards him. Sonic thinks of his brothers, his parents, and Shadow too, letting his thoughts give him strength.

And he charges forward, splitting the red energy in two, watching the torn energy dissipate into tiny red sparks as he cuts through the beam of light, heading straight for the cannon. He reaches the weapon, planting his hands on the metal, feeling its cold seep through his gloves and onto his hands. He grips the cannon tight, feeling the metal be crushed under his strength, and heaves, turning the cannon upwards to have it point away from Knuckles and Tails.

He watches as the beam sputters, having lost a target. The robot’s head turns up as well, and it stills, suddenly unmoving. It releases a series of odd beeps, but seems to be done. Sonic almost laughs, some strange mix of relief and exhaustion sweeping over him, the kind that’s bone deep. He slowly lowers himself to the ground, staggering once his feet touch the earth.

He can see a streak of red dashing towards him almost instantly, and Knuckles is there, supporting him as he almost falls. He slides Sonic’s arm over his neck, and Sonic feels a large hand place itself on his back. “Ugh,” he groans, completely spent. “Remind me to sleep for a thousand years once we get back home.”

Knuckles smirks at him, though his expression is tinged with worry and relief. “If you’re making jokes, you are fine.” Sonic sticks his tongue out at him.

“Rude,” he huffs, finding himself out of breath. Before them, the robot is still as a statue, and they all stare up at it together.

“Is… is it over?” asks Tails. Sonic can’t even bring himself to shrug. They just stare at the robot, the silence almost as deafening as the sounds of battle. By all accounts, it’s over, but Sonic just can’t calm down.

He figures out why in just a second, when the cannon drops once more, and positions itself to point away from the expanse of mountains, right at where Sonic knows civilization exists. The rhythmic beeping stops, replaced by the threatening whir that indicates that the cannon is charging up for another assault. He feels his blood go cold, as visions of pure devastation crop up in his mind unbidden, a terrible preview of what might happen very soon.

Sonic pushes himself off Knuckles, trying to fly into the air. But his powers fail him, suddenly, and he finds himself dropping back onto the ground like a rock, having only managed to hover a few feet off the ground. “No, no, no,” he mumbles to himself, mouth working unconsciously, as he plants his palms on the ground to push himself up, only for them to fail him at the last minute, making his face hit the ground, uselessly.

“Come on, please,” he begs no one in particular, even as he tries again. But his limbs won’t cooperate, dead with exhaustion, his mind unable to overpower his body at the most crucial hour. He watches Knuckles and Tails attack the cannon, hoping to destabilize it enough to steer it’s aim away from the nearby city. But it barely pays them any mind, it’s unfathomable amount of chaos energy far too much to be cowed by Knuckles and Tails’ attacks.

There’s a terrible pain in his chest, guilt and grief and mindless panic all rolled into one unique combination of emotion, and Sonic gasps from their intensity, hot tears blazing a path down his muzzle. He stares out over the horizon, beyond the mountains, watching the red glow of chaos energy concentrated at the opening of the cannon. The whirring splits the air in half, a terrible, haunting melody, drowning out Knuckles’ desperate howls as he pounds at the robot.

And Sonic lies there, small rocks digging into his face, hopeless in the face of the complete annihilation of so many innocent people. He’s failed, yet again. And this time, there’s no miracle there to save him.

All he can do is watch the cannon fire, the red light cutting a steady path to the city. It almost looks beautiful like this, Sonic thinks, feeling delirious, as he watches its charge, trying and failing once more to push himself up and fight it.

But there’s nothing he can do. And so, he forces himself to watch, knowing that he doesn’t deserve to look away from what is assuredly his fault. He watches as the beam of light reaches the city, almost ready for its impact, ready to destroy the entire place, ready to destroy so many lives.

And he watches, as it stops in midair, building up in one singular spot, the end growing wider and wider but not charging forward anymore. “What…” he rasps, confusedly, as he hears the cannon creak and rumble, straining from the force of its attack, even as the result of its efforts is caught in the middle of the air, converging in a single, growing point of light, like some bizarre light show. Sonic watches, mesmerized, as the beam stops firing, and the collected energy remains, suddenly highlighted with streaks of pure white light.

Light that draws a pattern through the canvas of red before it, dispelling the entire thing like a shard of a bad dream, leaving behind only bursts of vibrant red sparkles, almost dancing through the air. Sonic watches as the white figure hurtles straight towards them, splitting the skies in half, like a shooting star.

And he watches some more, as the streak of light spirals through the air, and collides with the cannon on the robot. And he can hear it break, the mighty sound resounding through the air, almost euphoric to his ears. The giant cannon, the bane of his existence, crashes to the ground, defeated, even as the robot itself tips over backwards, following it down to land heavily on its back. Sonic cannot look away from the sight, even as familiar hands grip his arms, pulling him up onto his feet, supporting his entire weight.

So he keeps his eyes on the fallen form of the robot, watching the white light rise, emerging from behind it to come settle on top of its back, where the damned cannon used to sit. He gasps, a sound filled with hope and joy and so many other wondrous, glorious emotions, as the light fades a little, revealing a familiar form shrouded in its embrace. And Sonic can’t stop the laugh that leaves his throat, relieved and joyous and so, so happy, as Shadow looks at him from his place on the robot’s back, a triumphant sparkle in his glowing red eyes.

“Shads,” he breathes, and the other hedgehog closes his eyes, disappearing in a flash of light. But he appears in front of Sonic once more. This close, he looks so much more real, bits of dust covering his fur, cutting through the pure platinum color of his super form. But he still looks ethereal, beautiful in a way Sonic never thought he’d describe anyone as being.

And the description only seems more apt as Shadow places a hand on Sonic’s face, and Sonic feels the familiar thrum of chaos energy weaving its way through his body, the same way Sonic shared his own with Shadow not so long ago. His muscles seem to gain a new life of their own, and Sonic suddenly wants to stand on his own feet with a strangled desperation. Knuckles and Tails wisely let go, and Sonic straightens himself up, meeting Shadow’s gaze just as he opens his eyes.

And all he can do is step closer to Shadow, raising his hand towards him once more, to make sure he’s really here. His fingers brush against Shadow’s face, and Sonic hesitates, afraid of going further. But Shadow does it for him, laying his hand over Sonic’s own and pressing it against his face, leaning into his touch as his deep red eyes fall shut. He turns his head, pressing his lips to Sonic’s palm gently, and the warmth of his touch shatters Sonic’s state of disbelief.

He pauses, just for a second, and then throws all caution to the wind, flinging himself forward to wrap his arms around Shadow in a hug. Shadow catches him, his own grip tight and desperate around Sonic.

“Are you ever gonna stop dying on me?” Sonic asks, unable to help the delirious little giggle that accompanies those words. Shadow huffs his own laugh, a small, quiet thing.

“Don’t count on it,” Shadow replies, and it might just be the sweetest sound Sonic’s ever heard.

“I won’t,” Sonic mumbles, burying his face in Shadow’s shoulder, words muffled and borderline intelligible. “As long as you come back.”

Shadow doesn’t reply to that, but Sonic gets his answer from the way Shadow’s arms tighten their grip around him. And he doesn’t know what’s going to happen next, but all things considered, he just might like to stay this way forever.

Chapter Text

Sonic can’t tell how long he stays like that, letting himself be held in Shadow’s arms. The passage of time seems like a faraway concept, one that can’t touch him when he’s like this. Shadow is here, warm and real and alive, and Sonic holds onto him, not wanting to ever let go.

But the moment is taken out of his hands, when the telltale sounds of weapons being drawn has his ears twitching in their direction. Sonic opens his eyes, reluctantly pulling away from Shadow, though he leaves his hands on Shadow’s shoulders. Shadow pulls away too, turning his head to stare down the GUN soldiers pointing their guns at them. His hands ghost over Sonic’s sides still, and they stand holding onto each other as Rockwell walks up to them.

“Why won’t you give it a rest?” Sonic asks, frustration leaking into his words. “Just let us go already!”

“You’re done,” Shadow picks up, voice low and uncompromising. “Leave us alone. Before we have to hurt you.”

“I can’t do that,” Rockwell snaps, voice desperate and angry. “You’re dangerous. That’s how it is.”

“The only danger here is you!” Tails fumes, glaring at her. “Your robot almost destroyed an entire city!”

Rockwell’s expression wavers as she stares over the mountains, in the direction of the city. For a second, Sonic finds hope rising inside him, hope that she’ll stop this madness.

But her expression hardens as soon as she turns back to Sonic and Shadow. “That was regrettable,” she concedes. “But it’s done. You’re still here, a danger to us all.” Sonic watches in dismay as her eyes fall directly on Shadow, glare becoming even more pronounced. “Or have you forgotten what your friend over there has done?”

Shadow’s jaw clenches, even as Sonic watches his ears droop, laying flat on his head. He feels a surge of righteous rage boiling inside him, angered by Rockwell’s audacity to lay all the blame on Shadow.

“And have you forgotten what Shadow did after that? The way he sacrificed himself to save everyone? He almost died!”

She tosses her head. “There’s no proof of that,” she states, coldly. “All I have is your word, and that means absolutely nothing to me.”

Sonic opens his mouth. But another voice cuts through the air instead. “Dishonorable,” Knuckles says, his tone commanding and uncompromising. “You would doubt Sonic’s word, even after he protected this entire planet from the result of your mistakes. And you choose to attack and hurt Shadow, after everything you have put him through. There is no word for people like you.” Knuckles shakes his head in disgust.

Sonic watches Rockwell’s expression contort, leaving her looking disconcerted, and turns his head back to face Shadow. And Shadow, for his part, is staring at Knuckles like he’s never seen him before, something raw and guttural flashing in his eyes. Sonic squeezes his shoulders comfortingly, hoping to offer some reassurance. Shadow’s eyes flicker over to look at him, guilt and confusion and endless gratitude mixing together in a strange cacophony of emotional turmoil, reflecting in his eyes. His hands tighten where they’re resting on Sonic’s torso, and Sonic shifts closer, just a little.

Together, they watch Rockwell struggling to process Knuckles’ words, and for another foolish second, Sonic hopes she’ll stop this madness.

But it was too much to hope for, apparently. Her face twists into ice, she grits her teeth and runs a hand through her hair, smoothing it down. “I know what I saw,” she snaps, and Sonic wonders what she’s talking about. “I know what you’re capable of. GUN will never trust aliens like you.”

Sonic opens his mouth again, ready to say something, but it seems like Rockwell is on a tear. Her eyes turn towards Shadow again, the designated recipient of her ire, the chosen representative for all the aliens she chooses to hate. “Project Shadow,” she snarls, and Shadow shifts, his eyes widening from the sheer force of her outburst. “You should learn to know your place.”

Shadow’s face cycles through different emotions, and Sonic glares at Rockwell again. But this seems to have been her final straw, and she raises a hand. “Open fire!” she yells, and Sonic and Shadow push off the ground as bullets come whizzing towards them, cutting through the air rapidly. And apparently, their movement seems to activate something on the robot behind them, because it groans with the effort of standing up again, slicing a hand through the air. Sonic twists through the sky, dodging it, letting its remaining arm be riddled by bullets.

“Why won’t you just give up?” he asks the robot, and it tries to smack him down in response.

“Sonic!” Sonic looks up to find Shadow rushing towards him, and grabs his outstretched arm, letting Shadow spin him around and toss him towards the robot. Sonic curls in on himself, spin-dashing towards its other arm. The sound of the wing blowing in his ears is deafening as he accelerates, slicing neatly through its shoulder, sending its other arm careening down towards the earth.

Sonic smiles at the sight of the armless mech, feeling satisfied. But he jolts as bullets fly through the air, aiming straight for him. He ducks and weaves through the endless barrage, watching Shadow do the same. There’s a grunt from down below, and Sonic knows that Knuckles and Tails are jumping into action as well. But the agents just keep coming and coming.

“She must have called for reinforcements from HQ!” he yells, and Shadow snarls in frustration. The sky is completely engulfed with GUN’s special laser bullets, and even in his super form, Sonic struggles to evade something that’s literally everywhere.

Then one of them hits him, shooting him in the arm, passing cleanly out through the other side. But Sonic groans in pain regardless, hand coming up to grip his arm. Ordinarily, his super form would prevent such injuries, but Sonic is still significantly weaker than usual.

But he glares down at all the GUN soldiers as they continue firing, and tries to keep dodging. But his vision’s blurring from the effort of trying to keep himself aloft instead of channeling his chaos energy into healing. He stumbles in midair, but finds a solid figure come to his rescue, grabbing him and pulling him away. Shadow gently sets him down on the ground, and immediately flies back up.

“Enough of this,” he declares, and Sonic watches with more than a little awe as hundreds of spears made of pure chaos energy manifest in the air, surrounding Shadow in circular patterns, framing him in the middle. Shadow thrusts his arm forward, and they go flying, heading straight for the GUN agents. The bullets firing at him are completely destroyed, each one nailed with extreme precision, and the rest of the chaos spears head straight for the soldiers, striking their weapons and leaving them completely unarmed.

Sonic watches Shadow hovering in the air, the light from his super form illuminating his face, making him look absolutely radiant as he glances down at the defeated forces of GUN, victoriously. He grips his own arm, and feels his chaos energy already beginning to stitch up his wound, like nothing had ever happened.  

“Woah,” he says, unable to help himself. He pushes himself off the ground, flying up to hover next to Shadow. “You really are the coolest, Shads,” he informs him, grinning.

“It was nothing,” Shadow responds, adamantly not meeting Sonic’s gaze. But his cheeks are the faintest shade of green, and Sonic pinches his face, getting swatted at for his trouble.

“Do ya give up yet?” he calls, cupping a hand over his mouth. “Your guys are done! Your big ugly robot is double done!” Sonic points at the robot, standing still, attempting to move arms that aren’t there.

“You’ve lost,” Shadow continues. “Give up.”

Rockwell glares at them, the expression now a familiar sight on her face. But she lowers her head, staring at the ground, and Sonic takes that as a sign that she’s admitted defeat.

“Yeah!” he yells, pumping his fists in the air. Knuckles and Tails drop the GUN soldiers they’re beating up, and cheer as well. Shadow doesn’t join in, but his lips curve upwards just the slightest amount. Sonic throws his arms around Shadow, pushing his luck just the teeniest amount. Shadow grumbles something under his breath, but allows the hug, reaching up to grip Sonic’s wrist. Sonic feels lighter than a feather, weightless with relief.

But of course, the universe can’t let him have anything. Because his jubilation over the victory prevents him from noticing Rockwell shifting, her foot nudging one of the weapons dropped on the ground. Sonic turns towards her, just in time to watch her point the gun at him, his eyes going wide from shock.

He sweeps himself out of the way just as the bullet reaches the place he’d have been at had he not noticed it. He hears the sound of it hitting the giant robot behind him, and turns to smirk at Rockwell as she curses, tossing the gun back on the ground angrily, having missed her last chance to get him. “Might wanna work on your aim there!” he calls, mockingly. “Maybe you’ll be good enough to get me when—”

“Self-destruct sequence engaged.”

Sonic freezes, the rest of his sentence dying in his mouth. He whips himself around to stare at the robot, watching as the chaos energy gathered in its core stirs once more, ready to activate the self-destruct sequence, as the robot had helpfully stated.

“You’re kidding,” he mutters, in sheer disbelief. His limbs suddenly feel like spaghetti, weak and weightless and unresponsive. It’s almost cliché to a ridiculous degree. Seriously, a self-destruct option, of all things…

After all that…

“What did you do?” Shadow yells, beside him, and Sonic turns to Rockwell. However, her own face is ashen, staring with real fear at the robot.

“Fall back!” she yells, sweeping her arms open, and the GUN agents scatter.

“50, 49, 48,” chants the robot, counting down the seconds before its inevitable annihilation. Sonic stares. Fifty seconds. That’s all they have.

But it’s fine, he reasons. Sonic can grab Knuckles and Tails, and Shadow can come with them, and maybe Stone will not be in the blast radius at all at this point…

He pauses in his thoughts, and watches the chaos unfold below them, as the agents try to flee, chaotic and unorganized. And Sonic can tell that they aren’t going to make it out of here.

A hand clamps itself down on his shoulder, tight and desperate. “We have to go,” Shadow says, grimly. “Gather your friends. I’ll teleport us out of here.”

Sonic glances at him blankly. “Wait,” he says. “We can’t just leave them here.” He points at the GUN agents, and Shadow’s eyes track his hand.

Sonic feels his heart hammering away in his chest, even as he holds his hand steady. It’s a big ask, he knows. Almost insurmountable. Asking Shadow to help save GUN soldiers, save Rockwell, after everything they’ve done to him… Sonic doesn’t know if he’d be strong enough to do it himself.

But he watches Shadow’s expression settle, from a flabbergasted look to one of firm, unbreakable resolve. He closes his eyes, collecting himself, and then looks at Sonic. “How do we get them all out of here?” he asks, and Sonic looks around, feeling panic rising in his chest with every passing second.

“15, 14, 13—”

“I… I don’t know,” Sonic confesses. Below him, Knuckles and Tails are desperately trying to corral the terrified GUN agents and help them leave safely, though Sonic can tell by the droop of Tails’ tails that they’ve pretty much accepted their inevitable fates. And Sonic can’t help but feel the same way, a cold realization settling over his heart.

10, 9, 8—"

He laughs, despite the situation. “If only we could stop time,” he laughs. The words leave his mouth, the last attempt at a joke he’ll ever make, and it isn’t even a very good one.

But something stirs within him, a spark of realization, of power locked away that he never knew existed. And he can feel another presence in his mind as his body glows brighter, fur standing on edge, quills flaring around his head with the incredible amount of energy emanating from him. He looks to his side, feeling more than seeing Shadow beside him, his own eyes wide with the same spark of understanding.

“5, 4, 3—”

Shadow nods at him, and words seem entirely unnecessary between them, their minds somehow connected, their very thoughts overlapping, indistinguishable from one another’s. They turn towards each other completely, and Sonic summons all his strength, for one last, desperate attempt, together with Shadow.

“2—”

Sonic and Shadow raise their arms to the skies, moving together in perfect synchronization, two parts of the same, connected system. Once again, he feels the throbbing in his body, a pervasive sensation as he redirects all his chaos energy to collect above them, as large, pulsing orb of pure energy forming. It glows so brightly that Sonic can’t see anything beyond a world of white, the canvas wiped clean. The air is charged, sending very real shocks through him, a testament to their incredible power.

And now, more than anything, he can only feel one other person, mirroring his every action, his every thought. And with him, like an inbuilt instinct, Sonic knows exactly what to do.

And as the specter of doom chanting below them approaches its final second, Sonic looks over to where he knows Shadow is, and nods with finality. Their hands move downwards, directing their collected energy in that direction, willing it to do their bidding. And before the robot can issue its final word, Sonic opens his mouth and yells, the sound reverberating through his head, his own voice melding with Shadow’s in a melodious symphony.

“Chaos control!”

The world turns to white, soundless and still, as Sonic reels from the force of their power descending upon their target. He closes his eyes, unable to bear the brilliance of it all.

And when he opens them, it is to see the still, unmoving world in front of him. Everything is frozen, like an image collected from the farthest reaches of his mind. Sonic floats in the air, watching as everyone else is suspended in time.

Everyone expect Sonic and Shadow, in a world of their own, with no one else but them. He can feel the warmth emanating from the figure next to him. “Shadow,” he says, his name soothing as it rings in his ears.

“Sonic.”

Sonic laughs, the sound booming through the air. “It’s just you and me, dude,” he says. The still air is wrought with tension, something unspoken between them. But it’s still light, and Sonic feels like he’s afloat, where he’s meant to be.  

They look around together, taking in the carnage, granting themselves a moment of reprieve from the fighting that has seemed endless so far. Sonic reaches out his hand, grabbing wildly, fingers closing over nothing but air a few times before he finally finds Shadow’s hand. He squeezes, and Shadow’s fingers slowly wrap around Sonic’s hand, closing one at a time until their hands are properly connected.

Sonic sighs, and impulsively presses a kiss to the corner of Shadow’s mouth, just falling short of pressing their lips together. Shadow turns to him, and Sonic knocks their foreheads together. “Let’s end this,” he says, and Shadow nods.

Sonic grips his hand tight, and they take off towards the robot as it stands rooted to the ground, unable to move. Sonic feels his eyes lock onto one singular point, the pulsating energy at its core, the rest of the world fading away around him as that one glowing point becomes his sole focus, consuming everything else.

Shadow’s hand is tight around his own, and they raise their joined hands before them, together. Their hands held firmly in place, Sonic shifts at the same time Shadow does, and the two of them circle around each other, twisting in the air. The crackle of their speed fills the air, even as they head towards the glowing epicenter of their potential doom, spinning around and around until they’re a streak of golden flame.

Their journey feels like it takes years, passing through his mind like a dream, and Sonic can’t help but think that this is his place, his purpose. Shadow’s energy against him feels like a long lost friend who’s come home, warm in all the right places and cold against the others, filling a gaping void in his heart he didn’t know existed, completing him entirely. Sonic flourishes in the indescribable feeling of freedom, and thinks he might finally understand what Knuckles means when he talks about destiny.

Because this is where Sonic is meant to be.

And it is never more apparent than when they finally reach the core, Shadow’s chaos energy stirring something within him. Sonic keeps his eyes open, adamantly looking into its depths as it swirls around, almost begging to be released. And Sonic and Shadow acquiesce, connecting with precision into it, tearing through the glass.

Shards fly everywhere, lit up in a red glow by the escaping chaos energy as wisps of colorful light dance in the air, overwhelmingly magical. There’s none of the chaotic thrashing that once defined them; they’re elegant and graceful as they fade into nothingness, even as the spell they’ve cast on the world begins to fade.

This is evidenced by the robot falling, its metal turning rusty and lackluster, losing any and all shine it once possessed. Already muted colors dull even further, and it lands heavily on the ground, finished once and for all.

Sonic and Shadow come to stand on top of it, having vanquished the odds, having conquered their enemy. They look around themselves in barely disguised relief as everyone shifts, unharmed and whole. Sonic glances over at Knuckles and Tails, beaming at them as they stare up at him in what he realizes is pride. Tails grins at him, opening his mouth.

“You defeated it.”

Sonic turns away from Tails, facing down Rockwell, who’d spoken before anything else could be said. Sonic frowns in her direction, even though he is not her object of interest. She stares at Shadow, who seems to represent everything she hates. Sonic feels the need to confront her on it, and draws in a sharp breath.

But he finds himself cut off as Shadow’s hand slips out of his own. Sonic watches as Shadow steps forward, standing proudly before her, before everyone from GUN, the people responsible for his suffering, his anguish and grief. He holds himself tall, like the harbinger of their reckoning, and everyone caught under his gaze looks suitably cowed by the sheer weight of it all.

Shadow brings his fists up to hold them before him, and Sonic watches as the now familiar white of his fur dissolves, the chaos emeralds tingling in the air as white fades to deep, sleek black, highlighted with a soulful, vibrant red. Shadow stands, in his rawest, truest form. His gravitas is inescapable, and Sonic couldn’t look away from him if he wanted to.

And he watches as Shadow summons the remnants of his chaos energy, red sparks surrounding him, and Sonic finally gets to see them once more where they belong. They cast a light over his figure, a vibrant, visceral image of beauty.

“I know my place,” Shadow says, words spoken with a calm resolve, resounding through the air like a thunderclap regardless. “And it is not to be yours. I am not a weapon, or a tool, or an experiment. I am not a project.”

And Sonic listens, ears filled with nothing but the sound of Shadow’s deep, impassioned voice. “I am Shadow,” he announces, and the declaration sends shockwaves through the air, rippling around them in an astonishing display of power. “Shadow the Hedgehog.”

Sonic does not need to look into Shadow’s eyes to visualize the glow that must be illuminating them, drawing everyone’s gazes towards them like moths to a flame, their radiance impossible to look away from. He watches as Rockwell does the same, her bitter, sour expression reduced to one of reluctant acceptance, even as it is also comprised of a hint of wonder.

And as Shadow stares her down defiantly, she bows her head, and turns on her heel, stalking away. The GUN soldiers standing behind her look at one another, but follow her without a word. Shadow stands, still and stable, as they walk out of sight, disappearing to who-knows-where. Possibly to enact some escape protocol. Sonic couldn’t care less anymore.

He lets Shadow stare after them in the distance, letting him soak in the moment, drink in the feeling of freedom Sonic knows he must be experiencing. A light breeze blows through, a welcome reprieve from the terrible winds and scorching burns as it ruffles through his fur, soothing his aching limbs and his almost feverish body. Shadow’s quills bristle before him, billowing around him with the wind, and finally, he turns around, a small, satisfied smile on his face.

Sonic smiles back at him, and Shadow closes his eyes. “I did it, Sonic,” he says, voice a complete contrast to how it was before, now quiet and pensive, but filled with a comforting sense of relief.

“You did,” Sonic reaffirms, taking a step closer to Shadow with an audible thud. Shadow opens his eyes, looking right at him. He draws in a deep breath, tilting his head to the sky, his own way of savoring the moment.

But his head drops, soon, and he glances up at Sonic. His focused, victorious expression is replaced by a strangled, tense look. Sonic feels the smile fade from his lips, staring in confusion as his eyes seem to glaze over. “I did it,” Shadow repeats, voice quaking with some unidentifiable strain. He sways in place, teetering over the edge of the robot’s body, not even attempting to correct his balance.

“Shadow,” Sonic questions, arms coming up to reach towards him. “What—”

Shadow’s mouth falls open, his next words spilling out of his mouth, barely more audible than a whisper. “This is what you wanted… isn’t it… Maria…”

And Sonic stares in shock as Shadow tips over backwards, like a marionette with its strings cut, and falls.

Chapter Text

Sonic moves before he can even finish the thought racing through his head, catching Shadow in his arms before he hits the ground. He stares at him with a growing sense of apprehension. Shadow isn’t unconscious, but his eyes flutter, caught between both extremes of wakefulness. Sonic watches as small jolts of chaos energy flicker along his arms, even seeping out of his eyes when he’s able to keep them open.

“Shadow,” he calls, trying to get him to wake up. “What’s wrong?”

Shadow can’t seem to respond to him beyond managing a small groan, eyes screwed shut like he’s in pain. Sonic brushes his hand over Shadow’s face. “Tails?” he calls, and Tails leans over Shadow as well, the Miles Electric beeping away in his hands. “What’s wrong with him?”

“His chaos energy is very unstable,” Tails announces, looking very concerned as Shadow shivers in Sonic’s hands. “There’s so much, and it’s… the best way I can put it is that it’s eating away at him from the inside.”

Sonic stares at him in horror. “So what do we do?” He slips a hand under Shadow’s head, lifting him into his lap properly, head leaning against Sonic’s shoulder. “Tails, you gotta find a way to help him. Please,” he begs, almost sobbing. “I can’t lose him again.”

Tails bites his lip, finger tapping nervously against the Miles Electric. “I—I don’t know. I’ve never worked with chaos energy like this before,” he admits. “It… it was fine all this time… I don’t understand…”

“So what do we do?” Sonic questions, his voice sounding shrill and panicked, even to him.

“Sonic,” Knuckles says, voice cutting through the panicked jumble of thoughts in his mind. “Calm down.” He places a large hand on Sonic’s shoulder, and Sonic jumps at his touch, reflexively holding Shadow closer. Gentle wisps of energy leave his body, dissolving upon touch when they make contact with Shadow’s fur. Sonic stares at them, taking deep breaths, trying to draw air into his lungs.

He’s so engrossed in what’s happening before him, so focused on Shadow, that he fails to notice the sounds approaching them. But Knuckles nudges him eventually, and Sonic looks over his shoulder, spotting Eggman’s crab scuttling towards them. As soon as it screeches to a halt, Stone jumps out of it, running up to them. He falls to his knees beside Sonic, face pale and tense.

“Show me,” he says, and Sonic does, feeling desperate. He watches as Stone pulls out the bracelet things that Shadow usually wears—funny, he never even noticed they weren’t there—and snaps one around his wrist. Instantly, the chaos energy pouring out through his arm fades away, and Sonic stares, befuddled. Stone continues the process with his other hand and then his feet, until Shadow is completely chaos free. His tiny groans fade away too, and all he does is draw in small, sharp breaths.

“Shads?” Sonic calls, tentatively, and Shadow’s eyes crack open. He looks right at Sonic, opening his mouth, only for his eyes to roll back and fall shut again. Sonic can’t help but shake him a little. “Wake up, Shadow!”

But Shadow doesn’t, pained expression slipping away into one of absolute serenity. He falls still, the only indication that he’s alive being the slow rise and fall of his chest. Sonic looks up at Stone, who is pressing some buttons on his glove. Behind them, the crab opens up once more. “Bring him inside,” Stone says, and Sonic rushes in before the man can even begin to stand. He floats inside, looking around, feeling roundly sick of machinery at this point.

Behind him, Knuckles, Tails and Stone enter the crab, and Sonic spies the rest of the chaos emeralds safely ensconced in Knuckles’ arms. “Lay him over here,” Stone orders, pulling out some kind of gurney. Sonic complies, and pulls back as Stone rushes up to Shadow, practically shoving Sonic out of the way.

“What’s wrong with him?” Sonic demands, his eyes painfully wide as Stone brings over several apparatuses that he doesn’t know the name of.

“These inhibitor rings regulate his chaos energy,” Stone reveals, taking pity on Sonic, though he doesn’t turn to face him. “Without them, he burns through his energy too fast, resulting in damage to his body.”

“So what does that mean?”

“We’re very lucky,” Stone replies, cryptically. But Sonic gets the idea, eyes fixated on Shadow’s still, drawn face. A feeling floods through him, a posthumous foreboding, like some great disaster has just been averted, a situation that could have gone quite differently if just one more second had passed.

He thinks of Shadow, fighting on despite his body being destroyed from the inside, relentlessly facing down the people who had caused him so much trauma, saving Sonic time and time again.

He watches Stone tend to Shadow, surprisingly gentle as he smooths back his fur to attach some weird devices that Sonic has only ever seen in those weird medical dramas Maddie likes to mock. Before him, Shadow’s eyes open and close, like he’s caught between different states of consciousness. He seems agitated, suddenly squirming in place. But Stone leans over to whisper something to him, and it seems to calm him down. In Sonic’s mind, despite the situation, he feels rather happy that Shadow apparently has Stone in his corner.

He continues to stare at Shadow, watching him slip back into unconsciousness once more, an expression of deep exhaustion on his face, contorted in pain.

Suddenly, Sonic feels rather weak himself, and sinks to his knees as a rush of power floods through him, escaping through every cell in his body. The light that has been shining constantly at the edge of his vision fades away, leaving behind his blue fur and aching body. Sonic mechanically collects the chaos emeralds in his trembling hands, not really registering his own actions, barely aware of his body moving.

And he barely registers Knuckles and Tails kneeling before him, identical concerned expressions on their faces.

He startles when Knuckles gently tugs the emeralds away from Sonic, pressing them together in his hands and forging the Master Emerald once more. Sonic stares at the brilliant green gem, its power still so familiar, and feels everything catching up to him at once, overwhelming all his senses. Sonic gasps, blinking away hot tears from his eyes, breaths coming quick and fast.

Knuckles and Tails look at each other, and Knuckles reaches out a hand, hovering in front of him. Sonic looks at the offer, and scrambles to grab onto it, Knuckles’ overly tight grip grounding and oddly comforting. Tails shifts over until he’s leaning against Sonic’s side, and Knuckles slides his arm over to cup the back of Sonic’s head, pulling him against himself. Sonic lets go of his arm and wraps his own arms around Knuckles, closing his eyes as his uncontrollable tears burn a path down his face. He draws in a stuttering, shaky breath as Tails drapes himself against Sonic’s back, resting his head on his shoulder. His twin tails come to wrap around Sonic, like a warm blanket.

Sonic sobs a little, tears soaking into Knuckles’ fur, though he doesn’t draw any attention to it. There are dark spots dancing in his vision, only adding more fuel to the flames of his profound distress.

“He said he would come back,” Sonic whimpers, feeling sick and hurting all over. “He promised.” His head feels heavy, like it’s about to split open, endless fatigue taking over every sense in his body.

“Have faith,” Knuckles advices. “The more impressive hedgehog is strong. He has the fighting spirit of a mighty warrior.” Knuckles smooths over Sonic’s quills. “He came back to you before,” he says, kindly. “He will do so again.”

Sonic can’t find it in him to reply. So, he just lets Knuckles and Tails hold him, drowning in their embrace as his eyes slip shut. He sinks into the dark void of a dreamless sleep, Shadow’s ashen face the last thing he sees before he closes his eyes.

Maddie has always considered herself a forgiving person.

It’s not something she prides herself on, per se. But forgiveness, empathy… those are traits she holds in high regard, values she strives to uphold every day. Being a vet has taught her so much about their importance, only solidified further when she became a mother to her three amazing boys.

She remembers that special night, when she and Tom had tucked Sonic into his new racecar bed for the first time, marking their first foray into this new chapter in their lives. They’d curled up together, and Tom had held her especially tight.

“You know, Mads, I really don’t deserve you,” he’d said, and she’d asked him why.

“It took me a while to warm up to Sonic. To even consider helping him out,” he’d replied. “But you? You took one look at someone that needed help, and didn’t waste any time accepting him, doing everything you could to help him out. I really love that about you.”

They’d continued their conversation well into the night, ranging from reassurances to discussions about parenting. But she’d tucked those words close to her heart, They’d meant a lot to her.

And it all felt like it shattered when Shadow crept into their lives.

She’d watched Tom be carted off, his condition precarious. Her kids trailed behind her, doubt and grief in their eyes. But Maddie couldn’t say anything, barely holding onto her composure, already swept up in grief, knowing that if she opened her mouth, the little strength she could muster up would abandon her too.

Tom had recovered; he’d returned home, as chipper and happy as ever. But it felt like something had been lost in her that day, something she wasn’t sure she’d ever get back. The doubt about whether she was a good mother, about whether she could have, should have done more to be there for her kids. And more than anything else, there was that feeling she had truly never felt to such a deep, visceral extent: the hatred in her heart for another being.

She’d always tried to be understanding, patient, and empathetic. She’d always strived to be forgiving. But all her principles failed her every time she thought of Shadow, every time she thought of what he had done. She’d felt like she had lost herself, lost every part of who she was, thrown into a dark corner of her mind that she’d worked hard to avoid. She’d felt broken, shattered, and the feeling had faded but never disappeared, even after their family came back together, seemingly stronger than ever.

And she’d felt it whenever she thought of Shadow: a looming, nebulous figure in her mind, made entirely of darkness and destruction. Any mention of him only pushed her to imagine him tearing her family from her again, a monstrous figure, nothing like her kids. She wondered sometimes, if Sonic could tell, and if that was why he’d approached Tom to deal with his grief over Shadow.

And it was why Maddie hadn’t approached Sonic herself, even though she knew as well as Tom that Sonic was grieving Shadow. Because she knew she’d never be able to give Sonic what he’d needed from her. She’d gone with Sonic to the little grave he’d constructed for Shadow, next to his portrait of Longclaw, and wondered if she would hate Maddie for not being good enough for her son, because Maddie couldn’t put her feelings aside for Sonic’s sake.

But her feelings festered, never abating, never fading, only ever settling into a corner of her mind before being pulled to the surface again. She’d held herself together when that Director Rockwell showed up with news that Shadow was still alive, only to cry silently into her arms when she was alone, terror seizing her like no other.

And when she’d heard Sonic admit to Knuckles and Tails that he’d not only seen Shadow after this, but had been meeting up with him regularly, something had snapped in her. She’d confronted him in ways she never had before, not seeing Sonic before her but visions of her family being taken from her, images that cropped up frequently in her nightmares, and the memory of Tom being taken away, his palm cold in hers.

And then, as if her turmoil wasn’t enough already, GUN had attacked them, and they’d almost killed her kids this time. And she hadn’t been able to do anything.

And it had been Shadow, of all people, who saved her boys, sacrificing himself for their sake. Giving himself up to the people who had tormented him his entire life.

Swimming in guilt and regret, Maddie had felt like the worst person in the world.

And even as she waits now, sitting still on the couch with Ozzy’s head in her lap, watching Tom pace nervously around the room despite not really being allowed to, she can’t help but wonder what she’s going to do when Sonic inevitably shows up with Shadow. If she deserves to look at someone whom she’s hated, who did more for Sonic today than Maddie did, with the way she yelled at him, all because she herself felt afraid.

She’s startled out of her thoughts when Ozzy lifts his head, tail wagging. Tom and Maddie share a glance, bolting towards the door. Maddie wrenches it open, eager to see her kids despite her apprehension about seeing their other friend. Tom holds her hand as they stand on their porch, watching the giant crab crawl into view, a distinct urgency in its steps. She shares a look with Tom, something telling her to prepare for the worst.

And some parts of her fears are confirmed when the henchman—Stone—exits the vehicle first, holding onto something small and dark. “Help him,” he says, eyes brimming with worry. “Please.”

And she can only stare at the figure in his arms, face pinched and pale, realizing with a sort of muted numbness that she has never actually seen Shadow before.

“Maddie,” Tom calls, breaking her out of her reverie. Maddie swallows.

“Bring him inside,” she says, stepping to the side, letting herself slip into professionalism. Because Maddie might not like Shadow, but she will not let that get in the way of her duty.

Stone follows her to their guest bedroom, which has become like a makeshift clinic at home for when her kids (mostly Sonic and Knuckles) get into scrapes as a result of their activities. “Don’t remove his rings,” he says, laying Shadow’s unconscious form on the bed. Then, he steps backwards slowly to exit the room, eyes never leaving Shadow until he has no choice but to close the door. Downstairs, she hears Knuckles and Tails’ voices, and Tom’s own bewildered questions.

She lets them be, swallowing down her own desire to go down and hug her kids, and turns to Shadow. She hesitates for a second before placing her hands on his shoes, pulling them off slowly to reveal a foot smaller than what the shoes indicated, covered in black socks. Devoid of his bulky shoes, Maddie can tell that he might actually be shorter than Sonic. Not knowing what to make of this observation, she pulls off his socks too, gently, and then the gloves. Slowly, she presses on his feet, working her way up his entire body, feeling for broken bones.

From her cursory examination, his leg is definitely broken, and so are his ribs. She runs her hand through his quills, finding several broken ones, digging into his scalp. But she’ll have to leave that for another time. What worries her more is the way she can feel his ribs with startling ease, the boniness of his limbs. He seems malnourished, face thin and drawn. Touching him reveals to her a temperature that’s much higher than it should be, at least if she’s basing it off what she’s learned from Sonic. He lays quite still, and she pushes down something uncomfortable creeping up from her gut, a pervasive feeling.

And without her permission, her mind takes her back to when she had Sonic laid out like this before her, unconscious and banged up, small face tense with pain. She sees exactly that same image before her, only with black and red quills and in a state that leaves her feeling wretched for ever thinking of him as a monster.

Because there’s so much of Sonic in him.

And then there’s so many other things, the evidence of the hard life he’s led visible in the taught lines of his face, speaking of sadness and grief and pain. Despite herself, her maternal instincts flare up; the sight of his young, round face reminds her so much of her own boy. Her sudden feelings are at odds with her fears, her distrust of everything to do with Shadow, and she almost staggers herself with how overpowering they all are, put together like this in her mind.

She lets herself stew in those emotions as she casts his foot, wrapping bandages around his ribs. He shifts at her touch, head twisting around, but doesn’t wake. She finishes attending to him the best she can, not having much to go off other than what she’s learned from Sonic’s biology over all the time they’ve been together. She can only hope that he heals as fast as Sonic does, and that what little she’s managed to do without being able to go to an actual clinic is enough.

Then, she stands before him, vaguely thinking that she should go get Tom, or someone. Maddie wants to leave. She wants to see her kids.

But she finds that she can’t leave. She feels herself remaining rooted to the spot, anxiously watching the slow rise and fall of his chest. She reaches out, despite herself, moving without realizing it. She runs a hand over his closed eyelids, over the red markings on his eyes, something so distinct about them. Shadow’s ear twitches at her touch. His face shifts, contorting in his deep sleep.  

“Maria…” he murmurs, lost in the haze of his dreams, and Maddie freezes, her hand hovering above Shadow’s, rendered unable to move. She remembers that Sonic had mentioned Maria before; he’d mentioned that Shadow’s quest for revenge had been driven by his loss of Maria.

That fact had escaped her. It had fallen into the deepest crevices of her mind, hidden away by the dark image of Shadow she had conjured up, born entirely from her fears.

But now, she watches Shadow falling into the same dark place in his own mind, expression twisted and pained. Maddie stares at him, and finds that she can’t watch this anymore. She collects a packet of smelling salts, and tears it open, holding it before his nose. His eyes pop open instantly, and his immediate reaction is a small whimper of pain, followed by a growing sense of confusion.

She reaches out to him as he plants his hands on the bed, pushing himself up before his arms give way and he falls on his back once more, eyes screwing shut. She finds herself back in the same position, hands hovering above him, unsure of how to proceed. He stares at her, eyes bleary and glazed over, and Maddie doesn’t believe that he’s fully lucid yet, still standing on the line separating the realms of sleep and wakefulness.

“Maria?” he calls, seeming to confuse her for his friend. Maddie wonders if she should correct him, and decides that it would be cruel of her to trick him like that.

“No,” she replies, her voice coming out stiff, not all due to the coldness in her heart towards him, but rather a result of feeling like she is way out of her depth, completely at a loss for what to do. “I’m Maddie. You’re in my home,” she tells him, and his eyes dart around, barely taking in everything.

“Maddie…” he says, slowly, testing her name out on his tongue. “You’re Sonic’s…”

“I’m family,” she says, slowly, when it’s clear Shadow isn’t going to say more. She watches him, trying to keep up her professional veneer until she can leave and maybe try to sort out her feelings, despite the part of her that wants to yell at him and the other, contradictory part of her that wants to pet his quills and tell him everything is going to be okay.

Shadow looks at her, his gaze still unfocused but still fixated on her. “I’ll… I’ll let you rest,” she says, quietly, and turns to leave. But before she can pull her hand away, Shadow lifts an arm, his hand clamping onto her fingers. Maddie flinches, but Shadow doesn’t seem to notice, droopy eyes suddenly wide and suspiciously wet. His grip is rather tight around her hand, but his own hand is trembling, and Maddie stares as his lip quivers.

“Sorry,” he rasps, voice sounding choked up from the force of the emotions that seem to be seizing hold of him, clearly visible on his face. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” she repeats, stupefied.

“I hurt Sonic,” he says, his face scrunching up as tears start to slip down his muzzle. He makes no effort to wipe them away, and Maddie watches as they start to soak into his fur. “I hurt Tom, I hurt you, I hurt everyone—please, I’m so sorry,” he sobs, an expression of pure devastation making itself known on his face, his eyes red and bloodshot. Maddie knows her own face mirrors his, a perfect reflection of how she feels.

Shadow has been the bane of her existence ever since she heard of him for the first time. He’s been the demon that haunted her dreams, the personification of everything she fears. But looking at him now, crying and apologizing profusely to her, face twisted in agony, she can’t even deny the truth she’s known at the back of her mind but has never been able to admit.

He’s just a child.

She’d never denied the fact; she’d acknowledged it, but in a technical, clinical way, detached from all the implications it brought along with it. It was easier to hold onto the image of Shadow that she’d had in her mind all this time, when he was a non-factor, barely a presence in their lives beyond being a rare topic of conversation. It was easier to justify her dislike of him when all the impact he’d ever had directly on her life was the way he’d hurt her dear husband and her kids.

But seeing him here like this, so small and fragile, crying his heart out to her, his hand curling around her fingers in a desperate grip… her heart breaks. It breaks for Shadow. Facing him, actually seeing him for who he is… it changes something. It changes many significant things. She can see the earnestness in his eyes, overflowing with emotion and shining with the tears that prove them to be real. Facing the demon she’d feared all this time, only to realize he’s just another child, one who didn’t deserve anything that happened to him. It’s a new perspective, one at complete odds with everything she’d let herself believe for so long.

Maddie finds herself unable to react right away, standing still as a statue, barely daring to breathe as Shadow’s quiet sobs remain the only sound in the room, aside from the faint echoes from downstairs. They sound like white noise in her ears, especially compared to Shadow’s soft whimpers as he cries, her fingers clutched in his hand in a vice grip, one that barely hurts her, because he’s so weak right now.

And Maddie finds herself at a crossroads. She can pull herself away; she can walk away from him and continue on as if this never happened. It’s unlikely Shadow will even remember this, if the dazed look in his eyes is anything to go by, tearing out his heart and handing it to her in a state of delirium. She can forget it ever even occurred, and she can continue to hold her grudges, and blame him rightfully for what he did.

Or, she can reach back, extend her hand to him—this poor, hurting child—and she can forgive him. For his sake, and for hers, freeing both of them from the misery caused by Shadow’s mistakes, ones Maddie knows in her heart he’s worked hard to make up for.  She can accept that she has no justification for continuing to see him as something he’s not. Not after everything he’s done since that fateful day, not after all the sacrifices he’s made, for her family and for the entire Earth.

She thinks of Sonic’s heartbroken face when she’d laid down her ill-advised ultimatum. She remembers the panicked desperation on his face when he’d explained what GUN might do to Shadow, when he’d impressed upon all of them just what Shadow had given up.

Maddie has two options. Only a while ago, she might have picked one of them without a second thought.

But now, she’s actually faced Shadow. She’s seen him in his most vulnerable state, ripping open his heart and offering it to her. Facing him makes her acknowledge everything he’s done, actually seeing him makes her recognize who he really is. In her mind, her image of Shadow changes, the hazy figure of darkness and despair replaced by the image of a frightened child, lost and alone and in need of help.

Maddie draws in a deep, calming breath, and finds that it’s really not that hard to make a choice.

She sits on the bed next to him, placing her hand over his own. “It’s okay,” she says, and he pauses, eyes wide, filled with the most wonderous expression of surprise.

“What?”

She smiles at him, the gesture coming to her naturally. “I forgive you, Shadow,” she says, and feels something stirring in her own heart. “It’s okay.”

He continues to stare at her, tears still dripping down his face, and she reaches over to gently brush them away. “You’re going to be fine, okay? I’m going to take care of you now. You’re safe,” she reassures him, kindly, and Shadow’s face contorts again as he bites his lip, trying to keep his tears at bay. Her heart breaks all over again at the sight of him, wounded and hurting and broken.

And the words fall out of her mouth instinctually, knowing the right thing to do, despite all her apprehensions and worries.

“Would you like a hug?”

Shadow gazes at her, eyes wavering, like he can’t even comprehend what she’s saying. His mouth is slightly open, an expression of deep confusion on his face. His breath catches in his throat, and Maddie can’t help but think of how absolutely tiny he is, barely taking up any space on their bed. It’s like seeing Sonic curling up in his racecar bed all over again, the warmth she’d felt in her heart at the sight an unforgettable feeling.

And she looks at Shadow now, unable to form words, but the look in his eyes, desperate and hesitant, tells her all she needs to now.

So Maddie leans over, carefully wrapping her arms around Shadow. Shadow lies still, arms limp at his sides, like he can’t believe what’s happening. Maddie feels quite awkward herself, still reeling from the complete one-eighty her mind has done in the past few minutes. But she keeps her grip loose and gentle, trying to be inviting.

And slowly, Shadow’s arm raises itself from the surface of the mattress, coming to take hold of the sleeve of her sweater. His head nestles itself in her neck, chin tucked over her shoulder. He breathes deeply, and makes an odd little hiccupping sound. And that little expression shifts something within her, as his tears fall fresh and new once more.

“Oh, sweetheart,” she says, pulling him up onto her lap, watchful of his injuries. He’s lighter than she’d expected, and his feet barely touch the surface of the bed as he goes pliantly, practically sinking into her lap. He buries his face in her shoulder and sobs, his arms coming to wrap around her, claws digging into her sweater, leaving little pinpricks of pain on her back. But it hardly matters to her, a distant sensation, the wetness on her shoulder much more apparent as he cries his heart out. She pets his quills, feeling something buoyant settling in her chest. Maddie sits there until his quiet sobs have petered out into soft, stable breaths, his arms falling back to his sides, unable to hold onto her in sleep.

She places him back on the bed, and takes a small trip to the bathroom, rinsing out a washcloth. She brings it to him, and carefully wipes it over his face, brushing away the tear tracks and the grime covering it. She gently covers him with a blanket, tucking him in methodically, something settling in her heart at the gesture.

Slowly, she looks over him, and then makes her way out of the room, quietly closing the door behind her. And in the few moments this entire process took, her kids have made their way over, sitting by the door. And Maddie can’t help but fall to her knees as they swarm her, and they all trap each other in a desperate embrace. Sonic’s head knocks against her shoulder, and Maddie notices the bandages on his person. It must have been Tails’ work, under Tom’s direction, she muses.

Maddie just closes her eyes, and holds them close.

Eventually, they part, and Sonic’s eyes immediately drift over to the closed door behind her. “Is he okay?” he asks, voice quiet and filled with anxiety. Her other kids look similarly concerned, peering at the door as though they might be able to see through it if they just looked hard enough. Maddie brushes a hand over Sonic’s head, and he turns back to her in surprise.

“He’s resting,” she informs them, smiling. “He’s doing alright.”

Some tension seems to uncoil itself from Sonic’s body at that reassurance, leading to him slumping against Maddie, still looking quite exhausted. She places her hand on his back, and looks over at Knuckles and Tails, who are looking similarly exhausted. “Why don’t you boys go get some rest?” she suggests, and Knuckles and Tails nod at her.

“Will you inform us if the more impressive hedgehog awakens?”

Maddie smiles. “Of course I will.”

Knuckles gives her a solemn nod. “After everything he has done for us, I wish to assist him with his recovery.”

“Maybe I can work on something to help him move around until he heals,” Tails says, and Maddie can already see the gears turning in his head.

“That sounds wonderful,” she says. “Now go get some rest. Shadow will need his new nurses to be at the top of their game when he wakes up, won’t he?”

Knuckles nods again. “I will be the best nurse,” he proclaims, and Tails giggles beside him, the sound a combination of genuine amusement and drowsiness.

“An echidna nurse!” he laughs, snorting a little, and Knuckles cracks a smile. He pulls Tails onto his shoulder and walks away towards the attic, having said his piece. Maddie watches them go, and then turns back to Sonic, who has remained slumped against her shoulder, leaning all his weight on her, like he can’t hold himself up. Maddie considers telling him to go to bed, but finds herself unable to. Instead, she settles herself against the wall, shifting Sonic so that he’s leaning against her side.

She gently holds his chin and turns his head to face her, her heart twisting painfully at the doubtful expression on his face. She spies the tumultuous emotions crashing around in his eyes, and knows that this is something they need to sort out right now.

“Sonic,” she says, deciding that she can’t leave him in this state anymore, crippled with doubt. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier.”

Sonic looks at her, eyes wide. “About not seeing Shadow anymore?”

Maddie nods. “I shouldn’t have told you that you can’t see him,” she admits. “It wasn’t fair to you. I let my own feelings get in the way of making a proper decision. I’m sorry.”

Sonic shakes his head, tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. “I’m the one who’s sorry,” he says, sniffling. “I should have told you. I know you don’t like him, but I really like him, and he’s my friend, and I—”

“Hey, hey,” Maddie soothes, smoothing out the haphazard quills on his head. “It’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” She bites her own lip, and sighs. “I’m sorry I made you feel like you couldn’t come to me about this,” she says to him, and Sonic shakes his head, sagging against her side.

“I just didn’t want to hurt you,” Sonic responds, voice muffled by the way he’s buried his face in her sweater. Maddie opens her mouth, but Sonic continues, and she listens to him, wrapping an arm around his tiny body. “You were so angry, and you were so afraid when I said I was meeting Shadow. And I didn’t want to lose my family and be all alone again.” He sniffles again, louder. “’M sorry.”

Maddie blinks away the tears forming in her eyes, blurring her vision. She wipes away the few stray ones that have fallen down her face. “Don’t apologize,” she says, and Sonic shifts for a moment before pulling himself into her lap to wrap his arms around her. She returns the hug immediately, stroking his quills softly. “It’s okay.”

Sonic sighs into her shoulder, a sound filled with a deep ache, and Maddie shifts him so that he’s more comfortable. Even though he’s grown taller, he still fits in her lap so easily. Sonic holds onto her like he doesn’t want the moment to end, and Maddie can’t help but feel similarly. She closes her own eyes, finally feeling some strange peace wash over her.

“I just want you to know that I’ll always be here for you. No matter what,” she says, and knows it to be true. Because despite her fears, despite the mistakes she’s made, nothing matters more to her than her family.

“I know you will,” Sonic replies, the earnestness in his voice moving her to tears once more.

She holds him close and tight, not wanting to ever let go. And in that moment, she feels light and free, like some part of her has been put back together. And as she reaffirms her relationship with Sonic once more, she realizes what actually meeting Shadow, actually seeing him, and hearing his words of genuine regret has given her.

Closure.

Over what happened, over what could have happened. There’s no need for her to lose herself imagining hypotheticals where Shadow takes her family from her anymore. There’s no need for her to lie awake at night, wondering what she might do if Shadow ever came back, what she’d say to him. There’s no need for her to remain consumed with rage over what Shadow had done, unable to understand his change of heart.

Because now she knows that the sweet boy sleeping blissfully in there wouldn’t hurt anyone anymore, especially not her family. All he needs is some compassion, and there’s something in Maddie that feels happy about being able to give that to him.

After all, it’s not like they’re unused to unlikely friendships in the Wachowski household.

And like he’s read her mind, Sonic squirms in her lap. “Can... can Shadow stay?” he asks, and there’s something watchful in his tone, buried under his hopeful voice.

“It’s up to him whether he wants to stay,” Maddie clarifies. And then she smiles. “But if he does… I would be delighted to have him.”

Sonic stiffens in her embrace, and she loosens her grip as he pulls away slowly, staring at her, eyes full of something like wonder. Maddie watches as his expression shifts, lighting up as a huge smile practically splits his face in half. He positively beams at her, throwing himself back into a tight hug as he laughs with pure glee.

“He got to you, didn’t he?” asks Sonic, speaking like he knows from experience how that feels, and Maddie can’t help but chuckle.

“I suppose he did.”

Sonic just laughs some more, like it’s all been building up inside him, like he needs this. “I knew you’d come around,” he proclaims, and Maddie listens to his firm, joyful words.

“You did?” she asks, unable to help herself. Sonic just nods against her shoulder, face scuffing against her sweater.

“Of course I did,” he murmurs, voice considerably softer, but no less sure of himself. “We’re family.” He turns his head up to look her in the eyes. “You’re my mom.”

“Sonic…”

Sonic just smiles at her, no trace of shyness or hesitation in his gaze. And Maddie just leans her head back against the wall, closing her eyes and sighing in bliss, the heavy ache in her chest simply melting away. She smiles to herself, tugging Sonic close, letting him fall back against her shoulder. She can hear the clattering of objects up in the attic as Knuckles and Tails prepare for bed despite the time of the day, the sound of Tom complaining about something amidst Ozzy’s guilty barks echoing through the house from downstairs. The morning outside brings with it the sounds of chirping birds, practically the signature of a life in Green Hills.

And the two of them sit there, relishing the finality of the moment after everything that has happened, experiencing their first taste of peace after the storm together.

Chapter Text

Sonic wakes up to a bright light shining directly in his eyes. “Ugh,” he groans, rolling over to bury his head in his pillow, trying to block it out.

Wait. His pillow?

Sonic considers this for a few seconds, and slowly pushes himself up to stare at the plush surface under him. He takes it in, and then looks around slowly, finding himself in his room. Maddie must have brought him up here, he reasons. He slumps back onto his bed, trying to ignore the aching exhaustion that seems to have become a permanent fixture.

“Hedgehog, you are awake.”

Sonic groans at the sound of Knuckles’ voice. “No, ‘m not,” he mumbles, face pressed resolutely into the pillow. Knuckles’ heavy footsteps thump towards him, and Sonic sighs, grumbling into his pillow. Knuckles reaches out a hand, gently shaking him. Sonic is just relieved he didn’t grab him by the leg and haul him bodily out of the bed like he usually does.

“The Lord of the Doughnuts says it is time for lunch. Your body requires nourishment.” When Sonic just grumbles more, Knuckles shakes him harder. “You may resume your rest after you have eaten.”

“Don’ wanna.” He can hear Knuckles’ pained sigh, but his mind feels like he’s stuffed a cloud through it, so Sonic ignores him.

“He has prepared chili dogs.”

That gets Sonic up. “Why didn’t ya say so sooner?” He stumbles out of bed, and yelps when his legs fail to support him. Knuckles catches him before he hits the ground, and wordlessly brings Sonic’s arm around his shoulder. Sonic doesn’t fight him on it; it’s better than having to ask Knuckles himself.

Knuckles helps him over to the bathroom, and Sonic takes a quick shower. He’d like a bubble bath right now, but his need for chili dogs subsumes everything. He tosses his dirty gloves and socks in the corner, not willing to do anything more than that until he gets his chili dogs, and plans to come back for them later. And he pauses, then, and slowly peels off the bandages around his arm that Tails had wrapped around him earlier.

The wound is still a little discolored, having not healed completely despite him being in his super form, but it still looks way better than it did before. Sonic decides that he doesn’t need bandages anymore, and tosses them away. And then he pads down to the living room, pulling himself onto the couch and slumping so that he can lean against its back. He closes his eyes, heavy and drooping.

A familiar weight makes the couch sink further, and Sonic cracks his eyes open to find Tom sitting next to him, holding out a chili dog. Sonic stares at him for a while more, mind processing things rather slowly, still hazy and unfocused. He takes the chili dog from Tom, taking a big, grateful bite.

And as the rich flavor of the chili practically brings his tongue back to life, he feels the haze in his mind clearing, finally feeling more awake. And its then that everything comes back to him, the memories of just a few hours ago that he couldn’t quite recall pulling themselves to the forefront of his mind, not willing to be ignored any longer. Sonic freezes, the chili dog’s journey to his mouth for a second bite put on hold. A warm hand places itself on his shoulder, and Sonic turns to look into Tom’s warm, comforting eyes.

Tom doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t need to.

“It’s… it’s over,” Sonic mumbles. Suddenly, he feels very aware of everything. The hand on his shoulder. The searing taste in his mouth. The burning in his eyes.

“Yeah, bud. It’s over.”

Sonic doesn’t have the energy to cry. He’s too tired. A sense of deep relief floods through him, sinking into the very fiber of his being like a consoling touch. He brings the chili dog back to his mouth, nearly sobbing at the large bite he takes out of it, mouth exploding with its flavor. Despite the short time this whole debacle lasted, it feels like he’s forgotten what its like to not be fighting every second. He slumps against Tom’s side, spent. And Tom just puts an arm around him, pulling him closer as Sonic gobbles up his favorite meal.

Sonic turns to him, wondering if he should say something, wondering if Tom wants him to talk to him. But Tom just smiles at him, patting his head. “Want some more?”

Sonic nods, and Tom deftly picks him up, carrying him into the kitchen without a word. Sonic is deposited on one of the barstools, and Tom lays a plate full of chili dogs in front of him. Knuckles is already there, digging into his own chili dogs, and Sonic nearly recoils at the sight of grapes decorating them. “I hate you,” he informs Knuckles, who only scoffs at him. He finishes off his food and hops off his seat.

“Going out to train?” asks Tom, and Knuckles shakes his head.

“No,” he says, voice surprisingly hesitant and quiet. “I want to stay here.”

Tom pats his head. Knuckles allows him to.

“Alright, Knuckles.”

Knuckles cracks a smile, and Sonic can tell that he’s just as shaken as Sonic is about the whole thing. “May I watch TV?” asks Knuckles, and Sonic perks up at that.

“Go ahead. I’ll be here if you want something else.”

Sonic watches Knuckles depart to the living room again, and chews his fourth chili dog. “Where’s Maddie?” he asks.

“Checking on Shadow,” Tom replies, and it’s like Sonic has been doused with ice water.

“Shadow!” he yells, and Tom jumps in front of him, having turned around.

“Dude,” he huffs, non-slinged hand placed over his heart. “Don’t do that.”

But Sonic barely hears him, face whipping around to stare in the direction of the staircase. Tom leans over the counter and turns his face back around to look at him. “Sonic,” he says, soft but firm. “He’s okay. Maddie’s just seeing if he’s woken up yet.”

“But why isn’t he awake yet?” Sonic chews his lip, worry filling his mind. Tom just pats his shoulder.

“He’s probably just really tired, bud. I think he just needs some more sleep.”

Sonic sighs. “You’re probably right.”

“Always am.”

Sonic looks at him, frowning playfully. “I don’t know about all the time,” he teases. “There was that time you—”

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” Tom interrupts, though he’s grinning as Sonic bursts into a fit of laughter, snickering loudly. And even as the laughter fades, Sonic feels a little lighter as he finishes off his lunch. Tom and Maddie never let him have chili dogs for lunch, saying that junk food isn’t a proper meal.

At least that’s one good thing that’s come out of this mess.

After he eats and lets Tom take away his plate, Sonic wanders back into the living room, sliding onto the couch again to sit next to Knuckles. Sonic crosses his arms behind his head and sighs as he sinks into the couch again, wondering if he should take a nap.

He really, really wants to go see how Shadow is doing. Sonic considers just running up there and taking a peek, but he’s aware that he’s not exactly the most… quiet person. Shadow might wake up and miss out on all the rest he needs. Sonic decides to wait for Maddie to give him the all clear.

That, of course, doesn’t mean it isn’t eating away at him. Sonic feels his foot tapping impatiently, and Knuckles gives him a small look of irritation. “Sorry,” Sonic mutters, toeing off his shoes and sitting cross-legged instead.

“You are troubled,” Knuckles observes, ignoring his apology.

“Well, yeah,” Sonic admits. “Just worried about Shadow, I guess. Tom says he’s fine, but I guess my mind just can’t know for sure until I see for myself.” He brings his arms forward to cross them over his chest. “I hate waiting.”

Knuckles just pats his shoulder, turning back to the TV, where Gabriella still hasn’t decided between the twins vying for her affections. Sonic would rather watch something else, because La Última Pasión isn’t exactly quality television.

But right now, it feels like exactly what he needs. Mindless slop that is good for helping him fall asleep. Sonic settles in, absently keeping his eyes on the TV, even though his mind is firmly trapped in the guest room above him with Shadow. Just as he feels his eyes drooping once more, Tom walks into the room followed by Maddie, who’s carrying a drowsy and half-asleep Tails in her arms.

“How’s Shadow?” Sonic asks immediately, and Maddie turns to him with a comforting smile.

“He’s doing fine,” she reassures him, and Sonic sinks back into his seat once more, feet tapping more insistently against the couch. “He’s still sleeping, but he’s alright.”

“Okay,” Sonic murmurs. He hesitates for a second. “Can… can I see him?”

Maddie smiles. “I think he’ll wake up if anyone disturbs him right now, but I think he’ll be up soon anyway. Just wait a bit, okay?”

Sonic nods at her. “Thanks, Maddie,” he says, and she smiles at him. Sonic returns it and turns back to the TV as Maddie deposits Tails next to him, leaving him slumped against Sonic’s side. Tails sleepily mutters some science-y thing that Sonic doesn’t and will never understand, and Sonic wraps an arm around him, settling in to continue watching La Última Pasión, preparing for what might be the longest wait of his life.

“It is a few hours,” Knuckles huffs, exasperated, when Sonic waits a few seconds and then voices this thought. “You will be fine.”

“…No one in this house understands me,” Sonic bemoans, and shuts up when Tails slaps a hand against his face, missing his mouth a few mildly painful times before he covers it, muttering about how they’re all so loud. Knuckles smirks at him, and Sonic sticks his tongue out at him.

But they all lean on each other anyway, staying close together, waiting.

Shadow wakes up to a bright light.

His eyes open slowly, strangely weighed down, a pervasive ache flooding through his body. The light is bright and overstimulating against his eyes, searing into his vision like it’s shining right into them, like the lights the scientists used to shine into his eyes which always left him disoriented, seeing black spots dancing in front of him. For a cruel, terrifying second, Shadow wonders if he’s back there once more, captured despite all his efforts, all the fighting and pain and everything he put himself through to get away from them.

But then the light fades, like it had been in his mind all along, just a matter of his eyes getting used to emerging from the darkness. It is much calmer now, a gentle golden glow, flooding through the room, specks of dust dancing under their rays. Shadow turns his gaze towards the window, observing a sky of the same honeyed color, gentle and soothing on his eyes.

Shadow watches it for a few seconds, drinking in the sight greedily, burning it into his mind. Then, he moves, every action sending a small stab of pain through him, the kind that doesn’t sting but aches instead. Shadow doesn’t know which is worse.

Nevertheless, he brings his hands to his sides from where one lays across his torso, and startles when the surface he’s lying on sinks as he applies pressure while trying to push himself up. It’s then that he recognizes that it is soft, so soft, like what Maria used to imagine clouds would feel like even though she knew they were just suspended droplets of water. It’s softer than the beanbag in Sonic’s cave, softer than his couch and Stone’s couch. It’s so soft that Shadow is tempted to fall back against it and let it envelop him completely. The blanket is nice as well, like the kind he used to burrow under with Maria, snug and warm.

But he has to get up. Shadow doesn’t know how long he’s been sleeping. He pushes himself up, almost reluctantly, and swings his legs over the edge of the bed. And he notices the large, white cast sitting there, making his leg thicker and heavier. But it feels better, and Shadow almost feels stupid for being so resistant to having a cast put on all this time.

He runs a hand along its surface, gently scraping his claws against it. He brings his hand up to feel the bandage around his ribs, gently prodding at it, wincing at the pain that comes with the action. He stares at his bare hands, running his claws along the pads of his thumbs.

And he notices his inhibitor rings, clasped safely around his wrists. Shadow stares at them, confused and relieved, feeling rather dizzy with all the thought spinning through his mind. It all feels like a dream. The soothing silence, the gentle lights, the comfortable bed… it all seems like it’s too good to be true. Shadow wonders where he is, and how long he has until it’s taken from him and he is cast out to be sent back to roam the world once more.

But… he’s seen this before.

This is Sonic’s house. Sonic showed him this place before. He called it a ‘guest room.’

…Is Shadow a guest?

Does this mean he gets to stay? Is there a limit to how long that might be?

Does Sonic’s family want him here?

Shadow contemplates these questions as he slides off the bed. But as soon as his feet touch the ground, they buckle under him, and Shadow can’t help the yelp that falls out of his mouth as he crashes to the ground, making a rather loud noise. He lies there, breathing heavily, startled. His mind feels slow and sluggish, unable to issue commands to his body to pick himself up, only able to hear the sounds of footsteps as they get louder and louder. Shadow tenses as the door swings open, finally pushing himself up to raise his head, still lying on the ground in a very strategically compromising position.

“Oh!” exclaims a voice, and a woman enters his field of sight. Her eyes widen as she sees him on the floor, and she hurries towards him, looking oddly concerned. Shadow recognizes her as Maddie, Sonic’s mother. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” she asks him, reaching out to him.

He frowns, recognizing the term as one of endearment, wondering why she is addressing him like that. But Shadow feels glad she’s here. For some reason that his mind refuses to allow him to see, she feels familiar. She feels safe.

“Fine,” he mutters, but lets her help him sit up.

“May I lift you onto the bed?” she asks, and Shadow looks at her. She shouldn’t have to do this for him. But he very much doesn’t want to sit on the floor.

In the end, Shadow nods, and she smoothly carries him in her arms, placing him on the bed. “How are you feeling?” she asks.

“Okay,” Shadow replies, not able to say much. The air around him is peaceful, an entirely unfamiliar feeling, one he’s not sure what to make of. It all still feels like a blissful dream, a fantasy he’s not allowed, one that will disappear within seconds.

But even as Shadow counts down the seconds, it remains, very much real.

Maddie smiles at him. Even as Shadow flounders, lost and out of his depth, she seems to know exactly what to do. “That’s good,” she informs him. “It’s nice to finally meet you.” Shadow just nods at her, not sure of what to say.

“Are you hungry at all?” she asks him, and Shadow makes to shake his head, to let her know that he doesn’t feel hunger. He isn’t made for those things.

“I—” he starts, but the words die in his mouth as his stomach comes alive with a pang, and he places his hand over it, confused. “I don’t know,” he settles for saying. Maddie just nods in acceptance.

“You’re just in time, then,” she says, smiling. “We’ll all be sitting down for dinner soon. Would you like to join us?”

Shadow looks at her. “You want me at your table? With your family?”

“Of course we do.”

Shadow looks away, finding her kind gaze too much to bear, suddenly. “Is… is that really okay?”

Despite everything that has happened… being seated at a table with all of Sonic’s family… with Tom especially…

He jumps as a hand takes his, Maddie’s grip loose and comforting. Shadow turns back to face her, and looks down at his hand clasped in hers. Despite himself, there’s a sense of longing stirring within him. It’s been so long since he’s been treated with such kindness, such gentleness.

“Shadow,” she says, her voice soothing his frazzled nerves. “Of course that’s okay. All of us want you to join us.” She smiles, and Shadow can’t help but remember the times he looked into Sonic’s window, wanting fervently to be a part of whatever his family were doing together. And he finds that his apprehension over what he might potentially find is completely drowned out by that desire, his wish to experience that.

So he simply nods, curling his hands in Maddie’s, feeling her smile wash over him like a warm embrace. “I’m glad,” she tells him. “Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Thank you,” he whispers, his voice sounding weak and frail and pathetically soft. But Maddie’s smiles only widens, if such a thing were possible.

“Don’t mention it.” She looks him over, and Shadow draws in a breath. He leans forward once more, and Maddie is there, supporting him as he eases himself off the bed. His bare feet touch the ground, the carpet an odd sensation against his feet, only used to feeling cold, hard floors whenever the scientists wanted him to take his shoes off.

The thought sparks a realization.

“My shoes…” he murmurs, and Maddie points at the table beside the bed. Shadow follows her finger, and sure enough, his shoes are there, nestled on its other side. He feels rather embarrassed for not noticing, but Maddie doesn’t seem to care, so he lets it go.

And then he startles as another important fact comes to mind. “My picture,” he pleads, and Maddie blinks, looking confused. “It was in my glove. I need that picture,” he stresses, and Maddie plants her hands on his shoulders.

“Deep breaths,” she urges, and Shadow follows her instructions, drawing in air desperately. “Your picture is fine,” she informs him, and Shadow nearly cries with relief, glad to have not lost what little he had of Maria to remember her by. Maddie pulls open a drawer, and pulls out his gloves, presenting them to Shadow. And Shadow can see the small, folded picture, stuck between the bright red cuff and the rest of his glove, exactly where he’d stashed it. He takes them from Maddie, and slides the picture out, opening it to gaze at Maria once more, at the smile on her face and the light in her eyes.

And he’s so glad that he gets to see this picture one more time.

“Shadow?” He hastily folds the picture back to how it was, having dropped his gloves to the ground to be able to hold it. He looks up at Maddie, who just kneels once more. Shadow should feel indignant, or insulted; he just feels grateful for her consideration, now that he doesn’t have to strain his neck to look up at her, knowing somehow that his comfort was her intention. “Is there something else you want before dinner?” she asks him, and Shadow is tempted to say that there is nothing.

But he takes in her words, remembering something Maria had told him. Shadow doesn’t need anything. He’s alive, and his chaos energy will help him go on surviving.

But Maddie had asked if he wanted something. According to Maria, that is an important distinction.

And there is something Shadow wants right now, his fur dirty and grimy, soaked and clammy with what may be sweat. He feels like what Maria once told him she felt like when she’d had a fever, and Shadow supposes that he had one as well. It seems to have come and also broken while he was still asleep.

He looks back at Maddie, and finds that he feels comfortable entrusting her with what he wants.

“A bath,” he says, quietly. And Maddie just looks at him with a knowing expression.

“I thought you might want that,” she tells him, and then hums thoughtfully. “Getting there might be a problem with your leg,” she muses. Shadow debates telling her that he can still walk, but he has a feeling that she would shoot him down. Even Shadow knows that doctors would not usually recommend that patients should walk on broken legs, even if they weren’t scientists. Maddie knows more than he does about this anyway.

 But an idea lights up Maddie’s eyes. “May I carry you?” she asks him, and Shadow just stares at her in astonishment. An instinct rises in him to tell her a vehement no. But her question feels oddly familiar, and Shadow doesn’t remember a concrete memory, but he remembers… a sensation, one where’s he’s being held in her arms.

The ghost of a memory compels him to nod once more, and she carefully picks him up. Shadow keeps his eyes fixed to the ground as he rises above it, at a height that he’s only ever reached while levitating using his air shoes. Maddie lifts him with a hand under his knees and the other on his back, and Shadow can’t help but let his head fall against her shoulder. She starts walking, and now that they’re out of the room, he can hear faint noises from downstairs.

As they approach the bathroom, the door swings open, and Knuckles steps out. “I have prepared the bath as you requested,” he announces, and his eyes widen as he spots Shadow, held in Maddie’s arms like a small child. Shadow tries not to curl in on himself as the echidna’s piercing gaze sweeps over him. It wouldn’t be something that fazes him ordinarily, but Shadow is very obviously not at his best, feeling lost and insignificant.

But Knuckles only smiles, a different type of warmth in his gaze. “It is good to see you awake, impressive hedgehog,” he says, and Shadow blinks at the address, bemused. Knuckles just gives him a nod, and brushes past them. Shadow watches him leave, marveling at his easy acceptance of Shadow in his home. He lets Maddie carry him into the bathroom, noticing a large tub filled with water.

Maddie sets him down on the edge of the tub, frowning as she unwraps his bandages. “Can’t get your cast wet,” she mutters to herself. But her face brightens, and she leaves, returning with some form of bag Shadow has seen used on trash cans when he ventured out into the town. She slips it over his leg, wrapping it around the cast until it is barely visible anymore. “That’ll keep out the water,” she informs him.

“Thank you,” Shadow says, finding that he can’t think of any other words.

Maddie glances at him. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be right outside, so just call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.”

Shadow waits until the door closes behind Maddie, and then looks into the tub. He’s supposed to get in. So he does, slowly lowering himself into the water.

Shadow finds himself unable to hold back the quiet sight as he sinks into the water, the warmth soothing the aches in his body. He just sits there, soaking in the water, occasionally shifting and watching the water ripple, disturbed from its still state. It’s strangely hypnotic. Though Shadow supposes it is nothing special to people who have already seen it before.

But Shadow hasn’t seen this before. And the fact that he can do so at all is something he still can’t wrap his head around. It still doesn’t feel real in the slightest, like an illusion ready to shatter the moment he makes on ill-advised step, cutting through the fragile construct. Perhaps he’s still on the battlefield, and these are hallucinations as he lies dying.

But hallucinations can’t be warm. They can’t be soothing, gentle, or kind. Shadow has never known this, a world where there is no one to use him the moment he sets foot out of the door. A world without rules, without people who pull him from Maria and wait to poke and prod at him and make him run over and over and over—

Shadow lets his head fall back, squeezing his eyes shut. The edge of the tub digs itself into the back of his neck uncomfortably, but the sensation snaps him out of his mental spiral. He looks around, and spots a bar of soap left in the corner. Gratefully, he picks it up, using it to clean himself up the best he can.

And that isn’t good enough, he finds, when he tries to reach through his quills, only to find that their volume is too much for him. His ribs hurt as he tries to reach over his shoulders, and he drops his hands back to his sides, frustrated. Despite himself, Shadow finds his gaze darting over to the closed door, wondering if Maddie is really waiting outside. Shadow could not—and would not—begrudge her if she had just said that to have an excuse to leave.

Shadow contemplates his choices for a moment, and then calls out. “Maddie?”

His voice sounds timid and depressing, even to him. But the door opens, and Maddie steps in. “Do you need something, Shadow?” she asks, and Shadow feels his face burning, knowing that the embarrassing green tint is back, one that features very prominently on his face, impossible to miss.

“I need… help,” he murmurs, and when Maddie looks at him in confusion, he gestures to his quills. Understanding dawns in her eyes, but none of the irritation Shadow looks for is found anywhere in her expression.

Instead, Maddie just reaches over him to pull out another bottle labelled ‘shampoo.’ She squirts some into her hand, and Shadow turns around so that she can access his quills. This action feels like the most dangerous thing he’s ever done, turning his back to someone. The thought strikes him, though he had moved on instinct, and his own complacency scares him. 

But Maddie’s gentle hands start running through his quills, and Shadow can’t help but let all the tension melt away from his body. He feels his rigid posture relaxing, the warmth of the water and Maddie’s careful massaging soothing him into a sleepy state. He feels his ears droop, and there’s a splashing in the water, which Shadow realizes with much embarrassment is his stupid tail, wagging away like it has a life of its own. The hands running through his quills pause for a moment, and Shadow feels guilty for causing her awkwardness with his lack of self-control.

“Sorry,” he says, hoping that Maddie will not throw him out for being weird.

But Maddie just laughs the same way Maria used to, a delighted, happy sound. “No, no,” she says, as her hands resume their scrubbing. “Don’t apologize.”

So Shadow doesn’t say sorry anymore, though the words sit at the tip of his tongue. He just sinks into the water, and closes his eyes. He tries to redirect his thoughts elsewhere, and ends up focusing on the heavenly smell wafting through the air. He sniffs, despite himself.

“It’s lavender,” Maddie informs him before he can even ask.

“Lavender,” Shadow repeats, slowly.

“You like it?”

He nods. “It’s… very pleasant.”

Maddie seems pleased by his answer. “It’s one of my favorites too.”

She doesn’t say anything more. Shadow wonders if he should carry on the conversation, but finds nothing to say. Maddie doesn’t seem to mind, though, and Shadow lets her finish cleaning through his quills and rinse them out with water. She helps him out of the tub, and then wordlessly pulls out a towel, gently drying him off. She pats along his ribs, mindful of his injuries, and Shadow lets her, both his instincts and his mind completely unopposed to her at this point. There’s a sense of trust established between them, even as she then wraps fresh bandages around his ribs and gets rid of the trash bag on his foot.

“I brought you some of Sonic’s, uh, clothes,” Maddie says, presenting him with a pair of white gloves and socks. “I thought we could wash yours, since they’re pretty dirty too. But if you’d rather wear them—”

 “No,” Shadow interrupts, strangely touched. “These are fine. Thank you.”

She smiles again at him. “Anytime.”

Shadow slips on Sonic’s stuff, noting that they fit him almost eerily well. He stands still after he’s done, not sure what he’s supposed to do. Maddie stands up herself, stretching.

“Tails swung by to let me know that dinner is ready,” she says to him, conversationally. Shadow just nods again in acknowledgement. When Maddie opens her arms, he lets her pick him up again, burying his face in her shoulder. He still feels rather drowsy from the bath, like a balm on his various pains, calming both his body and mind. He buries his head in her shoulder, the action familiar and comforting.

He feels her carrying him down a flight of stairs, and opens his eyes as she comes to a halt. Shadow looks around the room, taking in the sight he’s seen exactly once before. But it feels different knowing that everyone is home, and it isn’t just him and Sonic.

And reality crashes over him, making his blood turn to ice. The world seems to move in slow motion, a second lasting an eternity as Maddie takes every fateful step forward. Because there’s someone else here now, someone who Shadow doesn’t think he can face. But he knows that his powers will fail him now, weak as he is. He can only accept the fate that’s in store for him as the pass through the entrance to the dining room, seeing several people seated at a table. And sitting in the seat closest to the entrance where he sits in Maddie’s arms is Sonic’s father, the man he almost killed, his arm still wrapped in a sling.

And Shadow can’t help but shrink into himself as Tom’s eyes turn to him, waiting for judgement to fall upon him, and for everything to be deservedly ripped from him once more.

Chapter Text

Maddie shifts Shadow in her arms, carrying him like one would a small child. Shadow, for his part, very much wants to hide his face in her shoulder, as though that would make the man before him disappear. Tom, however, remains where he is, seated at the table.

The other occupants of the table, Tails and Knuckles, don’t seem to notice that anything is wrong. Knuckles offers him a solemn nod, and Tails smiles at him, a small, shy thing. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he says, and Shadow just looks at him.

“…Thanks,” he replies, very slowly. He probably took longer to reply than he should have, but Tails beams at him anyway, for reasons Shadow cannot fathom. He remembers Sonic’s assurances about how accepting his family is, but experiencing it in real time is a whole new beast, a singularly befuddling experience that he’s not sure what to make of.

Especially since living proof of Shadow’s heinous mistakes is sitting right before them, unable to use one of his arms.

Shadow ducks his head, suddenly overcome by a fit of nausea, the kind born from apprehension. Maddie clears her throat, and Shadow looks up at her. “Where would you like to sit?” she asks him, her question loaded with a hidden meaning.

Shadow realizes that she’s asking him whether he would like to sit at all, if he’s up to facing this. It baffles him as much as he feels touched by it, her consideration for Shadow’s feelings in this situation, when he’s facing the man he almost killed, her husband.

And as for Tom, he doesn’t say a word to Shadow, his face lacking the blatant compassion found in Maddie’s. But it also does not harbor any of the loathing or derision he should be feeling towards Shadow, something that Shadow would not begrudge him for feeling. Seeing his blank, carefully curated expression, Shadow knows that this is not something he can get away from. Tom is ready for a conversation; it’s all up to Shadow now.

Shadow considers running away. He has no idea what to say, no justification or rationale. Not knowing it was Tom and not Commander Walters does not take away from the days Tom probably spent recovering, fighting for his life, all while Shadow tried to blow up the entire planet. Shadow very nearly took everything from Tom, and the gravity of this meeting settles on him completely at that thought, pressing down on him like the weight of judgement, the time for his reckoning at hand. It feels like his final test, the ultimate hurdle Shadow must pass in order to be able to build a life for himself here.

And more than that, it feels like his final act of redemption, the last thing he must do to make up for all the pain he’s caused.

So he raises a hand and points at an empty chair, right across from Tom. Maddie walks him over carefully, though her eyes are locked with her husband’s, a silent but meaningful conversation held between them that Shadow is not privy to. Their moment passes, and Maddie sets Shadow down gently in the chair, mindful of his leg. Then, she turns to Knuckles and Tails. “Why don’t we go get Sonic?” she asks them, her voice not giving away any indication that something significant is happening. “He’s been sleeping for a while.”

Out of the corner of his eyes, from where his gaze is firmly fixed on his hands curled in his lap, Shadow watches them slide out of their seats, casting thoughtful gazes upon him. But they leave wordlessly, and Shadow is all alone with Tom. He clasps his hands together, trying to stifle the fine tremors wracking his body, born of fear, the likes of which he has never experienced before. Compared to this, even the fear of being captured by GUN seems like a simple case of nerves.

He hears the sound of a throat being cleared, and looks up, meeting Tom’s gaze head on for the first time since he’d almost killed him. “I see you’re up,” Tom says, casually, though it is not lost on either of them that there is something that needs to be settled, here and now. Perhaps it is not as dramatic or meaningful to Tom as it is to Shadow, but the sentiment is there regardless.

“Yes,” he replies, voice low enough to be a whisper. “Thank you for letting me into your home, Mr. Wachowski.” The small talk is heavy on his tongue. Shadow has never dragged out conversations like this, floundering for what to say and how to say it. He’s always spoken his mind, whenever there was something to say, at least.

“Don’t mention it,” comes a reply, but it all just feels like white noise in his ears, which are ringing sonorously, attuned to the tension in his mind and body. He hears but can’t quite register the sounds of Maddie, Tails and Knuckles calling out Sonic’s name in the other room.

Shadow pauses for a few more seconds, and then steels himself, summoning all his courage and looking into Tom’s eyes. Procrastination won’t save him from this, he reasons.

Because this is happening, and this is what Shadow chose to do. Shadow chose to be here; he chose to come back with Sonic and he chose to take the opportunity to apologize, here and now. Whatever Tom decides to do with him is beyond Shadow’s control, but his own actions are entirely his own decision, and Shadow knows that Tom deserves to hear his words of regret for hurting him.

So he gathers all his courage, and summons the words to come to him.

“I’m sorry,” Shadow says, and it all sounds so meaningless, two words being expected to make up for all the pain and anguish he’s caused the man. But they are all Shadow has to offer, and so he surrenders those words, infusing them with all his regret and guilt, hoping that they are enough.

“I’m so sorry, for everything I’ve done,” Shadow continues, and Tom’s expression remains inscrutable. “I… I understand if you can’t forgive me, but I am sorry. You deserve to hear that from me.” His voice catches in his throat, after that, and Shadow can’t go on. His words were succinct, straightforward and direct, but they have conveyed everything that needs to be said, and all that can be done now is up to the man sitting before him.

And Shadow sits before him, as Tom scrutinizes him, and waits for his judgement.

All in all, his waiting results in a lackluster, rather anticlimactic response from Tom. He just smiles at Shadow, eyes crinkling. “Apology accepted,” he says, and Shadow stares at him.

“What?” he asks. Surely he heard wrong.

There’s no way it’s that easy.

Tom shrugs, looking for all intents and purposes like Shadow had simply apologized for stepping on his foot. “All is forgiven,” he reassures, and Shadow simple stares at him, dumbfounded.

“But I tried to kill you,” he repeats, feeling very much like he’s in a dream, because there is no way this is real. It has to be some form of hallucination, his innermost wishes coming to the surface and materializing in some strange mirage. Any moment now, it will vanish, and Shadow will find Tom telling him that Shadow cannot stay in his home, and that he must look for somewhere else to go.

But no matter how much he blinks, or shakes his head, the image stays, Tom’s understanding smile unwavering as he watches Shadow’s reactions.

“As far as I remember,” Tom says, “you thought I was Walters. You didn’t mean to hurt me, did you?”

“No, of course not!” Shadow insists, eyes widening. But he frowns a moment later. “But… but if I did know, I—I don’t know what I would have done.” It pains him to admit it, the thought festering in his mind, with the potential to undo the one fragile excuse Shadow has to alleviate his guilt, the fact that he mistook Tom for someone else. But this isn’t about Shadow, really. It’s about Tom and what Shadow did to him, and Tom deserves to have the entire picture.

And to Shadow’s eternal astonishment, the man simply shrugs again. “Well, there’s no point in thinking about it,” he says, and Shadow is viscerally reminded of Sonic’s nonchalance in accepting him, turning from enemy to friend at the drop of a hat.

“Is it really that simple?” he asks, unable to resist. He’s long since given up on trying to understand this family and their endless well of forgiveness, but this nags at him, itching a very vulnerable part of his mind.

“Sure it is,” Tom responds smoothly, not missing a beat. “We’ll never know what you would have done,” he says, and his voice takes on a gentler note, a twinge of emotion seeping into his nonchalant tone. “But what I do know is that you gave up everything to save us all. Twice. That tells me everything I need to know about you.”

Shadow blinks at him. “But… I hurt you,” he says, again, the words coming out hollow and confused.

“I healed, didn’t I? I’m better than ever. It’s all water under the bridge.” He smiles again, that wise, knowing look in his eyes, and Shadow can see why he means so much to Sonic. “You did some terrible things,” Tom continues, “but you don’t seem like that person anymore. And I’d like to get to know you now.”

Tom reaches across the table, extending his hand to Shadow. “So how about it?” he asks, and Shadow can only stare at his hand, his words failing him entirely. There’s an odd block in his throat, and some uncomfortable burning in his eyes, a sensation that’s entirely too familiar now, embarrassingly so. There’s so much he probably should say, that anyone else in his position might actually be able to vocalize. But Shadow can’t find the words.

So, he reaches out, and takes Tom’s outstretched hand.

“Thank you,” he breathes, the two words being all that he can muster up, the only way he can express his sheer gratitude, his thankfulness. “Thank you, Mr. Wachowski.”

Tom just smiles at him again. “No need to thank me, kiddo,” he says, and gives Shadow’s hand a firm shake. “And please, call me Tom.”

Shadow nods and grips his hand firmly in turn, trying to signify his own commitment to moving forward. And it’s like a dam breaks, his emotions running wild inside him, and Shadow can’t help but let out a short laugh, a strangled sound, born from the relief of having this burden lifted from him rather than amusement. But it’s tinged with gratitude and endless happiness, like some invisible shackle around his heart has been torn apart.

Tom just winks at him, humor in his eyes. “Hey, maybe we can get these off at the same time,” he suggests, lifting his wrapped arm, and Shadow can’t help but smile, oddly thrilled to his bones, a feeling he’s never truly felt before this.

And he feels his horizons broadening, even as one door closes, searing guilt left behind, though not completely gone. It’s a feeling that Shadow has lived with for so long that it feels like it’s been a constant in his life, an eternal shame that’s always been with him. But the euphoria of the moment catches up with him, and Shadow finally feels ready to turn his back on it.

Because there’s something ahead, something accepting and welcoming, beyond his mistakes and their consequences. It’s the feeling of being able to see something ahead, like he’s being reborn.

And it’s a feeling he’s felt exactly once before, when Maria placed her hand on his glass tank, and taught him how to live.

In only a few seconds after that entire heartfelt conversation, Shadow feels dead on his feet. He can’t remember if he’s ever been so tired. Tom seems to notice this, and pulls his hand away. “I’ll go get the rest of them,” he says, and leaves Shadow alone to collect himself. Shadow feels grateful for the momentary solitude, feeling emotionally drained.

And that’s when Sonic bursts into the dining room. His eyes whip over to situate themselves firmly on Shadow in a split second. Shadow swallows, his throat dry, feeling nervous.

And it’s ridiculous. This is Sonic. There’s no reason to be so apprehensive.

But even Shadow can recognize that a lot has changed. He’s gone from being Sonic’s secret to sitting at a table with his family. It’s only natural that Sonic too would have to reconcile with the changes in their dynamic this brings.

Shadow watches as Sonic stares at him, pensive. And that’s when the rest of Sonic’s family enter the room, the atmosphere turning from still and tense to chaotic and noisy almost immediately. Shadow almost winces from the sudden stimulation, barely keeping himself from flinching. He feels himself shrinking in his seat, unused to being around so many people in a setting like this, let alone so many people like himself. They outnumber the humans here.

Shadow isn’t used to not being the only freak in the room.

Sonic offers him a crooked smile, and easily slides into the seat next to him. Tails jumps in next to Sonic, and Knuckles and Maddie settle down on the other side, finishing bringing out dinner. “You’re gonna love this, Shads,” Sonic tells him, practically drooling, ignoring Shadow’s look of mild disgust directed at him even as he stares at the circular thing that’s apparently food laid in front of them. “Tom and Maddie really got into making homemade pizzas a while ago.”

“They have mastered the pizza!” Knuckles proclaims, slamming his fist down on the table with an impressive thud. Shadow can’t help but note that no one says anything about it, simply straightening out their utensils and carrying on like Knuckles hadn’t just used a frankly absurd amount of strength in a non-controlled environment. Professor Robotnik wouldn’t have let it slide if Shadow did something like that.

But Shadow isn’t with the Professor anymore. He’s with the Wachowskis, who have adopted three alien children into their family without a thought.

Maddie cuts out slices of whatever pizza is, and everyone grabs at least two, seeming absolutely ravenous. Shadow feels it himself, just a little, the ache in his stomach getting worse as the aroma wafting from the food floats through the air. Maddie places one slice on his plate, and Shadow looks to her in gratitude.

He stares at the food, a little lost. He’s not sure how to eat this thing. He looks up to find everyone picking it up with their hands and just… taking a bite, not bothering with the utensils they’ve laid out. So Shadow picks it up too, in an effort to not seem rude, and slowly takes a bite.

He can’t truly judge it. It could just be the fact that he hasn’t had any hot, fresh food to eat in a while. It could be the exhaustion and the unfamiliar hunger making it seem better than it is.

But his taste buds feel like they’re singing in his mouth, as ridiculous as that sounds. Shadow takes another bite, a bigger one, canines digging into the slice as he practically inhales it. He must look very uncouth right now, he thinks, but no one seems to care. Shadow sneaks a glance to his side, and finds Sonic consuming his own slice in a display that puts Shadow’s fears about being messy at the table to rest.

But he’s also still very aware of every single movement. He can feel the tension in the air, and he knows that everyone else feels it too. The first few minutes of the meal pass in silence as everyone gets used to it. To him.

Sonic and Knuckles finish off their slice, starting on their next. Tails nibbles at his own, and Tom and Maddie are eating leisurely. Shadow notes, with some embarrassment, that he’s finished his as well. He stares down at his plate, unwilling to draw more attention to himself than he already has just by being here. It’s clear that despite their warm welcome, no one is used to having him here, and getting used to Shadow isn’t something that will happen in an instant. Shadow is acutely aware of this fact as he feels everyone’s eyes on him, wondering what they want from him.

Sonic clears his throat. “So, how is it?” he asks. Shadow blinks at him, looking up from staring at his empty plate, eyes tracing the small crumbs left over on it.

“Good,” he replies, slowly. “It’s good.”

“Would you like another?”

Shadow turns to Maddie, looks back at his plate, and then nods. “Yes,” he says. “Please.”

Maddie turns to Sonic, who just grins at her, picking up another slice and placing it on Shadow’s plate. Shadow, for his part, picks it up and takes a small, tiny bite.

It’s like a sigh of relief passes through the air, though no one says anything. But Shadow can notice the shift in the stiff, tense atmosphere, brought about by the simplicity of their previous interaction. In fact, he can practically feel the tension breaking as the room comes alive with activity. Knuckles pounds the table again, less forcefully this time, and exclaims about how this is the best pizza in the world. Tails and Sonic shout their agreement, and Shadow doesn’t say anything, not knowing enough to judge but feeling very vehement about the whole thing in his head.

Suddenly, the room is very noisy once more as Tails asks Maddie how she cooked it and if he can help her sometime, even as Tom attempts to mediate a challenge issued by Sonic to Knuckles about who can eat the most slices the fastest. Shadow is very much on the outskirts of this conversation, not feeling up to volunteering anything of his own. But the easy atmosphere of the meal sucks him in regardless, like he’s a part of it even though he isn’t contributing, like his presence is enough.

It becomes easier to accept when Tom casually drops a third slice onto Shadow’s plate, meeting his eyes with a smile before refocusing on the conversation Knuckles and Tails are having about some show. Shadow briefly recognizes the names being called, something about Gabriella and the twins chasing after her. Shadow has only ever watched one episode of the show, but it seems to be a contentious subject here, with Knuckles and Tails firmly on each end of the spectrum about it.

He listens to Tails rant about how Gabriella still hasn’t made a decision, and Knuckles yells about how it’s about the journey. Sonic sighs beside him, and Shadow can tell that this is an argument that has happened several times before. But no one looks put upon or annoyed; instead, Tom and Maddie share a smile, clearly amused by the argument. And Sonic interjects occasionally to mock either one of them, usually resulting in his victim sticking their tongue out at him, only to be mocked further for their lack of maturity. Shadow finds himself growing much more comfortable with the entire affair, their lack of focus on him making it seem less awkward and strange.

“And the writers for the show want to drag it out for so much longer, even though she clearly like Juan better!” seethes Tails. And Shadow feels some bizarre, unconscious compulsion come over him, probably born of his complacency, of him feeling far too ensconced in this entire event.

“Actually, she likes his twin better. She gave Juan the smaller crossbow because she wanted him to lose their fight,” Shadow mutters, biting into his pizza unthinkingly. A silence falls across the room, and Shadow feels his muzzle heating up, almost in disbelief over his own actions.

“Shads,” Sonic says, slowly. “You’ve watched La Última Pasión?”

Shadow just looks at him, and nods slowly, wondering what he’s done, if he’s ruined their dinner and made a scene by opening his stupid mouth. He curses himself in his head, biting his lip and sinking into his seat, trying to make himself very small.

But he jumps when Knuckles pounds the table again, smirking confidently at Tails. “Do you see, fox? The more impressive hedgehog agrees with me!” he declares, apparently bolstered by Shadow’s comment. Shadow stares at him, profoundly shocked that his opinion is being taken into consideration here. “Admit defeat,” Knuckles is saying, as Tails grumbles under his breath. “You have lost this battle.”

Tails glares at him. “Never.”

And as they go at it again, over Shadow’s opinion, no less, Shadow is distracted from his third slice of pizza by a hand sliding across to take his other hand, pulling it to settle between himself and Sonic. Sonic squeezes his hand, shooting him a glance out of the corner of his eye, something gentle and joyous glinting in his gaze. Shadow doesn’t know what to think of it. But the gesture is familiar, grounding in the face of this unprecedented scenario. He gently squeezes Sonic’s hand in return, holding onto him tightly.

Shadow has felt this family’s easy acceptance of him time and time again. From their endless forgiveness of his many mistakes to the peril they put themselves in to try and rescue him, Shadow knows about their desire to make him feel at home with them. It’s something he can’t wrap his head around, even now, as he watches Maddie interject with an observation of her own, only for Tails to shoot it down.

It reminds him of when Maria used to argue with Shadow about Star Trek, whenever they got the chance to watch it.

And as Shadow sits there, taken away to nostalgia by the familiarity of the conversation happening before him, he doesn’t quite feel like an outsider anymore. The Wachowski home is not Shadow’s home, but for some reason… he feels like he belongs here. It’s a ridiculous notion, considering that Shadow has been here for less than a day, but it certainly feels that way, and Shadow basks in the feeling, wanting it to last as long as possible.

“New hedgehog!” yells Knuckles, snapping Shadow’s attention to him. “You are wise and well-versed in La Última Pasión, so tell us, what do you think Gabriella should do?”

Shadow feels his eyes widen, and shoots a mildly panicked gaze Sonic’s way, wondering if he’s supposed to say some particular thing. But Sonic just shrugs at him, simply tilting his head Knuckles’ way. And Shadow follows his gesture, only to find everyone at the table looking at him intently, apparently waiting for his opinion like it matters. Shadow stares at them, at the unwavering patience in their eyes, and finds himself appreciating their efforts to include him, regardless of being put on the spot.

And therefore, Shadow feels compelled to respond in kind, the words slipping free of his mouth almost easily. “Uh, I think she should kill them both?” he offers, and finds himself surprised by Knuckles’ immediate solemn nod.

“You believe she should fight for her honor by entering the arena herself,” he muses, actually sounding thoughtful. “A noble idea. Take note, fox.” Tails’ head thumps against his chair, and he sighs.

“Fine, you win,” he mutters, his following words about how he can’t take this anymore drowned out by Knuckles’ jubilant yells. Shadow takes it all in, not finding it as overly suffocating as he did only a while ago. It’s a new, strange experience, one that he’d longed to share. And it isn’t like he’d thought it would be at all. It’s a lot noisier, a lot more difficult to navigate, and Shadow had spent most of the time trying to make himself invisible in an effort to be unobtrusive.

Even so, the feeling of companionship, of belonging… it’s even better than he’d imagined.

And as Shadow watches Sonic laugh next to him, his eyes glowing with affection, he can’t help the small smile that finds its way to his face as he takes in the chaos, knowing deep in his heart that he wouldn’t mind being around all this for the rest of his life, whatever that means for him.

After dinner, Maddie helps Shadow relocate to the couch. Sonic follows, fluffing up the couch cushions as Maddie gently eases Shadow onto the soft surface, propping him up against the cushions. “Do you need anything?” she asks him, and Shadow shakes his head. Despite her offer, it feels like far too much to ask for anything more. So Maddie leaves him be, sweeping Sonic away to help wash up after dinner. Sonic shoots him a strange look, one he’s been giving Shadow ever since he saw him at dinner, one that Shadow can’t seem to parse in any way.

He wonders if Sonic is mad at him. Shadow had just left him without any notice, after all. He winces as he remembers the ice in his own voice, coldly telling Sonic goodbye.

It seems like he has one more apology to make.

Shadow leans back against the cushions, unconsciously pulling one over to wrap his arms around it. He sits still, lost in contemplation, still finding all this very surreal. It’s such a stark contrast from everything that was happening just today morning, and he can still hardly believe he’s here. Any second, he expects GUN to barge in through the door, even as the phantom pains from their machine flare up all over his body, the very thought of GUN making him feel like he’s still there, burning.

And more than anything, sitting here while they all work, he finds himself at a loss of what to do. Everyone seems to have a place here. The Wachowskis move like a well-oiled machine, cleaning up with such precision and speed, their movements effortless and practiced. It almost reminds him of the scientists, efficient in their work, issuing instructions and attaching all manner of strange devices to his body methodically, with no hesitation in their movements.

But it’s different watching this family work. There’s a life to their work, joy dripping from every movement. A muttered thank you, a smile of gratitude, a laugh here and there as someone makes a joke Shadow can’t really hear. Shadow thinks of the scientists’ faces, sour and expressionless, monotonously demanding things of him and delivering instructions in their detached, unemotional voices.

As much as it is fascinating to watch, it puts a damper on some bizarre enthusiasm he’d gleaned from joining them at dinner. Despite their acceptance of him, Shadow can’t see himself as part of that routine; he can’t envision himself joining them like that. Their dynamic is established, their family found. He can’t really see himself there with them.

Shadow resigns himself to being lost in his mind all over again, but his train of thought is disturbed as something knocks against his good leg, something large and furry. Shadow looks down to see a dog sniffing his leg, tail wagging curiously.

He freezes, staying still as a statue, not sure how to react. Shadow has never seen a dog in real life, only in movies. He stifles a shudder as its wet nose prods his leg, and tracks its movements as it leaps onto the couch with him. The dog just stares at him, and Shadow wonders if he’s being judged.

He stares at it, hoping it will go away. He contemplates glaring at it to scare it away, but it might decide to bite, and that’s an inconvenience Shadow doesn’t want right now. So he turns around, ignoring the way the dog comes closer and closer, sniffing along his quills. He barely prevents them from flaring up and piercing the creature.

Finally, after what seems like hours of being scrutinized, the dog settles down, curling up next to him. It barks once, tongue lolling out of its mouth, panting. Shadow puts the cushion in his arms to the side and looks at it, his eyes raking across its decently large form. Now that it’s not sniffing at him, it’s not so bad, he supposes. He’s never been the greatest dog lover, even though Maria had tried in vain to get him to understand their appeal.

Shadow vaguely remembers Maria showing him some documentary about dogs once. He’d almost fallen asleep for that one, and his memory of it is hazy. But the sentiment persists regardless, Maria’s efforts to get him to like them very clear in his mind. Shadow looks at the dog, sensing the opportunity to actually take her words to heart, and slowly reaches out for it.

The dog’s ears perk up as his hand gets closer to it, and it stares at him as he slowly reaches over to place his hand on its back, stroking like the man in the documentary did to his dog. A pleased feeling passes through him as the dog’s tail wags, something that apparently means that it’s happy. He must be doing something right.

The dog lets him pet it for a few minutes, and Shadow finds himself relaxing even further, something soothing and calming about the action. He doesn’t even find it in himself to react much as the dog shuffles closer, plopping its head in his lap and clearly demanding more pets. Shadow acquiesces, running his hands along the dog’s back, smoothing down its errant fur. It lays still, the only movement being its rapidly wagging tail. Despite himself, Shadow smiles, warmed by the sight, pleased at causing it happiness. It’s more satisfying than he’d thought it could be.

“I guess Ozzy has a new favorite,” comes a voice from beside him, and Shadow turns to find Sonic there, leaning casually against the side of the couch. Shadow watches as he moves to sit on the armrest, neglecting the actual seat itself. “Although, he usually does warm up to people pretty fast.”

“I doubt I’m his favorite,” Shadow replies, running his hands over the dog’s—Ozzy’s—face, wincing a little as he licks his hand. Sonic just laughs, and they fall into a contented silence. Shadow finds his eyes drooping, his alarm at falling asleep again after having slept through the whole day already not enough to bring him back to complete wakefulness. Sonic seems to notice, nudging him with his elbow.

“Wanna go back up?” he asks Shadow softly. Shadow nods, relieved at not having to ask by himself. Sonic makes some strange noise with his mouth, directed at Ozzy. “Come on boy, go find Knuckles or Tails.” Ozzy obediently rewards Shadow with a final lick to his face before jumping off the couch, trotting away. Sonic smiles at Shadow, before walking over and picking him up. He walks slowly, mindful of Shadow’s leg, clearly making sure he doesn’t hit it on the wall or something.

He pushes the door to the guest room open with one foot, stepping in and pushing it closed with the same foot again. Shadow is laid gently on the bed, even as Sonic picks up the picture he’d left there and places it delicately on the table next to it. Shadow notices that the gloves he’d dropped on the ground are missing. Maddie must have taken them to wash them like she’d said.

Sonic helps Shadow shift around to get more comfortable, adjusting his position so that he’s isn’t sinking into the bed. There’s some strange, coiled thing in the air, something they’re both aware of, though Shadow feels clueless about what it is. Sonic doesn’t really look at him, and some strange anxiety swirls around in his head. It’s like they’re both trying to avoid it, this elephant in the room, like confronting it would break this carefully constructed illusion they’re sharing.

“You doing okay?” Sonic asks, and Shadow just nods. “That’s good,” Sonic says.

Shadow looks into his evasive eyes, and gathers up his courage once more.

“Sonic,” he starts, wanting to say his piece and put to rest what he’d caused between them. “I—"

He’s interrupted, however, when Sonic pulls himself onto the bed. And even as Shadow watches, Sonic places a hand on his face, and kisses him.

Shadow feels his eyes widening before they fall shut, his own lips moving to meet Sonic’s as he eases an arm around his shoulders, returning the kiss. The world is silent around them, and Shadow can feel Sonic’s warm breath on his face. It’s like a fragment of time, waiting for them before passing on.

Eventually, Sonic pulls away, though his hand remains on Shadow’s face, tracing gently under his eyes. “It still feels like a dream,” Sonic admits, his words a quiet, private thing. “I feel like I’ll close my eyes and when I open them, you’ll be gone.” He looks into Shadow’s eyes, his own green ones shining with some strange, intense emotion. “Tell me it’s not a dream, Shadow,” he whispers.

Shadow doesn’t know what to say. He’s never been one for words, always finding it such a chore to search for the right ones. Even now, his mind feels blank, devoid of any idea of what to say to make this better. But actually doing something… now that’s something Shadow’s good at.

So he drags his hand over to cup the back of Sonic’s neck, pulling him back down to press their lips together. Sonic cups his face in both of his hands, thumbs tracing along his muzzle. And Shadow realizes how much he’s been yearning for this, ever since he pulled himself away on that rooftop, believing that there was no other choice.

They part, finally, and Shadow reaches over to drag one of Sonic’s hands over to lay over his heart. Sonic’s expression shifts through several emotions, the one commonality between them being the sheer intensity of them all, making his eyes wide and glossy. Shadow covers Sonic’s hand with his own, even as the one laying on his face falls away, hanging limply at Sonic’s side.

“It’s not a dream,” Shadow says, his own voice raspy and quiet. “I’m here.”

Sonic looks at him, blinking away the small tears pooling at the corner of his eyes. Impulsively, Shadow reaches up to wipe them away, petting along his vibrant blue fur as he pleases.

Sonic lets him, laughing a little once Shadow is finished. His hand falls away from where it’s positioned over Shadow’s heart, and he places his ear over it instead, head resting against the white fur on his chest. Shadow buries his hand in Sonic’s quills, barely feeling any pain in his ribs from the gentle pressure. Together, they savor the moment, pressed against each other, enjoying their freedom. The world around them is still and motionless, as though out of consideration for their shared moment, and Shadow basks in the quiet peace, warmed and content.

He realizes, though, that he still has to apologize. He opens his mouth. “Sonic—”

A finger firmly places itself on his lips, effectively silencing him. “Ssh,” Sonic says. “We can talk about it later.” And Shadow, not willing to argue, obliges him gratefully.

Sonic pulls himself off Shadow to fall against the pillows by his side, turned towards him. Shadow does the same, and Sonic smiles, reaching up to run a finger over the curve of his mouth. The world is entirely silent, like it’s empty except for the two of them, and all Shadow can hear is the rhythmic beating of his own heart. Sonic drags a finger all along his face, brushing over his fur, like he can’t stay a minute without touching him.

The moment feels entirely personal, charged and electric, but calm in its intensity, like a warm fire, gently easing away the cold. It’s level of intimacy he’s never experienced, a single moment that seems to last forever even as the world moves on, the gentle golden light dimming by the second as the sky grows darker, the distant lights of the stars beginning to peek out of their hiding place.

And the soft, tender smile never leaves Sonic’s face, even as he wraps an arm around Shadow, pulling him closer. Shadow moves along with his grip, shuffling close and letting Sonic slide an arm under him. With his other hand, Sonic pats around the bed, soft thumps echoing through the air until he finds what he’s looking for. He drags the thick blanket up, and it falls gently over the both of them, nestled around them, shrouding them in warmth.

Sonic wiggles his hand back under it, sliding his other arm around Shadow’s waist, wrapping himself around Shadow completely. And Shadow lets his own hands lay between them, sandwiched between their bodies. Sonic traces a pattern along the fur on his back methodically, the gesture soothing, dispelling all the tension in his body, making him feel absolutely boneless. Shadow lets himself go completely limp, sinking into the pillows, warmed from head to toe. He presses his head into the crook of Sonic’s neck, breathing long and deep.

“’M glad you’re here,” Sonic mumbles, voice already sounding drenched with sleep, words slurring. And Shadow allows himself a smile, his quills brushing against Sonic’s jaw.

“Me too,” he replies, quietly enough so as to not shatter this fragile, ephemeral moment. He can’t even tell if Sonic has heard him as his soft, even breaths fill the air. But he pulls Shadow even closer, as though they could become one singular entity if he tried hard enough.

There are still some things left unsaid between them, some things that they need to address. But all that seems so far away, barely a stray thought in his mind. Right now, Shadow feels perfectly content staying here, as Sonic strokes through his quills.

And Shadow lets him, closing his own eyes and drifting off into sleep, not really able to care, in the moment, about what’s going to come next. Because nothing else matters, as long as he’s here in Sonic’s arms, safer than he’s ever been.

Chapter Text

Sonic wakes up this time to the feeling of being shaken. He groans, his usual response to being woken before he can drag himself down on his own. “Five more minutes,” he mumbles, tightening his arms around the figure right next to him, pleasantly surprised by its warmth.

“Sonic,” it grumbles, and Sonic frowns. Pillows aren’t supposed to talk, are they?

He cracks his eyes open when a hand grabs his shoulder, shaking him gently. And the first thing he sees upon opening his eyes is Shadow, who’s looking rather perturbed.

“Sonic,” he mutters. “Your father is here.”

That wakes him up. “Uh…” Sonic starts as he pushes himself up, unwrapping himself from around Shadow and sitting up to look at Tom, who’s standing next to the bed, eyebrow raised questioningly. “Am I in trouble?”

Tom just gives him a smile. “No, you’re not in trouble. But,” he adds, before Sonic can breathe a sigh of relief, “we do have to talk about some things.”

“Oh,” Sonic says. “What things?”

Tom opens his mouth, but closes it again. “You know what, we can have this discussion when Maddie’s here,” he decides. “Why don’t you two go brush your teeth? We have pancakes downstairs.”

“Yes!” Sonic cheers, forgetting entirely about their conversation, mind drifting away to ruminate over the prospect of sharing pancakes with Shadow, finally. “We’ll be right there! Come on, Shads.”

Tom affectionately ruffles his quills, earning a swat on the hand from Sonic, and leaves them to it.

Sonic turns back to Shadow, who is frowning. “I didn’t mean to cause problems,” he says, and Sonic pats him on the shoulder.

“Nah, you didn’t cause any problems. Now come on, I wanna have breakfast. I’m starving!”

Sonic slides off the bed, heading for the door. But he turns back around when Shadow stays rooted in place. “What’s wrong?”

“Shouldn’t we make the bed?”

“Oh,” Sonic mumbles in response, suddenly feeling very irresponsible. “Yeah, I guess we should.” He’s used to just straightening out his covers, considering the small size of his racecar bed compared to this bigger one, so Sonic mostly just follows Shadow’s lead on this one, grabbing their blanket to fold it while Shadow does everything else.

“How’d you know how to do all this stuff?” he asks, before he can think about it. He realizes what he’s done a second later, feeling his eyes widen. “I mean—”

“No, it’s fine,” Shadow replies, cutting off his regretful spiral. He pauses for a second, expression shifting, before it settles on something wistful, a nostalgic sparkle in his eyes. “Maria taught me,” he reveals. “I saw her making her bed once, and I insisted on helping her.”

Sonic smiles. “Sounds fun.”

Shadow snorts, the sound ringing pleasantly in Sonic’s ears. “Hardly,” he says, smirking. “It was incredibly boring. But it had to be done.” He glances at the blanket in Sonic’s hands, and raises an eyebrow. “That looks terrible.”

Sonic lets his eyes widen, this time obviously on purpose. “Okay, wow, I didn’t realize I was standing in front of the king of blanket folding,” he teases, and Shadow considers him with a small smirk of his own.

“I don’t need to be any kind of king to know that you’ve done a horrible job.”

“Now that’s just uncalled for!”

Sonic sprints over to the other side of the bed where Shadow is, tackling him back onto the bouncy surface. Shadow grips his quills and pulls again, not letting go until Sonic gives up tussling with him. “Okay, okay, you win!” Sonic yells, and Shadow shoves him off.

“Idiot,” he says, but it doesn’t sound like an insult at all. Sonic replies by sticking his tongue out at him, making Shadow roll his eyes.

“What are you, five?”

“Hey! It’s a universal gesture!”

Shadow considers this, and sticks his tongue out at Sonic too. Sonic stares at him, and gives into the urge to throw himself on Shadow, this time in a hug, overwhelmed by the cuteness. “Get off me,” Shadow complains. But he doesn’t push Sonic away, so Sonic assumes he’s fine with it.

“But who’s going to carry you around? No walking until you’re healed, remember?”

Shadow rolls his eyes. “Fine,” he agrees. “Get on with it.”

Sonic grins, and scoops him up in his arms. “Dude, I’m totally like your knight in shining armor,” he observes with a cheeky grin, and Shadow stares at him for a second before he flicks him on the head. “Ow, that hurt!”

“Good.”

Sonic laughs, and Shadow wraps his arms around his neck, a small smile gracing his own face.

Sonic makes it to the bathroom, getting Shadow to push open the door. “Okay, it’s time to get rid of our terrible morning breath,” he proclaims, rummaging around in a cabinet for a spare toothbrush he knows is in here, on account of how quickly they can run through toothbrushes, undoubtedly because of their sharp teeth. “Here,” he says, ripping open the packaging and handing it over to Shadow. Shadow takes it from him slowly, turning it over to examine it.

“I’ve never used one before,” he admits, slowly, upon seeing Sonic’s questioning gaze.

“So you lived with, like, rotting teeth all your life?”

“Of course not,” Shadow snaps. “The scientists cleaned my teeth. They never let me use a toothbrush.”

“Oh,” Sonic says, feeling very stupid and mean. “Well, now you get to!” he redirects, hoping to steer the conversation in a different direction. Shadow obliges him, his expression turning from one of morose recollection to curiosity as Sonic pulls out his favorite mint flavored toothpaste and shows Shadow how to squeeze some onto the brush. He walks Shadow through the whole process, decidedly not embarrassed about demonstrating it for him.

Shadow just nods, squeezing toothpaste onto his own brush and copying Sonic’s movements. Sonic watches his eyes widen at the strong minty flavor filling his mouth. He keeps his observations to himself, though, trying to get through it without making things weird again.

But despite the unconventional bonding method, there’s something nice about being able to share something with Shadow that isn’t fighting against the incoming end of the world or a secret meeting in a cave. It’s incredibly mundane, and Sonic can’t complain at all if this is how it’s going to be from here on out.

Once they’re done, Sonic has carefully placed Shadow’s brush along with his own, they head down for breakfast. Sonic eases Shadow onto a chair, and plops down right next to him, knocking his leg against Shadow’s good one. Shadow kicks back, unsurprisingly, and they get into an under-the-table kick fight until Maddie brings out two plates of pancakes. “Eat up, boys,” she says, smiling.

“Thank you,” they chorus, Sonic’s enthusiastic voice nearly drowning out Shadow’s quieter words, but Maddie beams at the both of them.

Sonic wastes no time digging in, spearing the pancake with his fork and chomping down on it, totally disregarding the knife placed next to his plate in favor of treating a pancake like cotton candy. Shadow, for his part, doesn’t move to imitate him. “I’m sure that’s not how you eat those,” he says, and Sonic waves him off.

“It works, doesn’t it?”

Shadow opens his mouth, no doubt to mock Sonic’s genius, until he’s interrupted by Tails and Knuckles trotting into the room, easily taking their places at the table, completely unbothered by Shadow’s presence there.

“Good morning!” Knuckles announces cheerily. “Hedgehog, more impressive hedgehog,” he greets, and Sonic glares at him halfheartedly, only slightly pacified by Shadow’s bewildered expression.

Sonic doesn’t reply, offering a wave in lieu of speaking, a result of his mouth that’s currently stuffed with pancakes. Shadow, however, pretends to be more polite than Sonic. “…Good morning,” he offers, slowly, like he’s not sure if he’s saying the words right, or if he should even be saying them at all.

Knuckles smiles at him. “It is nice to see you are doing well,” he informs Shadow. “Soon, you will return to your full, impressive strength.”

“Uh, thanks.”

“Hey, Knux,” Sonic says, pausing before taking his next bite. “You keep saying ‘impressive’ so much, and it’s not gonna sound like a word anymore.”

Knuckles opens his mouth, ready to retort, but Tails interjects with a smirk on his face. “You’re just jealous, Sonic,” he says plainly, shutting down Sonic’s witty remarks. Sonic grumbles to himself when Knuckles laughs, and it only gets worse as Shadow turns to him with a raised eyebrow, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,” Sonic mutters. But he can’t help the smile that finds its way to his face. Sonic marvels at how quickly Knuckles and Tails have gotten used to having Shadow around like this, doing their best to help him feel welcome.

He really loves these guys.

“Ah, pancakes!” Knuckles exclaims, when Tom brings out a plate for him and Tails. “I am famished!” He turns his gaze to Sonic, his face contorting into an expression of disgust. “And you are unworthy of eating them,” he informs, and Sonic just smirks at him, letting his mouthful of pancakes make his point for him.

“If he tells you to eat them like that, don’t listen to him,” Tails informs Shadow, whose expression seems relieved that not everyone is like Sonic.

“I know,” Shadow mutters, glancing wearily at Sonic, who just sighs dramatically.

“What is this, pick on Sonic day?”

“Yes.” Knuckles’ voice is completely unapologetic.

“Jerk,” Sonic says, but his voice comes out fond anyway.

Nevertheless, the tension in the room, if there ever was any, is completely gone. Shadow picks up his own knife and fork, cutting perfect triangular pieces off his own stack of pancakes. “Where’d you learn how to do that?” Sonic asks him.

“Movies,” Shadow responds simply. Sonic kicks him again.

“Show-off.”

Shadow doesn’t deign himself to reply to that, though there’s a small smirk that remains on his face as he takes another bite. Sonic lifts his leg once more, only to hook their ankles together. And Shadow doesn’t protest this, simply chewing on his breakfast.

Tom and Maddie join them in a few minutes. “So, what’re you boys up to today?” asks Tom, as Maddie sits down next to him. Sonic looks around the table, shrugging in time with Knuckles and Tails.

“We don’t have any plans, I guess.”

“Perhaps we will finally finish Netflix’s catalogue of romantic comedies,” Knuckles ponders.

“That’s never gonna happen, man.”

“Maybe we can play video games,” offers Tails. Knuckles just groans at that.

“I don’t understand why you are so fond of those,” he complains. Sonic just laughs at that, and doesn’t stop even when Knuckles glares at him.

“You just don’t wanna lose and embarrass yourself in front of Shadow here,” he says, and Shadow looks alarmed to have been brought up. But he doesn’t get in a word edgewise, even as Knuckles falls for Sonic’s obvious bait.

“You will be crushed under my prowess!” he proclaims, hurriedly smushing the rest of his breakfast into his mouth. “I will defeat you in virtual battle, hedgehog. Prepare to be humiliated!”

Maddie laughs. “Well, this ought to be fun.”

Sonic just makes a taunting face at Knuckles, and then turns back to Shadow before Knuckles can return the favor. “You’ll love this, Shads,” he says. “Video games have come a long way.” Shadow doesn’t really reply to him, just nodding minutely, eyes fixed on his pancakes. Sonic notes that he still looks awkward, in that shy way of his that makes him look weirdly cute. But he does look much less uncomfortable than he was last night at dinner, so Sonic takes a moment to do a victory pump in his mind.

Maddie’s voice breaks through Sonic’s little victorious fantasy. “Moving away from that subject,” she says, looking at Shadow. “Would you mind if I checked you over once more? Just to get an idea of your progress.”

Shadow looks surprised that she’s asking him at all. But he does actually look at Maddie, and then lets his eyes flit over to Sonic, who just gives him an encouraging look. “Okay,” Shadow murmurs, and straightens up just a little when Maddie beams at him.

“Okay! We’ll get you checked up after you eat. But take your time, though!” she informs Shadow, who looks like he might just push himself off the chair to get it over with. “And be sure to eat as much as you like. We have plenty.”

“Thank you,” Shadow says again, in that same quiet tone of voice. But he smiles, small but earnest, and even though it vanishes as soon as it comes and Shadow’s head drops back down to face his pancakes, Maddie’s face is practically alight with happiness.

After that, the conversation shifts to other mundane topics. No one tries to address Shadow again, noting his discomfort. Sonic doesn’t really pay much attention either, focusing more on his pancakes and the feeling of Shadow ankle linked with his own. The clinking of dishes fills the air, an incredible sound of domesticity, and Sonic just revels in it, like it’s music to his ears.

Maddie and Tom scoop up their plates after they’re done. She returns to the dining room, and Sonic wisely leaves to go help Tom with the dishes, Knuckles and Tails tagging along with him. Maddie’s footsteps echo through the house, heavier than usual on account of Shadow’s added weight. It makes Sonic smile, though he tries to keep it under wraps so he doesn’t look like he’s smiling at nothing.

Tom, however, notices. “She’s really changed her tune on him, huh?” he observes, looking at Sonic knowingly. Sonic lets himself grin wide, rinsing the dishes Tom hands him.

“I should have bet you,” he says. “I could have won an increase on my pocket money.”

Tom laughs. “We do still need to talk about... you two,” he says. “But I suppose that can wait until he gets used to us. He still seems to be a little on edge.”

“He’s just not used to this sort of thing,” Sonic replies, eyes darting upwards, in the general direction of where he knows Shadow is getting checked over by Maddie. “He was in a lab all this time, and then he got placed in stasis for fifty years.”

The easy smile falls off Tom’s face, that familiar compassion rearing its head, very visible in his expression. The last time Tom had a look like this on his face, Knuckles and Tails were being packed into the family truck and were driven back home for fresh food and rest. Only a few days later, they were playing baseball and going out for ice cream.

“Well, we’ll just have to help him adjust, won’t we?”

Sonic nods, not trusting himself to speak, but unable to stop himself from smiling at Tom, the adoring expression etching itself onto his face.

“Obviously,” he teases, the words coming out more genuinely. He looks over to where Knuckles is spinning a plate on what Sonic has just come to assume is his thumb. Tails is giggling at the sight, floating in the air from sheer excitement.

Looking at them, Sonic realizes that they haven’t actually had the chance to talk properly about all that’s happened. Knuckles and Tails have generally spent more time together because Sonic’s been more preoccupied with Shadow and helping him adjust.

Sonic doesn’t like to talk about his feelings and stuff much, and neither do Knuckles and Tails. But it feels like he owes them some clarity, considering everything they’ve done for him.

As he ruminates on these thoughts, Maddie enters the kitchen once more, Shadow carried in her arms. At this point, Shadow seems to have more or less accepted this, not seeming as embarrassed as he used to be about being carried, though he steadfastly avoids eye contact with anybody. Wisely, Knuckles and Tails exit the kitchen, and Tom turns back to the dishes as Maddie passes Shadow off to Sonic, kneeling so that Sonic can slip his arms under Shadow to carry him.

“You kids go have fun,” she insists, her hand almost unconsciously brushing Shadow’s quills, and Sonic just gives her a big smile before he lifts Shadow into his arms properly and races into the living room, seating him on the couch.

“Man,” he comments, looking into Shadow’s eyes and nudging him with his elbow. “She’s already doting on you.”

Shadow looks mildly uncomfortable. “I don’t want to be a bother,” he mutters, and Sonic just brushes his quills like Maddie did, laughing when Shadow instinctively slaps his hand away.

“You’re not bothering anyone,” he insists, and Shadow’s furrowed brows seem to relax at the affirmation. “We want you here.”

Shadow doesn’t reply to him, so Sonic just slides onto the couch next to him, leaning his head on Shadow’s shoulder. Shadow doesn’t push him away, so Sonic just lets himself relax, watching Knuckles and Tails setting up Mario Kart, Ozzy lounging around next to Knuckles. Sonic lets them get started, more focused on Shadow’s quills brushing against his own, sparking an odd tingling sensation.

This is nice, he thinks, as Shadow head comes to rest over his own properly as he practically deflates from his stiff posture, relaxing more and more with time. Sonic has learned how Shadow operates by now; it takes him a while to get used to relaxing, no matter how familiar the situation is. Sonic doesn’t take it personally in the slightest.

Especially since Shadow sitting on his couch and practically cuddling with him is something he’s been shamefully fantasizing about for a while now. Sonic’s not about to complain about anything. He just leans further into Shadow until their arms brush together.

Shadow doesn’t say anything, watching as Knuckles and Tails go at it. It’s always been a toss-up between them, since they both have the same level of experience. Tails, of course, is better with the techy stuff in general, but for some reason, video games elude his expertise.

And Knuckles doesn’t use all his fingers. Sonic doesn’t feel the need to explain beyond that.

“I am defeating you handily, fox!”

“You are not!”

Sonic glances over at Shadow like he does at least a thousand times per day, only to find him oddly invested in the proceedings, his eyes wide like he usually gets when he’s seeing something for the first time. He gets the feeling Shadow has never seen a video game before. Even if they did exist, Sonic can’t imagine a military base having video games to play.

He doesn’t say anything, just letting Shadow take it all in as Knuckles snarls, watching Tails pull ahead of him. Sonic slowly slides his hand along Shadow’s arm, lacing their fingers together. Shadow returns his grip, squeezing tightly.

Despite getting better at relaxing, Shadow is never completely tension free. It’s always like he’s waiting for something, and Sonic brushes his thumb along his hand, trying to ease some of his stress. But he’s not sure what he can do to really help. It might just be the new environment, but he can’t be sure.

He could ask, but it’ll have to wait for a time when he won’t be interrupting Shadow’s at least partially relaxed state. He just glances over to where Tom and Maddie are, and frowns at the sight. Tom is talking into his phone as Maddie stands beside him, her hand gripping the hand of his broken arm. Tom’s face is creased with worry, and Sonic can tell Maddie’s face must be the same way. Sonic barely hears anything, only really able to read Tom’s lips long enough to know that he’s thanking Wade for something.

As the sounds of Tails winning the race sound through the air, Tom and Maddie exchange a few words before clearly making their way towards the living room. Sonic turns away, trying to make it look like he hasn’t been staring. Shadow gives him an odd look as Sonic presses his face into his shoulder, but makes no comment about it.

He does, however, turn around alongside Sonic when Tom clears his throat, stepping into the room with Maddie.

“Hey bud, mind switching to the news for a second?”

Sonic looks at him, puzzled, as Tails obliges his request, looking just as confused as Sonic is by the rather pensive expression on Tom’s face. His eyes widen again, though, as he stares at the images on the news.

A large, ugly robot, battered and broken beyond belief, being pictured from multiple angles, unmistakably identifiable.

Shadow’s grip tightens, his fingers digging into the back of Sonic’s hand. Sonic squeezes his hand back, the gesture just as much for his own sake as it is for Shadow’s.

“…In other news, authorities have been investigating the sight of a hidden base belonging to the agency GUN. Only earlier this morning, a beam of strange radiation was fired from a large robot that seems to have been built at this base. GUN’s Director Rockwell could not be reached for comment at this time, though GUN has issued a statement denying culpability for the incident.”

Sonic listens to the prim, detached words relayed by the news anchor, and feels something indignant pooling in his gut.

The nerve of them, to deny everything after what they’d put Shadow through.

What they’d put all of them through.

But Sonic feels too tired to yell, or even voice these thoughts out loud. But he watches, riveted, as a video clip plays on screen. It’s shaking and blurry and very unfocused, clearly shot from a phone. The news anchor is commenting on what’s happening in it, but her voice feels like static in his ears, suddenly.

Because, despite the abysmal quality, there’s no mistaking what he sees there. It’s Shadow, hovering in the air, glowing with the power of his super form. Sonic watches as he holds the beam away from the city, his mind taking him back to when he saw this very scene, only from a distance. The video ends with Shadow taking off towards the GUN base, and Sonic doesn’t need to watch anymore to know what happens next.

He lived that just a few hours ago.

The news anchor disappears, only to be replaced by some panel of “experts.” But Sonic doesn’t really want to listen to them. They all just sit there, silent despite the droning voices echoing through the TV, trying to process what they’re seeing.

“What does this mean?” Tails asks, breaking the silence pressing down on them, his eyes wide and pensive.

“Dunno,” Sonic replies to him.

Because historically, GUN’s always gotten away with it. They’d even shut down discussion of the Eclipse Cannon, something that Sonic found quite incredible. In a bad way, but he’d been amazed, nonetheless.

But there’s really no mistaking this video. And there’s no mistaking the way Shadow had saved that entire city from complete annihilation.

There’s no mistaking the way GUN had fired that cannon.

If the military base emblazoned with their logo and the giant mech isn’t proof enough, the video pretty much seals their fate. Adding this onto everything else they’ve done is sure to bring the sum total of their crimes into the spotlight.

Sonic chews on that thought, trying desperately to process it all.

Finally, Tom voices what they’re all thinking. “I don’t think they’re coming back from this one,” he mutters. And Sonic knows better than to hold out hope that GUN is gone forever, that they’ll be shut down and won’t just get away with the government organization equivalent of a slap on the wrist. But something has changed. Something so significant that Sonic can’t rule out the potential of GUN actually facing consequences for this.

It’s not the end of their battle, but it feels like another big step towards their safety. That they’ll finally be left alone.

And what a feeling that is.

None of them speak. But it’s not the contemplative, disbelieving silence that succeeded the news report anymore. It’s one of acceptance, of stirring hope, of pure, unadulterated contentment. Sonic soaks in the feeling as long as he can, the aches and pains in his body almost disappearing, lost in the sheer relief he’s experiencing.

In the midst of this surreal, unbelievable feeling, Sonic turns to look at Shadow. Because as incredible as this is for him, he can’t begin to imagine how personal it must be for Shadow.

And he finds Shadow sitting still as a statue next to him, his hand going limp in Sonic’s grip. Shadow looks like he’s been paralyzed, his face stuck in that numb expression, like he’s lost in the line between dreams and reality. His eyes are wide, glued to the screen, fine tremors wracking his body, even as nothing else seems to move. Not even his chest, barely rising and falling, like he can’t seem to breathe right.

“Hey,” Sonic calls, reaching for the remote and turning off the TV, in light of Shadow’s obvious distress. It’s like a roaring silence fills the room, a shocking experience after the blaring news. “You okay?”

Shadow doesn’t reply to him, and Sonic reaches out, his movements slow and purposeful. He gently places a hand on Shadow’s face, brushing his cheek with his fingers and turning him so that he can look into his eyes, rubbing gentle circles on the back of Shadow’s hand. “What’s wrong?”

At this point, everyone is looking at Shadow, though they stay where they are, not wanting to crowd him. Shadow barely seems to register their presence, caught in some kind of trance. Maddie is the only one who really moves, and Sonic keeps his hand on Shadow’s face, caressing it with his thumb as she kneels in front of Shadow. Sonic lets go of Shadow’s hand, and Maddie gently takes it in both of hers.

“Are you okay?” she asks him, her voice warm and gentle, seemingly piercing through the haze clouding Shadow’s mind, distinctly visible in his expression. Shadow just shakes his head, his eyes wide and so utterly lost.

“I—I don’t know,” he mumbles, breathing out the words like it takes every ounce of strength in his body. He doesn’t look hurt, Sonic notes. He just looks… confused, or disbelieving. Like he can’t really comprehend what is happening, like reality is altering itself around him. His other hand comes up to curl around Sonic’s hand resting on his cheek, his fingers sliding in between Sonic’s own. He presses Sonic’s hand against his face like he needs the touch to ground himself, lest he slip away to get lost in his own head.

“I don’t know,” he repeats, like he can’t really say anything else. Maddie squeezes his hand, and Shadow turns to her, suddenly seeming to notice her and everyone else, their concerned gazes fixed on him. He breathes in sharply, the action shaking his entire form. Maddie wisely pulls away as Shadow pushes off the couch and gets to his feet, staggering. Sonic does the same, pulling himself off the couch to stand next to Shadow, his hands gripping Shadow’s arm to support him.

Shadow just blinks rapidly, going from one extreme to another. “I—I have to go,” he mutters, like he’s in some sort of feverish daze.

“Go?” asks Sonic. “Where?”

“Don’t know,” Shadow replies. His glance in Sonic’s direction is agitated, enveloped in an all-consuming, aching confusion. “I just… I have to. Please.”

Sonic looks at him. Despite his earlier state, he seems more lucid now. Shadow looks at Sonic, a pleading expression on his face, and it’s enough to make Sonic relinquish his hold on Shadow’s arm. Shadow’s eyes briefly dart to the spot on his arm where Sonic was holding onto him, and then looks back up into his eyes in gratitude, just a second before he glows red, vanishing.

“W-where did he go?” asks Maddie, glancing in astonishment at the empty spot where Shadow used to be.

“Don’t know,” Sonic says, strangely parroting the words Shadow had been saying. Somehow, he doesn’t feel worried about the whole situation. “He just needs some time.” He glances in Maddie’s direction reassuringly. "He’ll be back.”

“How do you know?”

Sonic just shakes his head, smiling a little to himself. “I just do.”

Everyone seems to accept that, still caught in their own heads as Sonic turns on the TV again. The news continues to cover the story, pictures of Rockwell the robot still filling the screen, amidst some intense discussion that Sonic largely tunes out. It doesn’t matter to him what some “experts” are saying, really.

But he supposes that he can’t hear them anyway, over the sound of his own mind. The TV is switched off again, this time by Tom. Sonic watches him drop the remote, letting it bounce on the cushions before settling down innocently. No one moves, lost in their own thoughts, until they’re all brought back down to Earth by the sound of Ozzy’s barks.

Knuckles runs a hand over Ozzy’s back, earning himself a lick. It’s such a mundane, common experience, but right now, in face of everything they’ve all gone through, it feels like such a significant thing.

It cracks the spell around them, and Sonic tips back, letting himself fall to the floor with a thump. It hurts a little, but that barely matters anymore.

Images flash through his head, of being chased around the world and having to hide for seven years. He thinks of electrified nets and the horrifying sight of Tails’ wounded body being tossed carelessly into a cage. He thinks of GUN, and how Commander Walters easily informed them about Shadow’s story, no consideration for his feelings despite recounting his tale like it was a tragedy.

He thinks about Shadow, how much he’s suffered and lost at GUN’s hands.

And it just might be over. All done, wrapped up and sealed with a pretty bow. It’s a difficult thing to realize, despite how wonderful the news is. He can hardly believe it, and yet…

Now there’s the joy, the need for celebration filling him as it all truly sinks in, like a cup overflowing with relief and happiness. Sonic laughs, the sound cutting through the silence in the air as everyone else does the same, small peals of almost hysterical laughter splitting the air in half. They all laugh, releasing all their misery, pain, and anger, letting it flow through the air, finally unburdened by everything they’ve been keeping inside, all the worry and exhaustion and anticipation of the next attack. The air fills with whoops and cheers, the sounds of pure, unadulterated freedom.

It might not be the last they see of GUN, but the days of them being relentlessly hunted and lied to and used are over.

And even as they calm down, their laughter petering out into a comfortable silence, the words keep ringing in his head, repeating themselves again and again, a constant loop.

It’s finally over.

“I think this calls for a group hug,” Tails speaks up finally, cutting through the quiet. And none of them need to be told twice, huddling in close, soaking in each other’s presence and company. Sonic thinks of the years and years he spent hiding. He thinks of his family, warm and protective around him. They've all been threatened and tested, but they've always there for him despite it all. 

Through it all.

So, Sonic lets his worries about GUN fall away from him, slipping away like grains of sand blown away by the wind.

And as the world moves on, around and around, the Wachowski family hold each other in a warm embrace, taking it all in, reveling in what feels like an entirely new chapter, the first day of the rest of their lives.

Chapter Text

It’s once he’s teleported out of the house, finding himself standing on the porch, that Shadow realizes he doesn’t know what he’s doing.

He slowly takes a few steps down the stairs leading to the road. He’s not wearing his shoes, he realizes; the ground feels hard and sharp under his feet, only protected by a thin sock and a cast that makes it hard to walk. But he can’t pay it any mind.

Everything around him feels surreal, like shattered remnants of some subconscious fantasy. Nothing feels tangible, coated in some hazy sheen of unbelievability. The world feels like it’s off kilter, something he’s never ever seen before.

It’s almost funny, that the very prospect of GUN not being something that can affect him anymore throws his very perceptions of the world around him into such disarray. But Shadow slowly drags his feet across the path leading to the road. There’s no one around at all, and maybe that’s for the best.

Shadow finds himself moving mechanically, unable to really process his own actions. His body moves of its own violation, the only thing driving him being the profound sense of constriction that had overcome him in Sonic’s home, the weight of everyone’s collective worry pressing down on him. Shadow plods on along the road, more or less dragging his feet, all his senses focusing more on the ringing in his ears, shrill and unbearable.

And he’s so engrossed in trying to ignore it that he fails to notice the figure approaching him, slowing down enough to match his pace. Finally, he looks to his side, only to find Stone cruising next to him in a car. The man rolls his window down, coming to a full stop. Shadow does the same, for lack of anything else to do.

“Hey,” calls Stone, and Shadow just looks at him as he gestures to the passenger’s seat next to himself. “Want to get in?”

Somehow, Shadow finds himself agreeing, trudging around the car and climbing into the seat next to Stone, one that is very obviously not for someone of his height. But Stone doesn’t seem to care, only starting the car up again and driving off. Shadow doesn’t know where they’re going. He just turns his head to look out of the window as the scenery passes by him.

It’s interesting to be in a car. He can make out defined shapes, read signs and names plastered onto different shops. He can’t do that when he’s skating as fast as he usually does, blurry and incomprehensible, except for brief flashes of color.

Today’s a busy day, very different from when Sonic had showed him around. People are bustling about, a far cry from the emptiness of the early hours of the morning. Shadow doesn’t bother to hide; at his height, no one can see him anyway.

He just keeps his gaze focused on the outside world, watching life move on, even as his own seems more uncertain than ever.

Finally, Stone pulls into some dark room, the large door closing on its own behind him. Even as Shadow watches it, Stone exits the car, coming around to open the door for Shadow. “Need some help?” he asks, the first words he’s spoken to Shadow since they first saw each other again. Shadow debates declining his offer, but then agrees, if only to not ruin all of Maddie’s hard work.

Stone picks him up, decidedly more awkward than when Maddie did the same thing. His inexperience is very apparent. Shadow doesn’t comment on it as Stone brings him into the house, placing him on his couch and disappearing into his kitchen. He returns with a cup of coffee, and Shadow accepts it gratefully, suddenly feeling a deep craving for the beverage.

“So…” Stone starts, kneeling next to him. “Why were you walking all by yourself? On a broken leg, no less.”

“Straight to the point, I see,” Shadow mutters. Stone chuckles.

“Maybe,” he responds. “But that doesn’t answer my question.”

Shadow doesn’t look at him, staring back down at the swirling, disturbed brown liquid. “Why were you there?” he asks instead, watching the coffee settle in the mug, stilling completely.

“Checking on you, I guess.”

That gives him pause, and Shadow looks up at Stone. “How did you know I was there?”

Stone looks at him oddly. “I brought you there.” He frowns. “I suppose you wouldn’t remember that.”

“I don’t,” Shadow confirms. He pauses, just for a second. “Why did you do it?”

“What?”

“Why did you help me?” Shadow asks, confused. He didn’t think Stone cared that much.

Stone just sighs. “You’re just a kid,” he mutters. “I knew what they were going to do to you, and I couldn’t let that happen. Not after everything you’ve been through.”

At their hands, he doesn’t say. But though the words have gone unsaid, Shadow can tell Stone meant them.

He’s not sure what to make of it. But thinking about it now, Shadow sees… flashes of what took place, maybe. Recollections of the searing, incomprehensible pain flooding through him dimming, fading away gently. A calm voice, reassuring him through a panic fueled by agony, one that must have been so mindless that Shadow can’t even remember what actually happened, only vestiges of the feeling itself remaining in his head. It’s the only memory he has of whatever transpired after he felt himself falling, the sight of Sonic reaching for him being the last thing he saw before it happened.

“No one mentioned it,” he mutters. Stone just shrugs.

“Knowing them, they probably just forgot to tell you.” He coughs awkwardly. “Not that I can blame them if they just chose not to, of course.”

Shadow considers this. A few hours with Ivo Robotnik had been enough for Shadow to learn about the man’s visceral hatred for Sonic. He supposes that it had been acted on more than once, and of course, Stone would have been there.

Shadow can’t really blame Stone. Not when he was in the same boat once.

But he’s grateful to Stone, that much he knows.

“Thank you,” he says, softly, and he doesn’t need to be able to see Stone to know that he’s smiling.

“No problem.”

Shadow just tilts his head in acknowledgement, absently observing the gentle wisps of steam rising from the cup, curling in the air.

“Now you tell me,” Stone starts. Shadow looks at the man, at the expectant look in his eyes. “What’s going on with you?”

“I… saw the news,” Shadow mutters, and takes a sip of coffee as Stone’s curious expression clears into one of realization.

“I see.” He pauses, considering his words. “That must be a big change.”

Shadow just nods. “I don’t understand it,” he mutters, before he can stop himself.

“What do you mean?”

Shadow purses his lips. There’s a familiar nagging in his head, his own fear of digging deeper and finding something about himself that he’d rather have kept himself unaware of, buried deep in the trenches of his mind. There’s the guilt about inconveniencing Stone, forcing him to deal with and care about Shadow’s problems.

But there’s a part of him that wants his help, desperately, as the whirling and chaotic thoughts in his mind press against his skull, a pervasive ache making the world spin.

“GUN,” Shadow says, slowly, finally. “They might be done.”

Stone just nods, encouraging.

“I don’t know what that means,” Shadow continues, the words flooding out now that the dam has been broken. “They’ve always been there. They’re all I know anymore. And now they’re gone. I don’t understand it.”

He falls silent, and Stone reaches out to take the cup from his hands, which Shadow realizes now are shaking, making the coffee slosh around inside, almost spilling over. He stares at his trembling hands in some shock. Stone seems to notice, and Shadow looks over at him to see him hesitate for a second before he reaches out to take Shadow’s hands in his, holding them steady.

“It’s strange,” Shadow continues, despite himself. “All they’ve ever done is hurt me, and yet…”

He trails off, and Stone squeezes his hands gently.

“I get it,” he offers, and Shadow glances at him in some surprise. “It’s like a constant in your life is gone. That’s hard to get used to.”

“Do you mean…” Shadow pauses, and Stone tilts his head, encouraging him to continue. “Are you talking about Doctor Robotnik?”

Stone hums, considering the question. “I suppose,” he explains. “I miss him, of course, but I don’t think that’s what you’re going through.” Shadow almost laughs, the simple thought of missing GUN enough to reduce him to that state. But he listens to Stone as he continues, voice growing more pensive as he talks.

“But there are times when I’m looking around this place, wondering what to do, and I think about how it never used to be this boring before. I was always doing something dangerous. Whether it be to do the Doctor’s bidding, or running from the authorities… it still feels completely different now, when none of that is part of my life anymore.”

Shadow looks at him, a deep understanding rising up inside him.

“I don’t miss GUN,” he says, voicing out his thoughts, curling his hands in Stone’s. “I never will. But they always consumed everything. I feel like I expected them to be there, like GUN was one thing I could count on to always be there, but…”

“But?”

Shadow sighs. “I don’t know anything about what’s ahead for me,” he admits. “It’s absolutely uncertain now.”

He falls silent, and Stone lets him sit there, letting him process everything.

Finally, he speaks, voice cutting through the quiet. “You know what I’ve realized?” When Shadow looks at him, he smiles. “That’s life. Things are always changing. The world moves on, and it’s up to us to keep up.”

“It feels impossible,” Shadow admits.

“I know,” Stone agrees. “It did for me too. But it’s all about perspective, in the end.”

“What do you mean?”

Stone looks at him. “We’ve lost a lot,” he says, his tone empathetic. “We’re in a world we don’t really understand. Everything we once knew is gone, and the path forward seems empty.” Then he smiles, warm and understanding. “But if you really think about it,” he continues, “what that means is that we have a path ahead of us. There is something there for us. We just can’t see it yet.”

Shadow stares at him, his mind alight with a sudden realization, Stone’s words stirring something deep within him.

“The possibilities are infinite,” Stone continues. “And we can choose what to do with it.”

“Choose,” Shadow repeats, the word that’s become the anthem of his life.

Looking at it in that way, faced with Stone’s words, Shadow can’t help the curl of excitement that builds itself up inside him, something he’s never felt before. It’s why he’d chosen to live, after all. Because of the idea that there could be something for him here, if he just chose to reach for it.

And with the prospect of a life ahead, Shadow finds that all thoughts of GUN have slipped from his mind, as what their reckoning truly means for him sinks in.

An opportunity to carve out his own path. Liberation.

Freedom.

Stone’s hands slide out of his own, but he pats Shadow’s shoulder gently, the other reaching over to hand the cup of coffee back to him. “And there’s a lot out there to choose,” he says, wisely.

“Like coffee?” Shadow teases, taking the mug from him gratefully.

Stone chuckles again. “Yeah, sure.” And Shadow can tell that, despite his humorous tone, Stone also acknowledges the truth in those words. He comes to sit next to Shadow. They share a glance, and Shadow watches as Stone raises an arm. It moves towards him before pausing, hovering in the air in uncertainty. Stone doesn’t pull back though, his spontaneous action turned into an extended invitation.

Shadow stares at his arm, and in a reckless, impulsive move, shifts closer and leans against him as Stone gently wraps an arm around his shoulders. They sit in silence, the quietness not awkward anymore, but rather comfortable.

Shadow takes the opportunity to look around the house again, taking in the empty walls, the boxes laid on the floor that haven’t been unpacked, like Stone hasn’t found a place for them yet. He looks at Stone, who has been much less assured about how to deal with Shadow here, an inexperience very visible in his mannerisms and movements. It’s a very different picture from the easy, practiced way Tom and Maddie had dealt with him, their actions and movements experienced and devoid of any doubt or hesitation, a result of raising three alien children before Shadow even set foot into their lives.

And Shadow feels very understood here, in the presence of someone who’s in the same boat as him, who understands Shadow’s situation more than anyone else right now.

Sonic gets it, Shadow knows that. But he’s also got it all figured out by now. Sonic’s family is secure, fully formed, with everyone’s roles identified. Shadow feels his old thoughts returning, ones that had come into existence when he watched the Wachowskis cleaning up after dinner, a well-oiled machine, not looking for any more parts. It is a place where everything seems defined and understood, in a way that leaves Shadow feeling confused and lost.

Shadow likes being with the Wachowskis. They make him feel like he belongs there with them, among the three alien children and the people who took them in. And more than anything, Sonic is there, another hedgehog just like him, and someone who’s always been there for Shadow since the moment they first joined forces, who means more to Shadow than he can even say. Shadow does feel a sense of belonging there, one he’s craved for as long as he can remember. And he has no doubts that they will welcome him if he chooses to stay.

And yet, he can’t see himself there.

Because the Wachowskis’ house is already a home, one built without Shadow in it. And even though it isn’t impossible in theory for him to be a part of it, like it evidently wasn’t for Knuckles and Tails, Shadow finds that it’s not something he feels capable of.

But here, in Stone’s house… it’s quieter. It’s empty, and new, and it’s something to build. And there’s someone just like him, who’s also looking ahead to a future he can’t see, trying to find a place to belong to.

And at the realization, something else occurs to him. A foolhardy, spur of the moment thought.

This is a path unventured across, something blank and untouched.

This isn’t anyone’s home. Not yet.

But it could be.

It might be a mistake. Shadow doesn’t know Stone very well, despite everything. And it feels reckless to make a decision in what’s little more than a split second.

But he feels a strange kinship with the man regardless. And there’s a feeling, swirling around in his mind insistently, that says that this might be something good. That this is something he needs to do for himself. The opportunity is there, right in front of him.

And if it’s all about choices…

He clears his throat, making Stone look over to him. “That day,” Shadow begins, feeling very nervous about the whole thing. “You said that if I ever wanted to come stay here, you would be happy to take me in.”

“That’s right,” Stone replies, without hesitation. “I did.”

The reason for Shadow bringing up this incident is evident to the both of them. Yet, Stone feigns ignorance, leaving Shadow feeling frustrated at his purposeful act of playing dumb.

He frowns, pulling away to look Stone in the eyes. “You’re making this difficult.”

Stone looks over to him. There’s no humor in his eyes, only a serious expression, determined. His grip is tight on Shadow’s shoulder. “Because this is important,” Stone says. “And I need to hear you say it.”

Shadow looks at him. The weight of his choices are heavy in the air, and Shadow knows that’s what Stone is asking him about. And Shadow knows this is important, a momentous decision that can set the tone of his path forward in this world.

But he’s made his decision. It’s what he feels is right, it’s what he wants, and more than anything, it’s one that he’s made on his own.

It’s one that belongs to him and him alone.

“I want to stay here,” Shadow states, simply. There’s nothing else to it, as the air dissolves into silence once more, the words announcing his decision ringing in his ears.

“Then I’m happy to have you,” Stone replies, just as easily, smiling at Shadow and pulling him back against his side. Shadow presses the cup to his lips again, hiding his own smile, even though he knows Stone can see it regardless.

And for the first time since everything, Shadow feels rather justified in his choice to give life a second chance.

So, he closes his eyes and tries to imagine his path forward, met with nothing but a blank, white canvas. But it seems less like an endless void of nothingness, and more like a clean slate, waiting to be painted over. A fresh start.

And this time, he gets to choose the colors.

“You have your whole life ahead of you, Shadow,” Stone says, like he’s read Shadow’s mind, his voice echoing in Shadow’s mind, words embedding themselves into every fiber of his being. “Live it to the fullest.”

And Shadow can only nod. “Okay,” he says, taking another sip, warmed from head to toe, a tremendous sense of finality washing over him, filled with hope. “I will.”

Chapter Text

Despite his own reassurances, Sonic finds that the wait for Shadow to return is agonizing. He finds himself unable to keep still, itching to move. And he supposes there’s something positive to think about: the fact that he wants to run again.

Tom and Maddie are more than happy to allow Sonic this indulgence, and Sonic speeds out, only pausing at the door to give Ozzy a few scratches. Then he’s gone, tearing through the forest, laughing at the feeling of the wind ruffling his fur.

He’s missed this.

Sonic debates running along the usual racetrack, and then decides to go with the flow, running however he feels like, only making sure to not leave the forest itself. He wants to be close by, in case Shadow comes back. Sonic doesn’t want to miss that for anything.

So he runs around the woods, creating skid marks from when he swerves along the trees. He finds the largest tree around and runs up its trunk, perching at the very top to admire the view. No matter what, he’ll never be tired of Green Hills.

And it’s not just the view. The woods themselves are full of memories. Sonic runs over to the clearing where they’d all camped out once and Knuckles and Tails had eaten their first marshmallow. He finds the open space where his family had surprised him with his B-Earth-day party.

He finds his old cave, a place he’s been coming back to more frequently ever since Shadow moved in. It’s gone back to its original state now, since Shadow probably isn’t going to live here anymore. Sonic brushes his hand against the picture of Longclaw, a ritual he’s adopted ever since he’d assumed Shadow was dead. He does the same thing now, despite the complete shift in the course of his life since that despondent time, and wonders if Longclaw has been watching over Shadow during his time here.

“I think you would have liked him,” Sonic muses, smiling fondly to himself. “He’s definitely not exactly like me, but he’s still trouble.” He runs a finger over the small drawing of himself seated next to her.

“Yeah, I know you would’ve,” he murmurs. He stares at the picture once more, and then kneels next to the small stone that had once marked Shadow’s grave. It’s broken; the top of the stone is cracked and crumbling, clearly crushed under Shadow’s fist.

He wonders why Shadow broke it at all. Maybe out of some obscure guilt, believing he didn’t deserve it. It feels like a reasonable conclusion, because of course Shadow would drown himself in self-loathing like that.

But Sonic runs a finger along the cracks, and finds that maybe it’s not such a bad thing. It feels like a reminder of their darkest times, Sonic’s grief and Shadow’s guilt. A symbol of death. But Shadow’s here now, and they’re not perfect, but they’re all getting better.

He gives it a pat, smiling at the thought, and carefully pulls it off the ground. Sonic drags the rock all the way outside, and then hurls it, turning around right after and not bothering to look where it’s going. A sound echoes in his ears as the rock crumbles upon contact with the ground, splintering into tiny pieces, the last vestige of their burdened hearts.

And with it broken and gone, Sonic returns to the cave, only to pick up his blanket, left discarded on top of his beanbag, folded neatly. The old tent remains there too, and Sonic decides to leave it for another time. He clutches his blanket in his arms, and runs back home. In a way, it feels like putting something that’s been lingering in the air to rest.

And it might be time to settle another lingering affair.

Sonic jumps in through the skylight, and finds Knuckles and Tails on the ground, playing Monopoly. “Hey, Sonic,” Tails mutters, engrossed with the game.

“Hey,” Sonic replies. He walks over to put the blanket on his own bed. “We need to talk.”

That gets their attention. Tails and Knuckles sit up straight, the game forgotten almost immediately. Sonic looks at them, meeting their gaze, hoping that they can see the sincerity in his own. He’s put this off long enough, after all.

Slowly, he sits down next to them, pulling his knees to his chest. “I owe you guys a lot,” he says, carefully. Knuckles and Tails don’t move, but their eyes are locked onto Sonic.

“You owe us nothing,” Knuckles says, cautiously, like he’s trying to impress this onto Sonic.

“But I do,” Sonic insists. “It can’t have been easy for you to come with me to rescue Shadow. Especially after everything. And I know we hashed it out, kind of, but still—”

“Sonic,” Tails calls, snapping out of his babbling spiral. “It’s okay. It’s like we said, we all made some mistakes.” Tails looks at Knuckles, who nods solemnly. “You should have told us, but we shouldn’t have doubted you the way we did too.”

“But—"

“All of us doubted our love for one another,” Knuckles says, his words cutting through to the very heart of the matter. “It seems we still have a lot to learn about being a family. It is hard, after everything we have been through, to remember that things have changed for the better in so many ways.”

“You mean, after all the time we spent alone,” Sonic mutters, a clarification that does not need to be said for everyone in the room to understand it. Nevertheless, he puts the thought out there, and his brothers just take it in, the silence being agreement enough.

In the end, it’s Tails who speaks up again. “But it’s like Knuckles said. We’re stronger than ever. It’s hard for all of us, but we’ve made it through everything that’s been thrown our way.” He smiles, a soft, gentle gesture, his eyes glimmering with fondness. “As long as we stick together, I think we’ll be okay.”

“That was profound,” Knuckles admits, nodding in approval, while Sonic can do nothing by stare, deeply touched. And even as Tails ducks his head, looking embarrassed, Knuckles reaches over to pull Tails against his side, wrapping an arm around him. “And entirely true.”

“You’re right, Tails,” Sonic agrees, the words soothing some aching feeling in his heart, freeing it from its suspended, aimless state. “We just gotta stick together. And more than anything,” he says, looking at Knuckles. “We gotta trust each other. Right?”

Knuckles looks at him, a silent conversation passing between them. And there’s a glimmer of pride in Knuckles’ eyes as he reaches over to pull Sonic into a one-armed hug too. “Correct,” he says. “And part of that is trusting that we will always be there for each other. No matter the mistakes we may make along the way.”

Sonic leans into Knuckles’ side, closing his eyes, the implicit forgiveness in his voice washing away the last of his turmoil, his mind relaxed and calm for the first time in a while. It’s a strikingly pleasant feeling, one that he could live with for the rest of his life.

“And… about Shadow,” he starts, his hand coming up to grip Knuckles’ own, fingers running over the spikes on his glove. “Thanks for helping me save him. And for being so cool about him staying here.”

“It is no trouble,” Knuckles responds, and Tails gives a hum of agreement from beside him. “He has proven himself time and time again. No one could doubt his sincerity after everything he has done for us.”

“Agreed,” Tails says. “He sacrificed himself to save us. We’re happy to have him here.”

“Sonic doesn’t look up them, fearing that his voice might fail him entirely if he does. “So… you forgive him?”

“Of course,” comes the immediate answer, Knuckles and Tails’ voices almost melding together in a chorus of affirmation. Sonic can’t help the grin that spreads across his face, or the feeling of pure joy that settles in his chest at their enthusiastic response.

“Thanks, you guys,” he says, voice suspiciously choked up. “I’m sure it means a lot to him.” He pauses, and then looks at them directly, meeting their gazes. “It means a lot to me too.”

Knuckles and Tails look at each other, and then back at Sonic, something light and mirthful in their eyes. “I’m sure it does,” Tails says, giggling. Knuckles only rolls his eyes, also cracking a smile when Sonic stares at them in confusion, wondering why they’ve suddenly adopted that teasing look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I did not think it was ever possible,” Knuckles says, like he hasn’t even heard Sonic. “The more impressive hedgehog is, as you say, way out of your league.”

“He is not!” Sonic exclaims, indignation flaring up inside him in an impulsive response, a knee-jerk reaction to Knuckles’ jab at his expense. But he pauses as the words truly sink in. “Wait, you know?”

Tails and Knuckles share another look, this time one of utter exasperation. “It’s not like you were subtle about it,” Tails says, like he’s breaking the news to Sonic himself. Sonic feels his face heating up, and he knows that his muzzle is bright red from the way Knuckles and Tails’ expressions twist into identical smirks.

“You are not very good at hiding your emotions, hedgehog,” Knuckles says, and Sonic rolls his eyes, shoving at him.

“Yeah, yeah, very funny.” He grins as Knuckles shoves him in return, holding back considerably. “And… you guys are really okay with it?” Sonic asks, suddenly feeling the need to hear the words for himself.

“As long as it makes you happy,” Knuckles affirms. “We will support you. No matter what.” Tails nods next to him, and Sonic smiles at them, feeling more grateful than he can even say. A simple thank you doesn’t feel like it’s nearly enough. So he doesn’t say anything at all, just settling back against Knuckles’ side, burrowing under his arm. They sit there, together, in a comfortable silence, just taking in each other’s company.

“You know, Sonic,” Tails says, cutting through the silence, his voice casual. “You two are a good match.”

“Uh, thanks.”

Tails laughs. “I don’t mean it the way you’re probably thinking,” he explains. “When I was taking readings on the Miles Electric while you were fighting that robot with Shadow, your energies were operating at the same wavelength. Essentially, your energy signatures were identical.”

Sonic blinks. “Identical?”

“Right,” Tails says. “And it’s pretty significant, because the flow of chaos energy through your bodies are directly linked to your mental state. You both must have been really in sync with each other for your energies to be so similar.”

Listening to Tails’ words, Sonic can’t help but think back to each time he and Shadow shared their super forms, the natural and almost instinctual way they had been able to know what the other was thinking, working together in a complete and perfect harmony.

But there’s a part of him that, despite trusting Tails’ judgement, feels like it’s too good to be true.

“That sounds great,” Sonic admits. “But it could have been the chaos emeralds, you know. We were using them when we were fighting, after all. And I did share the energy from the emeralds with him.”

And surprisingly, it’s Knuckles who speaks up this time. “But it was not the emeralds’ energy that you transferred to Shadow,” he says, tugging Sonic closer. “It was your own.”

Sonic looks up at him, staring right into bright, purple eyes. “What?”

“I am an echidna warrior,” Knuckles explains. “My tribe has always had a connection to the emeralds. We have the ability to sense their chaos energy. And what I sensed was not the energy of the emeralds flowing through from you to Shadow.”

Sonic just keep staring at him, hardly able to believe his ears.

“It makes sense,” Tails says, voice slipping into the tone he uses when he’s making some brilliant observation that Sonic can’t really understand. “You can’t really share chaos energy with other people like that. Each energy signature is distinct and not compatible with anyone else.” He hums thoughtfully. “If your energies are similar, it makes sense that only you could actually share your energy with him. And he did the same for you, didn’t he?”

“That’s right,” Sonic mutters, mind ablaze with trying to wrap his head around the implications. But all he can really remember is Shadow’s gentle touch, a hand laid on his cheek as Shadow shared his chaos energy with him. All this time, Sonic had assumed that the emeralds were the reason it was all possible, but to think it had been Sonic and Shadow themselves who were the keys to make it all happen…

Tails finishes his thought for him, clearly stating what Sonic has been trying to understand from their words. “You both must be really close, Sonic,” he says. And now, he smiles at Sonic, an unconditional acceptance in his voice. “Only two people who share a special bond could do everything you both did during that battle.”

“Huh,” Sonic says, an airy laugh escaping him. “I like the sound of that.”

“It will come in handy when you are courting him,” Knuckles suggests, and the fluttery, ecstatic sensation flooding through him is replaced with profound embarrassment. Sonic chokes on air, coughing, even as Tails bursts into laughter.

“Knuckles! Not cool, man!”

“Did I say something wrong?”

“Yes! No! I don’t know!”

Knuckles just stares at him. “When you make up your mind, you may inform me of the course of action you would recommend.” He smirks at Sonic. “I make no promises about listening to your advice, however. Be warned.”

“I’d rather not waste my time, thanks.”

“Good,” Knuckles replies. “It will give me more time to prepare for my rematch with the superior hedgehog. He is the most formidable foe I have ever faced, and I must challenge him again to reclaim my title as the most dangerous warrior in the galaxy.”

Sonic peers at him. “What am I, chopped liver?”

“No,” Knuckles says, looking at Sonic’s like he’s lost his marbles. “You are a hedgehog.”

Sonic snorts, despite himself. “Whatever,” he says, “I’m just glad you like Shadow enough to hang around him.”

“Hm,” Knuckles hums. “I do not like him. I respect him, and I trust him, but whether I like him remains to be seen.”

“Should’ve known you’d be difficult about it,” Sonic grumbles, but he doesn’t feel very worried about it. He simply nudges Knuckles with a grin. “He’ll make a believer out of you yet, Knux. Just you wait.”

Knuckles just laughs, a loud, booming sound, the kind he makes when he’s especially happy about something.

“Very well, hedgehog. I will trust your judgement.”

Sonic looks at him, and grins. He jumps on Knuckles, wrestling him to the ground. “And you’d better trust that I’m just as good an opponent as Shads is!” he yells, even as Tails is dragged along with Knuckles as his back hits the ground. Knuckles laughs again, tussling with Sonic, and Tails just squeals with laughter, his two tails hitting Sonic and Knuckles in the face as he squirms in Knuckles’ iron grip.

The sound of the trapdoor to the attic opening echoes through the room. “If you’re roughhousing, be sure not to break anything,” Tom says, even as the three of them are covered with wet licks, courtesy of Ozzy.

“Ugh, Ozzy!” they chorus, and Ozzy just pants, tongue hanging out of his mouth, satisfied after having covered them all with his slobber. While Sonic pets him and gives him the attention he’s looking for, he hears Knuckles and Tails enquiring about Tom’s visit to the attic. His ears perk up when he hears Tom’s response.

“I was just on the phone with Stone,” he informs them all. “Shadow’s with him. He said he’d drop him off at our house in a few hours.” Tom looks a little concerned, and Sonic has a few guesses as to why.

“Don’t worry,” he says, smiling at Tom. “Stone actually cares about Shadow. He really helped us out when we went on our rescue mission.”

Tom looks at him, and then cracks a smile. “If you say so,” he accepts easily. “Well, that’s all I had to say about that. Have fun, boys.” He leaves them to it, the trapdoor slamming shut behind him. Ozzy licks his face again, and Sonic indulges him, scratching his belly like he knows Ozzy wants. He stares around their shared room, looking at all the stuff they’ve amassed over the years.

And it’s like a light flicks on in his head.

“You know,” he starts. “It’s a big day for Shadow.”

Knuckles and Tails look at him curiously, waiting for him to elaborate. “GUN’s finally gone,” Sonic explains. “They’ve been awful and terrible to him for so long. Shadow deserves to celebrate the fact that they’re not going to bother him anymore.”

“I don’t think he’s one for big parties, though,” Tails muses.

“We don’t need a big party,” Sonic insists. “I know what he likes. And between the three of us—”

Ozzy barks.

“—between the four of us, I’m sure we can come up with the perfect way to celebrate his newfound freedom.”

Tails chews his lips, expression thoughtful and contemplative. “I do have this idea for a gift we can give him…”

Sonic grins. “See, that’s the spirit! We just need to brainstorm.”

“Perhaps the Lord of the Donuts and the Pretzel Woman will be able to assist us,” Knuckles says. “I propose that we all convene for a family meeting.”

“Yeah, great idea, Knux!” Sonic yells, pumping his fists. “Family meeting!”

“Yeah!” Tails cheers, spinning tails lifting him up into the air. They all grin at each other, feeling excited for the first time in a while. And Sonic can’t help but want to make the moment last forever, if not in reality, than at least in his mind, stored in something unbreakable.

And there’s only one thing to do about that. An important Earth custom.

“Bring ‘em in, team,” he says, grinning infectiously, shoving his fist in between the three of them. With matching grins of their own, Knuckles and Tails place their fists against Sonic’s, the power bump sealing the deal.

“We will throw the best victory party that Green Hills, Montana has ever known,” declares Knuckles, and Sonic laughs.

“We sure will,” he encourages. Then he nudges Knuckles with a fist. “Race you!”

And as he leaves the room through the skylight, speeding down the wall with the wind whipping in his ears, Sonic laughs. He lets himself feel the fluttering in his stomach, waves of anticipation stirring something pleasant inside him, like a return to normalcy.

He hears the sounds of Knuckles and Tails following him to round the house and head to the front door, their footsteps never too far behind his. It’s a familiar sound, one that lasts mere seconds but reverberates through his mind longer, filling him with a soul-stirring warmth. And he knows, now more than ever, that this is where he belongs.

Chapter Text

Compared to their rather emotional talk, the ride back to Sonic’s home with Stone is oddly free of tension. There’s a lightness in his chest, like some heavy weight has been lifted from his heart. Shadow closes his eyes and lets himself feel it, sinking into the seat of the car. Stone drives silently, the car rolling smoothly over the asphalt, sending gentle vibrations through him.

Shadow wonders if Sonic will be angry that he ran away again. He didn’t seem angry before. The thought persists regardless, and Shadow finds himself thinking about that as they roll up to the Wachowskis’ house. Stone helpfully carries Shadow all the way to the door, shifting him in his arms to ring the doorbell. Almost immediately, the door is opened, and Sonic grins up at Shadow, looking very small from where Shadow is being held in Stone’s arms.

“Shads!” he beams, and Stone sets Shadow down to be scooped up into Sonic’s hands. “Thanks, Stone,” Sonic says. “Guess you’re not all bad after all!”

Stone doesn’t seem to know how to reply to that. “…Sure,” he says, slowly. “Well, goodbye.”

Shadow watches him drive away, and Sonic steps back, slamming the door shut with him feet. Shadow lets Sonic carry him up the stairs, back to the guest room where he’s been staying. Sonic eases him onto the bed, letting his legs hang off the edge. “Your socks are all dirty,” he mutters.

“They’re yours,” Shadow replies, instinctively, feeling swamped with guilt for being careless with them. “I’m sorry for ruining them.”

Sonic just waves a dismissive hand. “They’re not ruined,” he says, looking unbothered. “They can be washed. Besides, I’m sure you want your stuff back.”

Shadow nods, and that’s all the confirmation Sonic seems to need, because he disappears in a streak of blue, reappearing with Shadow’s gloves and socks held in his arms. Shadow takes the articles of clothing from him, their familiar texture easing some of his discomfort. He pulls of the one white sock on his foot, slipping his foot into his own, relishing in the familiar feeling. Sonic’s socks were rather baggy; he’s happy to be back in his own.

Shadow looks up, only to find Sonic turning away from him, his foot tapping a fast-paced beat on the ground. “What’s wrong with you?” Shadow asks him, feeling very confused.

“N-nothing,” Sonic replies, the stammer in his voice giving him away.

“Why are you turned around?” Shadow presses, wondering if he’d done something wrong.

“I just wanted to give you privacy,” Sonic replies, his voice shriller than usual.

“If you wanted to give me privacy, you could just leave.”

“Oh,” Sonic mumbles. “Yeah, I guess.”

But he doesn’t move. Shadow wonders, again, if Sonic is angry with him. “Is it something I did?” he asks, and Sonic’s head shakes rapidly from side to side, quills bouncing in time with his movements. However, he still refrains from turning around to look at Shadow.

“No!” Sonic screeches, vehemently enough to stun Shadow into silence. “It’s just that…” Sonic pauses here, and takes a deep breath.

“For us, back on our planet, it’s… kind of a big deal to take of your gloves. We don’t really do it in front of others.” He laughs. “I don’t really remember much about it, but I remember that.”

Shadow frowns at him. “I didn’t grow up on your planet,” he says. “I don’t know about these customs.”

“Y-yeah,” Sonic accepts. “It’s just that… it means more to me, and I didn’t want to take the choice away from you like that. Even if you’re not aware, it feels like taking advantage, and I just wanted you to know what it means. To me, I mean. It’s fine if you don’t care! But maybe you would care if you knew, and you wouldn’t want to show me if you knew, I mean—”

“Sonic,” Shadow interrupts him, carefully. “What does it mean?”

He hears Sonic gulp, nervously. “Uh, it’s supposed to be really intimate, or something,” he says. “Most Mobians keep their gloves on at all times. That’s what Tails told me.” He sighs, his foot stilling, just short of burning a hole in the carpet. “It’s a sign of deep trust.”

Shadow just looks at him, strangely touched by Sonic’s earnest consideration. He can’t remember the last time someone cared enough to take his wishes into account like this. Only Maria had ever taken the time to ask about what Shadow wanted.

He stares at the white gloves on his hands, and back at Sonic, his quills bristled, voice soft and quiet and laced with concern.

“Sonic,” Shadow calls, feeling strangely nervous about it himself, the significance of the action weighing down on him with Sonic’s words. Sonic was right, after all. Knowing what it means does make a difference. “Turn around,” Shadow says, nevertheless, and watches as Sonic stiffens, still as a statue.

Shadow waits, a few seconds passing by, and watches Sonic slowly turn, his head bowed and eyes darting across the room. Shadow observes the nervous twitches of his fingers as Sonic fidgets with them, more awkward than Shadow has ever seen him before. It doesn’t fit the picture of Sonic as Shadow has known him.

But this might be one side of Sonic that Shadow has never had the chance to see before. And he finds that he doesn’t mind it at all.

So Shadow reaches a hand out, and Sonic slowly takes it, allowing Shadow to pull him over to stand before him. “What?” he breathes, and Shadow just keeps his eyes firmly fixed on their joined hands, reaching over to take Sonic’s other hand and place it over his own.

“You said it was a sign of trust,” he murmurs, the deep timbre of his own voice abandoning him in this moment.

“Uh-huh?”

“So,” Shadow starts, his hand held between both of Sonic’s own, burning at his touch. “Take it off.”

“W-what?” Sonic shrieks, the sound ringing in his ears, making Shadow wince from the sudden assault to his senses. “Sorry,” Sonic whispers apologetically, voice dropping several octaves. “But what?”

Shadow glares at him, feeling very foolish all of a sudden. “Never mind,” he mutters, trying to tug his hand away. “Forget it.” But Sonic grabs his retreating hand and squeezes it, holding on for dear life. Shadow looks up at him in shock, his gaze darting all over Sonic’s face, settling on the red hue dusting Sonic’s muzzle, his green eyes alight and filled with some kind of awe. Shadow wants to look away, overwhelmed by the almost reverent way Sonic is looking at him. He feels all too aware of the way his own face feels too warm, something fluttering in his stomach.

“You just—” Sonic pauses, clearing his throat. “You just surprised me.”

“Well, stop being surprised,” Shadow snaps, less out of irritation and more out of nervousness. “I trust you. You know this. Don’t make me say it again.”

Sonic just grins at him, ducking his head slightly. “Yeah,” he agrees, gently. “I know.”

The tension bleeds out of the both of them as Shadow watches Sonic’s stiff posture fade, shoulders slumping as he hooks a finger over the glove’s opening. “You sure?” he asks, voice still full of concern, the kind that makes Shadow feel warm and weightless, grateful beyond words for being able to experience it. He simply nods, not trusting himself to speak, afraid of ruining whatever this is with words. The air feels charged around them, as it usually is, and Shadow allows the familiar shiver to shoot through his spine. It really does feel like something very significant is happening, even though it’s simply Sonic pulling off a glove.

It feels right, in any case, and maybe Shadow should learn that particular lesson from Sonic.

So he curls his other hand in the sheets of the bed, and watches Sonic slowly pull off his glove. It takes all of a second, the loose cloth slipping off his hand, and yet, it feels like it lasts forever. The fabric runs over his fur, revealing a black paw, two fingers overtaken by the red stripe painting his fur over the jet black color. He feels incredibly self-conscious about the whole thing, trying to prevent his fingers from curling into his palm, even as Sonic stares at his bare hand, eyes filled with some indescribable emotion.

Neither of them says a word, even their breathing stilled to maintain the complete and utter silence that overtakes them. There are some birds chirping outside the window; Shadow barely registers the sound.

Sonic is right, he thinks. Shadow feels like he’s being torn open, all his deepest secrets exposed. It’s just a glove. He’s had it taken off before. The scientists in the lab had done it multiple times, and Shadow had never cared.

But they’d never treated him like this after the fact.

Of course they hadn’t. They’d thought him dangerous. They were afraid of him. He always noticed when they flinched at the sight of his claws, ferociously sharp despite their efforts. They’d never managed to make them blunt and safe, no matter what they tried, no matter how horribly painful their many failed attempts were. They’d called it a hazard to employee safety, a threat, a danger, and Shadow had agreed with them.

He can’t imagine why he’d done that, as he watches Sonic press his finger the tip of Shadow’s claw like it couldn’t tear him up if Shadow just felt like it, a surprisingly giddy look on his face.

“They’re so sharp,” Sonic whispers, finally breaking the thick silence permeating the room. “Mine never get like this.”

Shadow hums, softly. “I see.”

Shadow looks into his eyes, seeing nothing but pure, unfiltered admiration there, all devoted to him.

“I’ve never shown anyone my hand before,” he says, slowly. Sonic looks up at him, pausing his ministrations.

“No one’s ever seen your hand before?”

“They have,” Shadow replies. His meaning is obvious.

The straightforward admission of lack of actual agency that has defined most of his life weighs down on both of them, a constricting, burdensome feeling. Despite everything, it’s difficult not to think back, to remember just how suffocating it all was.

“What about Maria?” Sonic asks, gently, only ever seeking to understand, not pulling things he does not want to share away from him.

“She asked,” Shadow tells him, simply. “But I wasn’t allowed.”

And Maria had indeed asked. She’d asked Shadow, and he’d refused, saying that the Professor forbade it. So she’d asked him directly, and Shadow had listened in on their conversation even though he wasn’t supposed to.

“I know he’s your friend, Maria,” Gerald had said. “But he is not like you and me. You need to remember that.”

Maria, of course, never listened to him. And Shadow let himself go along with her every whim, ignoring the guilt that followed him every single time, wondering if he was putting Maria in danger by selfishly continuing to keep being with her, never putting an end to their friendship for her safety. He’d always thought about it, wondering what it would feel like, to not have to hide from her completely.

But Gerald had impressed it upon him, seeming well-intentioned despite his cruel actions. It had been a strange dichotomy, how the man could put him through all those painful experiments while still referring to him as a child, honestly meaning every word he said. Shadow still can’t make sense of it.

Even as he struggles to grapple with these conflicting thoughts, Sonic continues to hold his hand through it all, eyes never wavering, steadfastly meeting Shadow’s own. He runs his gloved fingers over the red stripe on his hand, gently moving his hand up and down.

“It’s not fair,” Sonic says, suddenly. Shadow looks at him.

“What do you mean?”

“That I ended up here,” Sonic replies, looking pained and sorrowful, like he’s read Shadow’s mind. “And that you ended up there.” He looks at Shadow, guilt marring his usually bright, cheerful expression. “I’m so sorry, Shads.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Shadow insists. Because he knows that to be true. Sonic hasn’t had an easy life himself. He’s lost his mother at a young age, not unlike Shadow’s own experience. Shadow certainly cannot begrudge Sonic for finding a family, people who love him and want him in their life. The same people who have so graciously accepted Shadow into their home, despite everything he’s done.

The people who make Shadow feel some type of way, a feeling of blissful assurance.

And at that thought, something slips into his head like the final piece of a puzzle, clicking into place neatly, like he’s finally able to place the feeling inside him that’s eluded his comprehension all this time.

“Besides,” Shadow says, fingers curling around Sonic’s hand. “Seeing your family… it makes me feel better. About what I had with Maria.”

Sonic looks at him, eyes curious. “It does?”

Shadow nods. “I’d always assumed that I was endangering her, with my powers,” he says, imparting his deepest thoughts into the world, with Sonic alone as his confidant. “It’s what everyone said about me at the lab, and even when Maria assured me that it wasn’t true, it was hard to believe. Especially after—” Shadow pauses, closing his eyes. The images flash through his mind, a vivid picture of destruction and despair, permanently seared into his memory.

“After?” Sonic prompts, kindly.

“When GUN came,” Shadow confesses, the words clipped and mechanical in an attempt to protect his emotional state, but falling out of his mouth nonetheless, wrought with a strangled grief that Shadow knows will never completely disappear. “They shot a tank filled with my chaos energy. It exploded, and then she was gone.”

Sonic looks stricken, his hands gripping Shadow’s in them tightly, his touch like a grounding presence. Sonic doesn’t say anything. Shadow is grateful for his silence. It says more than mere words can, empathetic and encouraging, emboldening him to continue.

So he does, spilling his innermost thoughts, knowing that telling Sonic about them is something he wants to do. “I blamed myself too,” he says, his voice coming out more like a whisper. “I knew it was GUN’s fault, and I blamed them more than anything. But I thought that maybe it was my fault too. It was my energy that killed her. I thought that — that I shouldn’t have stayed near her, because no matter how hard I tried, it just seemed like the Professor and everyone else were right in the end. About me being dangerous. About me being just a weapon.”

“Shadow,” Sonic starts, his voice low and soft like Shadow own. “That’s not true.”

Shadow looks at him, at the firm earnestness in his gaze. “I know that now,” he murmurs, and he can’t help but smile, directing it towards Sonic. “Because of you.”

Sonic blinks, looking taken aback. And Shadow just brings his other hand over, carefully laying it on his face. He runs his thumb under Sonic’s eye, imitating Sonic’s own actions from the previous night.

“Seeing you here, with your family… it changed things,” he says. “You had powers too, but you were happy, and you were all safe together. You saved the entire world with them.” He looks intently at Sonic. “You made me realize that it wasn’t me that hurt Maria. You reminded me of what she told me.”

“What did she say?”

“That I could choose to be anything I wanted,” Shadow tells him, the simple recollection of those words stirring something within him. “Not because of my powers, but because of who I am.” And as Sonic watches, he lets his hand fall from his face, tapping over his own chest, over his heart. “In here.”

And Sonic’s hand shakes as he brings it over, placing it over Shadow’s hand, placed over his heart. He laughs, a giddy sound. “The last time you did this,” he says, quietly. “You were asking me for something else.”

The smile falls off Shadow’s face, the phantom feeling of his own finger digging into his flesh and pressing over his heart washing over him. He remembers what he’d asked of Sonic that day, how he’d spoken cutting words and thrown painful blows, all in an attempt to get Sonic to do something that would have destroyed both of them.

Shadow remembers the image vividly, red eyes and golden fur standing above him, his fur caught in a vice grip, a glowing, crackling fist held up to bring everything to an end. He’d wanted it so much back then, lost and hurting and without hope.

Now… he’s glad that Sonic refused to make that choice. So that Shadow could do it for himself.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. He pulls his hand out of Sonic’s, suddenly ashamed of himself. He grips the white fur on his chest, an unconscious simulation of that fateful moment. “For what I did to you. It was despicable.”

“Shads, hey…”

“Don’t stop me,” Shadow says, knowing that this needs to be settled. “I was forcing you to kill me, Sonic. It wasn’t okay.” He bows his head, closing his burning eyes. “I’m sorry.”

Sonic is silent for a while, and Shadow keeps his head down, ready to accept whatever Sonic has to say.

And he looks up as a streak of white flashes in the periphery of his vision, and when he does, it’s to see a gentle smile on Sonic’s face as a bright blue paw takes his own, their fur brushing together, sending hot sparks from the very edges of his fur all the way to the deepest crevices of his brain.

“I’m sorry too,” Sonic says, eyes clouded with his own guilt. “I know you said all those things, but I was going to do it anyway. I was so mad at you for hurting Tom. I almost ruined everything.” He ducks his head down, in a manner reminiscent of Shadow’s own actions only moments prior. Sonic brings Shadow’s hand up and presses it against his forehead, and that is something new.

“I don’t even want to think about what could have happened if — if I had actually—” He stops speaking, a faint tremor passing through his body, and Shadow feels it through their connected hands. Looking at Sonic like this… perhaps Shadow isn’t the only one who has something to admit to.

So he sighs, a breathy exhale that carries some of the tension festering within him out of his body. “Then don’t,” he murmurs, running a hand over Sonic’s quills. “It’s not like you to think anyway.”

Sonic laughs, then, knocking his head against Shadow’s hand, still held tightly in his grasp. Shadow can’t help but smile along with him, the stress coiling in his chest practically bleeding out of him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, again. Shadow looks at him, and knows that there’s nothing else to be said.

“It’s okay,” he says. “I forgive you.”

Sonic looks up at him, his distraught expression slipping into something like shock. But Shadow watches as it fades away too, replaced by one of calm acceptance, emphasized by the beauteous smile that lights up his face. “I forgive you too,” Sonic says, and the words wash over them, the last vestige of their shared grievances that they have kept confined within themselves shattered, finally put to rest.

And all Shadow can feel is something falling away from him, as Sonic runs the pads of his thumbs over the back of Shadow’s hand. He leaves a searing trail along his fur in his wake, the flesh under his fur seeming to catch on fire. Shadow lets his touch burn, reveling in the implicit expression of pure trust.

“By the way,” Sonic mutters, running his fingers over the stripe on Shadow’s hand. “You gotta tell me how you got these highlights. I need this to be a thing.”

Shadow just laughs at that, a freeing sensation. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replies. Sonic just grins at him.

“We’ll figure it out,” he says, the words as serious as can be, despite the humor in his tone. “We have all the time in the world.”

At his words, Shadow finds his own teasing laugh shifting into a tender smile, one that sends a pleasant feeling through him.

And he finds himself agreeing with Sonic. What little existed between them that begged to be settled has been dealt with. The threat to their peaceful existence, the threat of GUN, is now more incapable than ever of taking everything away from them.

The same feeling that had washed over him when he’d first realized what this all meant floods through him now, and Shadow can tell that Sonic feels the same, as he brings Shadow’s hand to his face and presses soft kisses over each finger. Shadow lets him, their fur brushing against each other’s, understanding what Sonic had been saying earlier about intimacy. He feels deeply vulnerable, exposed and open, but he finds that he likes it better this way. Because it’s Sonic at the other end bearing witness to him, accepting everything he sees and more.

And caught in this moment in time, Shadow knows, more than ever, and with absolute certainty, that he’s made the right choice.

Sonic lets himself sit with Shadow for a while, Shadow’s ungloved hand held in his. But eventually, Sonic remembers the plan for the day, what he’s worked so hard on with his family. “Come on,” he tells Shadow, and pushes himself off the bed as Shadow stares after him curiously. Sonic pulls on his gloves, and slowly picks up Shadow’s discarded glove, slipping it over his hand, feeling rather regretful as the black and red fur disappears under the white fabric.

But Sonic shakes it off as Shadow looks at him, bemused. He grins, unable to help the excitement in his voice. “You’re going to love this,” he says. “Tails, Knuckles and I have been working on it all day.” Sonic rushes over to the door, cupping his hands around his mouth and yelling for his brothers. And they appear in the doorway just as Sonic makes his way back to the bed to sit next to Shadow again, sporting matching grins on their face.

“Hi, Shadow,” Tails says. “I’m glad you’re back.” Knuckles nods, and Sonic grins at Shadow’s unsure thanks, murmured more than properly spoken. He watches Shadow’s eyes travel to the poorly wrapped object held in Knuckles’ arms, a hastily tied ribbon adorning the shoddy wrapping.

“This is for you, impressive hedgehog,” Knuckles states solemnly, handing the gift over to Shadow, who takes it almost instinctively. He doesn’t look like he knows what to do with it, and Sonic decides to take pity on him.

“Open it,” he says, and Shadow blinks at him, a slow realization dawning in his eyes as he picks at the tape, slowly peeling it off. Sonic feels oddly relaxed watching him meticulously open the gift, a method so at odds with Sonic’s own way of opening presents, which usually involves tearing the paper to bits.

Finally, Shadow opens the present, and stares at the object he’s holding in his hand. “What is it?” he asks. Tails beams, always happy to talk about one of his inventions.

“It’s a brace for your leg!” he exclaims. Shadow’s gaze drops to the brace again, his finger idly tracing along the red stripes painted on the jet black surface, an obvious reference to the color of his fur. “It’s mechanized so that you can actually walk normally on your leg, even though you’re wearing a cast! It stabilizes the movement of your leg so that you won’t jostle your broken bone while walking.”

“And,” Sonic adds. “It’s in your color! Cool, huh?” He nudges Shadow’s arm. “Knuckles and I did that.”

Shadow doesn’t say anything, though his eyes rake over the brace in his arms. “Here,” Sonic says, speaking up again. “Lemme help you.” He pulls Tails’ invention from Shadow’s hands, and slides off the bed to kneel down and fasten the brace over the large, thick cast on Shadow’s leg. Shadow just stays still, even when Tails approaches and takes over, adjusting a few things.

Finally, he steps back, smiling at Shadow. “Give it a try!”

Shadow does, slowly pushing himself off the bed, easing his leg onto the ground. The brace hits the carpet with a muffled clunk, and gentle whirring and clicking noises fill the air as Shadow experimentally strides back and forth. Sonic watches him, unable to keep the huge grin off his face.

Shadow turns back around, coming to stand before the three of them. “Oh!” Tails exclaims, before anyone can say anything. “Your shoes!”

“I’ll get ‘em!” Sonic shoots out of the room, all the way to Tails’ workshop, and returns with Shadow’s shoes clutched in his hands. He hands them to Shadow, who takes them with a thanks.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Tails says. “I just cleaned them a little. Just a little maintenance.”

Shadow doesn’t say anything, simply slipping on his shoes. The added height leaves his feet lopsided, and Tails steps in again to adjust the brace to accommodate for the change. Shadow lets him work, a strange expression on his face. When Tails pulls away, he takes a few more steps, moving away from and then coming back to his original position. Sonic watches him stare down at his feet, scuffing his broken one against the carpet.

“So, what do you think?”

Shadow looks up at them, and Sonic finally places the look in his eyes. Shadow looks touched, grateful beyond belief. It lights up his eyes, a rare and beautiful shimmer gracing them all with its presence. “Thank you,” Shadow breathes, gaze sweeping over the three of them. And he doesn’t say anything more, but the sheer magnitude of the gratitude is easily understood.

“You’re welcome, Shadow,” Tails replies. Sonic watches his twin tails flutter in satisfaction, and feels very satisfied himself.

“Alright!” he calls, clapping his hands. “I think we’ve monopolized Shadow enough. Tom, Maddie and Ozzy are waiting downstairs, so let’s get a move on!”

Tails and Knuckles cheer, leading the way out of the room as Sonic follows next to Shadow. Shadow looks genuinely befuddled, confusion etched into his gaze. Sonic nudges him again. “You didn’t really think the surprise was over, didja?”

“I don’t know,” Shadow mutters as a reply. “No one’s ever surprised me like this before.”

“Oh,” Sonic says, thinking it over. “I can’t imagine there’s much you do in a military base without a bunch of people checking on it first.”

Shadow nods absently. “Maria always complained about that,” he shares, and Sonic accepts the silence that follows that statement.

“Well, I hope you like what we’ve put together,” he says, and Shadow looks at him, nodding. Sonic just smiles back at him, taking his hand, relishing at the feeling of Shadow’s fingers curling over his own. He tugs Shadow along with him, pulling him into the dining room.

And he can’t help but savor the shocked expression on Shadow’s face as he takes in the banner hanging from the ceiling, reading ‘Welcome (back) to Earth!!’ in multicolored letters, further decorated with colorful paw prints, courtesy of Ozzy. There’s an expression of pure shock on Shadow’s face, as he stares at the banner with a wonderous expression, pure and unfiltered awe shining through his eyes.

“Now, I know you’ve already been on Earth for a while,” Tom explains, as Shadow’s gaze falls over to him upon hearing his words. “But I don’t think you’ve actually seen the planet, apart from a military base in the middle of nowhere.”

“No,” Shadow murmurs in agreement, his eyes moving from Tom over Maddie, and then across the rest of them. Sonic takes his arm, squeezing gently.

“So this is our way of officially welcoming you to Earth!” he exclaims, beaming at Shadow when he turns to look at Sonic, mouth open slightly.

“We honor you today, superior hedgehog,” Knuckles says, the firm, strong cadence of his voice seemingly snapping Shadow out of his apparent trance.

“You did this… for me?” he asks, his voice small and imploring, like he can hardly believe what’s happening in front of his eyes is real. Sonic’s blinding grin fades into a softer expression, and he draws Shadow into a hug.

“It’s all for you,” he affirms, as Shadow melts into his embrace. “This is your day, Shads.”

Shadow’s arms come to wrap around him, like he needs the touch to come back to the moment. Sonic smiles, and hugs him until he hears Maddie leave the room. They pull apart as she comes back, bearing a huge cake in her hands. Shadow’s eyes track the cake as she places it on the table. Sonic peers over to look at it as well, observing the writing on it, the same words as displayed on the banner but painted out in icing.

“It’s homemade,” he says, proudly. “Maddie is amazing at baking.”

“Thank you, Sonic!” Maddie exclaims, smiling at him. “Now, do you mind fetching the candles?”

Sonic gives her a salute, and there are about four candles sticking out of the cake in less than a second. Tails flies up to light them, and Sonic looks on as Shadow watches the candles, their gentle light dancing in his eyes.

“It’s for you,” he says, again. “Wanna blow them out?”

“Me?” comes the question, hesitant yet hopeful, and Sonic just takes Shadow’s hand and helps him climb onto a chair.

“Come on,” he encourages, smiling reassuringly at Shadow. “Blow them out.”

Shadow looks at Sonic, and then looks around the room, observing the smiles on everyone’s face. And Sonic observes, a muted excitement curling within him, as Shadow sucks in a deep breath and blows out the candles in one swoop. He watches Shadow’s eyes widen as the room fills with polite claps, looking amazed, even as miniscule wisps of smoke curl in the air, the only remnants of the tiny flames that existed there only seconds ago.

“You’re a natural,” he whispers to Shadow. Shadow, for his part, just seems to be taking it all in. His gaze passes over his family once more, their happy, cheerful expressions never faltering.

And as the room echoes with the sound of their claps, they’re all rewarded with the smallest upward curve of Shadow’s mouth, the gentle smile transforming his face, as it always does on the few occasions that Sonic has experienced it. Shadow’s smiles are like shooting stars to him. Fleeting visions of light, beautiful and ethereal, mesmerizing beyond words. They are infinitely precious, meant to be savored on the rare occasions that they appear.

And Sonic sears this memory into his mind as well, never wanting to forget the expression of pure joy gracing Shadow’s face, openly visible for them all to see.

Maddie walks over to place a hand on Shadow’s shoulder, handing him a knife. “Do the honors?” she asks him, and Shadow looks at her before taking the knife from her, pressing it to the cake and slowly cutting a perfectly triangular piece. Maddie helps him pull it out from the rest of the cake, placing it on a paper plate and handing Shadow a fork.

“Go on,” she says. “Try it.”

Shadow looks at her, and Maddie smiles at him in return. He takes a bite of the cake, and Sonic grins wide enough that his cheeks hurt as the wonderous glimmer returns to Shadow’s eyes. He doesn’t waste any time in eating another piece, seemingly unable to help himself. Maddie claps her hands.

“Alright, everyone,” she calls. “Let’s dig in!”

Shadow sinks down to sit on the chair properly, the paper plate clutched tightly in his hands as everyone clamors around the cake for a piece. Soon enough, the entire large cake is distributed between the lot of them.

Even Ozzy gets his own treats, and he settles next to Shadow’s chair, evidently quite fond of the newest face taking up residence in the Wachowski household already. His enjoyment of his treats are punctuated with occasional licks to Shadow’s leg, and Sonic giggles at the way Shadow shivers each time. Despite his apparent discomfort, Shadow never fails to lean over and pat Ozzy’s head, scratching behind his ears. Sonic smiles at the adorable sight, and he feels tempted to say that his heart is swelling inside his chest from the overwhelming fondness making itself known there.

“Okay, now that we’ve had the dessert,” Tom announces. “It’s time for the actual lunch!”

Maddie enlists Knuckles and Sonic to go fetch their lunch, and they return with a platter of Tom’s sandwiches, which Sonic likes to unironically call the best sandwiches in the world. Apparently it’s a recipe passed down through a long line of Wachowskis, and Sonic quickly sets out plates for all of them, beyond ready to dig in.

And dig in they do, the sounds of lettuce crunching echoing around the dining table. Sonic can’t help but look at Shadow as he takes a small bite of the sandwich, only to start taking larger and faster bites immediately after. He polishes it off almost as fast as Sonic himself, and Maddie wordlessly places another one on his plate.

“Thank you,” Shadow says. He pauses for a second. “It’s very good.”

Tom smiles at him, looking very pleased. “Thanks, bud,” he says, and Shadow’s ears twitch happily, undoubtedly in response to the the casual way Tom had just addressed him. Sonic just grins at him, hooking their ankles together, just like they did during breakfast.

Overall, lunch is just as chaotic and loud as always, with Knuckles and Sonic finding something to compete over and Tails trying to explain one of his inventions to a group of people who just don’t get it. Shadow doesn’t say anything, but he seems riveted to the conversation happening, just as much a part of it as anyone despite his silence.

After everyone finishes up their lunch, Sonic whisks away all their empty plates, stashing them in the sink to wash later, a concession given by Tom and Maddie in light of the special circumstances. When he gets back to the table, Shadow is still there, listening intently as Tails explains something while gesturing wildly. Shadow nods intermittently, and Sonic allows himself a private smile as he slips out, catching Shadow opening his own mouth to respond to Tails just as he leaves the room to check on everything else.

He lets Shadow and Tails converse for about ten minutes before walking back in to interrupt. Tails beams at him. “Shadow was just telling me about how his shoes work,” he exclaims. “I didn’t even realize chaos energy could be infused into objects manually without special equipment!”

Shadow nods, and Sonic feels rather relieved that he doesn’t look put off by Tails’ enthusiasm. Maybe Tails is just so gosh darn cute. Sonic knows that he could never be put off Tails for any reason.

He stops that train of thought before it leads him too astray. “Sounds great,” he says. “But it’s time for the highlight of the day.”

“There’s more?” Shadow says, the words seemingly falling out of his mouth, if they way he bites his lip a second later is any indication. But Sonic doesn’t let it deter him.

“There sure is!” he replies, and takes Shadow’s hand, pulling him over to the living room. “Ta daaaaa~” he sings. Despite his enthusiasm, Sonic feels rather anxious as Shadow takes in the sight before him, a symphony of comfort.

A pillow fort, lovingly constructed using every pillow and blanket that exists in the Wachowski house, sits in the middle of the living room. The table that usually sits in the middle of the room has been pushed off to the side. Sonic watches with some nervousness as Shadow takes it all in, the gentle glow emanating from the fairy lights strung up in the fort reflecting in his eyes, making them shine all on their own.

Tom, Maddie, Tails, Knuckles and Ozzy hover just outside the room, noticed by Sonic but not by Shadow. It seems that all Shadow can see is the pillow fort, an ambitious project that all of them undertook together.

Sonic informs Shadow of this, keeping his voice gentle and soft, a comforting whisper in Shadow’s ear. “We built it for you,” he says, his hand still holding Shadow’s. “I thought it might be appropriate.”

Shadow doesn’t speak, he doesn’t even move. He just stands there, like a figure made of stone, unmoving, like he’s looking at the pillow fort but seeing something else entirely.

“Uh, dude?” Sonic calls, gently tugging on Shadow’s hand. “Are you okay?” When Shadow still doesn’t reply, he winces. “I’m really sorry if we overstepped, or—”

His words die in his throat, interrupted as Shadow turns to Sonic, throwing his arms around his neck and burying his face in Sonic’s shoulder. Sonic feels his own eyes widen, but his utter shock at Shadow initiating a hug fades remarkably quickly, and he wraps his arms around Shadow’s waist, hugging him close.

“Thank you,” Shadow breathes, his voice suspiciously choked. “Thank you, Sonic.”

Sonic doesn’t comment on the wetness he can feel on his shoulder, instead simply running his hand up and down Shadow’s back comfortingly, smoothing down the fur there. There’s a lot he could say, but none of it really matters right now. So Sonic just stands there and lets Shadow hug him close, never wanting to let him go.

Eventually, though, they have to part, and Sonic turns away to let Shadow surreptitiously wipe at his eyes. The rest of his family take that as their cue to enter, traipsing in, carrying multiple large bowls of popcorn. Shadow stares at them, his gaze shifting over to the TV, clearly catching onto their plans.

Sonic just grins, taking his hand and tugging him over the pillow fort. “Get in, get in,” he insists, and Shadow slowly enters, settling down on the pillows laid out on the ground. He sits in that curled up way of his, one knee pulled to his chest with his arms wrapped around his leg, his broken leg stretched out in front of him. And Sonic settles down right next to him, shamelessly leaning against Shadow. He gives a dramatic sigh of relief, even as Knuckles and Tails peek over the entrance.

“Mind if we join you?” asks Tails, not wanting to overstep Shadow’s boundaries.

And Sonic finds himself thrilled when Shadow agrees. “Sure,” he says, and Knuckles and Tails immediately scramble into the pillow fort, making themselves comfortable. The world outside becomes darker, and Sonic knows that Tom and Maddie have drawn the blinds in an attempt to simulate movie night, but in the afternoon.

“What movie shall we watch?” Knuckles asks, the line that precedes a usually intense and noisy debate. But the consensus is pretty clear this time.

“I think it’s Shadow’s turn to pick,” Sonic states, receiving nods from everybody. Shadow looks stunned that his opinion is being taken into consideration.

“But I don’t know any of these movies,” he says.

“That’s okay, sweetheart,” Maddie says. “Pick whichever one you like. Or tell us a movie you do know, and we can watch that.”

Shadow looks pensive, nervously glancing around them all. “We can watch that one you showed me before,” he murmurs, and Sonic looks at him.

“You mean Beauty and the Beast?”

Shadow nods.

“An excellent choice,” Knuckles proclaims, solemnly. “It is a fine motion picture.”

Sonic rolls his eyes fondly, and quickly shows Shadow how to use the remote to navigate through different movies, and how to search them up. Soon enough, the movie starts playing, and the three bowls of popcorn are distributed between the pairs of Sonic and Shadow, Knuckles and Tails, and Tom and Maddie.

Ozzy curls up next to Shadow, and Shadow occasionally offers him popcorn, which is always accepted with a gesture of gratitude, the most slobbery kind possible. Sonic suppresses a laugh at the way Shadow’s quills just stay up after a point of time, a result of persistent licks from Ozzy. Eventually, Shadow resigns himself to it, not making any effort to smooth them back down after his first few attempts are thwarted in a matter of minutes. Instead, his eyes are glued to the movie, stroking up and down Ozzy’s back with one hand, the other still held in Sonic’s own.

And once the movie ends, Sonic turns to Shadow. “So, what else do you wanna watch?”

“Shouldn’t someone else pick?” Shadow asks, sounding surprised.

“We did pick,” Maddie informs Shadow, her eyes twinkling. “Our choices are whatever you want to watch.” She smiles kindly at him, and Shadow stares at back her, something soft and incredibly emotional in his gaze. He just nods, like his words have failed him.

“Go ahead, bud,” Tom encourages. “TV’s all yours today. For as long as you like.”

“Thank you,” Shadow whispers again, and Sonic just squeezes his hand.

All through the afternoon and into the evening, they cycle through a variety of movies. There are a few other animated ones, like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinnochio, One Hundred and One Dalmatians, and other classics that Sonic has actually never gotten around to watching. A soft green hue covers Shadow’s face as he suggests each title rather shyly, but he gets bolder as each movie is simply played without comment, everyone sincerely giving them a chance. Sonic enjoys them all, for what it’s worth.

Shadow also suggests many other movies, varying in genre. They watch movies like Mary Poppins, which they’ve all watched before, courtesy of Maddie. The Wizard of Oz is something none of them have watched before, but Sonic finds it pretty entertaining.

“You’ve got good taste,” he whispers to Shadow, and Shadow tosses popcorn at him in response. They get into a small popcorn-tossing fight that ends when Ozzy bowls them over in order to get to the spilled pieces. Shadow grins, joining Sonic in a game of basketball, but with popcorn instead of a ball and Ozzy’s mouth instead of a basket.

At about six, they take a break from the constant barrage of movies to rest their eyes. Sonic fetches the deck of UNO, also taking the opportunity to stretch his legs, and all six of them play together. Surprisingly, Knuckles wins, and Shadow gets to witness the completely unsportsmanlike behavior Tails exhibits when he loses the game, which includes him angrily tossing his remaining cards onto the pillows below and sulking and moping until Maddie offers him a consoling kiss on the forehead.

Their impromptu UNO session is immediately followed by dinner, which for once, they eat in front of the TV instead of at the table. Knuckles’ gets something to his own taste when they watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s, all while ravenously consuming Olive Garden breadsticks as a post dinner snack.

Oddly, Shadow requests that they watch an episode of Star Trek after that, something that makes Tom and Tails very happy. Sonic almost grumbles at that, as a proud and loyal Star Wars fan who is not about to turn traitor (despite Tails’ assurances that you can, in fact, like them both). But Shadow’s sheer excitement over the episode playing on TV, despite his face not revealing much at all, forces Sonic to give it a chance.

And he knows deep in his heart that he wouldn’t mind watching more of it, if that’s the look that he’ll be seeing on Shadow’s face if he does.

Sonic pulls his eyes away from the TV to rub at them, and notices suddenly that it’s become pretty dark outside. The only light in the room is from the TV, and the lights illuminating them inside the pillow fort.

“Okay,” Sonic says, stretching, and wincing as his joints pop. “What’s next?”

Shadow just looks at him, and looks away. “Can we watch A Charlie Brown Christmas?” he asks, and Sonic blinks at the unique selection. Shadow seems to notice his surprise.

“It was one of Maria’s favorites,” he murmurs, and everyone turns to him.

“Well,” Maddie says, smiling. “Then it must very good.”

Shadow just nods, curling in on himself. As A Charlie Brown Christmas starts playing, Maddie frowns, pausing it. “Hold on,” she says. “Knuckles, sweetheart, do you mind coming with me for a minute?”

Sonic watches Knuckles and Maddie head out to wherever they’re going, and slips out himself. He fetches the blanket he’d folded and placed on his bed earlier that morning, and brings it down. He slips back into the pillow fort, taking his place next to Shadow, and gently unwraps the blanket, draping it over Shadow’s shoulders.

Shadow doesn’t say anything, just pulling on its edges and adjusting it until it covers him properly. Maddie and Knuckles return, arms laden with cookies and cups of hot chocolate. They’re all passed around, and Sonic smiles at the sight of Shadow nibbling on his cookie, eyes alight at the sweet taste.

They all sip their hot chocolate together, burrowed in the pillow fort, watching A Charlie Brown Christmas. The sweet scent of hot chocolate wafts through the air, filling his senses with a deep satisfaction. And in the midst of this peaceful, serene moment, Sonic finds himself unable to resist the urge to look at Shadow. So he does, discreetly turning his head around.

And there’s a small, genuine smile on his face, a gentle constant, the glowing fairy lights framing his face like a golden halo. They cast a gentle glow upon him that seems to make him practically shine. It’s enchanting, and Sonic can’t look away.

Shadow’s eyes meet his own, suddenly, like they’re caught in their own private moment, as though no one else is here. “What?” Shadow whispers, and Sonic has nothing to say, only able to gaze into the deep red pools of his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed with a flooding happiness.

And so, he says nothing, simply snaking his hand over Shadow’s shoulders to pull him closer, letting him rest his head on Sonic’s shoulder. Shadow comes pliantly, his quills brushing against Sonic’s cheek. Their empty cups are set to the side, and Sonic can still taste the rich flavor of the hot chocolate.

Shadow shifts, making himself more comfortable, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself. Sonic strokes his quills, resting his own head over Shadow’s own. They sit like that, and a welcome feeling permeates the air. One of pure contentment and rest, like the essence of happiness distilled to its purest form. There’s no other feeling like this in the world, surrounded by his family, Shadow right by his side.

And as Sonic continues to stroke his quills, Shadow goes limp, his weight heavier on Sonic’s shoulder. And before he can question it, a gentle sound fills the air. Sonic looks down in pure astonishment at Shadow, feeling the vibrations flowing through him as Shadow purrs, comfortable and relaxed in the blissful embrace of sleep. Sonic stares at him for longer than he knows, and when he finally looks up at his family, their expressions match his own.

They share looks of deep joy and satisfaction, knowing that their purpose has been achieved. Sonic closes his own eyes, burying his hand in Shadow’s quills, the gentle rumbling of Shadow’s relaxed purr soothing him beyond anything he could ever imagine.

When he opens his eyes again, Knuckles and Tails are asleep as well, curled together, Ozzy ensconced between them. Sonic watches as Tom turns the TV off, he and Maddie on either side of the entrance to the pillow fort, silent sentinels watching over their kids. Sonic slowly lowers himself to the ground, taking Shadow with him. He tugs the blanket out of Shadow’s hands and huddles under it himself. Their heads rest on pillows, the epitome of comfort, and Sonic has never felt luckier to be home, where he belongs, among the people who matter more than anything else to him.

More than anything, tonight, he’s happy that Shadow is here with him, finally safe and sound, after everything. And Sonic knows that there’s nothing that will stop him from watching over Shadow for as long as he lives, knowing that the same will be done for him. So he smiles, closing his own eyes, arms wrapped around Shadow, holding him close in the warmest of embraces.

And Shadow shuffles closer to him, lost in a haze of dreams. A small smile continues to pull at his face, and Sonic knows that his dreams are pleasant ones tonight.

Chapter Text

Look at all those stars.

Shadow does, watching the stars twinkle in the sky, like they are looking back at him, rare and precious gems embedded in the canvas of pure black. Shadow gazes at them, at the way they pierce through the shroud of darkness that make up the night. The moon hovers in the air as well, an everlasting symbol of the resilience of the Earth, a constant reminder of what almost came to be.

And under the roof he lies on are the people who are responsible for the protection of this planet. Tom and Maddie. Knuckles and Tails.

Sonic.

And like he’s been summoned by Shadow’s thoughts, light footsteps tap out a rhythmic pattern on the shingles, until Sonic comes over to him on the roof, quiet and considerate. He lies down next to Shadow, shifting closer to him until their arms brush against each other’s, like he might fade away if they don’t touch. Shadow finds himself feeling much the same, as nonsensical as the thought is.

“You’re not staying here, are you.”

There is no question in Sonic’s voice. There is no condemnation, or desperation. Just a simple, factual statement, relayed with complete understanding. Shadow continues to keep his gaze fixed to the stars.

“No, I’m not.”

Sonic shifts beside him. His shoe scuffs against the rough surface beneath them.

“I’m grateful to your family,” Shadow says, softly, infusing his voice with all the care and gratitude he knows Sonic deserves. “I’m grateful to you. You’ve welcomed me into your home and made me feel like I belong here.” He turns his head to the side, meeting Sonic’s gaze, emeralds sparkling in his eyes.

“But?” Sonic asks, words a whisper, almost carried away by the gentle night breeze.

“But this is your life,” Shadow says, pulling his eyes away, glancing up at the stars once more. “I want to find my own.”

Sonic doesn’t reply immediately. But his hand reaches over to pull at Shadow’s, and Shadow lets Sonic draw their clasped hands between them two of them. Sonic’s thumb draws a gentle pattern on the back of his hand, incomprehensible but comforting.

“What will you do?” he asks, and Shadow only shrugs.

“I don’t know,” he confesses. “But I suppose that not knowing is part of the experience.”

Sonic seems to agree. “I guess that’s true.”

They fall into a still silence, the implications of Shadow’s decision a ringing voice in the air around them. Shadow feels that way, at least, as he waits for Sonic’s reaction, a sensation of nervousness empowering his heart to drum out a steady beat against his ribs.

And after what seems like an eternity, Shadow gets his answer.

“I get it,” Sonic says, replying to Shadow with a calm certainty in his voice, the words a soothing balm on the fiery anxiety rippling through his being.

“You do?”

“Of course.” Sonic huffs out a laugh, small and relieved. “I’m happy, actually.”

Shadow glances at him, curious. “What do you mean?”

Sonic looks back at him in return, and Shadow drowns under his scrutiny, consumed by his soulful gaze. “That day, you said you didn’t even want to live anymore. That you had nothing to live for.”

Shadow remembers that moment, barely a few nights ago. The shattering, consuming pain he’d felt in his heart is a vivid memory, seared into his consciousness. Compared to those moments, when all he could feel was a crushing, all-consuming despair, his heart is lighter now, brought alive by the gentle flames of hope.

Sonic squeezes his hand, drawing him back to the present. He smiles, green eyes crinkling. “I’m glad that’s changed.”

“It has,” Shadow tells him, honestly. He smiles, the gesture coming to him naturally, with a pleasant ease. The silence that falls over them this time is not wrought with tension, more natural and comfortable, like a familiar state of relaxation. They stay in that state for a long while, a moment suspended in time, like only the two of them exist. It’s like their world is lit up by the infinite stars littering the sky above, shining just for the both of them.

In the end, Sonic is the one to break the silence, something that Shadow has come to expect from him. “Remember what you said that day? About using my promises as an excuse to keep staying here?”

Shadow can only nod, the words echoing in his ears, the first time he’d actually admitted as much to Sonic’s face. Sonic squeezes his hand, fiddling with his thumb.

“It was an excuse for me too,” he reveals, casually. “I didn’t want you to go. I wasn’t lying about helping you, but… I really wanted you to stay.”

“Oh,” Shadow murmurs, not sure of what else to say. “I didn’t realize.”

Sonic laughs again, light as a feather. “Well, now you know.”

“I’m sorry,” Shadow says, in response, feeling rather small and guilty now. “For that day. I… I must have hurt you.” He frowns, pushing himself up into a sitting position. His hand stays in Sonic’s, unable to pull away from his unrelenting grip. Shadow doesn’t fight it too much.

“It’s water under the bridge,” Sonic replies, sounding completely unbothered. “You’re here now. That’s all I care about.”

Shadow sighs, the sound tumbling out of his mouth in a fit of self-imposed exasperation. “It seems so easy for you to let these things go,” he mutters, and Sonic sits up as well, tugging on his arm in the process.

“Well,” he responds, voice as light and breezy as the gentle wind ruffling through their fur. “I’ve had time to sort things out. Even so, I’m not there yet.” He knocks his shoulder into Shadow’s, smiling softly. “Give it time, Shads. You’re just getting started.”

Shadow nods, slowly. He gazes at Sonic, who smiles at him one more time before turning his head to the sky once more, stars reflecting in his eyes, like pools of shimmering green adorned with the most beautiful diamonds. The gentle silence of nature surrounds them, and the last time Shadow knew peace like this was when he sat with Maria to gaze at the stars, his hand held in hers.

Maria isn’t here anymore. But that feeling of peace, of tranquil contentment has not vanished from his world. It’s possible, and this moment is proof of that.

Sonic is proof of that.

And so, Shadow laces his fingers with Sonic’s, their hands clasped together tightly. He pulls Sonic towards himself, and presses a kiss to the back of his hand, hoping that it conveys all that he can’t find the words to express. He hopes that it conveys to Sonic how important he is to Shadow, the utter incandescence that he invokes within him. Sonic simply lets him, his breath hitching for a second. His eyes are wide with surprise, an emotion filling his gaze that Shadow knows is reflected in his own.

 “I still don’t know what I’ll find,” he murmurs, Sonic’s soft breaths echoing in his ears.  “I don’t know what life will be like. But… I want to try.”

“I’m glad,” Sonic repeats. The slight shock is gone from his face, replaced entirely by a warm happiness. “There’s a lot out there to find. I just know that there’s something out there for you.”

Shadow nods, memories spilling into the forefront of his mind, the constant, joyous reminders that opportunities for a new life exist. Second chances exist.

All he has to do is choose to reach out and take them.

Even if Maria isn’t with him anymore, Shadow can find something new. He can carry her memory forward, make sure that she is never truly gone. He can live on for her.

And he can live on for himself, for the simple joy of being able to watch the stars. For the happiness he finds in Sonic’s company.

For the experience of finding a new life, one where he can finally be himself, not limited to the walls of a lab where he was nothing more than a project. A life he knows Maria wanted for him.

A life he’s realized he wants for himself.

So he sits there, letting himself believe it, reveling in the newfound understanding that he’d denied himself for so long.

“Look,” Sonic whispers, suddenly, pointing at some distant point in the sky. Shadow follows his finger, gaze tracking across the sky.

And he sees it, the fading remnants of a tapestry in the sky, the swirling nebula that had painted the night sky with a splash of white. It’s a beautiful sight, despite the circumstances behind its creation. Despite what it means for Ivo Robotnik, despite what it should have meant for Shadow.

And yet, he’s here, in a miracle that he can only now come to truly appreciate and be thankful for.

So he gazes upon it, knowing that it will never completely disappear. But one day, it will fade until it can no longer be seen. And everything that happened there will be a distant memory, not forgotten, but drowned out by the many others he’s collected since then.

By the many other memories that he intends to collect.

And with that thought, Shadow slides his hand out of Sonic’s, wrapping both of his hands around Sonic’s arm. He rests his head on Sonic’s shoulder, a bold, intimate action, one that feels so utterly perfect, like this is how it is meant to be. A gentle weight comes to rest over his own head, and Shadow can feel Sonic nuzzling into his quills, a contented purr rising from his throat.

The stars still glimmer in the sky, unwavering in their brilliance, and it seems to him that if he listens hard enough, he can hear them laughing, like the gentle jingle of bells, the world’s favorite song.

It says all that needs to be said, and there’s nothing more to do. So they simply sit where they are, and gaze at the patterns in the sky above. They do so until the glimmering orbs in the sky are drowned out, as the velvet cloak above them yields to the approaching glow, shifting into beautiful hues of pale pink and orange.

The sun peeks out from beyond the horizon, casting its gentle light upon them. It takes him back to another time, when he sat on the surface of the moon, hurting and lost, and was found once more. This situation is different, and yet it is all too similar, the same unbridled hope weaving its way through his entire being, the promise of something better.

And as the world comes alive once more, Sonic and Shadow sit together, soaking in the company of the other, an understanding between them that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

They watch the sun drift higher and higher, its familiar visage journeying upwards to grace the sky with its presence, smiling down on the world. And Shadow knows what it brings with it. The promise of new beginnings, of a new life, waiting for him to chase after it. And in this moment, Shadow knows that the sunrise is only one of many he will get to see, the dawn of another new day, the first of many more yet to come.

And as the sky shifts from soft pinks and oranges to a light, gentle sea of blue, sounds echo up to them from inside the house. The skylight pops open behind them, and both Sonic and Shadow turn to see Tails and Knuckles there, smiles on their faces. “Tom and Maddie are calling us for breakfast,” says Tails. “Better get a move on, or Knuckles might eat your share!”

Knuckles laughs. “The fox is right,” he agrees. “Prove your worth by joining us at the table before I get the chance to eat your breakfast,” he challenges, and Shadow watches Sonic stick his tongue out at them, unable to help the rush of fondness flooding through him. Knuckles and Tails simply laugh, the skylight snapping shut as they pull away, undoubtedly heading downstairs.

Familiar voices clatter around, joined in a domestic melody by the chirping of the birds in the woods as they sing to greet the morning. Sonic shifts, standing up and stretching, even as Shadow glances at him.

At the incredibly mundane sight, a feeling of pure excitement washes over him, a thrilling anticipation, an eagerness to learn what comes next for him. And no matter what the future holds, he has no doubt at all that Sonic will be there, right by his side.

And as though he’d peered into Shadow’s head to read his thoughts, Sonic turns, and reaches towards Shadow, a familiar sight.

“Let’s go,” he says, smiling, gazing back at Shadow tenderly, like he is something infinitely precious. Sonic’s palm is open, an enticing invitation extended to him, like the first step towards a new life, one that’s all his.

Shadow smiles, and takes his hand.