*Small adjustment to the posting schedule, Mondays aren't working out right now, so I'm changing the posting days to Wed, Fri, and Sun. Now back to our regularly scheduled program!*
Shadow entered his cave, walking past the remains of a fire and his few possessions that surrounded the campsite and further into the depths of darkness. Despite hedgehogs having poor eyesight, Shadow didn't need any light to guide him here. He had explored these caves countless times over the decades and knew all the ins and outs of the pathways like the back of his hand.
It was relatively silent besides the sound of water dripping down from the ceiling in the cave until Sonic whimpered in his sleep, shivering from the cold underground air and squeaking in distress. Shadow keeping his eyes on the non-existent path, gently pushed the hoglet closer to his chest in the carrier, petting his soft quills. The hoglet's whimpering ceases as he purrs, listening to the comforting beat of Shadow's heart, calming down from the nightmare.
Smiling, Shadow advanced down the path slowly, one hand always on the walls to gauge where he was, making sure not to slip on the wet and uneven floor. Chaos knows he didn't want to fall into a crater or off the edge of one of the many sudden drop-offs with his precious cargo in tow.
45 minutes later, he felt the baby hedgehog stirring underneath his hand, ear twitching to a high pitched yawn. "Aba ba sassa?" Sonic baby babbled in confusion. "We are deep in the caverns of my cave," Shadow answers guessing he was asking where they were now. "Ahhh," Sonic says in understanding.
He looks around, wondering how the ebony hog can walk around this dark place without tripping or bumping into the wall. He can't even see the front of his nose. Turning his head, he sees a faint twinkling light up ahead, growing bigger as they get closer.
Sonic's awes in amazement, eyes sparkling in wonder as they enter a large room. All around the cave walls are covered in tiny colorful gems shining brightly, lighting up the room in a dazzling array of colors. Water dripping around the huge stalactites and stalagmites shimmer, almost looking like a rainbow painted them. A crystal clear pool of water resides in the midst of it, all acting as a see-through mirror, making the ceiling feel higher up than it already was.
The environment is so surreal Sonic feels like he's on another planet. He's never seen anything like it before. "I come down here when I feel like I need to escape for a while." says Shadow walking further into the room, "I can see why you like to come here." Sonic signs. "Yes, not only is it beautiful; it's also quite peaceful down here. Untouched, unspoiled, unknown. I found this room just a few years ago while wandering these caverns. No one else seems to know this place exists, not even the doctor. I'm probably the first person to have explored and discovered this place."
A cold stray drop lands on his blue face; he shakes his head and pulls himself closer to Shadow's warm body, shivering. "Why did you bring me here?" Sonic questions, "Honestly, I was hoping you would have still been asleep when we passed by." Shadow covers Sonic's small head and bends down, exiting the magical room through a small opening entering another dark passageway, "Going through that room is the only way that leads to what I really wanted to show you." he straightens as the low ceiling grows in height.
A few moments of silence pass by before Sonic looks back again, feeling the temperature steady grow warmer; he soon spots another beam of light shining through the dark tunnel. Shadow turns him facing forward in the carrier to show him the sight better, after blinking a few times to adjust to the daylight, Sonic gasps; they were standing on a hidden ledge inside Shadow Canyon.
"We-we-we're at the Canyon! How did we end up here?"
"I used my personal shortcut."
So that's how he was able to beat me during our last race! Sonic figures smirking, "Wow! This is some shortcut you've got, Shads. Mind if I use it every once in a while?"
"If you can use it without getting lost." Shadow smirks in return, "I'm sure I can figure my way out." Sonic smiles. After a moment, Shadow slowly bends down, getting into a sprinting position, Sonic realizing what he's about to do, grins wider and prepares himself. 3...2...1...Shadow blasts off the ledge like a bullet, skating at high speeds. The little blue blur shrieks with delight loving the feel of the wind around him; even though he's only been a baby for two days, he'd missed this feeling—wind whipping against his quills, shapes, and colors blurring by. There was nothing that came close to this kind of experience. "Get ready!" Shadow yells, pushing himself faster to hit past the speed of sound.
Sonic feels the resistance; any second now, and they'll hit the target. A massive boom thunders behind them; Sonic squeals and giggles with glee, though he can't see it. Shadow is also smiling with a wild look in his eyes, loving the thrill of a runner's high. After a few miles, Shadow begins to slow down, running back to Amy Rose's home, just in time for dinner.