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It’s surprising how much of Sonic’s life is preplanned for him, considering his personality is described by many as unpredictable; he’s expected to save an island from Eggman over and over, eventually settle down with Amy, and be content .
Sonic can’t help but feel exasperated by how much pressure is constantly placed on him to play the same role over and over. He knows there’s an entire world out there, he’s seen it on the maps Tails’ pours over when he thinks no one is looking. He, apparently, isn’t the only one with wanderlust. With the wings of his plane, he could soar far, far away from this. Sonic could go with, or maybe just run on the water until he finds land.
Intrinsitically, he thinks, they’re bound by more than friendship and the mutual feeling of brotherhood. They must be made of the same stuff, like how the kit regales them with tales of the universe exploding into being, stars forming and dying in the (relative) blink of an eye. “We’re all made of stardust,” Tails had said, a giddy smile on his face. Sonic thinks they came from the same one.
The urge to get up and run away overwhelmed him at times, the laps around the beach not curbing the hunger to see something new. He dreams of skyscrapers and mountains so tall they pierce the clouds; of deserts that span miles and storms that tear up the very earth he stands on; of bigger things than a small village and small minds. He needs to escape from this.
He’s snapped out of his reverie by one of Eggman’s robots narrowly missing hitting him straight in the mug, straightening instantly and parring the attack from another (Eggman called them ‘Gobstoppers’, what a joke). Sonic takes stock of his surroundings, easily clocking it as a win for their side. Eggman scowled from a distance, slamming his hands into his vehicle’s control desk. “I’ll get you! You’ll all rue the day you crossed me! Remember it!”
Sonic watches him speed off. Victory after victory and he was sick of it. There were no real challenges anymore, just an incompetent doctor who babbled about ruling the world.
“Great job, team!” Amy jogs into his vision, already holding a clipboard as she notes the damage done. “We’ll clean up and then regroup, yeah?”
He watches the others nod and agree, sluggishly doing his share of the work. “Are you doing alright, Sonic?” He flinches, turning to see Tails. “You’ve been acting… off… lately,” he says, face screwing up in concern. “need any help?”
“Ah, no, I’m okay,” Sonic smiles sheepishly. “Just a little bored, I guess. Fighting Eggman gets old when he doesn’t find anything interesting to toy with.”
Tails nods, muttering softly under his breath. “I hear you,” he says, giving Sonic a knowing look before walking off to whack a robot with his wrench.
“Can we go to Meh Burger after this? Fighting makes me hungry.” Knuckles shifts a piece of metal over his shoulder, motioning to his stomach with his free hand. “Guy like me needs a lot of empty calories, you know.”
Amy claps her hands together, her smile somehow brightening. “Sounds like a great idea! We can regroup for lunch and then—”
“I was going to go for a run,” he interrupts, shrugging off her glare. “I’ll meet you at Meh Burger when I’m hungry.”
The pink hedgehog stomps her foot, narrowing her eyes at Sonic. “Be a team player, Sonic, you can’t just run off whenever you like!” She leans forward and places her hands on her hips. “You haven’t gone to any of our hangouts for the past week!”
“Jeez, Ames, let a guy breathe.”
“I’m sure Sonic is just having a rough week, that’s all. Keeping him from running won’t stop anything,” Tails pipes up.
“Fine,” the woman relents, still squinting at Sonic as though that’ll make him stay. “You’re right. Just come back safe.”
He races off before she can change her mind, internally reminding himself to get that kid the biggest crate of spare parts he can.
The wind rustling his quills and rushing past his ears is a welcome distraction from the monotony, but he knows this part of the island like the back of his hand. The real fun came from navigating difficult terrain, finding alternate paths and learning how to adapt to the world. Nowhere on the island could give him that sensation anymore.
That’s a lie. There were a few places, but even he wasn’t crazy enough to go into most of them seeing as he didn’t have a death wish. He chews his lip. There was one place that didn’t guarantee his swift demise.
He hadn’t even realised he’d graviated towards the thickest part of the island’s forest when he stopped, staring down the dense leaves that awaited him. If the woods themself didn’t kill him, whatever lurked inside wouldn’t hesitate to seal his fate. He pauses for just a second, pondering his life and whether this would be worth it.
It was.
He was a certified thrill seeker and this jungle never failed to provide, the ground beneath him unstable and rocky. He grins, mind racing ahead to plan his steps. Swinging on that branch would mean I’d avoid that boulder up ahead and I could use those vines to jump over… His thoughts, normally going a mile a minute, slow down enough for him to think clearly. Balance on that stump and leap off to get enough air and avoid those thorns . Perfect clarity.
The animals chatter around him, birds calling to each other from above his head as squirrels scamper in the bushes by his feet. For just a moment, he has no responsibilities or duties or a job to do. He is a bird in the sky, flying high above everything.
Of course, he forgot about predators, the hawks that would swoop and divebomb birds to catch their next meal. In his delight, he neglected to note the small traces of another person’s presence; the rustle of leaves was easily passed off as his own noise, footsteps excused by some large animal, and most egregiously, a spin dash mark ignored in favour of pursuing a butterfly.
“Hedgehog.” Sonic panics, alarm bells ringing in his head as he registers the fact he’s not alone. He digs his heels in, barely avoiding smacking into a tree. He whips his head around and scans the area, trying to find the source of the voice.
“Shadow! Didn’t expect to see you here,” he presses his back against the tree, failing to keep his smile up as the ebony hedgehog approaches him. “Just… went out for a run. Care to join me?”
Shadow scoffs, crossing his arms. “What are you doing in my forest?”
“Didn’t know!” He chirps, putting on his best I’m just a silly little guy face.
“Everyone knows.” Crap, he didn’t buy it. His shoulders slump in mild frustration. “Need I repeat myself?” Tough crowd.
The blue hedgehog grumbles, sinking further into the tree. “Wanted to run somewhere I haven’t been before, y’know? I got stressed,” he bites his lip, cringing at how much he’d given away.
Shadow stares at him, eyes checking him over. “I suppose playing hero must be tiring.”
“You haven’t killed me yet,” slips from his mouth and he pales, cursing his loose tongue.
An amused look crosses the other’s face. “You’ve caught me on a good day, Hedgehog. Killing you would be a waste of time.” Shadow’s shoes activate again, scorching the grass beneath him. What a fire hazard. “I’ll let you off with a warning. Get out.”
He blinks, rubbing his eyes to gawk at Shadow better. “That’s it?”
“Mhm.”
“Letting me go.”
“Indeed.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“ And uninjured—?”
Shadow tilts his head, staring Sonic down. “You make it sound like you want to be hurt, faker.”
“I wouldn’t mind the day off,” he snorts. “Although explaining why most of my ribs are broken would be difficult. So maybe don’t hurt me too badly, ‘kay?”
“I never took you to be one who would enjoy sick days,” the other hedgehog replies, looking mildly interested in the conversation.
“I don’t, not really. But fighting Eggman is more boring than being cooped up inside for a day or so.”
“Trouble in paradise?”
He sighs. “Not much of a paradise, actually.”
“Really? You have crowds of adoring fans, a doting girlfriend—”
“She’s not my girlfriend,” he interrupts, furrowing his brows at how even the most loner-y loner of all time still somehow got the notion they were dating. He knew gossip travelled fast but Shadow hardly talked to anyone besides Sonic, plus he knew the other hedgehog didn’t make baseless accusations like that.
The other raised his eye ridges. “You’re aware she’s been saying you two are dating, right?”
“ What ,” he sucks in a breath, gritting his teeth. He loves Amy, he really does, but sometimes he worries she takes his friendly gestures as something more than that; his fears were not unfounded. “Chaos, no, we’re not, I don’t like her like that and I haven’t and—”
Shadow holds up a hand. “I believe you. Have you not told her?”
He groans. “I have. And why are you giving me relationship advice? I don’t think you’ve ever had one.”
“Apologises for inquiring about your wellbeing,” his voice is laced with sarcasm, a healthy eye roll accompanying it as he strides into the thicket. “I’d suggest you leave, it’s getting to be night and that’s when the real monsters come out to hunt.” He flashes a grin. “Hopefully you make it out alive.”
Sonic looks up, abruptly realising he was either running for far too long or was too engrossed in his conversation to notice the darkening of the area, a telltale sign of the setting sun even without being able to see the sky clearly beneath the jungle’s canopy. “Oh, Chaos,” he mumbles, trying to find the path he took into the clearing. Either the foliage had already concealed it or the dim light wasn’t enough to find it. Crap.
He shuffles behind Shadow, ears pressed against his skull as the hedgehog turns back. “Can I tag along? Maybe you could show me out, or—”
Shadow groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Fool,” he says, continuing on. “I won’t wait for you if you fall behind and I’m not going to give you the location of my base.”
“Fair,” Sonic says, jogging beside him. “I just need somewhere to hunker down for the night so I don’t get jumped by those monsters you mentioned. A panther, maybe?” He hears a low chuckle. Maybe his crowd wasn’t so tough.
They continue on for around 15 minutes, Sonic finally noticing the subtle trail zig-zagging through the trees. He falls into step easily, only lagging behind when the path stutters in the trees or it becomes narrow. It was a wonder Shadow could even traverse this deep into the jungle considering how few landmarks he could mark. “How do you get around?”
Shadow hums, hacking a stray branch away. “It’s easier when there’s light, but I have night vision so it’s easier for me.”
“Oh, yeah, the whole ultimate lifeform thing,” he stretches his arms out, resting them behind his head. “What’s the whole deal with that, anyway?”
“There’s a river nearby if you listen carefully; I think we’re close enough that even you can pick up on it.”
Sonic bristles, mildly offended, quietly tucking how fast that line of conversation was dropped. They both stop, the blue hedgehog straining his ears to pick anything up. It’s a faint trickle, rushing water echoing in the night. “I think I hear it, is it over there?” He points to their right, receiving a nod. “Cool. Didn’t know there was a river out here.”
“It pools into a lake nearby, the source is a spring up the mountain,” Shadow says, stepping out into a clearing. Sonic’s eyes widen; it’s lit by fireflies and lanterns, the lights flicking and waving in the wind. “I live close to it.”
“Oh,” he says, wide-eyed. “I wasn’t expecting this—”
Shadow gives him a look. “You thought I would live in a cave?”
“In my defence, I’ve only ever seen you hang out in that one by the village!” He raises his hands up, wandering around the area.
“That’s because I’m studying it ,” comes out as a huff, the man flipping open a storage bin to offer Sonic a protein bar. “The text is ancient, with the way you buffoons destroy that area I’m surprised it’s still standing.” He straightens, biting into his own piece. “The disrespect is astounding.”
Sonic groans, taking the snack. “Whatever, it’s not our fault Eggman chooses terrible places to fight. I just assumed it was graffiti.”
“You assumed glowing text was graffiti?”
“ Shut up .”
A bedroll is tossed in his direction, landing at his feet. “Go find somewhere suitable, I’ll lead you back in the morning.”
He watches the hedgehog walk off, further into the thicket, listening to his footsteps and the sounds of the leaves rustling when he can’t find him anymore.
And then he’s alone. He shifts uncomfortably, finding a particularly dense tree to settle the bedroll under. Sonic isn’t exactly uncomfortable with being alone, but he certainly isn’t thrilled with the idea of spending hours trying to fall asleep without company. The crickets chirp merrily around him, soothing some of the unease. It is beautiful, he admits, admiring the dancing lights that surround him.
The bedroll is made from better materials than he expected, pleasantly warm against the cool night. He squints in the darkness, tracing over a logo embroidered on it. He’ll have to ask Shadow where he got them from when he ever goes exploring.
… when. He is going to leave. The thought makes him giddy. What will he see, what will he do? Tails will likely want to come with, but will the others? Sticks would want to stay, Knuckles wouldn’t mind going on an adventure, and Amy…
He flops down, burying his face in his hands. Amy’s a whole can of worms that dealing with will likely give him grey quills. He gnaws on his glove’s thumb, grumbling at how it’s fraying.
In the morning, he’ll get out of this forest, make up an excuse, and sit down with Amy about the whole dating thing. Then he’ll talk to the team about leaving.
“You’re not asleep yet?”
Sonic startles , whipping his head up to see Shadow lean against a tree, a look of mild concern. He shakes himself off, pressing his lips together. “Yeah, not really tired. Bore me to sleep, would you?”
Shadow scowls, grabbing something from out of the bin. “I believe you mean to thank me for my hospitality, right? Surely the great hero Sonic wouldn’t be rude to the person who helped him.”
“Sorry, sorry,” Sonic shrugs. “Thanks for letting me hole up here. Where’d you get these sleeping bags from?”
“Why do you need to know?”
And he brushed me off again, great. “I want to go to the mainland, I think, backpack around out there.”
The other pauses, staring at him as though he’s a puzzle. “That fits you,” he says, quietly. “Staying here has never seemed like your style.”
“It’s not,” he replies. “It’s not.”
The look Shadow gives him feels like it strips him bare, his very soul out and exposed. He sits down next to Sonic, drawing shapes in the sand. “I came here from the mainland, I think you’d like it.”
“You did?”
“Ultimate lifeform and all.”
“Right,” Sonic says. “That makes sense.” He clears his throat, using his hand to wave away the stale vibes. “Tell me about that writing? I did say I wanted to be bored to death,” he grins, Shadow rolling his eyes.
“Don’t be dramatic when you get bored,” Shadow wags his finger at him, the gesture strangely endearing. “I came out here to study them, their language and culture eludes most. I’ve figured out the alphabet, actually, but spoken word is a whole different beast; the phonetics are so strange—”
Sonic isn’t known for being patient or being all that interested in history, but the way Shadow moved his hands as he spoke and the lights twinkling in his eyes drew him closer. He could see the tale he weaved, of immortals and betrayal and innovation and decline. The rise and fall of an entire society, brought to their knees by their own hand.
“I believe they created the chaos crystals in some way, although I’m unsure how.”
“Tails says they might’ve been created in the Big Bang he always talks about,” Sonic chirps, leaning in further. Their arms touch and he almost shivers. “Maybe they were here all along.”
Shadow hums, closing his eyes. “I’ve considered that and it’s viable, although it doesn’t account for how they got here. The texts say they appeared out of the blue.” He opens his eyes, the colour of spilled blood reflecting fireflies. He never knew that shade of red could be so beautiful. “I’d love to talk with the fox if you’d allow it.”
“He loves this kind of stuff,” he says, his smile beginning to hurt. “He’ll love talking with you.”
Shadow smiles back, one without malice or venom. It’s soft and Sonic thinks he’d be happy if he died here, with warmth in his chest and the pleasantly fuzzy feeling of adventure and comfort in his mind.
“Tell me more?” Sonic asks, lying back down on his bedroll and patting the space next to him. The other tilts his head, shuffling to his side and sitting crossed-legged. “I still need to sleep, you’re keeping me up.”
The ebony hedgehog laughs dryly. “Fine, fine. Since ancient history didn’t bore you, I suppose I’ll talk about flowers.”
“Flowers?”
“Yes, hush.”
“Alright.”
Sonic wakes up tangled in someone’s arms, grass ticking at his fur. He snuggles closer, belatedly realising who he’s currently spooning. Shadow’s quills are completely relaxed, back rumbling with his breath.
“... Sonic? I know you’re awake.”
“Yeah?”
“We never speak of this.”
“My lips are sealed.”
Shadow leads him out of the forest, into the more familiar parts of the island. “You can take it from here?”
“Yeah,” he says, trying to hide his reluctance. “I can get back.”
He watches him leave again, heart strangely heavy. He makes his way back to his place, immediately ambushed by Amy.
“Where have you been ?” She says with her hammer over her shoulder as a clear threat. “We’ve been worried sick!”
Sonic gently pushes her aside, stepping past her. “I got lost. Also, you’ve been telling people we’re dating?”
She blinks, gripping her hammer tighter. “Only to a few,” she says, softly, eyes downcast. “I was working up the courage to ask you.”
“After I’ve already rejected you?”
“Sonic, please,” Amy squirms, looking anywhere but at him. “Everyone says it’s meant to be! You promised .”
He grits his teeth. “We were young, Amy.”
“ You promised .”
Sonic turns and walks away, fists curling into balls. It’s more than just dating and they both know it. A can of worms, he thinks, wrapping his arms around himself. He’s running from this.
“Tails?”
The kit looks up from his invention, brightening. “There you are! We’ve been looking for you.”
“Sorry for worrying you,” he says, grinning. “You know your theory on the chaos crystals? I found this guy and he knows all about the people who used to live here. You two would crack the case in no time.”
“You think so?”
Sonic crouches, ruffling his brother’s fur. “I know so.”