Chapter Text
Rouge woke up to Shadow squirming around from under her arm.
She let her eye tick open and she watched the dark hedgehog silently, wanting to see what he would do.
He moved silently in the grass and stopped.
She let her other eye open.
What was he doing?
He reached a hand into the sunlight.
Then the realization hit her a second later.
He stepped out into the sunlight and just stood there.
It was a bittersweet moment.
Shadow got to feel sunlight for the first time.
While Rouge thought about how beautiful it is, this should never have happened.
Shadow should never have been locked in a basement for years, experiment or not. That was the furthest thing from ethical anyone could ever be.
Another thing she realized was that he was so dusty.
She understood why he was, but that’s no excuse for being dusty now.
She’ll have to do something about that. Today.
Rouge stretched out and yawned loudly, alerting Shadow that she was awake.
She got to her feet and shook out her sore wings.
Flying up to Angel Island was always a chore.
She could fly over great distances without breaking a sweat, but flying directly upward would always take quite a bit of effort.
Shadow wasn’t as heavy as she thought he would be. Back at GUN headquarters when he knocked her out of the way of the bullets, she felt muscle. She could feel the power behind the action. She’s not really sure what that meant though.
He looks healthy enough. Healthier than anyone had any right to be after being isolated for so long.
But that’s a problem for a different time.
Breakfast first, then getting him cleaned up.
“Morning, Shadow!” She greeted the small hedgehog.
Shadow turned to look at her, ruby eyes practically glowing in the sunlight. “M-Morning,” he stuttered.
“What do you say to some breakfast, hmm?” Rouge asked, walking by him. “I know Knuckles has fruit trees somewhere on this island.”
Shadow’s ears perked up. He scrambled to catch up to her. “Breakfast?”
“Yup, then we’re gonna have to get you cleaned up, mister.” Rouge reached over and patted his arm, the bright morning light giving her a clear view of all the dust particles that dispersed into the air by that one action. “You’re so dusty! Who knows if gray is even your fur color!”
He tilted his head to the side, face screwed up in confusion. “But I’m not gray.”
That settled it. Bath today.
Rouge grinned and tapped his nose. “Exactly.”
She led the way across the clearing, passing in front of the Master Emerald’s altar.
Shadow looked at the emerald as they passed by.
“It’s pretty, isn’t it?” She commented.
“Mhm,” he agreed.
“It just makes you wanna grab it, huh?”
The hedgehog shook his head. “I don’t think it would like that very much.”
“Hm?” She glanced back at him. “The emerald wouldn’t like that?”
A nod. “It wouldn’t want to be taken from the island.”
“What makes you say that?” Can he communicate with the Master Emerald like Knuckles can? He makes it sound like he had a pleasant conversation with it.
Shadow shrugged. “Its energy is tied to the island. I don’t think it would want to be taken.”
“Uh huh,” Rouge thought about what he said. So then he could feel the Chaos Energy? Maybe that was one of his powers. “Well, I have no need for the Emerald, so I’m more than happy to let it stay where it is.”
He hummed in response, eyes wandering over the landscape, drinking in every minor detail.
“Now, where are those fruit trees…” Rouge wondered. “I know they’re somewhere near the east side of the island.”
Her eyes scanned the trees all around them, looking for any signs of the familiar fruit trees. She’s been here a few times in the past, stealing a snack or two for the road.
After a leisurely walk, following a well-hidden path, she found them.
“Ah, there they are!” Rouge hopped up and flew up to an apple tree, snagging two ripe, red apples. “Here’s one for you, Shadow!”
She tossed the round object fruit down to him.
The hedgehog was almost taken by surprise, but he reflexively caught it.
Impressive.
Rouge joined him back on the ground. “We can grab a few more as we walk, but I’m pretty sure that Knuckles has more variety than just apple trees.”
“Is… he okay with it?” Shadow asked, looking at the red apple.
“Knuckles?” The bat took a bite of her snack. “Oh yeah, it’s not like he’s gonna eat all of them himself.”
“Hm,” the hedgehog looked at the apple curiously. “I don’t need food to survive.”
Rouge paused. “What?”
She had her suspicions, but she supposed that explained how he was able to stay in the basement for so long. With… no food or water.
He looked up at her in mild surprise. “I don’t… need food?” He hesitantly repeated.
“I- no, I got that, but how does that work?” She asked him, leaning forward. “ Can you eat?”
“Well, I can. ” He clarified, looking embarrassed. “I’ve eaten before.” He turned the apple over in his hands. “I just don’t need it. I can survive off of Chaos Energy just fine.”
Rouge almost choked on her apple. “You can- You can live off of Chaos Energy?”
No creature that she knows of can do such a thing. She understands that Shadow was created, but there’s no creature that can truly live off of energy alone.
Knuckles can command the Master Emerald and Sonic can go super by using all seven Chaos Emeralds, but other than that, no one else can use that energy in any other way.
She supposed that machines can use Chaos Emeralds as a power source, but as far as she’s concerned, Shadow is no machine.
“Mhm, that’s how I was created.” The hedgehog sheepishly offered the apple back to her. “I don’t really need this.”
Rouge shook her head and pushed it back to him despite this. “Nope, eat it. Eating things always make people feel better.”
His body needed some kind of sustenance, right?
Shadow glanced up at her for a moment, searching her expression before complying.
He seemed to do that a lot.
She wondered what he was looking for.
The hedgehog took a small bite of the apple, flashing his pearly white fangs before burying it into the crunchy fruit.
Rouge watched with a soft smile as Shadow’s face lit up in astonishment.
“Oh,” he breathed, eyes shining. “It’s sweet.”
“It’s good, isn’t it?” She pressed, trying to get him to elaborate. She wants to know what’s going on in that mind of his.
“It is.” He agreed. “The fruits on the ARK were never this fresh.” He took another bite of the shiny fruit. “There was an arboretum aboard the ARK, but the white coats never considered using it to grow food. All the fruits and raw ingredients used were shipped up there monthly. They were either freeze-dried or stale. No in between.” He shook his head in what seemed like amusement. “The cooks were miracle workers, everyone said.”
That’s gotta be the longest she got him talking.
Great!
She has to keep it going.
“What kinds of food were on the ARK?”
The dark hedgehog shrugged. “You could ask them for anything and they’d work their magic.”
“What did you like to eat-”
“So here you guys are.” A deep voice interrupted her.
Once Knuckles made his presence known, Shadow quickly snapped his mouth closed and crossed the distance between them, squishing himself next to Rouge. His ears were drawn back.
The apple was still clutched in his hand, but he made no move to keep eating.
She sighed in annoyance at the echidna’s appearance. Shadow’s closed off again. “Good morning to you too, Knuckles.”
He had to show himself at the most inopportune time.
“I’m glad that you have no problem helping yourself to my fruit trees.” The echidna states sarcastically.
He stood a few meters away atop a boulder protruding from the ground. Of course he liked the high ground.
He raised an eye ridge at Shadow’s behavior, but otherwise said nothing.
“What? We’re hungry.” Rouge crossed her arms. Her more so than Shadow, it seems. “You can hardly penalize us for that.”
Knuckles huffs. “Yeah well, if you’re going to stay on my island, then I need to know what I’m up against.” He hops off his high horse and gets closer. Rouge can feel Shadow shrinking behind her at the echidna’s approach. “You need to tell me the whole story of why GUN is after you.”
Rouge flamboyantly waved her hand in the air. “Ah, well, I would tell you, but unfortunately I have more pressing matters to attend to.”
“Oh yeah?” He crossed his arms. “Like what?”
Rouge reached down and patted the clawed hand clutching at her waist. “Like getting some food into this kiddo here and giving him a bath.”
“A bath.” Knuckles repeated incredulously.
“A bath?” Shadow whispered behind her.
“You heard me.” Rouge replied arrogantly, directed at Knuckles of course. “You don’t happen to have any soap on this island, do yah?”
The echidna sniffed. “No, I don’t.”
The white bat gasped in an exaggerated manner. “No soap? How do you clean yourself?”
He flinched, taken aback. “Well- I-”
“Do you even bathe?” She fanned her hand in front of her face. “My, my, my, no wonder you stink!”
“Hey, wait a minute, I don’t-” He stammered.
Rouge whipped around and ushered Shadow in a different direction. “Come now, dear, let’s get away from the stinky echidna!”
Red eyes watched her in confusion, but Shadow didn’t protest as he was corralled away from the other sapient, leaving him in a state of disarray.
As they walked away, Shadow turned his head towards her. “He… doesn’t smell like anything.” He said in a lower tone of voice, as if Knuckles was skulking somewhere nearby.
“Oh, I know, hon,” Rouge responded with a smile. “That was just a little punishment for him not having any darn soap on this magical island. Sometimes you have to catch him off guard with these sorts of things.” She sighed, a little disappointed, “But yeah, looks like there’s no soap here. I may have to make a quick trip back to the surface.”
Shadow’s eyes widened. “What? What about GUN?”
“I’ll be quick, hon.” Rouge tried to reassure him.
“But what if they’re waiting for you?” He protested. His chest shuddered. “They can hurt you.”
“Hey, hey,” Rouge slowed to a stop. “Shadow, breathe, dear, it’s alright.” She had a feeling something like this would happen. She put her hands on his shoulders to get him to focus on her. “Shadow, listen to me, I’ll be quick. I’ll grab what we need and go. I won’t get caught.”
His hands came up to hold her wrists. “Do we really need soap that bad? Water is fine, right?” He asked softly, breathing seeming to be under control.
“Hon, water isn’t gonna get all this stuff off of you. I just got you out of somewhere horrible. I also want to give you the best experience this place has to offer, now that you’re out.” Rouge explained. “I need to grab a few other things anyway. I promise you, Shadow, they won’t get me.”
“But-”
“Shadow, do you trust me?”
He stopped.
Rouge isn’t sure if she’s reading all this correctly, but it was a lot to ask of Shadow to trust her.
They’ve known each other for barely a whole day.
But personally, after what they’ve been through, she’d trust Shadow. He’s saved her life twice already. Both within the span of 30 minutes.
But does Shadow trust her ?
“I…” His hands tightened on her wrists. “I trust you.”
That’s a relief.
Rouge smiled at him. “Good.” She pulled out the extra apple that she took from the tree when no one was looking. She offered it to him. “Then trust me when I say that I’ll be back. I won’t take any unnecessary risks, and if I see anyone remotely associated with GUN, I’ll come right back up here, okay?”
Shadow took the offered apple. He nodded once. “Okay.” He turns the fruit in his hands before adding, “You’re gonna… leave me here? With Knuckles?”
“Knuckles won’t bother you, hon.” Rouge said, partly amused that Knuckles could actually be seen as scary, and incredibly saddened that Shadow was truly afraid of him. “He may seem rough and intimidating on the outside, but he’s a softie on the inside. I trust him. He’s one of the good guys, I promise.”
“If you say so.” The small hedgehog took a bite of the new apple in his hand.
Rouge never put much thought into it, but yes, she supposed that she grew to trust the loner echidna.
The white bat ruffled his quills, ignoring the way dust was scuffed into the air with the movement. “I do. Now, let’s get back to the Master Emerald. You can hang around there until I get back.”
They walked back in a comfortable silence, the only sound being the crunch of the apple from behind her.
Once back at the Master Emerald, Rouge took out her phone, planning on checking her GPS to see where they currently were.
As expected, her phone battery was dead.
Nevertheless, she still sighed.
She held onto the slight hope that her phone still worked.
“What’s that?” Shadow asked her, eyeing the rectangular device curiously.
“Oh, this?” The bat held up the device. “It’s a cell phone.”
Has he never seen one before?
He cocked his head to the side, an action that Rouge thought was adorable. “Like… a telephone?”
Rouge nodded. “Yep, exactly.”
“It’s not connected to anything.” He observed.
“Right, it’s wireless.” GUN probably only ever used wired phones to decrease the risk that it could be tapped. Shadow’s probably never seen a touchscreen before. “I’d show you all its features and everything but unfortunately,” she held it by the corner and swung it back and forth, “it’s dead.”
Red eyes widened slightly. “Dead?”
“Mhm, like no charge,” she clarified. “The battery is dead.”
“Oh.” Shadow still watched the object inquisitively.
Rouge smiled and tossed it to him, which he caught easily. “Why don’t you hold onto that for me, hon. I have no use for it right now anyway.”
He nodded distractedly as he inspected the device.
“Alright, now I’m gonna get going while the sun’s still up.” She patted his head, which earned her a faint smile. “I’ll be back soon, ‘kay?”
“Okay.”
“I’ll tell Knuckles to behave himself, yah?”
“Mhm.”
And with that, Rouge flew off into the forest towards the edge of the island.
Before she stepped off the grassy edge, Knuckles appeared from the brush.
“So you’re really going down there?”
“‘Course I am.” She replied easily. “Like I said, I need to grab a few things.”
“Didn’t you come all the way up here to stay away from GUN?” He asked, crossing his arms. “You’re heading back earlier than I thought you would.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. “Aww, are you worried about me?” She asked flirtatiously.
“Rouge, I may live on an island, but even I know what GUN is capable of.” The echidna said darkly, catching her attention. “You and Sonic complain about them enough that I have a real good idea of what they stand for.”
“And what might that be?”
“Control of those who follow them and the destruction of those who don’t.”
That’s… surprisingly insightful, Knuckles.
Rouge deflated and dropped her facade, turning to face him gravely. She hesitated for a moment before saying, “That pretty much sums it up.” She hugs herself and rubs her upper arm. She exhaled heavily. “They tried to kill us.”
The echidna frowned and uncrossed his arms in shock. “What?”
She looked away. “Yeah. They were experimenting on Shadow in the basement and no one had any idea. If I hadn’t been curious enough to go snooping around, he’d still be down there.” Knuckles stood there not saying a word, but he gave her his full attention and watched her carefully. “I got him out of there, but GUN noticed immediately.” She gritted her teeth angrily. “They tried to kill me then and there, with no other option. They didn’t want to let Shadow out and they tried to straight up execute me for just finding the lab. I thought I would lose my job or something, not-”
She swallowed thickly. She didn’t think she would get so worked up over this, but…
Still, she just can’t believe it.
Rouge growled and rubbed at her face in frustration. “So yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if my face is all over the news labeling me as a wanted criminal.”
Knuckles looked horrified. “That’s… shit, Rouge. I didn’t think they’d go to such lengths.”
She shrugged bitterly. “Me neither. I mean, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was their best agent. I’ve worked for them for so long and they were ready to trash me the second I stepped out of line. There’s no loyalty.”
He shook his head. “So that’s why you came to Angel Island, isn’t it?” He looked up at her. “GUN legally cannot step foot on the island because it’s universally recognized as a spiritual place.”
“That was the idea, yes.”
“So then why are you going back down there?” Knuckles pressed. “You’re going to risk yourself for a bar of soap?”
“Knuckles, you saw the kid. He’s scared. He doesn’t know what anything is. Just this morning was the first time he even felt the sun . GUN took so much from him already and I don’t even know the full story myself!” She blinked her eyes rapidly. “Finding him a safe place to stay, feeding him, giving him a halfway decent bath … it’s the least I can do.”
Knuckles looked at her solemnly. “Don’t do it by yourself then. I can find a way to contact Sonic or Tails, or even Amy. They can help get what you need from the surface.”
Rouge shook her head instantly. “No, no. I appreciate the offer, Knuckles, I really do, but I just want to keep Shadow and Angel Island off the radar for now, at least until I can get Shadow settled in. Any extra movement around the island is sure to attract GUN’s attention, and Sonic is at the top of their watchlist.” She sighed again. “You… You don’t mind us staying here, right?”
“Stay as long as you like.” He answered promptly. “You and the kid.” He seemed to hesitate for a moment before stepping forward. “If you need anything… just remember that I’m here to help.”
Rouge gave him a faint smile. “Thanks, Knuckles.”
He gave her a nod. “Need me to do anything now?”
“Just… watch Shadow for me while I’m gone.”
“Will do.” He responded.
She turned back to the edge of the island, stretching out her wings to prepare for the flight. “Oh, if you want him to warm up to you, talk to him about the Master Emerald. You two may have something in common.”
Rouge glanced back and winked at him before jumping off the edge.
She trusted Knuckles to look after Shadow for a few hours, but he didn’t need to know that Shadow was in the hands of GUN for 50 years. He didn’t need to know that Shadow was created in space.
Knuckles will only know as much as he needs to.
A need-to-know basis, if you will.
Rouge wasn’t lying when she said that she didn’t know the full story either, but she definitely plans on getting a copy of those Project Shadow files one way or another. Maybe not today, but definitely once she finds a way back into GUN’s database. Revenge on GUN sounds like the perfect medicine.
She may also need to have a talk with Shadow about what he remembers. She has a feeling that it’s not going to be a happy conversation.
Touching down in a fairly rural town, she makes her way to the closest store, whether it be a grocery store or a gas station, she doesn't care.
She’s glad that Angel Island moved far enough from Central City during the night. It’s definitely a plus to be on a floating island.
Slinking into the nearest shop, which yes, turned out to be a run-down gas station, she skillfully moved in the blind spots of the security cameras and went to grab sapient shampoo and conditioner. They had a meager supply which leads her to believe that not many furred sapients lived in these parts.
As she made her way through the store, the TV caught her attention.
Looks like she was right.
She watched as the screen displayed the official picture taken for her GUN ID with a caption of Rouge the Bat: Wanted for assault against 4 GUN soldiers, unauthorized access of confidential information, insubordination…
And the list went on and on of stuff that she didn’t even do!
She suppressed a growl and kept moving.
Typical GUN.
As she wandered the store, something else caught her attention.
Ooh, she thinks that he might like these.
Shadow held up the cellphone to the sky.
It was so thin.
How did they fit all the tech needed for it to function in such a small space?
The same questions circled in his head ever since Rouge let him look at it. It just almost seemed impossible.
But then again, the white coats on the ARK made some pretty impossible things, so he can’t really say that it’s outside the realm of possible.
He sat at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Master Emerald.
There were no trees blocking the sun from the altar and the stone steps were pleasantly warm. He thought it was a nice place to sit and wait.
He doesn’t know how long Rouge will be gone, but he hopes that she’ll be back before dark. Bad things tend to happen in the dark.
That’s why he likes the sun.
It’s bright and warm and everything the lab wasn’t.
He also found that he likes apples.
They’re sweet and crunchy and surprisingly juicy.
Maybe he could get another one?
The white coats used to feed him in the beginning. They gave him some kind of mushy brown stuff that was really gross. He ate it a few times, but it made him feel sick after.
He was fairly certain that they laced it with something.
After that, he stopped eating it.
That made the white coats angry, so they stopped feeding him altogether.
His ears pricked up when he heard the foliage rustling.
He held the phone to his chest and pushed himself against the stairs.
The red echidna emerged from the bushes, stepping up to the altar, but staying a meter or so away.
It was just Knuckles.
Rouge said that she trusted Knuckles, so Shadow should trust him too, right?
“Hey, kid.” He greeted him.
His ears flattened and he kept his eyes on the ground.
People tend to not like making eye contact with him. Maybe Knuckles was the same way.
He moved to the opposite side of the stairs and walked up the stairs, keeping a wide berth around Shadow sitting at the bottom.
The hedgehog minutely tensed as he walked by.
“Do you… need anything right now?” The echidna asked, shifting at the top of the altar.
He shook his head vigorously.
The other sapient fell silent.
The only thing that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves.
The atmosphere was… well it wasn’t awkward, but it was clear that Knuckles didn’t know what to say to him.
Shadow wasn’t about to say anything either.
So maybe it was a bit awkward.
HIs clawed fingertips tapped at the cellphone, adding small clicking noises to the ambience. He wondered what he could do with the phone. Rouge said it wasn’t charged. How does it get charged?
He pulled it back to his lap and flipped it over, checking out the edges. There were small holes in the sides of the device. A charging cable perhaps?
He wondered if he could…
Using his finger, he poked a claw into what he assumed the charging port was. He didn’t know how much energy a device like this could take, so he started slow.
He pushed energy into his hand, carefully threading it to his index finger.
Soft yellow sparks popped out of his finger tip.
He abruptly stopped.
Wait.
What if he broke it?
He didn’t think Rouge would be too happy with him.
He didn’t want to make Rouge mad.
Shadow urged the energy to dissipate.
Maybe he’ll ask her before trying something like that.
“Rouge tells me you like the Master Emerald.”
Shadow jumps in his spot, pulling the phone back to his chest.
He slowly turns his head towards the echidna, but keeps his eyes fixed on the stairs.
Rouge told him that? Why would she tell him that?
Was that okay? He just told her that he could feel the energy from the emerald. It was impossible to ignore.
“Y’know, I’m the guardian of the Master Emerald.” Knuckles continued, either not noticing or not acknowledging Shadow’s startle. “I’ve been on this island by myself for most of my life.”
By himself?
Shadow’s ears raised ever so slightly.
That sounds… kind of lonely.
Granted, maybe Shadow would rather be stuck on an island like this instead of a dark, stuffy lab, but loneliness can come in all forms.
Maybe it’s not about where he is, but about who’s around.
Maybe Knuckles was lonely, even with this beautiful scenery around. Even with the Master Emerald emitting it's comforting energy signature.
“This island and the Master Emerald is all I’ve known. I’ve lived here for years, never once straying from my duty to the emerald. All until one day, I met Sonic.”
Sonic? That was a new name.
His ears pricked up and he raised his head. He momentarily made eye contact with the echidna before abruptly averting his gaze, instead choosing to stare at the strange white symbol on the other’s chest.
“We didn’t meet on very good terms, but after correcting a misunderstanding, he soon became my, well, I’d say rival, but knowing him, he’d say friend.”
A friend?
How does one go from rivals to friends?
Knuckles chuckled, a smooth, deep sound.
Shadow decided that he liked that sound.
“After all this time, we still call on each other when we need help.” Knuckles then shrugged helplessly. “Or even when we don’t need help. Sonic would drop by the island unexpectedly some days with the excuse of ‘being in the area.’ We both know that isn’t true, but neither of us say anything about it.”
So Knuckles became friends with this Sonic character.
Hm.
So it really only takes one person. One person to come in and just… take away the loneliness.
Like Sonic did to Knuckles.
Like Rouge did to him.
“Look at me, reminiscing,” he shook his head slowly. “I’m starting to sound like him with all his ‘touchy-feely’ feelings. I’m sure you don’t want to hear all about that anyway.”
Shadow turned his body a bit to, sort of, face the echidna.
He finally mustered up the courage to speak.
“Did Sonic… save you?”
Knuckles’ eyes widened in mild surprise either at his voice or the question, he wasn’t sure. “Did he…?” Amethyst eyes met ruby. HIs gaze softened just a tad. “In a way, I guess he did.”
The two of them fell into a much more comfortable silence.
“I’m back, boys!” A light, feminine voice shouted, coming through the foliage. The white bat appeared at the edge of the clearing carrying a few plastic bags. “Did you guys have fun while I was gone?”
Shadow hopped to his feet at the base of the stairs and dashed over to meet Rouge by the treeline.
“Hey, hon,” she greeted him, patting his head. “Did Knuckles behave like I told him to?”
He smiled softly and shrugged.
He doesn’t think that Knuckles is too bad.
“Behave? Now what do you mean ‘behave?’” Knuckles asked stomping over. “I always behave.”
Rouge snorts, “That remains to be seen, handsome.” Focusing her attention back on the dark hedgehog, she reached into a bag pulling out a bottle. “Look what I got for you, Shadow!” She held the maroon bottle in front of his face. “Shampoo! And it’s cinnamon scented!”
“Did you even pay for all this?” Knuckles asked incredulously, poking one of the plastic bags.
“Me? A sophisticated lady? Pay for lowly groceries?” She gave him a toothy smile. “I’ll leave that up to you to determine.” She pushed Shadow in another direction. “Now let’s get you all cleaned up, hon.”
“I’ll take that as a no then.” Knuckles muttered behind them. Then he raised his voice, “Hey, make sure you use a pond away from the Master Emerald! Just so you don’t contaminate the sanctity of the altar!”
Rouge rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner. “Oh, of course, Mr. High and Mighty!” As they got further away, she muttered, “I’ll be sure to track mud on the stairs just to spite him.”
“I heard that!”
Shadow couldn’t help the amused huff that escaped his nose.
Despite what she said, Rouge did choose a pond deeper into the forest.
Was it out of respect for the echidna?
Maybe.
The pool itself was a small section of a larger river which pulled the water further away from the center of the island to ultimately run off the edge of the island and create a waterfall in the sky.
If the water kept running off the island, where did it all come from?
“Alright, hon, hop on in.” The bat gestured to the shiny, clear pool.
Shaking away his curious thoughts, Shadow inched his way closer to the water.
Hop in?
“But take off your shoes first, silly.” She held up a finger. “We wouldn’t want to get those wet.”
He supposed she was right. He just didn’t like the idea of parting with his shoes again.
He reluctantly slipped off his shoes, bare feet touching the grass. He reached into his tangled quills to pull out the cellphone the bat handed him earlier. He held it out to her.
She smiled at him and took it, pocketing the device in some hidden pocket.
“ Now you can get in.” Rouge directed, pulling a few things out of her bag.
Shadow brought his attention back to the pool of water.
He poked his finger into the water.
It was cold.
He jerked his finger back out, frowning. Did he really have to go in there?
Well, when was he one to complain?
No one cared when he complained about things before.
Shoving aside his thoughts, he went ahead and lowered himself into the cool water. The fluid rose halfway up his chest.
The chill encompassed his body, sending his fur on end, but it wasn’t unbearable. Maybe just a little uncomfortable.
His body was fairly resistant to temperature changes, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel cold.
The white coats put him through the temperature extremes before to see how much he could handle. Turns out, after a certain threshold has been passed, his body enters a state of dormancy.
Good to know.
But this pool was nothing compared to all that.
Yeah, just a bit uncomfortable, that’s all.
“Alright, now let’s get to work!” Rouge cheered, scooping water into her hands. “Yikes!” She exclaimed, dropping the water and scattering droplets into the air. “You didn’t tell me that the water was cold!”
He hesitated. Was it really that cold for her?
He doesn’t know the limits of normal sapients, but he doesn’t want Rouge to be cold just by helping him with a bath.
Could he warm the water somehow?
He never tried to before, but it couldn’t be that hard, right?
Shadow let a trickle of Chaos Energy emanate from his body into the water.
In theory, it should warm the water like it tends to do with the air.
“I’ll try to make this quick for you, ‘kay?” Rouge scooped water into her palms again and dropped it on his head.
He flattened his ears to keep the water from entering them.
Rouge worked on scrubbing his quills while Shadow was tasked with washing the rest of his body.
The clear pool was no longer clear, but tinted a light gray.
Shadow watched with mild interest as the dirt and dust flowed away from him to rejoin the river in the distance.
Rouge squeezed a dollop of shampoo onto his head before working the soap between the quills.
It felt nice.
“Hm, the water must be warming up or something,” Rouge commented, “I think I’m getting used to the temperature. Sorry for having to clean you in cold water, dear, next time I’m definitely getting a hotel room so you can experience the luxury of hot showers.”
Looks like he was successful in warming the water.
Another skill he can add to his toolbox.
As she washed the soap suds off his head, she cooed, “Oh, look! You have these cute red markings!”
Shadow blinked. So were they not visible before?
He raised a hand out of the water, showing her his arm.
“I have them everywhere.”
The red stripe continued down the outer surface of his forearm to his pinky finger, making that finger the only red one out of five. He has the same thing on his legs, only that the red stripe ends in an arrow at his ankle.
“That’s so interesting,” she said, “as far as I know, hedgehogs don’t have your type of coloration.”
Finally understanding how dirty he really was, Shadow rubbed water into his chest fur, realizing that the white color wasn’t evident.
“Do you know lots of hedgehogs?” He asked. He knows he’s a hedgehog, or at least based off of one. He’s just never seen any… natural ones.
Rouge hummed, squeezing water out of his thick quills. “I know two of them at the moment, but I’ve seen others in passing.”
“What color are they?”
The bat pulled out another bottle labeled conditioner and practically squeezed half the bottle onto his head. “One of them is blue and the other is pink.” She answered.
Blue and pink? Those are some bright colors.
“Are they nice?”
“Oh yeah,” she replied, working the conditioner into his fur. “Sometimes they’re a little too nice for me, but Amy is wonderful to hang around, mostly because I don’t have many girlfriends.”
Shadow would like to meet other hedgehogs someday. He’s curious as to how they act. Would he pass as one of them?
He squeaked in surprise when Rouge plucked a quill out of his head.
He looked up at her to see her holding a broken spine in her hand.
“Ah, shit! I’m sorry, hon.” Rouge smiled sheepishly. “I don’t know much about hedgehog grooming, so I wasn’t sure if it would hurt if I pulled it out or not.” She looked at the quill. “Or if I should’ve pulled it out in the first place.” She added as an afterthought.
Shadow rubbed his head, trying to appease the angry nerves.
The bat sighed. “Maybe we should just stick with a bath today. I can ask Sonic about hedgehog maintenance when I see him again.”
Forgetting the ache, his ears pricked up.
There was that Sonic character again.
“Sonic’s a hedgehog?” He asked. “Knuckles spoke highly of him.”
Rouge paused. “He talked to you about Sonic?”
Shadow nodded. “Mhm, while you were gone.”
“Well, that checks out.” She continued fighting with his tangled quills. “But to answer your question, yes, Sonic is a hedgehog too. You know, he’s also considered the fastest thing alive.”
“He is?”
“Yep, but I don’t know, considering how fast you moved when we escaped, I bet that you’d give Sonic a run for his money.” She chuckled.
Another fast hedgehog?
Well, to be fair, Shadow does have his shoes to help with his speed.
“Is the water getting warmer?” Rouge suddenly asked.
Oh.
The water was steaming.
Shadow blinked and quickly got ahold of the extra energy seeping from his body.
He got a little distracted and forgot that he was supposed to be moderating that.
“Sorry.” He said, dipping his head. “I didn’t mean to do that.”
“You’re doing that?” Rouge asked, making eye contact. She seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her shock hidden.
He gave her a shallow nod. “I didn’t want the water to be cold for you.”
Her brow furrowed. “How are you doing that?”
How?
Same way he uses his shoes.
“I just… push energy through it.”
“You push energy through it?” Rouge repeated quizzically. “What energy?”
He hummed. “Chaos Energy.”
Rouge fell silent.
Worried that he upset her somehow, he turned to face her.
She looked to be deep in thought.
“Rouge?” He asked, wringing his hands beneath the water. “Are you okay?”
The bat blinked her eyes, snapping out of whatever haze she was in.
“Huh? Oh, yes, that’s just-” She shook her head, her voice softer than it had been so far. “That just sounds pretty incredible, Shadow. That could be a very versatile skill.”
Is it incredible?
He’s always been able to do this.
He supposed that he didn’t use the skill as much as he should. He never experimented with it in ways like this. Normal ways.
If Rouge says that his energy manipulation is incredible, maybe he should use it more.
Rouge clapped her hands. “Okay! I think you’re sufficiently clean!” She got up from her position on her knees and walked over to her plastic bags that she had. She rummaged around in one and pulled out a towel. “Come on out and we can get you dried up.”
Shadow was taken aback by her sudden change in tone, but he complied anyway, pulling himself out of the pond.
He shook his whole body, sending droplets of water flying everywhere.
“Ack! Shadow!” Rouge lightly scolded him.
“Sorry.” He apologized meekly, clasping his hands together.
The bat chuckled, “Oh it’s fine, dear.” She approached and placed the towel around him. “Here, we just need to get most of the water off of you.”
Rouge helped rub him down with the towel, causing his fur to stick up in all sorts of directions.
Once they were done, the bat stepped back. “Look at you! You’re all clean now!”
The hedgehog looked down at his body and noticed a shine that his dark fur didn’t have before.
He looks and feels a lot better.
“You look good, hon!” Rouge gave him a thumbs up with a wide smile.
His face grew warm at her words. “T-Thanks.”
“I just need to put on the finishing touches,” the bat said, grabbing the towel again. She used the fabric to smooth down his fur again, moving in the direction of the hair.
She paused when she got to the rings on his wrists.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” she finally said. “What are these? Why didn’t you take them off?”
“Oh, those don’t come off,” he said, slightly distracted by the soap bubbles following the current of the water.
“Why don’t they come off?” Rouge asked. There was an undertone of… something in her voice that Shadow couldn’t decipher. He brought his attention back to the conversation and saw her staring at the faded gold rings, supporting his arm in her hand.
He’ll give her the same answer that his creator gave him when he was first outfitted with the rings.
“So I don’t hurt anyone.”
She ran a finger along the side of the ring.
What was she checking for?
Her gaze looked calculating as she seemed to scan the ring.
Eventually she asked, “How do you feel about them?”
Shadow blinked.
He wasn’t expecting that.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
How did he feel about them?
He never thought about them too deeply, but no one has ever asked how he felt about them before.
He’s had them for a long time and he’s never taken them off. He didn’t even know if it was possible to remove them.
“I don’t…” Know? “Mind them.” He said instead. The inhibitor rings glinted dully in the sun, the worn metal has lost it’s shine over time. “They help me control my power, and…” He furrowed his brow, thinking of what else he could say about the apparel. “It’s what I have left of… the professor.”
His rings and his shoes are all he has left of his past.
But both of the inventions were made by the professor. He didn’t have any reminders of his sister.
No tangible reminders anyway.
Rouge hummed. “The professor must have been important to you.”
“He was.” Shadow answered immediately. “He created me.”
The Professor created him and gave him life. He gave him a purpose.
To heal and protect his sister.
Which he failed to do.
Rouge tapped his ear. “Well I think he did a very good job.”
Shadow pressed his lips together.
“If your rings mean so much to you, I think I can come up with a way to polish them.” Her turquoise eyes flickered to his shoes on the ground. “Both your rings and your shoes.”
He nodded his head. “Thank you.” He said softly.
After the bath, Rouge and Shadow returned to the Master Emerald’s altar.
Knuckles sat at the top of the stairs. He looked to be in a meditative state, but he looked up when they approached.
“Look, Knux!” Rouge waved at him and gestured to the now-fluffy hedgehog. “He’s all clean and shiny now!”
“I see.” The echidna had the barest hint of a softened gaze. “You look a lot better, kid.”
Shadow dipped his head at the red sapient.
“Oh!” Rouge suddenly said. “I almost forgot! I have one last thing for you!”
The bat dashed off and circled the base of the altar, digging in a plastic bag that Shadow didn’t realize was there.
She came back holding white fabric in her hands.
“Here!” She offered the objects to him.
Shadow hesitated for a moment before taking from her.
“I think I got the right size for you.”
They were gloves and socks.
His eyes widened at the gift.
“Go ahead and try them on.” Rouge urged him.
Knuckles watched with interest at the top of the altar.
Shadow removed his shoes and put the socks on. He placed the shoes back on his feet and felt the fabric pleasantly cushioning the inside of the shoes, making them much more comfortable to have on.
He stared at the gloves for a moment longer before slipping them over his hands. The white material hid his claws and they fit perfectly around his fingers.
His inhibitor rings glinted, bouncing up and down with every movement he made. He used to have cuffs to hold them in place; he wondered what happened to them.
He flexed his hands experimentally, feeling the gloves move with them. They were comfortable.
“I like them.”