Good Fortune

Chapter 1 – The Festival

It was a wondrous day for Green Hill Zone. Once every summer, Green Hill Zone hosts a spectacular festival and many people from across Mobius is encouraged to attend. It's a way to celebrate the unity and peace of Mobius in a place that helped defeat enemies like Eggman. Sonic the Hedgehog gets an entire section dedicated to his heroism, and there is a huge statue of him right in the center of the festival.

Many Mobians of all ages were already at the festival early in the morning, chowing down on cotton candy and riding rides. Even some of Sonic's friends and companions were found roaming around in the crowds.

However, Sonic wasn't a part of the fun. At least, not in the beginning. He sat on a nearby mountaintop, watching as everyone else had a good time and listening to the laughs and cheers of children.

He went from smiling to frowning on several different occasions. Of course he would love to be down there having fun with his friends, but there was one person that constantly kept appearing in his thoughts. He didn't know why this person was constantly there in his mind, torturing him, but he knew that he just had to deal with it.

Sonic was about to get up and go for a little walk when suddenly somebody came up from behind him. "I would've expected you to be down there."

Sonic's heart leaped for a second. He thought he was alone. He stood up and turned around to see that Shadow was right there, looking at him. "W-what?" Sonic stammered.

Shadow didn't even flinch. "That festival has a lot to do with you, and you're not even a part of it. Do you not care for anybody's recognition of you?"

Sonic shook his head and tried to keep a smile on his face. "No, I'm fine with the recognition. It's just… believe it or not, it's nice to be all by yourself with your thoughts, even if it means being away from the people you care about for a little bit."

"I see." Shadow thought for the second. "I guess I probably know a concept like that more than anyone."

Sonic approached Shadow. "Well… it doesn't always have to be like that, Shadow. We're all your friends, and you don't have to stay so far away from the group all of the time."

Shadow turned around for a second and said, "I know. But I'm just not comfortable with… social interactions. Besides, with what I've done, I wouldn't be surprised if your friends would be quite as accepting of me."

"You don't know that. They are very accepting people."

Shadow eventually turned back around. "Yes, I'm aware. I hardly see them doing anything but supporting you." Shadow went closer to the edge of the mountaintop. "But I'm not going to be a part of anything. Not yet." Shadow crossed his arms. "There's nothing you can do that can stop that."

"Oh… okay," Sonic said, wondering why Shadow was behaving so strangely. "Well… uh, if you change your mind, then I guess I will be at the festival. I'll probably be roaming with Tails or Knuckles or something like that, so don't be afraid to come find me."

Shadow turned his head. "Okay."

Sonic's smile faded as he walked away from Shadow. He had noticed over the years that Shadow had changed and became better adapted to the world around him. He could tell that Shadow was trying his best to be a better part of society, though he was just having trouble getting comfortable. Sonic figured it was because he was mostly alone for a large portion of his life.

And through these life changes, Sonic got to know Shadow a little better. He got to see beyond Shadow's dark past and got a peek into his brighter future. It made Sonic smile whenever he helped Shadow discover something new about the world that he didn't have fifty years ago. And that caused something to develop inside of Sonic.

The more Shadow and Sonic see each, the more Sonic developed feelings for Shadow. Sonic always wanted to be around Shadow, despite them being fairly different in their lifestyle sense. Sonic would rather be out running while Shadow generally stayed indoors and secluded from the world.

Though, the problem still persisted. Sonic liked Shadow, and he knew that Shadow would never have the same feelings for him. It was a fact that he was just starting to get used to.

Sonic walked down the hillside and eventually walked over to the festival entrance. Everything seemed much bolder when Sonic approached the festival. He knew that they had done much better this year than any other year.

Sonic entered through the front gates, and it didn't take long for people to take notice. He was the blue blur that saved them from Eggman several times, so it was easy to spot him from a mile away.

The kids had little restraint when they all approached. A lot of them where cheering and praising him, admiring his heroism throughout the years.

"Heh, that's me," Sonic said with a bright smile. He kneeled to be level with the shorter kids. He looked at one of the red hedgehogs and asked, "What's your name?"

The red hedgehog was a bit shyer than the rest of the kids. She spoke in a quiet voice when she said, "My name is… Kayleen."

"Hi, Kayleen. Are you having a good time at the festival?"

She nodded eagerly. She turned her head to reveal a Sonic figure painted behind her ear.

Sonic chuckled. "It's really pretty, Kayleen. I hope you have a good rest of the day." Sonic stood up and yelled, "And I hope you all enjoy the festival!"

All of the kids cheered in unison as many of them ran amuck, whether it be to a food stand or to another ride. Many of the parents looked in admiration of Sonic, liking the fact that he was really good with children.

Sonic looked around and noticed that he was being approached. It didn't take long for him to recognize his good buddy Tails approaching him. "Tails! Hey, man!"

Tails waved and said, "Hey, Sonic! It's so good to see you." Tails went up and hugged Sonic. "It's been a few months since we've seen each other, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," Sonic said with a smile. "I'm going to make an effort to come visit you more often."

"I'd like that a lot," Tails said as he let go of Sonic. "Knuckles is here, too. I think he was waiting in line for a ride the last time I saw him."

"Well I guess we can go look for him while we catch up," Sonic said.

Tails nodded. "That sounds good."

Sonic began walking and said, "So, how have you been?"

"Well, I've been doing a lot of inventing lately."

"Oh, really? Anything super crazy yet?"

"Not yet. I've been setting my expectations too high lately and getting bad results." Tails chuckled. "I had to call Shadow a couple of weeks ago to come help me out since he lives so close to me. I got burns from my welding equipment and he had to come help me."

"Wait, what?" Sonic asked, curious about Shadow. "Shadow lives close to you?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah, he moved in last month and is only about a quarter mile away from me. Why, you sound kind of shocked by that?"

Sonic simply shrugged. "I guess… I guess I thought he would tell me about something like that."

Tails shrugged. "Eh, I know you two are friends and all, but he is Shadow after all. He just up and moves without telling people about it."

"Yeah, I know," Sonic said, trying not to let such a small thing get to him. "Forget I said anything."

Tails nodded. "Alright. It's not a really a big deal." Tails paused for a second. "So… back to what I was saying about my inventions."

Sonic didn't pay much attention to Tails after that. He did reply and nod his head, but he didn't do much more than that. He was a little distracted, his mind going to different subjects every few moments. Not to mention that he was a bit tired and hungry.

As Tails continued talking, Sonic looked around at the various food booths and attractions. Eventually, Sonic's eyes landed on a large purple and pink tent had a sign next to it that said "Fortune Teller". Sonic stopped for a moment to stare at the monument of a tent, something about it standing out to Sonic.

Tails turned around once he noticed Sonic stop. "Are you okay, Sonic?" Tails asked as he returned.

Sonic looked at Tails for a brief second before returning his gaze to the large tent. "We didn't have a fortune teller at the festival last year, did we?"

Tails shook his head. "No, and it's funny that you bring that up. I'm one of the coordinators for the festival now and I helped arrange some of the tents and stuff. The old woman that is the owner of this tent asked if she could be a fortune teller for the festival. She told us that it was extremely crucial and people would learn some insightful things from her words."

"Sounds weird," Sonic said.

"It was, but we figured why not. She had the credentials to have a place in the festival, and we never had a fortune teller before."

"Oh, that's actually pretty cool, then." Sonic turned to Tails and said, "We should go inside."

"What about Knuckles, though?"

"It's not going to take that long. Besides, we should at least have a little bit of fun while we're here."

Tails nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Besides, I've never had my fortune told to me before."

"Yeah, me neither," Sonic responded. He walked over to the tent and opened up the entrance for both himself and Tails. The tent was really tall, but the space inside wasn't all that large. Though, it was enough for Sonic, Tails, and the fortune teller to fit.

"Ah, I've been expecting you, Sonic the Hedgehog," the fortune teller said. She was an older white hedgehog. Her idle look seemed somewhat angry, but she had a sweet and tender smile.

"You've been expecting me?" Sonic asked. Sonic knew that people liked seeing him, but no one has exactly… expected him.

"Yes. My fortune has told me that I would be seeing the famous Sonic the Hedgehog in my tent on this very day."

Sonic forced himself to not roll his eyes. He figured she was just making this up just so that he would believe the fortunes were really. "Okay," he said as he sat down in front of the fortune teller's table. It had everything a generic fortune teller would have: a crystal ball, tarot cards, things like that. "So… can you tell me a fortune?"

"Yes, but you need to tell me what fortune I can give you," the fortune teller said, her smile fading. She paused for a moment and then looked at Tails. "I feel the aura is being blocked by your presence, two-tailed fox. In order for me to accurately listen to the spirits, I must ask you to leave until your friend is finished."

"What? But I want to listen to Sonic's fortune, too," Tails protested.

"Then I'm afraid there is nothing that I can do," she responded. "The spirits are shy, delicate creatures. They don't like speaking to more than two beings at a time."

Tails rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Fine." He looked down at Sonic and said, "I'll be right outside when she's done telling you crazy things." Tails walked out of the tent.

Sonic nodded and turned back to the fortune teller. "Are the spirits really shy?"

"Yes, they are. There is a reason why they don't present themselves to very many people in this world. They are afraid of many Mobians."

"Oh," Sonic said, not sure how to respond to a thing like that.

"So, you would like your fortune told to you?"

Sonic nodded. "Yes, I would. That is what you're here for, right?"

"Yes, I am here to speak on behalf of the spirits," she said in a wispy voice. "But first you must tell them what fortune you want to hear."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'm sure you know exactly what I'm talking about." The fortune teller placed her hands on Sonic's left hand, causing him to flinch. "I can tell that you have a lot of negative aura brewing up inside of you. The spirits are telling me that you are uncertain about something important. Or…" she paused for a moment. "Someone important. Perhaps a loved one… or a companion."

This then brought images into Sonic's mind. A companion. Like Shadow.

The fortune teller opened her eyes and looked into Sonic's eyes, almost as if she could read his thoughts. "Ah, yes. It is uncertainty about a companion. Sonic the Hedgehog… do you know what you need to ask the spirits?"

Sonic didn't even need to think. He knew exactly what he wanted to ask. He nodded and said, "Yeah. I do now." Sonic looked down and then up into the tall tent. "I've had feelings for someone, and I'm not sure if he has feelings for me. Shadow the Hedgehog has been a better part of my lives for a couple of years, and I don't know what I would do without him." Sonic looked at the fortune teller. She was smiling again.

"The spirits are smiling at you, Sonic the Hedgehog. They see the good in your soul." The fortune teller bent over and looked under her table. She rummaged through the many things that she had stored in the tent until she eventually revealed a large jug. It was brown with several purple lines on it. "In order to truly see the light of your fortune, then you must drink from this jug."

Sonic leaned a little bit back, avoiding the jug as she practically forced it on him. "I'm not sure if I feel comfortable about drinking something that I don't know what it is."

"Trust is a funny thing, Sonic the Hedgehog," she said quickly. "However, if you don't drink from this drug, then you will continue to live in the shadows of confusion and your spirit will show eternal holes. If you would like to see the answer to your fortune and bring good fortune to your live, then I urge you to drink."

Sonic hesitated for a moment. He didn't believe that the woman would ever give him something that would harm him, but he could have never been sure if this was all a trick. Though, curiosity was beginning to burn through him, and he almost couldn't stand the thought of not knowing.

He grabbed the jug from the woman and, with a bit of courage, took a few sips before handing it back.

"Good, you've made a good choice, Sonic the Hedgehog," she said, sustaining her smile.

"What do we do now?" Sonic asked as he got over how bitter the drink was. It tasted a little like wine, but it was less fruity and more sour.

"Only time will tell. Wait until the end of this experience and you will see the happy ending that you've been looking for."

"What does that mean?"

"Only time will tell," she repeated.

That's when Sonic felt it. His entire body, little by little began feeling a little strange. First, his stomach became a little queasy, and his head then began to feel heavy. Then he felt his motor skills were shutting down."

"W-what did you do to me?" Sonic asked with the little energy that he had left. He was beginning to lean onto the table in front of him. Everything was becoming incredibly foggy and he almost couldn't hear the last statement from the fortune teller before he passed out.

"Only time will tell."