No Such Thing As Perfect

Sonic and Shadow went back behind the curtain, the crowd cheering behind them. But no matter how hard they cheered, Shadow's spirit couldn't be lifted.

He had failed Sonic, he knew he had. If he had just told him that he wasn't ready, then maybe they wouldn't be about to be voted off.

"Shadow, are you ok?" Sonic asked him in a concerned tone.

"... No." The ebony hedgehog admitted shamefully. "I let you down Sonic, and I am so sorry."

"Let me down?" Sonic frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I wasn't in synch with you. I was nervous and… may have gotten a dosage of stage fright." Shadow hung his head. "We were supposed to blow the crowd away, but I blew it."

"Shadow, it's alright." Sonic gave a reassuring smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I don't blame you for being nervous. Everybody gets a little nervous now and then. Judging by the crowd, we still did a great job."

"But it was supposed to be perfect."

"There's no such thing as perfect, Shadow. A wise man once said 'Perfection doesn't exist in anyone. Striving for perfection in any part of our lives is a recipe for failure, since it can never be attained.'"

"Dr. John Grohol?" Shadow was impressed.

"Don't look so shocked, Shads, I'm smarter than I look." Sonic laughed.

Shadow's face flushed at that.

"I-I-I didn't mean…"

"It's alright Shadow, I know you didn't." Sonic snickered. "You're just so fun to tease."

Shadow sighed and gave a small huff of a laugh, a smirk grazing his lips. "Thank you Sonic, for sharing that knowledge with me."

"It's no problem, Shads. But next time, when your nervous about performing, will you please tell me? In fact, if anything is wrong at all, as your dance partner and friend, will you tell me?"

"... Yes… I promise I will."

Sonic smiled and pulled Shadow into a hug. The comfort shocked the ebony hedgehog, but the shock slowly turned into a warm feeling as he slowly allowed himself to hug back.

'Where is this feeling coming from?'

"Thank you Shadow, for realizing that you can trust me." Sonic whispered to him before letting go. "Now come on. Maybe we can discuss a little bit about our next routine before it's time to hear the results of today's competition."

"I'd like that." Shadow nodded, then quickly thought with a blush. "Maybe something a little slower? More familiar maybe?"

"I guess the fast pacing could've been another reason we were out of synch." Sonic chuckled. "Sure, we can think of something. And remember, 'Perfection is man's ultimate illusion. It simply doesn't exist in the universe... If you are a perfectionist, you are guaranteed to be a loser in whatever you do.' David D. Burns was the one who said that one."