I'm back! Apologies for the long wait. Work has been ramping up and I was struggling with writer's block.
To be honest, I'm not sure if this chapter is exactly how I wanted it to be like, but I hope it's good enough. Enjoy!
Part 3: Calm Before the Storm
"Are you two dating?"
Faith's next question, uttered so innocently in the middle of a strategy meeting at Goggles' workshop, caused their brains to screech to a halt.
"We're not," Shadow mumbled, earning a confused look from Faith. Beside him, Sonic was staring at the board Goggles had displayed a map of Seaside Island, his muzzle tinted crimson.
"Oh. But are you two friends at least?" Faith asked the black-and-red hedgehog, blinking her big sweet eyes up at him.
"Sweetheart, we're having a meeting. You can ask Sonny and Shadsy questions later," Terios told her gently.
"Sorry…" Faith blushed and hid her muzzle behind her front quills.
"It's okay." Sonic went over to her and knelt down with a kind smile. "But for your second question, well… we're more rivals than friends," he admitted.
Faith cocked her head to the side. "What are rivals?" she inquired.
"They're… uh…" Sonic glanced at Shadow, who looked like he was also struggling to come up with a good answer.
"Rivals are sort of friends, but the way they do things together isn't what you'd expect from regular friends hanging out. They usually spend time together trying to one up each other, to see who's better at things," Scarf explained.
Faith hummed and lightly tugged at one of her quills. "Like when Orion and I compete to see who gets the highest score on tests at school?" she asked her Dad.
"Yup. So you can say that, in the classroom, Orion's your rival," said Scarf with a wink.
"Okay…" Faith then looked at Sonic and Shadow. "So are you friends?" she asked.
"Uh…" Sonic suddenly couldn't bring himself to look into Faith's innocent, trusting eyes while Shadow immediately said, "Yes."
Well, that made the former do a double-take. Sonic glanced at Shadow, eyes wide, while Faith smiled.
"Okay. I'm glad you guys are friends," the little tenrec chirped, oblivious to the shocked reaction on her Dad's counterpart's face.
Shadow and Sonic then tried to focus again on the meeting. Glamour had returned from scouting Eggy's's base and, having met up with the Doctor when he had returned, took note on the board of the first line of defense.
"So the Doctor's Badniks are patrolling the perimeter of the lair as well as the coast. He told me that Sage is currently directing them on patrols, swapping them out every four hours. The Bee Bots and Motobugs are sweeping the outermost fringes while the larger Badniks stay close to the Doctor's lair. If things go bad, Sage will link up with Tails' defenses already set up in the villages," Glamour explained then gestured to the blue pin marking Hedgehog Village. "Big Knucks, Sticks, and Rosey will lead the villagers on the offense while ensuring non-combatants are evacuated."
"Meanwhile, me, Terios, Glamour, Omega, and Tails will fly and engage the Chaos Council. As much as possible, we gotta keep their mothership away from the village and the beach," Scarf continued and then looked at Faith. "Kiddo, remember. Stay hidden with the Shard. We can't let it fall into the Chaos Council's hands."
"I won't let you down, Dad!" Faith saluted and looked at Sonic and Shadow. "And I won't be scared because they'll protect me," she said brightly.
"But what are we gonna do with the Shard until then?" Big Knucks then jabbed his thumb at the bright yellow crystal hooked up to Goggles' Miles Electric.
"I'll hand it over to Scarf and Terios the minute I receive word from Sage that we need to engage. I have to find a way to utilize its power to construct a means of transport for our guests to travel through Shatterspace. I need to get as much data from this thing," Goggles answered, keeping an eye on the data his scans were getting.
"In the meantime, we need to start our patrols." Rosey began leading Big Knucks, Sticks, Omega, and Glamour out of the workshop. But not before approaching Faith and whispering something in her ear. The little tenrec looked confused, prompting Rosey to whisper something to her again. This time, Faith seemed to get it and nodded.
"Okay. Looks like we got a solid strategy…" Sonic mumbled, looking at Scarf and Terios. "So… what do we do?" he asked his counterpart.
"Well, you two could do whatever you want for now. But…" Scarf glanced at Terios and gave him a half-smile. "…maybe my husband and I can teach you a few moves that might come in handy in the fight to come," he suggested.
Terios' eyes glinted and smirked while Shadow narrowed his eyes at him. "Wouldn't it be counterintuitive to tire us out before battle?" he asked.
"Perhaps. But, if you two are going to fix your world together, then you two need to learn how to fight together. That is… unless you two don't think you have the patience nor the skill to actually cooperate in combat," Terios challenged him.
'Ooh, if there's one other thing Shadow doesn't like, it's being called unskilled,' Sonic thought, wincing, as Shadow glared daggers at his counterpart.
"Fine. Where are we training?" Shadow asked.
"In front of our house." Terios then smiled at Faith. "Do you want to watch, sweetheart?" he asked.
"Yes, please, Papa!" Faith bounced up and down.
Sonic and Shadow followed their counterparts to the beach. While Faith sat on the front porch, Scarf and Terios marked out an 18 x 9-meter rectangle in the sand.
"All right. If you can knock us both out of bounds, you win." Scarf grinned once he and Terios were positioned on one side of the rectangle, facing Sonic and Shadow. "Come at us!" he challenged them.
While Sonic still looked unsure, Shadow Spin Dashed towards Scarf. The older blue hedgehog calmly smiled as Terios shielded him, catching Shadow in his hands and throwing him back. Sonic managed to catch his rival by the hand before he bounced out of bounds.
"Careful!" Shadow glared as he rubbed his shoulder. "Are you trying to dislocate my arm?" he snapped.
"Sorry!" Sonic yelped before noticing Scarf and Terios just standing around, waiting for them to make the next move. "You take Scarf while I take Terios," he told Shadow who begrudgingly nodded.
"They're changing things up. That's interesting," Scarf said, seeing Sonic and Shadow both use Spin Dash. He and Terios also went into a Spin Dash and rushed toward them. And then, just before they made contact, they uncurled.
Sonic couldn't stop in time to avoid getting kicked up into the sky by Terios, who then teleported and gave him another kick that sent him plummeting to the ground. Meanwhile, Scarf zigzagged out of Shadow's path. Shadow uncurled and prepared to retaliate with a Chaos Spear only for Scarf to Boost in a loop midair and hit the black hedgehog with a hard kick to the ribs. Shadow barely managed to keep himself upright as he was sent skidding to the very edge of the boundary.
"What the fuuuuudddgggeee…" Sonic broke out in a sweat when Scarf and Terios gave him warning looks and caught himself before he swore in Faith's presence.
"C'mon, Sonny! You and Shadsy can do it!" Faith cheered and then grinned. "Do your best too, Dad and Papa!"
Scarf and Terios were now standing in the middle of the rectangle, while Sonic and Shadow were on opposite sides. Locking eyes from across the sparring ground, the latter pair silently got the same idea.
"Hand-to-hand approach?" Terios asked his husband upon seeing the smaller hedgehogs running towards them.
"Sounds fair," Scarf replied with a smirk and cracked his knuckles. He and Terios dodged Sonic and Shadow's punches and kicks with ease. And they retaliated with evenly-matched blows.
What was frustrating to Sonic and Shadow was that the two were openly flirting with each other throughout their spar. Scarf took Terios by the hand and swung him to his side to dodge Sonic's flying kick. And then Terios dipped him low to avoid a Chaos Spear thrown by Shadow. When it came to retaliating, it was as if the couple could read each other's minds. Every movement was well-coordinated and performed without a single slip-up.
"Tsk, tsk, talk about uncoordinated. I'm almost ashamed to admit that we were terrible partners on the battlefield before," Terios remarked, blocking a punch from Shadow. Gripping the latter's wrist, he then spun around and brought Shadow to Scarf who kicked the black hedgehog to the side.
"Yeah, to be fair, that was before we learned the value of communication," Scarf told him as he jumped and did a mid-air split while Sonic tried and failed to land a Homing Attack on him.
"We were such fools back then," Terios laughed as he caught Scarf in his arms. The two of them took a second to share a brief kiss before meeting Sonic and Shadow's next flurry of attacks.
"This is getting nowhere…" Sonic panted as he and Shadow were forced to fall back to the other side of the sparring field. "We can't beat them in close combat. And they can figure out our strategy almost right away…" he muttered.
"So we take them out with a move that can level the field." Shadow's left ear flicked towards Sonic. "Remember our match in Green Hill? The Cyclone?" he asked him.
"Form the outer ring and I'll be the eye," Sonic said before running full-speed ahead. He managed to (finally) land a hit that sent both Scarf and Terios tumbling. As soon as Scarf was separated from Terios by a few feet, Sonic started running around him in a circle. At the same time, Shadow surrounded Terios.
"This looks familiar," Scarf remarked and crouched, digging his hands into the sand. He could make out his husband's silhouette through the sand whipping around him. Already, Terios was revving up to execute an Atomic Strike. Scarf smirked and ran to counter Sonic's wind tunnel.
"Oh no…" Sonic muttered as he and Shadow were suddenly lifted off their feet, their Cyclone immediately dissipating. Flailing his arms and legs around, he tried to find Shadow in the blur of blue, black, and red until the latter unceremoniously smacked into him. Holding on to each other for dear life, both hedgehogs tried to escape Scarf and Terios' trap.
"I can't teleport!" Shadow grunted as their surroundings crackled with Chaos Energy.
From somewhere around them came Scarf's voice. "This is a little move my husband and I like to call the Atomic Strike!"
Sonic and Shadow yelped as they were tossed up into the air. And then, gradually, they fell until they were lying on the ground, winded and defeated.
"What was that?" Shadow spluttered as he sat up. He looked at Terios in bewilderment. "You two gradually slowed our descent instead of finishing us both off. What kind of move was that?" he questioned.
"That wasn't the finishing move," Terios told them, wrapping an arm around Scarf's waist. "If that had been a real Atomic Strike, we would have unleashed an energy field that could have electrocuted you both."
Sonic whimpered and staggered to his feet. 'Guess there's a ton of stuff Shadow and I still need to learn…' he thought. It made sense that Scarf and Terios would be stronger than them. They were older and had more time to train and sharpen their skills.
"Don't get bummed out. It took Shads and me years to be able to fight side-by-side. You two just need to learn how to take cues from each other. Work together instead of competing against one another." Scarf gave them a reassuring smile. "You're both strong in your own unique way. But if you two can work together, then you two will be a force to be reckoned with," he said.
Looking at each other, Sonic and Shadow felt a little awkward. For as long as they could remember, they competed to see who was faster or stronger. And they didn't have enough time to fully talk each other's issues out. Could they really work together on their mission to fix their world at this rate?
"If you're both still up for it, we can show you a few moves that you two can use in your fight against the Chaos Council," Scarf offered.
The thought of learning new moves excited Sonic. "Ooh, ooh, ooh! Can you show me that big loop kick you used earlier?" he asked.
Shadow approached Terios, folding his arms across his chest. "I didn't see any new techniques from you. But… I'm assuming that you have better mastery over using Chaos Energy?" he assumed.
"I can show you how to charge up your energy attacks." Terios formed a Chaos Spear in his hands. Then, to Shadow's awe, the Chaos Spear lengthened until it was long enough to be held in both of Terios's hands.
"You wanna get some training done, kiddo?" Scarf waved Faith over, who ran to him immediately.
"Yeah! We weren't able to train earlier, so I wanna train now," Faith said eagerly.
Together with Faith, Sonic and Shadow trained. At first, Scarf and Terios went slow and guided them through the movements. Once they mastered the basic forms, they sped things up and challenged the trio to execute the moves in rapid succession. Still a bit sore from their spar with their counterparts, Sonic and Shadow stumbled through some attempts.
But, when one stumbled and fell, the other helped them get back up. They trained until the sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon. Exhausted, Sonic and Shadow dragged their feet as they followed Faith, Scarf, and Terios back to their house. Dinner was a simple affair consisting of cream stew and rice. To Shadow's amusement, Sonic inhaled his serving with as much enthusiasm as he would with a plate of chili dogs.
Faith finished her meal first and asked to be excused. Meanwhile, Scarf and Terios found themselves with a conundrum.
"So we have one guest room that you two could share, or one of you could take the couch," Scarf told Sonic and Shadow.
"I already had a nap in the guest room. I'll take the couch tonight so Shadow can sleep in a real bed this time," Sonic offered, avoiding Shadow's gaze, just as Faith's voice came from the living room.
"Oh no!"
Scarf and Terios were by their daughter's side in an instant. To their relief, Faith was unharmed. But she was looking at the couch which had milk dripping off of its frame. "Sorry… I was gonna take my milk upstairs but I tripped and spilled it on the couch," the little tenrec mumbled.
"It's okay, kiddo. We can wash it up and let it dry tomorrow," Scarf said, gently patting her head, and then turning to Sonic and Shadow. "Sorry, guys. But, unless one of you prefers grabbing a sleeping bag, you two will have to share the guestroom."
"I don't mind." Shadow shrugged, though he was fairly certain his muzzle was turning red at the thought of sharing a bed with Sonic.
When it was time to head to bed, Faith smiled as she gave her parents hugs. "Good night, Sonny! Good night, Shadsy!" she then hugged her parents' counterparts.
"Night, Faith," Sonic yawned, already bone tired from training and ready to hit the hay. Shadow awkwardly hugged the little tenrec before quickly heading to the guestroom with Sonic in tow. Faith giggled and whispered to herself, "All according to plan, like Aunt Amy said," which attracted her parents' attention.
Terios raised an eyebrow at Faith. "Did Amy give you instructions to do this?" he asked and gestured to the soaked couch.
Faith merely looked down at her boots, covering her muzzle with her front quills. Terios glanced at Scarf, who was staring at the couch. Then, his husband's eyes widened and he smiled slightly before looking at Terios. Scarf nodded his head to the couch and waggled his brows. It took a minute for Terios to get it before he chuckled.
"Um… are you and Dad upset, Papa?" Faith asked, timidly raising a hand. "Aunt Amy said I needed to do it to give Sonny and Shadsy a push to help them be better friends…"
"No, sweetheart. We're not angry." Stooping down, Terios ruffled the little tenrec's quills. "In fact, I think you're doing our counterparts a favor," he told her, glancing at Scarf with a fond smile.
It was quiet in the guest room. To Shadow's surprise, Sonic was quiet as he climbed into bed. He pricked his ears, hearing their counterparts leaving and going upstairs for the night. He blushed when he thought about Scarf and Terios sharing a bed, cuddling, kissing each other as they wished each other sweet dreams, and maybe doing… other things.
Sonic's voice, much to Shadow's relief, broke his train of thought.
"Have you ever thought about your future like this?" Sonic mumbled as he focused on the plush softness of the blanket he and Shadow shared.
"Thinking about my future while having to share a bed with my greatest rival?" Shadow muttered, closing his eyes.
"No. I mean… having a family."
Opening his eyes, Shadow slowly rolled over until he and Sonic were face-to-face. Seeing the blue hedgehog's wistful smile made him pause for thought. "I… I haven't really thought about that. Have you?" he asked.
"A few times. Sure, Tails and I are family and always will be… I hope…" Sonic sighed and pulled the blanket up to his shoulders. "But I've thought about what it'd be like to settle down when I'm older. Get a nice house I can return to at the end of each day. And kids. I'd like to have maybe two," he admitted.
Shadow couldn't help but smile a bit at the thought. 'Sonic a father… I can see him teaching his kids how to run. Making them chili dogs to pack into their lunchboxes for school,' he mused. "For your future children's sake, I hope your wife will be the disciplinarian," he remarked.
Sonic blinked at him. "If you're thinking I want Amy to be my wife, I don't see myself marrying her. We're like brother and sister. I like boys," he told him.
I like boys.
That one sentence turned Shadow's entire world upside down.
"I… see." Rolling over so his back was, once again, to Sonic's face, Shadow covered his mouth to keep himself from squeaking or squealing.
"Dude, you saw me in the Pirate world hanging out with Dread. I thought he was pretty cute," Sonic pointed out, his cheeks growing warm as he also thought, 'Not as cute as you though…'
"Does that mean you have a crush on Knuckles?" Shadow snorted.
"I did. But then he started telling me about his crush on Rouge and, well, that marked the end of my crush on him," Sonic replied. He was thankful that the room was dark. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle it if Shadow caught him blushing.
"All right. Husband, then. I pray that your husband would be the disciplinarian if you two decided to have kids. You do realize that taking care of a child's going to be a huge responsibility, though, right?" Facing Sonic again, Shadow gave him a quizzical look. "And it'll mean you won't get to run around in search of adventures like you used to. You really want to tie yourself down like that?"
"I think I'll be okay with that. I mean, look at Scarf. He's an older, more mature, and way more responsible version of me. But, when I look at him spending time with Terios and Faith… I don't see any sign of him regretting his life choices. I don't think he's tied down. In fact, he looks happy and… free…" Sonic mumbled and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. "I wish I could have that kind of life. Feel at ease because there's nothing wrong in the world and… be free while also being with the people I love," he admitted.
But he sighed and turned away from Shadow. "That is if they'll still want me around…" he mumbled, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes.
Shadow hesitated before reaching a hand out to rest on the blue hedgehog's shoulder. "I'm sure your friends will forgive you," he told him.
"What if they don't?" Sonic shook as he started to cry. "I haven't listened to their advice in a long time. I've been taking them all for granted. And the last thing they saw me do was completely disobey their orders and crash into that Paradox Prism at top speed. They were probably already resenting me and this is gonna be the last straw for them. When everything's fixed, they'll get mad at me for not listening to them and… and then they'll leave me behind and… I'll be all alone…" he sobbed.
Suddenly, he felt strong arms wrap around him.
"You're not alone now," Shadow mumbled as he hugged Sonic from behind. "I'm here."
Sonic sniffed and took a shaky breath. For a moment, both hedgehogs didn't say anything. And then Sonic whispered, "Did you mean it when you told Faith that we're friends?"
"I did. You seemed surprised," Shadow remarked, moving back so Sonic could roll over to face him. The way Sonic looked at him with a slight sheen to his eyes and ears angled downwards made his heart clench painfully in his chest.
"I-I thought you hated me. That's why you kept attacking me…" said Sonic.
"I didn't know how else to get your attention," Shadow admitted and placed his hand over Sonic's. "But you still regarded me as your friend even back then. Even if I don't show it the way the others do, I think you're my friend too."
Sonic shakily exhaled and managed a slight smile. "Thanks, Shadow…" he mumbled before letting out a tiny yawn and closing his eyes.
Shadow watched him fall asleep. With a sigh, he scooted closer to the blue hedgehog and pressed his forehead against Sonic's.
"We're gonna fix this. And you won't be alone when all of this is over. I promise," he whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep as well.
Next chapter is where the action starts. And I've already got an idea for some key plot points there. In the meantime, read and review. Constructive criticism only please.
-GuardianDragon98