This is super-painful. I've had an experience like this before.
And with that… TO THE STORY!
Sky rushes down to the basement, urgency in every step, leading to Tails' workshop.
Maybe the energetic little fox will have some advice. Plus, the gray hedgehog has always felt more at home in the workshop, around the machinery.
Tails is busy, tinkering away at the portal.
"Hey, Tails!" Sky calls to him.
The younger raises his head and lifts his goggle from his eyes. "Oh, it's you. What's up, Sky?"
"Nothing much… I wanted to talk to you, actually," Sky mutters, avoiding Tails' bright blue gaze.
"If it's about the portal, then I'm working on it!" the orange fox says hastily.
"No, it's not the portal. It's… it's Shadow," Sky tells him, her cheeks reddening from embarrassment.
"Uh… well I'll do the best I can?" Tails offers, blushing himself.
"Okay. Well, you see, I really like him, but, um, I'm, uh, drawn to someone else," Sky explains, seating herself against the wall next to Tails.
He blinks at her, confused. "Who might this 'someone' be?" he asks, flicking an ear.
"Sonic," Sky whispers, closing her eyes. "The other day, we were talking and we kissed and now I don't know what to do. I don't like being with Shadow while I'm attracted to Sonic. It doesn't feel right."
"Maybe you should just break up with Shadow," Tails suggests. He pauses, sniffing the air. "You were just with Sonic weren't you?"
Sky's cheeks burn. The light gray hedgehog had forgotten that Sonic's scent was still on her. She nods. "I've found myself spending more and more time with him, especially since he's been away on a mission for G.U.N."
It's true, the black and red hedgehog had been away for two days now, and Sky had spent nearly every minute with Sonic.
"I know it's wrong of me to cheat on Shadow, and I don't want to hurt him, but Sonic…" Sky trails off, staring at the wall into nothingness.
Tails smirks, half-amused. "You're going to have to figure something out on your own. It's your decision. You're smart. You can do it."
"I know… thanks for listening, Tails. You're a good friend," Sky says with a small smile.
"No problem," the younger murmurs with a shrug.
Sky jumps up and kisses Tails on the cheek, causing him to blush. "Really, I appreciate it," she whispers in his ear. She then scurries off, bounding up with stairs with her heart light.
Shadow walks home, exhaustion sweeping over him as he trudges up the hill. He had just come off a mission for G.U.N. and he hadn't been home for almost three days. A simple transport mission, but it took so long because he couldn't stop thinking about Sky.
It took Rouge forever to snap him out of it.
They had hardly spoken in the past week. She hardly gave him a "good-bye" when he was getting ready to leave, just a hurried farewell and kiss. It pained him a little to see how distant the two had become in a matter of days.
They used to be so close, almost as close as he and Maria used to be when she was alive.
The dark hedgehog picks his way up the hill and across the field towards the house, exhaustion coming over him like a wave. He halts as he sees two figures beside the house, one cobalt blue and the other silver and black.
Sky and Sonic.
Sky is talking to Sonic, her finger moving in circles on Sonic's chest; the blue hero is holding her around the waist.
Rage begins to boil inside of him as he watches the two kiss.
Amy was right. Sky is cheating on me.
He resists performing a Homing Attack right there and then as he sees the Faker tilt his head and start making out with his girlfriend.
Well, ex-girlfriend now," Shadow thinks angrily. He yanks his chaos Emerald from his quills and with a muttered "Chaos Control" transports into his room.
It all goes downhill from there.
After a good temper tantrum, Shadow calms down, breathing heavily and collapsing in the remains of his room.
Pain shadows Sky's mind. Faintly, she hears a cry of hurt and anger.
Shadow.
She presses against Sonic, tears filling her eyes.
"What's wrong?" the blue hedgehog asks, his voice thick with concern.
"It's Shadow," Sky whimpers, her head filled with the pain of Shadow. "He knows about us."
She winces as she hears a crash coming from upstairs. Sonic pricks his ears, a mixture of worry and guilt shadowing his green gaze.
"Sky, I'm so sorry," he apologizes. "I never meant to get you in this mess."
"No it's my fault," she murmurs, shrinking back as she hears another crash. "I should have told him sooner." Her ears flatten to her head and she closes her eyes, choking back sobs.
Sonic brushed the shorter's fur, stroking her quills. He kisses her ear, his arms locking around her waist, hugging her tightly.
Sky looks up at him, tears spilling from her eyes. "I have to talk to him."
"Do you really want to do that right now? He's seriously pissed," Sonic warns. He kisses her nose. "Maybe you should wait until he calms down."
"I have to," the younger gray hedgehog tells him, reluctantly breaking away from the Blue Blur. "Wish me luck."
He pulls her back by the arm, kissing her directly on the lips. "Luck," he whispers, leaning in to kiss her again.
Sky's cheeks redden as she backs away from him. She tears herself away and heads into the house, taking a deep breath before making her way up the stairs.
It's quiet now, but tension sparks through the house all over.
The gray hedgehog enters Shadow's room to find it in a horrific state. It looks as if a tornado ripped through and then came back for seconds.
Shadow is sitting amongst the debris, his eyes closed.
"Oh, Maria…" he mumbles. "What do I do?"
"Shadow?" Sky speaks, he voice cracking slightly with grief and guilt.
Shadow's head whips around, and his ruby eyes blaze with undisguised rage. "What do you want?" he snarls through a clenched jaw.
"To talk to you, and to apologize," Sky tells him quietly, avoiding his gaze.
"Well, I don't want to talk to you, so you can take whatever bullshit you wanted to say and get the hell out," Shadow growls, his eyes narrowing.
"Shadow, I do care about you, but Sonic-" Sky attempts to explain.
"Sonic what?" Shadow snaps, jumping up. "Was I not good enough for you? Was I not doing enough to keep you around? Because I sure as hell though I was doing a good job of it."
"I didn't intend to cheat on you!" Sky cries in protest. "You have no idea how bad I feel about this."
"If you felt so bad, then why did you continue doing it?" Shadow asks coldly.
Sky opens and closes her mouth, unable to answer the question.
"See? You don't even know. I guess it's whatever now. Go do whatever the hell you want. I'm done with you," Shadow growls. "Now if you please, I'd like to be alone."
Sky nods, biting her lip and walking out, her heart filling with sadness. Just as Shadow slams the door behind her, she sinks to the floor, her body shaking with uncontrollable sobs.
