"Shadow!"

The source of the voice faded, along with everything else around him. He'd faintly felt arms wrap around his torso before his senses had dulled into nothingness. Pinpricks of red following a path, he walked along it with no self control of his own. His strides now in auto-pilot, the path had opened up before him, colorful lights swallowing him whole.

The light consumed him, the darkness was no more. He was terrified, and called out into the emptiness before him. Soon his body fell numb and rigid, a gentle buzz overwhelming him. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back into the ocean of light. Through the veil of numbness covering his body, he felt trickles of warmth slipping between his quills, and burrowing into his fur. His consciousness regained, and he felt a stab of disdain as he watched the light dissipate before him, leaving him alone and cold in the void once more.

He awoke to the quiet pitter patter of raindrops hitting the surface of the planet. Petrichor was heavy in the air, along with the blanket of moisture thrown into the atmosphere. It was a comfortable warm outside. His face was pressed against something hot, not unbearably so, but hot enough to be noticeable. He opened his eyes to cobalt and peach, and he'd realized he'd been sat in his temporary partner's lap, head leaning against his chest.

He felt Sonic's chest rise and fall, a gentle snore occasionally resounding in his throat. Shadow's brows pinched together, remembering the earlier events of today. He couldn't recall much besides the immense fear he felt before blacking out. He remembers seeing his vision blacken around the edges, tiny red dots lighting his view, and being engulfed in the darkness.

'I must have overloaded my senses.' he thought. Too much energy consumption and use can have incredibly damaging effects on him. 'It also leads to some interesting dreams...'

He shook his head, and looked out beyond the opening of the cave they were residing in. The mission had lead them to the deepest part of a forest, where supposedly, one of Robotnik's old bases was hidden. The intel was not false, gathered by Rouge during one of her tactical espionage missions, yet they'd been ambushed in the middle of it. He was thankful the Commander had pressed for backup, since Omega was with Hope for repairs and Rouge was scouting ahead. Sonic had of course been the first to come in mind, not that he was complaining.

Sonic shifted beneath him, and for a moment he considered moving, finding their current position a bit too...Intimate. Before he could move, Sonic's arms tightened around him. He blushed, and pressed his face further Sonic's chest. He's not even really sure why they were in this position to begin with, but he certainly didn't mind. It may be a bit close for comfort, but he was warm, and the other was soft.

This was short-lived, as he felt Sonic stir into consciousness. Emerald eyes met his own, and the other greeted him with a smile.

He gave Sonic a curt nod, and gestured to their position. Sonic blushed and looked away.

"You were shivering, so I...Uh...It made more sense at the time, sorry." he relinquished his grip.

Shadow stood, brushing himself off. "Thank you. I appreciate the sentiment."

Sonic scratched idly at the back of his neck. "I-It was no problem! When you passed out I kinda panicked." He dropped his arm to rest at his side, and looked up at Shadow, brows knitted together in concern. "What happened back there?"

Shadow crossed his arms, head swaying side to side, quills bounding along as he did so. "Sensory overload. I abused my abilities and paid the price for it, compromising the mission." The end of his statement punctuated with a solemn stare into the other's eyes.

"Psh, its fine! We got what we needed right? Now we know the base isn't abandoned!"

Shadow sighed, nodding. "I suppose. It doesn't change my recklessness though."

Sonic rolled his eyes and grinned. "You know, you don't have to do everything perfectly. Everyone has little slip-ups here and there."

"I was literally made to be perfect. I shouldn't have slipped up in the first place."

Sonic's grin turned into a tight-lipped frown. "I wish you wouldn't...Talk about yourself like that. Like you don't amount to anything unless you live up to your namesake. 'The Ultimate Life-form' should be allowed to make a few mistakes every once in a while."

Shadow sighed and sat next to the other. "Its easy for you to say that. You weren't created in a lab. You weren't designed for perfection. You were brought into this world naturally, so you shouldn't have unnatural expectations to live up to."

"And neither should you!" Shadow turned to look at him now. Sonic's eyes gleamed in the dim light, sending an odd feeling running through his body. Thunder roared above them, lightning struck the planet's crust in the distance. "You're not...You shouldn't have that weight on your shoulders. You shouldn't have to put that on yourself. You're a living thing."

"A living weapon." Shadow corrected. Sonic huffed.

"A living thing none the less. How you were made and why you were made has nothing to do with how you should live, Shadow."

Shadow's gaze trained on his feet. "Rouge always tells me I'm too hard on myself. I...I suppose I am. But I need to be in order to keep myself motivated."

"Sometimes too much motivation can overpower you. That might've been what happened today."

Shadow met his eyes once again, emerald piercing through garnet. "Perhaps. I may've pushed myself too hard."

"Ya think?"

Shadow chuckled, catching Sonic off-guard. He quickly regained his composure, averting Sonic's stare.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Shadow stutters a response, "Y-yes. I'm fine. Thank you for your concern."

He feels a hand fall onto his shoulder, and looks up at the other. He's greeted with another smile. "You're not alone anymore Shadow. And you don't have to be so formal!"

Shadow feels heat creeping up on him. "I know...Thank you."

The two stared in silence for a moment, a loud growl from the heavens shattering their thoughts. The storm raged on outside, the gentle sounds of a light drizzle forming into the more aggressive voices of the raindrops berating the soil and rock surrounding them. The sky beat down on the earth below, light around them dwindling in the thick gray clouds that loomed overhead.

Soon the darkness had engulfed the cave and the surrounding forest, lightening being the only thing illuminating the darkened sky.

"Oh, great. I can't see a thing like this..." He heard the other grumble.

Shadow blinked, and looked down at his hands. He lifted one up, palm outstretched to the skies above, and focused his energy into it. The familiar buzzing sensation he'd felt earlier had been reawakened within him, only now a faint murmur as it traveled up his arm. He felt needles reach up to his fingertips, throughout his hand, and a small red light erupted above it, like a flame, dancing in the wind. In the corner of his eyes he could see Sonic staring, mouth agape.

"H-How did you do that?"

"I...Its Chaos energy. I can manipulate it to create anything I want, really. It's how I summon Chaos Spears." The red flame twirled in the air above his hand as he spoke, rhythmically moving to the pattern of his voice.

Shadow warily looked up, hoping the other wouldn't consider his abilities too strange. To his surprise, Sonic greeted him excitedly, bright green eyes dancing with child-like wonder. "Woah! That's incredible, Shadow!"

Shadow suppressed a small smile. "You know, I'm sure you could probably do the same. I sense a faint presence of the same energy within you. I'm positive that you could do what I can with a bit of practice."

Sonic gestured wildly with his hands, smiling widely. "Can you teach me?"

Shadow could feel his face light up, despite his attempts at willing his face back to being expressionless. "Of course." The red flame Shadow had conjured faded, and he turned towards Sonic. Sonic did the same, their legs criss-crossed and knees touching. "Hold out your hand."

Sonic complied. "Palm upright." Sonic nodded, his face showing determination. Shadow slipped his hand under the others. "Now, close your eyes, and focus and the darkness before you."

Shadow could barely make out Sonic's features, the other's face scrunched up in deep concentration, eyes squeezed shut. Shadow smiled, and directed his energy flow into Sonic's hand. "Describe what you see to me."

Sonic's brow twisted upwards as he spoke. "I see...Nothing right now. No wait! Hold on. There's little...Red lights...Like fireflies! They're really dim, and they keep flickering."

Shadow nodded. "Good. Tell me what you feel."

"I...Feel like...Like when your leg falls asleep? That's what it feels like. Its weird. It's getting more intense, too."

"That's good! That's a good thing. Now, I want you to focus on those lights. Let them guide you. Let that feeling of numbness overtake you. Try not to repel it."

He could feel Sonic inhale deeply, exhaling through his nose. "They...They're blue? They changed."

"Can you see it? My energy, dancing with yours. Blue and red, twirling together like clouds of doves." He could see Sonic's muzzle redden in the dim lighting.

"Y-Yeah! This is amazing! What is it?"

"This is called Chaos Exchange. I've hardly ever used it, since there aren't many living things in this world that can handle Chaos Energy. The energy I've given to you is yours now. It will spark a chain reaction within you, possibly awakening your own natural source of Chaos Energy. Let those lights be your guide, and that dull humming be your senses." As Shadow spoke, he watched the multicolored lights swirl together.

"This is...Wow. This is beautiful!" Shadow's cheeks heated up, and he smiled.

"Now, try to focus your energy into the palm of your hand. Think of a flame."

Sonic did so, as Shadow continued to focus his energy into the other's. It took a moment before he saw it, a small, dim lit blue flame, flickering above the other's hand. Shadow smiled again, hating himself for it. "Open your eyes."

When he did, his whole face lit up. "O-oh my gosh! Shadow! Wow, how did I...Oh hoho, man this is awesome!"

Shadow's smile widened, nose scrunched up, eyes crinkled. He was genuinely smiling. Sonic grinned.

"Shadow...Would you mind teaching me more? We could practice whenever you're free, sometime after this."

Shadow blinked, surprised at the other's enthusiasm. "Of course. I...I can try to make room in my schedule. I do have some days off."

Sonic's eyes gleamed, and he smiled widely at the other. The two sat in comfortable silence, the cerulean fire dancing in the darkness, illuminating the pair. The storm outside raged on, the sky's gentle crying turned into a violent sobbing onto the planet below, beating the soil to a muddy pulp. Tree branches billowed in the wind, like desperate hands clawing at the clouds to stabilize themselves. It was going to be a long night, but the two had soon found themselves settled against one another, Sonic falling back into a gentle sleep, occasional snore slipping out, Shadow drifting back off into the cold void of his dreams.

The two sat across from one another, atop the mattress laid across the floor of Shadow's bedroom. Their knees touched, hands folded over one another, brows knitted together in deep concentration, eyes squeezed shut. A gentle hum of a fan was all that broke the silence between them. Dull sunlight trickled into the window, passing over their forms as the sun began to set. A small desk lamp was all that was left shining in the room.

A numbing buzz overcame their senses, energy flowing into each other, swirling together inside them. The feeling was euphoric, to say the least. It was hard to get used to the idea of such an intimate interaction, yet they'd done it enough for it to become commonplace. Sonic began to feel attached to Shadow because of this, their energy exchange leaving a trail of lights linking them together.

Sonic breathed in, seeing thousands of tiny blue lights travel through his body in waves. As he exhaled, blue twirled around red as they passed one another. His senses dulled as he watched the exchange, barely noticing the warmth that had spread across his muzzle. He watched the tiny rubies that had intertwined with his sapphires fade back, the numbness fading with them. His eyes shot open, brow cocked in confusion.

Crimson eyes stared into his, a hint of something he couldn't identify laced within them. Shadow slid his hands over Sonic's, and gently wrapped around his wrists. His thumbs drew circles around Sonic's fur. "Sonic...I have something...Something I've been wanting to try with you."

"What is it?" he felt Shadow's hands tighten around his wrists, and he was being pulled closer towards the other. Shadow released his wrists, hands traveling up to his shoulders and resting there. Their noses were touching now, and Sonic scanned Shadow's eyes for answers.

"Can...Can I..." though he doesn't say it, Sonic could see his eyes train on his lips, and nodded. He vaguely understood what Shadow meant, though he was surprised.

Shadow slipped a hand up to his neck, thumb brushing his cheek, and pressed his lips against Sonic's.

Emerald eyes widened, and he gasped into the kiss. As he does, he feels drones of energy crash into his lungs, trickling throughout his body. His eyes closed, and he reached up to lace his fingers through the other's patch of white fur, claws dragging over his chest as he did so. He felt a tongue run over his lower lip, the motion dragging little pinpricks of energy across his mouth, and he moaned against Shadow's lips. A gentle high overtook him, his nerves becoming duller, world around him spinning. Shadow began moving his lips against Sonic's rhythmically, the action dizzying and hypnotizing.

He felt the energy leave as soon as it came, his mouth still tingling from Shadow's kiss. His eyelids fluttered open and his hand flew up to touch his lips. He looked up at Shadow, who was blushing wildly and averting his gaze. "T-that was..."

Shadow tensed, and squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the harsh rejection that was soon to come.

"Incredible! Oh my gosh, Shadow! That felt amazing, how'd you do that?" Shadow opened his eyes to see an expectant stare from the other.

His muzzle reddened, and he smiled nervously. "I-I uh...I could try showing you? It's difficult to describe..."

Sonic's cheeks got hot again and he nodded. Shadow gently pushed his back against the mattress, hand placed on Sonic's chest. Sonic felt his chest tingle, his heart beat racing, Chaos Energy swimming through his veins. The energy trickled down his chest and pooled in his lungs, his heart pounded in his ears, veins thumping against his temples, skin numbing, fur raising.

Shadow pressed his lips to Sonic's neck, gently scraping his teeth against his skin. Sonic shuddered and brought his hands up to Shadow's back. He felt a tongue drag through his fur, and the high he'd felt earlier washed over him again. His view shook and blurred, lights swirled together in the air above them. The room spun and darkened, an attack of colorful energy surrounding them instead. Outlines of the objects surrounding them left illuminated trails across his vision as his eyes darted around the room. It felt as if time had slowed as Shadow left a crooked pattern of kisses across Sonic's chest.

He drew a breath, an army of light flooding his throat. Shadow lifted himself up, hand still placed firmly on the cerulean hedgehog's peach colored chest, eyes steadily trained on emerald irises. The two focused on one another, dazed and dizzy as they were, and smashed each other's lips together. It was messy, and probably gross in retrospect, but neither was present enough to care. Their tongues slid against each other, mouths moving together in an off-beat battle of lips. It was definitely gross, Sonic decided.

They pulled away, panting, a trail of spit linking the two together. Sonic blushed and clumsily wiped it off, fumbling a bit as he did so. They made eye contact again, and Sonic grabbed Shadow by his shoulder, rolling him over on his back and pinning him against the bed. The room spun wildly around them, and Shadow gripped onto the mattress to steady himself. His eyesight unfocused, mosaic filtered his vision, and he felt Sonic place his hands on either side of his face. This grounded him a bit, bringing his focus back to the other just in time to see him crash his lips against his own.

Sonic's energy went through him like a thousand butterflies, flooding his senses and congregating in his stomach. It made him nauseous and lightheaded, a huff of breath escaping through his nose as the other moved against him. His lips were warm, soft, and determined. The world around him disappeared, and he felt as if he was sinking into the mattress. Blue lights hummed around him, swimming over his body in drones, and he allowed himself to breath it in, drinking it as rapidly as it came.

The other came up for air, his quills swaying behind him, trails of blue followed. He sat up, patterns of brilliance swirling around his form as he did so. His hands pressed against Shadow's chest and ran through his fur. Shadow shivered at the motion. Sonic layed against him again, head nuzzling into Shadow's neck, fingers tracing incomprehensible patterns into his chest. The buzz began to wear off again, energy seeping back into its source.

Neither spoke, still breathing heavily to regain their composure, hearts racing in unison. The room halted, no longer spinning, and the lone lamp that had sat in the corner on Shadow's desk had been the only illumination left behind. The room was dim once again, quiet and empty, save for the desperate breaths shared between the two.

Sonic broke the silence, humming against Shadow's neck as he placed a gentle kiss against the other's fur. His elbows placed on either side of Shadow, and he pushed himself up just enough to look into sharp ruby eyes. A smile was drawn on Shadow's lips, forming into a full-fledged sharp-toothed grin as the other smiled with him. They pressed their foreheads together, the intimacy no longer bothering them.

They soon drifted off into a gentle slumber, limbs tangled together as they held onto one another.

A/N this took a long time b/c ive been super busy this week but it was fun! the name's based off of the song The Light Brigade by Noonday Underground look it up its Pristine,,, tysm for faves + follows + reviews! i really appreciate all of them!