Warning:
-OOC(?)
-Possible grammar/spelling errors
-Info dump
-Mood whiplash
-I can't type to save my life
-Your milage may very
"BLAH" = Talking or air quote
'BLAH' = Thinking
I'm sorry it's taken so long to work on this, I'm slowly getting around to this.
Just a heads up, I'm going to edit some of the earlier chapters. There are some things that need changed along with things needing fixed especially since when I first wrote this I thought the spelling of "kelp" sounded like "kept". I still question how I graduated high school.
Shadow sped threw the different places, in search of Sonic. As much as he wished to go "have a word" with Eggman or yell at Tails Sonic needed him right now. Despite the fact it was cold out and was now snowing Shadow refused to take a break or rest for the night. He had a feeling he had to ask the Chaotix more later once Sonic was found but given his current mission and the time of night it'd be best not to ask tonight. Shadow searched for any clues as to where Sonic could be, there was no trail(tracks and Chaos energy wise) that could help him. Shadow eventually wore himself down some as he leans against a tree on a hill.
"This couldn't get any worse..." Shadow muttered as he hit the tree with the side of his arm.
"Well how about it getting better?" A gentle/motherly voice asked a little jokingly, Shadow jumped a little as he saw Vanilla standing next to him. She was wearing a coat over what was likely her night gown and was holding a basket.
" ..." Shadow muttered in shock as he tried to calm down.
"Please, it's ok to call me Vanilla. Now then, how about we continue this in the garden? I'm guessing you don't want to go inside due to finding Sonic and also because Cream, Cheese and Charmy are sleeping." Vanilla says, showing there's a picnic blanket in the basket. Shadow though hesitant nods, it'd be rude to turn her down especially since he's already been rude and near walked threw her yard while distracted anyway.
Vanilla setup a little light on the stone bench after Shadow cleared it of snow and covered the bench so they could sit down, once they were all setup Vanilla got out a thermos with some cups and cookies. Shadow can't help but believe she was expecting him to come over at some point so she prepared some stuff to welcome him. Though they don't interact much Shadow had nothing but nice comments about her. Who wouldn't? She's a caring mother that does her best, Shadow could honestly say he feels she's likely how Maria would have been if she got to become a mom. Vanilla is a lovely person that makes him think of Maria sometimes though more of the good times than the bad. Vanilla despite worrying about Cream allows her daughter to go on adventures, she has full trust in Sonic and his friends to protect her... Or at least until the recent incident that lead to everyone turning their backs on Sonic. From what could be understood in the small amount of time he'd been back found out everything, Vanilla still trusted Sonic.
"Now then, I'm guessing you're here due to searching for Sonic. It's kind of obvious and Vector warned me earlier about what happened." The mother rabbit explained as Shadow awkwardly eat his cookie, nice or not he felt weird being here especially with the current drama that practically everyone seemed to be a part of. Vanilla smiled a little as Shadow flattened his ears against his head and looked away nodding.
"I'm guessing you also have some form of relationship with him..." Shadow muttered, still embarrassed and now wanting to get this over with. With that being said he shivered a little as he started feeling a little tension in the air.
"I'm currently Sonic's adopted mother, my partner Cake(1) also use to work along side Sonic's dad and uncle as we were moving here." Vanilla said in a calm yet serious voice that startled Shadow. Vanilla didn't seem like the kind of person to react like that, usually sounding like a gentle/caring/understanding woman, the mention of Sonic's supposedly missing family didn't help either.
"Don't get me wrong, I love Sonic like a son and I hold nothing against his father for what happened to my beloved Cake... It's just... The way he attempted to protect Sonic still makes me angry to think about." Vanilla said, wringing the thermos a little as an attempt to distract herself.
Shadow shivered a little as he wondered what happened, something about this made him feel like he was going to get some unwanted flashbacks. Vanilla took a drink of hot chocolate from her cup as she began to explain. She and Cake use to live on an island known as Christmas Island, it's isolated from most of the places on Mobious but Angel Island was close to it and so in a way connected to the mainland by using it as a landmark in the air.(2) Christmas Island had been where the war 50 years ago was, stories spread of the war but no one seemed really aware it was on this island. It took a while for the war to end thanks to the royal family and Underground but Christmas Island still had some remaining fractions of Robotnik's that some how went unfound until recent years. Cake was one of Sonic's father's closest teammates and with a child on the way wanted to move to the mainland to keep their family safe. Cake was also trusted with information on Sonic as his father had been keeping him a secret. At some point while living where they are now and Cream was a baby Cake found Sonic.
Sonic had been hiding in a tiny abandoned house in the woods that may as well have been an apartment with how the inside looked. Sonic had apparently fixed the place up and was living there after having escaped Christmas Island in a plane he'd apparently been repairing. Cake ended up dragging him home were he and Vanilla took him in as Cream's adopted brother.
"He was very different back then... He was thin from lack of food and looked as though he hadn't gotten enough sleep let alone attention... When my lovely Cake brought him into the house I nearly thought they brought in a corpse... It hurt seeing how bad Sonic's condition was..." Vanilla sighed, Shadow watched and felt a pain at hearing what she, her family and the blue hedgehog had gone threw. The next part made him feel anger as he understood why she couldn't forgive Sonic's father...
"When Sonic was finally able to trust us... He... He admitted that he couldn't remember much and that his father had saved him from drowning... His father then brought him to a large house surrounded by fence that Sonic could not see threw nor could climb. He didn't have the ability to dig under it so he didn't bother. His father took care of him but eventually left Sonic for long amounts of time. He'd beg him to stay when he was well enough to start showing emotions but his father wouldn't stay for long. I'm not sure how as he didn't seem fully aware at the time nor did I want to push it further but some how he fixed up a plane that now belongs to Tails... I don't know all the details but he managed to fly the plane out and eventually found his way to the mainland..."
Shadow stared in shock, horror and awe, while impressed by Sonic's escape it was soon overlooked when he thought about what caused him to be desperate enough to fly the plane even when calling into question Sonic's ability to fly. Sonic had been neglected to the point that he was pretty much a shut in. It was a very big change from the smug yet very friendly speedster he knew now, he feared the idea of seeing the differences or the idea that Sonic possibly relapsed into becoming his past self thanks to what happened.
"After we got him to stay with us he started using that small house as a little hide out when he wanted to be alone... He stopped using it eventually but never removed the games and items from there, even fixed the place up." Vanilla said with a calm face before looking upset again.
"At some point Cake went back to Christmas Island to help stop what was left of the robots... J- Sonic's father... He... He brought back Cake's body... He and Cake stopped the remaining robot bases at the cost of Cake... We held a funeral for Cake, Sonic seemed to have gone back to the shell of himself during it... I'm not sure if it's due to losing a father figure, the fact the man that was suppose to be his father was there or possibly both... Sonic's father did his best to give us support until we were on our feet again, he never came near us due to knowing he scared Sonic... I don't blame the man for the death of my partner... He's a good man and leader when needed, he takes honor in helping those in need... What I can't excuse is how he neglected one of his own sons, I never asked him why he did it but I wish I did... I wish I had talked to him, told him how Sonic feared being dragged back to that gilded cage to left alone... Sometimes good intentions aren't always the best..." Vanilla said, finishing her explanation and a trip down memory road. At this moment Shadow realized she had refused to call Sonic's dad by name as if not wanting him to know who he was... It was also at this moment he realized he had been to distracted to realize she lead him to the woods. Vanilla had given him a lot to think about, he knew he'd have to tell the others later about the information Vanilla had.
"Tell me Shadow... What is your relationship with my son right now? I know you both use to be enemies but are now rivals." Vanilla said as smiled warmly at Shadow, it felt off how the mood kept changing tonight. Shadow could only flatten his ears against his head again as he looked away like earlier.
"I... I'm not sure... On one hand recently I've wanted to try to get closer to him... I've noticed myself feeling more protective of him even before the recent incident that caused most of his friends to shun him..." He muttered and looked at the dark sky, he couldn't help but feel a little bitter that he cared more about people than he wanted to. What happened to him in the past and after waking up 50 later had made the dark hedgehog want to isolate himself and live out the rest of eternity in the safety of the ARK. If it weren't for Team Dark and admittedly Sonic along with his friends he probably would have done that or go on a rampage.
"Sonic is lucky to have you... I think things will eventually work out." Vanilla said before handing Shadow a folded piece of paper.
"When you find Sonic I want you to call the number on that paper, the person on the other line will be able to help you." Vanilla said as she brushed some of the snow off Shadow and handed him a quilted blanket as if knowing what might happen.
"I'd go get him but I have a daughter that needs me. Sonic needs you more right now... Besides... His house is far off into the woods so unless I could run at the speed of sound I wouldn't be able to return to Cream and Charmy in time for them to wake up."
Shadow nodded before putting the rolled up blanket under one of his arms, the paper in his pocket and speed threw the woods in search of his friend. He wasn't going to let Sonic suffer again or at the very least not suffer any longer than he already was. Vanilla sighed and watched Shadow until the trees hid him from sight in the distance. Only once she was sure he was far enough in did she go back to her house, she had to call Vector and likely Rouge if Shadow hadn't in the next few minutes. As the mother rabbit got to the door she felt a chill go down her back before groaning in annoyance.
"Jules you better not making things worse again..." She muttered, knowing that her lover's ex-boss was going to do something stupid in the name of his youngest son.
Take a drink every time I refuse to make Vanilla say Jules the Hedgehog's name because she's mad at him.
This likely won't happen until way later but do you guys think I should add Cosmo to this?
1) Originally Cake was suppose to be named Coffee but I went with Cake because it goes with the naming thing better.(Vanilla Cream Cheese Cake) Also good luck figuring what to call Cake because I sure as fuck don't know.
2) I dunno how to explain shit
