Sonic the Hedgehog was one of the most agile and graceful fighters on all of planet Mobius. For good reason too, when you've been fighting against robot's that give you split seconds to catch your breath and fire bullets that go off mere centimeters from your head since you were eight you have to adapt quickly.
"Don't put so much power behind it! Do you want to destroy this whole damn field?!"
The cobalt and peach hedgehog stopped in his tracks and glared dryly at the black and red hedgehog that was training him to use his chaos powers better.
Shadow the Hedgehog was one of the few Mobians, possibly only, that could match up to him in speed. While Sonic relied on speed, agility, grace, and quick thinking, Shadow relied on strategy, strength, and his chaos powers, along with a few underhanded tricks.
After the events with Solaris and Mephiles the two had met up again and had somehow struck up a strange friendship after a couple fights and races. It might have been partly due to the fact that they were the only ones who remembered what had really happened since Silver had left and their super forms had protected their memories.
"Can you tell me what I'm supposed to do then?!" Sonic shot back as he walked forward towards the dark hero.
Shadow sighed and also walked towards his younger friend, "I'm not sure. Your powers are completely different from mine. Maybe if we combine them for a minute I can figure out how they work."
For a few seconds he froze before nodding. Two clicking sounds and a light flashed through his senses. Feeling something on his wrists Sonic looked down.
Circling around his thin peach wrist was a golden cuff. He looked up again towards Shadow.
"If I have both on I can't come into contact with anyone else's energy. It was a caution in case I went crazy. What I've learned how to do though is connect with someone else completely if they're wearing one of mine. Now put your hand against mine like we're time-traveling."
Sonic nodded.
Carefully Shadow poked and prodded until he was able to find the power. Most of it was… warm and inviting, while another smaller amount was cold and angry. Every cell was filled to the brim with chaos, along with another powerful energy he didn't recognize.
Sonic meanwhile was almost asleep when he noticed a strange swirl around their hands. His eyes opened more before… "Shadow… what's that?"
Red eyes snapped open and stared where light green and yellow energy was swirling around their hands and clinging to the fur beneath their gloves.
"Sonic…"
"Yeah Shads?"
"Promise me you'll stay safe."
Now almost wide-awake emerald eyes stared back into red ones, "Why? What's going on?"
"Our energies are completely different; they're mixing. I don't know if we'll time-travel or dimension hop. Just try to keep a reign on your emotions, that's where your powers come from."
Sonic nodded and gave Shadow a small smile, "Don't worry 'bout me buddy. I'll be okay."
"I promise Sonic," Shadow began with his own small smile, "I will find you."
Silently the light expanded and engulfed the hedgehogs before collapsing and leaving an empty field.
XXxxXX
Ruby colored eyes stared into emerald as the blue hedgehog owning them scrambled to move a gloved hand away from his throat. After slipping and paling more from lack of oxygen he managed to get a good grip and shove the black and red hedgehog that'd been choking him into a tree.
Carefully he moved so that nothing was at his back as he kept an eye on his opponent.
The black and red hedgehog carelessly moving the ring around his wrist before looking over at the blue hedgehog and raising an eyebrow, the boy had stopped rubbing his neck and was now waiting to be attacked again.
He inwardly winced as he saw the beginnings of a bruise forming under the blue fur. That would leave a mark in the morning, if he lived that long.
Suddenly putting on a burst of speed he appeared behind the other hedgehog and once again wrapped a hand around the boy's throat.
"I never learned what your name was." He said quietly into on blue ear.
The ear twitching and he could feel the younger on stiffen, "Why do you want to know my name?"
He chuckled, "Well, I'm assuming you know mine. If you don't, then I am Prince Shadow, heir to Black Doom."
"Sonic." The blue hedgehog replied, suddenly sounding more frustrated than anything.
Shadow smirked, ready to make a scathing remark, when an elbow suddenly slammed into his chin with a loud crack. As he automatically let go to inspect the damage a shoe followed up the elbow, slamming into his stomach and sending him into a tree.
The seething black and red hedgehog stood and glared at his opponent, before rushing him again, only to meet with empty air before the blue one reappeared and they stalled in a shoving match.
"You're suddenly a challenge, switch places with someone while I wasn't looking?" Shadow asked.
Sonic sent him a smirk as he moved his own foot to intercept the one that was aimed at his knee, "No, just decided to take you a tiny bit more seriously."
Shadow glared angrily as he moved his hand and made a swipe towards the other's quills, which was easily ducked and he jumped back to avoid the other's own blows.
It was now extremely hard to match this quick hedgehog with the one that he'd seen resting against a tree with a knapsack over his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" His eyebrows furrowed as he looked over at the other, whom now had a note of panic in his voice, before glancing at his hand. Yellow… something… swirled around it and towards the other, who had green something repeating the actions. They met between them with a sudden flash.
When the light cleared the two were gone, replaced by two hedgehogs that were almost exactly the same.