Alright! Got a big chapter for you guys today. Hope you enjoy.
Part 2: Scarf and Terios Try Being Therapists for a Day
Arriving at the Robotnik-Hedgehog residence really drove it home for Sonic and Shadow. Their counterparts in this dimension were married, living together in a beach house they owned, and raising a child together.
As if that wasn't enough, the large framed wedding photo they saw upon entering the living room was there to remind them.
"Who designed your outfit?" Sonic couldn't help asking upon seeing it.
"Amy and an old friend of hers in Station Square did. All the flowers are real since they knew I wanted to incorporate nature into my outfit. They did an amazing job," Scarf replied then winked at Terios. "I can still remember how Shads kept his eyes on me the whole time I walked down the aisle."
"We were getting married and you came in looking like royalty. How could I not keep my focus solely on you?" Terios teased him.
Shadow noted that his rival hadn't stopped glancing at the photograph ever since they sat down on the couch while Scarf and Terios took the armchairs near the flat-screen TV.
Faith was seated on Terios' lap and Shadow felt a twinge of guilt when she looked at him and squeaked, burying her face in Terios' shoulder. To distract himself from his guilty conscience, Shadow took a good long look at the couple's wedding photo. Scarf looked absolutely radiant in his white-and-gold tuxedo over a simple white dress shirt and blue tie, with a matching flowing white cape trimmed with gold. Flowers decorated his quills and he had two large sunflowers as epaulets on his shoulders ringed with jasmines. Beside him, Terios wore a matching white-and-gold tuxedo and dress shirt combo with a red tie. He had no flowers or flowing cape like Scarf in the photo, but the way he smiled lovingly at Scarf who was grinning widely told volumes of his devotion to the blue hedgehog.
It amazed Shadow while simultaneously making him wonder if he was dead and in his own personal Hell.
As if he'd even consider marrying Sonic! That blue hedgehog was stubborn, overly cocky, and super impulsive. It was his fault they were here in the first place, after all!
'He's too sure of himself, reckless, abundantly cheerful, and capable of winning the people's trust due to his optimism and kindness… and he does have that damn sunny smile that could put the sun to shame… Wait, no! DON'T THINK LIKE THAT!' Shadow felt his muzzle warm up and quickly covered it with his hands.
"Are you okay?" Sonic asked him before flinching at the venomous glare Shadow gave him.
Shadow almost immediately regretted his reaction when the blue hedgehog scooted away from him until he was on the opposite side of the couch.
Scarf and Terios glanced at each other, brows furrowed. This was going to be a lot harder than they thought…
"Okay, now that we're sure you two aren't going to fight, let's discuss what needs to be done." Scarf crossed one leg over the other. "You two need to find all the shards of this Paradox Prism. From what you told us," He looked at Sonic seriously. "there are currently three Shards you know of. One of them is currently in the possession of the Chaos Council and they're using it to travel between the worlds to try and conquer them. How long do you think it'll take for them to reach this one?" he questioned.
"Honestly, I don't know. But they showed up when we were getting close to finding one in the Pirate world…" Sonic admitted. Looking at Faith, who was absentmindedly playing with one of Terios' inhibitor rings made him feel worse. If the Chaos Council made it to this world and found out that there was another him here…
"We'll need to assemble everyone in the villages and warn them. Once we find the Shard, we need to hide it until we can figure out a way for you two to travel to the other worlds and retrieve the rest," Terios said.
"Can I guard the Shard, please?" Faith asked, eagerly looking up at her Papa. "I'll hide it where no one can ever find it! And if the Chaos Council come looking for it, I'll blast them with a huge storm!" she declared.
That made Sonic and Shadow blink. Was this kid capable of such an insane feat?
"I'm sure you'll definitely give those nasty Eggmen a shock, sweetheart. But we'll guard the Shard together, okay? There's safety in numbers," Terios chuckled, ruffling his daughter's quills.
"There's also death in numbers. It's called a massacre," Shadow muttered under his breath, earning an unimpressed look from Sonic and glares from their counterparts.
"You're a meanie. I can't believe you're Papa in another world," Faith mumbled, hugging Terios.
"Meanie, huh? Is that what we should call him, kiddo?" Scarf asked her, smiling slightly.
"I'll call him something nicer if he apologizes," Faith replied with a huff, crossing her arms against her chest and giving Shadow her best indignant look.
'I can't believe I'm being scolded by a kid…' Shadow mentally sighed to himself.
Sonic let out a chuckle then smiled kindly at the little tenrec. "Well, if he's gonna be Meanie, what do you wanna call me?" he asked.
Faith hummed, putting a hand to her chin. She got off Terios' lap and approached her Dad's counterpart. She looked at him from the front then from the side. Finally, with Sonic's help, she clambered onto his lap. Taking his face in her hands, she stared into his eyes.
"Sonny! You look like a Sonny!" Faith announced, much to Scarf, Terios, and Sonic's amusement.
"Sonny… I like that!" Sonic grinned. Faith giggled and, to his surprise, hugged him. Sonic looked at Scarf and Terios, both hedgehogs nodding. Gently, he wrapped his arms around Faith and earned a soft giggle from the little tenrec who squeezed back.
Sonic buried his face in Faith's pale pink quills, breathing in their sweet strawberry scent. 'I wonder if I'll have a life like this in the future…' he thought before noticing Shadow staring at him. Sonic broke eye contact and felt a weird pain in his chest.
Who was he kidding? With everything that's happened, it'll be a miracle if Shadow would even acknowledge him after they fixed his mess. And it'll be an even bigger miracle if his friends would want to be around him after all those times he didn't listen to them and took them for granted.
Maybe, after his world was fixed, it was best for everyone if he just disappeared…
"Sonny?"
Faith looked at him, her merlot eyes worried. "You're crying," she whispered.
It took him a second to realize that tears were sliding down his face. Rubbing his eyes, Sonic mumbled, "Just got something in my eyes…"
Scarf looked at his dimensional counterpart with sympathy. He looked at Shadow who, surprisingly, was beginning to look concerned.
Suddenly, Scarf and Terios' communicators pinged.
"Sonic, Shadow!" Goggles' voice greeted the two hedgehogs. "We're at the Lands of the Doomed. We've picked up an energy hotspot here. Knuckles is working on digging around the area, but we might need help in getting the Prism Shard. Can you guys bring Omega over?" he asked.
"Uncle Mega? He should be done charging in my room," Faith piped up before zipping up the stairs. A few minutes later, she came back with an intimidating robot with a bulky torso and black-and-red color scheme.
"E-123 FULLY CHARGED AND OPERATIONAL. HOW MAY I ASSIST IN CRUSHING DR. EGGMAN'S ROBOTS?"
"Holy cow, you guys got a Badnik on your side…" Sonic muttered, freezing when Omega's beady red eyes locked in on him.
"DETECTING SIMILAR CHAOS ENERGY SIGNATURE FROM SONIC DOPPELGANGER. I AM ASSUMING HE IS FROM THIS OTHER WORLD FAITH TOLD ME ABOUT," Omega observed then looked at Shadow, flexing his clawed fingers. "YOU MADE MY NIECE CRY. REPENT OR PERISH."
"He'll repent later, Omega. Maybe after we get him to help us with retrieving the Shard," Terios got up from his armchair and motioned with his head for Shadow to follow.
"Hang on, I'm the one who's been interacting with all the Shards. Why can't I come with?" Sonic asked, getting up.
"Because I need help with warning the villages on the island about the incoming threat," Scarf told him, already sending a message to Mayor Fink that he needed to talk with him.
"And, honestly, this Shard retrieval requires stealth, which is something my husband struggles with." Terios smirked at his husband.
"Hey, I can be pretty stealthy when I want to," Scarf protested, pouting.
"Who here has five years' experience with black operations and espionage, Blue?" Terios retorted, raising an eyebrow.
Scarf puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. "Point taken," he conceded before smiling softly. "You and Omega be careful, babe."
"Always, my love." Terios went over to Scarf and tenderly kissed him, making Faith giggle while Sonic and Shadow felt their brains shortcircuit.
Then Sonic looked at Shadow, awkwardly scuffing the toe of his left shoe on the floor. "You be careful, too… I guess," he mumbled.
Shadow blinked, surprised at the hedgehog's concern, before letting out a soft "Hmph!" before going over to Terios and Omega. The latter gave Terios' counterpart a look and pointed a finger at himself and then at Shadow.
"I AM WATCHING YOU," Omega warned. Terios rolled his eyes at the Badnik fondly before using Chaos Control to teleport the three of them to the Lands of the Doomed.
"C'mon you two. We've got a lot of ground to cover. Faith, while Sonny and I talk to Mayor Fink, I want you to tell Perci and Stacey to start readying the village's defenses. We'll meet up at the well and then head to the other villages to warn them," Scarf instructed his daughter and handed Sonic a hooded raincoat.
"Okay, Dad!" Faith saluted him before looking at Sonic. "Don't worry, Sonny! We'll protect you and Meanie from our Dr. Eggman and the Chaos Council until you two can find a way back home," she promised.
"Heh, thanks, Faith… I feel safer already," Sonic said softly. But, as he followed father and daughter around Hedgehog Village, the more unsure he became. Not even the mayor's gobsmacked reaction when he revealed himself could fully distract him from the ugly feelings that were simmering within him.
All the Shatterspaces he'd been to showed him different versions of Green Hill that had been altered along with versions of his friends who either didn't trust him or used him when they first met. There was no denying what Shadow told him earlier.
He'd ruined their home.
He'd ruined his friends' lives.
This really was all his fault…
It was when they were done visiting a village full of guilt-tripping gogobas that Sonic decided to ask Scarf a question.
"Is Green Hill still intact?" Sonic felt his heart quicken its pace as he waited for his counterpart to answer. If this world's Green Hill had also been destroyed, forcing Scarf and his family to move, he wasn't sure if he would be able to bear it…
"Green Hill? Yeah, it's still here in this world. We went there just a month ago," Scarf told him as they walked back to the village while Faith skipped on ahead. He smiled as the little tenrec found a butterfly and started chasing it down the road. "Shads and I taught Faith how to navigate the loop-de-loops. Kid's a natural. We almost couldn't keep up with her," he chuckled.
"That's… That's good…" Sonic looked at Faith, his heart aching and so heavy. It was too much for a hedgehog to take.
"I'm so sorry."
Scarf stopped at the same time as him, brows furrowed.
"I am… I am so sorry that you guys are getting dragged into this mess I made." Tears burned at the edges of Sonic's eyes and he felt like his throat was getting clogged up by all of them. "Shadow's right! I broke everything! None of this would have happened if I'd just taken the moment to actually listen to my friends! But who am I kidding?! I haven't been listening to any of their advice for so long! I-I've taken them all for granted! Amy… Amy once surprised me with a picnic under a special palm tree where we had so many memories together, and… and I just said that they were being too sentimental! I took their gift for granted! I took their presence, their advice, th-their friendship for granted! I'm a terrible friend and… and… and I'm scared that… that…" he managed to get out before he started sobbing uncontrollably.
Scarf sighed and pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to Sonic. "Let it all out… That's it… Just let it all out…" he murmured.
Sonic hiccupped on his tears as he messily wiped his eyes. No matter how hard he tried to stop the tears, they just kept coming. It's as if all the emotions he'd been holding in had burst like a dam and were all spilling out. All the while, Scarf gently rubbed his head, a sympathetic look in his eyes.
"You just let it all out and then catch your breath. Let's talk when we get home, okay?" Scarf told him.
Nodding, Sonic followed him and Faith back to the house, still crying. Along the way, he overheard Faith asking her Dad what was going on. It soothed the ache in his heart somewhat to see such a sweet and kind child worrying about him, even though they literally just met today.
'Maybe it's because I'm her Dad… Well, a version of him that doesn't have kids anyway…' Sonic thought to himself.
They made it back to the house and Scarf gently told Faith to head upstairs and do her homework while he "had an important talk with Sonny". The little tenrec looked worried but obeyed and headed upstairs to her room. Meanwhile, Scarf and Sonic went to the kitchen.
"Here." Scarf poured Sonic a glass of water. "It's not good to talk things out when you're dehydrated," he advised.
Taking small sips, Sonic struggled to keep his jumbled thoughts together.
"You said that you were scared. What are you scared of?" Scarf leaned against the kitchen counter.
"I'm scared that my friends are out there suffering because of what I did. And… I-I'm scared of what the Council will do to you and your family when they get here. Faith… Chaos, she's just a little kid and I don't want her to get hurt…" Sonic admitted, but couldn't meet Scarf's gaze.
"I appreciate the concern for my daughter. And I understand that you're really worried about your friends back home… But that's not the only thing you're afraid of, isn't it?"
Sonic felt his face grow hot with shame. "N-No… what scares me the most… what scares me the most is… is th-that…" he mumbled but, no matter how much his brain screeched at him to say it, his mouth couldn't form the necessary words.
So Scarf filled in the blanks.
"You're scared that you're not going to be able to fix this? And, even if you do, a part of you is always gonna try and make you remember that you messed up so badly? And it'll keep reminding you until you feel like your soul can no longer handle the burden?" Kneeling so he was eye-to-eye with Sonic, Scarf gently patted his head. "And, most of all, you're terrified that... when you come back after the crisis has been averted... you'll find that everyone you fought so hard to protect hates you and blames you for what happened?" he guessed.
Sonic's head snapped up to meet his counterpart's understanding gaze. Tears spilled down his cheeks again as he nodded.
Scarf opened his arms and Sonic accepted the chance to hug. When he felt his counterpart's arms gently encircle him, the dam broke and he buried his face in Scarf's shoulder and wept.
"Shhh… That's it… Let it out… Let it all out…" Scarf murmured, rubbing circles on his counterpart's back.
Sonic clung to the older hedgehog, crying his heart out. It was a good 20 minutes before he felt like he'd cried all of his tears out.
"M'sorry… Didn't mean to waste your time…" he muttered and accepted another glass of water from Scarf.
"Don't worry about it. After everything you've been through so far, you deserve some time to process your emotions about what's been going on," Scarf reassured him.
"But how am I going to face my friends after all this? What if Shadow and I come back home after we've fixed things and… it won't be the same between me and them? What will I do?" Sonic wondered, shoulders slumping.
"That's just it. You're gonna have to accept that things won't be the same between you and your friends when this is over." Scarf gently placed his hands on Sonic's shoulders. "Will they get mad? Maybe. But if they're really your friends, then they'll forgive you and give you another chance. What's important is that you put in the effort to show them that you really want to atone for your mistakes. It will take time, but, as long as you do your best, your friends will forgive you eventually," he reassured him.
Sonic sniffled and looked into Scarf's eyes. "You talk like this is something that's happened before," he mumbled.
"Do you guys have an Infinite or a Dr. Starline in your world?" Scarf raised an eyebrow.
"Who?" Sonic blinked, confused.
"Oh, thank Chaos. You've been spared," Scarf breathed out a sigh of relief before explaining. "You see, these two were villains my friends and I faced in the past. And, honestly, I feel like what we went through with those two was because of me. I felt so guilty that… I thought that the world would be better off without me," he admitted.
Sonic's eyes widened. Did that mean…?
"Yes, I've tried to kill myself before. Several times, in fact." Scarf smiled sadly at his counterpart's unspoken question. He unwrapped the sports tape around his right forearm and parted the blue fur to reveal faded white lines.
Sonic gasped, gently holding Scarf's arms. 'Whatever happened… it must have been really bad if it made Scarf hate himself to the point of wanting to die by his own hand…' he thought, his red-rimmed eyes meeting Scarf's.
"It took Shads and every one of my friends diving deep into my own worst memories to save me from myself. The journey to heal me both physically and mentally was long, but they never gave up on me. They never left my side and they did everything they could to let me know that I am loved and that they care about me. And they still do that to this very day. If my friends are willing to do that, then I'm sure your friends will do the same if you ever have moments of self-hatred," Scarf said with a gentle smile on his face.
Sonic managed a weak smile at that. And then he remembered what he had heard in the void after he had shattered the Paradox Prism.
"Nothing can ever break our friendship, Sonic!"
'Tails said that… And we've been through a whole lot together. Along with Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, Big… Heck, even Shadow. When I get home, I'm gonna do my best to make it up to the gang. I'll be a better friend. A friend who'll actually listen to their advice and never take any of them for granted! Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Rouge, Big, Shadow… I promise that I'll make it up to all of you!' he thought before a yawn escaped his lips.
Scarf chuckled upon noticing his shorter counterpart sag a little. "Sounds like you need a nap. Come on. We got a guest room," he coaxed him out of the kitchen.
The guest room had a comforting baby blue wallpaper with gold fleur-de-lis patterns and a soft white carpet. A cabinet, a small desk with a chair, and a queen size bed were the only pieces of furniture in the room. Next to the bed was an open window that had gauzy white curtains that fluttered in the breeze.
"Wow… you guys must be loaded to afford this nice house…" Sonic mumbled as he slipped under the covers.
"You've only seen a few parts of it, dude." Scarf gave him an amused look. "When you're done with your nap, I bet Faith will be wanting to give you a grand tour. Until then, just rest. You'll need your strength," he said and then quietly tiptoed out of the room.
With Sonic asleep, Scarf headed upstairs to check in on Faith. The little tenrec was busy doing her homework but perked up when her Dad came in.
"How's Sonny doing, Dad?" she asked, getting away from her desk to hug her father.
"A bit better, kiddo. He just needs a nap." Scarf gently smoothed Faith's pale pink quills. Then he gently cupped his daughter's face in his hands. "Listen, Faith. I don't know when the Chaos Council's coming here. But when they do, I need you to promise me and your Papa that you'll hide and stay out of sight until the danger's passed," he told her firmly.
"I can't help you guys fight the Chaos Council? Why? You guys have been training me to fight bad guys. I wanna help," Faith said, frowning.
"I know you do, kiddo. But if the Council's as dangerous as Sonny's made them out to be, then the fight's gonna be way too hardcore. The last thing Shads and I want is for you to get hurt," Scarf murmured and gently kissed Faith on the forehead. "I'm serious, Faith. You gotta promise me that you'll stay out of sight when the Council arrives. Be smart and avoid danger. Can you double pinky promise on that?" he asked, holding both hands out, pinkies extended.
Faith mulled on her Dad's words. As much as she wanted to help him and Papa out, she knew that they didn't want her getting into trouble. She was still a kid, after all. The Chaos Council sounded really scary, way scarier than the Dr. Eggman in their world…
"Okay, Dad. I double pinky promise that I'll be careful," Faith said at last, interlocking her pinkies with her Dad's.
"That's my girl." Scarf ruffled her quills. "Don't worry. Your Papa and I'll have Sonny and even Meanie stay with you so you'll be protected. Besides, we'll need you to guard the Shard once we get it," he told her.
"Yeah. I'll do my best to guard it. I hope Papa and the others find it soon," Faith remarked, already coming up with strategies on how to protect the Prism Shard.
'But it'll depend on how big the Shard is… If it's really big, I might need to hide it in the basement… and keep it in a safe… I hope Uncle Mega can carry it back to the house,' she thought while finishing up the rest of her homework.
Meanwhile…
"Careful. That's an explosive."
Shadow stared at the mechanical duckling waddling in front of them. He looked over his shoulder to glare at Terios. "Don't try being funny with me," he muttered and picked up the toy to chuck it out of sight.
BOOM!
"Told you," Terios deadpanned while his counterpart coughed, his face now covered in soot.
"YOUR ALTERNATE DIMENSIONAL COUNTERPART REMINDS ME OF YOU DURING YOUR OVERLY EDGY BROODING LONER PHASE," Omega remarked.
"Hey!" Terios gave the E-series robot a light smack to the torso before going to Shadow, who was now keeping an eye out for more mechanical ducks.
"Where did that thing even come from?" Shadow muttered as they neared the area where Tails and the rest of the gang were waiting for them.
"Nobody knows. But the rumors say that some explosives addict with a weird obsession with ducks came to the island a decade ago and unleashed a ton of these things out into the wild for fun. Our Knuckles set off a whole flock of them once," Terios explained as they stopped to let another duckling pass. This time, Shadow didn't go near it.
"I'm guessing this is the one area Faith's not allowed to enter?" Shadow guessed.
Terios nodded and they continued walking until they made it.
"This thing's pretty big!" Sticks hollered, waving them over to a pit Big Knucks had dug.
Peering inside, Omega, Shadow, and Terios took in the view of the Prism Shard. It was bright yellow and roughly the size of Shadow's torso.
"Your Sonic got sucked into Shatterspace when he touched one of those, didn't he? Will the same happen to you?" Terios asked Shadow, who shrugged.
"Maybe it won't happen to an inorganic being." Glamour looked at Omega, who climbed down into the pit. Omega easily grabbed onto the Prism Shard and lifted it out of the pit.
"Fascinating…" Goggles scanned the Shard with his Miles Electric. "The energy signature is similar to what's currently flowing through this Shadow's body as well as the other Sonic's when they arrived," he mused.
"Meanie and Sonny. Those are the nicknames Faith gave them," Terios announced.
Shadow felt a chill crawl up his spine when everyone, bar Terios, looked at him suspiciously.
"What'd you do to make Faith give you that nickname?" Rosey questioned him, already taking out her hammer.
"Nothing that can't be fixed with an apology," Terios said quickly before his ears twitched. At the same time, Sticks growled and threw her boomerang at a nearby palm tree. To Shadow's confusion, a fly-shaped robot emerged from the coconuts. Terios tossed a Chaos Spear at it.
"Eggman," Terios growled then turned to the rest of the group. "If you guys mentioned anything about the Shard or whatever Sonny told you earlier, he's probably already heard it."
"Need me to do a little recon at his lair, hun?" Glamour asked him, unfurling her wings.
"Stay out of sight and keep your comms open." Terios nodded to his best friend as she flew up and vanished into the canopy.
"The faster we can get this Shard into my workshop, the better. Can you Chaos Control us there?" Goggles asked.
"Wait!" Shadow grabbed Terios' arm as he was about to pull out his Chaos Emerald. "I was in the middle of using Chaos Control when the Prism was shattered, and it sent me into the void. It might happen to you as well if you use your Chaos Emerald," he cautioned him.
Terios frowned and, for a minute, the rest pondered on what to do. Finally, Goggles suggested, "I can get the Shard to my house on my plane. But to lessen the drag, I'll have to fly solo."
"We'll follow you from down here. Just be careful," Rosey reminded him. Once Goggles secured the Prism Shard in his plane and took off, she, Big Knucks, Sticks, and Omega went on ahead.
Shadow wanted to rush on ahead but Terios stopped him.
"Now who's the one in a rush?" Terios chuckled, keeping a firm but gentle grip on Shadow's shoulder as they walked the rest of the way back.
Shadow eyed his counterpart from head to toe. While everything physical about him was familiar, his entire demeanor and overall attitude was surprising to behold. This version of himself got along with everyone, had the complete trust of his team, was married to this world's Sonic…
And... he was happy.
"How did you and your world's Sonic get together?" Shadow couldn't help but ask.
"A combination of time, my would-be husband's sheer stubbornness to hang out with me, and Glamour's consistent efforts to show me the signs that I was pining for him before I even realized it," Terios replied with a soft chuckle.
"You two seem very… compatible with each other. Do you fight? Like an old married couple?" Shadow raised an eye ridge at him.
"Okay, first of all, we're in our early 20s. We're not that old yet." Terios rolled his eyes at him. "Secondly, we do fight. As much as possible, however, we try to settle our disputes by talking things out. If we really can't solve disagreements with words, we either head off in opposite directions to cool off and then return to each other to talk again. In more extreme cases, we end up sparring. The latter usually makes us forget about what we were arguing about," he told Shadow.
Shadow nodded slowly. The image of Sonic's guilt-stricken look flashed through his mind and he immediately felt bad about it. 'I wish Sonic and I can solve our disputes more easily. But that blue hedgehog's just so damn stubborn. Always rushing off somewhere without so much as a plan…' he thought.
He wanted to show Sonic that he meant well and just wanted to keep him from making any more mistakes, but how could he get his rival to actually listen?
"That's something I asked myself before," Terios suddenly said, making Shadow realize that he'd voiced the last part of his thoughts out loud.
"You have to be patient with him. I understand that dealing with your Sonic's childish and impulsive behavior can be stressful. Believe me, before my Sonic and I entered a relationship, I used to want to pummel his face into the ground every time he did something stupid. But you'd be surprised at how well a cheerful personality and cocky grin can hide one's inner demons," Terios said, smiling wistfully as he saw that they were almost home.
"He never stopped trying to befriend me. Even when I pushed him away again and again. At some point, I just gave up trying to avoid him and welcomed his company. It wasn't long after that when I discovered that he and I had a lot more in common than I originally thought. We both knew what it felt like to be outcasts. And… turns out my Sonic lost someone incredibly precious to him as well."
They stopped at the front door and Shadow turned to Terios with a worried expression on his face.
"He had a Maria of his own?" Shadow felt the slightest twinge of guilt for wanting to know more, but his curiosity was too great. What could he learn from this version of himself and Sonic?
"Yes. And that's all I can say. You'll have to ask my husband if you wish to know more," Terios told him then smiled at his counterpart.
"What did your Maria tell you before she died?"
Shadow's throat felt dry at that question. Swallowing, he tried not to think about his sister's death, focusing on her parting words. "She wanted me to bring hope to humanity. And to give everyone a chance to be happy," he whispered.
"That's what my Maria told me as well." Terios held his counterpart's hands in his. "It took me a while to realize that she wanted me to be happy as well. And I'm sure that's what your Maria wants for you, too," he said, giving Shadow's hands a gentle squeeze.
Shadow blinked at him. "And… are you happy?" he asked him.
Terios laughed. "Incredibly. The world I live in is mostly safe. I have a wonderful team and friends. I'm married to the love of my life and we're raising the sweetest child in the world together. I never thought I could have this happiness before, yet here I am," he said.
"I'm… glad that you are," Shadow murmured, his cheeks turning red slightly. "I'm… I'm sorry for making your daughter cry. I was just so frustrated over everything…"
"I know you are. And I understand. But it's not my forgiveness you should be asking for," Terios reminded him before opening the door.
"Sup!"
Shadow's quills bristled when he saw a familiar red-clad, mustached, mad doctor sitting in the living room, a cup of coffee in his hands. Terios, meanwhile, glanced at Scarf who was munching on a chili dog from across the coffee table. His husband gave him a thumbs up and he shrugged.
"What is Eggman doing here?" Shadow demanded, his right hand crackling with Chaos Energy.
"Ah, so this is the other Shadow…" Dr. Eggman looked down at him.
"You were spying on us earlier, Doctor. I'm assuming you already know what's going on?" Terios questioned.
"I'll admit that I was curious, so I went to your husband to get more context," Dr. Eggman replied.
"No worries, guys. Eggy's on our side this time," Scarf reassured the two Shadows.
"For real?" Shadow glanced at Terios in disbelief. "You two are seriously trusting an Eggman?"
"On occasion. Sure, he attacks the village every now and then, but we beat his ass every time," Scarf teased, his nemesis grumbling.
That's when Faith came downstairs, a few worksheets in her hands. "Hey, Dad. Can you check my English homework? Oh! Hi, Eggy. How's Sage doing?" she greeted the villain.
"Hey, squirt." Dr. Eggman ruffled Faith's quills. "She's doing well. Hand me your homework. Your Dad's grasp of grammar is atrocious. I don't trust him to check your English," he told her.
"Hey, I happen to have excellent grammar and a refined taste in literature," Scarf scoffed.
"Whatever. Don't worry, kid. You got all the answers right," Dr. Eggman told Faith who breathed a sigh of relief.
Shadow couldn't take it anymore and stepped in between the Doctor and the little tenrec. "I don't know what your game is, Eggman. But if you try to team up with the Chaos Council, I will end you," he snarled.
Faith squeaked and backed away, hiding behind Scarf, while Dr. Eggman finished the last of his coffee. While it was nice that Meanie was trying to protect her family in his own way, she still didn't trust him.
"Please. There's only room for one glorious me in this world. Me!" said the Doctor, pointing at himself with a proud smirk. "The Chaos Council shall feel the wrath of the Eggman Empire the second they arrive!"
At that moment, Sonic came out of the guest room, rubbing his eyes. "Ahhh… that was a good nap. Needed that…" he mumbled before dropping into a battle stance at the sight of Eggman.
"Eggman!"
Scarf and Terios facepalmed.
After a few minutes of explaining their surprising house guest's reasons for visiting, Sonic and Shadow were left all the more confused by this world. To see this Dr. Eggman interact with Scarf and Terios in an almost completely positive manner and even help Faith with homework was mind-boggling.
This world's Eggman didn't stay too long. Long enough to be christened "Eggy" by Sonic, much to his chagrin, and to promise to alert Terios and Scarf's teams in case his first line of defense fell at the hands of the Chaos Council.
"Ha! We'll see how Rusty Rose handles Metal Sonic. And with Sage helping me direct my forces, those five me's would be begging me to join them," Eggy laughed before quickly retracting his statement when Scarf and Terios glared at him. "Which I won't do because there can only be one Eggman in this dimension!"
"I don't get it…" Sonic muttered as he and Shadow followed him outside. "The Egghead in my world wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of something that'll give him the higher ground against me. What made you change your mind?" he asked.
"As much as I hate to admit it, I owe their daughter a debt of gratitude…" Eggy adjusted his glasses, looking back at Faith who was proudly showing Scarf and Terios her finished homework. "So her parents and I made a deal. I cut back on my attempts to take over the island and stay away from the mainland, allowing Faith to have a mostly peaceful childhood. In return, they don't kill me," he told Sonic and Shadow. At the two smaller hedgehogs' startled looks, he chuckled.
"Trust me. Those two will do anything. And I mean anything to keep Faith safe. I've seen those two at their angriest… If those other me's so much as harm one quill on that girl's head…" Eggy shivered before taking his leave.
The two hedgehogs stood in silence for a few minutes. Sonic glanced at Shadow, who was looking at his air shoes. Probably brooding again. Remembering Scarf's words, Sonic took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"Look. I… I know you're still mad. And you have every right to be mad at me. I really messed up…" Sonic began before turning to face Shadow. "And I really do want to make things right. I promise, Shadow. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get our home back, but… I-I can't do it alone," he said earnestly.
A flicker of hope sparked to life in his chest when Shadow looked at him.
"Does this mean you're finally going to listen to me?" Shadow asked him, his frown shrinking slightly.
"Yes. I'll listen to your orders and, if you have a plan on how to fix things, I'll follow it to the letter without any complaints," Sonic swore, placing his right hand on his chest.
Shadow stared at him, looking for signs of joking, before finally sighing, "Finally. You better remember that promise," he said and headed back inside the house.
Sonic smiled and followed Shadow inside. The two of them were greeted by Faith. "Sonny, Meanie! Dad said you wanted a tour of the house. I'll show you guys around!" the little tenrec said, her tail wagging.
"I don't recall…" Shadow managed to say before Sonic grabbed his hand and pulled him along.
"C'mon, Shadow. Can't hurt to take a look around for a bit," Sonic said with a wink and allowed Faith to lead them around the house.
"We'll check in with the gang on the Shard! Don't break anything!" Scarf called out to them as he and Terios headed out.
Shadow sighed and allowed himself to be pulled around the house, his hand still held by Sonic. A slight warmth filled his cheeks as his brain registered that fact, which confused him. He should be angry at Sonic. The blue idiot was the reason why they were in this mess in the first place. So why was he secretly hoping that Sonic never let go of his hand?
'You'd be surprised at how well a cheerful personality and a cocky grin can hide one's inner demons,' Terios' words echoed in the back of his mind. Looking at Sonic closely, Shadow noticed the tear tracks on his cheeks and the slight redness of his eyes. Had Sonic been crying the whole time he was out? Had he cried himself to sleep earlier?
"Are you okay?" Shadow found himself asking, listening to Faith with half an ear as she talked about an incident involving Terios and burning bundt cakes.
"Hm? Oh, y-yeah. I'm fine…" Sonic mumbled, not quite meeting Shadow's eyes.
Deciding not to push it further, Shadow focused on looking around the house. The rooms were furnished simply but showed their inhabitants' tastes and styles through little touches. A small pot of lavender by the window in the kitchen, a guitar and amp set up in the living room, and a couple of toys scattered around. Things were tidy, but not overly clean. It felt like a proper home, one filled with warmth and love.
And then there were the pictures.
There were pictures of Scarf, Terios, Faith, and all of their friends all framed and placed around the house. Sonic and Shadow saw several moments captured between their counterparts and their friends. They passed by a photo of Scarf, Goggles, and Big Knucks playing video games in the living room. They glanced at a photo of Terios learning how to ice a cake with Rosey. Along the hallways were photos of Scarf and Terios celebrating the New Year with their friends, singing karaoke, and dancing with Glamour, Sticks, and countless others.
Sonic's heart ached. He hoped that he'd get to have a chance to make more memories with his friends when this whole dilemma was over. Meanwhile, Shadow's heart yearned.
'I rarely accepted Rouge's invites to just hang out. Come to think of it… Sonic's tried to invite me to his get-togethers along with everyone else, but I always refused because I didn't want to hang out with him. Maybe… Maybe when this is over, I can try hanging out with him without getting into a fight…' he thought as he and Sonic followed Faith upstairs, still looking at the photos displayed around the house.
But the two photos the two hedgehogs couldn't get out of their minds were the wedding pictures of Scarf and Terios. One was the photograph proudly displayed in the living room, showing Scarf and Terios together.
The second one was housed in a smaller frame and displayed in front of Scarf and Terios' bed.
"I got to be the flower girl at Dad and Papa's wedding. There were so many flowers on Angel Island and everyone was so happy. When the photographer took the photo, Dad and Papa surprised me like that," Faith recalled, smiling at her picture self's happily surprised look while Scarf and Terios stood on either side of her, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"Faith, how long have you been with your Dad and Papa?" Sonic tilted his head to the side.
Faith put a hand to her chin, thinking. "I think eight months now," she said before leading the two hedgehogs out of her parents' bedroom and stopped at a white door painted with sunflowers. "And this… is my room!"
Stepping inside, Sonic and Shadow were greeted by soft tones of purple and pink. Faith wasted no time in showing them around her room, starting with her small collection of plushies.
"This is Lulubelle. Dad and Uncle Tails gave her to me when I first started living with Dad." Faith held up a teddy bear with cuddly brown fur up to Sonic. "And this is Mini Dad and Mini Papa. Aunt Amy made them for me when we moved into the house," she said as she arranged the plush toy versions of her parents on her bed. She then picked up a purple unicorn plushie with a rainbow mane and tail as well as a silver horn and held it up to Shadow. "And this is Gay Horse. Papa gave him to me for Christmas. I like hugging him whenever I get scared because he calms me down," she said and shyly gave Gay Horse to Shadow.
"Um… thank you…" Shadow mumbled, giving Gay Horse a squeeze. The smell of lavender filled his nostrils, relaxing him. "Oh, lavender. Must be one of those special scented plushies."
"Papa says that's Gay Horse's magic power. He smells like lavender to help you relax and feel better," Faith explained before perking up. "Oh! I gotta introduce you to my Mommy!"
Sonic and Shadow looked at each other, confused. Was Faith's mother also living with their counterparts?
Faith then picked up a photo frame from her bedside drawer. "This is my Mommy, Alexandra! She was an explorer," she proclaimed with a proud grin.
Both Sonic and Shadow's hearts broke at the 'was'. Looking at the picture of an older female tenrec dressed in trekking clothes and a brown fedora, they could definitely see where Faith got her looks from. But they couldn't help but be curious.
"What happened to your mother?" Shadow asked, giving Gay Horse back to Faith. (Secretly, he wondered whose idea it was to name a unicorn plush 'Gay Horse.' If he had to wager a guess, it was probably Scarf).
The little tenrec's cheerful demeanor was replaced with a more subdued one. "Well… Mommy died after she gave birth to me. I was supposed to go live with my Aunt Lizzie after that, but… he took me away," she said haltingly, hugging her unicorn to her chest.
"He? Who's he?" Sonic asked, dread pooling in his gut.
Sitting on the bed, Faith hugged Gay Horse tightly. "My birth father," she mumbled so quietly that Sonic and Shadow had to sit next to her on the bed to hear her.
Sonic gently ran his fingers through her pale pink quills. "I'm guessing he wasn't that nice…" he muttered.
"Yeah… He was the worst. He said that Mommy died because of me. He hated me for that and made me wear gloves because of my powers…"
At that, Sonic and Shadow saw small sparks dancing around the copper coils on Faith's gloves and shoes. 'She has electrokinesis,' they both realized.
"Faith… did… did your birth father ever hurt you?" Shadow asked softly.
Faith looked at him, her muzzle hidden by Gay Horse, with sad eyes and nodded.
"I'm so sorry…" Shadow's ears drooped. "I didn't know," he mumbled.
"It's okay. Um… Papa told me earlier why you were so angry when we first met. He said you were really frustrated because your world's all broken. I'm sorry that happened," Faith told him, putting Gay Horse down and lightly pulling at her front quills.
"You don't have to apologize for anything." Shadow got off the bed and knelt in front of Faith. "I should be apologizing for snapping at you. I'm sorry I made you cry, Faith. It wasn't right for me to take out my anger on you. I'm sorry for being so mean," he apologized.
Faith blinked at him, mouth slightly open in surprise. After a minute, she smiled.
"I forgive you. And I won't call you Meanie anymore. I'll call you Shadsy!" she proclaimed and hugged Shadow, much to the black hedgehog's surprise.
"Shadsy! I love that!" Sonic giggled, clapping his hands. Seeing his rival blush, he chuckled, "Hey, it's better than being called Meanie, right?"
Shadow huffed out a small laugh as he embraced Faith, feeling as if a heavy weight was lifted off of his shoulders.
"How'd you meet your Dad and Papa? Did they save you from your birth father?" Sonic asked once Shadow settled back down on the bed with Faith on his lap.
"I ran away from him after I heard him talking to some humans about selling me. I ran and ran and ran until I got on a boat that took me here. I was hiding for three days until I met Dad, Papa, and everyone. They took really great care of me. And, when he came looking for me, Dad and Papa took him to court and the judge said he was guilty. He's in jail now, so I don't have to be scared anymore," Faith explained.
Sonic and Shadow both tried their hardest to not show their horror when Faith mentioned how she was almost sold off. Instead, they congratulated her on her freedom and for being a really brave girl. Faith giggled and gave them both hugs.
"I gotta ask you guys something." Blinking her big wine-colored eyes at Sonic and Shadow, Faith asked, "What am I like in your world?"
At her question, Sonic and Shadow looked askance.
"Well… to be honest… we're not sure, Faith. We don't know anyone who looks like you," Sonic admitted.
"Really? Not even in the other worlds you've been to, Sonny?" Faith asked, confused.
"Only saw versions of Tails, Amy, Rouge, Knuckles, Big, and Froggy. I guess you're just one-of-a-kind," Sonic said, shaking his head.
"Or maybe we just haven't met you in our world yet," Shadow piped up, seeing the disappointment on Faith's face. "And I'm sure your counterpart is just as brave and kind as you." He smiled gently.
"And just as adorable," Sonic cooed as he tickled Faith, making the little tenrec giggle.
"Well, if there is another me in your world, I hope she's living a happy life and gets to meet you both." Faith smiled up at the two hedgehogs. "And your version of my Uncle Tails, Aunt Amy, Uncle Knuckles, Auntie Rouge, Uncle Omega, and Aunt Sticks too! It'd be so cool if she met all of you," she said.
"Well, when we do meet a Faith in our world," Sonic ruffled Faith's quills. "we're gonna do our best to protect her and make sure she'll always be happy," he promised.
At Faith's sweet grin, Sonic and Shadow glanced at each other. For the first time since they arrived on Seaside Island, both hedgehogs agreed on something.
When the Chaos Council arrived, they were going to prioritize protecting Faith. And they were going to make sure that the Council left her, Scarf, and Terios' world alone.
Part 3 will be another meaty chapter. In the meantime, hope you guys enjoyed this one. Feel free to comment and give me some constructive criticism on what you liked about this chapter and what I can do to improve on the next one. It'll help me write better.
Hope your 2023's off to a good start!
-GuardianDragon98