MarinerMay Madness

by Ravenmistletoe

Summary:

What do you mean MarinerMay is long over and the new one isn't even close to starting yet? I have no idea what you're talking about! I'm just writing stories that take place in my AU: Cerulean Seas!

Chapter 1: Anchor

“Raise the anchor!”

Sonic and Shadow turned just as the rope for the anchor was being lifted. The latter suddenly ran over to the edge, his first mate not far behind.

“Uh, Shadow? What’re you-”

Sonic yelped when a hat was suddenly thrown in his face. He scrambled to catch it before looking back up to see his captain standing on the rails. Shadow glanced at him, smirked, and jumped.

“Shadow!?”

Sonic gasped and raced over to the edge of the ship. Less than a moment later the anchor was raised, with Shadow standing on one of the curved ends. His smirk grew at Sonic’s stunned reaction and gave a two finger salute. Once the anchor was in place, he jumped back onto the deck.

Sonic, still in shock, didn’t even notice when Shadow had walked over and taken back his hat. He only came out of it when there was a snap in front of his face. Sonic quickly shook it off and stared.

“The hell was that about?”

Shadow shrugged and put his hat back on.

“Something Eclipse and I did when we were young. Father and our tutors never approved, but that only encouraged us to keep doing it.”

Sonic laughed in disbelief.

“Okay, never in a million years would I expect you to do something that insane!”

“It’s how we had fun,” Shadow retorted, “Besides, I’ve seen you do crazier stunts.”

“Fair point.”

No arguments there. Sonic had done everything from fighting demonic creatures, running up building sides, sneaking into enemy kingdoms, to assassinating dictators. Not to mention how he literally uprooted his previous life in the name of freedom.

And love.

Still, Shadow was usually so stoic. To see him letting loose was… bizarre, to say the least. But also kinda nice. As they walked, Sonic rocked on his heels.

“Did you… ever jump anchors during your time with Gerald and Maria?”

“Once or twice,” Shadow replied, “Gerald had a massive heart attack the first time. Second time…” he glanced away and lowered his voice, “Maria caught me before I slipped.”

Sonic couldn’t help but snicker.

“Ever heard of ‘slippery when wet?’” he teased.

In response, Shadow punched his first mate in the shoulder. Sonic laughed as he rubbed the spot. Soon after, the captain’s annoyed scowl turned to a deep frown.

“I stopped doing it after I was dragged back to the Empire. To be honest… I’m not sure what prompted me to do it again today.”

“Maybe you’re finally letting yourself have fun again,” Sonic suggested.

Bizarre as it was, it was probably one of the very few moments Sonic could recall where Shadow truly seemed relaxed. There was a fun energy behind that smirk, one that the captain had never shown. Not until recently anyway.

Shadow seemed to be mulling over his first mate’s words. His ears drooped slightly.

“...Maybe…”

Sonic smiled and wrapped an arm around his captain’s neck. He playfully nuzzled the side of his face.

“You’re such a show off, by the way.”

Shadow scoffed and rolled his eyes. He tried to hide his smile, but Sonic could see it slowly starting to seep through.

“Right back at you.”

Notes:

I wanted to write more about my pirate AU, but I was light on inspiration, so I turned to the MarinerMay prompts! Just a heads up, I won't be doing all of them; just the ones that click with me. And some prompts may get combined. Timeline wise, some take place before Ambush of a Sapphire, and some take place after. Sonic and Shadow will be the focus of probably a good chunk of these, but others may get the spotlight.

This first story was inspired by a piece of artwork done by @YouHalfwit. You will see their name again.

Chapter 2: Pirate Queen

Queen Blaze strolled along the docks of Emerald Cove, her regal gown just barely touching the wood. All around her dockhands and crewmembers scampered about. Some were carrying supplies to their ships, others were unloading. Some were leaving. Some were just arriving. Blaze always admired the docks; it was a delicate balance between organized and chaos that coexisted perfectly. She couldn’t help but always draw parallels between here and the castle.

“Oi! Ya better not’ve dinged my dingy ya bloke!”

Blaze smiled fondly as she turned to her left. Standing near the edge of the dock was an orange raccoon barking orders to one of the poor workhands as they tied up a dingy.

“Good morning Marine.”

“Hey Blaze! Those snoots finally let you out, huh?”

Blaze nodded cordially as she walked over.

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

Marine the Raccoon was Blaze’s first mate, and the youngest member of their crew. Loud and boisterous, but firm and determined, Marine ran their ship, The Royal Typhoon, like a well oiled machine. Blaze had had her doubts about the young one in the beginning, finding her behavior more annoying than anything else. Not to mention her being younger than eighteen automatically put her skills into question. However, with time, patience, and one foiled assassination later, Blaze found Marine not only a trusty first mate, but a reliable friend as well.

She also tended to act as an occasional advisor to Blaze. It was quickly discovered that Marine didn’t clash well with the other nobles and Pirate councilmen. Despite this, Blaze always insisted on having her friend involved with proper decisions. No one dare protest, lest they risk the fiery wrath of the Pirate Queen.

Blaze’s family had a history of piracy. Her grandmother, Captain of The Silver Flame, was the most respected pirate of them all. She was notorious for robbing merchants and beheading cruel hearted captains. When laws started to crack down on pirates, she built the Sol Empire from the ground up and dubbed it as the Heart of Pirate Territory. As the founder of the empire, she was dubbed Queen of the pirates.

Now, all these years later, Blaze continued the legacy.

“Everything alright?”

“Oh yeah!” Marine replied, waving her hand dismissively, “Just keepin this newbie in line!”

She pointed behind her to a pale koala. The koala looked up, confused, then glanced at Blaze and quickly went back to work.

“I can always rely on you to keep things working smoothly,” Blaze smirked wryly.

Marine puffed out her chest with pride.

“Damn right you can! This crew wouldn’t know left from right if it weren’t for me!”

Blaze just sighed and shook her head. All of a sudden, a thick, white mist began engulfing the docks. Many denizens paused in their work and looked around.

“Huh?”

“Bloody hell?”

“What’s this? Fog?”

“Where’d it come from?”

Blaze’s senses were on high alert as she looked around her and Marine. Her ears swiveled every which way for any unusual sounds. From her side she could feel Marine’ fur bristling. The little raccoon clenched her fists and took out her sword, ready for a fight.

This mist was unnaturally thick, Blaze noted. There was a slight chill to it, and the speed it rolled in was far too quick. This wasn’t a natural phenomenon. It was magic.

“Oi, what is-”

Marine didn’t have time to finish her sentence as someone flew through the mist. Their only warning was the sound of steel cutting through the air before the queen and her first mate leapt back. Boots landed on the deck with an unusual lightness. Blaze reacted first, charging for the attacker with her own sword drawn. It was very quickly surrounded by spiraling flames as the two blades clashed within the mist. Blaze kept the intruder on their toes, defending and attacking at a fast rate. However, her opponent seemed just as -if not more- quick. They dodged her flames and blocked her blows. They swerved around her body and avoided Marine’s surprise attacks.

“I gotcha, ya slimy mook!” Marine shouted.

Another figure flew through the mist, grabbed Marine, and carried her off. Blaze could hear her screaming some rather choice words for the intrusion. She knew Marine could handle herself and turned all her focus back to her opponent. Their blades clashed again and again. Surprisingly, they were the only ones who seemed to be fighting. There was shouting going on around them, sure, but Blaze noticed a distinct lack of drawn weapons.

What angle were these invaders playing at? Did they have a specific target in mind? Were the other people already disarmed? She hadn’t heard any screams yet. Another oddity, she noticed, was that the face of her attacker was always hidden. They were too fast and nimble for Blaze to get a good shot, and it was almost as if this person knew every move she’d make.

Growing frustrated with this song and dance, Blaze unleashed a small fire tornado. The attack caught the assailant off guard and they leapt back. Blaze took advantage of their surprise and charged, her body engulfed in flames. She sliced through open air, then pivoted and knocked the attacker’s sword right out of their hand.

“Reveal yourself, scoundrel!” she snarled.

She went in for another attack, only to be met with another steel blade, and a face she had not seen in quite some time.

“Hey Blaze! Long time no see, huh?”

Blaze’s guard immediately relaxed, and suddenly everything started making sense. She doused her flames and lowered her blade. Sonic grinned at the queen cheekily, lowering his rapier and zooming over to the side to retrieve his other one.

“A pleasure as always Sonic. Is conducting an ambush before lunchtime part of your daily routine?”

“Nah!” Sonic laughed, sheathing his blades, “We just wanted to surprise ya!”

Someone else emerged from the mist, seemingly soaring from a decent height and landing just adjacent to Blaze. Their red and gold tailcoat, curved quills, red eye, and eyepatch made them immediately recognizable.

“For the record,” Shadow began, his expression fully unamused as he stared at the blue hedgehog, “this was his idea.”

“An idea that none of you were against!”

Shadow grumbled and rolled his eyes. Sonic winked at the captain before turning back to Blaze.

“Sorry if we surprised ya a lil too much.”

“Quite alright,” Blaze assured, “but maybe next time leave the swords at home?”

Sonic chuckled.

“Duly noted.”

“Ayeep!”

There was a yelp from the far side of the dock, followed by something crashing and a splash. Sonic winced while Shadow sighed and rubbed his head.

“Omega, retract the mist before someone else takes a plunge.”

As if on cue, the mist released its hold on the Sol Empire’s docks and disappeared. Many pirates had drawn their weapons and simply looked around, bewilderment written all over their faces. Beside some of them were members of The Shooting Star, their own weapons drawn but not in a battle ready position. Some, like Amy Rose, were just chatting with one of the workers. Tails was by The Royal Typhoon, apologizing again and again to Marine for the scare. And for nearly wrecking her ship.

“It is good to see you all again,” Blaze said as much of the crew began huddling back up, “I apologize for not being able to greet you last time.”

“It’s cool,” Sonic reassured with a wave of his hand, “Royal duty calls after all. Oh! We got you something!”

Blaze raised a curious eyebrow as Sonic pulled something out of his vest. In one swift arm movement he presented a palm-sized rectangular gem before the queen.

“Ta-da!”

“Is that a bloody Sol Emerald!?” Marine gaped.

“Yep!”

Blaze gently took the gem out of Sonic’s hand and held it in her own. She caressed the smooth surface as though it were made of glass. The familiar pulse of the gem echoed throughout her body, and everything suddenly felt whole again.

A couple weeks ago, one of the seven mystical Sol Emeralds had gone missing. The culprits were never found, and Blaze had been on countless search parties looking for it. She nearly ran herself ragged until her friends convinced her to take a day off and let the others continue the search. In fact, Blaze had powered through the day’s paperwork just so she could rejoin the search today.

“How…?”

“Ran into our old buddy Jet,” Sonic explained, bemusement written all over his face.

Jet. Captain of the sky pirates the Babylon Rogues. Somehow Blaze should not have been surprised.

“Said he’d give it back if I could beat him in a race, which I totally did!”

“At least he took the loss better than last time…” Tails muttered anxiously.

Blaze held the emerald close to her chest and sighed.

“Thank you, Sonic. Everyone. Will you be staying long?”

“A few days at most,” Shadow replied, “We need to restock the ship and let the crew stretch their legs.”

“And I have been meaning to look at your weapons selection again.”

A new figure took shape right between Shadow and Rouge. Some people yelped at the sight of a faceless specter, but it didn’t seem to mind. Shadow grumbled, thoroughly annoyed while Rouge just fondly rolled her eyes.

“Omega, for the last time: you have more than enough explosives.”

“One can never have enough explosives, Captain!” Omega rebutted, “I took inventory and noticed I could use a few more grenades!”

Shadow just facepalmed himself while some of the crew laughed. Blaze chuckled as well.

“In that case, please, come to my palace for lunch. Amy has told me a bit about your travels, but I would love to hear it in person.”

“Sure thing!” Sonic chirped, giving the queen a big thumbs up.

The rest of the crew joined in as well, with Gray’s eyes even sparkling at the idea of lunch. Rouge’s eyes sparkled as well, though Blaze knew better than to think that too was related to food.

“Oh would we ever!”

. Knuckles groaned and side eyed the bat.

“If you steal from their treasury again, I’m throwing you in the brig.”

Rouge huffed and crossed her arms, pouting.

“Party pooper.”

“Nah, that’s more Shadow’s thing!” Sonic chuckled.

Blaze smiled as she led her old friends away from the docks and up to her palace. She remembered the early days of meeting this same group, fresh off a stolen tradeship and wary of the new world they had just entered. The queen had been wary of them herself, all too familiar with those of Captain Shadow’s species. With time, and help from an old family friend, this group molded themselves into the most adventurous and boldest pirates on all the high seas.

As a queen, watching them banter over lunch, trading and stealing each other’s food, and laughing like old friends, she felt confident in calling these people allies. Most of all, as a fellow pirate, Blaze was proud to call them her friends.

Notes:

I have no idea how to write Marine.

Chapter 3: Promise Part 1: Trust

Summary:

Promises are forms of trust. They are agreements made by one person to another that a deed will be done, however big or small they may be. Trust is a base for all promises. When their word is kept, these bonds of trust grow and strengthen...

“Shadow? Hey, Shadow!”

Sonic wandered around the open deck, searching for his captain. Shadow tended to disappear when he wanted alone time, if not in his quarters then somewhere else. Usually he’d isolate himself for an hour or two. It had been three, and no one had seen him since this morning.

Sonic tapped his foot and crossed his arms. He was starting to grow tired of this little disappearing game. Luckily, there was one person on this ship that no one could hide from…

“Hey, Omega?”

On cue, the faceless specter appeared in front of the hedgehog.

“Have you seen Shadow?”

The specter chuckled.

“You might wanna look up.”

Sonic followed the direction Omega’s head had tilted and found himself staring at the crow’s nest. Sitting in it was the elusive dark captain with the most tense expression Sonic had seen on him in a while.

“Cap!” he called up, “What are you doing up there?!”

“Flag was crooked,” Shadow replied curtly.

“Okay, well it looks fine now. You comin’ down?”

Shadow seemed to take his sweet time answering. Sonic tilted his head in confusion.

“Uh, Shads?”

He squinted his eyes. As he did so, the hedgehog noticed how tense Shadow’s body actually was. His hands tightly gripped onto the edge of the crow’s nest, his eyes somehow smaller and darting around. His quills puffed out beneath his hat.

“Wait… Shadow, are you stuck?”

“NO!” Shadow snapped quickly.

“Then come down already!”

The captain’s eyes shut tight. He didn’t move.

“...I… can’t…”

Well that was an unexpected response. Sonic hadn’t heard his captain’s voice sound so small before. That’s when a thought occurred to him. He almost didn’t want to believe it, but…

“Shadow… Are you afraid of heights?”

Shadow’s eyes widened just a smidge. He lowered his ears and looked away, as though he was ashamed.

Omega chuckled.

“Why do you think he never goes up to the Crow’s Nest?”

“I just figured it was because Tails had made his nest up there,” Sonic shrugged, “has he been up there all morning?”

“Yep! Usually when this happens Rouge is the one to drag him back down. But she’s sleeping right now…”

Sonic raised an eyebrow at the specter.

“And you’re not gonna wake her?”

“Have you seen that woman when she’s cranky?” Omega retorted.

Sonic was about to argue, but then snapped his mouth shut.

“Point taken. Alright give me a sec.”

Omega floated back as Sonic walked closer to the base of the mast.

“Shads, come on! I climb up and down this thing all the time! No big deal!”

“Do not patronize me, hedgehog!” Shadow snarled, “I can come down anytime I want!”

“I’m not, and if that were true you would’ve climbed down yourself already.”

Shadow growled but didn’t respond. Sonic sighed and held his hands out.

“Just hang on to the mast and go slow. I promise I'll catch you if you fall.”

Shadow scoffed at the very idea. It’s not like he was scared to come down or anything! Not like he was getting dizzy just trying to glare down at the idiotic hedgehog… or that his hands were going white with how tightly he was hanging onto the rims of this cursed death trap.

“Come on!” Sonic grinned, “You trust me, don’t you?”

That statement gave Shadow pause. Some tension left his muscles as he stared back at his first mate. Sonic’s smile was as warm as it always was. He looked up at his captain encouragingly, nodding his head. Of course he trusted him. They had saved each other’s hides more than once since they met.

With a shaky sigh, Shadow climbed out of the crow’s nest and carefully made his way down the mast. He hated how his limbs couldn’t stop shaking, or how he just couldn’t relax. Sonic called up a few times, telling him he was doing great and that he was getting close. It was the only thing that seemed to keep him from spiraling.

“Well this is entertaining,” Omega mused.

Shadow grit his teeth and snarled. It was time like these where he wondered why he let the blasted ghost join them. He was about to retort, but at the last second his foot slipped.

“Gah!”

“Shadow!”

“Cap!”

Sonic and Omega looked up in alarm. Shadow gripped onto the mast, shaking twice as hard now. He lost his grip altogether and fell the rest of the way down. His mind blanked as he felt gravity pull him closer and closer to the deck. Instead of being on a ship, he was in a tower, held over the edge by thick clawed hands and being dropped over and over again. Being screamed at for hours and threatened to be claws alive, screaming and crying and begging and bracing for the spikes that wanted to swallow him whole-

A pair of hands caught him. Everything suddenly stopped spinning.

It took a moment, but Shadow’s senses slowly returned. He tried to breathe, to feel the sensation of air filling his lungs and the rapid thumping of his heartbeat. Part of his weight was shifted and his hands automatically latched onto something. Something soft and… blue?

There was a yelp.

“E-Easy! I have ya.”

Shadow blinked and looked up. Staring down at him with concern and happiness was his first mate. His eyes scanned over him once before he beamed at his captain with a radiant smile. It made Shadow’s body relax.

“See? Toldja I’d catch you!”

A small blush crept its way up Shadow’s face. He looked away bashfully and cleared his throat.

“...Thank you…”

Sonic’s face brightened even more. He planted a kiss on his captain’s head, which only made him blush even more.

“You’re both adorable, you know that?”

They whipped their heads around to Omega, watching from a few feet away. Amusement laced every inch of his tone. Even without a proper face they could tell he was smiling at them.

“I will give Tails my full permission to dissect your physical anchor if you don’t leave,” Shadow threatened.

“Oh would you look at the time, I better go tell Knuckles to wake Rouge ‘kay bye!”

And with that, the specter was gone. Sonic couldn’t contain his laughter as he made his way over to the Captain’s quarters.

“My turn to make lunch for ya.”

“...Fine…” Shadow mumbled.

They were just outside the door.

“You can put me down now.”

Sonic gave a sly grin and kissed Shadow’s forehead again. The blush came back full force.

“You’ve carried me like this so many times. Lemme return the favor…”

Chapter 4: Promise Part 2: Deals

Summary:

To break a deal is to break a promise. To break a promise is to break trust.

WARNING: Depictions of gore and multiple character deaths.

GASP!

The upper body of a green hedgehog shot up from an ocean of rubble. He wore a black leather tailcoat that was torn to shreds and stained with blood. His peach arms and disheveled quills were covered in dried blood and ash. A broken silver crown just barely clung to his head. The hedgehog coughed and sputtered, wheezed and hacked as he pulled the rest of his body out of the mess. He struggled to stay upright, the loose rocks beneath his feet coming undone by his weight. He let out a hoarse yelp as he fell face first to the ashen ground.

The hedgehog coughed again, and with great effort propped himself onto his knees. Blood spilled from his nose. The air around him smelt thick of burning flesh and death. It wasn’t long before he found himself hunched over and vomiting his dinner from last night’s banquet. And it had been so good too…

At last his stomach settled, and the hedgehog wiped his mouth before finally looking up. His blue eyes widened at the sight before him. All around him laid the charred ruins of his once glorious palace. Its cream and red structure was now a sickening shade of brown and black. Pointed towers and stone walls were now piles of soot and dirt. Buried beneath the brick and marble were hundreds of corpses, all burnt, broken, and melted into the soil. Hollowed faces were twisted in fear and agony. Features were burned away. Smoke billowed into the air, blackening the sky into a dark ugly gray. Not even the sun could shine through the ever growing smog.

Beyond the shattered gates and dried up mote were more trails of smoke that rained over what remained of a once prosperous village. Fallen trees surrounded the area, their leaves crumpled into crisp ashen chips.

King Scourge stared at the burnt ruins of his kingdom. Everything he had worked so hard towards, everything he fought so hard for… it was gone. In the span of one night, it was gone.

And he knew exactly who to blame.

Shock and devastation were quickly replaced by boiling rage. Scourge unsheathed his claws and dug them into the ground. He grit his teeth and snarled as his eyes slowly began to see red.

Those fucking pests…! Should’ve known they were nothing but trouble in the end. So much for loyalty; even that sexy broad was more obedient than them, and she didn’t have any fancy powers!

Wait…

Scourge stood and quickly searched the area for any sign of life. As he limped, he saw more and more of his birthright burnt to a crisp. His newly painted King’s portrait was half charred and smudged by melted paint. Servants, maidens, and guards laid crushed beneath stone, as useless as they had been when they were alive. At one point Scourge came across a pair of shattered goggles and blue bloodied feathers. He stared at them for a moment before continuing his search.

They really were just cannon fodder in the end. Useful cannon fodder, but cannon fodder nonetheless.

A torn eyepatch laid next to a dog-like creature, their body half melted into the ground and their skull crushed. Across the way were the remnants of a golden gadget, its once shining paint now dull and gone. Beside them were chipped pieces of long fangs. The charred end of a whip laid beside an equally charred hand with blue fabric attached to its melting flesh and bone. They and the rest of the blackened body laid beneath a chunk of wall. Beside them were the singed remains of a red jacket. Scourge slowly knelt down and studied the article of clothing. He scoffed.

“Tch. Not so tough now, are ya shrimp?”

He eyed the hand and whip for a moment, then carried on. He had to admit, Alicia and Miles probably had the most guts out of them all. Bold of them to stage a coup during the biggest banquet of the century. Scourge also complimented and cursed how easy it was for them to sway a majority of his court to their side. Too bad their win streak couldn’t hold out in the end.

If it wasn’t for the bombs, they might have actually had him in chains before sunrise.

Scourge grunted as he climbed over the large remnants of a tower. He ignored the corpses of his supporters around him, focusing more on his aggravating search. He cursed every single person who ever stepped foot into his palace. Whether they be man, woman, child, elder, he cursed them all. If they weren’t already dead, he’d kill them all over again. Especially those worthless guards. What good were they as bodyguards if they couldn’t even stop one stupid coup!?

Scourge hissed as red hot pain shot up his body. Nothing felt broken, miraculously, but everything still hurt like hell. It was a miracle he was standing at all.

He didn’t have time to think about that when he suddenly heard a faint cough. As fast as his legs could allow, Scourge scampered over the next pile of rubble and nearly tripped over his feet.

Just a few feet away was the throne. His throne. His symbol of power. His birthright. All that remained of it was a blackened base and torn cushion. As broken as the kingdom he ruled.

Laying before it was a red fox clad in a purple, black, and gold gown that was absolutely ruined. Huge chunks were torn away, revealing the scarlet red fur beneath. One of their legs was twisted at an odd angle, but that didn’t seem to stop them from trying to stand. A ruined bow, once orange and bright, barely sat in her hair.

For once in his life, Scourge’s heart lightened.

“Fiona!”

Queen Fiona whipped around almost instantly. Her eyes quickly field with tears at the sight of her king.

“S-Scourge!”

Scourge was halfway to his queen when she was suddenly lifted into the air. Fiona panicked, her hands automatically going to her neck as if to grab something. Scourge came up short.

“The FUCK!?”

From Fiona’s neck materialized a thick white tendril with a silver pointed end and matching strip. It extended all the way from the struggling fox to the charred throne. Connected to it was a translucent white cat with a digitigrade anatomy, silver forearms and legs, and navy blue eyes deeper than the ocean. Their long tail held Fiona in the air with little to no effort.

At the sight of the cat, Scourge felt nothing but white hot rage.

“You…”

He snarled as he tried to approach, but his legs suddenly gave out and he fell to his knees. The she-cat glanced at the singed king with disinterest.

“Hello Scourge,” she purred, “long time no see.”

The king snarled at her casual tone. He used to think that her voice sounded like ringing bells. Now, he wanted to take those bells and rip them out of her throat.

“Let. Her. Go.”

“Mmm… No.”

The she-cat squeezed Fiona’s neck tighter. Fiona screamed and continued her struggles, trying to hold onto consciousness. The she-cat readjusted her position in the throne and picked at her claws.

“My siblings and I would like to have a word with you. Both of you.”

Her navy eyes hardened as they looked between the king and his squirming fox queen.

“It seems our little deal has come to an end.”

“The fuck are you talking about?!” Scourge snapped, “Were you involved with this!?”

He gestured towards the ruins of his kingdom. The she-cat smiled in a patronizing manner. Not even seconds later a second cat formed on the head of stone situated behind the chunks of throne. In contrast to the white one, her fur was a rich royal purple with matching wings folded at her sides. Her eyes were a deep green as she looked at the disheveled hedgehog sardonically.

“Look at that! The numbnut’s still got some workin braincells in there.”

She knocked the side of her head with a fist.

“Thought they’d all get crushed in the explosion like the rest of you. Ah well. Can’t win ‘em all.”

She shrugged at the notion and flicked her tail. Scourge’s eyes suddenly widened in realization. He briefly glanced around him, at the rubble. Then he glanced at the cats. His eyes narrowed.

“You did this…” he muttered.

“Dingdingding!” the white giggled, “impressive, wouldn’t you say?”

Scourge unsheathed his claws and growled.

“What the FUCK WAS THAT ABOUT!?”

“Whaddya think, Drama Queen?” the purple cat retorted, “We’re done helping you. And we’re done watching you flex on your high horse. Honestly, I’m surprised we decided to stick around this long.”

She stretched her wings and leaned back just a smidge.

“Goes to show how bored we all are if fucking with you and your bed-bitch over here is our new idea of fun.”

Fiona snarled at the insinuation, but kept her mouth shut. Her position was precarious enough as is.

“What do you mean ‘you’re done?’” Scourge growled, “You’re not done until I SAY YOU ARE!! I’M THE KING HERE!!”

“Correction: You were the king. And just what are you a king of now? A pile of ash?”

The white she-cat giggled. That only enraged Scourge even more.

“YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!! YOU PROMISED ME POWER!!”

“And we delivered!” the white cat chirped, “You killed the first king, threw out his advisors, stole the crown, and declared yourself king to the world. You got power when you took the position, and you abused it.”

A dangerous light shimmered in the cat’s eyes as she regarded the disheveled king.

“Tell me: How many lives have been lost since your reign started? How many of those graves at that church are on you? How many skulls did you crush just to inflate your delicate little ego? And how many allies did you lose in just one night?”

“SHUT UP!!” Scourge shrieked, “We had a deal!”

“A deal that you broke,” the purple cat snapped, “Nice job, by the way. Don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone royally fuck up that hard since Father Mogul!”

“Whatever happened to him anyway?”

“Pretty sure he got digested by a Kraken. I swear, I have NEVER heard anyone use so many words just to insult somebody’s mother!”

The two she-cats laughed. Scourge ignored the banter and focused on the main point.

“I didn’t break our stinkin’ deal!”

If anything, these guys broke theirs. They promised Scourge power. They promised him a place on the throne where he belonged. They promised him a kingdom to call his own! Now look at it! Nothing more than a pile of ash!

“You promised us a Chaos Emerald by the end of summer for our help,” the white cat said calmly, “Two summers came and went. You never delivered.”

The tail tightened around Fiona’s neck. She shut her eyes in discomfort, desperately clawing at the long appendage. Scourge faltered for a moment.

“I gave you that fucking gem already!”

A green rock was suddenly hurled at him. Scourge barely ducked in time as a green crystal shattered against the ground behind him. He looked back up to see the purple she-cat glaring at him with sparks dancing in her eyes.

“You think your little Anarchy Beryl decoy was funny? You think we wouldn’t notice the difference?”

“What? That stuff makes you solid or whatever, right? We got tons of it here! There’s only, what, seven of those other gems? You could’ve taken all you wanted from the mines!”

“We want the Chaos Emeralds,” the purple cat growled, “No exceptions. No. Imitations.”

“T-Those stupid guards couldn’t find the damn thing!” Scourge defended, “You broads weren’t gonna listen to reason so I gave you a substitute to buy me more time! Ya woulda gotten it by tomorrow if ya hadn’t blown up my whole fucking kingdom!!”

The white cat narrowed her eyes, her voice dropping a few octaves.

“How stupid do you think we are?”

Scourge grit his teeth, He didn't dare squirm beneath the steely blue gaze.

“The deal was cut and dry, Scourgey: We get you on the throne, you get us a Chaos Emerald. You never got it, so now you’re off the throne.”

“And you know what we said we do to folks who don’t keep their word…”

Both cats unsheathed their claws. The purple one’s fur crackled dangerously. Scourge tried sizing both of them up. He wasn’t at his full strength, and it was clear that these two were solid enough to do some serious damage to him.

In truth, he never actually looked for the emerald. He thought those things were just a myth! He didn’t wanna go chasing ghost stories when he had a whole kingdom to run!

Ironic, he thought, since the very people who helped get him his crown were technically ghosts themselves.

Besides, other than whispering in his ears, he didn’t think they could actually DO ANYTHING TO HIM!! Looking at the throne they sat on, Scourge was starting to wonder if embedding it with so much Anarchy Beryl was really such a great idea…

“W-W-Wait…!”

Fiona shot her hand out and looked at the two ghostly figures.

“We… We can still get you the emerald!”

All three paused. Scourge narrowed his eyes.

“Fi-?”

“My gang found something!” she blurted out, “A-A-An island, in Mazuri! T-The people speak of a mythical power hidden within a temple! One that was used to worship Light Gaia!”

“We know all about Gaia’s little stone churches,” the purple cat snorted, “get to the point.”

“Th-There’s a chance that one of them contains a Chaos Emerald. A temple. Deep within the jungle. F-From here, it’d take about five days. Four if we left right away!”

“The HELL FIONA!?” Scourge roared, “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME THAT SOONER!!”

“I-I just found out! Last night, b-before the explosions. My informant was running late! I-I didn’t have time to let you know before things went crazy!”

Fiona quickly turned back to the cats.

“I-If you let us go now, we’ll get you that emerald! A-And the others! Once we have one, we can find the rest!”

For a moment, the two she-cats stared at the queen. The white cat slowly lowered her back to the ground and retracted her tail. It laid by the throne’s base.

“We?” she echoed, tilting her head.

Yes!” Fiona vigorously nodded.

“You can’t touch the emeralds yourselves, right? Someone has to touch them for you, someone in tune enough with chaos energy to harness them!”

As she talked, her fear started to melt away. She stood straighter, a rush of power rushing through her.

“The only reason you’re this corporeal now is because of the Anarchy Beryl Scourge put in the throne to ward off rebellions. If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t be able to speak to both of us right now!”

“Scourge is the only person you’ve met in a long time with the closest connection to chaos energy,” Fiona continued, a confident smirk growing on her face, “Who knows when you’ll meet another one? It could be days, weeks, centuries! Chaos Borns are long gone so you can’t rely on them showing up. You’ll be stuck in Limbo for eternity at that rate! You need him alive! A-And I’m the only one who knows where in Mazuri to look!”

Fiona squeezed the sides of the cat’s tail.

“I’m the only one with the right connections to get us there undetected! Scourge is the only one with the best chance of harnessing the emeralds’ power! You need me! You need both of us!”

Both she-cats simply stared at the fox, their expressions unreadable. Scourge didn’t know if he should kiss his queen, or punch her in the gut. How DARE she withhold such important information from him! They could’ve saved themselves a lot of crap if she just told him this sooner! He would still be sitting on his throne in that case!

The white cat smiled and tilted her head. Her eyelids closed halfway as she regarded the queen. Fiona managed to keep her confident facade going, waiting for the two to inevitably give them their second chance. Scourge actually thought they were gonna buy the whole thing and let them live. Maybe with those emeralds, he could use them to create his own kingdom-

The she-cat’s sclera turned jet black. Two skinny slits shone in the center.

“No.”

The long tail shot forward like a pouncing snake. It stabbed right through Fiona’s chest and through her back. Its tip was coated in the fox queen’s blood as it slithered back out. Fiona gasped. Her hands numbly went to the hole in her chest just before she crumpled to the ground. Blood pooled out of her chest, staining the ground and her already ruined dress.

“FIONAAAAA!!”

Tears filled the corners of Scourge’s eyes. He forced himself to his feet and dashed towards Fiona’s body. He collapsed to his knees beside her and held her bloodied body in his lap.

“F-Fi? C-Come on, Fi! S-S-Stop fucking around and wake up! W-WAKE UP, DAMMIT!! YOU CAN’T LEAVE ME! Y-You said you wouldn’t…!”

She promised she'd never leave. She promised to always stay. It was both of them against the world. He was her king and she was his queen. They were gonna take this world by the neck and strangle it into the one they dreamed of. A world where they were at the top.

No matter how hard Scourge shook her, Fiona wouldn’t wake up. Her blood spilt onto his royal coat but he hardly noticed. His kingdom was gone. His throne was gone. His queen was gone.

Fiona was gone.

Quiet sobs racked Scourge’s body as he held her close. He hugged her and didn't let go.

Dammit.

Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT!!

The white cat watched the king with sardonic glee, little purrs escaping her throat like a giggle. She waved her blood coated tail around in a rhythmic manner.

“Pity,” the she-cat sighed, “She was such a pretty little queen. No wonder you fell for her.”

Scourge lifted his head to glare at the murderers, white hot rage boiling over his body. He lowered Fiona and stood to glare at the two. Green sparks danced across his body. He snarled.

“I’LL KILL YOU FUCKERS!!”

He shot forward like a bolt of lightning. His claws were ready to tear into the ghostly flesh of these bitches and leave them in more pieces than his kingdom. He never got the chance as his body stopped mid air, surrounded by an aura of electricity lighter than his own. The purple cat stared at him, unimpressed, one paw raised and covered in sparks.

That didn’t stop the king. He struggled and fought against the hold, glaring daggers at the two unbothered cats.

“I’ll KILL YOU!” he roared, “I’ll kill you and PISS ON YOUR REMAINS!! Do you have ANY IDEA who I am!? I’M THE FUCKING KING!! I conquered this whole fucking kingdom! ON MY OWN!! I COULDA DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP! I ONLY CUT YOU IN TO PUT ME ON TOP!! I COULDA DROPPED YOU ANY TIME I WANTED!!”

“Nothing’s stopping me from burying both of you where you stand! I’M KING!! I’M THE ONE WITH POWER HERE, DAMMIT!! YOU SHOULD BE BOWING DOWN TO ME!! AND I’LL MAKE SURE YOUR CORPSES DO JUST THAT…! THEY WON’T EVEN GET A PROPER FUCKING BURIAL!!”

Scourge snarled again, his quills bristling and claws outstretched like he was going to claw into their chests. His blue eyes turned green as more sparks coated his body.

“You want that emerald? Well Fi was right, YOU NEED ME. But I. DON’T. NEED. YOU.”

He’ll find those fucking emeralds all on his own. He’ll find them, and he’ll use whatever powers they have to OBLITERATE THESE SPECTRAL PIECES OF SHIT, and erase ANY TRACE of them from the universe! Then he’ll use them to create his own kingdom. Fuck, he could make the whole planet his kingdom if he wanted to, emeralds or not!

Instead of being intimidated, the cats’ smiles only grew. Now both their eyes were black, and their skinny slit pupils glowed like burning infernos.

Scourge’s anger abruptly dwindled away, replaced by a sense of dread. He struggled against the strange hold even more. His whole body felt as though it was being crushed from the inside out. His lungs felt like they were shrivelling up like raisins and a pressure was building around his neck. He choked on his own air as he tried to breathe.

The white she-cat stood and cupped Scourge’s chin with her bloodied tail. She purred with sick glee as she looked into the slowly shrinking pupils of the ex-king.

“Give your father our regards, Nicky.”

There was a snap. Scourge’s lifeless, twisted body crashed on top of Fiona’s. His face was frozen in an emotion he had never felt in his life. Not until the very last seconds of it were snuffed away.

Fear.

With a flick of her paw, the purple cat summoned a small green flame and tossed it over the former King and Queen.

“Whaddya know?” she remarked, “You and your daddy had something in common after all: You both suck at keeping your promises.”

She and her companion jumped off the throne and gathered around the slowly burning bodies. They could barely smell the stench of melting flesh, or feel the heat of the rising flames. The purple cat shot another flame towards the last remnants of the throne. The flames gobbled up the stone base within seconds. The stones glowed a bright green within the flames before exploding into tiny chunks.

By that point both she-cats were long gone. All that remained were the remnants of a once great kingdom, and the rulers that brought it to its knees.

Notes:

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS ONE GOT SO LONG OR HOW I MANAGED TO GET TWO STORIES OUT OF ONE PROMPT BY MY GOD I DID!!! Just goes to show how you can take a one word prompt in different directions.

If you've read my other stuff, then you might be able to guess who the mysterious ghost kitties are. Whoever guesses right first will get an imaginary virtual cookie from me!

Chapter 5: Close Call

Summary:

Okay fun fact this story was supposed to come before Promise but I forgot to publish it so whoopsie! Another @YouHalfwit comic inspiration piece. Enjoy!

Sonic grunted as he pulled on the rope. It was connected to the main sail, the biggest of the three that they had. Bit by bit, pull by pull, the sail was lifted farther up the mast. It was a slow going job.

So. Very. Slow. Going.

“Why do I have to do this manually?” Sonic complained, “and while I'm at it why am I doing this on my own?”

He had been at this for almost an hour, and this damn piece of cloth seemed to just LOVE taking its sweet time. The hedgehog could feel the strain in his arms and the sweat rolling down the sides of his face.

Farther back stood his captain, watching the struggle with an impassive expression.

“It’s a good way to build muscle,” he said, “All the crew does this at least once. Plus it’s fun to watch you struggle.”

Sonic grumbled and glared at the dark hedgehog over his shoulder. For the briefest of moments, Shadow smirked. It made his eye twitch.

The hedgehog was about to spit out a retort, but his foot slipped when he took a step back. The rope he held onto took the chance and pulled him up with three times the strength. Sonic screamed as he felt himself flying off the ground. A strong pair of hands wrapped themselves around his waist before he could go any higher.

Sonic turned in surprise to see Shadow standing behind him.

“S-Shadow-?!”

“Don’t. Let. Go!”

Sonic did so, allowing his captain to pull him back down to the deck. Together they finished hauling up the sail and securely tied the rope. Sonic pressed a hand over his thumping heart and breathed. It felt as though it was going to rip itself out of his chest.

“T-Thanks…”

“Always be aware of your footing, hedgehog,” Shadow scowled.

Even as he said that he helped Sonic stand up straighter and checked him over for injuries. Sonic blushed.

“You have a funny way of saying ‘you’re welcome,’ you know that?”

Shadow scowled again and rolled his eyes.

“Say that again and next time I’ll let the sail send you flying.”

“You wouldn’t~” Sonic stated.

“Don’t test me.”

“Love you too Shads!”

Shadow grumbled and rolled his eyes. He noticed the way Sonic was rubbing his hands and paused.

“Are your hands hurt?”

“Wha? Oh! Nah, just a little sore. No ropeburn, thankfully.”

Shadow nodded. He turned back to his quarters.

“It’s lunchtime. Go grab some food and rest.”

Sonic rolled his eyes and fell in step beside his captain.

“Want some coffee beans?”

“You eat first.”

“I’ll make sure Cookie gives you extra this time."

Shadow huffed but didn’t respond.

Chapter 6: Sea Legs

Summary:

I dedicate part of my inspiration-border-lining-plagiarism to LightningHikaru and their story Tides of Chaos. If you're a Sonadow fan and you like pirates, romance, fluff, angst, plot, Omega, etc, check them out.

Sonic sat in the middle of his bed, hugging his knees close to his chest and trying his damn hardest to ignore the accursed swaying of this ship. He tried to ignore the sound of waves crashing against wood, the low roar of thunder above his head.

Amy had predicted the storm just minutes before it descended. Sonic was surprised not much of the crew doubted his friend’s abilities, then again many of them had hidden talents themselves. Plus, unlike him and his friends, they were more accustomed to magic.

Another crack of lighting. Another crash of a wave. The ship rocked. Sonic involuntarily shivered, quills puffing out. He wished he had asked Amy to stay with him when she offered. Or Tails. At least then he could reassure the hedgehog when the storm would pass. He wouldn’t have minded Knuckles’ company either.

Sadly, his pride would not let him admit that he didn’t want to be alone. The only positive was that he had long been accustomed to his sea legs by now.

While Sonic cursed himself for his current situation, Omega suddenly appeared over his bed.

“Sup?”

“AH!”

Sonic jumped and slammed his back into the wall. He quickly shook off his scare and glared at the specter.

“Do you have to do that?”

“What? I’m a ghost!” Omega laughed, “Spooking people is literally why I exist!”

Sonic groaned and rolled his eyes. Usually he liked Omega’s jokes, but tonight he was just too on edge.

“What do you want, Omega?”

“Cap wants you. You were supposed to chart a course with him half an hour ago.”

Ah. That’s right. Every evening Sonic and Shadow would chart the ship’s course, checking to make sure they were on track. The pounding of rain flooded Sonic’s ears.

“D-Does it have to be tonight?” he asked.

“Yep!”

Omega didn’t seem to notice the hedgehog’s discomfort.

“And you might wanna hurry before he-”

All of a sudden Shadow warped into Sonic’s room, grabbed him by the wrist, and warped away. Omega stared at the spot where the two once stood.

“...Does that.”

Sonic shook off his daze as he found himself in the middle of his captain’s quarters.

“Any reason why you kept me waiting?” Shadow asked, releasing his first mate’s wrist.

Sonic rubbed it briefly, trying to ignore the clear sight of the raging storm right outside the back window.

“J-Just… haven’t got my sea legs yet is all.”

Shadow looked him over, slowly raising an eyebrow.

“You’ve been on sea for months.”

“I know, right?” Sonic chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Shadow narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. He looked the hedgehog up and down once more before turning away.

“I want to make sure this storm won’t blow us off course. If it does, it might take longer to reach Mazuri.”

Sonic nodded and followed his captain to the desk.

Thankfully the storm wasn’t going to affect their course too much. They’d have to make some slight adjustments, but other than that they were still on track. Sonic was thankful for the distraction. Charting maps kept his head down and mind off the sounds of thunder.

“Impressive how quick you are with maps,” Shadow commented.

“Yeah, well, the Academy taught me well. Helps that I was a quick study.”

“It shows.”

A bolt of lightning struck the waters close to the window. It was close enough to make the edges of both hedgehogs’ spines tingle. Shadow glanced outside at the flash before turning around to find his first mate pressed against the far wall. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and parts of his body trembled. Even his quills had puffed out in almost every direction. Shadow looked between him and the storm.

“Are you afraid of lightning?”

“Y-Yeah…” Sonic stammered, “N-N-Not that many storms in S-Soleana…”

Waves rocked the ship. Sonic flinched and flattened his ears. Shadow took notice and marched over with a harsh glare.

“You’re not being honest with me, hedgehog.”

“W-What? You see how bad it is out there!”

Shadow snarled, one hand slamming against the wall beside Sonic’s face. Sonic yipped in surprise and shrunk beneath his captain’s steely glare.

“I detest liars.”

Sonic gulped as he tried to come up with an excuse. Shadow was too stubborn to let something go, and he could see through Sonic’s lies better than his friends.

Lightning struck the ocean again. A particularly large wave crashed against the window, darkening the entire room. Shadow heard a high pitched shriek and turned to see Sonic curled up into a ball on the floor.

“I’m afraid of water!”

The hedgehog sat there, trembling and whimpering as waves crashed against the window again. Shadow stared at him in disbelief.

“...What…?”

“Hate water…” Sonic mumbled, “too dark… too deep… d-drown…”

Another wave hit. Sonic whimpered, shutting his eyes tight. Shadow just stared, a thousand thoughts rushing through his head. He held the side of it and groaned.

“Why would you even agree to live on the ocean if you’re scared of it?”

“...Adventure…” Sonic replied meekly, “be with you.”

Of course. Being with his newly formed family would be the only reason why Sonic would stick around his own nightmare. Why didn’t Shadow see the signs sooner? Did Amy, Tails, and Knuckles know? No wonder they were sticking closer to him when Amy brought up the oncoming storm.

Shadow sighed as he walked over to his bed and pulled off a blanket.

“...Did the Queen know?”

“No. I don’t like telling people.”

Sonic perked in surprise when a blanket was suddenly draped over his body. He glanced up to see Shadow adjusting it around his shoulders before sitting down next to him.

“There’s nothing wrong with being scared,” the captain said softly, “Everyone’s afraid of something.”

“You’re just saying that…”

Sonic hugged the blanket tighter as another rumble of thunder sounded and sent the waves into another frenzy. He hated feeling like this. Feeling small and trapped and scared… It was humiliating. It was even more humiliating that his captain was seeing this.

Shadow studied the frightened hedgehog, then looked at the floor. He fluffed some of his quills and started fiddling with the cuff of his glove.

“...Do you remember that day I got stuck in the crow’s nest?”

Sonic twitched an ear. He glanced at the captain and nodded once.

“You were right,” Shadow sighed, “I am scared of heights.”

The captain fluffed his quills again.

“When I was little, my father would take me to the tallest tower of the palace. He’d dangle me out from the highest window and drop me over the edge.”

“W-What?!” Sonic exclaimed, “Why?!”

“Black Arms are born with different abilities: super strength, flight, speed, stretchy limbs, venomous bites…”

He didn’t miss how Sonic flinched at the last one.

“We don’t start showing signs of any of these until we reach a year of age. By the time I was two I had shown no signs of such powers.”

“My father constantly did experiments with me to see what was wrong. Black Arms don’t mate with different species, so he thought it had to do with my genetics. When he came up empty, it was theorized that I was just a late bloomer. Father took that to heart and started creating ways to force the abilities out of me.”

Sonic listened intently. At first he was just glad for a distraction from the storm, but now…

“One of the ways he went about this was testing if I had the ability to fly,” Shadow continued solemnly, “Every evening he’d drag me up the tallest tower and throw me out the window. What’s worse is there was a pit of spikes along the palace’s perimeter. If I had fallen all the way, I would’ve not only been stabbed to death, but also poisoned by the toxins the spikes held.”

Sonic’s eyes widened. He knew Emperor Black Doom was a jerk; he had met the guy and witnessed it firsthand. To hear that he put his own son in danger MULTIPLE TIMES JUST to see if he had powers… It was beyond sick. No wonder Shadow hated the guy so much.

“He’d yell at me to summon my wings. He’d say how I was a disgrace to the entirety of the Black Arms race, and if the spikes didn’t kill me then the new hatchlings would. One time he almost came through with that threat…”

Shadow’s voice trailed off. Pain flashed through his visible eye. Sonic scooched just an inch closer.

“The sickest part of all was that it worked. Not only that, but it turned out I had other abilities as well. Father took great pleasure in ripping them out of me one by one…”

He hugged his arms. Tight. Sonic could tell Shadow was trying to keep himself from spiraling. Having to recall such traumatic memories must have been painful. The only reason he was even doing it at all was to help Sonic. Guilt gnawed at the hedgehog’s stomach at the fact. As did anger.

“Since then I’ve hated high places,” Shadow sighed, loosening his hold, “because everytime I look down… all I can see are the spikes waiting to swallow me up… and him.”

Silence reigned over the room. Through the window the storm raged on and on. Anything not bolted down began sliding back and forth.

“...I’m sorry,” Sonic murmured, “that’s… that’s just horrible.”

Shadow shrugged, trying to play it off as no big deal.

“It was a long time ago.”

Even so, it was clear that what Shadow just shared was personal. Incredibly so. He never liked talking about his time in the Doom Empire, and Sonic always respected that. Technically it was none of his business anyway. This went beyond just having a distraction; he had to return the favor.

“...W-When I was little,” Sonic began, “I fell off the docks and nearly drowned. Since then I’ve never liked going near water.”

Shadow’s ears flicked.

“T-The last thing I remember seeing was a pair of glowing eyes…”

Sonic shivered and hugged the blanket again. He hated bringing up that memory. Those eyes… they were so sharp and bright… They were the last things he saw before his vision faded. Before it turned into the terrified gazes of his uncle and little brother.

Another wave crashed against the window, covering everything in darkness again. Sonic yelped and scooched back, accidentally bumping into Shadow. He didn’t even realize it and just curled up as tight as he could. His body trembled from head to toe.

Shadow jumped at the unexpected contact, but made no moves to push his first mate away. Instead, he draped an arm around his back and held him close. Sonic didn’t protest, instead moving closer to Shadow’s chest and whimpering. He focused on the beating of his captain’s heart against his ear. The scent of lavender that came off him and the blanket. The strong arms that held him steady even as the ship rocked side to side.

Sonic didn’t realize when he had fallen asleep, nor did he see the light blush on Shadow's cheeks as he held him all through the night.

Chapter 7: Sunset and Crow's Nest

Summary:

Yes I combined both prompts, sue me; I managed to get TWO stories out of the Promise one and as far as I'm concerned I'm playin by my own rules! Anyway these two went hand to hand with the story idea I had in mind, so I combined them. I got some more long ones comin so enjoy the short cuteness until then.

“Come on Shads!”

Sonic laughed as he and his captain climbed their way up the mast. Shadow gripped the wood for dear life, doing his best not to look down. His muscles tensed with each new step he took.

“Why did I agree to this!?” he grumbled.

Sonic laughed.

“This is the best time to catch the sunset! And the crow’s nest has the best view!”

“I can see the sunset just fine from below…!” Shadow shook.

He made the mistake of glancing down to the deck below. His whole body froze and his breathing quickened. His heart pounded against his chest. Why did he let himself get talked into this?! Why did he let Sonic talk him into this!? Why didn’t he kick him out of his quarters the moment he even SUGGESTED the idea!?

Shadow jumped when something grabbed his hand. His head snapped up to see Sonic looking back at him. Concern underlined his usual cheeky look.

“View’s WAY better up here! Just you wait!”

Shadow glanced up to see how much farther they had to go. He flattened his ears.

“Sonic…!”

He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t do this, why is he doing this!?

“You still trust me, right?”

Shadow paused. Sonic was looking at him with that same encouraging look. With the coming sunset his fur glowed in a soft hue that warmed Shadow in a way he couldn’t describe. Sonic’s smile softened as he gave his captain’s hand a gentle squeeze.

“Come on. You can do it!”

Bit by bit, Shadow allowed himself to climb higher. He didn’t look down, instead keeping his focus on the crow’s nest and his first mate. Sonic held his hand the whole time. At last, they reached the top. Shadow let out a shaky breath the moment he was inside the nest. Sonic chuckled and patted his back before turning out to the horizon. The captain reluctantly followed his gaze, and instantly his breath was taken away.

Golden orange skies faded to a ring of bright pink, then a growing ocean of deep purple. They reflected along the water’s surface, turning it to a beautiful shade of indigo. A flock of seagulls flew off in the distance. Their silhouettes were pure black within the vibrant hues of the evening sky. It was like watching a moving painting.

Sonic smirked at his captain’s expression. He leaned over the edge of the crow’s nest.

“Told you it was pretty.”

Shadow couldn’t help but nod. He slowly joined his first mate near the edge.

“You did good today.”

“What?”

“Climbing up here,” Sonic clarified, giving a thumbs up, “You did good!”

Shadow nodded, acutely aware of the sea breeze in his quills.

“We can do this again if you want.”

“Do what?”

“Climb up here. It’ll help you get used to heights.”

“...I don’t know…” Shadow hesitated.

Sonic gently nudged his captain in the arm.

“Give it a shot. Besides, wouldn’t you say the view’s worth it?”

Shadow looked back out to the horizon as the sun began to disappear. He looked back at his first mate, the glow on his fur shining even brighter now. His emerald pools held the same warm light. It made the dark captain’s heart skip a beat.

“...I suppose so.”

Maybe a trip up the mast every now and again wouldn’t be so bad. As long as it was Sonic dragging him along. Somehow the sunsets were all the more beautiful with the blue hedgehog by his side.

Notes:

See I told you @YouHalfwit was gonna be poppin up alot! Yeah, once again another story loosely inspired by one of their art pieces.

Chapter 8: Jolly Roger

“Goooooood morning my fellow oceaners!”

A gold and brown monkey with tufted ears burst through the door. Many occupants of The Tavern groaned upon his arrival. Others laughed or fondly shook their heads. The monkey flipped onto one of the nearby stools and plopped himself down. He waved at the bartender with his tail.

“Mmmmmorning Charlotte!”

The bartender rolled their eyes and prepared a mug of apple cider. Without a word they slid it over to the monkey before going back to work. The monkey grabbed the mug with his tail and plopped it into both of his hands. With sparkling eyes he downed almost half the drink within seconds.

On his right was a blue hedgehog, smiling at the chipper monkey while nursing his own drink. On the left was a light blue cat with wild hair and ruby colored eyes. She cackled when she saw the foam mustache the monkey had obtained when he pulled the mug down.

“Y’know ‘oceaner’ is not a real word, right?”

“Not yet it isn’t!” the monkey chirped, wiping his mouth on his sleeve, “Just you watch! When I’m done, it’ll be the hottest word on the block!”

The cat laughed again, and this time the blue hedgehog joined in.

“Well you’re a chipper guy.”

The pair turned towards the hedgehog as if just noticing he was there.

“I prefer the term ‘jolly.’”

The monkey placed his mug down and held out his hand.

“Jolly Roger’s the name!”

“I’m Sonic.”

“Sonic huh?” Roger mused as they shook hands, “Don’t get many ‘Sonic’s’ around here! That’s my crewmate Silo.”

He pointed behind him to the cat. She gave him a two finger salute.

“Hey. You’re a regular around here, aren’t you?”

“Kinda,” Sonic shrugged before turning to Roger, “Don’t think I’ve seen you before.”

Silo laughed.

“That’s because he’s usually ship-bound! Not many folks around here can handle his jolly attitude.”

“You mean my jolly-tude!” Roger corrected, sending his friend into a fit of giggles again.

“Or his play on words!”

Sonic laughed as well.

“My cap’s the same way about me and puns.”

“What’s with these oceaners and their lack of humor?”

The trio laughed good-heartedly. Half the Tavern was glaring at them, but most were too drunk to get up and do anything drastic.

“Nah,” Sonic said as he calmed down, “he’s always been a bit of a grump. It’s part of his charm.”

“You gonna be in town long?” Roger asked, downing the rest of his mug.

“Not really. We’re setting sail again tomorrow.”

“Ooh! Where to?”

“Mazuri,” Sonic replied simply, “Heard about some abandoned treasures we’re thinking of snatching up.”

Roger’s tail wagged. Silo had to hold back from laughing at the sight.

“Sounds fun! Day after tomorrow we’re sailing out to find the Lost Pearl of Meropis!”

“Meropis?” Sonic echoed, “The Mermaid Kingdom?”

“Yep! Legend says the Lost Pearl is a sacred gem worn by kings and queens during their coronations. It instows wisdom upon those purest of heart. The last one to wear it was Queen Ulianna, but no one’s seen it for five hundred years!”

Roger wrapped an arm around Silo and nearly pulled her off her stool. The monkey puffed out his chest and proudly pointed at them both.

“We’re gonna be the first to find it!”

“Way to exposit our life’s work, Jolly ol’ buddy,” Silo muttered playfully.

Roger let go and scratched the side of his head.

“Sorry! It’s just SO COOL!!” stars lit up in his eyes as he spoke, “Can you imagine? A pearl that grants you infinite wisdom?”

“Sounds like that’d make my head explode.”

“But still, just FINDING IT and PROVING it exists is the real fun!! It’s like we’re making history!”

Sonic chuckled at the guy’s enthusiasm. It reminded him a lot of himself.

“Sounds like quite an adventure.”

“Oh it has been!” Roger beamed, “We’ve sailed through typhoons, fought off sirens, outsmarted political tyrants, made new friends and enemies at every turn, and avoided my dad’s many relentless bounty hunters that are always trying to capture me!”

“Or tear off your head,” Silo casually added.

“That too!”

“Wait what?” Sonic asked, tilting his head.

Roger waved his hand casually.

“My dad didn’t like how I ran away from home to become a pirate, so he’s been sending bounty hunters after me to bring me back. Though lately we found out he may or may not wanna kill me…”

Sonic blinked. He stared at the gold and brown monkey, then his companion. After a moment, he couldn’t help but laugh and hold his head.

“...Wow. You guys have a busy life!”

“Ohhh you have no idea…” Silo muttered, downing an entire mug of ale in one go.

“Believe me. I think I do.”

Commotion suddenly rang from a corner of The Tavern. The three turned curiously as a pirate was thrown across the room and crashed into a table. Gunshots and swords were pulled and the men ran in to attack. Silo grabbed Roger and Sonic and practically threw them behind a table. Gunshot and laser blasts filled the room, and pretty soon many pirates were either fleeing or falling to the mysterious enemy.

“Uh, what’s happening?” Sonic asked.

Silo looked out from the table. Roger and Sonic followed suit. Standing at the center of the chaos was a pink wolf with black gear and a bandana around her muzzle with shark teeth painted on the fabric. Her eyes were a blazing yellow as she locked onto the three. She held up a rounded flintlock with a glowing glass tube and fired a barrage of colored bullets straight at them.

“Shit!” Silo yelled, ducking back behind the table, “It’s Kiyoshi!”

Sonic jumped when a bullet nearly hit them. Silo pulled out a flintlock of her own and fired it at all the bales of alcohol. The alcohol flooded the floor in droves and quickly caught fire from the colored bullets of Kiyoshi’s weapon. Using the chaos, Silo led the boys out through the door and down the winding streets.

It wasn’t long before colored bullets were filling the air again. Sonic jumped when one nearly took out a chunk of his quills.

“Who’s Kiyoshi?!” he asked, looking at his new friends incredulously.

Roger flipped over an oncoming bullet and scurried up a nearby fire escape. The other two followed suit.

“Remember those bounty hunters that my dad sent?”

“Lemme guess: she’s one’a them?”

“Yep!”

Roger took the lead as the trio ran across the rooftops. If it wasn’t for the bounty hunter on their tails, they would have agreed that the view of the afternoon sun over the ocean and bustling shops below were beautiful.

“Though despite always coming after me, she’s actually helped save my skin a few times!”

“And believe me,” Silo huffed, “his skin needs saving A LOT!”

Roger laughed. It was cut short when a pink bullet whooshed passed the top of his head. Kiyoshi was only a few feet behind, eyes narrowed in focus as she took aim again. Roger jumped off a nearby pole and somersaulted through the air. He landed gracefully between Sonic and Silo without losing any of his momentum.

“Anyway, I think she’s a good person! Just you watch, by the end of the year she’ll be a full fledged member of The Shining Sunny’s!”

“I’m starting to regret letting you name our ship, Jolly!” Silo commented, nimbly sliding out of the way of a large bullet.

Sonic smirked and looked back at Roger.

“You seem pretty convinced about that.”

“I’m a firm believer that anyone can change to be good if they put in the effort!” Roger exclaimed, “Some just don’t know how to start! They need a jolly little push! That’s where I come in!”

Silo laughed.

“Believe it or not, MORE THAN HALF of our crew consists of people who’ve tried to kill him. On MULTIPLE OCCASIONS.”

“What can I say? I’m irresistible!”

“That’s not what the fellas tell me~!”

“Hey, Manfred doesn’t count!”

Sonic smirked at the duo’s banter. It reminded him of a few certain crew members of his own. Right down to the enemy trying to gun them down. They twisted through crowds and jumped over fruit carts. Dashed down allies and slid down streets.

A lucky shot struck Sonic in the arm. He shouted in surprise and nearly stumbled until Roger grabbed his arm and kept him from falling. Silo tried to turn and shoot Kiyoshi, but her aim wasn’t as good from behind. She ended up hitting wall sides, plants, and cobblestones. One guy got shot in the side of the head and fell in the street. Kiyoshi leapt over the body and parkoured up the wall sides.

“Man, she's persistent!” Sonic exclaimed.

“I know!” Roger chirped, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face, “That’s why I want her to join our crew! She’d make a great marksman!”

Roger yelped when a yellow bullet whizzed past the tip of his nose.

“Roger!” Silo grunted, “Live now, do redemption later!”

“Right! Sorry!”

Another bullet whizzed past his head.

“Well if talking’s out right now, then we gotta lose her somehow! Not easy since she’s a pretty stubborn gal!”

That gave Sonic an idea. If this Kiyoshi girl was this stubborn, then they just needed someone who was equally, if not more, stubborn. He grabbed Roger and Silo’s arms.

“Hang on!”

Before either could reply, they were speeding down the streets in a blur of blue. Roger whooped and cheered as they ran. Silo held on for dear life, her eyes filling with water.

Kiyoshi had pulled out a grappling device around her wrist and began swinging through the air. Silo’s eyes widened at the sight.

“OKAY THAT’S JUST NOT FAIR!! WHEN DID SHE GET THAT!?”

“Ya mean she didn’t have it before?” Sonic quipped, looking over his shoulder.

Roger waved at the bounty hunter.

“Nice upgrades, Kiyoshi! Really fits the look!”

Silo rolled her eyes and Sonic laughed. A few moments later they were at the docks. Standing beside a nearby booth was a black hedgehog in red attire. He was eyeing some of the offerings until Sonic called out to him.

“Yo Shads!”

Shadow turned just as the trio skidded to a halt in front of him. Silo wobbled a bit before regaining her balance while Roger ogled at the new person.

“Hiya!”

Silo froze, registering the fancy garments of the black hedgehog and the distinct eyepatch.

“Isn’t that-?”

“What did you do?” Shadow snapped.

The hedgehog grinned and pointed at the monkey and cat duo beside him.

“Met some new friends!”

Roger waved cheerfully at the guy while Silo just stared.

“Hi!”

“Uh…”

At that moment, bullets rained down onto the dock. Everyone turned just as Kiyoshi shot Roger in the back, swung the grapple around his neck, dragged him towards her side, and held the weapon to the side of his head. All without saying a word.

Silo reacted immediately and drew out her flintlock. She growled, finger just hovering over the trigger. She couldn’t risk hurting Roger. Shadow quickly pulled out his own weapon and yanked Sonic closer to his side.

“Wow!” Roger chirped, “You’ve gotten faster, Kiyoshi!”

Kiyoshi simply pressed the weapon closer to Roger’s head, her eyes solely focused on the three other pirates in front of her.

“Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?” Shadow snarled.

Sonic grinned.

“Right! Shadow, this is Jolly Roger and his buddy Silo. Roger and Silo, this is Shadow. He’s my captain and my boyfriend. And the pink deadly wolf over there is a bounty hunter named Kiyoshi. She’s been after Roger for a while.”

Sonic gestured to the monkey hostage. Roger nodded happily and pulled out a “Wanted” poster with his tail.

“Got a Wanted poster and everything!”

Kiyoshi suddenly looked alarmed and glanced down at her belt. Shadow glanced at Sonic. The hedgehog simply shrugged.

“...Daddy issues.”

“Got it.”

“Hey uh, Kiyoshi?” Roger chirped, “I know I’m a hostage and all, but uh, could you lighten your grip a little bit please? That spot is a little tender right now.”

Kiyoshi didn’t say a word, but Roger did feel her grip on his arm loosen. Some of the muscles in his arm relaxed.

“So the three of you know each other,” Shadow summarized.

Roger and Silo nodded.

“Yep!”

“Pretty much.”

Shadow glanced at Sonic’s arm wound.

“Did the wolf do that?”

Sonic briefly rubbed the spot.

“Stray shot. She was aiming for him.”

He gestured to Roger. Shadow nodded.

“Right…”

The dark captain clicked his flintlock and aimed for Kiyoshi’s face. He growled.

“I don’t appreciate you shooting my first mate.”

Roger’s eyes lit up.

“You’re Shadow, right?” Silo glanced at the captain, “as in, the Devil of the Seas?”

“Yes,” Shadow nodded tersely, “How are you so casual about this?”

The monkey shrugged even as the gun was pressed against his face again.

“Not the first time I’ve been in this situation. Half the time it’s Kiyoshi, the other half it’s someone else. Honestly I kinda prefer Kiyoshi. She doesn’t monologue like the others do.”

“Or try to make passes at us ladies…” Silo grumbled.

“Sheesh, and I thought our lives were nuts.”

Sonic chuckled and exchanged looks with Shadow, who was somewhere between confused and ready to shoot something.

“We’ll have to exchange stories sometime,” Silo smirked, “Preferably when my friend’s not in danger.”

“Good call Silo!”

Shadow fired a warning shot at Roger and Kiyoshi’s feet. Everyone jumped in surprise. From his one visible eye, Shadow sent the pink wolf a murderous glare.

“I don’t fully understand what the fuck’s going on, so let me just say this: Release the monkey, and MAYBE I’ll let you live.”

Kiyoshi narrowed her eyes. She gripped Roger and her weapon tighter.

“This is because she shot me isn’t it?” Sonic muttered, the only one not bothered by his captain’s aggression.

Shadow merely huffed in response and shot again. Roger yelped. Kiyoshi pulled him away from the blast. Silo huffed a laugh.

“Good luck getting a word outta her. Kiyoshi’s more of the silent type.”

“But her voice is pretty!” Roger added, causing Kiyoshi to blush, “You should hear it!”

“The only thing I wanna hear right now is a body dropping,” Shadow snarled.

Silo cackled.

“I like you! You don’t mess around!”

Shadow gritted his teeth and prepared to fire again. Sonic laughed at everyone’s banter and simply shook his head. Roger smiled and turned to look at his captor.

“C’mon Key! You don’t need my dad’s grubby money. Or these grubby jobs. You’ve got great skills, and you work great with me and the crew! Remember that time you saved me from Lien-Da?”

Kiyoshi’s hard gaze turned thoughtful.

“I saw you. You were awesome! You looked after the crew the whole way up! And you kicked Lien-da’s butt just for me!”

Kiyoshi blushed again and turned away. Her ears lowered slightly.

Sonic leaned over and whispered to Silo.

“Who’s Lien-Da?”

“Some slave trader who got the hots for Roger and tried to keep him,” she explained quietly, “Kiyoshi helped us break him out. Apparently she hates Lien-Da with a passion, and not just for stealing her quarry, so for once we were all on the same page.”

Sonic and Shadow shared another confused glance with each other. They just shrugged.

“We could use a great marksman like you!” Roger continued, “Drop the contract and come with us. Please?”

Kiyoshi glanced at Roger’s bright and jolly eyes. For a moment she hesitated, her rigid demeanor starting to loosen up. The light in her flintlock seemed to dim.

Shadow had lowered his weapon slightly, entirely confused by the whole situation, but thankful that it seemed his first mate was safe. Silo slowly followed suit.

“...Your offer is still open…?” the wolf asked.

Her voice was soft and raspy, almost akin to a whisper on sandpaper. Roger smiled brightly, curling his long tail.

“Always has been!”

Kiyoshi actually seemed to be considering the monkey’s words. Her tail flicked from behind.

“Hey, uh, hello?”

Everyone turned as Sonic popped out from Shadow’s side. He waved at the three a little awkwardly and smiled.

“Yeah, hi, me again. Sorry to interrupt this tender moment, really, but the four of us just set a whole tavern on fire and trashed half a town full of angry townsfolk and grumpy pirates with guns, so if we all wanna keep our heads we should probably put a pin in this and get outta here.”

Kiyoshi’s ear flicked in the direction of the town. She pocketed her weapon and released Roger, snatching the poster back from his tail. Her eyes were less hostile than before.

“...I will consider your offer, monkey king…”

Without another word, Kiyoshi fired her grappling hook and flew off. Roger waved after her, a hopeful smile on his face.

“Until next time Kiyoshi!”

Silo breathed a sigh of relief and watched her go.

“Huh. Never seen that trick actually work before. Nice job, Sonic.”

“Thanks, but I wasn't joking.”

Everyone’s ears flicked towards the town as angry shouts could be heard, followed by a loud whistle. Shadow’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Shit! Come on!”

Sonic yelped as Shadow grabbed his wrist and sped down the docks towards their ship. Roger turned on his heel and sprinted in the same direction.

“Let’s go, Silo!”

“Uh, Jolly? We have a problem.”

Roger skidded to a stop and glanced at his partner. She pointed at the empty spot where their ship once was. The two searched the open waters, squinting their eyes against the sun. Silo pulled out a spyglass to get a better look. There on the water was their ship, its white and gold flags proudly blowing in the wind. And going far away from the port.

Silo growled in annoyance and lowered her spyglass.

“Randy hijacked the ship again.”

“I wouldn’t call it hijacking,” Roger said, “more like taking for a joyride.”

“Well thanks to him we have no ride!” Silo snarled.

The shouts were getting closer. Silo’s tail puffed out in alarm and she drew her flintlock again. Roger looked around the docks before grabbing his friend’s hand and waving someone down.

“Hey, Sonic!”

The hedgehog’s head peered over the edge of his ship. Roger chuckled nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Can we hitch a ride?”

---

It took a while, but eventually the group was able to catch up with the runaway ship. Once they were parallel with each other, Roger and Silo thanked The Shooting Star for the lift and jumped back into theirs. Roger waved back at a surprised Sonic before they sailed away and disappeared into a mysterious mist.

Roger always found magic of any type amazing.

While Silo reprimanded Randy for stealing the ship -again- two twin calicos squeezed Roger’s body tight. They cried and nuzzled their wet faces into his clothes.

“Where were you!?”

“Don’t leave us again!”

“Take us with you next time!”

“Did Key-Key hurt you?!”

“We heard she shot at you!”

“We’re sorry we couldn’t turn the ship around!”

“Randy sucks at steering!”

“Oy!”

Said person whipped their gaze over to the weeping calicos and glared.

“I can hear you, you little mugs!!”

“Eyes on me, hotshot!” Silo snapped, forcing Randy to look at her again, “We’re not done! How many times do I have to tell you NOT to take the ship for a joyride!?”

“The cap doesn’t mind, do ya cap?”

Roger chuckled as he tried pulling the twins off of him.

“As long as you bring her back in one piece I don’t mind!”

“Well I do!” Silo groaned, “Roger and I were nearly fishfood back there because of your game!”

“We’ve been in worse spots!” Randy defended.

The blue cat facepalmed herself and lashed her tail.

“JUST STOP HIJACKING THE SHIP WHEN IT’S INCONVENIENT!!”

Roger suddenly appeared between the two, wrapping an arm around both their shoulders and pulling them close.

“Ah chin up Sil! We’re back on the ship, it didn’t crash, I made some more progress with Key, and we made a new friend! So what if we can’t come back to this port anytime soon?”

Silo just rolled her eyes and sighed.

“Seriously, how did you end up as one of us ‘oceaners?’”

“Just luck I guess,” Roger beamed, “And I sure did luck out with you guys!”

He hugged the two again. Randy tried to wriggle free, but then the calico twins joined in on the hug and he had to give up. After one last squeeze, the group broke apart. Roger put his hand at the center.

“Now come on! We’ve got a lost pearl to find!”

One by one, each crew member placed their hands over the monkey’s.

“Aye! Aye!”

Roger smiled and climbed up the thick mast of their ship. Once he was level with the helm, he backflipped off the mast and landed gracefully by the wheel. Silo joined him seconds later. From below, more of the crew started popping out, including a dark navy hedgehog with a small blue bunny on his shoulders. Roger gave them all a wide, excited grin before grabbing the wheel.

“Next stop: Meropis!”

Cheers echoed from below.

“Ooh! Ooh! Do you think we’ll see any mermaids in Meropolis?” the bunny asked excitedly, looking at its spiky friend.

“It’s Meropis, Feels,” the hedgehog responded, “and I sure hope not.”

He shuddered slightly. Feels hugged his friend’s head and nuzzled the top of it.

“Don’t worry, Terry! I’ll protect you from the mermaids!”

The hedgehog sighed and just looked up fondly at his little bunny friend.

Roger smiled at the pair. He was glad they had gotten so close in the short amount of time they had been aboard. Heck, all of them had become close, like one big adventurous family.

And so, Captain Jolly Roger of The Shining Sunny sailed off for their next grand and perilous adventure. One he couldn’t wait to tell their new friends about when they saw them again. Hopefully, Kiyoshi would be right alongside him by then.

Notes:

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THIS GOT SO LONG OR WHY I TOOK THE PROMPT SO LITERALLY BUT HERE WE ARE. I basically took the beta designs of Sonic characters + some new faces, made them into a crew, and created a backwards anime pilot to introduce them and their adventures. I have no freaking idea why but I ran with it and -once again- here we are. I tried making Roger a cheerful, chill guy, kinda like Sonic. One who can go with the flow, be a little goofy, and most of all connect with almost every single person he meets. Like Ash from Pokemon, or Lucky from the Sentai Kyuranger (give it a watch, it's fun).

As you can tell, Feels and Terios also make a cameo near the end. Just because. And Kiyoshi is inspired by/looks like Whisper's pink beta design by Evan Stanley. Silo is based on a blue cat beta design of Blaze that may or may not be fanart; I've never looked that deep into it, but if it's the latter it looks great and I apologize for not name-dropping you here.

Chapter 9: Hammock

Summary:

Another lengthy one. With school starting again my posts are about to become a lot more infrequent. Rest assured, that won't stop me from continuing to write stories.

Sonic sighed in contentment as he laid back on his hammock. He folded his hands behind his back and closed his eyes as the bright afternoon sun shone on his face. Just moments ago he and his friends had returned from an old temple in Mazuri. It was said to have been created by Light Gaia’s devoted followers, and was once the resting place of one of the mythical seven Chaos Emeralds. Shadow had suggested searching the area in case one showed up again. They were not disappointed when they found one sitting on a pedestal.

Now they were back on their ship, spirits high and ready to find their third emerald. Sonic had chosen to keep the one he had grabbed on hand. Now it sat snug within his vest, its radiating warmth acting as an invisible blanket that coated the hedgehog’s body. He wished he could be near both emeralds, but for now just one would do. It was still odd how each gem was a different color; the first one they found was green, and this one was red. They were all pretty nonetheless.

A gentle breeze blew through, causing the hammock to sway side to side. The emerald glowed softly from within Sonic’s vest. It wasn’t long before the hedgehog was drifting off to sleep.

---

Sonic opened his eyes and found himself in an endless white void. He blinked and looked around, momentarily confused.

“Hello?” he called out.

No response came.

He just fell asleep, right? Was he dreaming? If so, then this was a first.

Sonic had had dreams of loss and love, of fear and regret. Dreams of glowing eyes watching him, dreams of warm arms embracing. Familiar faces and faces he could barely recognize staring at him with love or disdain. His dreams always had something in them.

Here, though, there was nothing. Just… white. White, empty, nothing. It was starting to become unnerving.

“Anyone?” he tried again, “Tails? Shadow?”

No response again. Sonic’s ears twitched nervously. He decided to just choose a direction and start walking. Hopefully he would find something in this void, and if not… Well, best to stay positive for now. His shoes echoed against the white surface as he walked.

Seriously, was he still dreaming? This didn’t feel like it. Was someone scrying him again? He hoped not; last time that happened it scared the ever living-

There once was a ship that put to sea

The name of the ship was the Billy O' Tea

The winds blew up, her bow dipped down

Oh blow, my bully boys, blow

Sonic stopped. His head whipped around in search of the new voice.

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done

We'll take our leave and go

“Hello? Who’s there?”

The singing stopped. Sonic waited, but once again was met with silence.

“I won’t hurt you!” he called again, “I promise. Can you tell me where I am?”

Nothing.

Sonic sighed, kicking his toe against the white surface. Then he got an idea. This voice was fond of singing it seemed; maybe that could coax them out again! Luckily for him he and the crew were well versed in sea shanties, and Wellerman just so happened to be his favorite. He picked up where the voice had stopped.

She'd not been two weeks from shore

When down on her a right whale bore

The captain called all hands and swore

He'd take that whale in tow

He waited a moment. Nothing. Sonic continued, hoping this would give the voice some courage. Plus, the familiar tune was helping him calm down.

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done

We'll take our leave and go

Da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

As the hedgehog hoped, the voice started singing again.

Before the boat had hit the water

The whale's tail came up and caught her

All hands to the side, harpooned and fought her

When she dived down low

Sonic smiled. Their voices weaved together in a smooth melody. It reminded him of late nights singing with his captain to the gentle strumming of a guitar.

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done

We'll take our leave and go

Da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da

Da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da

As they sang, Sonic began walking again, this time towards the voice. He didn’t recognize it, but they sounded great. And by the growing volume, he was getting closer.

Empty white void soon turned into a pale green field, with trees and rocks and little trickling streams. Broken marble columns stood tall all around, and winding structures looped and twisted high above Sonic’s head. Statues and buildings of different eras dotted the neverending landscape, devoid of color and fading the farther back Sonic looked.

The unusual surroundings intrigued the hedgehog. He managed to keep up with the mysterious voice as he walked. He recognized some of these towers from old ruins in Soleanna. Houses and taverns from ports they’d been to. In the far out distance there were even temples from all over the world, crumbled and covered in white vines. Sonic stopped by a small stream dotted by little pink and blue flowers. He knelt down and admired his pale reflection in the crystalline surface.

Soon may the Wellerman come

To bring us sugar and tea and rum

One day, when the tonguing is done

We'll take our leave and go

As the final verse came to an end, Sonic’s eyes wandered over the stream. He stopped when he noticed a pair of violet eyes staring at him from across the way. Sonic’s head shot up in surprise. When he looked, he was met with a golden dog. They were like that of a human’s pet: digitigrade anatomy, no clothes, and paws instead of hands. They stared back at the hedgehog, their head tilted ever so slightly in a curious manner.

Sonic blinked. He had never seen a dog with such stunning violet eyes before. There was a kind of intelligence behind them, a curiosity that Sonic had seen in very few creatures. Or people for that matter. He tried to appear as friendly as he could and waved.

“Hi there.”

The dog’s head perked up. They studied the hedgehog for several heartbeats. They blinked.

“...Hello.”

So he can talk, Sonic thought in amazement.

“Were you the one singing?”

A small blush painted the golden’s cheeks. They nodded, shuffling their paws and failing to hide their smile. Sonic smiled back.

“You have a great voice.”

Sonic’s compliment seemed to lower the golden’s guard and he smiled. His tail wagged behind him.

“Thanks! You too, by the way.”

Sonic beamed. He scratched some of his quills.

“My name’s Sonic. What’s yours?”

“I’m Jake.”

“Nice to meet you, Jake.”

Sonic allowed his eyes to wander around the odd landscape.

“What is this place? And how’d I get here?”

“We don’t exactly know what this place is, but we just call it The Void. As for how you got here… people tend to pop up in this place randomly when they’re asleep. A lot of it has to do with the person’s magic abilities and how much of it they got.”

The golden suddenly paused. His gaze turned thoughtful.

“What is it?” Sonic asked, twitching an ear.

Jake looked back up. He squinted his eyes and studied the hedgehog for a moment.

“...Does the phrase ‘Chaos Control’ mean anything to you?”

Like lightning a jolt shot through Sonic’s body. He tried to hide the way his quills puffed out at the mention of that phrase.

“...Why do you ask?”

“The Void has some kind of barrier that stops lots of magic from getting in,” Jake explained, “the only kind of people able to get in with no issue were Chaos Born. So if you’re here, then that would mean…”

Jake froze, his violet eyes shooting wide open. He stared at Sonic again as if he was just now seeing a ghost.

“...Holy shit…”

Before Sonic could say anything, the golden was bounding over the river and circling him. He sniffed almost every inch of his body, from his quills all the way down to his shoes. The longer he looked, the more his tail started to wag.

Sonic didn’t know what to make of this. This dog knew about Chaos Born? It knew about him? In this case, was that a good thing or a bad thing?

“I-I don’t believe it!” Jake laughed in disbelief, “It’s you! You really are-! But I thought-! Oh man, Raven’s gonna FLIP when I tell her!”

“H-Huh?”

Sonic squeaked when Jake jumped onto his shoulders and poked his nose through his quills. He had to resist the urge to squirm. Luckily, Jake caught onto his discomfort and quickly backed off.

“Ah, sorry!” he laughed, smiling sheepishly, “I forgot about boundaries. It’s just… Chaos Born have been extinct for centuries! The last one I met was… I don’t even know how long ago! We didn’t think any of you survived!”

“Guess I’m just lucky…” Sonic murmured, looking away.

Chaos Born were mobians born with a deep connection to chaos energy. They were a few of the only creatures able to harness it, and by that extension the seven Chaos Emeralds. Sonic just so happened to be one of them, the last to be born in fact. He could -for better or worse- thank Black Doom for that little discovery.

Jake took note of the hedgehog’s clothing. His eyes sparkled and his tail wagged.

“And you’re a pirate too? Amazing! You must have a really exciting life!”

“Oh I do…” Sonic remarked wistfully, “What are you anyway? I’ve seen tons of dogs before, but none like you.”

Jake sat in front of the hedgehog and smirked.

“Ever heard of Familiars?”

“Like the animal sidekicks of mages and wizards?”

“Yep!”

Sonic remembered reading a book from Shadow’s collection that talked about Familiars. They were described as imps or animals with magical abilities. If they thought a person was worthy of their companionship, they would form a bond with them that bound their souls together. Sonic had never seen one in person, but they sounded intriguing.

“Does that mean you once belonged to a wizard?”

Jake’s tail stopped wagging. His eyes cast down to the pale grass, a glossy sheen coming over them.

“...I belonged to someone once…”

Sonic frowned. He recognized that look; he’d seen it on Shadow anytime he talked about Maria and Gerald. A look of loss that could never truly go away.

Best to switch subjects for now.

“You mentioned someone named Raven. Who is she?”

Jake snapped out of whatever spiral he was about to go down and perked up.

“Oh, she’s my sister. Not by blood or anything, but we think of ourselves as family. There’s eight of us, actually.”

“And you all live here?” Sonic asked, looking around.

“Not by choice,” Jake replied sadly.

“What do you mean?”

The golden simply shrugged and looked away.

“...Long story…”

Another touchy subject. Noted. Sonic chose not to pry any further and tried switching gears again.

“I heard Familiars can do magic. Is that true?”

“Depends on the Familiar,” Jake explained with a shrug, “some of us can do crazy magical feats. Others specialize in small stuff, like just being a talking animal or something.”

Sonic nodded.

“What about you?”

“Me? Well, I’m good at sneaking around, for one. My eyes are sharper than most creatures so I have a pretty good aim with a knife. Oh! If I concentrate I can hear people’s heartbeats.”

“Wow, really? Can you hear mine?”

Jake padded up and pressed his ear gently against Sonic’s chest. The hedgehog couldn’t help but notice just how soft the long ears were. He tried to resist scratching behind them. The only thing softer than them was his captain’s chest fur. The very thought made Sonic blush.

“...It’s a little muffled,” Jake finally said, “technically you’re not in your body right now so I can’t hear it as clearly as I would in the real world.”

Made sense if this was a dream. Or if Sonic had somehow learned how to scry on someone. Or the other way around.

“What can you hear?”

Jake closed his eyes and listened again.

“...You’ve got a strong heart. A warm one too. Warm like a midsummer day. I always liked summer.”

Sonic chuckled.

“Me too. Can your siblings do the same?”

“No,” Jake shook his head and leaned away, “We’re all different. My brother, Duke, he can walk so quietly you’d never hear him. One of my other sisters, Udona, can breathe underwater. Raven… is kinda all over the place, but her main schtick involves electricity.”

“Neat!” Sonic exclaimed.

Jake was about to say something else, but then paused. Sonic frowned.

“Jake?”

The golden’s eyes became distant for a moment. When their shine returned, he appeared sad, almost disappointed. He sighed.

“Guess our time’s almost up.”

“Why? What’s going on?”

“Your nap’s about to end,” Jake explained heavily, “Guess this is good-bye.”

Sonic tilted his head.

“Good-bye? Why? I’ll come back.”

Jake’s head perked up in surprise.

“What?”

“You said so yourself: Chaos Born are able to jump into whatever this place is no problem. So next time I sleep I’ll just find my way back here. Then we can talk more!”

Jake’s eyes glossed over. His tail slowly started to wag.

“R-Really?”

Sonic beamed at the young pup and winked. He gave a thumbs up for good measure.

“I’m a hedgehog of my word, kid. Once I figure out the trick, I’ll be back!”

Without warning Jake shot forward and threw himself into Sonic’s chest. Sonic yelped in surprise, falling onto his butt and staring at the young golden. There was something desperate to his hold, like a child afraid to let something go. Sonic didn’t fully understand, but from what little he managed to gather, this pup and his “siblings” didn’t get many visitors. They couldn’t even remember when the last one came.

He said this wasn't his home. How long has he been here? Where did he come from?

Did his previous master leave him here? Why? And why couldn’t Jake -or any of his siblings- leave?

Sonic pushed all these thoughts aside for later. Instead he simply wrapped his arms around Jake’s back and gave him a couple ear scratches. Jake hugged him tighter, wagging his tail faster. Sonic chuckled and stroked his back. It must’ve been ages since the golden was touched like this. Even if it was in a weird dream-like void. He couldn’t even feel the soft fur of this pup; it must have something to do with how this place worked. Jake did pull away eventually, albeit reluctantly, and collected himself. He looked back at the hedgehog with a sad but hopeful expression.

“...Alright,” Jake sighed, “hope I see you soon, Sonic. Oh, before you go, I should warn you. You’re gonna be woken up by a-”

BANG!

Sonic shrieked and fell out of his hammock. He crashed face first onto the deck, his heart momentarily threatening to rip out of his chest. Looming over him with a smoking flintlock in hand was a black hedgehog with an eyepatch. He stared at his first mate with a dry expression.

“Rise and shine.”

“The hell, dude!?” Sonic grumbled, massaging his head.

“You’ve been sleeping all afternoon. Get up before you miss dinner.”

Sonic grumbled again but did so. Everything in his dream suddenly came rushing back to him. Questions started flooding his brain again.

Just what was that place? What was a Familiar doing there? How did they know about Chaos Born, and by that extension did they know about the emeralds? Why did Sonic even end up in that void to begin with? Was it the emeralds’ doing? An odd lump in his vest reminded him that he still had it.

Little did he know that the soft glow the emerald had been emitting since his nap was now gone.

A hand on his shoulder snapped Sonic out of his thoughts. He looked over to see Shadow staring at him in concern.

“Something wrong?”

The hedgehog rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. How could he explain any of this to his captain? Did he even understand it?

“I… had a weird dream,” Sonic admitted quietly.

“What kind?”

Sonic sighed and looked skyward for a moment. His eyes fell back onto his captain.

“...I’m… still processing. Later?”

Shadow narrowed his eyes, but nodded regardless.

“Alright. Go get some dinner.”

“Okay.”

Even after having a full meal and spending the night in his captain’s bed, Sonic still couldn’t fully understand what he just experienced, or why. Thankfully, Shadow was patient and quiet as he stumbled over his words, trying to recount the entire ordeal and the strange new creature he had just met. And planned to meet again.

Notes:

Raven and Evie already made their debut, so it was only a matter of time before the rest slowly started showing up, and next we have Jake! And Duke and Udona get name-dropped. I'm getting them out there!

Chapter 10: Wanted

“Aaaaand… HA!”

Sonic flicked his wrist and watched as the dagger soared through the air. It landed right at the center of its target: a Wanted Poster with his captain’s scowling face, and a not-so-humble sum of money as a reward for his capture or death.

Shadow let out an inaudible sigh. He was standing up against the wall, two posters in hand, and two daggers now pinning them and his coat to the wood. His expression was thoroughly unamused, and yet a small blush was creeping up his face. Inwardly he was impressed by how much his first mate’s aim had improved. Those knife-throwing lessons were finally starting to pay off. Thankfully.

“Just what are you boys up to?” Rouge asked, sauntering her way over with Knuckles right behind her.

Sonic picked up a third dagger and tossed it in his hand.

“Just doing some target practice.”

Rouge’s eyes lingered on the sight of her captain and she couldn’t help but chuckle. Shadow scowled at her in annoyance.

“With each other?” she mused.

Sonic chuckled and shook his head.

“No, with these!”

The hedgehog picked up a pile of posters and held them out. Rouge skimmed through them while Knuckles peered over her shoulder. There were Wanted posters of not just Shadow, but also Sonic, Knuckles, Gray, Amy, Tails, and the titular bat herself. She held up a poster of herself and hummed.

“They really know how to capture a girl’s beauty.”

Knuckles rolled his eyes as she began to read it aloud.

“‘Wanted for piracy and robbing the Royal House of Acorn. Name Unknown. Dead or Alive. Reward-…’”

At the sight of the amount, Rouge burst out laughing. She was laughing so much she had to hold her stomach. Knuckles quickly took the papers and started skimming through them himself. His eyes widened at the bottom of his own where the reward was listed.

“Sheesh, are these guys trying to go bankrupt?”

“Dunno,” Sonic replied, attempting to tug the daggers off of Shadow, “Royalty always overreacts.”

Rouge wiped a tear from her eye.

“You’d think with that amount, we killed the royal family or something!”

“Or their precious pet,” Shadow murmured, sending Rouge into another cackling fit.

Knuckles stopped on a particular poster of a young fox with a snarl too big for his muzzle. His cheerful eyes were now bloodthirsty and savage. The neatly kept fur was now scraggly and matted. A bloodied tool was held in one clawed hand with the glove fabric ripping at the seams.

Knuckles narrowed his eyes and scowled.

“I don’t like how Tails is on here.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Sonic said, a dark undertone lining his voice.

He placed one foot on the wall, wrapped his hands around the dagger, and pulled. It came out after some effort and the paper gently fell to the floor. Sonic examined the dagger briefly before tossing it to his echidna friend.

“Wanna throw some knives at those with me next? He has a whole bunch.”

Knuckles caught the dagger without even looking.

“Gladly.”

He tossed the paper up and ran the dagger straight through. Both items landed hard on a nearby barrel. The echidna turned and smirked at the sight of his friend struggling with the second dagger.

“Need some help?” he teased.

Sonic stumbled back as he finally got the final dagger loose. He regained his balance and twirled the item in his hand.

“Nah. I got ‘em.”

Shadow dusted himself off and looked down at the two new holes in his coat. Sonic cringed at the sight.

“Sorry about your coat dude.”

Shadow looked up and grabbed the collar of his first mate’s shirt.

“You’re sowing these up later.”

Unbothered by the murderous glare, Sonic shrugged with a smile. He then held up part of his clothes for his captain to see. Like him, there were two cuts in the fabric, both on the vest and the shirt beneath.

“So long as you do mine.”

“...Deal.”

Shadow let go of Sonic with a blush and turned away. Knuckles rolled his eyes while Sonic and Rouge chuckled. The blue hedgehog then picked up a poster of their friend Gray.

“I feel bad for Gray though. They can never get his nose right!”

He held the poster up for his friends to see. On it was their wolf friend, with a long, crooked snout and a very thick nose. His eyes were wild and manic, and the pupils weren’t even the same size. The sight made Rouge and Knuckles almost fall onto the floor laughing. Even Shadow cracked a small amused smile at the sight.

Gray suddenly walked over, his eyes scanning the deck.

“What’s with the giggles, cap?”

Without a word Shadow gestured to the poster Sonic was still holding up. Gray’s eyes widened and he snatched the parchment up.

“THOSE BLOODY FUCKERS-!!” he snarled, “HOW HARD IS IT TO GET A GUY’S NOSE RIGHT, EH?! THIS IS THE SEVENTH TIME!!”

That outburst sent Rouge rolling on the floor. Sonic and Knuckles held onto barrels to keep their balance while Shadow turned away, trying and failing to hide his own laughter.

Chapter 11: Booty

Summary:

Let's take a short trip to the past, shall we? How did Sonic and Shadow meet? Welll...

Sonic growled as the tip of the sword touched his neck. He glared up angrily at its holder, their jagged bumblebee slits alight with cruel amusement. All around him laid the bodies of his crew, bloodied and mangled beyond recognition. A few pirates, who resembled nothing more than lumbering monsters with long limbs and beady golden eyes, happily tore into the flesh of each. Sonic tried not to flinch to the sound of crunching bones, or the squishes of chewed up flesh.

Only a small handful of his crew was left alive. They were beaten, sure, but they had “amused” the pirates enough to keep them from just being killed off. Three of those lucky survivors were Sonic’s closest friends: Amy Rose, Knuckles, and his little brother Tails. The young fox stared at the armed monsters with wide, fearful eyes. One of them had managed to give him a nasty head wound that was still bleeding. Knuckles’ red fur no doubt hid any injuries he had sustained, and Amy -even after getting thrown across the deck and hit by her own hammer face-first- managed to stay awake.

They all sat tied up around the mast, nearly obscured by the towering monsters and crystalline mobians.

It was a surprise attack. First, a thick fog rolled in and obscured everyone’s vision. Then, the pirates swarmed the deck, killing and attacking anyone in sight. Sonic tried to save as many as he could, dashing around and partnering everyone up. His attempts were mostly in vain, but at least his friends were safe. For the moment.

Now, the hedgehog found himself on his knees, bound by a white wolf with a knife and sword to his neck. The leader of this crew was an odd one: a creature who vaguely resembled a hedgehog, but like the monsters had ashen gray skin, red stripes, and large claws for hands. He had a spiked tail that swished back and forth like an eager cat waiting to pounce on its prey. He wore a black frock coat with a white undershirt, and a red striped hat with gold and red feathers hanging from the back.

“Now,” the captain said, a triumphant tinge to his voice, “what shall we do with all of you?”

One of the pirates, a coral echidna with black crystalline scales on her arms, squealed and drew a dagger.

“Ooh! Ooh! Let’s spill their guts into the ocean! Make it run red! That’ll give the Queen a scare, I bet!”

“Nay!” a dark blue tenrec shouted, “Let’s just eat ‘em!”

The featureless monsters seemed to like that idea, leaning their heads back and roaring to the sky. The tenrec smirked and locked eyes with Amy.

“I’ll start with this one. She looks rather… tasty.”

He licked his lips eagerly and leaned forward, cupping the girl’s chin. Amy recoiled in disgust and tried to shove him away. The tenrec just chuckled darkly and squeezed the sides of her chin.

“Hands off!” Knuckles snarled.

The crystalline mobians looked at him and laughed. The tenrec slid over to Knuckles’ side and bared his fangs. He flexed his claws and hovered them over his knives.

“Ooh, lemme at this one, Cap! Just looking at him makes me wanna kill something!”

“I don’t see why not,” the captain grinned, “After all, if the Queen’s upping her game…”

His blade touched the tip of Sonic’s flame enamel pin. It was a sign that he was one of the Elites, the top soldiers in Soleanna’s militia. Sonic glared at the captain, even as a faint glow emitted from his eyes.

“...It’s only right that we should follow suit. Remind these flesh-bags why the Doom Empire is a nation to be feared.”

The rest of the pirates laughed and inched closer to Amy and the others. Sonic struggled against the wolf holding him. He ignored the sharp pain in his neck and looked at the captain.

“Do what you want with me! Just let them go!”

The captain looked at Sonic with a raised eyebrow while the female giggled. She drew her blade again and skipped to the hedgehog’s side.

“Ooh, an ultimatum, is that? Willing to throw your life away on a whim?” she ran the blade across Sonic’s skin, “You’re a feisty one, that you are!”

“Anything?”

A new voice cut through the crowd. Sonic and the others turned to see a hedgehog -an actual hedgehog- walk out from behind the captain. His fur was jet black, with red stripes in his quills and a single crimson left eye. The other was covered by a black eyepatch. His attire was much like that of his captain, with the addition of four golden bracelets: one on each wrist and ankle. His boots were black and accented by red, and a white feather topped his hat.

He leaned down and stared Sonic directly in the eye.

“Anything at all?”

“...Just say the word and I’ll do it,” Sonic replied.

The hedgehog flicked an ear. He unsheathed his sword and held it close to Sonic’s throat. The blue hedgehog willed his body to stay still.

“So if I asked, you would let me cut your throat and toss your corpse overboard?”

Sonic felt a chill go down his spine at the very mention of getting tossed overboard, but he held firm. He forced his quills to lie flat and stared at the black hedgehog with a firm look. He swallowed.

“Like I said: Just say the word. But you leave my crew alone.”

The hedgehog snarled in annoyance as he regarded the young blue hedgehog. He always did find that look of defiance, that look of firm resolve to be both annoying… and fascinating. Was it all just an act or was he genuine? It would be intriguing to see for himself.

At last, the hedgehog sheathed his sword and stood.

“Very well. You stay at our mercy, we spare your pathetic crew.”

“And who said you could give the orders, eh?” the female sneered, her grin wide and hungry, “still think you’re big in those britches, do ya?”

“Aye!” the male added, “yer nothin more than a washed up landlubber now!”

“You may still look the part, but you’re no better than these bottom feeders, that you are!”

The entire crew laughed. The black hedgehog turned and didn’t look up. Sonic narrowed his eyes in confusion for a moment. The hedgehog’s attire suggested that he held a high position, or at least higher than the rest of these scum. And yet…

The captain simply stared at the hedgehog with a warning glare.

“Brother…”

“You had your fun slaughtering half this crew,” the hedgehog explained, “you’ve also injured whoever’s left. We take this Elite on top of that and our message is clear. He may even have some useful information on Soleanna tactics, or even the Queen, that we can use. Besides…”

He leaned forward and whispered just loud enough for his captain to hear.

“I’m sure Father would like some new labor.”

The captain’s eyes widened at this thought. He gave his crewmate a thoughtful nod as he looked Sonic over one last time.

“...Wise as always, Brother,” he said with a calculated grin, “Very well. Leave just enough for them to return home!”

Some members of the crew grumbled and looked outwardly displeased, but obeyed the orders regardless. The captain then turned to the pirate holding Sonic down.

“Bring him to the ship, mutt.”

Sonic flinched when he heard a loud snarl behind him. The black hedgehog stared at the pirate and gave a subtle nod. To his surprise, Sonic was suddenly lifted to his feet and being led away. From behind he could hear his friends crying out for him.

“Where’re you taking him!?”

“Sonic!”

More outbursts sounded. The soldiers pulled against their binds again.

“QUIET!” Sonic shouted.

The crew immediately quieted down.

“Ames, get everyone home safe.”

Amy looked at her friend worriedly, then nodded.

The female was suddenly on Sonic’s right side.

“Aw, one last order to your pretty little girlfriend? Ohhh I’m gonna like you, that I will!”

Before Sonic could say anything, he felt a sharp pain in his neck and everything went black. The captain snatched the enamel pin from Sonic’s coat and tossed it onto the deck. It slid to a stop near Tails’ feet.

He, Amy, and Knuckles could only watch as their friend was slung over the pirate’s shoulder and carried off into the mist. The captain and the black hedgehog stayed last, glancing at the disheveled crew with disinterest.

“Omega,” the captain called, “Release them the moment we’re out of sight.”

And with that, they disappeared.

---

The tenrec and echidna looked at the unconscious form of the blue hedgehog they had just acquired. Their eyes glowed hungrily in the dim light.

“Looks like the Emperor's gonna get some new booty, eh?” the tenrec chuckled.

His partner giggled eagerly.

“That he is, that he is! Ooh just think of all the fun we’re going to ‘ave with ‘im!”

“Aye. You may wanna get your turn in before we reach port. You know how the Emperor gets with new slaves. Once he’s there you’ll never touch him!”

“I think I just might take your advice, that I will!”

“Keep your fun to a minimum, Lace.”

Captain Eclipse sauntered into the brig, looking between both creatures critically.

“We need him in one piece by the time we return home. Our Emperor would rather have a slave than a body.”

“Aye aye, Cappy!” Lace saluted playfully.

Eclipse rolled his eyes and turned away with a huff. The tenrec fell in step behind him, rambling about how punchable the echidna’s face was. Lace turned to their prisoner and blew him a kiss.

“Sleep well, sleeping beauty. Before we reach the Empire, you and I are gonna ‘ave some fun of our own, that we will!”

Just as she turned for the door, Lace saw the black hedgehog was still present. His one visible eye was solely focused on the one in the cell.

“And what’re you lookin at, huh?” she taunted, “Better not try anything silly now, you hear? Ol Cappy won’t like that, no he won’t!”

The hedgehog scowled at her, his hands squeezing his arms tight. Lace grinned wide with all her fangs and purposely bumped his shoulder on the way out. The hedgehog watched her go, then turned back to the sleeping blue prisoner. His gaze lingered on them a moment more before finally turning and walking out.

Notes:

Yeah sorry the meeting's not as fancy as you might've wanted. Big shoutout to @LightningHikaru. Seriously, I love your work. Part of Tides Sonic and Shadow's first meeting were applied here, but hopefully it's different enough that I don't get sued. I have a bigger moment planned for my boys later on in another prompt. You won't be seeing it for a while because A). I'm recovering from being sick, B). School, and C). I need more time to plan it. Plus we're not even at that prompt yet.

Chapter 12: Bioluminescence

Thisisfinenoit’snotI’mfineI’mfineI’mnotfineIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothisIcan’tdothis-

Sonic’s mind spiraled the further down he and Shadow went. He tried to ignore the dark blue scenery that stretched out before him on all sides. The fading rays of sunlight as they descended to the sandy floor. The feeling of breathing without his lungs catching fire or his throat not choking on saltwater.

Sonic’s hand went to the seashell charm around his neck. It was made of pearl and gold, with a gold chain and big blue gemstone in the center. Rouge had called them Ocean Charms; they would allow the wearer to breathe underwater for a limited amount of time -up to two hours without a recharge. As a bonus, the charm’s magic kept their clothes dry. Rouge also packed some seaberries for the boys. Seaberries weren’t as fancy, but they would keep them breathing for an hour at a time.

It didn’t matter what the method was. They were still underwater. Sonic had been dragged underwater all because they had found a freaking Chaos Emerald. Why the emerald chose to hide in the middle of a giant-ass coral reef was anyone’s guess.

He kept a firm grip on his captain’s arm. Shadow was a fairly strong swimmer, so he could carry his and Sonic’s weight no problem. Plus, his presence was comforting. The only reason why Sonic hadn’t fully broken down yet.

Key word being yet.

It felt like forever until they reached the bottom. Their shoes kicked up a cloud of sand that momentarily blinded the duo. Sonic squeezed his captain’s arm tighter. Shadow visibly winced, but made no effort to push his first mate away. When the dust cleared, he was awestruck by what he saw.

“Sonic…”

Sonic whimpered and inched closer to Shadow’s body. He kept his eyes tightly shut, not wanting to see the endless blue abyss of his nightmares.

Shadow nudged him again.

“Sonic.”

The blue hedgehog reluctantly opened his eyes and felt his jaw drop.

It was the biggest coral reef he had ever seen. Everything about it was bright and vibrant, from the diverse selection of underwater plants, to the shimmering rock formations, and even the sea creatures themselves. What made it even better was everything was glowing. Fish scales shone like gemstones. Jellyfish glowed in vibrant hues. Plants swayed with the gentle current as though they were dancing, showing off their glow in the process. Even the sand and water itself was glowing.

“Wow…”

They explored small parts of the reef. Small fish who were overly curious came up and said hello. Sonic laughed as one tried to hide in his quills. A baby dolphin suddenly showed and swam circles around the surprised hedgehog. It chirped in greeting and nuzzled his cheek.

Shadow smiled at the sight before the dolphin chirped and swam over to him. He wobbled a bit, but quickly regained his balance as the little one nuzzled his cheek as well. He gave them a gentle pat.

“This place is incredible!” Sonic laughed.

Shadow nodded, kneeling down and examining a section of coral.

“If the emerald is here, it must have given this ecosystem a boost.”

“Oh it’s here,” Sonic said, “I can feel it.”

“Which way?”

The blue hedgehog looked around for a bit. He tried focusing on the emerald, the warm pulse it would send to the back of his mind. Anything that wasn’t the crippling fear that threatened to strangle him again.

There was a hum. He turned and pointed to the right.

“That way.”

They walked along a short path until they came across a small clearing at the center of the reef. Sitting smack dab in the center was a Chaos Emerald, as blue as the ocean itself. Sonic held Shadow’s hand and slowly walked towards it. The humming was louder now, suddenly transforming into soft wind chimes in his ears. The moment he touched the emerald, he felt a pulse of energy.

Sadness.

A shockwave shot out in all directions. Shadow winced and grit his teeth. A strong sense of sorrow overflowed him, so strong he nearly fell to his knees. Faces of those he once held dear flashed through his mind, and with each one he only felt more and more loss. It was too much; he felt like he was being crushed.

As quickly as it came, the sadness, the loss, the old grief faded. Faces both old and new flashed into Shadow’s mind again, and with each one came a sense of peace.

Sonic blinked and looked down at the emerald in his palm.

“I’ll never get used to that,” he muttered.

He turned around just in time to see small tears pouring down Shadow’s face. He gasped.

“Shadow!”

He held the right side of his captain’s face worriedly.

“Are you okay? You’re…”

Shadow rested a hand over Sonic’s and took a deep breath.

“I… I’m okay,” he breathed, “just… need a second.”

Sonic nodded, concern still etched in his features. He wiped the final tear running down Shadow’s face and kissed his forehead. Shadow blinked in surprise, but smiled regardless.

A sharp gasp from behind put the two back on alert. They whipped around and froze at the sight of a teal furred dog hunched over in the sand. They had long ears and a fluked tail similar to a dolphin’s. Nestled on their head was a pirate hat with two long blue feathers and a pink stripe along the top.

The dog’s paw was gripping their chest, their whole body shaking and twitching with each gasp of air they took. Their head suddenly snapped up, staring at the two hedgehogs with wide, startled eyes. Sonic and Shadow flinched at the sight. A dark blue mask marking covered the dog’s face, serving to brighten the tiny magenta slits that floated in twin pools of black sclera.

Sonic froze at the sight. Those eyes… Those sharp, bright eyes…

He’d seen them before.

Instinctually the hedgehog shivered and backed up. The ground where the emerald once stood suddenly began to rumble. Sonic felt his legs sink into the sand, then his entire body as the ground opened up into a wide chasm. He screamed.

“SONIC!!”

Shadow leaped forward and tried to grab him. His hand grasped the ocean charm around Sonic’s neck and accidentally broke the chain. Panic shot through the captain’s veins. He cursed himself and prepared to dive until something teal shot past his side.

Saltwater filled Sonic’s mouth before he could shut it. His lungs quickly started to burn from the lack of air. He flailed his limbs around, to grab something to stop his descent. Instead he just sank lower and lower, and the light above became dimmer.

Suddenly he was a little kid again, playing too close to the edge of a bridge and losing his balance. The water’s pull dragged him down below, deep beneath the surface, far away from his friends, and it was getting dark and cold and he couldn’t breathe he was gonna die he didn’t want to die his brother still needed him-!

Something grabbed his arm. He came to a halt. Sonic’s eyes shot open to see the dog with their paws wrapped around his arm. Their eyes, while still fierce and intimidating, glowed with determination. Their tail flapped through the water with all its might as they tried to pull him back up. They unsheathed their claws to tighten their grip. With almost no air left and his vision going blurry, Sonic just wrapped his fingers around one of the dog’s arms and held tight. He just barely missed the other dark figure swimming down and grabbing ahold of him as well.

---

GASP!

Sonic sat up and then rolled onto his side. Puddles of saltwater poured out of his mouth and onto the dry sand beneath him. He gulped in as much air as he could, even when he ended up vomiting again. His whole body heaved and shook with each breath.

A warm hand rubbed up and down his back. It felt familiar, comforting. Grounding. Once Sonic could breathe again, he glanced over his shoulder to find the concerned gaze of his captain staring back at him. He tried to speak, but just choked on more salty air.

“Easy. Easy.”

Shadow continued rubbing Sonic’s back. He wrapped his other hand around their waist so he wouldn’t fall face first into the sand. It took several long minutes, but eventually Sonic was able to breathe easy again. His muscles loosened as he leaned into his captain’s arms.

“E-...Emerald…?” Sonic wheezed.

“I got it,” Shadow replied, holding the shivering blue hedgehog in his arms.

“It’s safe. You’re safe. Now rest.”

“How…?”

Shadow gently shushed his first mate and brushed through his soggy quills. Sonic couldn’t help but go limp in his hold, taking in the slow, soothing motion of Shadow’s fingers. It made him forget that he was freezing cold and heavy from the saltwater. He was about to fall asleep when Shadow suddenly stopped and sat him up.

“Our new ‘friend’ pulled you out of the hole and helped me drag you back to the surface.”

The captain’s eyes glanced up at something Sonic couldn’t see. He tried to follow his gaze, only to be met with bright magenta eyes staring back at him. The teal dog sat just a few feet away from the two. Their fur had become more translucent now, but the vibrancy of their eyes still remained. The sclera was now pure white, and the irises and pupils were circular.

“...Y-You…!”

Sonic attempted to stand, but wobbled and fell back into Shadow’s arms. The teal dog stood up in alarm but didn’t move closer. Sonic held his head and looked back at them.

“I-I remember… i-it was you… o-on the docks…”

“When you were a kid?” Shadow whispered in surprise.

Sonic nodded.

The teal dog regarded the blue hedgehog carefully.

“...You still remember that,” she remarked.

Her voice was strong and firm, and yet had a soft underlining. Sonic found it unique.

“...Never forgot,” he wheezed, “I still dream about it…”

The dog glanced away solemnly and lowered her head. Her claws dug into the sand; although it could’ve been Sonic’s drowsy mind playing tricks on him, because the claws barely left any grooves.

“...I tried slowing you down. Get you back up. Dunno how I was able to even touch you but… ”

A memory suddenly flashed back into Sonic’s mind. He was sinking to the bottom of the ocean, but at some point his speed had slowed. A small weight was pressing against his back. It kept him in place. He thought he had imagined it, but now, after experiencing a similar event again…

Sonic’s eyes widened in realization.

“You tried to save me.”

Shadow’s eyes widened. He glanced at his first mate in surprise, then looked at the dog again. The dog nodded somberly, still looking away.

“Thank you.”

The dog’s head snapped up. She looked at Sonic in bewilderment. His voice was so soft and sincere. He couldn’t have meant that… could he?

He was… grateful?

“D-Don’t… Don’t go drowning again, got it?” she stuttered, a faint pink coloring her cheeks.

Sonic smiled at the sight. It reminded him of whenever Knuckles, Gray, or even Shadow didn’t know how to respond to praise after the hedgehog gave it. It was cute.

“I have to agree,” Shadow nodded, “and I’d like to thank you as well for saving my first mate. Twice it seems.”

The dog’s tail tucked closer to her body and she nodded.

“Now that you’re feeling talkative, aside from Sonic’s childhood ghost, what are you?”

The dog chuffed a laugh and smirked.

“Going right for the big one, huh?”

“I don’t like beating around bushes.”

“Me neither.”

The dog tilted her hat in a greeting manner.

“Name’s Udona. You’ve met my big bro Jake.”

Sonic managed to sit up a little straighter now. The name did sound vaguely familiar.

“Right. He mentioned you once.”

Udona nodded.

“And he’s mentioned you on multiple occasions. I’ll be honest, I didn’t believe him when he said you were Chaos Born, but after all that…” she gestured to the ocean behind them, “I’m swayed.”

“Just how do you know about Chaos Born?” Shadow asked suspiciously.

He narrowed his eyes at the teal creature. Sonic recognized that gaze all too well, but had to admit that he too was weary.

Udona just smirked at the duo and flicked an ear.

“We’ve been around for a loooooong time, boys. Longer than you’ve been alive.”

Sonic knew that she was referring to her and her siblings. Jake had clued him in on them being around for centuries. After all, they knew what Chaos Born were, and Jake had even said he’d met one.

“The last one we met was a hedgehog just like the two of you,” Udona continued, “nice guy. Sweet voice. Wish he would have stuck around a lil longer…”

Sonic and Shadow shared a look. They turned back to the dog.

“What happened to him?” Sonic asked.

Udona was still smirking, but it seemed sadder now, as did the glint in her eyes.

“Same as the rest of ‘em.”

She didn’t need to elaborate for the boys to understand.

Udona looked up at the sun.

“I gotta get goin. Make sure my sibs know I’m still… existing,” she cringed upon saying the word uncomfortably, “You two should head out before your boat leaves without you.”

Sonic and Shadow turned to notice the tide starting to come in as the sun was setting. Dinner would be ready soon, and knowing Amy she was probably worrying herself to death over Sonic’s wellbeing.

“Okay, well, thanks for the save today,” Sonic smiled, “And back then.”

Udona smiled warmly and nodded. Shadow nodded his thanks to her as well.

“Two words of advice: For your next Chaos Emerald, head to the Ruins of Avalon.”

“Avalon?”

The boys looked at each other. Udona nodded and leaned forward conspiratorially.

“Word on the seas is a buncha pirates got into a standoff in the ruins over a precious gemstone that fits the bill of the one in your coat.”

She pointed with her tail to Shadow’s coat, where he had hidden the blue emerald for safe keeping.

“No man was left standing by the end of the ordeal, but no one’s come for the emerald either. You can reach it in a few days from here.”

Could she really be telling the truth? If there was an emerald in Avalon, then that would mean they were almost halfway done collecting them all. It was tempting, but could they trust this Familiar’s word?

Sonic believed so, and one look to his captain conveyed that. Shadow still seemed unsure, but sighed regardless.

“...We’ll keep that in mind.”

It was at least worth checking out. Sonic smiled and then frowned when something dawned on him.

“What’s the second advice?”

Udona crossed her arms and smirked wryly. Her gaze was solely on the soaking blue hedgehog.

“Get some swimming lessons. We can’t keep saving your soggy hide all the time.”

Sonic blushed and looked away from the cheeky dog and the knowing look his captain was giving him.

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Shadow smirked.

Suddenly, Sonic wished he did fall to the bottom of that ocean pit.

Udona chuckled and gave the pair a two finger salute just as her body faded away.

Notes:

I'm trying to figure out how to change the text font for certain words or sections. If anyone can give me EASY TO UNDERSTAND TIPS, that would be greatly appreciated. I am a writer, not a computer programmer. CSS goes over my head.

Chapter 13: Blunderbuss

Summary:

This one is a bit of a timeskip. Not a big one, like in terms of years or anything.

“Ooh! What’s this? Ooh, what about this? What does this thing do?”

Shadow fondly shook his head as he watched Zoey bounce around the weapons shop. Her bright green eyes sparkled even brighter with each new weapon she spotted. Almost anything and everything intrigued her: guns, knives, swords, explosives, a hole in the wall, it didn’t matter. If it was an object, she was ogling at it like a child outside a candy store. Her long tail was wagging so fast it was a blur.

Shadow patiently answered any questions she had -and had enough time to answer- while also making sure that she didn’t anger the store owner too much. He also made sure that the store owner did not interfere with the young cat’s exploration.

“What does this do? Ooh, what about this? This is really sharp! Can I have it? How does this thing work? Ooh! That’s pretty, what is it?”

Sonic suddenly dashed by, a bag of goodies slung over his shoulder. He walked in and stood by his captain.

“Never seen a kid so excited by guns,” he chuckled.

Shadow hummed in acknowledgement.

“Think she’ll buy something?”

“Most likely no. I think she just likes holding them.”

“You know who she reminds me of?”

Shadow turned his head.

“Who?”

Sonic smiled warmly and leaned on his captain’s shoulder.

“You. The stories of you exploring Gerald’s ship. The way you always talk about the stuff you’d find… I’ve never heard someone talk so vibrantly about exploring a brig.”

Shadow huffed, crossing his arms and pointedly looking away. Sonic smiled brighter and kissed his captain on his cheek. The light blush on his face grew even brighter.

“Mr. Sonic? Mr. Shadow?”

The boys looked down to see Zoey standing on her hind legs and looking at them both. She had her arms behind her back and her tail slowly sweeping the ground. The tip flicked with each swing.

“You don’t have to call us ‘Mr.’ Zoey,” Sonic said gently, kneeling down, “Just Sonic and Shadow is fine.”

Shadow nodded in agreement.

“Oh. Okay!”

Zoey’s tail abruptly flicked again. Shadow knelt down to meet her eye level.

“Something wrong, kid?”

The snow leopard simply blinked.

“Did you want to get something?”

Another blink. Zoey lowered her fluffy ears and nodded shyly.

Shadow knew they had to go slow with these kids. They were still learning to trust people again. They were learning how to live again. Besides, there was no harm in Zoey getting one weapon. They were pirates; she’d have to learn some form of self defense eventually, Familiar or not.

“Alright. What would you like?”

Zoey’s face brightened as she looked between the two hedgehogs.

“Can I get this?”

She brought her arms around and revealed a bronze and gold blunderbuss. It was almost as long as the young snow leopard length-wise, but she held it up with little to no trouble.
Sonic and Shadow exchanged a glance.

“...Are you sure that’s the one you want?” Sonic asked hesitantly, “you don’t want something… smaller?”

Zoey shook her head.

“I like this one! It’s big and shiny and holds lots of ammo! That means it can make lotsa big explosions! Can I get it? Pweeeeaaaaase…?”

The little snow leopard’s eyes sparkled like twin diamonds. She hugged her weapon and wagged her tail like a dog. The look reminded Sonic of when Tails would beg him to stay up for “just a few more minutes” on school nights.

Sonic stared at Shadow. He was trying to keep a stern glare, but bit by bit it was cracking. The longer Zoey stared at him, the more Shadow felt his resolve breaking. At last, he sighed in defeat and handed Sonic a sack of gold.

“Take this to the guy.”

“You sure?”

Shadow nodded.

“We’ll teach her how to use it when we’re back at sea.”

Sonic smirked and beckoned the excited snow leopard to follow. Before doing so Zoey’s eyes lit up even brighter and she hugged both hedgehogs tightly.

“Thank you, Sonic! Thank you, Shadow!”

Shadow simply nodded and watched his first mate and crew member pay for the weapon at the counter. Zoey hugged the blunderbuss to her chest like it was a new toy, and then she hugged Sonic again. Sonic chuckled after handing the gold to the man and hugged her back.

Both their smiles were bright and radiant. It made Shadow’s heart lighten. Just like Sonic, he’d make sure to keep a smile on Zoey and all her siblings’ faces.

“SINCE YOU ARE IN A GOOD MOOD…”

Shadow turned to see Omega standing beside him in his mech body. In his metallic hands were five fully stocked crates of explosives. His optics somehow increased in size as he stared at his captain pleadingly.

“PWETTY PWETTY PWEASE…?”

“Absolutely not,” Shadow deadpanned, “now put that all back!”

Omega’s posture slumped.

Notes:

Like I said before, this one is a bit of a timeskip. I was honestly debating on whether or not I'd publish it so soon, but... eh. It's fine. It's cute. And it's been sitting in my files for a while, so why not just get it out there? Happy Holidays, folks!

Chapter 14: Journal

Summary:

Holy **** how did we get to 1,000 hits/views already? Ah well! Little Miss Mistletoe has another gift for ya! A loredump!

Dear Amy,

I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. My royal duties have kept me quite occupied recently. One of my administrators retired and I’ve had to look for a replacement. It has been exceptionally difficult since, at the same time, I am once again being harassed by nobles who wish to court me. Rest assured, I have not set their wardrobe on fire. Yet.

I am pleased that you were able to retrieve your second and third emeralds, but in regards to Sonic…

From what you have told me, and what me and my crew discovered in our library, Sonic stumbled upon a realm called a Prison Space.

Prison Spaces are pocket dimensions that were created by royal mages to seal away prisoners that could not be ordinarily contained, or dangerous entities that threatened the world. It was also simply another means to hold criminals when dungeons were overflowing. The process of making one is old and long forgotten, but it is said that they were created with Chaos Energy, the only magic powerful and flexible enough to -hypothetically- create different realms. Because of this, each Prison Space is surrounded by an invisible energy field that blocks out all magic except its own. A security measure if you will. Only with a powerful enough energy source can you break through.

Sonic is a Chaos Born, so it makes sense that he was able to enter the realm so easily. But the fact that he did so by accident troubles me. Prison Spaces have not been used in the last thousand years due to the nature of their creation. It takes a vast amount of magic and energy to create just one, and more often than not my crew and I came across tales of mages collapsing from magic exhaustion. Some have even died from such a process, hence why it was done in groups rather than alone. Once more, only the creators of the realm could enter or leave as they pleased.

The one you described holds eight entities, correct? That means that whoever made it held immense power. Although I am unsure as to why they were sealed altogether…

I am even more concerned by the fact that one of them was able to be seen outside the prison. Silver and I encountered a few tales of beings trapped in Prison Spaces able to exist outside their world as ghosts. Spectral projections that become more visible the closer they were to Chaos Energy. Numerous stories tell of nobles and historical figures who were led to ruin by ghostly whispers promising riches and power. The King and Queen of Avalon fell for these false promises and met a grim fate. I fear that these Familiars may be targeting Sonic the same way. Perhaps to gain access to the Chaos Emeralds, or something else altogether.

Amy, I advise extreme caution. Prison Spaces were not used lightly. They can hold beings capable of destroying the world, and then some. If these Familiars are held inside, it may be because of nefarious purposes. They may try to manipulate Sonic or any one of your crew into doing their deeds.

If you are going to Avalon, please, be safe, my friends.

…

And let the others know that Tangle says “Hi.”

---

Amy finished reading the latest entry in her journal for the fifth time. It was really sweet of Blaze to create these enchanted journals for them. They were a great way to communicate over long distances while on sea. Usually Amy loved reading the pirate queen’s messages, but this newest one troubled her. She looked back up at her friends to gauge their reactions.

They were all gathered in their captain’s quarters, loosely circling the bed under the window. Tails sat at the foot of it, his namesakes curling around his small body like a blanket. Knuckles stood on the other side by the wall, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. At the center of the bed laid Sonic, peacefully slumbering away with the green Chaos Emerald in his palms. It emitted a soft, faint glow that just radiated warmth. The kind that one would feel when curled in front of a fireplace on a winter’s night.

Usually the mystical warmth was a comfort to Amy; she may not have been Chaos Born like Sonic, but she was still -in her own way- attuned to magic. And rare or not, Chaos Energy was a type of magic. She could occasionally feel just an inch of the emerald’s power, the way it ebbed and pulled between her fingers, and hummed in the back of her mind. She could never grasp it, but she knew it was there. Its presence, like Sonic, brought a comfort to her chest that she could not describe.

Right now, though, that familiar warmth brought little comfort.

Knuckles pushed off against the wall and marched towards Sonic.

“I’m waking him up.”

“Don’t.”

The echidna stopped, his mitt hovering just above Sonic’s left shoulder. He whipped his head around towards a desk where Shadow stood with his own arms crossed. He glared at the echidna with both eyes, his eyepatch discarded on top of some paperwork.

“We just let Sonic waltz into a magic prison containing potentially world-ending gods!” Knuckles snarled, “you heard Blaze! What if they try to hurt him!?”

“I’m starting to lean towards Red on this one.”

Rouge sat on the edge of the desk by Shadow’s side, her right hand fiddling with the amethyst flower around her neck. Her turquoise eyes shone with worry.

“Blue already has an extensive list of people that want him for who he is. For all we know, these Familiars could be no different.”

Amy shuddered. Despite their best efforts to keep Sonic’s Chaos Born roots a secret, the occasional parties would still discover him and try to capture him. It was only because of their resilience, Sonic’s quick thinking, and the mist stone that they were able to evade these many foes for so long.

“They might try to use him to escape.”

“How?” Amy asked, “from the way Blaze described them, Prison Spaces are nearly indestructible.”

Tails hummed and rubbed his chin.

“If the barrier around the Prison Space is like a security firewall… then it's possible they could use Sonic as a way to bypass it. Like hacking into one of Eggman’s computers.”

Knuckles snarled at the name of their old foe while Amy instinctively gripped her journal. They hadn’t dealt with the maniacal tyrant in over a year; none of them knew if he had taken their last encounter to heart and quit, or if he was planning something else. Whatever the case, he was the least of their worries at the moment.

“If I’m understanding this right,” Tails continued, “then they’d need a strong enough energy source to break the barrier down. Or at the very least create a door.”

Rouge’s ears lowered as she and the fox regarded their sleeping friend.

“And sadly for us, Blue might just be their key.”

“Along with the seven Chaos Emeralds…” Tails added, hugging his namesakes.

They had started hunting for the emeralds after they scattered back in the Doom Empire. They were too powerful to fall in the wrong hands, and even the pirate queen herself wanted to ensure their safety. Now, it sounded like their treasure hunt was being hijacked by creatures they knew nothing about, with intentions they knew nothing about.

Amy squeezed her journal; she wished she could go in there with Sonic. Maybe if she could, she could get a better grasp on these Familiars and their intentions…

“All the more reason why we need to pull him out!” Knuckles exclaimed, “the last thing Sonic needs is a bunch of monsters using him.”

He reached over to wake Sonic up until a hand stopped him. Knuckles glanced up in surprise to see Shadow’s eyes glowing fiercely.

“I said ‘don’t.’”

Knuckles snarled and pulled his hand away.

“Do you NOT care that your boyfriend’s in potential danger?”

“Knuckles!” Amy cried.

Shadow snarled back, baring his fangs. His eyes glowed brighter as he glared at the equally fuming echidna. Tails shrunk back from the two hotheads. His ears laid flat as one namesake instinctively laid over Sonic’s side protectively.

Rouge jumped down from the desk and held up her hands, a purple light starting to emit from them.

“Both of you cool it! You’ll wake Blue!”

“Good!” Knuckles snapped.

He clenched his fists tight and addressed Shadow again.

“You’re not afraid to pull him out of risky jobs if it looks like too much. What makes this any different?!”

Shadow glared a moment more at the echidna, his hands tightening into fists. At last, he took a long, deep breath and forced his muscles to relax. The glow in his eyes started to dim.

“Of course I’m worried about this idiot,” he murmured softly, “You think the idea of him being used hasn’t crossed my mind already? It has been ever since his first encounter.”

“That doesn’t explain why you won’t let me shake him awake,” Knuckles growled.

Shadow took another deep breath and looked evenly at his crewmate.

“Because right now, as it stands, we don’t have enough information. We know what this white void is, but not why Familiars are locked inside. Familiars who have knowledge of Chaos Born, and one of whom has made contact with Sonic before.”

Tails eyes widened.

“The docks…”

Knuckles and Amy straightened up. It was only recently that their friend had divulged about the origin of his phobia. That means that these creatures have been wandering in and out of their world as ghosts for years. Not only that, but they may have known about Sonic's existence for years.

“Exactly,” Shadow nodded, “I don’t believe Udona knew that Sonic was a Chaos Born when he was young. She seemed to have only found out from that other dog, Jake. And he only learned about that after their first meeting. As for why she sent us on course to the next Chaos Emerald… right now it’s hard to say. A means of escape is the most likely option. But it’s too early for us to say if they have malicious intent or not.”

“Familiars have masters, don’t they?” Amy asked, “Could they be trying to escape to find them?”

Tails flicked his namesakes and hummed.

“It’s possible. Sonic did say that one of them mentioned having a master once. They could’ve gotten separated.”

“But if they had masters,” Knuckles argued, “why were they separated? And who places their companion animals in a magic prison?”

Shadow grunted in agreement, crossing his arms again.

“That’s the other fact that’s been bugging me. Familiars rarely ever leave their master’s side, and they never abandon them. They’re loyal. Faithful. Once the soul bond is made, nothing can break it. Only death.”

Amy didn’t like the sound of that. She didn’t like the sound of any of this, honestly. These Familiars were without their masters, masters who may be dead, and they were locked inside a magical prison.

“Suppose they do want to escape,” the she-pirate began, “and they are trying to use Sonic. What would happen if they succeeded?”

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances with each other. Just like Amy, none of them had a concrete answer. They didn’t know anything about these creatures or their motives, but if Prison Spaces were made to house criminals, then did that mean…?

“I don’t want to assume anything just yet,” Shadow finally said, “We need answers, and right now Sonic is the only one who can get them. So unless he shows any sign of panic, we let him sleep.”

Knuckles spared his sleeping friend a long, hard glare before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.

“...Fine,” he glared at his captain again, pointing a finger at their chest, “But if he gets hurt, I’m punching both of you.”

Shadow huffed, but said nothing more.

“Glad to see you can still compromise, Red,” Rouge teased lightly.

As expected, the echidna blushed and turned away. He walked back over to his spot on the wall and grumbled.

“He better not sleep the whole day away…”

“If he does,” Shadow said, pulling out his pistol, “I’ll wake him up the same way I did last time.”

Rouge shook her head while Amy sighed tiredly. The pink she-pirate decided to walk over to part of the desk and borrow one of the captain’s pens. She began writing another message to Blaze, reporting some of their theories, and asking if she could look into the history of Familiars.

It could be helpful to learn about the creatures being kept inside this Prison Space, to better understand them. Plus, Amy would be lying if she said she wasn’t overly curious about these magical helpers in general.

As she wrote, she couldn’t help but wonder: who would abandon their faithful, life-long companions, and then lock them away?

Notes:

I'll be honest: I'm not OVERLY happy with this one; I just wanted to get it done and published. It's been sitting there on my Google Drive for a while, and I was getting sick of it not being finished.

Chapter 15: Adventure 1

Summary:

A follow-up to Journal.

Notes:

Happy Very-Belated New year folks! Forgot to say that when I posted my newest work. Rest assured, MarinerMay Madness isn't dead; my priorities are just elsewhere. After all these years, I finally have an understanding of my fellow authors. I think.

Anyway, here's a two-parter for a prompt because my brain does what it do and screw it; it's my universe, I will pick, choose, bend, and break the rules of MarinerMay as I see fit. It's not even May!

Oh geez it's not even May... As a college student that's so far away. And as a person who's not even done going through last year's list for inspiration... I can only imagine what the next one will look like. Good grief... Enjoy the next part of this Madness within my Cerulean Seas.

Sonic couldn’t remember the last time he fell asleep so quickly.

Maybe it had to do with the Chaos Emerald he was holding. Maybe it knew what he was trying to do and -for whatever reason- wanted to help. Or maybe he just fell asleep faster when laying in Shadow’s bed. The fresh scent of lavender always did seem to calm his mind.

The blue hedgehog’s eyes were greeted by familiar marble structures and patches of pale green grass. Groves of trees could be seen far out in the distance alongside more crumbling structures. A new feature Sonic didn’t notice last time were the dozen or so floating platforms high above his head. Some looked cybernetic while others looked more earthy and natural. Steel rails twisted their way through the air, looping and twirling in chaotic patterns. They reminded Sonic of a factory he and his friends raided, back when they were still in the militia.

Hard to believe he missed seeing them last time. Though to be fair, this whole area looked unfamiliar. It must be a whole new section of this “Void.”

Slowly, Sonic started walking. His shoes echoed unnaturally loud against the solid white ground. Even when he walked on patches of grass everything seemed too loud. The crunch of every blade beneath his boots rang in his ears.

Sonic shivered. His hands instinctively moved up to rub his arms. Everything about this void was too quiet. Too empty. Too… unnatural. It chilled him to the bone. At the very least, the trees and tiny flowers sticking up from the roots were a small, visual comfort. Eventually, Sonic found himself humming Wellerman under his breath. The familiar tune helped to keep him grounded and prevent his mind from spiraling. A part of him hoped that Jake would hear the song and come find him.

Sadly, that didn’t seem to be the case. Two rounds of the shanty and nothing.

The hedgehog sighed as he walked along the bank of a small stream. It reminded him of the one where he first met Jake. The crystal blue surface reminded him of the reef and Udona. His hands squeezed his arms tighter in response to such a thought.

It was still hard to wrap his head around. After all these years, he finally knew whose eyes he was looking at. Whose eyes had haunted his dreams. Sonic didn’t know if he should still be afraid, grateful, or… what. At the very least he was grateful for Udona’s help. And for putting the crew on the path to the next Chaos Emerald.

Now Sonic wasn’t naive. Just like Shadow, he too was suspicious of the dog’s intentions. Could it have been out of the goodness of her heart leading them to the next emerald? Or, like a few of the folks they had come across, did she want the emeralds for her own purposes? Was it just her or all of the Familiars here? What did they want with the gems, and why?

Now that he was back, Sonic was going to get some answers. Given the circumstances, a part of him was afraid of what he might find, but he had to stay optimistic.

He just hoped his search wouldn’t blow up in his face.

The stream led Sonic out of the forest and towards a tall, three tiered fountain. It was a beautiful structure: marble white with patterns carved into the stone and painted gold. Little pearls accented the design, glimmering within the nonexistent sunlight. Flicky statues sat on the four cardinal sides, their foundations cracked and paint faded. Water trickled down from the top, leaking over the cracked parts of each tier and sliding its way down to the stream’s banks.

As Sonic stood there, admiring the elegant patterns and crystal liquid, he felt a wave of nostalgia envelop him.

Back in their Academy days, when they had free time and no training scheduled, the hedgehog and his three best friends would sit around a fountain in Soleanna’s town square. They’d watch the people pass, enjoy pastries, exchange stories, and get into multiple water fights. Sonic and Knuckles tied for who was the instigator of those, and despite his annoyance Tails would join in as well. Amy would be the one to stop them, yelling about making a scene and threatening to smash them all with her hammer. In the end, all four of them would be laughing and splashing each other until dinnertime.

Those were such simpler times…

Sonic didn’t even realize when he had started humming a song from his old home. It was a short tune, played by an accordion man to celebrate the queen’s return from a hostage situation. For some reason, out of all the merry songs that had played that day, that little diddy was the one Sonic remembered the most. A pang of sadness hit his chest.

Life is more complicated now. They were fugitives amongst the kingdoms, scum in the eyes of the crown they once dutifully served. Old friends became enemies and old enemies became friends. Mystery, sadness, joy, and love filled every moment of their days. It was a never-ending adventure, something Sonic didn’t realize he had craved so badly until he started setting sail. Until he met a certain black and red hedgehog…

He loved it. Through all the hardships and heartache, Sonic loved his new life. He loved his new family. He’d never forget his old life, or those he once held dear, but he wouldn’t trade this one for the world.

“Hi there!”

“AH!”

Sonic shrieked and fell back on his butt. His eyes shot towards the base of the fountain in alarm.

Sitting on the edge was a cat, with gray fur and large spots shaped like hearts and curved rectangles. A “W” shaped marking sat on their forehead, right in between two long ears with fluffy fur tufts in each. A long, fluffy tail wagged behind their body like a dog. Their eyes were large and bright green, much like the green Chaos Emerald when it glowed. Their nose was shaped like a heart and their smile was as bright as the sun.

Sonic blinked. He forced his muscles to relax as he took in the form of the she-cat. In a small way, they kinda reminded him of Jake, what with the curiosity and wagging tail. Could this be one of his siblings?

The she-cat blinked and tilted her head.

“I’m Zoey! I like your singing! You have a really nice voice!”

“U-Uh… thanks.” Sonic breathed.

He was still waiting for his heart to slow as the she-cat leapt down and began circling him. Her tail continued to wag. The longer Sonic watched, the more adorable it looked. He tried to keep her in his line of sight while she walked.

“My name’s Sonic. Nice to meet you.”

“Sonic?” Zoey echoed, stopping in front of the blue hedgehog and tilting her head.

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

“Like the ‘Sonic’ our big brother told us about? The Pirate Chaos Born who likes to sing and goes on adventures?”

Sonic couldn’t help but chuckle.

“...’Pirate Chaos Born’…?”

“Yeah!” Zoey chirped, “a pirate who is also a Chaos Born!”

“Ah.”

That made sense. In its own… weird and surprising way.

Sonic smiled and pointed a thumb at himself.

“Well, that’s me! And you must be one of Jake’s siblings.”

Zoey nodded rapidly, her tail somehow wagging even faster. Then she stopped. Her face was suddenly inches from Sonic’s and he had to force himself not to flinch.

“Wait. If you’re here… does that mean…?”

All of a sudden, Zoey gasped. Her body began to rapidly shake. Without warning, she turned on her heel and began bouncing all around. She ran back and forth across sections of the ground and bounced off parts of the fountain. All the while she let out squeaky trills, high-pitched giggles, and loud barks. Sonic watched the display in bewilderment. He couldn’t help but smile at the she-cat’s enthusiasm.

After a few moments, Zoey leapt back over and grabbed him by the wrist.

“Come on! You gotta meet everyone!”

“W-Wha-!?”

Sonic yelped as the she-cat dragged him along. Her grip on his hand was like iron, and the force she pulled with could’ve rivaled Knuckles!’

Just how strong is this cat!?

He knew Familiars had a whole range of different abilities. Did this one have super strength? Or was this just her natural strength?

At the moment, Sonic didn’t know which he preferred.

“Ooh, new friend, new friend!” Zoey chirped as they ran, “We haven’t had a new friend in so long! I’ve always wanted to make another one! It gets lonely here sometimes even with all eight of us together. Hopefully you’re not an evil dictator trying to take over the world! We’ve met too many of those!”

“Wait what-?”

“Anyway~!!” Zoey’s voice shrilled in a sing-songy tone, “the gang is gonna LOVE you! And you’re gonna love them!”

Her wagging tail slapped against Sonic’s abdomen. It tickled. The hedgehog hadn’t gotten this much whiplash since the first time Amy took him shopping.

Zoey continued to talk.

“Jake is easygoing so he gets along with almost everybody! Udona may act aloof at first but she’s really nice. In fact you two have already met! Twice even! She said she didn’t even know you were a Chaos Born when she tried to rescue you, and honestly, neither did we! I thought you were just a cute kid she saved from drowning. I guess the fact that she was able to touch you should’ve been a dead giveaway. Gabe is like my twin even though we’re not related; he LOVES pirates, so he’ll definitely love you! Ooh! Ooh! And then there’s Raven! She tends to nearly burn people’s heads off whenever they come here, but just like Udona, she’s really very sweet once you get to know her. You’ll see!”

Sonic chuckled breathlessly. Once again, he found himself getting whiplash from this kid. Because that’s what she reminded him of: a kid.

Zoey kept talking, listing off different people’s names that were presumably her “siblings.” It was honestly hard to keep up with everything she was saying, but the she-cat spoke with such genuine excitement that Sonic couldn’t help but smile.

Eventually, the white surface beneath their feet gradually faded to pale stone. Sonic briefly stared at it in surprise, then looked around and quickly realized that they were on a bridge. It felt out of place considering the crumbled ruins and patches of forest he’d seen so far. Then again, this whole “Void” seemed out of place in general. The bridge itself wasn’t that wide, just a couple feet from one side to the other, and rather plain in design. Or maybe simple was a better term.

His eyes followed where the stone trail ended and the hedgehog couldn’t help but gasp. Ahead of them was some kind of floating coliseum. Massive white walls curved around in a wide circle, complemented by gold and brown accents. In between sections of the wall were large brown towers, with pointed rooftops and iron pillars. Chunks of floating land dotted the “sky” above, and if Sonic looked closely, he could see more structures farther back that vaguely resemble loop-de-loops.

Zoey dragged him through the wide entryway without a second thought. He could just feel her excitement, like buzzing electricity against his skin.

“Here we are~!”

The she-cat finally came to a stop once they passed the archway entrance. Marble, gold, and stone covered nearly every inch of the place, separated only by waterways and landpaths. Towers, arches, platforms, bridges, and more were scattered about in an unspoken pattern.

Zoey turned and smiled brightly at the awestruck hedgehog. She threw her free arm out in a grandiose manner, gesturing towards the open space.

“Welcome… to White Haven!”

Sonic marveled at everything he could see. The style was clearly old, but regal and elegant. No doubt helped by the simple color scheme. The waterways were moving liquified crystals, reflecting faded colors along their surfaces. Everything about this place was stunning; he wished Shadow was here to see it.

“That’s what we call this place anyway,” Zoey explained, pulling him along, “We refer to this entire world as White Space, because it’s white and has a lotta space!”

“Makes sense,” Sonic hummed.

“And we call this place White Haven because it sounds majestic and cool!”

“No arguments there.”

“It’s also the most decorated spot in the entire Void, so we wanted to call it something special.”

Sonic hummed and nodded his head. As he looked around, admiring all the details in each structure, he couldn’t help but agree with the Familiar’s statement.

Majestic and cool describe this place perfectly.

“Has this… always been here?” Sonic asked.

“Uh huh!” Zoey chirped.

“Huh. Neat. And you call this whole world White Space or the Void, right?”

He remembered Jake referring to it as the latter back when they first met.

Zoey hummed and nodded.

“We call it different things too: White Space, White Realm, The Void, White Void, White Prison, White Jail, Hell…”

Sonic paused on that last one, a small shiver running down his spine.

“Raven uses that last one the most,” Zoey went on, “She hates everywhere except here. Like me! I like this area!”

The she-cat once again gestured to the structures of White Haven.

“There’s so much to see, so much to touch, so much to climb, so much to SMASH, CRACK, CRUSH, AND BURN…!”

Zoey’s demeanor quickly became manic: her fur puffed out and bristled while her claws unsheathed dangerously. Her smile grew wide and unhinged. Her sclera turned midnight black and her pupils dilated into tiny, skinny slits that glowed brightly. Her giggles morphed into mad cackles.

Sonic flinched from the sudden change and tried to step back. To his surprise, the grip on his hand only tightened with each ounce of movement. He could feel a dark energy around Zoey, something wild and unnatural. Any second it felt like she would turn and claw out at his organs.

Maybe now’s a good time to signal Shads…!

He did say he’d pull him out at the first sign of trouble…

All of a sudden, Zoey’s body was still. Her eyes became distant as she looked dead ahead. Her ears lowered.

“But nothing here ever stays broken for long,” she muttered forlornly, “we can break all the stuff we want. It’ll just rebuild. Nothing here ever dies. How can it when we’re all dead?”

“I want it to burn. Burn, burn, burn… Burn it all and let it die so we can die… just let us die already…”

Fear and concern rattled Sonic’s body. She kept muttering that last part over and over, veins of black slowly crawling out of her eye sockets. Sonic vaguely remembered seeing Udona’s eyes shift in a similar way back at the reef. Was this the same thing? What was it?

Zoey’s muscles continued to tense. She squeezed Sonic’s arm, her breathing becoming more erratic as she continued to mutter to herself, over and over again.

“Let us burn, let us die, let us burn, let us die, let us die, die DIE…!”

“S-Should we keep looking for you siblings…?” Sonic interrupted.

He recognized a spiral when he saw it; he had to stop her before she went too far.

As if a switch had been flipped, Zoey’s body and face brightened.

“Oh yeah!”

They ran through White Haven a little faster. Sonic took the time to recover from his third bout of whiplash and study Zoey more closely. Her grip wasn’t the vice it was before, but it was still noticeably tight. Sonic gave it a gentle squeeze. Something was going on here. What it was, Sonic wasn’t sure, but he knew that the Chaos Emeralds were involved; they were the one constant thread in these last three encounters.

Zoey’s ramblings were… well, creepy and concerning, but they gave the hedgehog a clue into what might be happening. This realm was some kind of prison, one that these Familiars hated. Were they locked in somehow? By who? And why?

One thing was certain in the hedgehog’s mind: If Zoey, Jake, Udona, and the rest of their siblings needed help, then Sonic was going to give it.

Chapter 16: Adventure 2

The path ended in what looked to be a town square. White columns and walls surrounded the area in a broken half-made circle, with a red brick ground instead of the pale tones Sonic had seen so far. At the center of it all was a fountain, and sitting around that fountain were multiple colorful animals.

Jake and Udona were easy to spot out of the bunch. The former was chatting with two other cats: one white with a long tail and silver markings on her legs, the other royal purple with wings. Three more dogs played beneath the fountain’s base: a gray aussie, a red dog with long ears similar to Udona, and a light tan pup with a fluffy neck and curled tail.

“HI GUYS!!” Zoey shrieked, waving her arm and bouncing along.

The small crowd turned their heads towards the oncoming duo. Many eyes widened and ears perked up.

“I FOUND A NEW FRIEND!!”

“Sonic!”

Jake was the first to hop off the fountain and run towards them. His tail wagged rapidly behind him as he tackled into Sonic’s middle.

“Hey buddy!” the hedgehog laughed, petting the pup’s head, “Long time no see!”

Jake panted happily and head-butted them playfully. His violet eyes shined brightly with elation.

“I didn’t know when you were coming back!” he barked.

Sonic laughed and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Me neither. Sorry it took so long.”

Jake smiled and waved him off.

“It’s alright. Most people have trouble getting in here the first few times.”

“It gets easier the more you do it.”

Sonic and Jake looked up to see Udona sauntering towards them. Her fluked tail flapped once as she regarded the two in amusement.

Sonic felt a hint of unease looking directly into her sharp, magenta eyes. He tried to push it down though and waved in greeting.

“Hey Udona.”

Udona nodded back with a smile, staying a few steps away. Perhaps she was aware of the hedgehog’s reluctance and was giving him space. He appreciated it, even though it made him feel a little guilty. Her face lit up in mirth as she glanced at Zoey. Said she-cat was currently leaping around Sonic and Jake without a care in the world.

“She didn’t overwhelm you too much, did she?”

“Nah,” Sonic laughed, “I’m used to big personalities!”

“Hope you can handle a few more,” Jake chuckled, standing up and turning towards the others.

“Everyone, this is Sonic! Sonic, these are my siblings! You’ve already met Udona and Zoey.”

Sonic nodded at them both and followed the golden’s paw as he pointed towards the red and tan dogs.

“Those two are Harry and Gabe, Udona’s self-proclaimed first mate and buccaneer respectively.”

The tan pup suddenly bounced up to the hedgehog until they were nose to nose. His chocolate browns bore into Sonic’s emerald, bright and wide.

“So you’re really a pirate? Like… an actual swashbuckling, sea shantying yo-ho-ho-ing buccaneer?”

Sonic blinked, then chuckled and gave a thumb’s up.

“Sure am!”

The pup gasped. Their tail wagged even faster as they whirled around to face Udona and the red dog beside her.

“Harry! Udona! Did you hear that? HE’S A REAL PIRATE!”

“I heard,” Udona nodded in bemusement.

Harry chuckled softly at his little brother before turning back to Sonic. His topaz eyes were warm as he bowed slightly and held a paw out.

“Nice to finally meet ya, lad!”

Sonic smiled and shook the dog’s paw.

“Right back atcha!”

Gabe came up next and rubbed against the hedgehog’s side happily. Sonic scratched the top of their head in response. As he did so, Jake redirected his attention to the white cat and gray aussie sitting on their left.

“Over here are Evie and Duke.”

The she-cat blinked slowly and bowed her head, her companion following suit. Sonic smiled at them and saluted with two fingers.

“Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” Evie purred.

Her eyes were a stunning deep navy blue; it reminded Sonic of the blue Chaos Emerald they recently collected. Or the deep depths of the ocean. A part of him felt hypnotized by her gaze, his body slowly relaxing and going slack. Evie seemed to notice his demeanor and giggled. It sounded like soft bells against his ears.

“Like what you see?” she teased, lowering her eyelids halfway.

“Oh!” Sonic quickly blinked and looked away, “sorry. Didn’t realize I was staring…”

Evie giggled again.

“It’s alright. Most people have that same reaction when they stare into my eyes too long.”

“Is that, like, your power?”

“In part, yes,” the she-cat shrugged.

“I’m still convinced you’re part Siren,” Gabe commented.

Evie winked at him, her tail stretching out and poking the tip of Gabe’s nose. Another ability it seemed.

“Maybe~”

Sonic huffed amusedly at the exchange. His eyes trailed upwards and saw the purple she-cat flying above his head. She stared back at him with a raised eyebrow, her body laid back with her arms behind her head. Jake followed his gaze and smirked.

“And that’s Raven. Our big sis and a real firecracker! I’d say her bark is worse than her bite… but that is a complete lie. They’re both pretty bad.”

“Got it.”

“Come say hello Raven!” Zoey called up, “HE SMELLS LIKE SUNFLOWERS!”

Sonic shot a surprised glance at the gray she-cat before turning back to Jake. The golden just shrugged and shook his head. He looked back up at Raven, watching the way her eyes narrowed with scrutiny as she looked him up and down. It reminded him of Shadow’s gaze in some aspects.

The she-cat flew closer to the group and straightened up, crossing her arms.

“So!” she began sharply, “You’re the Chaos Born that crashed into our little neck of the woods and got all my sibs up in arms?”

“Uh, yeah,” the hedgehog shrugged, “I’m Sonic.”

“I know.”

The she-cat is just at Sonic’s eye level. She placed her paws on her hips.

“So, Sonic… what brings you back here?”

“I told Jake I’d come back to visit, so… here I am!”

Raven tilted her head, one eyed ridge still raised in skepticism.

“Not just anyone comes back willingly. Why would you?”

“No special reason,” Sonic simply shrugged, “Just here to hang out with some new friends.”

“Friends…?” Raven murmured, confused.

Udona tilted her head.

“Friends?”

“Friends!”

Zoey leapt up and hugged the side of Sonic’s body. He staggered for a moment, but kept steady and rubbed her back. Gabe quickly joined in and hugged him on his other side.

“New friend!” he cheered, “Woo-hoo! New pirate friend! Double Woo-hoo!”

“But…”

Duke stared at the ground, trying to find his words.

“We only just met. Isn’t it a little early to be calling us… that?”

Sonic tilted his head. He knelt down to better meet their eye level.

“True. But now that we’ve met, I can take time to get to know you all better. You seem like a cool bunch.”

“The Pirate Chaos Born thinks we’re COOL!” Gabe gushed, wagging his tail.

Zoey gushed alongside him.

“I know! I love our new friend…!”

“Our new PIRATE friend!”

Most of the Familiars chuckled at the two. Raven, meanwhile, stayed in the air, studying Sonic like he was an enemy. It wasn’t the first time the hedgehog had been judged with such a look, so he stared back at her evenly. She was looking for something, that much he could tell; what that was though was anyone’s guess.

The she-cat’s ears lowered and she crossed her arms.

“Alright, what’s your angle?”

“Angle?” Sonic echoed.

“Raven!”

Evie looked at her sister indignantly and smacked her tail against the ground. Raven narrowed her eyes, still focused solely on the hedgehog.

“I know Udona told you where to find your next emerald, and we know you and your buddies are hunting them all. So let’s just skip the whole song and dance and get to the point. What do you want from us?”

“Sis, come on!” Jake sighed.

“Yeah!” Gabe barked, “Don’t be a sourpuss! Friends don’t insult friends!”

“He’s not my friend!” Raven snapped, “first off, we only just met. Second, I don’t care if he’s the reincarnation of Gaia himself! I’m not dealing with another two-timing piece of shit!”

The group looked at their purple companion disapprovingly. She didn’t seem to care though. Her eyes pierced through Sonic’s as if she was trying to find his soul and rip it out. He was starting to feel unnerved by her gaze, but also confused. Jake and the others had hinted that other people had been here before, specifically Chaos Born. Were some of the folks who visited like Eggman? Or Black Doom? Using these creatures for selfish reasons? That fact wouldn’t surprise him, but coming from fellow Chaos Born…

The edges of Duke’s eyes crinkled as he looked at the purple she-cat.

“But what if he could-”

“We’ve tried that over a thousand times already Duke!” Raven snarled, whipping her gaze towards the startled Aussie, “it doesn’t matter how many times we try! It all ends the fucking same! Nicky was the last fucking straw!”

Green electricity started circling Raven’s body. The air suddenly grew cold as a violent shiver ran down Sonic’s spine. He felt Gabe and Zoey tense by his sides, squeezing the fabric of his vest and scooching closer. Jake and Evie moved in front of them, slowly going into a crouch. Udona unsheathed her claws and narrowed her own eyes. Duke and Harry gulped.

Sonic had to do something, or he might give Shadow and the others a heart attack.

“Okay, time out!”

His call broke whatever tension had built and everyone’s eyes were suddenly on him. The hedgehog gave the two Familiars at his sides a reassuring head rub before addressing the whole.

“You lost me a couple sentences ago. What have you guys been trying that doesn’t work?”

Many of the Familiars exchanged uneasy glances with one another. Raven let out a harsh snort, smoke billowing out of her nostrils. She glared at the blue hedgehog fiercely.

“...Finding a way outta this fucking hellhole.”

So he was right in assuming that this place was some kind of prison. No wonder Jake looked somber when Sonic asked about his home, or Zoey’s manic behavior. He had seen what isolation could do to a person over a long period of time. It could break them, shatter the very essences of their soul until there was nothing left.

The hesitant, uncertain expressions of the Familiars only confirmed Sonic’s suspicions.

Gabe looked between each of his siblings and blinked in confusion.

“...I thought we didn’t reveal that to folks until after they'd collected all seven Chaos Emeralds?”

“The emeralds?” Sonic echoed.

Now things were starting to make some sense. Of course a magical-esque prison would need some type of magical key. Or seven.

Evie facepalmed and smacked her tail against the ground. Udona gave the tan pup a deadpan stare.

“Way to ruin the mystery, Gabriel.”

Gabe grinned sheepishly and shrunk back.

Gabriel?

Sonic shook his head. Not important right now…

“So you need the Chaos Emeralds to get outta here,” he stated, looking at Jake for confirmation.

The golden winced and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Agh… I didn’t wanna say anything right away since we only just met… ”

He stepped back and shook out his fur, like he was trying to shake off his unease. He sighed heavily.

“Raven and Gabe are right. This prison was made with Chaos Energy, so we need the Chaos Emeralds to get out.”

“Makes sense,” Sonic shrugged, “but who put you here to begin with?”

The square went deadly quiet.

“...That… That’s personal…” Jake murmured.

Sonic nodded in understanding.

Too soon. Got it.

“Anyway,” Udona huffed, “lots of people have passed through here, and they always want something. Money, power, a lover, rebellion, yadda yadda. So we’d make a deal: we’d offer our service to whoever came, and in return they gather the seven emeralds so we can escape.”

“We can’t physically touch the emeralds ourselves though. We can roam the world as intangible ghosts, sometimes use the water here as a window to watch the mortal world, but that’s about it. And we can’t wield them either. That’s why we need Chaos Born to do it. We tell ‘em where the emeralds are, they round them up and let the magic happen.”

Duke rubbed his arm nervously and tucked his tail.

“It… Doesn’t always work.”

“It. NEVER. Works.”

Raven’s tail lashed as she glared venomously at Sonic.

“Every asshole we’ve met is either too weak, too greedy, too much of an ass, or dies before they can even find one. Some just outright break their promises to help outright so we kill ‘em.”

Sonic’s quills bristled at the notion of killing.

“Oh don’t give me that look!” Raven snapped, “And don’t expect me to be sorry about ‘em either, ‘cause I’m not. Those fuckers all deserved to die! It’s not my fault they were born with their heads shoved too far up their asses!”

Sonic didn’t know if he could agree with that. He knew that sometimes killing was unavoidable, but to do so over a broken deal? With the killers being Familiars of all creatures? It didn’t sit right in the hedgehog’s gut, and as he looked around, no one else seemed comfortable with the idea either. Various levels of guilt masked their faces.

Udona suddenly shook her head.

“We’re getting off topic. Point is we use people to find a way out and it blows up in our faces. Nicky was our most recent ‘client’ and in Raven’s eyes he was the last straw.”

“That’s because he was,” the she-cat snarled, “The world’s full of shitfaces who couldn’t give a damn about us, and Chaos Born are dead.”

Jake and Evie stared at their sister disapprovingly. Harry, Duke, Zoey, and Gabe looked uneasy while Udona’s gaze was borderline unreadable. Their fur bristled and their muscles tensed.

Sonic looked between them all with his own unease. Raven’s face was downright hostile, distrustful even. It was a face he had seen before. Back when he and Shadow were still getting to know each other, when he was trying to help the cold captain let his walls down. It was odd how there were so many similarities between the two. But just like Shadow, Sonic noticed a protective fire amidst all that distrust and anger.

If they had been betrayed before, it was no wonder she was acting like this.

The hedgehog smiled and forced a light chuckle. Once again, the small motion cut through the growing tension like a knife.

“I wouldn’t know if I’d say they’re all dead. I mean, I’m here, aren’t I?”

Raven raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“So?”

“Soooo…” Sonic drawled with an exaggerated roll of his eyes, “I can help you find the emeralds!”

There was a collective pause. Udona blinked, taken off guard.

“...Come again?”

Sonic smiled at them all brightly and nodded.

“Like you said: my crew’s already gathering the emeralds. Once we find the one in Avalon, we’ll be halfway done! And once we have ‘em all, we can use them to help you guys escape!”

Again, there was a collective pause. Each familiar stared at him as though he had grown three heads.

“...But… Why…?” Duke mumbled quietly.

Sonic looked at the Aussie and smiled.

“Do I really need a reason to help a friend?”

“Friend…?”

The Aussie’s eyes lit up, the tip of his tail slowly beginning to wag. Zoey and Gabe hugged the hedgehog’s sides enthusiastically.

“Friend!” they cried.

Udona crossed her paws and raised an eyebrow.

“You seriously wanna be our friend? Just like that?”

“Just like that,” Sonic nodded.

“...What do you want in return?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

The teal dog stared at him in disbelief. Even Raven looked taken aback by the statement. Sonic held in his laughter and addressed them all.

“I promise, we’ll find the rest of the emeralds, and you guys will feel the sunshine again.”

“Sunshine…?” Evie whispered, eyes wide with mysticism.

Zoey tore herself from Sonic’s side and started bouncing around.

“We’re gonna feel the sunshine again! WE’RE GONNA FEEL THE SUNSHINE AGAIN!! WAHOO!”

“Finally!” Gabe exclaimed, “After all these years… I’LL FINALLY GET SUNBURN!”

He cackled to the white sky and joined his sister in twirling around the others. Sonic watched them with a bewildered expression.

“...Not something I would expect anyone to be excited about, but okay then!”

A few of the other Familiars laughed as well. Jake tackled into Duke’s side with happy barks and wagged his tail. Evie wrapped her tail around them both and purred. Harry and Udona exchanged hesitant but hopeful looks.

Raven stared at them all, confusion and anger warring across her face. Sonic could see the confliction she felt. The distrust raging against the tiny spark of hope that she still had in her, even after being let down so many times. It was only there for a moment, but Sonic was quick enough to catch it.

He was also quick enough to see that hope be masked by distrust once more as the she-cat flew closer to his face.

“Let’s assume for a hot minute that I believe any of this bullcrap,” she spat, eyes narrowing, “How do we know you’re not just gonna stab us in the back?”

Sonic met Raven’s hostile glare with a calm, determined expression.

“Because I’m a hedgehog of my word.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Then I guess I’ll just have to prove it!”

Raven leaned back and scoffed.

“Tch. Fat chance of that happening.”

“Oh don’t be such a sourpuss, Rave!” Gabe yelped, pulling the she-cat down by her tail and wrapping her in a surprise side-hug, “WE’RE GONNA FEEL THE SUNSHINE AGAIN! We’re gonna BREATHE again! We’re gonna finally feel like air is traveling into our lungs and pumping our hearts!”

Raven snarled from the surprised contact and wriggled out of the pup’s loose grasp.

“Come on, Raven!” Evie pushed, “This could be it!”

“But what if it’s not?”

“But what if it is?” Jake asked.

He padded up to the she-cat and looked at her imploringly. His voice softened.

“What if this is our last chance?”

Raven was silent for a moment. She sat down, crossed her arms and lowered her head. Her wings twitched and her tail whacked the ground furiously. A low snarl rumbled out of her throat as the seconds passed. Finally, she let out a frustrated hiss and looked at her golden furred brother sharply.

“...Fine.”

Jake smiled and wagged his tail. Sonic quietly chuckled until the she-cat whirled around and pointed a paw digit at his face.

“But remember this, numbnut: You fuck us over, and I’ll stain this whole damn universe with your blood. Got it?”

Sparks danced along her eyes. A cold chill ran down Sonic’s spine again, but he ignored it. Instead, he sat up tall and met the she-cat’s blazing gaze head-on with one of his own. He smirked.

“Got it.”

It was going to be difficult earning this one’s trust, but Sonic was more than up for the challenge. After all, if he could get Shadow to let his walls down, then he was confident he could get Raven’s down too.

Notes:

Whoo! And there they all are! Well, now that the Demented Squad have entered the chat (so to speak), no going back now.

This was a pretty loaded chapter, and an even longer two parter. Good freaking lord how do these keep getting so long? I'd say this is the only long one for a bit... but let's face it; who knows?

Chapter 17: Trading Hub

“Trip.”

Trip gasped and whirled around in alarm. Her back bumped against the good’s stand and she heard a surprised shout from the owner. She almost reached for her helmet until she remembered that she had left it back on the ship.

Knuckles held his hands out in a placating manner.

“Whoa! Just me!”

Trip took a deep breath and placed a hand over her beating heart. Her body slowly began to relax again as she took in the sight of her fellow crewmate.

Knuckles waited a moment before carefully approaching.

“Sorry.”

Trip shook her head and began moving her hands to sign.

‘It’s alright.’

“Find anything you like?”

Trip looked back to the owner and their stand. It was filled to the brim with fabrics of various shapes, patterns, and colors. Gemstones, rhinestones, felt flowers, and ribbon covered a few. They were all beautiful, extravagant even. And yet…

Trip looked back to her crewmate and shook her head.

“Alright,” Knuckles nodded, “you wanna move on?”

The sungazer nodded. She quickly turned and bowed in apology towards the stand owner. Once done she followed the red echidna through the crowds. She made sure to keep close to him, not willing to get lost amongst the throng of people all around them. He seemed to notice her nerves and kept his pace slow enough for her to follow.

Seaside Hill was one of the smaller trading hubs they had visited. Despite that, the community was a thriving one. Everywhere Trip looked there were stands of various food, fabrics, trinkets, and more, all out on display while their owners tried bribing folks to buy stuff.

“What’re you looking for?”

Knuckles’ voice brought Trip out of her thoughts. She looked up as he stared at her curiously. For a moment, Trip fidgeted with her hands, trying to formulate her thoughts.

‘...Something for Amy,’ she finally signed.

“Ah.”

Knuckles glanced around at some nearby stands.

“What did you wanna get?”

Trip shrugged.

‘Something special.’

“Doesn’t really narrow it down,” Knuckles huffed.

Trip let out a huff of her own, her way of giving a laugh.

“Alright come on. Cap wants us back at the ship before noon, so we got time to explore.”

‘Aye aye!’ Trip saluted playfully.

Knuckles rolled his eyes.

“You’re starting to sound like Sonic.”

‘How can I sound like him if I can't talk?’

“...I rest my case.”

Trip let out a flurry of huffed giggles as she followed her crewmate through the crowds.

“Any reason why you’re getting Amy a gift?” Knuckles asked, eyeing an odd set of metal claws at a weapon’s stand.

Trip looked away bashfully. She didn’t answer right away, and the echidna didn’t rush her.

‘Today is our anniversary.’

“Anniversary?” Knuckles echoed.

Trip nodded. A light blush swarmed her cheeks, her hands becoming more lively the more she spoke.

‘Today marks two years since we’ve been together. Two and a half since I joined. She’s done so much for me. I want to get her something special.’

Knuckles huffed and crossed his arms.

“Hey, don’t forget, we helped out too.”

“I know you did!” Trip signed quickly, ‘I’m not saying you didn’t, but… Amy…’

Since the day they met, the she-pirate had been nothing but kind to her. She stayed by her side, helped her adjust, kept her safe. She offered comfort when they learned that Trip’s throat injury was permanent. Sonic had taught her sign language so she could speak again, and Amy only helped her improve. She started signing to her and teaching the others how to as well. It made Trip feel like she was part of a community again. Amy made her feel like she belonged again.

That was why she decided to stay.

That’s why she said yes.

“Hey.”

Trip looked up. Knuckles was looking at her with a soft expression, his arms uncrossed.

“I’m joking. Nothing wrong with wanting to get your girlfriend something.”

Trip let out a small breath of relief and nodded. Then her face morphed into a pout.

‘Problem is that nothing here stands out to me. Nothing screams Amy to me.’

“Yeah, I hear ya…” Knuckles muttered, glancing around at the stalls.

He turned back to Trip.

“You gotta ask yourself: ‘What is something that Amy would like?’”

‘Something Amy would like?’

“Yeah. Once you figure that out, should be easier to find her a gift in all this mess.”

Trip nodded thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the stalls in a new light.

What did Amy like? Well, she wasn’t jewel crazy like Rouge, but she was into fashion. Her tastes were much simpler, extravagance best done in small doses. Comfort and practicality were always at the forefront. You never knew who or what you’d come across on the high seas, so best to have a wardrobe you could actually move in. She liked wearing the occasional small accessory to give her outfits flair.

Perhaps one of those would do. Something Amy could leave in her room, or maybe a small headpiece she could switch out.

As the thought crossed her mind, Trip’s eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something small and shiny sitting on a nearby stall. She stopped, stepping closer to study the little trinket. It was a small headpiece, circular and smooth with a silver casing that protected a golden amber gem. Connected to it were two simple white feathers, their tips dyed a bright crimson.

Trip carefully picked the small trinket up. It was so simple, and yet… so beautiful. She could just imagine it sitting within Amy’s short quills, the feathers blowing in the wind as she stood on the deck, the gem glistening in the mid afternoon light.

The sungazer ran a thumb over the gem’s smooth surface. She smiled.

---

“Hey you two!”

Amy jogged over to Knuckles and Trip as the two boarded The Shooting Star, goodies in hand.

“How did shopping go?”

“Pretty good,” Knuckles said simply, holding up his small bag.

Trip nodded alongside him, her hands firmly gripping the straps of the bag the stall owner had given her.

“So what did you get?”

“Stuff,” Knuckles replied gruffly, “where’s Rouge?”

Amy’s eyes sparkled mischievously.

“Try the quarterdeck.”

“‘Kay.”

As quickly as he could, Knuckles scampered off. If Trip didn’t know any better, she thought she saw a blush dusting his cheeks.

“What about you, Trip?” Amy asked, “What did you buy?”

Trip turned back to the pink she-pirate. She shuffled her feet, before taking a deep breath and digging her hands around in the bag. She held the item out for Amy to see, a small, shy smile crossing her face.

Amy gasped upon seeing the trinket.

“Is that for me?”

Trip nodded.

The she-pirate gently took the trinket and held it in her palms. She handled it as though it was the world’s most delicate piece of glass. Her jade pools glowed as she studied the trinket from all sides. She smiled.

“It’s beautiful.”

Trip’s smile brightened. She helped Amy attach the item to the side of her bandana. As she thought, it fit her perfectly.

‘Happy anniversary, Amy.’

Amy beamed as she ran her hands delicately over the feathers. A light giggle escaped her lips. Her pink fur and quills glowed beneath the afternoon sun, her eyes shining like twin gemstones. Trip felt her heart skip a beat.

She squeaked as Amy suddenly wrapped her in a tight hug, light purrs unintentionally escaping her throat.

“I love it! Thank you Trip!”

The sungazer laughed silently. She wrapped her own arms around her girlfriend, drinking in every second of this precious hug. She loved Amy’s hugs.

“Oh! I got you something too!”

Amy pulled away and dug around in her vest. From it, she pulled out a small pendant. At the center was a small red gem, with four smaller gems on either side: two orange and two gold. Trip gasped. She held still as Amy leaned forward and clipped it around her neck.

“I knew it would look cute on you! What do you think?”

Amy pulled out a small compact for Trip to see. The sungazer could only stare at her reflection, watching the little gemstones glistening in the light. She absently ran a hand over the cool, smooth surface of each gem. Along the silver chain laying around her neck; it was loose enough that it wasn’t pinching, but tight enough that it wouldn’t fall.

It matched her scales’ natural coloring. It was simple, and yet… perfect.

A light blush crept up Trip’s face. She smiled and signed to the smiling she-pirate.

‘I love it. Thank you.’

Amy leaned forward and gently kissed her on the cheek. Trip’s blush only grew, as did the vibrancy of both her and her girlfriend’s smiles.

Notes:

Sonic and Shadow were already a couple and I didn't wanna do a poly with them and Amy just because. (Nothing against that particular ship; it's just not my cup of tea). I hinted at an Amy and Trip thing loosely before, so might as well expand upon it here a bit.

Chapter 18: Banter

Summary:

I've seen MarinerMay stories that use the Banter prompt in a romantic context.

I am not those stories.

A blue ball bounced into the side of a palm tree just enough to shake loose its content. Down fell two ripe coconuts. The ball uncurled and caught them both in his palms.

With a triumphant grin, Sonic tossed the coconuts into the air. He rolled them along his arms and shoulders before landing on a fairly large pile not far away. The hedgehog looked at his growing collection and smirked.

“Ha! Fifty coconuts! Beat that lil buddy!”

He looked over to see Tails popping out from another nearby palm tree. Three coconuts sat in his hands as he flew down.

“Easy,” the fox grinned, tossing the fruit into a second pile behind him.

He dusted off his hands.

“Sixty-seven!”

“What!? No way!”

“Don’t believe me?”

“Not even close,” Sonic huffed.

“Count for yourself.”

The blue hedgehog sped over to his little brother’s pile and did a quick count. Even upon first glance, it was clear that their pile was bigger. He crossed his arms in a playful pout.

“Okay, no fair! Literally half these trees are on skinny cliffs, and you can fly.”

“Sounds like you’re just mad that you lost,” Tails grinned, placing his hands on his hips.

Sonic’s grin grew as he followed suit.

“Am not!”

“Are to.”

“When have I ever lost anything?”

“Want me to get my list?”

Sonic glared teasingly at his cheeky little brother. After a moment, he snickered and rubbed the fox’s bangs. Tails squeaked in protest but didn’t remove his hand.

“When did you get so smart?” Sonic laughed.

“Probably around the same time I met you.”

“And we’re all that much more miserable for it…”

Knuckles stomped out from behind some brush with four coconuts in hand. He tossed them onto a third pile while picking leaves out of his dreadlocks. Sonic spun on his heel and grinned cheekily at the echidna.

“Oh don’t act like you don’t love me too, Knucklehead. I’m plenty of fun to have around!”

“You’re as much fun as a hangover times twelve…” Knuckles grumbled.

Tails snickered behind his fist. Sonic placed a hand over his heart and pretended to look hurt by the statement.

“Ouch. Where’s the brotherly love, bro?”

“Back on the ship. Next to my bed. Where I should’ve been over an hour ago. How many of these damn things does Cece even want us to bring back?”

Sonic was about to answer, but then paused. He looked at all three of their piles, rubbing his chin and tapping his foot. Tails followed in a similar manner, his gaze a tad more thoughtful and his namesakes flicking from behind.

After discovering an island shrouded in coconut palms, Cece had asked the boys if they would go and collect some for her. Sonic was honestly surprised to hear that the fruit could be used for medicinal purposes; he always thought it was just good for eating. Of course, the trio happily agreed to help. There was just one problem.

“...I… have no idea.”

Knuckles groaned and facepalmed.

“Probably not THIS MUCH,” Tails said, gesturing to the large piles around them.

“Good, because I’m not carrying all this back to the ship.”

“Me neither,” Sonic added.

He forgot just how competitive the three of them could get when left to their own devices. Maybe Amy should’ve come along after all…

Tails chuckled nervously as he eyed his own pile, the largest of the group’s.

“I think if we did that, it’d sink within ten minutes.”

Sonic chuckled nervously as well, rubbing the back of his neck.

“...Yeah. ‘Drowning’ and ‘death by Shadow’ are not on my bucket list.”

Chaos forbid he ever wanted to deal with either of those things…

“So now what?” Knuckles asked, “We either go back empty-handed, or use Sonic as a shield against Shadow’s wrath.”

“Hey!” Sonic shouted.

Tails shook his head and flicked his namesakes again.

“Maybe just choose a dozen or so of the best ones? That’d give Cece plenty to work with, and Cookie would appreciate the extra ingredients.”

“Not a bad idea bud!”

Sonic gave a smirk and thumbs up while Knuckles huffed. He grabbed two of the biggest ones by his feet and started walking. They’d have to make two or three trips back and forth, but it was better than fifty.

“Fine by me. Where’s the boat?”

The trio turned to the part of the shore they had set the boat on… only to find that there was no boat. Tails grabbed a spyglass from his belt and looked out onto the water. Halfway between their ship and the beach was the missing boat, drifting along while the oar started its own journey east. The fox slowly lowered his spyglass and cringed.

“...Who’s turn was it to secure the boat again?”

Sonic and Knuckles followed his line of sight. The former’s shoulders slumped while the latter dropped the coconuts and stormed off. Seconds later, there was a furious war-cry followed by a loud crack. Four palm trees fell to the ground like dominoes, kicking up clouds of dust and spilling their brown circular fruit all over.

Sonic and Tails winced.

Yep. They should’ve invited Amy…

Chapter 19: Sail

Well Thomas Michael Wachowski… Let this be a lesson to you: when your wife tells you to ‘bring a life vest,’ make your life easier and just listen to her.

Tom sighed as he clung to the floating chunk of driftwood. His arms were numb from strain and cold water. His legs were exhausted from kicking. His clothes were damp and soggy, clinging to his skin. His hair felt stringy and smelled strongly of saltwater.

Worse of all though? He lost his lucky fish hook.

A growl from his stomach reminded him of how painfully hungry he was.

All in all? Not one of his best days.

It had started out simple enough: the queen and his superiors had given him a long weekend off, so he was taking today to do some fishing. If not for answering a summons from his mother, Wade would’ve also joined him.

Probably smart that he didn’t, considering that their old dingy fishboat had decided today was its final day to exist before collapsing into a moldy pile of wood. Luckily it left behind a big -and sturdy enough- piece for Tom to cling to. So here he was: floating along the ocean currents, hungry and soaked to the bone, and mentally bracing for the scolding he was going to get when he got home.

If he ever got home.

Who knew where the ocean was taking him? Anywhere for all he knew. He could wash up at any port in any kingdom -if pneumonia or sharks didn’t get him first. At least if he ended up in a port, he could dry off a bit. His wallet was drenched, the cash it contained even moreso. It’d be a miracle if any of it hadn’t yet dissolved. He also remembered that he left his militia ID on the coffee table at home, so he couldn’t prove his status or citizenship should he come across any town’s leaders.

So all in all, a bit of a crappy day.

Tom groaned and laid his chin on the cold wood. He could see the sun setting just beyond the horizon, which meant that the temperatures were going to drop a few significant degrees. As if to prove it, a rather harsh wind blew past, chilling him to the bone. He could feel his teeth starting to chatter.

Great… Just what I need. Okay Universe, I get it! Next time I will listen to my wife! I will never doubt her judgement again!

Though that could only work if he was still alive long enough to hear her say “I told you so.” And the ocean seemed hellbent on making sure that journey would be difficult.

Tom, however, was not a quitter. He was a Wachowski, and no matter what, Wachowskis always got back up after being knocked down. No matter how many times that was. He was going to see Maddie again. He was going to kiss her and love her twice as hard as he did now.

Nothing was going to stop him from achieving that. Not freezing temperatures, or rusty boats, or vicious aquatic predators…

Or that ship coming up just behind him.

…

Wait what?

Tom whipped his head around and felt his eyes widen upon seeing the vessel. It was a galleon ship; a smaller model than the ones he’s ridden on, but still quite large. It didn’t have Soleanna insignia on it. Was it a passing merchant ship?

Either way, he was saved!

“Hey! HEY! HEY DOWN HERE! HELP!!”

He called out as loud as his lungs would allow and waved an arm frantically in the air. His heart felt light and fluttered with hope. Rescue. He was going to be rescued!

Don’t worry Maddie. I’ll be home soon. This isn’t how my story ends!

That hope was immediately dashed when he noticed the color of the sails.

Black.

Tom’s blood ran cold; only one group of sailors used that color.

Pirates.

“Ah shit…” he muttered.

Maybe they didn’t hear me…

“Man overboard!” someone called.

Tom’s heart sank to his stomach.

Nevermind Maddie. If you need me, I’ll be in Hell.

---

He was dragged onto the deck within minutes. His shoulder slammed into the wood, not hard enough to break, but definitely enough to bruise. He hissed through gritted teeth and tried to sit up beneath the piles of netting over him.

He’ll give the pirates this: they were quick and efficient. Maybe his death will be too.

The netting was pulled back, and he was met with something he did and did not expect. Of course, he was surrounded by pirates, but not by the ones he was used to facing. The ones he had met were scraggly criminals. Mad-cackling, trigger-happy hyenas -both literal and figurative species-wise- who hungered for blood and gold. So much so that they’d fight with even their own crew members. Admittedly some had more class, but the goal was still the same: plunder and kill. That’s why Tom was so dedicated to taking them down; he wanted his family to live in a world where the seas weren’t haunted by bad guys. Where those kinds of monsters only existed in scary stories.

His heart momentarily sank at the thought of his family. Or more importantly, the ones he lost.

Five years later, and the wounds were still fresh. He’d never forgive the pirates who took his son away, or for the defunct empire that swallowed both him and their other two whole.

But back to the present, there was a different aura surrounding this particular band of pirates. Sure they still had the piercings and the clothing, but they weren’t as scraggly-looking. No bald patches of fur, no golden toothed fangs, or sewn-together rags. In fact, Tom felt a little jealous of their casual wear. It all looked so finely pressed.

They looked well-fed too; not a rib in sight, or any sign of malnourishment for that matter.

No drawn weapons either; now THAT caught him off guard. Pirates didn’t usually take prisoners. They’d kill to send a message, but no one -as far as Tom knew- had ever been taken alive.

Tom watched them all with a wary gaze. He didn’t have any weapons on him. Maybe they didn’t see him as a threat yet? He was good with a punch, but if these guys had swords and guns at the ready, he was clearly outmatched. Plus, he was still freezing and hungry, so his own body wasn’t even up for a fight right now.

Won’t stop me from trying, Tom thought as his hands curled into tight fists.

“He’s a funny lookin’ one, ain’t he?” someone commented.

Tom turned to see a white wolf marching up to him. They were the image of what the man expected of a pirate: tough, with a few scars on his arms and ears, and glistening fangs.

“You say that about all humans, dear,” replied a sultry voice.

Splitting off from the crowd was a stunning white bat, with turquoise eyes and a flower necklace around her neck.

Tom was a little taken aback by their appearance and lack of an accent.

The wolf’s dark blue eyes narrowed as they knelt down and took a tentative sniff. Tom tried not to flinch beneath their gaze.

After a few seconds, the wolf snorted and recoiled in disgust.

“He’s also a soldier.”

“Oh?”

Numerous murmurs spread throughout the shop as the bat sauntered forward. She knelt down with a surprising sense of grace and cupped Tom’s chin. The man glared at her, but she seemed to shrug it off, her eyes alit with curiosity.

“Hmm… So he is. From where?”

“Soleanna.”

The bat’s eyes lit up.

“Oh my! Aren’t we far away from home! Shipwreck, I presume?”

Tom kept his mouth shut. The less these pirates could learn about him, the better.

“Not much of a talker, is he?” the wolf scoffed.

The bat shrugged, letting go of the man’s chin.

“Not surprising. Soleannans are rather finicky about folks like us.”

“They also can’t get my nose right…”

“Even so, you must give the artist credit for their… creative liberties.”

“‘Creative liberties’ my bloody tail…” the wolf grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away.

The bat chuckled, and soon a few members were joining in. Tom was surprised by the sudden shift in the atmosphere. One joke was all it took to lighten the tense mood. It reminded him of-

“What’s going on out here?”

Everyone -Tom included- turned to see a black hedgehog marching along the deck. Crimson stripes decorated their curved quills, as well as the left eye. The right one was covered by an eyepatch. Their attire was the fanciest of the whole bunch, complete with a sword and pistol at their sides.

This must be the captain, Tom guessed.

The wolf huffed as he turned to address the new arrival.

“Piece of driftwood from Soleanna.”

A single eyebrow rose. With a nod, the captain stepped forward. The bat stood up to meet his eye level. She gave him a sly grin.

“About time you showed up,” she quipped.

“Move.”

“As you wish.”

The bat did a quick bow and stepped to the side. Tom flinched as crimson locked onto his soft blue. He did not want to believe that anyone could have such an intense glare; not even his superiors could look this intimidating!

“Name?”

“This one’s tight lipped sadly,” the bat sighed.

“Hm.”

The wolf narrowed his eyes.

“What do we do with him, cap?”

Tom braced for the worst. He’s heard horror stories of soldiers killed by the hands of pirates. Some were killed quickly, some were broken. Humiliated before the pirates granted them the final blow. Based on the intense way this hedgehog was looking at him, Tom feared that he might be in for the latter.

A few beats passed between the two. Tom still refused to say anything; whether that was from loyalty to the crown or that damn scary look, the man couldn’t say.

Suddenly, the captain turned and called over his shoulder.

“Hedgehog! Where are you?”

“Coming! Coming!”

Tom felt his heart drop down to his chest. His blood froze until it was nothing more than jagged streams of ice.

That voice…

…That… That couldn’t be…

But it was.

Light footsteps scrambled through the parting crowd and slid to a stop by the captain’s side. Blue fur and emerald eyes blazed in the late afternoon light.

Tom’s throat closed tight.

They had grown a couple inches since he last saw them. Their body was a lot leaner, a little more muscle on the bones, and the quills had been cut to a smaller size. They no longer wore Soleannan green, and the piercing on the right ear was new.

But it was him.

Same cobalt fur shining in the sun. Same lively emerald eyes. Same cheeky grin that could light up even the dreariest of meetings. Same cheerful voice that always found a way to warm his heart.

It was him.

Oh sweet Solaris, please don’t let this be a trick…

Tom didn’t think he could handle this being a trick…

“Sorry!” the hedgehog said, readjusting his bandana, “Was trying to put the maps away for ya. You need a better system for those, by the way.”

He poked the black hedgehog in the side of the head. They glared at him in mild annoyance and growled.

“I do have a system, you just keep messing it up.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Did I hear Gray say something about a castaway from Sol-”

As soon as his eyes connected with Tom’s, the hedgehog froze. His muzzle turned pale and his eyes went wide. So many emotions flashed through his eyes: recognition, fear, love, hope, sadness, pain…

Neither dared to look away. Tom feared that if he so much as blinked, the image of his boy would disappear for good. Or worse, this was indeed a trick, and any moment the illusion would drop.

Silence reigned throughout the deck. The captain glanced at the blue hedgehog, their single eye softening in concern.

“...Sonic…?”

Hot tears poured down Tom’s eyes.

No… Please, please, don’t let this be…

The hedgehog didn’t respond. Their eyes turned misty.

“...Tom…?”

“...Sonic…” Tom choked.

Hot tears blurred his vision. He blinked them away, a wet smile decorating his face.

Sonic’s hand reached out, but he stopped himself. He stepped back and slowly shook his head, fear dominating all other emotions in his eyes. He still hadn’t looked away.

“N-No… No, you’re not… Y-You can’t… You can't be real…”

The wolf tilted one ear and frowned.

“Mate…?”

It broke Tom’s heart to see his boy in such turmoil. Thinking quick, he pulled out from beneath his dampened shirt a custom made medallion. It was a donut, with a bright gold base and rose quartz icing. A pair of obsidian shades rested where the eyes would be while specks of sapphire and ruby acted as glistening sprinkles. On the back, carved into the gold, was the name “Donut Lord” in clear, plain writing.

A special gift from his special boys. The jeweller may have made it, but they were the ones who chose the design. Sonic was the one who spearheaded it. It was the only piece of jewelry Tom ever wore.

Sonic let out a choked gasp the moment he saw the pendant. He walked forward, slowly, cautiously. His hand reached out again. Tom held his free one out. Soft fabric brushed over the man’s skin and he felt himself starting to choke up again.

Sonic’s hand shook. He pounced forward without warning.

“DAD!!”

The hedgehog wrapped his arms tight around Tom’s neck and buried his face into their chest. His body was wracked with sob after sob, his cries echoing across the deck. Salty tears soaked his already damp shirt, but Tom couldn’t bring himself to care. Instead, he simply wrapped his arms tight around his son’s body and held him.

His son.

His son was alive.

He was hugging his son again.

Tears flowed down Tom’s cheeks like twin waterfalls. He let out his own sobs as he rested his head atop Sonic’s. Sonic tried to speak, but everything was incoherent and too broken to make out. Tom just gently shushed him and rubbed circles along his back. The same way he would comfort him after a nightmare. He even repositioned them in his lap like a small child.

He could feel every inch of their soft fur. Every poke of their sharp quills. The ruffled fabric that always got messy from running. This was no trick. His son was alive and sitting in his lap.

“You’re alive,” Tom hiccupped, “My son… You’re alive…!”

At the word “son,” Sonic’s entire body rattled with another hard sob. Tom just held him closer and started rocking back and forth; he didn’t even realize he had started doing it.

“...D-Dad…!” Sonic sobbed, squeezing tight.

“I’m here,” Tom whispered, squeezing back, “I’m right here…!”

“DAD!!”

A second voice cut through the crowd and before either of them knew it, another weight crashed into Tom’s chest. The man looked down and choked at the sight of bright orange fur. Twin tails wrapped around his sides while big, watery sky blue eyes look up.

“Tails! Is that-... By the flame you’ve grown…!”

Tails sniffed. He tried to answer but all that came out was a wet hiccup. Tom rubbed his back in response and planted a kiss on his forehead. He then planted a quick one on Sonic, who simply sniffed in response.

“Father…?”

A third voice. The deepest of the trio. Just as hesitant as Sonic, if not moreso.

Tom dared to look up, blinking the hot water from his eyes to clear his vision. There, standing beside the bat, was an echidna. With bright red fur and amethyst eyes. Eyes that were still just as sharp as the day they met.

Upon seeing Sonic and Tails pressed against the dripping wet man, crying and hugging like the children he remembered them being… they didn’t hesitate. Knuckles wiped his eyes and ran forward.

“FATHER!!”

Tom braced as his oldest crashed into his side. He winced from the impact, the strong arms that wrapped around him the tightest, and the crushing of his ribs. Tom found he did not give a damn how much pain he was in. He simply readjusted his hold so he was hugging all three of his kids.

“My boys… My brave, brave boys…!”

Even with all the tears, a bright, wide smile planted itself on Tom’s face.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles continued to sob, hiccupping and mumbling into the man’s shirt. He hushed them all and rubbed their backs. He whispered into their ears and petted their heads. He held them tight and refused to let go.

That had already happened once.

“You’re alive… By the Flame, you’re all alive!”

Sonic sniffed and looked up, his eyes wet and full of so much love and pain.

“I…! We missed you so much…!”

Tom planted another kiss and touched their forehead with his own.

“I missed you too…!”

A symphony of sniffs and whimpers answered back. Sonic wiped his eyes.

“I-I-I-...! I’m sorry! We… W-We couldn’t…! We can’t-”

Tom hushed him again. He moved his hand to scratch him in the special spot behind the ear.

“You’re alive. You’re here. I’m here. That’s what matters. We can fill in the blanks later.”

Sonic nodded, nuzzling his face into his father’s chest.

Oh how Tom missed having that title.

“Ahem.”

The small group turned around to face the captain. Tom felt a fire burning in his chest. Did this guy kidnap his sons? Force them to become part of the crew? He squeezed them tighter against his body. Adults or not, he was going to protect them with his life; he wasn’t going to fail them twice.

A hand patting his arm gave Tom pause. He glanced down, coming face to face with Sonic’s tearful but reassuring gaze. Tails gave a similar expression, his namesakes wagging slowly while Knuckles gave a slow nod.

Hesitantly, the four pulled apart. Sonic turned to the captain first and held his hand out. The captain looked surprised by the gesture. Then uncertain. Tom watched the silent exchange carefully. There was nothing malicious about the captain’s stance. His eye shifted between Sonic and Tom, right ear giving a single flick.

He stumbled forward when the bat gave him a light push. The captain glared at her for half a second before turning back to Sonic. He kept his eye on their hand as he slowly approached the group.

Tom tensed. The captain stopped just in reach of Sonic’s hand. Sonic smiled. He turned back to the man.

“T-There’s a lot to catch you up on,” the hedgehog sniffed, “but first…”

He turned back to the captain and grabbed his hand. The captain jumped and stumbled forward a step, but didn't pull away.

“Dad? This is Captain Shadow the Hedgehog of The Shooting Star. The fiercest pirate to ever sail the high seas!”

Shadow turned away, a small blush dusting his cheeks.

“...That’s an exaggeration…”

“He’s also my boyfriend!”

Tom blinked.

“...Boy…friend…?”

“You gotta problem with that?” the wolf snarled, suddenly nose to nose with Tom.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tails looked up with a fearful expression. Knuckles narrowed his eyes and squeezed Tom’s shirt.

The man snapped out of his stupor and quickly shook his head.

“...No. No. Just… I really did miss a lot, didn’t I?”

His boys visibly relaxed, and the wolf slowly backed off. Shadow cleared his throat again, and all eyes were back to him.

“It’s late and it’ll be cold,” his eye scanned over Sonic, “Lead him down to your room so Cece can examine him. You three can help her if she needs it.”

“Aye aye, cap!” Sonic and Tails chirped.

Knuckles nodded, trying to wipe his eyes.

Tom was a little taken aback by the interaction, but quickly shook it off. His boys really could make friends with anyone, couldn’t they?

---

Tom had to admit: this might have been one of the nicest ships he has ever been on.

So what if it belonged to pirates?

No rats scurrying around, no mold growing on the walls. The floorboards barely creaked and everything smelled of sandalwood and saltwater, mixed with the occasional floral aromas. It helped to put the man’s mind at ease.

After the introductions were made, the whole crew seemed to relax around Tom’s presence. It probably helped that he didn’t stick around in the open for very long before his boys were dragging him below deck. All three clung to the man’s soaking figure, afraid that if they let go he’d disappear forever.

Sonic’s room was much nicer than he expected. A bit smaller than his old Academy dorm, but still just as nice. Simple too. Furniture wise, all it had was a bed, a clothing chest, and a desk.

Funny, given that he had a whole horde of comics, trinkets, and beanbags before while living with him and Maddie.

The bed was soft and finely ironed. Tom felt bad for soaking it with part of the ocean. Sonic assured him it was fine.

Cece - the ship’s medic- reminded Tom of his wife in some aspects. When in her element, she was focused, efficient, and thorough in her examinations. It only took her about five minutes to locate and treat all the cuts and bruises Tom had acquired from the sea. Unlike Maddie, though, Cece didn’t make much conversation. Or much at all. Tom briefly wondered if that was because of him, or if that was just the type of person that she was.

Not long after the siamese medic left, two other people walked in. One was the white bat, the other was-

“Tom!”

“Amy!?”

Tom laughed in disbelief as the pink hedgehog tackled him into a tight, almost suffocating hug. She cried and sniffed and nuzzled her face into his shoulder. Her hands clung to him like a lifeline.

“I heard you were here!” she croaked, “I almost didn’t believe it…!”

Amy Rose. His sons’ friend from school. She joined around the same time they did, a sweet little girl with a big heart and even bigger temper. Her determination was just as strong as the others.

And just like the others, she disappeared. Presumed dead trying to rescue her friends from a crumbling empire.

Tom felt his eyes water as he hugged the young girl back, rubbing her back in the same soothing manner as his boys.

“Hey Amy,” he whispered, “y-you’ve grown…!”

Amy hiccupped.

Sonic had invited the girl over one weekend for dinner. Tom and Maddie welcomed her with open arms that night, and anytime since. Tom could still remember the amount of times he teased his boy about dating her. He’d get flustered everytime and the man took that as a sign.

…Looking back, perhaps he misinterpreted things.

“I missed you so much!” Amy cried, “how are you?”

“I-I’m doing good,” Tom replied, wiping his eyes, “a little soaked, but-”

A throat being cleared snapped them out of the moment. Tom almost forgot that Amy didn’t walk in alone. The bat stood by the doorframe, a pile of clothes in her arms and a cheeky grin on her face.

“Sorry to ruin this moment. Amy and I figured you didn’t want to walk around in those wet rags, so we brought these.”

She held up the clothes for Tom to see. They were simple: a button up white shirt with brown pants and gold accents. There was even a new set of boots.

“I enchanted these to fit your size. Let me know if they’re too tight.”

“Your the best, Rouge!” Sonic smiled.

The bat, Rouge, laughed as she set the clothes on the edge of the bed.

“Thank you, Blue. Good to know someone appreciates me.”

She purposely eyed Knuckles while saying that. The echidna blushed and glanced away, arms crossed over his chest.

“...I do appreciate you…” he grumbled.

Tom looked between the two and blinked. He glanced at the other three. Tails and Amy snickered. Sonic pointed at the two and formed a heart with his hands.

Well, if that wasn’t a big enough indicator… When did his boys grow up so fast?

Within minutes, Tom was out of his wet rags and breathing in the sweet scent of cotton. The pants were a little baggy, and the sleeves of his shirt a little wide, but otherwise it was all a comfy fit. Even his own boots didn’t feel nearly as nice as the ones he was given.

What are the chances that I get to keep these?

Rouge didn’t stick around for more than a few minutes. She reluctantly had to pull Amy away from the reunion; apparently the captain needed her for something.

“Alright,” she sighed.

She gave Tom one last hug before turning to leave.

“We’ll catch up more at dinner! See you!”

Tom laughed and waved her off. Pretty soon it was just him, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles alone in the room. The moment the girls were gone, the trio wrapped themselves back around their father and held him tight.

Tails won the spot in Tom’s lap while Sonic and Knuckles sat beneath his arms. Three distinct purrs filled his ears as they nuzzled his body. It’d been years since Tom had just sat down and held all three of his kids. They may be grown up. They may be incredibly strong, fast, and clever. They may be more resilient than any other being Tom has ever met.

But at the end of the day, they were still his kids. They were still his sons.

Tom didn’t know how long they just sat there, relishing in each other’s company. Not that he really cared though; he’d stay in this moment forever if he could.

“How’s mom?” Tails asked, looking up, “is she okay? Does she… Does she miss us?”

Tom smiled at his youngest and patted their head.

“Maddie’s doing fine. And of course she does. We both do.”

His vision became foggy as a lump formed in the back of his throat.

“We miss you everyday.”

“You’re not…” Sonic hesitated, his voice wobbly, “You’re not mad?”

“Mad? About what?”

“...About us not coming home. A-About me, a-and…”

He kept his head low, hands squeezing the fabric of Tom’s shirt. At the same time, Tails and Knuckles avoided the man’s gaze.

“It’s my fault I got captured,” Sonic continued, “I tried to save everyone. I tried to be strong but…”

His hands shook. He sniffed, body rattling with tiny sobs.

“I miss you. I miss you and mom and Wade… I miss Ozzie. I miss Uncle Chuck…”

Sonic’s voice broke. Tom squeezed him tighter at the mention of his uncle.

Charles was an old family friend. He showed Tom the ropes as he climbed the ranks in the military. He was patient and kind, firm and strong. Tom owed much to the old hedgehog. It was through him that the man was even able to meet Sonic and Tails. Knuckles followed suit, and before he and Maddie knew it, they were being called “Mom” and “Dad.” Charles was over the moon at the milestone.

The news of his death hit hard. He was determined to go after his nephews, even against the queen’s orders. Tom wished he had the nerve to join him back then. Maybe…

“...Are you mad we didn’t come home?”

Tails’ quiet voice cut through Tom’s thoughts. He looked down at the young boy and wiped away his tears.

“...No,” Tom finally said, “but… if it’s alright, why didn’t you?”

All three boys pulled away and shared an uneasy glance. A silent conversation passed between them, something Tom was always confused and fascinated by. How could these three always know what the other was thinking with just one stare?

At last, Sonic turned back to him.

“...Promise you won’t tell.”

“I promise.”

“I mean it Dad. You can’t tell anyone. Not even the queen.”

The mention of their queen took Tom by surprise. He studied their expressions more closely, noting the tense furrowing of their eyebrows, the nervous shine in all their gazes. He took a deep breath.

“I promise.”

Knuckles held his fist out.

“Power-bump it.”

Tom smirked at the old gesture and held his fist out. Sonic and Tails quickly followed suit.

The blue hedgehog gulped and wrung his hands.

“Okay, uh… I know this is all gonna sound weird and crazy, and I know you hate pirates, but please just bear with me.”

Tom winced at the comment about his opinion on pirates. Just by their wardrobe he could tell his kids had switched to the life of one. And with the way their eyes darted around, carefully avoiding eye contact with him at times…

Okay, maybe Maddie had a point about keeping such conversations away from the dinner table.

“Hey.”

Tom reached down and rubbed the top of Sonic’s head. The hedgehog looked up, confused.

“Whatever you need to tell me, go ahead. I’ll listen.”

He had to push his own biases aside. It’s clear that a lot has happened in the last five years, and his boys have changed quite a bit. Tom didn’t know how much of them had changed, but if the revelations about Sonic and Knuckles were anything to go by… He needed the full story. All of it. And he couldn’t afford to let his opinions cloud the facts; whatever those facts turn out to be.

Sonic smiled and leaned further into the man’s touch. After a moment, he pulled away and took a deep breath.

“So… that morning, when Queen Elise sent us on that mission…”

---

Tom stood at the bottom of the gangplank. He was back in Soleanna, dressed in his newly washed and pressed clothes from his swimming trip. The sun had barely risen over the horizon; it would be at least another fifteen minutes before businesses started to open.

Which meant that no one was around to see the man descending from the docked pirate ship.

Tom turned around to face his kids. His tense, anxious kids, who may be grown-ups now but would always be his kids at heart. He knelt down.

“Guess this is where we say goodbye.”

“Yeah,” Sonic murmured, “I guess so.”

Though he managed to keep his voice steady, Tom felt on the verge of breaking down. He just got his kids back, just found out they were alive and growing and thriving in a new world… but now they had to leave again.

They couldn’t stay in Soleanna. The kingdom had a strict policy about magic, something Tom was not oblivious to, and they held some extreme prejudice against certain types. There were even rumors of the Duke conducting experiments on magic wielders in the past, to find a way to replicate that in non-magic holders. That was why not a lot of mages or sorcerers lived in the kingdom anymore.

Queen Elise may be a kind ruler, but she was sadly at the mercy of her peoples’ very vocal opinions. Specifically, the opinions of those within her royal court. Tom was not afraid to say that he despised half of them.

Combine that with the whole pirate thing -which would only fuel the rumors of his kids turning traitors- and that was a political debacle NO ONE wanted to be a part of.

Tails ran forward and hugged the man tight.

“We’ll miss you,” he whispered.

Tom let the tears fall and hugged him back.

“I’ll miss you too.”

Sonic, Knuckles, and Amy ran in next, wrapping their arms around Tom and purring into his shirt.

“Make good choices for your mom and I,” Tom whispered, “okay?”

Sonic chuckled wetly. He leaned back and wiped his own eyes.

“Been doing good so far,” he sniffed again, “tell mom we said ‘hi.’ And that we miss her.”

“I will.”

“Give Ozzie a belly rub for each of us,” Amy added softly.

Tom smirked.

“Belly rubs for Ozzie, hugs and kisses for mom.”

“And let Uncle Wade know we’re alright,” Knuckles added, “I better not hear about him slacking.”

Tom laughed, leaning forward to ruffle the head of his oldest.

“I’ll be sure to tell him.”

The five came together for one last, tight hug. Purrs filled Tom’s ears, melting his breaking heart until it turned to mush.

“A-All of you stay safe. Look out for each other. I love you all.”

“We love you too, Dad,” Tails whispered.

The rest of his kids purred louder in response, holding onto him just a little tighter. Tom returned the gesture, giving them all one last, tight squeeze and kiss on their heads before reluctantly letting them go.

Kisses were usually Maddie’s thing, but screw his manhood, these were his kids!

Tom looked over Sonic’s shoulder to see Shadow and Rouge standing a few paces away. The man stood up and walked towards them. Rouge flicked an ear curiously while Shadow went rigid as he approached.

“Captain Shadow.”

“Captain Wachowski,” Shadow said curtly.

Tom smirked at the courtesy. He had his reservations about the pirate before, but after seeing the way he treated Sonic, and how Sonic talked about him, he knew his mind could rest at ease.

He knelt down again, much to the two’s surprise.

“Look after them,” he whispered, “keep them safe.”

Shadow's eye widened briefly before he managed to school his features again. He relaxed his shoulders and nodded resolutely.

“You have my word.”

“And call me Tom.”

“...Very well… Tom.”

Tom held his fist out. Shadow stared at it, confused, before reluctantly holding out his own. Their knuckles lightly bumped against each other.

With a warm smile, Tom stood and gave the captain a salute. Shadow smiled and saluted him back. Rouge playfully followed suit.

“Red’s in good hands,” she said.

Tom chuckled.

“He’d better be,” he then looked over his shoulder at his blushing son, “treat her well Knuckles.”

Knuckles bumped his fist against his chest twice in response.

Tom walked past the group and down the bridge. He looked at his kids one last time, watching the rising sun shine directly on all their fur, casting them in a stunning, magical glow.

Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy stood tall and saluted him. Exactly how they did back in the Academy. Back in the militia.

Tom smiled and saluted back. Then, he turned and walked away. It felt bittersweet departing from his kids, but he knew they’d be fine. They were tough. They were resilient. They were Wachowskis.

That last thought brought a unique kind of comfort and sadness to Tom’s chest as he carried on. And again when he peeked over his shoulder and saw an empty harbor.

Notes:

HOW DO THESE KEEP GETTING SO LONG!?

 

I wrote this in honor of the Sonic movie franchise and did not completely proofread it because it's long and I'm tired of working on it.

This one's been in my docs for a while. Finally finished it due to prcrastination from schoolwork and because I read another Sonadow pirate story that involved an evil Tom, and as interesting of a concept as that is, my heart couldn't take it. And it would not be satisifed until I fully wrote this dumb thing out and finally plopped Thomas into my Cerulean Seas AU. Other fanfics really can be great motivators!

Chapter 20: Drunk

Cape Cod ships ain’t got no sails,

Heave away, haul away!

They was all blown off in the Nor’east gales.

And we’re bound away for Australia!

Sonic hiccuped and swayed as he sang. A half empty wine bottle sat in his hand, the remaining contents sloshing with each unsteady move he made.

Heave her up me bully, bully boys.

Heave away, haul away!

Heave her up and don’t ye make no noise,

And we’re bound for Australia!

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Shadow marched over and swiped the bottle away before Sonic could drop it.

“You’re far past your limit.”

“Ahhh c’moooon…!” Sonic pouted, reaching for the bottle, “‘M not finished yet…!”

Shadow effortlessly held him back with one hand to the forehead. He used his other to place the bottle on a nearby barrel before scooping the drunken first mate into his arms.

“You don’t need more alcohol. You need sleep.”

“‘M not tired…” Sonic slurred.

“Sure you aren’t.”

Sonic mumbled grumpily, but didn’t protest further as Shadow carried him back to his quarters.

Rouge watched them go with an amused grin.

Blue may be a pirate, but he is TERRIBLE at holding his liquor!

Her eyes trailed around the deck to the few crew members still awake, swaying and singing drunken sea shanties into the sky. Leading the charge was Gray, downing another pint of ale before strumming his VERY out of tune guitar.

Rouge laughed.

I guess he’s not the only one…

As if to further prove the bat’s point, Knuckles hobbled over to her spot and crashed face-first onto the deck floor.

Rouge swallowed down a fit of giggles with a large swig of her glass before sauntering over. She knelt down and gently knocked on the side of the echidna’s head.

“You alright there, Red?”

Knuckles groaned in response.

Rouge snickered behind her hand.

“I guess Soleannans aren’t heavy drinkers, huh?”

“...Leave me to die…”

“Sorry dear. Not my style.”

Rouge looked around the deck again. Anyone who was still left standing looked ready to fall over. Amy had clocked out an hour ago, and Gretta and Tails were already in bed. Shadow was going to be tending to Sonic all through the night, and Omega was too busy laughing over everybody’s state.

Which only left one option.

With a long, bemoaned sigh, Rouge grabbed Knuckles by the arm and hauled him to his feet.

“Alright Red…!” she strained, “Come on…!”

Knuckles hiccupped as he leaned his full weight onto Rouge’s side. She winced.

Sheesh, maybe those comments about him being “one million percent muscle” weren’t an exaggeration after all.

“Work with me here, hun!” she grunted, “you know I’m not a weightlifter!”

“...Thought lifting was my job…”

“Oh great, so you are still lucid. Sort of…”

“‘M NOT looney…!” Knuckles whined.

Rouge rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t say- oh nevermind.”

After a slow, dangerous trek down the stairs that nearly ended with Rouge breaking all her ribs twice, she finally dragged the echidna into his room.

“Okay!” she huffed, “Here we are…!”

Knuckles finally decided to use his feet and limped his way over to his bed. He fell face first onto the pillow. Rouge groaned and knelt down to swing both his legs over. She grabbed a spare blanket hanging on top of his clothing trunk and draped it over the echidna’s back. Assuring he was covered all the way up to his neck, Rouge stretched out her back until she heard it pop.

“And this is why I leave the heavy lifting to you and Shadow…” she hissed.

“...’M not heavy…” Knuckles muttered into the pillow.

“Sure you aren’t hun.”

“Y’er the heavy one-”

“And that’s my cue to leave,” Rouge proclaimed, turning from the bed to the door, “have fun with that hangover, hun.”

“W-WAIT!”

Knuckles frantically reached out for Rouge’s hand, half his body almost falling off the bed in the process. Rouge jumped, turning back to the echidna in surprise. His grip on her hand was strong, tight even, but she could feel him trembling. His eyes were wide and pleading, desperation crashing through the cloud of alcohol.

It wasn’t a look Rouge had ever seen on him.

“...S-Stay. Please.”

She’d never heard his voice sound so small and raw either. Was this the alcohol talking? Maybe, but…

Rouge sighed quietly and padded back to the edge of the bed. She sat down, readjusting the blanket, and rubbed the top of Knuckles’ hand.

“...Alright.”

Knuckles sniffed and laid back down on the pillow.

“...Sorry. I don’t wanna be alone tonight.”

“That’s alright, hun. I didn’t think all that ale would make you a sad drunk.”

Rouge chuckled fondly. With her other free hand she started stroking Knuckles’ dreadlocks.

Knuckles sniffed again.

“...I don’t like sleeping alone some nights…”

The bat paused mid stroke. She eyed the drunk echidna curiously.

“...Is that so?”

Knuckles mumbled into his pillow and nodded.

“Sonic’s lucky… he’s got a boyfriend for a roommate. Tails and Gretta are happy bunkin’ together. Amy and Trip are happy. And then there’s me.”

“...I thought you liked having your space.”

“I do,” Knuckles admitted, “but not all the time. Gets lonely on a ship…”

Rouge continued stroking his dreadlocks and just nodded. She didn’t take Knuckles for the type of person to be lonely. He didn’t seem lonely on the ship; he and Gray got along great, and he had his childhood friends. Him and Shadow could be a little rocky sometimes, but there was a glimmer of respect there. The crew liked him, and he liked the crew.

But… if Sonic and Shadow had taught Rouge anything… if her old life had taught her anything… it’s that even if you’re surrounded by tons of people, you can still feel lonely. You can feel like you’re the only person in the world.

How long had Knuckles been feeling like this? Did he always feel this way? Or was the alcohol messing with his brain?

Honestly, Rouge didn’t know. For all she knew, it could’ve been all of the above.

Regardless, the bat sighed and planted a small kiss on the side of Knuckles’ head. Knuckles paused and glanced over his shoulder.

“Knuckles,” Rouge began, “if you ever feel like you’re alone, that the whole world’s shutting you out… know that I’ll always be by your side. Remember that.”

“...Promise…?” Knuckles croaked.

Rouge smiled.

“I promise. Anytime you feel lonely, just come to me. We can talk or you can just stand around like the big, strong man that you are. Okay?”

“...Okay.”

Rouge leaned down and kissed him again. Knuckles purred and scooched to the side. He lifted part of the blanket and looked at the bat expectantly. Rouge chuckled softly in surprise and crawled in. She wrapped an arm around the echidna and closed her eyes.

“Hey. Rouge?”

“Yes dear?”

“I love you. Y’know that?”

Rouge’s eyes shot open in surprise. Knuckles was looking at her with a tired, gentle gaze that almost glowed in the dark.

She smiled.

“I love you too, Red.”

The next morning, after recovering from an intense hangover and showing that he didn't remember a single thing about last night, Rouge told Knuckles everything she said again.

And whenever Knuckles sought the bat out and just kept close to her side, she didn’t complain. All she did was smile and continue working.

Notes:

Hope Knuckles isn't too out of character here; then again he's drunk, sooooooo...

Even if it's an AU, I try to stay true to the characters as much as I can. Sometimes I take some creative liberties.

Chapter 21: Imprisoned

Summary:

Shoutout to commenter Brini from chapter 12. The story for this one is loosely based on their suggestion. Thanks!

“Gagh…!”

Sonic hissed as he readjusted the position of his left leg. The once blue fur was now stained an ugly shade of crimson. Two gashes had been sliced into either side of his calf. His knee throbbed from being forcefully dislocated and then relocated by an amateur. His ankle stung from the metal cuff slowly digging its way through the layers of skin.

It wasn’t just his leg that had suffered. A good chunk of his quills had been ripped out, leaving the back of his head exposed and pulsating with pain. Both wrists were sore from the cuffs tightly wrapped around them, chaining him to the floor. His back burned from the scalding water one of the guards had poured on him. His ribs ached from the swift dozen knee kicks he had received. His stomach, raw with hunger and acid that had been poured down and forced back up, whined. Whether it was from pain or hunger, Sonic couldn't say.

The hedgehog groaned as he leaned back against the wall. Needles of pain shot up and down his back, but he did his best to ignore them. Instead he looked across his cell at the unconscious forms of a green tenrec and blue fennec fox. The fox was curled up in the tenrec’s lap, their arms instinctively wrapped around each other. They weren’t in as bad shape as him, but they were incredibly skinny. Their fur was matted, cuts running along their fur in criss-crossing patterns.

On the wall adjacent to his left slept a small, white dog in blue rags. She whimpered in her sleep, the chains clinking with each bit of movement.

For someone so small to be in a situation like this…

Slowly, Sonic leaned his head back. Nothing to do now but rest and wait.

“You really are an idiot, you know that?”

Sonic jolted awake. He looked down to see a familiar purple winged cat sitting to his right. Her body was transparent, but he could clearly make out the crossed forearms over the chest and the scathing look on her face.

“...R-Raven…?”

Sonic tried to sit up straighter and nearly collapsed as a result. For a second he thought he caught a glimpse of worry in the cat’s eyes, but it was gone in a blink. He bit back a wince and pulled himself off the wall.

“H-How…?”

“Turns out your body has enough Chaos Energy for us to show up,” Raven shrugged flatly, “Why that is is beyond me.”

She stood on her hind legs, her face meeting Sonic’s eye level. Her muzzle curved into a deep scowl.

“Why you also decided to get captured by a slave ship and tortured for four days on end is also beyond me.”

Sonic blinked in surprise.

“How did you-?”

“Been watching you,” Raven replied sharply, “through the waterways and as a ghost. Wanted to make sure you were actually keeping your word.”

Sonic smirked wryly.

“Still don’t trust me, huh?”

“Not even close.”

“Suit yourself,” Sonic shrugged weakly, “I’ll change your mind soon though.”

“Not if you’re dead you won’t,” Raven spat.

Her tail lashed the air as she pinched the bridge between her eyes.

“Honestly, what the fuck are you trying to prove here? That you can take over a hundred hits before dropping dead? You pirates may call that ‘being tough’ but I call it ‘being stupid.’”

Raven’s wings flared out, tiny sparks dancing across the feathers, down her fur, and across her eyes. She paused and took a deep breath.

“How you survived past childhood is fucking beyond me…”

Sonic couldn’t help but chuckle. He winced between each breath thanks to his ribs.

“...Didn’t think you cared so much.”

“Who said I did?”

Raven looked at the hedgehog with a harsh glare. Sonic shrugged, unfazed by the cold tone.

“Well, if you didn’t, you wouldn’t be scolding me for being an idiot right now.”

“That’s because there aren’t nearly enough words in the English language to describe your brand of idiocy. Seriously, what the fuck was the point of all this?!”

Raven gestured with a ghostly arm to the other occupants in the cells around him. Sonic briefly glanced at them all and shrugged again with a smile.

“Had to find some way to save these people. Figured getting kidnapped was the best option.”

“You’ve been getting thrown around like a fucking ragdoll by a buncha brutes with no dicks.”

Sonic laughed in surprise. He immediately regretted it when his body ached with pain. He gritted his teeth and took deep breaths, waiting for it all to subside.

“Better me than them,” he rasped, looking at the tenrec and fox across the way.

Raven followed his gaze. She flicked an ear before turning back to him.

“...You’ve been putting your neck on the line to help a group of slaves you know nothing about.”

“Yep.”

“...Why?”

“Because,” Sonic smirked, “It’s the right thing to do. I may be a pirate, but I’m no monster. I won’t just sit back and watch people get hurt. Not when I could help.”

Raven studied the hedgehog up and down for a moment. Her ear twitched when the dog let out a whine, and again when the tenrec whimpered in her sleep.

“And what if these guys didn’t want your help?” she asked skeptically.

Sonic shrugged again.

“Sometimes people who need help the most don’t ask for it.”

“So what?” Raven scoffed, “You help ‘em just to make yourself feel better or something? To get praised for being a good little samaritan?”

Sonic shook his head.

“It’s never about the praise. I’m just gonna do what I’m gonna do. That’s all.”

That gave Raven pause. She sat there, studying the hedgehog’s face for several minutes. Thousands of emotions flashed through her eyes, each of them fleeting and quicker than Sonic could track. She blinked.

“...You are either the dumbest person I have ever met… or the purest.”

Sonic chuckled in amusement. He winced again at the feeling of his ribs, back, and leg wanting to explode.

“Heh… y’know, you remind me of Shadow.”

“Shadow?” Raven echoed, tilting her head.

“My captain,” Sonic explained, ignoring the cute little quirk all the siblings seemed to have, “You kinda remind me of him. It… It’s nice to hear.”

“...You like hearing me scold the hell outta you?”

Sonic shrugged helplessly. What could he say? Shadow had an odd way of being comforting in tough situations.

“You just might be the oddest and dumbest person I have ever met,” Raven huffed, and if Sonic didn’t know any better, he thought she sounded amused.

“I’m sure there’s people out there who are way dumber than me.”

“Oh there are,” Raven snorted, “you just so happen to be one of the dumber ones.”

The she-cat’s muzzle curved up at the corners ever so slightly in a tiny, tiny smirk. As quickly as it came, it was gone. With a deep sigh, Raven padded over to Sonic’s side and laid down. She draped her tail and wing over the hedgehog’s lap.

Sonic blinked at the furry lump in surprise. He couldn’t feel the warmth of her body, but he could feel the weight of it against his thigh.

“...Just… Don’t die on us, alright? You’ve got people waiting for you.”

Sonic smiled. Despite the pesky cuffs, he maneuvered his arm to rest on top of Raven’s back. He felt the she-cat flinch and go completely stiff. His hands started stroking their way through her ghostly fur. It felt like he was barely interacting with a solid surface, something that was supposed to be soft, but lacking the proper rules and properties of reality to do so. His fingers worked through it regardless.

“Don’t worry,” he whispered, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Raven didn’t respond. Her body just relaxed as she buried her head into Sonic’s side.

Sonic didn’t know how long they stayed like that. He must have dozed off at some point, because the next thing he knew a plate of slop was being thrown at his feet. He heard the fennec squeak across the way and scurry closer to their snarling companion.

“Eat up rats,” the guard sneered, “last meal of the trip. Y’er new master’s waiting fer you.”

With a slam of the metal doors, the guard laughed and marched away. Some of the slaves groggily made their way over to the tasteless grub and started eating. Sonic didn’t have the strength to move and grab his, so he stayed where he was.

When he looked down he was surprised to find Raven was gone.

“Raven?”

He looked around, his head aching from the movement. No ghostly cats in sight. Not even a trace of purple crawling around the cell.

“Raven?”

“Who the fuck are you talking to, hedgehog?”

Sonic glanced up and locked eyes with the tenrec girl. She was rubbing the back of her shaky companion while glaring daggers through the bars.

“There’s no ‘Raven’ here. If you’re gonna just be spitting out bullshit, shove that slop in your face so I don’t have to hear it.”

“Well, morning to you too, sunshine.”

The tenrec snarled.

“I wish they ripped out your tongue.”

“Don’t think my cap will appreciate that,” Sonic chuckled.

“Your cap ain’t comin for ya. Nobody is. The sooner you get that through your thick skull, the better.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

The tenrec snarled again and bared her fangs.

“Are you that optimistic or that stupid? Look around! No one’s comin’ for us! No one even knows we’re here!”

Sonic chuckled weakly. The action sent waves of burning, stinging pain throughout his body, but he couldn’t help himself.

“The hell are you laughin about?” the tenrec demanded.

Without a word, Sonic slowly held up his right wrist. He moved his other hand around the metal clasp and pulled back the cuff of his glove. Sitting snugly around his wrist, blinking in a silent, rhythmic pattern, was a small device.

At the same time he revealed the device, commotion rang out from the deck. The tenrec and fennec were the first to jump. They stared at the ceiling in surprise, flinching from the sounds of gunshot, swords, screams, and heavy boots. Bodies fell and barrels were toppled over. Metal sung as it sliced through wood and flesh.

By now, all the slaves had woken up and were staring up in fear of the noise. The tenrec looked back at the weakly grinning Sonic. Her expression had gone from anger to weariness.

“...W-What-...?”

Sonic sat up a little straighter, hissing from the pain in his back and leg.

“Not my first time being taken by an enemy.”

A door burst open as boots ran down the stairs. Emerging in the hallway were a yellow fox, a white bat, and a black hedgehog. Their eyes trailed around the cells before locking with Sonic’s.

“SONIC!”

A wave of relief washed over the hedgehog.

“Hey guys,” he wheezed, “took you long enough.”

---

Sonic hissed as he felt the tissue on his back regenerating and stitching itself back together. The burning wasn’t as bad as before, but it was still painful. Even with all the thick layers of gauze covering him.

“Ngh-...!”

“Hold still,” Shadow whispered, “almost done.”

As promised, the pain finally subsided after a few minutes. Sonic breathed a sigh of relief as Shadow removed his hand.

“How do you feel?”

“...Tired…” Sonic admitted, “sore.”

Shadow nodded. He gently turned the hedgehog around and moved him into his lap. He pressed his forehead against theirs and sighed.

“You are NEVER doing that again.”

“I’ve been through worse,” Sonic countered half-heartedly.

Shadow held him closer. His hands shook.

“Doesn’t matter. If those bastards had-”

“Hey.”

Sonic reached up and held the sides of his captain’s face. He looked into their torn, fearful eyes and smiled.

“I’m here. I’m alive. You guys got me out before things really got bad. And thanks to us, those slaves have a second chance.”

Shadow took a shaky breath and laid his hands over Sonic’s.

“Just… promise me you won’t pull this kind of stunt again.”

“I promise.”

Shadow let out another sigh and held his first mate tight. Sonic melted into his hold. Biting back the pain in his leg, he curled up in the captain’s lap and purred shakily. When he closed his eyes, he saw images of those slaves getting beaten. Of one getting thrown overboard with a knife in their chest. A thick, heavy boot smashing his leg. Hot, scalding water being poured onto his back while his limbs were tightly bound. Spiked whips slashing through his skin.

“...If I’m being honest…” Sonic murmured, “it was kinda scary.”

“I know. I know.”

He shook as Shadow began rocking him back and forth. He buried his head into their fluffy chest fur, reveling in its warmth and the scent of lavender that filled his nose.

Shadow kissed the top of Sonic’s forehead.

“But you’re safe now. And those bastards won’t ever touch you again.”

Sonic briefly glanced out the window, watching the faint trail of smoke trailing up towards the sky. They were too far out to see the wreckage of the ship, but Sonic could still see it in his mind. The way it exploded in a collection of ash and wood, swallowing up the bodies slayed on the deck. Anyone who had miraculously survived was dropped onto a small patch of land just over an hour ago.

Sonic didn’t like how much blood had to be spilled. At the same time, though, he was glad those idiots wouldn’t be hurting anyone else anytime soon.

Exhaustion started to creep in as Sonic snuggled back into Shadow’s chest.

“...Thank you.”

Shadow purred back in response and held him close.

---

It was well past midnight when Raven appeared in the captain’s quarters. She sat on the top of the chair, watching the two sleeping hedgehogs snuggling one another. The moonlight through the window bathed them in a pale glow.

A pale glow that highlighted just how much of Sonic’s body was covered in bandages. The dark bags that sat under both pirates’ eyes. The way they held each other as though afraid the other would be ripped away any second.

Raven didn’t acknowledge the heavy knot in her gut. Or the bittersweet pang of her heart that shouldn’t be beating it’snotit’snotit’snot-

She shook her head. With a sigh, Raven jumped off the chair and laid down on the captain’s desk. She kept her paws tucked beneath her and positioned her body to face the bed. She noted the raspy, slightly uneven breathing of Sonic, the twitching of his fingers and the way his face pressed further into Shadow’s chest.

He risked everything to help a bunch of strangers. He let those jerks spill his blood so theirs wouldn’t be. He let himself get pummeled into the ground just so the rest of them wouldn’t have to deal with a black eye. He almost got killed just to help two runaways he barely knew. Two runaways who were now sleeping in a bed for the first time in years.

And his crew… they didn’t abandon him the moment he was swept away. They tailed that ship for days. They worried themselves into the ground over their crewmate. They killed and attacked that crew with no remorse. Sunk their ship. Took in those slaves.

Raven felt a headache coming on. She just couldn’t make sense of this crew. Or this blue hedgehog sleeping before her.

This blue hedgehog who is so damn insistent on helping her siblings… on helping her…

This blue hedgehog, who banters with her like it’s the most natural thing in the world. Who doesn’t even bat an eye at her death threats. Who talks to her like an actual PERSON and strokes her and falls asleep next to her because he’s so damn comfortable with her around…

Raven scowled and shook her head again.

“...It’s official,” she whispered, glaring at Sonic beneath the moonlight, “you are the dumbest, craziest fucking person I have ever met.”

Chapter 22: Message in a Bottle

Can you hear me?

Do you still hear my voice?

It echoes back at me

“Why did you make that choice?”

You surround me

And your memory is clouded

By all things dark

I can't feel you there

You'll never leave me

I swear

It's just a nightmare

That won't end

So I pretend

That I'll see you again

And that I'll save you

From all the things I failed to

Now I'm without you

I can't forgive the wrongs I've done you

'Cause now you're gone forever

I remember

How bright you shined on your own

Yet I remain alone

Sonic had to refrain from accidentally crumpling the old sheet of paper in his hands. Hot tears stung at the corners of his eyes the longer he stared at the beautifully crafted words.

He hadn’t meant to read it. He was just perusing Shadow’s book selection when he accidentally knocked over the bottle. He was going to clean it up when he noticed the rolled up parchment it held.

Then he made the mistake of opening it.

And then reading it.

It didn’t take him long to figure out who the poem was referring to. There was only one person Shadow felt such a deep connection with… One person he felt guilty over not being able to save…

Sonic wiped his eyes. He never should’ve read this. He shouldn’t even be touching it right now.

The hedgehog gently rolled the paper back up and placed it back into its bottle. The glass hadn’t broken, thank Solaris, but it did now sport a nasty crack on the side.

I’ll ask Cookie if we have any more empty wine bottles. Get one ready in case Shadow finds out about this.

It was the least he could do.

He could also dedicate the rest of his day to forgetting he ever looked at this.

---

That evening, Shadow was finishing up some late night paperwork. He yawned and put down some final words before getting up and stretching his stiff arms. He promised Rouge he would stop pulling all-nighters like this. So to avoid the bat’s wrath (and the fact that Omega was most likely spying on him), Shadow put away his papers and moved to get ready for bed.

As he removed his eyepatch, he spotted something peculiar on his shelf.

It was the bottle. His bottle. But it was out of place.

Strange.

Shadow walked over to the shelf and pulled the item down. He examined it under the moonlight, pausing at the rather large crack the bottle now sported. He frowned.

Why did this have Sonic written all over it?

Before he could explore that thought further, he caught sight of the parchment hidden within the glass. He pulled it out.

He hadn’t read these words in years. Everytime he did, he’d think of… her.

“Wow Shadow! Your handwriting is amazing! Teach me! Teach me!”

“See that? That one’s called the Big Dipper. I like to call it the Big Soup Spoon! It makes grandpa laugh!”

“That’s the North Star. It’s my favorite star in the sky! Grandpa says it helps us find our way back home. As long as we follow it, we’ll never get lost! Isn’t that neat?”

“Did you know that some stars take thousands of years to reach our planet? I didn’t! Grandpa says that by the time they do, they might not even exist anymore!”

“You’ll make a great captain someday, Shadow! I just know it!”

“See? I knew you could do it! You showed him!”

“I’m happy we got to meet each other, Shadow. You know, I’ve always wanted a brother!”

“Shadow, RUN!”

“I love you, Shadow. I’ll always, always love you. Even when we’re worlds apart, just hold me in your heart.”

Shadow didn’t realize when he had started crying. Or when he had curled up on the floor, clutching the old parchment close to his chest.

It should’ve been him that night… It should’ve been him that was shot. It should’ve been him that Black Doom punished.

He wished they never met. He wished he never snuck aboard that stupid ship that night. Then she'd still be alive…

But deep down, Shadow knew that was the last thing he ever wanted. No matter how much it hurt, he could never forget the face of the first person who ever loved him.

Because in truth, just like how Maria had always wanted a brother, Shadow had always wanted a sister.

Notes:

Raise your hand if you watched Dark Beginnings and cried at the end. I KNOW I'm not the only one.

Turns out putting a message in a bottle doesn't just have to be a distress call. It can also be used for romantic or poetic purposes. The things our society comes up with will never cease to amaze me...

Chapter 23: Marooned and Plunder

Notes:

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual harassment is implied. Very little, nothing extreme, but you have been warned.

Today was a good day. A glorious one, even.

Breezie smiled as she gazed upon her new quarters aboard her newly acquired vessel. The Babylon Garden truly was a sight to behold. A marvel of ingenuity with a dash of magic thrown in. For being the property of no-good thieves, the ship itself was surprisingly well kept. Barely even a speck of dirt could be found on the floorboards.

She’ll give the Babylon Rogues credit for one thing: they were as efficient at cleaning their own ship as they were robbing others.

Too bad they weren’t so good at sniffing out mutinies.

Captain Jet the Hawk was everything Breezie thought him to be: brazen, cocky, arrogant, and not really caring to listen to the opinions of others. Qualities such as those were prime for earning enemies, especially amongst his own crewmates. The only two who constantly kept to his side were that bumbling albatross and that long-feathered bitch. While Breezie applauded the girl’s intellect, her stubbornness and unreasonable support for Jet left a lot to be desired.

It was almost laughable how easy it was to turn practically the whole ship against their own captain. A few whispers here. A little gossip there. So what if some of it wasn’t true? They would believe anything Breezie said. And they’d do anything she asked.

Of course, such loyalty didn’t just spawn overnight. Breezie worked hard to earn this crew’s trust. She got good deals on high quality products from merchants. She recommended places where some of the rowdier crew members could have a good time. While Jet and his two cronies were off galavanting for rare treasures in temples, Breezie was the one who ran the ship. She assigned the tasks, divided up the treasures, and managed the money. She offered the crew reassurance when the hollow words of their captain were not enough.

Before long, they were all swearing loyalty to her.

Being a pirate wasn’t all that bad to be honest. Though nothing could ever beat being surrounded by silks and velvets or being waited on hand and foot. At least in Breezie’s opinion. Still, she played with the cards she was dealt. It may not get her back in the royal court, but it would get her into a more comfortable life on the sea.

And the first step to doing that was finding a crew of foot servants that she could use to climb the ranks.

For you see, Breezie was as cunning as she was ambitious. She wanted money, power, luxury, but most of all: she wanted to be valuable. She wanted to be seen as valued. She wanted to be the most precious, priceless gem on the high seas. And no position amongst even the dirtiest of sea rapscallions provided that but the position of Pirate Queen.

While such a title had always belonged to the Sol Empire’s royal family, there wasn’t any rule that said no one else could take such a position. Someone who was capable, cunning, and regal enough to manage both an entire nation, and the chaotic organization that was the pirates.

In her mind, Breezie met all these qualifications. She was cunning, calculated thanks to years of being in court and working at a casino. She was capable of managing a large team of individuals, putting their skills to good use that would benefit the House (and her). But most importantly: Breezie was regal. Moreso than any other royal monarch time had ever seen. She also had experience being in a royal court; a skill that helped her even to this day.

The Gods had gifted Breezie a rather unique figure with rather unique coloring. Seafoam green with dark blue, purple tinted pearls for eyes. A height that was taller than most, granting Breezie the ability to look down on her subjects, and for them to look up. She used those features and her charm to persuade deals to go her way. No man or woman could resist her offer, regardless of the content, the moment she batted her eyelashes and poured them a drink of her sweet, sweet words.

When it came to running the House, Breezie was always on top. Crowning herself queen of the pirates would be no different.

However, in order to achieve such a large, ambitious goal, it was best to start small. First, Breezie needed a crew. One that was completely devoted to her and willing to do whatever dirty work she commanded. Luckily, Jet’s motley crew fit that bill perfectly. The same could not be said for the captain himself, though.

Breezie chuckled at the memory. After the mutiny, she had those three birdbrains dropped off on the closest desert island. Marooned, humiliated, and crew-less; a fate very befitting of a pirate such as Jet. His cronies would face the consequences of defying her right alongside him.

Now that the obstacles were taken care of, all Breezie had to do was play the long game. Continue expanding their treasury. Snuff out any and all competition. Grow her empire until not even the Pirate Queen herself could deny her unwavering influence. Dethroning them would be a tricky game of political matters, but Breezie was confident that she could do it. After all, she clawed her way up from the dumps. She climbed that social ladder, building a network of contacts and partners that she could exploit whenever she wished. She thrived under the Eggman Empire’s crude ruler. Even when everything came crumbling down, she still managed to walk away practically scott-free.

She did it all once. She could do it all again. She knew she could. She was determined to.

No pirate crew on the high seas, or royal on their mighty throne, would be prepared for what Breezie planned to plunder right from under their noses.

Commotion from outside snapped Breezie out of her fantasies. Confused ramblings quickly turned to shouts and boots stomping across the deck. Seconds later one of the crewmembers burst through the door, their eyes blown wide with panic.

“Captain! We’re under attack!”

Breezie shot to her feet, grabbing her sword from atop the desk. She followed the panicking crewmate out onto the deck. To her shock, the entire area was now coated in a thick, white mist. From within she could hear pounding boots, yells of defeat, and metal slicing through the air. Thanks to the faint shadows moving about, it was almost impossible to tell who was the enemy.

“What happened?” Breezie demanded, turning to the crewmate, “Where did this fog come from?!”

The crewmate yelped from a sudden cry and wet thud. The sword in their hands trembled.

“I-I don’t know!” they stammered, “It just came out of nowhere-!”

A gunshot rang out. The crewmate fell limply to the floor without the chance to even scream. Their sword clattered to the now red stained deck.

Breezie gripped her own sword tighter and ran adjacent to the direction the bullet came from. Her eyes darted around the edges of the mist. More cries rang out as metal sliced both air and flesh. A few more gunshots resounded, piercing the air faster than a bullet.

Breezie kept moving. Anyone who got too close to her was met with a swift slice of her sword and a kick of her sharp heeled boots. A few times she thought she recognized the voices of her crewmates, screaming in surprise before being shoved aside or falling dead to the floor. Breezie managed to strike someone in the side of the head with the hilt of her sword, sending them over the side of the ship with a loud splash.

Again and again, Breezie fought, ignoring the sounds of bodies falling in her wake. Metal and gunshots echoed all around her, ringing in her ears and disorienting her. Breezie had spent months learning how to navigate the Babylon Garden. She knew where the powder store, treasury, and weapons’ stache all were. She knew whose quarters lied where and who slept in which one. However thanks to the mist, the wild patterns she had been running in, and endless noise of battle closing on her from all sides, Breezie’s sense of direction was long gone.

That didn’t stop her from trying to find it again, though. She wandered around the deck, dodging swords and bludgeons and gunfire as she went. If she could get to the helm, above the chaos, she could plan her next move. Or if she could find the stairs she could get below deck and wait out the storm. Maybe grab what she could and find a boat. Wouldn’t be the first time she had to abandon ship (so to speak) to save her skin.

She never got to do any of those options when light, quick steps came up from behind. In a flash, Breezie spun on her heel, her sword colliding sharply with another blade. There was some strength behind the handler, but Breezie held on. She didn’t beat her fencing teacher seven times in a row for nothing after all.

As soon as the blades met, Breezie came face to face with her attacker: a blue hedgehog with emerald eyes and an ever cocky grin on his tan muzzle.

“Hey Breezie! Long time no see!”

“Sonic.”

Breezie smiled as their blades separated. She briefly placed a hand on her hip, pointing her sword’s tip at the blue hedgehog’s face.

“Is ambushing others from within a mist your regular way of saying ‘hello?’”

She charged. Sonic stepped and swiped at her side. Breezie danced out of the blade’s reach before twirling in a wide arch. Her blade collided with Sonic’s once more.

“For people like you? Yeah, usually.”

Sonic smacked Breezie’s blade away and crouched to sweep her feet. Breezie leapt out of the way, dancing around to the hedgehog’s left. Her blade swiped at their side again. Sonic spun out of the way.

“Curious. Never took you for a cowardly type,” Breezie quipped.

Sonic smirked.

“It’s called ‘element of surprise.’ It’s a classic! You of all people should recognize class when you see it!”

“Flattering. Didn’t know you had it in you!”

“BREEZIE!”

A sharp, high pitched cry cut through the air. Breezie jumped out of the path of a second oncoming sword. Connected to it was a fuming green hawk.

“GIVE ME BACK MY SHIP!”

He charged at her full force, swinging his sword in a rather quick arch. Breezie blocked and countered every predictable move that he made. It was almost amusing.

She quickly brought up her sword to stop the oncoming blade from reaching her head.

“Greetings, Jet. What brings you aboard my ship?”

“IT’S. MINE,” Jet snarled, “I’m its captain, and as it’s captain, I! WANT! YOU! OFF!”

“Really? Last I checked, I was the captain. At least according to your former crew.”

Jet screeched. Both blades were smacked away before colliding once again. Sonic jumped in, much to the hawk’s visible annoyance.

While they weren’t entirely in sync and still struggling to land even a scratch, Breezie could feel herself getting winded. These two were fast; faster than her. Their stamina was also much higher. It wouldn’t be long before she made a rookie mistake that would cost her the duel.

So Breezie turned to her next plan.

“You’re more than welcome to join, though,” the woman purred, blocking an oncoming swipe from Jet, “I could use someone like you in my bed…”

The sentence made both pirates falter. Jet’s anger morphed into confusion, then shock when Breezie suddenly cupped the bottom of his chin and pulled him close. Her grin widened in a hungry manner while her eyelids lowered halfway.

“Doubt you’ll be as fun as Blue was though.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Breezie saw Sonic’s muzzle pale. She grinned wider.

Before Jet could respond she kicked her heel into his chest and sent him stumbling back into the mist. Then she smacked Sonic’s sword out of his hand when he tried to fight back. It fell to the floor with a clatter.

Sonic gasped as Breezie suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him close to her face. She reveled in the discomfort on his face, the fear that shone behind those stunning emerald eyes. The way he squirmed beneath her hold like a helpless child.

He was so much fun to fluster back in the Eggman Empire. So much fun to tease, to watch, to isolate…

She wished they had gotten around to having some real fun. Before things quite literally went up in smoke.

“Shall we pick up where we left off?” Breezie whispered.

Sonic flinched as she pulled him closer. His hands wrapped around her arm even as she moved the blade closer to his body.

A screech pierced the air, and before Breezie knew it she was being tackled to the side by an enraged Jet. They both fell to the floor with a harsh thud. Jet tried to punch her face but Breezie dodged. She kicked him in the stomach and tossed him off.

Breezie got to her feet. Her sword was lost during the scuffle so she tried to run. That’s when she nearly got smacked in the face by a large hammer. Wielding it was a pink hedgehog with jade eyes that blazed brighter than an inferno. She swung again, but Breezie dodged. She took off in the other direction only to be met with two swords. One belonged to an orange fox with two tails and the other to a familiar purple swallow.

She dodged around them both. After clearing them, she came across two sets of large fists that knocked her back. Breezie stumbled, changed directions, and found herself getting punched again; this time by a pair of spiky mitts.

Her back collided hard against the deck’s railing. Her gut ached from the strength of the punch, but she forced herself to stay upright. Multiple pairs of eyes glared at her from within the mist. All of them were sharp, steely, colorful fires that wanted nothing more than to burn her from the inside out.

Breezie’s stomach twisted. Where were those lousy lackeys of hers when she needed them?!

She tried to stand tall, tried to stay firm and poised like the lady that she was. She glared at the eyes as they closed in on her. From the mist she saw the tips of swords poking through, their edges pointed directly towards her.

Breezie growled.

“Ganging up on a lady?” she spat, “didn’t know you could stoop so low.”

“You’re one to talk,” the swallow snarled.

Breezie laughed. It was a hollow, bitter sound. She straightened her back as she addressed her attackers.

“I saw an opportunity, so I took it. Not my fault your crew was so eager to turn on you. If anything, you brought it on yourself. Tell me: how many voices did you ignore? How many lives did you risk in the name of treasure?”

Jet and his birdbrain companions snarled. Even that brutish albatross managed to look just as pissed as the rest of them. Breezie smirked at the sight, ignoring the blades pointing directly at her throat.

In a fit of rage, Jet charged forward, sword lifted in the air. Breezie pulled one arm behind her back. Sitting on that wrist, hidden by a cloaking enchantment, was a warp ring. All she had to do was flick the wrist, think of a place, and she’d be taken there.

She’d have to start over again, but that was fine. The ocean had plenty of sad sacks that she could exploit.

Jet brought his sword down. Breezie flicked her wrist. The ring started to shimmer and form behind her.

BANG!

Breezie shrieked as something pierced through her abdomen. She collapsed to the floor, instinctively wrapping her hands around her middle.

When she looked down at her gloves, all she saw was a deep, crimson red.

Dread coursed through Breezie’s veins. Everything suddenly felt too cold and too warm. She tried to stand, but her body refused to listen. She could still feel the bullet sitting in her gut, the endless flowing of blood as it stained her fur and clothes.

A pair of boots stomped across the deck. Through the haze growing over her vision, Breezie looked up to see a bright crimson pupil glaring down at her. Its piercing gaze was brighter than the sun, hotter than the fires of Solaris. It was even more menacing than the Emperor’s, Breezie hated to admit.

She gasped as a hand roughly grabbed the collar of her shirt, pulling her face closer to the burning crimson dot. It was only then did she register the full, enraged expression of the infamous -if cheesily named- Devil of the Seas.

He snarled, low and deep right in her face. Breezie shivered; whether from the bullet wound zapping her strength or the sudden rush of fear, she couldn't say.

His breath was hot against her fur, his voice filled with unrelenting rage.

“That’s for touching my first mate you slut!”

Breezie registered the oncoming fist too late. Pain clouded her face, then the back of her head, until everything went completely black.

---

Jet let out a long, tired, heavy groan as he ran a hand down his face.

“I thought that bitch would never stop talking…”

“I hear ya…”

The hawk glanced up to see Sonic supporting himself up on his thighs, two of his friends rubbing his back like he was a child. It was a pitiful sight, and if Jet wasn’t so tired and had an inkling as to why the blue hedgehog was suddenly like that, he would’ve called them out on it.

As the mist retracted, Jet could finally see the extent of the damage to his poor ship. Bodies laid everywhere, some still alive, some already dead. Blood stained a good portion of the floor, turning the ship’s once shining brown wood to an ugly red. A few barrels of fruit had been knocked over as well, their juices mixing with the blood to create an even bigger abomination of color.

Jet let out another groan.

“What a fucking mess…”

“‘Mess’ doesn’t even begin to cover it,” Wave snapped.

She marched up to a red parrot and kicked their corpse hard with her boot.

“I should’ve just trusted my gut…! Bunch of no good turncoats…”

Jet was inclined to agree (though not out loud). If he had just paid closer attention, he could’ve stopped this whole mess from happening. Now he had practically no crew, a wrecked ship, a migraine, and a wounded pride! What kind of captain was he?!

Knuckles let out a sharp grunt as he deposited a few more corpses into a pile. He wiped his mitts before turning to Storm and Gray coming up from behind.

“What do you guys plan on doing with these?” he asked, gesturing to the bodies.

Storm scratched the side of his head with his free hand.

“Uh, we usually just throw dead bodies overboard.”

Gray paused, raising an eyebrow.

“...Y’er gonna just throw all these bodies into the ocean?”

“Well we can’t eat them.”

Knuckles and Gray wrinkled their noses in disgust.

Shadow marched past them, Breezie’s bloodied body in hand, and threw her on top of the pile. The force was enough to make part of the deckfloor shake. He then drew his pistol, and aimed for her face.

“Hey!”

Jet stomped over and grabbed a handful of Shadow’s quills.

“That’s OUR prisoner you jackass! WE’LL decide who pulls the trigger!”

Shadow snapped his head toward the hawk and let out a feral, guttural snarl. Jet squeaked, his heart dropping to his stomach, and his stomach dropping to God-knows-where. He immediately let go of the dark hedgehog and stepped back.

Shadow undid the safety of his pistol and took aim.

“Enough.”

Rouge placed a firm hand on her captain’s shoulder. Like before, he snapped in her direction and snarled, but Rouge was unfazed.

“She’s not worth another bullet, hun. Go decimate one of the corpses if you have to. But let this one go.”

Shadow snarled again. He didn’t push her hand away, but he also didn’t lower his weapon.

“Just listen to her, Shads.”

The group turned to Sonic, now standing to his full height but still looking tired.

“You shot her. You punched her. You got your revenge, now let it end there.”

Shadow glared at the seafoam hedgehog again. With one last low snarl, he pocketed his weapon and stormed off. Rouge sighed, massaging her temples.

With a flick of her wrist, a piece of paper manifested in her palm. With a flick of her other one, she held a pen. She wrote a few things down before handing it to the still shaking Babylonian captain.

“Here.”

Jet snapped out of his daze and stared at the paper. Cautiously, he took it from the bat’s hand and read it over.

“What’s this?”

“A contact of mine and a location. If -or when- you feel like replenishing your roster again, just go there.”

Jet glared at the paper, then the bat.

“What? This some kind of pity prize?”

“Just keep the damn paper!” Rouge huffed, throwing her arms out, “You don’t even have to use it if you don’t want to! Gaia, the ONE TIME I actually play nice with you people…!”

She turned and stormed off, her wigs fluttering irritably by her sides. Jet absently stuffed the paper into his coat pocket. He paused when he saw Sonic approaching.

“So,” the hedgehog hummed, “You got your ship back.”

“Yes… Is this the part where you rub salt into our wounds?”

Sonic smirked, placing his hands on his hips.

“Would a simple ‘thank you’ really kill you?”

“Yes,” Jet scowled.

He jabbed a finger against the blue hedgehog’s chest.

“Don’t think this means we owe you one, hedgehog. That’s even worse than your pity!”

Sonic chuckled in bemusement and pushed the finger away.

“Nah, you saved me during the fight, so we’re even.”

“Hm.”

Well at least now Jet didn’t have to worry about owing any life debts. Sonic was annoying, sure, but he had a sense of honor that even Jet could respect. (Not that he’d ever admit THAT out loud).

“So what’re you gonna do with Breezie?” Sonic asked, glancing at her body.

Jet scoffed.

“Why do you care?”

The hedgehog shrugged. It was a meek gesture, a far cry from his usual cocky attitude.

Jet sighed, placing his hands on his hips.

“Like I said earlier: my ship. My problem. I’ll deal with her how I see fit.”

“Alright…”

Jet noticed the way Sonic’s quills started bristling, and the stiff posture of his body. An annoying sensation started forming in his gut. A very annoying, very nagging feeling. One that he only got whenever he saw Wave struggling with a project late into the night, or Storm crying over his broken Cyber Pirate Mika statue.

Jet knew the name of this very annoying, very naggy, and very persistent feeling.

SYMPATHY.

Just thinking the word in his brain made Jet want to throw up.

The hawk inwardly groaned; being in debt to his rival was bad enough, but now he felt bad for them!? Why not just kill him now and get it over with?!

An idea suddenly sparked in Jet’s mind. It surprised him at first, but the longer it stewed, the more he was starting to like it. He smirked, eyeing the solemn blue hedgehog.

“Y’know…” he began, “We did help in that raid to get you out of the Eggman Empire a while back. Then you… assisted in taking down Breezie…” he resisted the urge to shiver, “and then I saved your hide during that fight.”

His smirk grew wider. Sharper.

“So by that logic, you owe me one.”

“Heh,” Sonic huffed weakly, “Guess you’re right.”

He threw his head back, staring at the sky before glancing at the green hawk.

“So what’s your price? Gems? Money? Anything that doesn’t involve bodily harm to me since Shadow’s still in a murdery mood?”

As if to prove his point they both heard a splash from the starboard side. Looking over, they both saw Shadow hurling some of the dead bodies over the side of the ship. Rouge shook her head in exasperation while Wave started scolding him. One quick glare shut her up.

Jet turned his attention from the sight back to his blue rival.

“Well,” he drawled, leaning on one leg with one hand on his hip, “since I saved you, you owe me a race. No distractions. No backstabbing bitches. Just you and me. Next time we meet, I’ll show you what I can really do!”

Sonic grinned, fully turning his body in order to face the hawk. He gave a thumbs up.

“Alright, you’ve got yourself a deal!”

That thumbs up turned into a quick handshake between the two pirates. Anticipation surged through Jet’s body like a bolt of electricity.

Oh yes. The next time they clashed, Jet would show that hedgehog why he was called The Legendary Wind Master.

Near the mast, Tails pulled loose some of Wave’s throwing daggers she had used during the battle. He cringed at the spots of blood on some of them, but quickly shook the discomfort away as he handed them back to the swallow.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright with just three of you?” he asked.

Wave scoffed, snatching up her projectiles and pocketing them in her belt.

“We’ll be fine, Shorty. Honestly, I think the reduced numbers will do us some good. Less mouths to feed, and less treasure to split up.”

“Yeah,” Jet agreed, walking over to the two with Sonic in tow, “I could use a little peace and-”

“JETTISON!”

A small blur of green crashed into Jet’s side, causing a startled squawk to escape the hawk’s beak. That green blur turned out to be a small duck with a red bandana around their neck. They nuzzled their whole face into Jet’s side.

“You came back!”

“Gagh-! BEAN!?” Jet squawked indignantly.

He and his crew stared at the small duck in bewilderment as they continued to crush the captain’s ribs.

“I knew you wouldn’t abandon us!” Bean cried, “Even as the hours turned to days and the days turned to years! Even when the chips were down, I NEVER LOST HOPE!”

Wave sighed heavily from the dramatics, massaging one of her temples.

“Bean, we’ve only been gone for four hours.”

“Oh,” Bean blinked, “WELL IT FELT LIKE FOREVER!”

Jet choked as he felt his ribs getting crushed by this freak’s abnormal strength. Seriously, was he always this strong!?

“BEAN! LET! ME! GO!”

“NEVER!” the duck cried, fat tears pouring down his cheeks, “I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO EVER AGAIN, EL CAPITAN! I’LL STAY BY YOUR SIDE, TETHERED TO THE WRIST, BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY! WE’LL BE BONDED FOR LIFE!”

Wave threw her arms up in frustration.

“Bean, for Gaia’s sake, HE CAN’T BREATHE!”

“Oh.”

Bean quickly let go and jumped back, letting Jet slowly reorient himself. He was too out of breath to notice the way Sonic was gently patting his back. While also doing his best to contain his fit of laughter.

“Sorry!”

“Were you in the fight?” Storm asked, scratching his head, “I thought we killed everyone.”

“Oh I was in the treasure room with Bark,” Bean chirped, “Hotsy Totsy didn’t like me poking around, so she hid the key in her room.”

The duck then took out said key and twirled it around his finger.

“Unluckily for her, I am a MASTER of procuring anything shiny! And this is certainly shiny!”

“Storm, remind me to make two copies of that key later…” Wave groaned.

“Uhhh, okay.”

Sonic tilted his head slightly, his amused smirk still present on his muzzle.

“Have you been in the treasure room this whole time?”

“Yeperoozie!” Bean replied, standing tall and proud on the tips of his toes.

From a frustrated Wave’s side, Tails swished his namesakes thoughtfully. His face grew more and more incredulous as he spoke.

“So then… did you not even know that there was a mutiny going on?”

“Ohh, so that’s why everyone was yelling!”

Multiple people facepalmed on the deck. Minus Storm who was oblivious so he just merely blinked, and Shadow -who was still busy desecrating some of the very dead corpses.

Bean laughed at their expressions, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.

“Nah, I always knew, but I wasn’t interested in following Hotsy Totsy’s lead. She can’t yell at me like Jettison can-”

“That’s still not my name you idiot,” Jet seethed.

“-so me and Bark just locked ourselves in the treasure room. It was actually his idea. Something about not letting me make boom all over the ship.”

Bean tilted his head back and stared off into the distance, rubbing his chin in a thoughtful manner. After a moment, he casually shrugged.

“Eh. He’s not wrong. I would’ve turned this place into a masterpiece!” the duck rubbed his hands and giggled maniacally before straightening up and turning back to Jet with a salute, “By the way, all the shinies are now extra EXTRA shiny, El Capitan!”

“...Thanks… Bean…”

Even if Jet wanted to, he didn’t have the energy to deal with Bean’s antics. In fact it was a miracle he wasn’t keelhauling them right now.

Bean suddenly glanced around, just now taking note of all the dead bodies and puddles of blood. He whistled.

“Wow. I guess we missed the party,” he turned back to Jet, “does this mean we’re fired?”

Jet wanted to yell. He really, really, REALLY did… but one tired look with Wave just drained it out of him. He lowered his head with a groan.

“No… No you’re not. Actually I’m surprised I didn’t fire you two years ago…”

He straightened back up, doing his best to look imposing and authoritative, like a good fearsome captain should.

“But that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook just yet. You wanna stay aboard? Then you BOTH gotta earn your keep all over again. And you can start by cleaning up this entire mess!”

Jet gestured with a wide sweep of his arm to the entire deck. Instead of looking dejected, Bean gave an excited salute with his head held high.

“Aye aye, Cappy!”

“AND LEARN TO SAY CAPTAIN NORMALLY FOR ONCE!”

“You got it, Capitaine!”

“Oi…”

Jet ran a hand down his face; he was too tired for this…

Sonic snickered at his side. In response he gave their ribs a weak smack with his elbow.

A large, pale bear lumbered out from beneath the deck. He paused, glancing around at the surrounding pirates and dead crewmates. He shook his head with a sigh.

“Hi Bark!” Amy chirped, giving the bear a friendly wave.

Bark ducked his head behind his scarf in an effort to hide his blush. He awkwardly waved back.

“Hey Bark!” Bean called out, “Good news: We’re on probation!”

The polar bear simply sighed. Bean ran past him, grabbing his hand and pulling him back down the stairs. Bark didn’t even put up a fight.

“C’mon! I’ll let you use the mop this time!”

Just as quickly as they had appeared, the two were gone. Jet wondered if it was going to be a mistake letting those two stay aboard his ship. At the same time, though, he wasn’t in a hurry to get rid of them. Yet.

“How you deal with those two and still keep all your feathers I will never know,” Sonic chuckled.

Jet moaned.

“I wonder the same thing everyday…”

After saying their goodbyes, Jet dragged his feet into his captain’s quarters and laid down on his bed. He stared up at the brown, empty ceiling, listening to the faint sound of the waves and Bean’s endless, excited chatter in the background.

He looked at his desk, where everything had been tidied up and put away.

Jet snarled.

Tomorrow he was redecorating his entire room. Nothing was gonna be left how it was when that bitch was here. But for tonight, he was going to take a fucking nap…

At least in his dreams, Jet could proudly imagine himself beating her senseless with his own two fists. As well as beating Sonic the Hedgehog in their race. An activity far off in the future that he was gladly looking forward to.

Notes:

HOW DO THESE KEEP GETTING SO LONG!? 5.4K WORDS!? THE HELL!? HOW DID WE EVEN GET HERE!? WHY DO THESE STORIES KEEP GETTING SO LONG!?

 

Ugh, doesn't matter. Here's the next prompt. I combined Plunder and Marooned because I was lazy. I've worked on this thing for too long and rewrote it at least twice already, so I don't wanna touch it anymore. Enjoy.

Chapter 24: Helm

“There she is.”

Sonic smiled at the galleon ship that stood proudly before him. It was smaller than the military ships of Soleanna, but no less magnificent. Three masts stood proudly over the light brown wood, gleaming in the evening sun. The sails were a rich midnight black, with a rainbow tinted star at the center. While showcasing a majority of the colors, blue and red were the most prominent.

This was it. This was their ship. Their new home of sorts. Sonic still thought Blaze was being overly generous in building a ship from scratch for him and his friends, but she had insisted.

Shadow stood beside the blue hedgehog with his arms crossed.

“She’s beautiful,” he murmured, the sense of wonder clear in his voice.

Sonic smiled.

“That she is.”

“She’ll need a captain.”

“Yep.”

Sonic spun on his heel so he was facing the dark hedgehog.

“And I know just the candidate.”

Shadow turned his head curiously.

“Who?”

“Guess.”

“Amy?”

“Nope!”

“Knuckles?”

“Try again.”

Shadow tilted an ear, glaring at the blue hedgehog in annoyance.

“It better not be you.”

Sonic chortled.

“I mean, I’m flattered you’d think so highly of me-”

“I don’t.”

“-but no.”

Shadow huffed and tapped his foot. It was a quirk he had picked up from Sonic, and rather quickly too. The hedgehog didn’t mind though; if anything, he found it amusing.

“Stumped?”

Shadow finally sighed and lowered his arms.

“Yes. Who is your choice?”

“You silly!” Sonic laughed.

“Me?”

The blue hedgehog laughed again at Shadow’s surprised expression, nodding his head.

Shadow stuttered and looked away.

“...I don’t… N-Not everyone will-”

“The gang and I were talking about this last night,” Sonic interrupted, holding up his hand, “and we all agreed that we wanted you to be our captain. You’re the most qualified, and you have the most experience.”

He placed his hands on his hips, leaning forward.

“Plus, you kinda give off the vibe of one already.”

Shadow huffed, avoiding the blue hedgehog’s cheeky gaze. He looked out at the horizon, watching the way the water rippled and rocked with the breeze. He glanced at the ship, watching people loading supplies onboard.

He turned back to Sonic with uncertainty.

“...You really want me to lead?”

Sonic nodded happily.

While he was still a free-spirit at heart, there was no one else the blue hedgehog would rather follow than the person right beside him. The person he was courting.

Shadow sighed. His muscles relaxed upon the exhaling of his breath. He lifted his head up and stared Sonic directly in the eye.

“...On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“I want you to be my first mate.”

“Me!?”

Sonic sputtered. Shadow wanted HIM as second in command? Did he hear that right?

“What about Rouge? Or Gray?”

They were more qualified than him, in Sonic’s opinion. They’ve known Shadow longer than anyone; surely he’d want one of his childhood confidants by his side!

Right?

Shadow shook his head and held firm.

“I want it to be you.”

He walked forward, gently cupping Sonic’s hand between both of his own.

“If I am to be at the helm, then I want you right there beside me.”

Sonic blushed.

“I-Is this because of… us, or…?”

“Perhaps,” Shadow shrugged simply, “I also know that you too have experience in being a leader. I need someone fast on their feet to help carry out orders. And…”

The dark hedgehog leaned forward and held the side of Sonic’s face.

“I need someone I trust to ground me if need be.”

Sonic smiled. With his free hand, he laid it over Shadow’s, leaning further into their touch with a gentle purr.

“...Then I guess I’m your guy.”

Shadow purred back, his smile small yet more radiant than the setting sun itself.

Notes:

Just noticing that May's coming up, I don't know if a MarinerMay prompt list is happening this year, and I've still got some prompts to finish up.

Chapter 25: Gold

Notes:

I know there's no prompt this year (unless it got posted somewhere else that I didn't see), and it's kinda late, but happy MarinerMay everyone! Here's a special treat!

Well Thomas Michael Wachowski, let this be another lesson for you: if your wife warns you that being a realist is just as important as being an optimist, do yourself a favor and write it down so you can actually remember it.

Tom let out a tired huff as he and his fellow soldiers were surrounded by the very band of crooks that they had been following. Pirates of varying sizes glared at them all, baring their fangs in wicked snarls or teasing grins. Pistols and swords sat in each of their hands, pointed at every single soldier’s neck. While some tried to sneer back or put on a brave face, all Tom had the energy to do was convey his visible annoyance.

A couple weeks ago a pirate ship had been spotted on the edge of Soleanna’s territory. Thanks to the very vocal -and very annoying- court nobles, Queen Elise had assigned a team to capture them. Or kill, whichever came first.

Though he was technically ranked higher than her, Corporal Rockwell had been designated as the leader of this small team. Tom suspected it had to do with their superior, Commander Walters, giving the queen his personal recommendation. A bit of an abuse of his power since everyone knew that Rockwell was the old man’s most loyal lapdog, but for the sake of his job Tom didn’t complain.

In fact, he took a similar route and practically begged the queen to join.

“And why should I allow you to join my crew?” Rockwell had asked at the time, “I already have several other more qualified candidates in mind.”

Tom respected her bluntness as much as he hated it.

“Because those fiends are the reason why my kids are dead,” he replied, putting as much grief and anger into his voice as possible, “I won’t let the same thing happen to anyone else’s family.”

Everyone knew how devastated Tom and Maddie were when they lost their kids. First to the pirate kidnapping, and then the Doom Empire when it fell. He had taken a leave of absence after everything was said and done so he could clear his head.

No one other than his wife and best friend knew that he had encountered his very healthy and very much alive kids just a few short months ago. Which meant that his old grief from before then was the perfect way to win the queen’s heart.

To his surprise, it worked on both her and Commander Walters. Even Corporal Rockwell had been softened enough to agree to the decision.

“Very well. But you follow my orders, soldier. We will be conducting my plan, and seeing it through to the end. So no last minute surprises. Understood?”

“Yes ma’am,” Tom saluted cheekily, much to the corporal’s annoyance.

Because the other soldier Rockwell wanted at first had been sent on another mission, Tom fought to get his buddy Wade on the team as well.

“He deserves some closure too,” had been his reasoning at the time.

It was a flimsy one at best and both he and Rockwell knew it, but in the end the queen made the final call.

Upon hearing that his niece and nephews were alive, Wade had burst into tears for three days straight. It was a miracle that he didn’t pass out from dehydration, and luckily they were at Tom’s house when that happened. After his hysterics were done, he swore that he would keep their status and Sonic’s origins a secret. Last thing they needed was another conspiracy floating around the castle.

Seeing his family again wasn’t the only reason why Tom fought so hard to get him on board. If this pirate ship really was The Shooting Star (something that Tom had foolishly assumed to be the case at the time), they would need a way to keep Corporal Rockwell occupied; the woman was loyal to her superiors, the crown, and the rules above all else. There was no way she’d give a damn about Sonic or the others being alive, much less them being pirates.

Then again, she never really cared for them to begin with.

Tom caught on to the clues pretty quick: the snide remarks thinly disguised as casual observations. The glares of annoyance and disdain that showed through the cracks in her stoney face. Since Tom couldn’t just punch her to hell and back for the sake of his job, he opted to just warn the kids to keep away.

Maddie, on the other hand, found great catharsis in exercising her protective mother skills. A trait that still frightened half the militia to this very day if someone was stupid enough to talk ill of their kids within her hearing range.

Anyway, Wade was very good at causing distractions and getting under people’s skins (whether he realized it or not), so he’d be able to buy some time for the two to run through the mist that the crew used as part of their ambush tactic and reunite.

Now, as the two men sat on their knees, surrounded by unfamiliar faces of scallywags that were NOT his kids, Tom was starting to realize that he was, indeed, being a little TOO optimistic. Again.

Corporal Rockwell’s plan had been to tail the ship from behind. Hide the crew below deck, charging out with their weapons at the ready once the pirates boarded. They’d overwhelm them with precise shots and cleverly hidden traps without losing a single man.

Turns out the pirates were a more clever bunch than Rockwell had expected. They hid long enough for the soldiers to become curious before attacking with smoke bombs and small bits of magic. In terms of numbers both were evenly matched, but it was clear to Tom that these pirates were used to weaseling their way out of traps.

If he wasn’t so disappointed in the absence of his kids and himself for hoping so blindly without at least checking the colors of the sails, he would’ve been impressed.

This pirate crew looked about as cut-throat as they were rag-tagged. Currently, Tom was being glared at by a purple chameleon with a pair of kunai around their belt. A rather odd weapon choice for a pirate, but no less cool. If the end of their sword wasn’t being pointed at his face, Tom would have said as much. Judging from the discreet glances that Wade was trying to take at the weapons, he also agreed.

A large, burly crocodile marched up to the soldiers. His attire was the same quality as the rest of the pirates, but the style vaguely reminded Tom of Shadow’s.

Must be the captain, he remarked internally.

“Pretty gutsy of you folks to come after us with such a short crew,” the crocodile quipped, flashing all his fangs in a wicked grin, “You must really be desperate to bring us in.”

Many of the pirates laughed.

Technically I wasn’t planning on bringing you guys in, Tom thought idly.

“You’re in OUR waters, you fiend!” Corporal Rockwell growled from his right, “You are on Soleannan waters, and you will turn yourselves in!”

Again, the pirates laughed. The crocodile wiped a fake tear from his eye and gestured to the scowling woman.

“Listen to this one! You some ranked official, lady?”

Rockwell didn’t respond. She just held her head high and leered at the pirate. Tom resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

“It would appear so.”

The chameleon’s eyes landed on the pins on the soldier’s jacket. Unlike Tom’s slightly crooked ones, hers were polished and straight.

Showoff.

“I am Corporal Rockwell, and you WILL come with us quietly-”

“I got a better idea.”

A green tenrec pushed her way to the front, grabbed Rockwell by the lapel, and pulled her close to their face.

“How ‘bout I just keep digging into your body until it’s nothin’ more than a bloody corpse?”

Blue sparks of electricity danced off her body, striking a few soldiers nearby. Wade yelped as a tiny one zapped him on the cheek. Tom jumped when one hit his kneecap; he held back a wince.

The crocodile cringed slightly as he eyed the tenrec.

“Yeesh, tone it down a bit, newbie.”

“LIKE HELL I FUCKING WILL!” she snapped.

An armadillo quickly padded up to her side, gently placing a leather gloved hand on her shoulder.

“Surge…” he spoke calmly, “Remember what we talked about? What to do when the anger feels like it’s becoming too much?”

The tenrec, Surge apparently, snarled at the armadillo with all her obscenely sharp fangs. Reluctantly, she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.

“...I am calm… I am anchored. I breathe in peace and breathe out tension… My anger does not control me, I control my anger…”

She took another deep breath before letting Rockwell go, her shoulders slumping in the process. The armadillo proudly patted her on the back.

“There you go. Good job.”

The tenrec grumbled but said nothing more.

Tom found that whole exchange entirely fascinating. And a little amusing. Rockwell, however, did not. She scoffed, dusting off her coat while sneering at the two.

“I didn’t realize that sea scum like you had life coaches.”

“OH I’LL SHOW YOU SEA SCUM YOU WASTED PILE OF SEA SPERM!” Surge roared, once again trying to strangle Rockwell by the lapels.

"Do your worse, brat!"

The armadillo quickly wrapped his arms around her middle and tried to yank her off the fuming corporal.

“SURGE! Remember your anchor! Remember your anchor!”

In the back, the crocodile groaned, pinching the bridge between his eyes. The chameleon keeping an eye on Tom and Wade looked just as exhausted as them if not more so.

“I told you this would end badly…” he muttered.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll compensate if she kills someone.”

“At this point, it’s more a question of ‘when.’”

A part of Tom felt bad for the two, and that armadillo who was still trying to pry Surge off an equally fuming Rockwell.

“U-Um… C-Captain? Sir?”

From the side walked up a small, very timid looking blue fennec fox. One who, in many ways, reminded Tom of Tails when he was just a little fox kit. Their bangs nearly covered their pink eyes, and a big metal backpack full of water sat on their shoulders. Sprouting from two holes at the bottom of the backpack were two skinny tentacles of water. Their very presence surprised Tom; was it magic? Technology? A mixture of both?

The tentacles were wrapped around a small brown chest Tom didn’t remember ever seeing.

At their side flying a few feet off the ground was a bee who looked no older than six.

A little surprising that such a young kid would be amongst a band like these guys, but considering his kids were now part of this bunch, who was Tom to judge?

“VECTOR! VECTOR!” the bee cried, zipping over to the crocodile and crashing onto their snout.

“Oi! Charmy!” Vector grunted, “Watch the snout!”

“Sorry! Look what we found!”

The kid gestured toward a chest that the fennec was holding.

“W-We found it hidden in a compartment beneath the c-captain’s desk,” the fennec explained.

Charmy flew around his crewmates and the chest excitedly, bouncing from one pair of shoulders to the other.

“What do you think’s inside? Gold? Jewels? Honeycombs? Gold and jewels shaped like honeycombs?”

“...Why would someone keep honeycombs in a chest…?” the fennec mumbled.

Vector held up the chest and gave it a few experimental tugs. He hummed.

“Well whatever’s inside, it’s locked tight. Looks like we’ll need a key for this thing. Didja see one?”

The fennec shook his head timidly.

Charmy whirled around to the soldiers.

“Hey! What’s inside this chest?”

“Like hell we’re telling you!” someone snapped.

“Yeah!”

Wade straightened his back, glaring at the pirates with as much fury as he could muster.

“You pirates may be big and scary with big scary swords and big fancy guns I ask Santa for at Christmas time, but I am a soldier. A warrior. Trained in all forms of combat. I passed the interrogation test in just three tries and not ONCE did I wet my pants-”

“Please don’t go around telling people that…” Tom moaned.

“-unlike my old bully Randy Newman, who ended up peeing AND pooping himself RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE HEAD HONCHO HIMSELF. He had to get picked up by his mommy to go get a new pair of pants while I took his spot alongside the rest of the graduating alumni!”

Throughout the duration of Wade’s story, everyone, soldier and pirate alike, slowly turned to him with varying looks of disbelief, confusion, and disgust. For some it was a mixture of all three. Tom was between banging his head against the floor, and laughing because he heard bits of that incident from his exam room next door.

“So there,” Wade continued, “you can threaten us with all the fancy and scary weapons that you want. But there is no way in Hell, Heaven, or any other plane of existence that we are telling you what’s inside that chest! I am a soldier of the sun. A warrior of a clan lost to time. And with Solaris as my witness, I WILL TAKE THE SECRETS INSIDE THAT CHEST TO MY GRAVE!”

It was a harrowing speech, Tom could admit that much. A few of the soldiers who snapped out of their stupors looked a little impressed. Wade puffed out his chest proudly and stared at the crocodile captain with defiance shining brightly in his eyes.

“Well alright then!”

Surge dashed over from Rockwell to Wade, grabbing him by the shirt with twice as much electricity bouncing off her body. The man yelped as she raised a fist to his face. As quickly as the facade had come, it was gone in a blink.

“GAH! I’M BLUFFING! I’M BLUFFING! IT WAS ALL A BLUFF PLEASE DON’T KILL ME MY SISTER ALREADY CALLED DIBS ALSO I HAVE TWO CATS- NONONONO WAIT! THREE!”

Surge brought their faces closer and snarled. The armadillo and a few other pirates tried to stop her, but the electric sparks held them back.

“ENOUGH!”

Everyone froze, all eyes turning towards Tom. He didn’t know what inclined him to speak up first: the insanity of the situation, the fact that his best friend’s life was in danger, or how the way Rockwell scowled at them like a disobedient child pissed him off.

“I’LL tell you what’s in the chest and how to open it. Just let him go.”

Vector studied Tom for a long moment, eyes dancing across his face in search of something. A trace of deceit most likely.

“You the captain of this vessel?”

Tom shook his head.

“No. But I’d rather have my friend in one piece.”

Vector studied him silently a moment more. He and the chameleon shared glances, a silent conversation passing between them. It reminded him so much of his kids it almost hurt.

Seriously, how do these people do that?

Vector turned back to him with a slow nod.

“Alright then. Where’s the key?”

“In the Captain’s Quarters,” Tom replied, and a quick approving glance from Rockwell confirmed it, “along with five chests of gold.”

Vector’s eyes lit up.

“'Gold' you say?”

“Yep.”

The gold was newly collected from a mine outside of town. It was going to be added to the queen’s treasury until Tom suggested they use it as bait. He was honestly surprised that she approved; even Rockwell wasn’t against it.

Quickly, Vector snapped his fingers in the direction of Charmy and the chameleon.

“Espio, Charmy, you’re with me. Mighty, you’re in charge. Don’t let Surge kill anyone.”

“Aye aye cap,” the armadillo sighed, still trying to pry Surge off of poor Wade.

“Can I at least GAG HIM so I don’t have to hear his voice!?” the tenrec snarled.

“Surge…!”

The chameleon lowered his weapon and turned to the crocodile.

“Are you sure that’s wise?”

Vector waved his hand in a so-so manner.

“About sixty percent,” he turned to Tom with a greedy grin, “Now lead the way, pal!”

Tom jumped at the crocodile lifting him singlehandedly to his feet, but quickly shook it off. He felt Corporal Rockwell quickly place something into his hand before he walked off with three pirates in tow.

---

Once all four of them had piled inside the quarter’s, Tom shut the door with a soft click. A second one that only he caught resounded right after. Charmy buzzed around his companions in excitement while the chameleon, Espio, scanned the room’s surroundings.

Most likely looking for traps, Tom thought, Clever.

Vector scanned the area in a more laid back manner, his eyes momentarily locking in on the five chests of gold sitting behind the desk. He handed Tom the small chest with barely a thought, much to his surprise, and crossed his arms.

“So! Where’s the key?”

Tom took a deep breath. He could feel the weight of the device Rockwell had given him in his palm, the smooth texture of the material and the big button in the center. His eyes cast down to where the pirates stood as he walked over to the desk. He placed the mysterious chest down, keeping his back towards them.

“...Before I start,” he began slowly, “you should know that the door was rigged to automatically lock the moment any unauthorized personnel stepped in.”

It was Rockwell’s idea, actually. She knew that the pirates would be greedy enough to go for the gold first should they slip through their attack, so she made sure this room was prepared for that very outcome.

The pirates whipped their heads towards the door. Vector tested the knob, growling when he found that it was, indeed, locked.

“You’re also standing on gravity pads hidden by cloaking tech,” Tom continued.

He held up the device Rockwell had given him: a small, rectangular remote with a red button near the top.

“One push of this button and you’d be stuck to the floor in an instant, weighed down by so much gravity you’d think you’re being crushed.”

“Eep!”

Charmy yelped in fright, clinging to the side of Vector’s head. Espio placed his palm onto the floor, eyes widening when he found the gravity pads Tom mentioned.

Must be some kind of sensory magic or something.

His gaze snapped towards Tom as he pulled out both of his kunai. Vector also took a defensive stance, one hand gently gripping Charmy’s back protectively.

“...Why are you telling us all this now?” Espio asked cautiously.

Tom finally turned around, placing the remote on the desk a few inches away from him. He held his hands up.

“Because I’m a nice guy. I don’t wanna put any kids behind bars. Besides, I never came out here with the intent to capture pirates.”

Vector raised one eyebrow curiously. Espio gripped his weapons, but didn’t move to attack. Charmy tilted his head curiously. Tom ran his hands through his hair with a heavy sigh.

“Truth is, when I heard word that there was a pirate ship in our area… I thought it was my kids.’”

“Your kids?” Vector echoed.

Tom nodded.

“They’ve been pirates for a while now. Used to live with me and my wife, but now they live out on the open sea. Long story.”

Vector hummed, scratching the bottom of his chin thoughtfully.

“I get it. You came onto this mission hoping to see your kids again. And since Soleanna doesn’t like pirates, you wanted to make sure you were in a position to protect them.”

“Yeah,” Tom replied, a little surprised by how quickly the crocodile figured him out, “Didn’t really think too far ahead on this one though. Forgot to factor in that the ship may not have been theirs.”

“Sorry we disappointed ya, buddy,” Vector apologized, “What crew do your kids belong to? Maybe we’ve heard of ‘em.”

Tom raised an eyebrow at that.

“Why would you wanna know?”

“‘Cause I’m a nice guy,” Vector shrugged simply, “Besides, as a bit of a father figure myself, I know the feeling of not seeing your kid for a while.”

The statement took Tom by surprise. He watched as the crocodile patted the side of Charmy’s head, causing the kid to giggle.

“Espio and I share custody of this little gremlin right here, and soon I’m gonna be sharing a daughter too!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yep!” Vector held his chin up in a proud manner, “when I see her mother again, I’m gonna ask her the big question!”

“Didn’t you say that last time?” Espio deadpanned.

“And the time before that?” Charmy added, “and the time before that, and the time before that-”

“Okay so I’ve been putting it off for a while!”

Vector quickly slapped a hand over the bee before they could reveal how many more times he had put off proposing to the love of his life. Tom could relate to such a thing: it took him three tries before he finally got on one knee in front of Maddie. He never thought he’d be able to relate to such a thing with a pirate of all people.

Then again, he learned lately that anything was possible.

Vector roughly cleared his throat.

“Anyway, the point is I get it, so if there’s a message or somethin’ you wanna pass along, just let us know. We’ll make sure it gets to them.”

“Yeah!” Charmy chirped, “we’re really good at tracking other people down! The best! That’s why we’re called Team Chaotix!”

Tom snorted in amusement.

“Team Chaotix, huh?”

“That’s right!” the bee proclaimed, hands on his hips, “We’re the best pirate detectives on this side of the high seas!”

“We’re also the only detectives on this side of the high seas,” Espio murmured.

“That’s why we’re the best!”

Vector shook his head, but it was clear that he was used to the bee’s antics long before now. And also partially amused by them.

“Charmy’s right though. You need someone found, we’ll find ‘em! So what’s the name of your kids? The name of their ship? Anything that could help.”

Tom was a little thrown off by the friendly nature of these three, but at the same time felt a sense of hope. They didn’t seem malicious, and if they could get in contact with Sonic and the others…

It was another gamble, but he was willing to take it. He just had to remain optimistic. But at the same time, he had to be prepared for the chance that they may not know of The Shooting Star, or be able to reach them. Being optimistic was good, but Tom had to remember to keep that side of him in check. That’s what had saved him on countless other missions before.

“Well, the first kid we adopted was Sonic-”

“SONIC?”

The three’s eyes widened in shock. Vector stepped forward.

“Blue hedgehog? Green eyes like an emerald? Runs faster than the speed of sound? First mate of The Shooting Star?”

“Y-Yeah…” Tom stuttered, “How do you-”

He was cut off by Charmy flying incredibly close to his face.

“Sonic’s our best pal! And so are Tails and Amy and Knuckles-” the kid leaned back with a loud gasp, “Does that mean you’re the Donut Lord!?”

Tom couldn’t help but laugh.

“That’s me!”

Now that he thought about it, of course Sonic would befriend such a band of chaotic goofballs. He should’ve known! His kids really could make friends with just about anyone, even among their fellow pirates.

Vector lightly slapped the side of his head with a grin.

“Well I’ll be… so you’re the famous Tom Wachowski!”

“Got that right,” Tom grinned back, “how did you know my name?”

“Sonic’s group speaks very highly of you,” Espio stated, his posture much more relaxed than it had been this entire time, “they tell stories about you whenever we cross paths. You sound like a man of honor and respect. It’s no wonder Sonic is the way he is.”

A sense of warmth and pride flooded Tom’s chest. He quickly wiped his eyes when he felt small bits of tears starting to form.

“Thanks.”

“I like the story about you saving a family of ducks from a carriage!” Charmy said, flying over to sit on Espio’s head, “you were so brave!”

“I was just doing my job,” Tom chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

That event wasn’t anything big, just an idiot not watching the speed limits or controlling his horse properly. Soleannans did have cars, but the farmers still chose to use horse-drawn carriages from time to time. Same with the nobles; they just love feeling fancy, it seemed.

“How do you guys know them?”

“That’s a pretty long story,” Vector admitted, “short of it being we helped them, and they helped us. Hell, two of our newest recruits, Surge and Kit, were actually rescued by them during a slave operation!”

“Surge?” Tom echoed, “you mean the angry tenrec with the electric powers?”

“Yeah… Sorry about her,” Vector frowned, “She’s got some anger issues from her days as a slave. Hasn’t fully adjusted yet. Mighty’s tryin’ to help her though. It’s slow going, as I’m sure you could tell.”

“Oh yeah. I could tell.”

The murderous glare in her eyes was a bit of a giveaway…

“Hey, Mr. Wazowski-”

“Wachowski, Charmy,” Espio corrected.

“What’s in the chest?”

The kid pointed to the chest sitting idly on the desk. Tom almost forgot it was there, scratching the back of his head as he studied the thing.

“You know what? I have no idea. I’ve never even seen this thing before today.”

He walked over and picked up the small chest, turning it around in his hands. He ran a finger over the keyhole.

“Dunno where the key is.”

“You mean this key?”

Charmy held up a small silver key attached to a string. Vector and Espio’s eyes widened.

“Where did you even find that?!” the chameleon asked incredulously.

“I swiped it from the mean lady’s pocket just before we came in here. I thought it was candy or something.”

Tom and the other two pirates stared at the kid. The devilishly innocent kid who did, in fact, belong amongst a band of pirates.

Tom shook his head to snap out of his stupor.

“May I borrow that for a sec?”

Charmy nodded, happily handing the man the tiny key. Tom inserted it into the hole, turned, and opened the lid to reveal a large, golden gem. It was bigger than any gem Tom had ever seen, big enough to fit into his palm. It sat on a velvet cloth, shining innocently in the room’s dim light.

Huh. Weird…

Though Tom was confused, the pirates were not. They crowded around him, staring at the gem with varying mixes of shock and disbelief.

“A CHAOS EMERALD!?”

“You know what this is?” Tom asked.

Vector nodded with a huff.

“Yeah. It’s the most powerful macguffin item on this entire planet.”

“And there's seven of them,” Charmy added excitedly, “each one’s a different color! When Sonic used them, he turned all gold and flashy and went WHOOSH! WHOOSH! ZOOM!”

The bee flew all around the room while the adults continued staring at the gem. Tom didn’t know why they called it an emerald when it wasn’t green, but it was pretty all the same. With its vibrant hue and perfectly cut, crisply defined edges, it looked like something out of a fairytale.

He suddenly remembered part of the long conversation he had with his kids that night when they rescued him.

“Sonic mentioned he was hunting for these. Said they can be pretty dangerous if the wrong person uses them.”

“Indeed,” Espio nodded, flicking his curled tail, “According to legend, each gemstone alone is enough to power a whole army. If one were to wield all seven, they could rewrite the world however they see fit.”

Tom nodded gravely. Just the idea of some dictator holding seven gems capable of turning them into a God made him shiver.

Sonic said he was connected to them, because of what he was: a Chaos Born. The last of his kind. If he could track the emeralds no matter where they went, then that meant he would come back to Soleanna eventually. And if he did…

“This can’t stay here,” he murmured.

He held the box out to Vector.

“Give this to Sonic’s crew next time you see them. Tell them it’s from me.”

The last thing I want to see is my kids in chains.

Vector gave him a firm nod of silent understanding as he took the gem and placed it in his jacket.

“You got it.”

Espio glanced back at the door with narrowed eyes. His tail flicked again.

“That woman, Corporal Rockwell. She planned all of this, correct?”

He turned to Tom for confirmation, who simply nodded with a frown.

“If we walk out of here without setting off her trap, she’ll be suspicious.”

“Yeah,” Tom agreed, “she may have a stick up her,” he quickly looked at Charmy, “butt, but she’s sharp as anything. We walk out now and you guys may not be the only ones put in chains the first chance she gets.”

Letting a whole band of pirates go would definitely give Rockwell grounds for his demotion. Or worse, accuse him of treason.

“Not to worry fellas,” Vector said, patting Espio on the shoulder, “I’ve got an idea.”

He turned to the soldier standing before him.

“Hey Tom? You don’t mind if we do some redecorating here, do you?”

Tom stared at the crocodile for a moment, then it hit him. He knew it was wrong; he knew it went against everything he was taught in the Academy, against everything the militia had taught him. He knew that this would definitely be enough reason for the queen to call his loyalty into question.

Still… It just sounded like too much fun.

He flashed the pirates a mischievous grin, one that matched Vector’s very own.

“Not at all.”

---

Wade sighed as he sat tied against the mast with the rest of the soldiers. He kinda wished he had volunteered to go with Tom; at least there he wouldn’t have to deal with the green tenrec who kept yelling at everybody. Or the scrutinizing gaze of Corporal Rockwell right beside him. Despite being more or less equal rank-wise, she still saw him as someone lower than her.

To be fair, she thinks everyone is beneath her. Just because she’s Commander Walters’ favorite little-

The man flinched when he heard a lot of noise and yelling coming from within the captain’s quarters. Suddenly, the doors burst open, flying off their hinges as the three pirates ran out with chests of gold in their arms.

The crocodile let out a hearty laugh as he addressed his crew.

“Show’s over boys! Grab a chest and let’s go!”

“We’re leaving?” the blue fennec asked.

The scary tenrec lady snarled, glaring at a trembling officer who was NOT Wade, much to his relief.

“Just lemme pound ONE skull in before we go!”

“Nope!”

Mighty, the armadillo who was trying so damn hard to be a mediator, grabbed her by the arm and yanked her over his shoulder.

“You heard the captain! C’mon!”

The tenrec protested loudly, throwing in a good dozen or so curse words as she pounded his shell, while the little blue fennec scrambled after them.

One by one, the pirates disappeared back onto their ship, all the chests of gold in tow. They released their hold on the navy ship before sailing away. The crocodile leaned over the side of his ship to give the soldiers a two finger salute. On his shoulder sat the little bee.

“Thanks for the gold, fellas!”

“Yeah! We’ll make good use of it! Byeee!”

The bee waved to them as they sailed off. Many of the soldiers tugged at their binds and cursed them as they left. Wade simply wished that his hands weren’t tied so he too could wave to the little kid. His attention was quickly drawn back to the quarters as Tom stumbled his way out. His clothes were disheveled and ripped, as though he had gotten into a fight, and he was holding his right arm.

“Tom!” Wade cried, “Buddy! Are you okay?”

“Wachowski,” Corporal Rockwell barked, “what happened?!”

“They figured out it was a trap,” he panted, “Smashed the remote. Got into a fistfight.”

A remote? Oh right! The gravity trap! Wade almost forgot they had set it up.

Corporal Rockwell snarled.

“Dammit! Untie us so we can follow them!”

“No.”

“What?” Rockwell and Wade said in unison.

The two glanced at each other in surprise before quickly averting their eyes.

“Why not, Wachowski? The enemy is getting away!”

“Our crew’s too small,” Tom explained, “If we go after them now they might just kill us. Besides, we don’t have enough ammo for a full-on assault.”

“And whose fault is that?” the corporal sneered.

“Yours, I believe.”

Wade flinched at the growl Rockwell let out and the fire that lit in her eyes. Very few people could get her like that, but Tom and Wade had become masters at it. Much to the latter’s chagrin since the corporal could get very scary when she was mad. Like, really, really, mad, to the point where sometimes he could see steam coming out of her ears.

Tom simply held his hands up in surrender.

“Hey, you were the one who wanted to do this the sneaky way. Not my fault those guys saw right through it.”

He leaned down and started cutting the ropes with his pocket knife.

“At least this time all they took was the gold, right? Better that than our heads.”

He eyed Corporal Rockwell as he said that. She looked like she wanted to say more, but held her tongue.

“...Right.”

Tom smirked, choosing to undo Wade’s binds first.

“By the time I untie everyone and we get ready to sail again, they’ll be long gone. Look, they’ve already got a huge head start.”

Tom pointed out where Wade and Rockwell could just barely see the pirate’s ship in the distance, getting smaller and smaller with each passing second. The corporal must have realized this and the fact that they didn’t have enough supplies for a multi-day chase on water, because Wade could practically feel the frustration bursting out from her.

She sucked in a deep, deep breath through her gritted teeth and let it out through an even sharper one.

“...Fine. We will turn around and report to the Queen,” the corporal’s eyes shot up to Tom with a glare, “But your incompetence will not go unpunished, Wachowski.”

“Yeah, yeah, like you haven’t used that one before,” Tom waved dismissively.

Wade held back a snicker as his friend helped him to his feet.

“You alright?”

“Yeah,” Wade replied, “What happened in there?”

Tom waved his hand again.

“Tell you later. Maddie’s making lasagna tonight if you wanna join.”

“Actually I had some chicken that I was gonna-”

Wade stopped when he saw the serious look his friend was giving him. To anyone watching from the outside, it looked like Tom was threatening him to say no, challenging him to spit on his wife’s hard work. However, Wade saw it differently.

His face lit up in realization.

“Oh. Ohh. Yes, yes absolutely! I love your wife’s lasagna. Absolutely LOVE it. Count me in! Is six alright?”

“That’s fine,” Tom nodded.

With that settled, the two moved on to cutting the other soldiers loose before steering the ship back to port. Since Corporal Rockwell was the one leading this mission, she was going to have to report to the queen about their failure. Something that both men could see she was clearly unhappy with.

Wade was looking forward to tonight’s dinner, not just for Maddie’s amazing cooking, but for the explanation from Tom about those pirates. There was no doubt in the soldier’s mind that those pirates he let go held some kind of connection to his favorite niece and nephews. The same ones that Wade had been dreaming about hugging ever since he heard that they hadn’t left for the great battleground in the sky just yet.

Notes:

OVER 6K WORDS!? HOW AND WHY THE **** IS THIS SO LONG!? WELL BRAIN!?

 

Ugh. Anyway, this one's just all over the place, but I'm sick of it not getting completed so here you go. Wade is finally here, I don't know how to write for a character like Rockwell, and everybody give a big hand for the Chaotix! They finally showed up! And guess what? THAT WAS COMPLETELY ON ACCIDENT! Yeah! I didn't even know they were gonna be included until I started writing.

Surge and Kit were always gonna join the Chaotix crew; I just didn't know how to bring it up after their "introduction" in Imprisoned. Additionally I have no idea how to include Maddie in the bunch right now but we will see what happens. I didn't even think I would focus on Tom again after his story in Sail. ESPECIALLY SINCE THIS ONE TURNED OUT TO BE SO FREAKING LONG!

ANYWAY... I've still got story ideas to pump out and a giant Demented Squad-centered story arc to finish up, so I'm just gonna keep on goin and screwin' the rules! Once again, happy MarinerMay everyone! See you in Pride Month!

Chapter 26: Brig

Summary:

A sort of continuation from Booty.

Notes:

Happy Pride Month guys. Enjoy a long continuation of Cerulean Seas Sonic and Shadow. I don't care that we're not in May, Imma just keep cranking these babies out.

Seven days.

Sonic had been stuck on this ship for seven days. He had been a prisoner of pirates, exposed to both their endless taunting and the endless abyss of the ocean, for seven days. For seven days all they fed him was soup that looked like a juiced corpse still capable of staring at him, and surprisingly delicious bread.

During those seven days all Sonic could think about were his friends. Did they make it back home? Were they alright? Were they planning a rescue mission to come save him? Of course he knew they would, but would the Queen even approve? He was but one soldier amongst hundreds; there was no way she’d expend so many resources just to retrieve one of her men who, as far as any of them were concerned, may be dead. And what about Tom, Maddie, Wade, and Uncle Chuck?

The thought of his adoptive parents and uncles made Sonic’s heart ache. If they weren’t present for the report, Tails and Knuckles would be the first to tell them the bad news. Chaos, they must all be worried out of their minds right now. Sonic wished he could get a message to them. Let them know that he was, for the time being, alive.

Though how long that would last was hard to say.

Sonic had been told countless stories of the Doom Empire even before he had enrolled in the Academy. His superiors called the kingdom ‘The Land of Darkness,’ with legends speaking of how it was a piece of Hell’s domain that floated to the Earth’s surface. Its sole inhabitants were a race of vampiric demons known as the Black Arms. Creatures with unholy appearances driven by nothing but feral instinct and an unquenchable lust for blood.

Most of the crew fit that description perfectly, but there were a few exceptions.

That eccentric echidna girl, Lace, was of a different species called the Tenebrarum. According to her, they were modeled after someone named Mephiles. Sonic knew he had heard of that name before. It had some connection to Solaris, but he couldn’t for the life of him remember what that connection was.

I shoulda paid more attention in history class…

Which left him with the last member of the crew: that weird black hedgehog with the eyepatch.

Everything about them was an enigma to Sonic. Not only did they look like him, but nothing about their appearance screamed ‘demonic.’ In fact, taking away the pirate hat and eyepatch, they looked more akin to a high ranking noble.

Even their behavior reminded Sonic of a nobleman. From the way they walked, to the way they spoke, and even to the way they were currently glaring at him through the metal bars of his cell.

Which brought the blue hedgehog to the present, where he was in a one-sided staredown with the pirate that honestly dressed more like a captain than the other guy.

“So! You just gonna sit there all day and stare at me?”

The black hedgehog didn’t respond. They sat with a rigidly straight posture, both arms crossed firmly over their chest. Their expression was unreadable, nothing more than an impenetrable stone wall.

Sonic leaned back on his cot until his back touched the wall and crossed his own arms in a looser manner.

“I know you can talk,” he said, frowning in displeasure at the silent treatment.

Again, the hedgehog didn’t respond. Sonic’s frown deepened.

“Do you even blink? How can your eyes go this long without getting tired?”

No response. Not even the twitch of a finger. Sonic scowled; he’d dealt with stone cold captors before, but something about this guy in particular really pissed him off.

At the same time, though, he couldn’t help but be curious.

This pirate didn't act like the others. Those guys were loud, obnoxious, and obviously bloodthirsty. This guy was quiet, fading into the background until they decided to make themself known. And when they did, their presence commanded everyone’s full attention. Sonic could still remember how everything had come to a dead halt when the hedgehog stepped into view.

That led to another oddity: with the exception of the captain and possibly that white wolf, none of the crewmembers respected this guy. Sonic could still remember the way they all laughed at them when they agreed to take him alive.

The edges of Sonic’s scowl softened ever so slightly.

“...You don’t act like the others. Not really, anyway. Were you… forced to join them, somehow?”

Something flickered across the hedgehog’s eye, but it was so fast that Sonic thought he had imagined it.

Still, it had been something.

The blue hedgehog uncrossed his arms and leaned forward.

“How about this: blink once if you’re here against your will, twice if you’re not. Which, just so you know, would make you a jerk.”

“...”

After about five minutes of nothing but silence, Sonic groaned and hung his head.

“Why do I even bother? It’s like I’m talking to a freaking wall over here.”

All that answered back was the creaking of his cot, and the groaning of the wood. Sonic lifted his head up to rest it on his palm. His half lidded eyes stared back at the black hedgehog’s single crimson one as his foot began to tap.

“So who does your highlights?”

“Do you ever stop talking?” the pirate suddenly growled.

Sonic sat up with a smirk.

“Ah, so the brute finally speaks!”

The black hedgehog's fingers squeezed the fabric on their arms. Sonic’s amusement only grew when he saw the reaction. He leaned back on his hands, crossing one leg over the other and letting one of his heels bounce.

“Just so you know, I talk when I’m bored. And sadly for you, I am a very, VERY bored hedgehog who LOVES to talk!”

His smirk grew as the edge of the pirate’s mouth sank lower.

“Better get used to my sultry voice, edgy. ‘Cause you’re gonna be hearing a LOT of it for the rest of this trip.”

“I can just gag you,” the pirate said flatly.

“Weren’t you given orders NOT to harm me?”

“The captain will understand. I’d be doing everyone a favor shutting you up.”

“Oh if I had a ring for every time I heard that sentence…”

Sonic chuckled and leaned his head back to look up at the ceiling. The wood was dark, much like the rest of the brig. Two sets of footsteps lumbered past the door, gaining Sonic’s attention if just for a brief moment. Then a thought occurred to him.

“Wasn’t someone supposed to come in and take your place like an hour ago?” he asked, bringing his head back to look at the other hedgehog.

The pirate raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t know you were paying attention.”

“Yeah, lotsa people say that,” Sonic shrugged.

Which was true; back in the Academy the blue hedgehog was infamous for not paying attention during lectures. He was also a known troublemaker so most wrote him off as a menace that'd never make it to graduation. So color them surprised when he was able to memorize the face of a criminal who tried robbing the queen during a festival. And caught him in the act even though he was covered by the same cloak as the other servants.

It wasn't that Sonic couldn't pay attention. Sometimes his mind just moved with the same speed as his feet. Hence why memorizing the amount of time these pirates watch him before rotating was almost child's play.

The pirate studied him for a long moment before giving a response.

“I took a double shift. Terrance was needed elsewhere.”

“Terrance? Is he the blue tenrec guy with the knives and the creepy attitude?”

“Unfortunately…” the pirate growled, a look of pure disdain crossing their features.

Sonic cringed.

“Yeesh. How do you even stand that guy?”

“I don’t.”

The answer was simple, but it surprised Sonic. At least he knew that this pirate had some decency. Unlike that tenrec who eyed Amy like a slab of juicy meat… Just thinking about him and that hungry look in his eyes made Sonic’s skin crawl.

He shook away the memories and refocused his attention on the black hedgehog. Or more specifically, the cover on their right eye.

“What’s with the eyepatch?” he asked, pointing at the item.

The black hedgehog’s gaze sharpened like a steel dagger.

“It’s rude to ask a pirate such a question if they don’t bring it up first.”

“Really?” Sonic asked.

The black hedgehog nodded.

“It’s called ‘courtesy.’”

“Didn’t know you pirates had that.”

The black hedgehog growled, but Sonic ignored it in favor of voicing another thought of his.

“Aren’t you guys technically privateers? Since you work for the Doom Empire and all?”

“...On paper, yes,” the pirate replied, “the emperor provides the ship, money, and equipment, and these fools serve him until their dying breath.”

“And you? You serve him too, don’t you?”

The scathing look that the pirate sent his way was enough to make the room drop a few degrees.

“I serve no one,” they snarled.

Sonic tilted his head at that.

“...But you work with this crew, right? This crew that serves your Doom Emperor guy. So does that mean you really were coerced?”

Sonic yelped as, in a flash, the pirate was in his cell, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him closer to their face. Sonic’s hands instinctively wrapped around their wrist.

“I should just cut your tongue out right now.”

“That might be hard to explain to your captain, wouldn’t it?” Sonic argued, willing his body not to shake.

The pirate snarled again, their eye glowing a bright, bloody red. Sonic glared back with as much aggression as he could despite his racing heart.

“Oi!”

The two turned to the door to see Lace standing there holding a tray of food. Her angry glare contrasted with the upwards curving sneer on her muzzle.

“What’s goin’ on in ‘ere, ‘uh? ‘Avin’ some fun there, are we?”

The black hedgehog threw Sonic against the wall and blinked out of the cell back to the middle of the room. Sonic stared at the spot where the pirate was, and where they were now.

Was that… magic?

Lace marched up to the scowling hedgehog with a taunting grin.

“Ignorin’ ol Cappy’s orders again, are we? ‘Fraid I’ll ‘ave to write that up, that I will!”

“You will do no such thing,” the black hedgehog snarled, “Nothing happened.”

“Not sure I believe you, that I don’t. But I’ll be nice since you’re takin’ Terry’s shift. Better be thankful that I’m throwin’ you a bone, that I am!”

Though she was just a head shorter, Lace got up on the tip of her toes and grinned wickedly at her crewmate. Her cheerful voice took on an edge.

“But don’t think I’ll do it again. That I won’t.”

The black hedgehog narrowed their eye at the echidna, fists clenched so tight by their sides that they were shaking. After a beat, the pirate huffed and marched back to their seat. Their eye was sharper than a dagger as it glared at Sonic through the bars. The blue hedgehog gulped until Lace was suddenly in front of him with a key.

“Nevermind the grouch over there. Boy’s got some britches still too big on ‘im that he does.”

The pirate didn’t react, but Sonic did notice a slight tick of their jaw.

“Uh huh…”

As the door squeaked open, Sonic’s eyes landed on the tray of food. It was soup and some bread, but to his surprise the soup looked… normal. It was green and yellow, with hints of broccoli floating to the surface. Cheese and onions and even a bit of carrots wafted up to the hedgehog’s nose in a tantalizing manner.

“This for me?”

“Who else would it be for?” Lace chuckled, handing him the tray, “‘eard you didn’t like the other stuff, so I asked Cappy what food you normal folk eat, that I did!”

Sonic smiled.

“...Thanks, Lace. That’s… pretty thoughtful of you, actually.”

Lace giggled.

“Gotta make sure you stay alive is all! Now eat up! You’re lookin’ a little too skinny these days, that you are!”

“Right.”

Sonic swirled the soup around with a spoon before taking a small sip. Immediately his taste buds were flooded with warmth, veggies, melted cheese, and something earthy hidden beneath. When his stomach cried out for more, Sonic gladly obliged.

“By the flame, this is amazing!” he exclaimed, finishing the whole bowl in under a minute.

“Glad to ‘ear it, that I am! Goes good with the bread, that it does! Try it!”

Sonic took the still warm bread and dipped it into the remnants of the soup. As Lace said, the two tasted amazing when combined. By the time Sonic was done and gulping down his glass of water, the entire bowl was nearly squeaky clean.

“Like it?” Lace asked.

“Hell yeah I did! I didn’t know pirates could cook!”

Sonic froze when he processed what he just said. If he heard right, Lace went through the trouble of making him something he could actually eat, and he just insulted her right to her face. He knew she was a pirate, but out of the whole crew she seemed to be the only one who was somewhat friendly to him.

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and lowered his ears.

“Er, sorry. That was pretty rude.”

Lace giggled, her multi-shaded pink eyes shimmering with mirth.

“No worries, love! I’m not offended, that I’m not! When you live on a ship for so long, ya gotta learn ‘ow to cook your own meals, that you do!”

She glanced over her shoulder at the black hedgehog watching her intensely.

“Though some of us are better at it than others, that we are.”

The pirate glowered at her, their left eye narrowing.

Sonic could sense the tension between the two from within his cell. In order to keep a potential bloodbath from breaking out, he wiped the remaining crumbs off his gloves and handed Lace the tray.

“Well, assuming you're the chef, my compliments go to you.”

Lace’s whole face beamed as she took the tray back and locked the door.

“Appreciate the compliment, love, that I do! If you thought that was good, just wait until you ‘ave dinner! You’ll think you’re in ‘Eaven, that you will!”

Sonic chuckled.

“I look forward to it. Thanks Lace!”

“Anytime, love! See you soon, that I will!”

With a wave of her hand, Lace skipped out of the brig, humming an unknown tune under her breath. Sonic leaned back to rest his stomach from all that food. Something about that meal made his whole body feel warm and fuzzy. Maybe it was because he was hungry -on the count of only touching the bread and water they gave him and not the liquified corpse in a bowl. Maybe it was because the soup reminded him of meals with his family back home. Either way, Sonic was grateful for a full stomach, and a potential ally on this ship. If he earned enough of her trust, maybe Lace would be sympathetic for him and help him escape.

After all, she went through the trouble making that meal, and the next one too, so maybe there was still hope.

“Don’t trust her.”

Sonic snapped out of his thoughts to look at the black hedgehog across the way.

“What?”

“Lace is more cunning than you think. Never let your guard down around her.”

“...Right…”

Where was that coming from? Up until now the guy had been completely silent during their conversation. Sonic almost forgot that they were even there.

He knew Lace and most of the crew didn’t like this black hedgehog, but why? And why were they warning him not to trust Lace? Was it because she was a pirate? If so then that was a completely hypocritical argument.

Then again… pirates could be crafty. Maybe she really was just putting on an act so he’d trust her. And if that was the case, what would she have to gain?

Sonic shook his head. He was thinking about this too much; if anyone was untrustworthy right now, it was the guy shooting daggers at him through his cell. Even if he did uphold his word to leave the crew unharmed. And convinced the captain to do the same…

Sonic shook his head again. He suddenly felt more tired than usual, probably from the lack of food and late nights thinking about his family. A nap before dinner might do him some good.

With that decided, Sonic laid down on the cot to try and get some sleep, unaware of the sharp yet perceptive gaze of the black hedgehog watching him from the shadows.

---

It was late at night when Sonic found himself waking up, but something felt off.

His body was heavy and sluggish, as though someone had tied weights to all his limbs. His mind felt hazy with fog, his thoughts too scrambled to pull together anything cohesive. Opening his eyes was unusually difficult. He couldn’t keep them open for longer than moments at a time. When they did open, all the blue hedgehog was met with was a dark, dark room.

Where was he?

It took his brain a moment to process the faint smell of saltwater and sandalwood.

Oh. Right.

He was still on a ship.

The pirates’ ship.

The ones who worked for the Doom Empire.

That name and the faces of his family that quickly followed woke Sonic up a little more. He still had difficulty moving his limbs, however, just barely managing to lift a finger off his mattress. Everything felt a little warmer as well, which was strange given that the brig was always a little cold.

Sonic’s mind attempted to piece together how this could’ve happened. The last thing he remembered was having dinner: beef stew with veggies and two loaves of bread, one of them courtesy of Lace’s own.

…

Lace.

…

Oh crap was that guy right?

Did she… do something to him?

She must have. Sure it could’ve been the cook, but Lace said she had made these meals for him personally, so unless she was lying she was Sonic’s only suspect. Not only that, but both soups had the same underlying taste to them. That strange, earthy taste that Sonic was now realizing might’ve been some kind of drug or sedative.

Stupid… trusting a pirate so blindly!? What was I thinking!?

He was on a pirate ship for Solaris’ sake! One that worked for the Doom Empire. He should’ve been more suspicious earlier! He must’ve been too hungry to care at the time, too desperate for some kind of companionship, and now he was paying the price.

Okay, just… calm down, Sonic. Take a breath…

Whatever he was given seemed to be acting as some kind of tranquilizer. He remembered the time Tom accidentally shot him with one; he was numb and dizzy for hours. If it was the same thing here, then all he had to do was wait it out.

But that did beg the question of why Lace drugged his food to begin with. Was this some kind of cruel pirate prank? A method of gagging their prisoners? The captain with those weird bumblebee eyes said that no one was to harm him until they reached the empire, but he didn’t feel any pain right now, so technically Lace hadn’t broken any rules.

Sonic grimaced as he tried to curl in on himself.

That guy was right. She really is cunning.

Cunning, and dangerous.

The door creaking open caught Sonic’s attention. He shut his eyes so the person would think that he was asleep. Light, delicate footsteps echoed along the wood. The gait in which they walked was odd though. Almost as if they were…

Skipping.

Sonic’s face paled. Accompanying the skipping was someone humming a quiet tune under their breath. There was a jingling of keys, then a click as his door was unlocked, and a creak as it slowly slid open. The footsteps came up to his bedside.

“‘Ello Sleeping Beauty.”

Sonic cracked open his eyes to see Lace standing over him, arms behind her back as she stared at him with glowing, hungry eyes. The blue hedgehog curled his hands into fists with a weak growl.

“Lace…”

His arms could barely hold his weight as he tried to sit up. Lace simply hushed him and got onto the cot. She gently grabbed the hedgehog’s arms and pulled him into her lap. Sonic tried to struggle out of her hold, but the crystalline echidna held him firm.

“‘Ush now, love. No need to get so worked up now, that there isn’t.”

“What… What was in those soups?”

Lace’s grin was wider than a shark’s.

“Oh, you’re a clever one, that you are! Just a lil sleepy remedy we like to make is all. It won’t kill you, but you won’t be able to move until morning, that you won’t!”

That confirmed Sonic’s suspicion of this being a sedative of sorts, but that did little ease his racing mind as Lace pulled him closer to her face.

“Not to worry. I know just the thing we can do to pass the time until then, that I do!”

Her eyes glowed even brighter, that same hunger becoming more and more apparent. They trailed down to Sonic’s neck, pushing part of his coat aside to reveal the cobalt fur beneath. Sonic gained enough strength to shove Lace away and crawl out of her hold. He made it to the edge of the cot, quills bristling and teeth bared in a warning snarl.

“Hands off!”

“Ohhh you’re a feisty one, that you are!” Lace giggled.

She crawled on all fours onto Sonic’s chest, forcing his weakened arms to collapse and send his body back down onto the cot. She then planted one hand on his head, using the other to rip away nearly the entire collar of his uniform so his whole neck was on display.

“I knew I liked you! That I do!”

The hunger in her eyes grew more intense. Sonic continued to struggle against her even as she pinned his limbs down one by one. He tried stabbing her hand with parts of his quills, but if she felt any pain, she didn’t show it. She just tilted his head to the side, opened her mouth of sharp, sharp fangs, and bit down. Hard.

Sonic screamed. White hot pain clouded his mind while tears clouded his sight. Claws dug into his flesh while fangs sunk deeper and deeper into him. His neck burned like it was on fire. His bones felt like they were on fire. Everything was one fire. Then, that fiery burn faded into a chilling numbness.

Whatever was left of Sonic’s strength faded, a heavy fog starting to settle itself over his mind. He started to black out when he thought he heard another set of footsteps in the middle of the room. These sounded heavier. Angrier.

There was a sharp cry, and suddenly Sonic felt Lace’s weight disappear. There was yelling. Crashing. Shrieking. A sharp slash cut through the stale air. Something hit the floor. It sounded heavy.

As Sonic’s mind finally dragged him under, the last thing he managed to see were two crimson eyes looming over him.

---

The first thing Sonic’s mind registered when he woke up was the change in lighting.

Opening his eyes revealed a window to his right where the sun was shining through. It sat in the middle of a big blue ocean with white puffy clouds as company.

The second thing Sonic registered was how sluggish he felt. It was even worse than last night.

Wait.

Last night.

Lace!

With a jolt, Sonic was brought back to full awareness, only to come to the realization that he couldn’t move. At all.

In fact, he couldn’t feel any part of his body. It was all numb.

Sonic’s mind raced. Lace had drugged him. She attacked him, pinned him down, and did… something to him. He didn’t know what, but he never wanted to go through an experience like that again.

The blue hedgehog could feel his heart slamming against his chest. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn’t get his body to move. Everything felt numb and heavy, like he had no strength in him at all. His mind was panicking even through the traces of fog that still lingered.

That all came to a halt when he registered the voices speaking just a few paces away.

“She deserved punishment.”

“Giving out punishments is MY job, Brother. NOT yours. And Lace didn’t deserve to die!”

Those voices… the first one belonged to the black hedgehog, and the other sounded like that pirate captain.

“You’ve let that brat get away with too much. It was time someone put her in her place.”

“Not. By. Death! Do you know how many messes of yours I’ve had to clean up!? How many crewmembers I’ve lost because of you!?”

Sonic’s brow furrowed at that. It sounded like they were arguing about something the black hedgehog did, but what? And what was that they said about Lace? Did he hear them right? Was she… dead?

Sonic didn’t know how to feel about that. He tried to stay quiet as the pair continued.

“You don’t seem to have a problem replacing them at a fast rate.”

“Because you keep killing everyone I bring on! I lost four good shiphands just last night because of you, one of which being my quartermaster!”

“That quartermaster was a joke,” the black hedgehog scoffed, “And should someone of your status really be throwing a temper tantrum like this?”

“Oh, you’re one to talk, going around acting like you’re still the boss around here!”

“At least I could control my crew better than you can control yours.”

There were heavy footsteps, most likely the captain walking up to the hedgehog.

“You. Will. NOT. Insult my crew or me right to my face. You may be my brother, but I am your captain, and as your captain I have the right to punish you however I see fit for this insubordination. You’re no higher than the slaves we own. Or have you already forgotten that?”

The captain took a step forward.

“Maybe a night in the crow’s nest will help remind you just how precarious your current position is.”

Silence hung over the room like a thick, heavy blanket. If Sonic could move he was sure that he’d be squirming from all the tension. He heard the captain let out a heavy sigh before speaking again, this time much softer.

“...Look. I’m sorry that so much has happened to you, and I’m sorry that it came down to this. But pulling these kinds of stunts won’t help you regain our trust.”

“Who says I ever had any to begin with?” the black hedgehog murmured.

“You did. And you can still get it back. But you have to let this all go. I can’t protect you from Father forever. The sooner you understand that the Empire has always been your home, that we have always been your family, the better.”

Something about that sentence, or heck, about this whole conversation struck Sonic as odd. So the black hedgehog was a native of the Doom Empire? How? He didn’t look like any of the other demons. And why did it sound like they were in trouble? What did they do?

Sonic shook the confusing thoughts away when he heard footsteps moving towards what he assumed to be the door.

“Let me know if he wakes up. I’ll have the cooks prepare some food.”

The footsteps faded away as the door shut with a soft click. Once again, the room was quiet. Sonic took that chance to try and move his limbs again when he heard footsteps coming his way. His face paled as a sharp, crimson gaze came into view.

“Curious. Usually it takes people another day or so to wake up. I daresay this is impressive.”

Sonic struggled to keep his breathing under control. He still couldn’t move. Couldn't feel his muscles beneath the heavy covers on his body.

“W-What’s… happening… to me?”

The black hedgehog’s gaze softened. They sat on the edge of the bed and spoke in a reassuring voice.

“Lace bit you. Sucked out almost half of your blood and injected you with her venom in the process. You should get some rest.”

Sonic’s blood went cold. She sucked out his blood? Injected him with venom? Was she a vampire or something? Was he going to become one too? Was that what was happening to him? Sonic nearly choked on his own breath as he stared at the pirate. They were so close, and he couldn’t do anything if they chose to grab him.

“...Am I… dying…?”

The black hedgehog was quiet for a moment, studying him with a soft, almost remorseful gaze.

“No,” they reassured, “Lace’s venom only paralyzes, and the drug she gave you beforehand just makes you sleepy. It’ll all pass in a few days. Rest for now.”

They reached out and gently rubbed the top of Sonic’s head. The motion was strange, but comforting, reminding the blue hedgehog of the nights Tom or Maddie would do the same thing for him. Before long, Sonic felt his eyes drooping close until he was pulled back into sleep.

The black hedgehog watched as a tiny, single tear rolled down the prisoner’s peach muzzle. Their stomach twisted at the sight.

A knock at the door drew their attention. It opened to reveal a white wolf holding a breakfast tray of buttered toast, oatmeal, an apple, and a hard boiled egg.

“Brought you breakfast. Omega said you skipped.”

“Hm.”

The black hedgehog hummed as they took the tray from the wolf without another word. While they ate, the wolf took a glance at the sleeping blue hedgehog on the bed.

“Did he wake up?”

“Just briefly. Try to stay quiet.”

The wolf nodded. His tail swished as he shifted his gaze back onto the pirate before him.

“...Everyone’s talkin’ about what you did,” he murmured, “most of ‘em ain’t happy.”

“Doesn’t matter,” the black hedgehog replied, “Lace and her cronies were pissing me off.”

“Old memories?”

“...Yeah.”

The two fell into a comfortable silence after that. The wolf stood guard at the foot of the bed, their ears swiveled towards the door for any approaching footsteps. The black hedgehog finished the oatmeal and toast before sprinkling some salt onto their egg.

“Eclipse ordered the cooks to make him some food before he wakes up again. When it’s ready, can you bring it here?”

“Aye, cap,” the wolf responded.

The black hedgehog paused just before taking a bite of the egg. Their gaze fell to the floor.

“That’s not my title anymore, Gray.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Gray stated, turning his head so he was fully facing the pirate, “You’ll always be my captain.”

“...Thank you.”

After finishing up their meal and handing the tray back to Gray for the cooks to clean, the black hedgehog found themself alone once again with their prisoner. With a sigh, they walked over to the other side of the room, grabbed a chair from the desk, and walked back. They placed it near the headboard before taking a seat.

It was less comfortable than their own bed, but it would do. That blue hedgehog currently needed it more than him anyway.

Notes:

5.2k words. FIVE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND ELEVEN WORDS. HOW? BRAIN! EXPLAIN YOURSELF!

...

Gagh, nevermind... I've had this story idea floating around for a while actually. Probably around the time I wrote Booty. Shoutout to LightningHikaru's Tides of Chaos series because it is awesome and you should definitely go read it if you like pirates, romance, and Sonadow. And yes I will keep plugging this in as many chances as I can get.

Anyway, RIP Lace. I always knew you were gonna die like this, but I'll still miss writing you all the same. Same with Terrance though not really. Yeah, Terrance is also dead, he just doesn't get namedropped. Heard the commotion in the brig and saw Lace dead on the floor. When he tried to avenge her, he was met with a chaos spear to the chest. Oh well.

Once again, Happy Pride Month everyone!

Chapter 27: Rope

Sonic hummed Drunken Sailor under his breath as he finished polishing his captain’s spare boots. It was funny, but such a mundane task always calmed the hedgehog’s constantly racing mind. He didn’t know why that was; maybe it was the satisfaction of watching the leather go from filthy to clean beneath his hands. Maybe it was some deeper, psychological reason that Sonic wasn’t smart enough to decipher.

Either way, he liked doing it. And he was sure everyone appreciated him having something to do. They knew that when Sonic the Hedgehog got bored, chaos was not far behind.

Just as the blue hedgehog was finishing up his captain’s boots and moving on to Knuckles,’ he heard a loud shriek.

Sonic whipped his head towards the mast and spotted his captain now dangling several feet in the air, his left ankle messily ensnared in one of the ropes. The blue hedgehog abandoned his task in an instant.

“Shadow!”

“GET ME DOWN!” Shadow cried, his voice cracking at the end.

Sonic followed the rope’s trail all the way down to where it was tied. He grabbed the unusually messy looking knot, untied it, and started lowering his captain down.

“Hang on, cap!”

Shadow stopped his struggling and went completely still. Sonic noticed how he kept his eyes firmly shut. As soon as he was on the ground, the dark hedgehog scrambled to yank the rope off his boot. His breaths were short and ragged while his pupils were tiny.

“Hey! Hey. Look at me Shadow.”

Sonic knelt in front of his captain, gently cupping their shaking hands into his own. The contact caused Shadow to flinch violently, eyes snapping up to the concerned gaze of his first mate. His breaths were still shallow, his body shivering from head to toe, and heart no doubt pounding loudly against his chest. Sonic brought his captain’s hands up, keeping them in a firm but gentle hold while rubbing the tops with his thumbs.

“That’s it, cap. Deep breaths.”

It took a few minutes, but Shadow’s breathing did finally even out. He slumped forward with a quiet sigh, allowing Sonic to gently caress his right cheek. Said blue hedgehog held back a chuckle when his captain let out hoarse purrs.

“Better now?”

Shadow nodded. He growled as his eye landed on the discarded rope pieces.

“Who was in charge of the ropes?”

“Dunno,” Sonic said, glancing at the material briefly.

“I do.”

Omega suddenly appeared before the two hedgehogs. Though they couldn't see the details of his face, Sonic could sense a wave of unease from the specter.

“You saw who did it, Omega?” he asked, tilting his head.

“Yeah. When were you going to tell us about the other ship ghost?”

---

The moment Sonic opened his eyes, he found himself standing in the middle of White Haven. Specifically the fountain where he had first met all eight of the mysterious Familiars that resided within.

Good; that took care of half his mission. Now for the second part.

Sonic took off in one direction, running passed half-finished structures that vaguely resembled houses and bridges of sparkling water. He kept his eyes alert for any signs of movement, any traces of colorful fur or glowing eyes. His ears swivelled about for even the tiniest hint of mad laughter.

It didn’t take the blue hedgehog more than two seconds to figure out who this ‘second ship ghost’ was. That suspicion was only further cemented by the brief description Omega gave of the fuzzy individual poking their nose around the ropes.

Which led to the bigger question of what the Familiars were doing aboard The Shooting Star. And what was up with the rope stunt? Was it a prank? An accident? Some act of malice?

Sonic tried not to assume anything just yet; he didn’t have the full story, so until he found Jake, Raven, or one of the others, he was keeping his opinions in check.

He spotted a blur of movement running down a nearby alley.

Bingo!

Sonic sped across what he assumed might’ve been the town square of White Haven. He slid to a stop just at the mouth of the alleyway. Three trash cans stood against one side of the wall surrounded by loose bricks. A big green dumpster sat a few paces behind them, just below a fire escape.

Cautiously, the blue hedgehog padded into the dark and narrow area. Though it was dark, his eyes were still able to make out what appeared to be the white tip of a tail poking out from behind the dumpster.

“Hey,” he called out, “Who’s back there?”

The tail disappeared in an instant. Slowly, Sonic crept forward, trying to keep his footsteps as light as possible. He stayed close to the wall so as to give whoever was hiding a wide enough berth to run if need be. As he approached around the side, he was able to see more of the white tipped tail, as well as four white legs curled against a silver-gray body with a black back.

As if sensing his presence, the Familiar turned to face him with wide icy blue eyes and bristling fur. Though he was a dog, the way he held himself was much like a cat. A wide-eyed, petrified cat, who looked too terrified to even move.

Sonic crouched down so they could be eye level and waved.

“Hi there. You’re Duke, right?”

The dog was silent for a moment, shaking and staring at the hedgehog like he was a giant predator ready to pounce; it almost made his heart ache. Then, mechanically they nodded.

“Nice to see you again, Duke,” Sonic smiled, “You remember me, right?”

Another shaky nod.

“My buddy Omega said there was another ghost hanging around. He couldn’t get a good look at them since they’d always disappear last minute. He did manage to make out that they were a gray dog with blue eyes. Much like yours.”

Duke’s breath hitched. For a split second, the sclera of his eyes had turned black, and the pupils became skinny slits of blue. As quickly as it had happened the eyes returned to normal.

Sonic blinked at the sudden change.

Oookay. Filing that away for later…

“...I-I-I’m sorry…” Duke stuttered, “I-I didn’t… I didn’t mean to…!”

Tears started running down the Aussie’s face, his eyes constantly switching from that eerie black appearance to their normal one. Sonic risked scooching closer to the quivering dog and held his hands out placatingly.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Hey…”

He reached out to pet the dog, but pulled his hand away when he noticed the violent way they flinched. Sonic made sure to leave enough escape routes around them as he spoke.

“I’m not mad. I just wanna know what you were doing with the ropes.”

Duke averted his gaze. His breathing had started to slow, but his eyes continued looking off. His paws kneaded against the ground anxiously while his tail hugged his body.

The Aussie wiped his eyes and sniffed.

“I-It’s just… you and your crew are trying to help us, even though you barely know us. I-I-I wanted to pay you back somehow.”

He raised one paw to rub the side of his neck.

“W-We can’t do much like… this,” Duke lamented, gesturing to himself, “but since there’s a ton of Chaos Energy on your ship, enough to be able to physically interact with stuff, I-I wanted to help with some of the chores.”

“You did?” Sonic asked.

Duke nodded. He still refused to look the hedgehog directly in the eye.

“I-I saw how you guys tied the ropes around the mast. I thought I had a handle on how it worked, b-but…”

The Aussie squeezed his neck and attempted to shrink in on himself.

“...I’m sorry… Y-Your captain got hurt because of me…”

Sonic’s heart tightened. Hearing all of that and seeing the pup like this reminded him of how Gretta used to be during her first few months with the crew. She always felt a need to pull her weight, to work herself to the bone or just hide away so they’d forget she existed. That was how The Ethereal Sapphire had treated her. The very idea that Duke may have experienced some kind of similar treatment made Sonic’s gut twist.

With a gentle smile, the hedgehog lifted his hand to gently rub the top of Duke’s head. The Aussie flinched at the action, but didn't move away. In fact, he hesitantly started leaning further into the touch.

“Thanks for telling me, Duke,” Sonic said, “I appreciate you wanting to help, but I don’t want you to feel like you owe us anything. I’m helping you guys because I want to. Simple as that.”

“B-But…”

Duke deflated a little hearing that, so Sonic decided to compromise.

“If you still really wanna help, I can talk to Shadow. I’m sure he won’t mind having some extra hands.”

Duke’s eyes widened.

“W-What about-?”

“What happened with the ropes was an accident,” Sonic interrupted, “if you tell Shadow he’ll understand. Personally, I’m just glad no one got hurt.”

He scratched the pup behind the ear. To his amusement, the tip of Duke’s tail started to wag. He finally lifted his gaze to meet the hedgehog’s with trepidation.

“So… You’re not… mad?”

“Not at all,” Sonic responded, “and like I said: if you still wanna help around the ship, my crew and I can show you the ropes!”

A tiny smile wormed its way across Duke’s muzzle. It wasn’t much, but it was there. At the same time, the Aussie’s eyes fully reverted back to normal.

Sonic mentally patted himself on the back. And everyone said his corny jokes weren’t anything but annoying!

“...Thanks… Mr. Sonic.”

Sonic smiled even brighter, ruffling the top of Duke’s head.

“Sure thing kiddo. And please, just call me Sonic.”

---

Sunlight poured onto Sonic’s face when he finally woke up. Shadow was staring back at him, seemingly just waking up only a few short moments before him. The blue hedgehog smirked.

“Morning, sunshine.”

“Pretty sure it’s past noon by now,” Shadow snorted.

“Yeah, probably.”

The two untangled their limbs and stood up from the bed. Shadow stretched his arms as he walked over to the desk and reached for his eyepatch. Sonic watched him carefully.

“Feel better?”

Once he turned around, Shadow adjusted the eyepatch and nodded.

“Did you get any answers?” he asked.

“Yep!” Sonic chirped, stretching his arms above his head.

He paused when he felt a gentle nudge on the base of his back. Turning around, he was surprised to see someone else sitting behind him.

“Oh!” the blue hedgehog turned back to his captain, “And there’s someone who wants to speak with you.”

Shadow’s curiosity turned to surprise when he saw a ghostly dog poking its head out from behind Sonic’s body. His first mate smiled and sat up so the two could fully see each other.

Duke gulped, anxiety leaking out from every inch of his body, even as he tried to sit tall before the dark hedgehog.

“C-Captain.”

Shadow’s eyes widened even further. He quickly schooled his features as he spoke.

“...You’re one of the Familiars.”

Duke nodded. He shot a quick nervous glance at Sonic, who gave him a thumbs up in return. His gaze shifted back to Shadow.

“M-My name’s Duke. I-I’m the one who messed with the ropes,” he quickly bowed his head, “I apologize for the trouble I caused.”

“He just wanted to pay us back for the emerald hunt,” Sonic added.

Shadow’s eyes widened, no doubt thinking back to Gretta’s early days just like he had. He nodded thoughtfully.

“...I see.”

He carefully padded towards the bowing Aussie and sat on the bed. Duke’s shoulders hunched at the sudden dip in the mattress, but didn’t move. Shadow took a deep breath.

“...Since it was an accident, I will let this slide. However, if you’re going to keep hanging around, you will need to learn how to work on a ship.”

Duke stiffened at the sternness of Shadow’s tone, but nodded his head. The captain’s face softened with a sigh as he stood up.

“Luckily for you, we have many teachers. I’m also positive that Omega won’t mind having some more ghosts to talk to.”

“That I do not!” the specter chirped, appearing by Sonic’s side.

The blue hedgehog surprised himself when he barely even flinched.

Duke slowly lifted his head to stare at Shadow with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“We will teach you and your siblings how things are run around here,” Shadow continued, “That way we don’t have accidents like this again. Got it?”

It took another moment for Duke to snap out of his stupor and nod vigorously. The tip of his tail started to wag.

“Y-Yes sir! Thank you sir! When can we start?”

“Tomorrow. It’s dinner time right now, and I need to check in with the crew.”

“Told you we’d show you the ropes, kid!” Sonic smiled.

Shadow groaned and rubbed his head, much to his first mate’s amusement.

Duke leapt to his paws, his whole tail wagging behind him. The smile on his face was almost as bright as the setting sun shining through the window above the bed.

“I-I’ll tell the others! Right now! Thank you Captain Sir!”

He gave a hasty salute before disappearing. Sonic chuckled, coming to stand by his captain’s side. Without warning he wrapped an arm around their neck.

“Told you they were cute.”

Shadow just rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Yeah, yeah.”

Omega floated in front of them.

“You do realize that if we’re gonna be having more ghosts hanging around this ship, we’re gonna have to tell the whole crew, right? No point in doing the whole 'hide the secret from everyone' schtick like we did with Sonic, right?”

Shadow groaned and flattened his ears. Sonic rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, sparing a glance at his captain.

“Tell them over dinner?”

“Might as well.”

Notes:

I swear to cuss and back seven times over this story is cursed. It was supposed to come out a while ago! I JUST uploaded another prompt and had to delete it when I realized, chronologically, this one comes first! I'll have it posted again soon. Going to the beach with friends tomorrow so y'all are getting a double upload tonight from me.

Chapter 28: Hardtack

Notes:

Okay let's try this again. Story's not dead, timeline's been restored, bla bla bla bla bla...

We good? We good. Kay. Great. *blows a kiss to the audience* Good Night Everybody!

“Tails! Buddy!”

“Yipe!”

Tails almost jumped into the air at the sound of the new voice, namesakes fluffing out to twice their size. Snapping his gaze towards the opening of the Crow’s Nest, the fox sighed in relief upon seeing his big brother climbing up.

“Sorry!” Sonic grinned sheepishly, “Didn’t mean to scare ya!”

Tails placed a hand over his heart in an attempt to calm it. He smoothed down the fur on his namesakes as he gave his brother a smile.

“It’s alright.”

Sonic pulled himself fully up to the Crow’s Nest and sat down. In his hands was a plate of grilled chicken, stir fried vegetables, mashed potatoes, and a scone. Tails’ mouth watered at the sight.

“Brought you dinner.”

“Wait, dinner!?”

Tails looked up to the sky to find that the sun was currently making its way towards the horizon, turning the blue ocean above into a gradient of orange and pink. The fox blinked in surprise. Did he lose track of time again?

With pink cheeks and ears, Tails slowly took the warm plate from his brother’s hands and placed it in his lap.

“...Thanks.”

Sonic smiled knowingly. He crossed his legs, placing one hand beneath his chin.

“So whatcha workin’ on this time?”

Still blushing, Tails held up the device he had been tinkering on. It was a tablet, with a spinning antennae and light attached to the top and a handle on either side for a better grip.

“It’s an energy reader,” he explained, “It’ll help me detect the energy traces that everyone gives off, and hopefully aid us in finding the emeralds.”

“What’s wrong with using me?” Sonic teased.

Tails looked at the blue hedgehog with unamused, half lidded eyes.

“Well aside from obvious ethical reasons that I don’t need to spell out for you, there may come a time where we need to find the Chaos Emeralds but can’t rely on you. Once I perfect this baby, it’ll be our backup!”

“Look at you, thinking ahead!”

Tails squawked as Sonic leaned over to ruffle the bangs on his head. He swatted the hand away playfully, still being mindful of his cooling plate.

“In addition, I was hoping it’d help us keep track of those ghost Familiars you befriended. Their prison is constructed of chaos energy, so hopefully this’ll pick them up as well.”

“If you stick around the deck long enough, you’ll have plenty of chances to test that theory,” Sonic stated.

Tails’ namesakes wagged as he rubbed the back of his head.

“It’s more of a hypothesis than a theory. Plus this thing still needs some tweaking.”

“Well before you get back into tinkering mode and tune out the world for the next three hours, eat up!”

At that moment, Tails’ stomach let out a loud growl. He shrunk back in embarrassment.

“...Right.”

The fox took a small bite of the grilled chicken, and then proceeded to gobble up the rest the moment the food touched his mouth. Sonic chuckled at the sight.

“Did you skip breakfast today?”

“...I had some hardtack,” Tails replied, swallowing his current bite of chicken.

Sonic looked at him knowingly.

“Cookie made enough for the whole crew to have thirds, so eat up. I wanna see that plate empty. Veggies included. I’ll take you for seconds if you’re still hungry.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore you know,” Tails huffed.

“Mmmmhmm,” Sonic drawled.

The fox rolled his eyes with a sigh.

“Fine, fine.”

He continued to eat his absolutely heavenly meal while Sonic sat beside him. Together they watched the sky slowly fade from blue, to more orange and pink, and eventually a deep purple.

Tails couldn’t remember the last time he and his brother just hung out like this; they’d been so busy with the emerald hunt, chores, and their own activities as of late. Sonic especially now that he was helping eight ghostly animals adjust to a ship. Of course the whole crew was helping (not even batting an eye at the fact that they were ghosts because Omega existed), but Sonic spent most of his time with them. Tails knew he was doing a good thing, but he also missed spending time with his family.

As if reading his thoughts, Sonic spoke.

“We should hang out like this more often. Just get some food and sit out on the deck.”

“Yeah,” Tails agreed.

He lowered his ears with a small frown.

“I guess we’ve all just been kinda busy lately. You especially…”

Sonic sighed.

“I know. And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to start ignoring you guys.”

“I know,” Tails laughed sadly, “It’s funny. Even though we live on the same ship, I kinda miss you.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Sonic draped an arm over the fox’s shoulders and pulled him close. Tails leaned into the embrace while finishing off his veggies. He moved on to the mashed potatoes next. Bits of green onion and other herbs complimented the potatoes and gave them more flavor.

“How about this: we’re stopping at a port tomorrow for a few hours, so why don’t we grab Knuckles and the three of us have a race? Just like we used to!”

Tails perked up at the suggestion.

“Ooh! Can we have a picnic too?”

“Why not? I’ll ask Cookie if we can borrow the kitchen for that.”

“Or we can buy some food from the vendors.”

“Now you’re talking!” Sonic cheered.

Tails laughed. When they were little, Tom and Maddie would take them out for camping trips and picnics. They were always fun, so having something similar with both of his brothers again made Tails’ chest blossom with warmth. His namesakes also began to wag.

At that moment, Sonic’s stomach let out a loud, fierce growl. Tails looked up at his brother’s now embarrassed face.

“Have you eaten yet?”

“Uh…”
Before Sonic could respond or give his typical flippant excuse, a sharp, booming voice cried out from below.

“HEDGEHOG! GET DOWN HERE!”

Tails looked at his brother with a knowing, teasing smirk. The tips of the hedgehog’s ears were now as bright pink as his face. He chuckled nervously.

“I may have bailed on lunch…” he admitted, “again.”

Tails crossed his arms with a playfully raised eyebrow.

“How many times is that now?”

Sonic opened his mouth to respond, a witty retort no doubt on the tip of his tongue, when suddenly in a blink Shadow was looming over the two of them. Both brothers yelped in surprise, with Sonic trying to hide part of himself behind the fox.

Shadow was having none of it and grabbed Sonic by the collar.

“The fox has his dinner. Now come get yours.”

In another flash, both hedgehogs were gone, leaving Tails alone in the Crow’s Nest.

Or so he thought.

“...Does that happen often?”

“OH GEEZ!”

Tails felt his heart stop for a moment as he turned to face a gray Australian Shepherd perched on the nest’s edge. His head was tilted curiously to one side while his icy blue eyes conveyed a mixture of confusion, curiosity, and concern. Once Tails calmed his rapidly beating heart (again), he sighed.

“Pretty much…”

The dog -Duke if Tails recalled correctly- glanced at him.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah…” Tails replied, “I’m good. Just… thinking of ways to set an alarm up here.”

Duke tilted his head.

“Why?”

“No reason…”

Other than the fact that everybody thinks it’s okay to just come up here and GIVE ME A HEART ATTACK!

Maybe it’d be easier if he just did his gadget work exclusively in his room. The fresh air was nice, but if Tails valued his pulse, he needed some damn privacy to work. And a lock.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 4 of Sonic the Hedgehog: Pirates of the Cerulean Seas