15. Triumph

Sally grunted as she hit the ground, dizzy, breathless, and sprawled on her back. She was panting, trying to desperately to catch her breath. Slowly, she forced herself to stand back up, though her legs were trembling and she felt slightly nauseous.

Her body was almost impossibly hot and felt like it was on fire; she was drenched in sweat, and her bangs, wet from her sweat, were matted against her forehead. Pushing such thoughts to the side, she steadied herself and took a fighting stance, willing herself to focus on the task at hand.

"Why bother fighting me, princess? You're clearly worn out, and I doubt that your body can handle anymore blows from me. Besides, we already know I'm going to win," Shadow said, an amused expression on his face.

He stood a few feet away from her and quietly observed her, reading her body language with ease. She was tired and her body was weak from exertion. He was amazed that she was still standing, though that seemed to be a struggle in itself.

Regardless that she was at her limits, Sally remained standing, prepared to fight until her body collapsed. Though he thought it was pointless for her to do such a foolish thing, he couldn't help but admire her resolve. She was, indeed, a worthy adversary, for she managed to deal quite a few kicks and punches that had him reeling and doubling over in pain for a few minutes.

However, out of the two of them, he had the most experience and his endurance was higher than hers. He was also stronger, more skilled, and designed for combat. Another good blow or two from him and she'd be out cold.

Sally let loose a shaky laugh, ignoring the biting pain that shot through her body. Her body screamed and begged for her to throw in the towel, to quit while she was ahead, but she refused and held her ground. She shifted her stance a little and groaned in pain; she was definitely going to have bruises.

"You sound sure of yourself, hedgehog. What makes you think you're going to win, huh?" Sally asked, absently wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her head. Shadow smirked, and before Sally could even blink, Shadow lunged at her and tackled her to the ground.

Sally growled and struggled fiercely against him, trying in vain to push him off of her. Alas, Shadow didn't budge one inch and had her arms firmly pinned down, resting his full weight on her.

"You're already about to fall out, and we've barely begun. Why don't you quit while you're ahead? No one would blame you." The odds didn't seem to be in her favor. It did seem like she was about to lose, and losing left a rancid taste in her mouth.

Sally racked her brain, trying to turn the tables and even the battlefield, but what could she do? Shadow's strength and speed greatly surpassed hers; every blow she dealt, save for a few really good ones, were easily blocked by him. How could she throw him off his game and beat him?

An idea came to her mind, and she suddenly smiled sweetly at him. Shadow noticed this and stared at her in confusion. What was she smiling about, and what sort of trick did she have up her sleeve?

Shadow's question was soon answered when Sally, ever the clever one, leaned forward and kissed him. Shadow's eyes went wide with shock, and his body went rigid. He didn't see that coming, not by a long-shot.

She's kissing me, he thought, unsure of how to handle the situation. He was about to pull back, but her lips were so soft and felt so good against his, he decided to go with the flow, his shock wearing off as his eyes slipped shut. He loosened his hold on her and succumbed to her kiss, mimicking the movements of her lips.

Sally was surprised, though she hid her shock better than the hedgehog above her. She didn't expect him to kiss her back, didn't expect his lips to feel so good. She also didn't expect him to catch on so quickly, his tongue brushing against her lips, asking for entrance.

She squeaked in surprise, and Shadow slipped his tongue inside her mouth. So caught up in the kiss, Sally almost forgot what she was supposed to be doing, wanting nothing more than to remain lip-locked with Shadow.

However, all good things must come to an end eventually, and their kiss was no exception. Sally yanked her lips from Shadow's, effectively breaking the kiss. Before Shadow had time to react, Sally drew her legs up, wrapped them around his waist, and threw him off of her.

She wasted no time in mounting him, a smug look on her face as she stared down at him. Shadow, mind still trying to comprehend the kiss, stared at her in stunned silence, his fingers touching his lips. Sally's tongue peeked out to lick her lips; she could still taste him, and she fought the urge to shudder in pleasure.

"Looks like I won after all," she said, her voice sounding every bit as pleased as she looked. She could feel herself grinning madly. She had done it; she had held her own against Shadow and actually beat him. She should get a trophy or something for that because it wasn't an easy feat to achieve.

Shadow felt himself smiling, and it was Sally's turn to look confused. Shouldn't he be, you know, more upset about having his butt handed to him? Shadow wasn't exactly a sore loser, but losing, failure really, wasn't something he tolerated easily.

Why the hell is he smiling then? He should be upset, forlorn, and miserable! He's totally killing my vibe here, Sally thought, eyeing him with a slightly wary look. He was plotting something alright. Sally only wished she knew what it was.

"That you did, princess. Best two out of three," he said, and he pulled her back down for a kiss, changing their positions so that he was back on top of her. Sally weakly pushed against his chest in an attempt to get him off of her, trying to be the rational one, but all rationality flew out the window when Shadow swirled his tongue around hers, softly sucking on it.

They were, without a doubt, going to spar again.