A quick written sketch (~a few hours on a late night) of Sonic, Shadow and Silver being brothers, challenging the assumptions they held about each other and seeking understanding. This story was not planned and done on a whim; if something seems strange or off, you're probably right. It may at some point become a part of a larger story.

Some coarse language. Rated T.


The blue hedgehog fell to his knees, having been hit square in the chest by a barrage of rockets. Fresh wounds painted his front like a warzone, oozing fresh blood. Next to him, the unconscious body of a white hedgehog lay limp and lifeless; irises – barely visible as his eyes had rolled back – that once shone with golden glory were now dull as dirt.

Sonic looked to his right and saw the blood-stained corpse of his brother, a carcass of broken ribs and bones protruding from his naked chest; silver fur lay dishevelled around the grass, remnants of what the body once was. Sonic cried. He was so busy fighting, he didn't know when his brother had been struck down. He didn't know when he left the world, alone with nobody by his side. He could never forgive himself for this, and, as much as Silver was the kindest, purest soul, his figured his lonely spirit in death would never leave him be. Whether it be for company, or – Chaos forbid – vengeance.

Sonic couldn't bear to let his dead brother spend eternity wandering alone in the spirit world. Not when it was his fault. The least he could do was to make up for it. And the opportunity came – several gunshots from the Doctor's war machine, several bullets making their way towards the blue figure on the ground, accepting his fate and punishment. He didn't feel the sharp pieces of metal protrude his body, nor did he glance down to see the several gaping holes and broken bones. All he felt was the elation of reuniting with his brother; he could almost see the white spirit, arriving Chaos knows how long before him, waving at him, welcoming him into his arms, eager to be accompanied for the next millennia or so.

"Crap, I'm late!" huffed a raspy voice, filled with adrenaline and panic. Sonic turned his head towards the sound as he groaned and his world blended into darkness; in that moment, he felt a sharp confluence of emotions, as if they were at war with each other. On one hand, he felt at peace, knowing that he can be with Silver for all eternity. On the other, he felt guilty, for giving up so easily; hot-headedness was always his weakness, and he let that cloud his judgement of choosing not to dodge the bullets and rather to atone for his abandonment and neglect of Silver.

He felt guilty, because he will now be leaving his other brother, Shadow. He could not imagine the pain and heartache that the ebony hedgehog was feeling as he took in his surroundings, seeing one of his brothers dead, and the other dying before his eyes.

Shadow's heart sank to the bottom of the abyss, reaching for the darkness. Reaching for his deepest secrets, that not even his brothers knew.

"Late to the party, are we, Shadow the Hedgehog?" boomed the Doctor. "I'm afraid the party is well past its climax!"

"No…no no no no no…" The black hedgehog felt these helpless words escape his gullet. "Not like this!"

For the first time in a very long time, Shadow's secrets saw the light of day. He felt Chaos Energy course through his veins as his physical form changed. His fingers and toes elongated into talons, sharper than razors that could slice through anything; wings extended from his two back quills, scaly and dragon-like, while his tail curled upwards into something scythe-like, as if it were the coveted weapon of the Grim Reaper, ready to bring death upon those who dare oppose him; his teeth grew into vampiric fangs; and his red irises faded into a sea of white that gradually became yellow, but bloodshot, and a single, circular eye appeared in the crease in between.

"I suspected it," spat the Doctor. "I suspected that you had the blood of Black Arms inside you, looking so different from your dead brothers."

"Your words are dissonance to me, Doctor," croaked Shadow, his voice deeper and raspy. "For that, I will subjugate you to silence."

Black Arms Shadow rocketed into the sky, effortlessly dodging the rain of bullets that came his way, for his senses were fully sharpened by the power of Chaos. Like a brilliant comet, he flew into the machine, rendering it powerless. Without a moment of hesitation, dual lasers shot out of where his hedgehog-form eyes were, obliterating the collapsing pieces of metal and vaporising the mad scientist falling among them.

All was truly silent again, but Shadow was not in a rush to regain his hedgehog form. He needed to do something else first.

"Sonic, Silver, do you hear me?" he spoke.

What the hell? Y-yeah, we do, replied the spirit of the blue hedgehog.

"Silver?"

The spirit of the white hedgehog yelped. Black Arms Shadow smiled gently, having heard the voices of the two people he loved.

Shadow! W-what the hell are you? What are you doing, and why do you look like a demon? screamed Sonic.

"I kept a secret from the whole world, even the two of you. I'm glad, although regretful, that I wasn't able to share it with you earlier." Shadow grinned, his fangs flashing a pale white. Sonic and Silver jerked back, figuratively.

You really are a demon, Shadow, gasped the blue hedgehog.

"No, Faker," said Shadow, his voice exhibiting the slightest tremble. "I have the genes of an alien species known as the Black Arms, and this is what my heritage looks like."

Sonic and Silver didn't know how to feel about this, discovering that their brother wasn't really a brother-by-blood after all.

"And no, that's not all there is to this alien," continued Shadow. "I don't only talk to the dead.

"I revive them, too."

It just…doesn't feel right, this new look, new powers and everything, uttered Sonic. Perhaps you should stay away from us until the situation becomes a bit more clear…

"Sonic," huffed Shadow. "I promise – I swear by the Chaos Emeralds – that I can. This isn't who I am. You know this; you both know this! You know me as your brother, Shadow, right? This is who I am at heart! I've come to save you!"

Shadow, you kept this from us, shouted Silver. How do we know you're not holding back anything else? How do we know you won't tear us to pieces once you bring us back?

"Fools! Are you calling me a liar, Silver? I don't tell lies," he snarled, twisting his head to face the two invisible spirits. "I'll have you both know, that I can also interact with the dead. I have the transcendental power to blur not only life and death, but also erase the dead from existence. Yes, Sonic. Yes, Silver. I know exactly where you are, so you better be careful what comes out of your filthy mouths, because you might actually be dead by my hands…"

Really? spirit Sonic bared his imaginary fangs. I'd like to see you try, Shadow. Look at yourself! You're literally a monster!

The alien-hedgehog inhaled sharply. A monster in form, his heart was, after all, still a hedgehog's, brimming with memories of his brothers. Those words cut through his soul sharper than his claws.

"Little piece of shit…" he growled. Sonic and Silver were taken aback. "Prepare to die."

The dimensions swirled, daylight blurring into a confused void of red and black, until the three of them were suspended in a strange, flickering abyss. The blue and white hedgehogs regained their forms; now, facing their brother, who has grown at least a head from his transformation, they shook with terror.

"No – chill, Shadow – you're misunderstanding me, I only said to wait—" stuttered Sonic.

"I don't believe I am," spat Shadow. "And for what you've said, you'll pay."

A jet of black darted towards the two helpless hedgehogs, their eyes widening and irises constricting in sheer trauma as they anticipated the end of their existence. It was only moments ago that they wanted to spend eternity forever. Cuddling each other in a tight embrace, they squeezed their eyes shut as they awaited their demise.

Sonic felt the slightest of things touch his right eyelid. He hesitantly opened an eye, seeing the demonic talons, outstretched. But not ready to strike. It dropped down, its owner fighting the urge to hold back the sobs that rose from his gullet.

"Do you know…" said Shadow, his voice merely a whisper.

"Know what?" replied Sonic, his voice empty with shock.

"Do you fucking know how it feels to have concealed this secret for so damn long?! From those who are the closest to you?" cried Shadow, his voice shattering at the sheer weight of his voice. "Do you know how it feels, to then have peeled open yourself, leaving nothing but a vulnerable core, just to be rejected by your shallow words?! I exposed my darkest secrets to save you, idiot! I can redeem you both, bring you back to life, so that everything would be the same again, and yet you are blinded by the monstrous physique in front of you, unable to see the selfless, kind-hearted soul that lies beneath?"

"Shadow," said Silver. "I was afraid of you, even when you were a hedgehog. You were cold, distant, and got worked up over the smallest of things. I never knew how to act around you, fearing that any mistake on my part, however minor, could trigger your wrath."

"Does my appearance bring you nothing but all those negative qualities you remember of me?" trailed Shadow, those last words a mere whimper. "What about all those times we spent together? All those times we fought as a team, protecting the world from evil, emerging victorious and undefeated? All those times we shared chit-chat at the dinner table, eating our favourite meal after a long battle, grateful that we could stay together, talking about how our lives are going to be when we eradicate all evil from the world and achieve world peace? All those times we were snuggled on the couch, absent-mindedly flicking through our favourite documentaries, TV shows and films? I remember it all: Sonic's favourite chilli dogs with the right level of spiciness; Silver's favourite superhero films; and my favourite photos of the three of us, fighting, travelling, spending an idle day together… and yet, you talk about none of that…

"What even am I, to you both…?"

The spell of silence seemed to last forever, although both the blue and white hedgehogs were shedding quiet tears. Shadow took notice of this, and strangely, he felt slightly better. At least they listened and cared. Finally, the youngest one broke the silence.

"I-it's just the shock," mumbled Silver. "I've never seen you like that…and I've also never seen you like this, so emotional…I just don't know how to react."

"You don't have to say anything," sighed Shadow. "You never had it in you to see the real me with your naïve and weak-willed eyes, and you'll never see me the same way again."

"But I want to learn," pleaded Silver. "I want to get to know the real you. Your ability to see through everything, read between the lines, is scary. Because of that, you saw who I am: someone who easily blinded by the heart he wears on his sleeve. It's not something I'm proud of, really, and I want to change that, Shadow. With your help."

"Likewise, Shads—" added Sonic.

"Don't call me that now, and don't give me that bullshit," croaked Shadow. "Do you know how much it hurt to have heard those words come out of your mouths? I looked cold, distant and angry because I was – that, you weren't wrong about, white hedgehog. But don't you feel smug about getting it right. I was cold, distant and angry because I was scared. I was fucking scared, terrified…"

"Of what? Out of all people, I could never imagine you being scared, Shadow!" uttered a surprised Silver, crestfallen. He, who proclaimed his sensitivity to others using his sleeved heart as a guide, failed to connect with the ones closest to him. "I think you're the bravest hedgehog in the world, Shadow. I've always been incredibly impressed and humbled to have you as my brother, because you're so rational and competent. I'm sorry that I misunderstood you, I really am. I want to make amends. Let me understand you better."

Black Arms Shadow let out a weak laugh, a chortle, more like. "Look, hedgehog, don't go sugar-coating your bitter-as-hell words anymore. You think you want to understand me? I'd like to see you try, Silver. Your brother is a tough nut to crack, and once you've cracked it, he's like an endless labyrinth. You'll never find the treasure that lies inside, not when he's so scared…of losing you both.

"The mere prospect of it made me want to reveal my secret, but I faced resistance and conflict from inside me," he continued. "I feared that you wouldn't take too kindly to my backstory and heritage, because after all, I'm not really hedgehog, am I? Won't that reduce the title of a brother to smithereens? And, behold, this is exactly how that fucking turned out!"

"Shadow, I – we're sorry, I shouldn't have said that," said Sonic. "I can't believe I said those hurtful words. It was in the heat of the moment, really."

"And that, being in the heat of the moment, precisely reveals who you truly are, isn't that the case, Sonic?" retorted Shadow. "Both of you never truly saw me as a brother, not because of my heritage – I am assured that I concealed that well enough to keep it hidden from you – but because of your shallowness. You never saw me for who I am, but for who I seemed. I might as well be a stranger to you after all, just someone who assists you in saving the world, coincidentally lives under the same roof, but not really someone you wanted to connect with."

"Shadow, look," uttered Sonic. "I concede that I didn't read you as deep as you would have liked. For that, I'm sorry. But it's not really a one-sided narrative, is it?"

"I think," joined Silver. "I would've liked it if we were more open, more transparent with each other from the beginning."

"I never said it was, Sonic, but it sure seems like that, from everything you've said," replied Shadow. "And easy for you to say, Silver, that would have been the ideal, no? But imagine yourself in my position. Imagine having the same powers. Do you see it as a blessing? A curse? Or both? What would you do in this case?"

"I'd…I'd see it as a blessing. It's something I would be proud to use to save my brothers—"

"As if I'm not proud right now, white hedgehog!" hissed Shadow. "As if! But what if your brothers turn their backs on you, not wanting to be associated with you ever again, huh? How would you feel then? How would you pick up the pieces they left behind?" The ebony hedgehog looked at the verge of tears.

"…Shadow?" whispered Silver.

"…What."

"I never said I would never associate myself with you after this. Neither did Sonic…"

"You implied it," spat Shadow. "It was clear as sky."

"That's why it's not a one-sided story…" said Silver, his voice trembling. "It's not a one-sided story because, Shadow the Hedgehog, you're not perfect either!"

"Silver the Hedgehog, you fool! I never said I was!" screamed Shadow. He felt as if he was about to lose it all.

"I NEVER said I would disassociate myself from you. I am so proud to be your brother, albeit scared, and yet you speak as if I'm severing this relationship, as if you want to disown me!" bellowed the white hedgehog, his muzzle getting red with upset. "Your insecurities are the reason why you're not hearing things the way they are!"

"My insecurities are because of YOU TWO, Silver! It's because I'm frickin' terrified of losing you—"

"I KNOW! Of course I now know why you are the way you are, Shadow! And because of this, I also know why you feel the way you do, now." The howl tore into the empty space, and Shadow felt as if he was slapped awake; he suddenly felt less agitated, less desperate.

It was the first time in his life hearing Silver so furious and so able to stand up for himself. How ironic it was that, just seconds ago, he was ranting about how naïve and weak-willed he was. Perhaps he, too, failed to fully understand his brothers. Shadow looked down slightly.

"Your insecurities blinded you to what we said," continued Silver, rasping after his outburst. "When Sonic said to wait until the situation becomes a bit more clear, you panicked; you thought it was more than mistrust. When we called you a monster, you took it at more than face-value; you thought we were going to abandon you. When you said we never saw you as a brother, it was because you put up that wall of yours at your own choice!"

"But you were going to abandon me, weren't you? Both of you? I could smell the fear inside of you. You were going to leave me in a flash, in the blink of an eye, faster than I could say 'wait' or, perhaps, a 'goodbye'!"

"That's not true," shouted Sonic. "Of course I was scared! Who wouldn't be, seeing their brother transform into some otherworldly creature? But I was never going to abandon you! You assumed that entirely to your own accord!"

"Shadow, I know and appreciate that it's not easy for you. It must have been so tough to shoulder all the weight of that secret, like a burden, on your own shoulders, with no one to confide in," said Silver, his voice low and soft. "And when you finally tore down your stronghold, you brought with it your fears. It was not a clean, pure decision, but one with reticence. And that's why you panicked; that's why you continued to be scared, uber sensitive to any hint of rejection. More importantly, that's why you saw it all as a one-sided story – rather than embracing your identity and focusing on approaching us and accommodating our shock, you completely neglected that, and kept your vision narrowly focused on yourself!"

"A-are you calling me selfish, Silver the Hedgehog?" cried Shadow. "Are you? Because, let me tell you right here, I'm not! Look, with your eyes wide open, what I am doing for you—"

"Shut up and listen!" screamed the white hedgehog back. "Again, I never said you were – maybe it's time you opened your own eyes for once! You clearly saw for yourself. We were terrified. It's something we could not have expected. The two of us have literally died after a series of traumatic injuries at battle. A few moments into our afterlives, our brother reveals that he's an alien with alien powers. It's all a shock for us, really, and what we really needed was to gain your trust, and not to get away from you. It's really not easy, Shadow. I get that. And none of this detracts from the difficult journey you've had. In fact, there might not have been a better way for you to show us the side of you that you've hid for so long.

"But because you've shared that with us now, we can help you. Help each other. Together. This, is why, I see the value in being transparent and open with each other."

"Yeah," said Sonic. "You know, when I said you were a monster, I didn't mean it in reference to your heart or soul. It was exactly what Silver said: your transformation, and only that, came as a shock to us. It had nothing to do with who you really are. And all those threats you gave us didn't help, either."

Shadow clutched his heart. He felt the urge to shrink himself and sink to his knees.

"But, you know what?" continued Sonic, getting teary-eyed again. "You're incredibly sentimental, Shadow. I never thought I'd think or say this. I didn't realise how much you truly cared for us, and cared about what we thought of you. I'm sorry. I think I need you just as much as you need me now. There's a whole other side to my big brother that I can get to know now."

Shadow gasped, head jerking upwards. He felt a sudden rush of warmth with the sweetness of a swirl of liquid dark chocolate. He knew, those weren't sugar-coated words, for sure. His eyes then settled on a certain white hedgehog walking straight at him; feeling so vulnerable and naked at the core, his initial reaction was to retreat. Silver saw it all.

"Look, Shadow, you want to hide. This is why I said you were insecure. Not only did we mistrust you, you also lacked faith in us." The black hedgehog felt a greater urge to reduce himself into a ball. Not only was his brother right, it was also yet another historic first that his brother was talking so rationally and bluntly. The Silver he knew was soft, flexible, sometimes nervous and easily swayed; yet, the very same hedgehog standing over him glowed with confidence, had the eye of a hawk and the valiant heart of a soldier.

"I don't want to say anything more, other than that I'm so proud to call you my brother. And, you know, it hurt, when you said I was sugar-coating my words…" his voice trailed off. "But I think we're a lot more alike than you might think. I have a rational and firm side to me, and you have a warm and emotional side to you."

Shadow grunted; he couldn't take it anymore. This was, after all, a lot of emotional overload. He got up and once again towered over the hedgehogs. He was ready to be done with this. Have his brothers back at his side.

Glowing a brilliant red, flame-like apparitions engulfed blue and white in its embrace, all the while Black Arms Shadow did his sorcery. The mysterious dimension began to distort, glow, and disappear as the hedgehogs' physical forms returned to the real world, the world of Mobius. The patches of grass where the corpses lay just moments ago were empty, albeit still extremely bloody, and a blue and white hedgehog stood, blank-faced, as they watched their brother complete the ritual.

As soon as he did, Sonic and Silver spared no time and ran up to Shadow, closing in with a tight hug.

"Hey, your body is still warm and fuzzy," remarked Sonic.

"And your chest fur has grown even bigger!" said Silver, dreamily.

They don't know how much time has passed, but when they opened their eyes and let go of their embrace, they no longer saw a creature a whole head taller than them. They saw a black hedgehog, the one they've always known, head down, with tears streaming down his face. He sniffed lightly, occasionally. But upon noticing that his brothers were watching attentively and with concern, he immediately stopped crying and sniffing, as if by magic.

"What are you staring at?" he said, without a single tremor in his voice. For a moment, he was the cold, distant and angry hedgehog again.

Sonic and Silver only giggled, and once again enclosed Shadow in their embrace; as if by magic, the black hedgehog fell into another fit of tears. They stayed in that position until he was feeling fine again, and together, they headed home, where they would chit-chat over the dinner table while eating their favourite meals, talking about their plans after world peace, and then snuggle on the couch to watch TV together.