"Faker's Highlights"
By
Sakura Courage Solo
---
Author's Note:
I know, I've been lazy with my writing lately. Blame College! But anyhow... this is something I've made a joke of for years now, and in a futile attempt to get back into the groove of fanfiction writing, I've decided to turn the long endured joke into a one-shot fanfiction. Enjoy!
Disclaimer:
I don't own Shadow or any of the other characters, okay? So don't sue me! I'm trying to save up to get Dance Dance Revolution's DVD version anyhow...
---
"Hey, Shadow!"
Sonic called as he ran forward in a blue blur, seeing the Hedgehog he'd just adressed walking by the fountain that marked the center of Station Square. The black Hedgehog turned around, Sonic stopping right afront him.
"What do you want, Sonic?"
Shadow asked in a tempered tone, the blue one chuckling and replying,
"Nice to see you too, Shadow. I was just cruisin' around and saw you here. Figured I'd stop and ask how you were doin' since I haven't seen you in a while."
He smirked dumbly, Shadow having to resist rolling his eyes as he said,
"I don't have time to talk Sonic. I have to get to work."
"Work? You have a job?"
"Only like every other normal person in this city! You see Sonic, some of us live in structures called 'houses'. This is where we eat most of our meals, sleep, bathe and do various other activities."
Sonic sweatdropped a bit, ears laid back.
"... Shadow, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were tryin' to make me feel stupid."
He said, Shadow crossing his arms and replying in a smart tone,
"Oh, whatever gave you that idea?"
Shadow was about to turn and leave Sonic with it, but that's when they heard a familiar, high pitched voice cry out;
"SOOOONIIIIIC!"
The blue Hedgehog sweatdropped and braced for impact, knowing what was coming. Sure enough, it did; Amy glomped him from behind with surprising force. Shadow, who was watching in amusement at Sonic's pain, hadn't realized how strong Amy's glomps could be, and so when the force of said glomp knocked Sonic forward... Shadow hadn't counted on it knocking him so far forward that he'd take part of the force and end up splashing into the nearby fountain.
Amy blinked a bit when she heard the splash and looked into the fountain where Shadow was sitting up.
"Oops, sorry Shadow."
The pink Hedgehog said with a sweatdrop, Shadow growling a bit. Not only would he probably be late for work now, but now he was soaked. One thing he had failed to notice however was the red liquid dripping from his quills and mixing into the clear water.
"Be more careful, Amy! As much as watching you glomp Sonic amuses me, I'd rather not take part of the brunt!"
He said, standing up. Amy's eyes widened as she watched the red liquid seep from his quills down his fur from his quills and into the water.
"Shadow, you're bleeding!"
She squealed, Shadow blinking.
"Wha... ?"
He looked down at himself and the red rivulets running through his fur. Sonic stepped into the fountain, having at first also thought Shadow was bleeding and was going to help him, but then realizing once he got closer that as the red liquid dripped from Shadow's quills, the red highlights on his quills were beginning to vanish.
"Shadow, your highlights..."
He muttered, it then hitting him and causing him to smirk devilishly.
"I knew it! They're fake!"
As soon as those words passed Sonic's lips, Shadow reacted swiftly, getting Sonic in a headlock before he could react.
"Listen blue Hedgehog, breathe one word of this to anyone and I'll..."
"Hey, let go of my Sonic!"
Amy screeched, summoning her hammer. Shadow sweatdropped heavily, unable to react fast enough with his arms around Sonic's head as Amy took a single, powerful swing that sent the black Hedgehog flying.
Shadow yelled some choice words as he flew, ones I shall not repeat for this fanfic is rated PG, and after a few moments of air time (As well as noticing he could see the apartment complex he lived in from this view), he finally landed in a tree, body hanging over a branch.
"... I think I'm just gonna call in sick today..."
He murmured, then hearing some people below talking to one another. He looked down, realizing they were talking about him, wondering why he'd fallen into the tree from such a height... and about how his highlights were missing.
Shadow muttered some more choice words, mentally deciding to call in sick for the rest of the week and hide in his apartment until this all blew over. He quickly jumped out of the tree and turned to go home... but was stopped as a bright flash blinded his eyes.
"Ah, what the... ?!"
He yelped in surprise as he rubbed his eyes to rid them of the spots he was seeing. He then blinked once they were adjusted properly again and looked up just in time to see someone running away with a camera in his hands. Shadow almost started to chase the guy down... but decided against it, figuring it was better to just go home and avoid further humiliation today.
"... on third thought, maybe I should call in sick for the rest of the month..."
---
Shadow awoke the next morning hoping that they day before had just been a nightmare. He went about his morning duties; shower, coffee, toast... only one more thing.
He opened the front door of his apartment and bent down to get the newspaper from atop the welcome mat, then freezing at the image he saw.
Right there on the front page was himself, highlight-less and bewildered after jumping out of the tree that Amy more or less put him in. He could only stand there in shock for a moment before picking up the paper and reading the headline above the picture,
"... 'Faker's highlights are fake'? Who wrote this headline? Sonic?"
He shook his head, feeling embarassed beyond measure before walking back into his apartment and locking the door.
"This has got to blow over soon..."
He murmured, rubbing his forehead. He felt a headache coming on. He decided to try and treat the headache before it worsened, taking some aspirin before laying back down to bed. Right now, he didn't even wanna look at himself in the mirror, much less anyone else. He ended up dozing off.
Sometime later however, as he dozed silently, he failed to hear the sounds of someone picking the lock of his apartment's front door. There was a soft click, the knob then turning and the door opening. On the other side of said door stood Sonic, along with a green Hedgehog with unruly forehead quills and crystal blue eyes that to a degree looked like Sonic facially. The blue Hedgehog smirked at the green one.
"Good job Manic. Lucky for me you hit town today for a visit."
He said, Manic smirking back and replying,
"You can always count on me Bro. Besides, we all know you can't pick a lock to save your life."
"Keep your voice down Manic. If Shadow's around, we don't wanna get caught."
"Right right, just do what you're gonna do and let's get outta here."
Manic whispered, Sonic nodding and sneaking in silently. His emerald green eyes quietly scanned the apartment as he entered; the living room was to the right, and in the living room's far wall he could see the kitchen doorway. To the left was the bedroom door, where he could see Shadow sleeping. He sweatdropped, wanting to avoid waking him at all costs.
That's when he saw his target area; across the bedroom was the bathroom door.
"... figures..."
He muttered, again glancing to Shadow's sleeping form before swallowing hard and sneaking in. Surprisingly enough, he made it across the room and into the bathroom without waking the black Hedgehog, almost sighing with relief, but holding back the sound for fear of waking Shadow.
He silently began searching the bathroom for something, mentally speaking to himself,
"Let's see, shampoo, conditioner... raspberries and cream scented bubble bath? What the spork's he doing with this? ... nevermind, I don't wanna know..."
He continued looking around, also noticing a pink, fuzzy bath robe hanging from the wall and sweatdropping.
"... and I definitely don't wanna know about that."
He shook his head, the image of Shadow wearing that bath robe making him feel like losing his lunch. He then looked to the medicine cabinet above the sink, opening it as quietly as possible. He smirked as he saw a bottle of red dye sitting there.
"Bingo."
He reached into his quills, pulling out a similar bottle of dye and replacing it for the one in the cabinet, then quickly and quietly shutting the cabinet and leaving before Shadow ever knew he was there. Manic was waiting for him outside and silently shut the door behind him.
"Did you get it?"
He asked, Sonic nodding and holding up the bottle of red dye triumphantly. Manic grinned.
"All right! Now let's get out of here before he catches us!"
He said, Sonic nodding as they took their leave.
---
By that monday, Shadow realized he needed to get back to work, lest he'd have to move out of his apartment. He got up that morning and, after taking a shower, put his highlights back in with no idea that Sonic had switched the bottles. After a cup of coffee, a piece of toast and reading the morning paper, he was on his way to work. What he didn't realize was that as he walked and the red dye began drying, it started lightening from red to pink. Not a dark pink or a reddish-pink, a girly cherry blossom pink.
As he passed by the fountain, he noticed people were snickering at him, but he tried to ignore them, figuring they were laughing about the news from the week before of his highlights being fake. That was when he spotted Sonic sitting on the edge of the fountain, doing his own snickering. He was the only one Shadow couldn't ignore.
"Silence your chortling, blue Hedgehog. I've no time for your antics today."
He sneered, Sonic smirking at him.
"My antics? Have you looked in a mirror lately?"
Shadow quirked an eyebrow, wondering what Sonic meant. He looked into the fountain's water at his reflection, eyes widening and jaw dropping as he saw the pink streaks in his quills, causing him to sweatdrop big time.
Sonic couldn't help bursting out laughing at Shadow's expression, this only causing the passers by to break out into fits of laughter as well. Shadow felt his embarassment and shock turn into anger, rising in him like lava through tectonic plates in the earth before a volcanic eruption.
Oh, Shadow erupted all right.
Before Sonic knew it, Shadow had tackled him into the fountain and pinned him down in the water. Sonic struggled under him, taking a punch from Shadow before managing to kick him off. Shadow grunted as he splashed back into the water, his pink highlights dripping now as he got up. Sonic got up as well, looking ready for a fight... at least, until Shadow suddenly smirked and began snickering.
"What? What's so funny?"
Sonic demanded, wondering why Shadow was suddenly chuckling at him. As the sound grew, he realized it wasn't only Shadow... it was everyone around him. What could they be laughing at?
It was then that a droplet of blue dye dripped off of his eyebrow and past his vision. He sweatdropped, timidly looking down in the water at his brown-furred reflection.
"... aw, spork..."
He murmured in embarassment just before the whole crowd burst out with loud laughter. Needless to say, Sonic's next course of action was to put his speed to use, leaving in a brown streak of speed.
---
Sonic spent the next few days hiding out of embarassment at Tails' workshop. When he'd finally got up the nerve to go out in public again, he went to dye his fur again... only to come out of the shower and look at his pink furred reflection in the mirror with a scream that matched nails on chalkboard.
Outside the bathroom window, Shadow could only smirk in satisfaction at the sound, stroking his once again red streaked quills as he triumphantly said,
"Payback's rough."
---
The End