Coffee and Therapy with Shadow

by Makuta7

Set in the Sonic Boom universe, Shadow opens a coffee shop after discovering that Meh Burger does not sell any. Eggman is excited to visit his cafe but is outraged by his customer service. He tries to ruin Shadow's business by allying with Mariah Otomech, an evil scientist who happens to look like his cousin Maria, in hopes of triggering his PTSD. However, his scheme goes awry.

6. Chapter 6: Silver Wins an Election

Chapter 6 Silver Wins an election and Spoils the Future

Sonic, Amy, Tails, Sticks, and Knuckles all piled into Amy's house to escape a sudden thunderstorm that had so rudely interrupted their game of extreme Mehburger cup stacking. A wind had blown them into the ocean, but Tails reassured a distraught Amy that the cups would not harm any marine wildlife after their 200-year half-life expired.

"Rain is so bitter-sweet." Amy said, clasping her hands. "It can ruin your plans, but it can also make you spend some much-needed quality time with the ones you hold dear."

"Yeah," Sonic said, reclining on her couch. "And I can't think of a better way to spend quality time with someone than to sit on their couch and watch their TV."

Amy frowned. "You don't think much, do you?"

Tails snatched the remote from his hand. "Can we at least watch the election tonight? After four years, we get to once again see the miracle of the democratic process in action."

Sticks glared at Tails. "You mean we get to watch a bunch of puppets controlled by corporations, the deep state, and/or lizard people vie for power while we pretend to have the tiniest amount of political autonomy?"

"Sure, let's watch it." Sonic said. "I forgot this is the one night every four years I pretend to care about politics."

Tails turned the channel to the news and found Soar the Egle standing in front of city hall.

"It's the election everyone's pretending to care about because they think everyone else cares about it. Just a minute. . . ."

Soar put a hand to his headset and his eyes widened. "The polls are in!"

An ox carrying several wooden poles walked by him and entered the courthouse.

"And we have the election results too. To absolutely no one's surprise, it seems all the incumbents won, but what about that coveted minister of welfare position the mayor just added to his cabinet to grow our already bloated bureaucracy?"

Soar opened an envelope and squinted as he carefully read its contents. "This can't be right. It seems the winner is a Silver the Hedgehog." He turned to his cameraman. "Who is that, Sonic's brother? Shadow's stepson? No? A hedgehog from the future. . . . Are we going with that?" He looked back at the camera. "You heard it here first, folks, a hedgehog from the future is your new minister of welfare. I'm sure this won't have any dire consequences for our village, and someone get me this guy's investment portfolio!"

"Seriously?" Sonic crossed his arms and glanced at his friends. "Alright guys, who voted for Silver?"

His friends glanced at each other warily. No one seemed willing to speak.

"Oh, Sonic, you know I would never vote for Silver." Knuckles said, patting him on the head. "What's voting?"

"Well, I voted for him." Amy said raising her hand.

"What?" Sonic said, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Ames, how could you vote for that guy. He's so . . . Silver."

Amy smiled and folded her hands in her lap. "I know he can be a bit overbearing, but he's so genuine and pure. Didn't you read his campaign ads in the newspaper?"

"Um, no."

Amy groaned and shook her head. "Well, Silver said he's going to make sure our entire island reaches its full potential and every citizen becomes a productive member of society."

She glared at him with no small amount of judgement.

"Come on, Amy. I'm productive. I produce peace by saving the village from Eggman every day."

"And what would you do if Eggman decided to leave the village alone?"

"I don't know, die of boredom?"

"No, you'd sit at home all day watching television."

Sonic shrugged. "Okay. Some people are producers. Others are consumers. I'm more like the latter."

"Well, if you were a producer, you'd be a plant person, and we'd all be assimilated into your mother tree by now." Sticks said, staring into his eyes. "Nah, you're good, but Amy, I'm shocked. How could you participate in this phony voting process? You know it doesn't mean anything."

Amy put her hand on her shoulder. "Sticks, you would like Silver. He's a political outsider. He's not even from our timeline."

"Unless he's the good kind of time traveler who tries to warn us of our impending doom, I don't trust him."

Amy sighed and walked back to the kitchen. While she was searching through her fridge, Knuckles pointed at the tv in awe.

"Hey, Sonic, another one of your recolors is on the news. Actually, I think they forgot to color him."

Silver took the mic from Soar the Eagle and stared at the camera with wide eyes filled with neurotic intensity.

"People of Hedgehog Village, thank you for placing your trust in me. I, Silver the Hedgehog, am determined to make sure the utopia of this island's future is realized. Everyone will have jobs. Children will go to school. The strong will help the weak, and the weak will pursue greatness. And we will all reach our full potential. Whether you be the CEO of a fortune 500 company or a fast-food worker, we will all do our part to make our community better for our children than it was for us. I have seen the future of this island and my only dream is that you will all see it as well. Follow me into the future. Follow me to greatness!"

Everyone fell silent and stared at Sticks. After some silence, Tails finally asked, "Any thoughts, Sticks?"

"I like this guy." she said with a smile.

"What?" Everyone screamed collectively.

"He's so crazy, you can't help but trust him. He really believes what he's saying, which already makes him better than 99 percent of the politicians out there."

"Yeah, good point." Sonic muttered and returned his attention to the tv.

"My first project," Silver continued, "is to open a trade school focused on helping adults acquire meaningful skills and find job opportunities to better support their families. As of today, the ministry of welfare will be partnering with Shadow the Hedgehog and Eggman Industries to build the Hedgehog Community College on top of the mountain outside the village. May it be a shining light of lucidity amidst the dark ignorance of the world."

Tails jumped off the couch. "Alright, a trade school!"

"Built by Eggman!" Sonic shouted.

"And funded by Shadow." Sticks said. "I'm sure he'll have an underground gambling racket within a week. He'll be skimming off the top, and poor Silver won't know a thing."

"I hate to say it, but Sticks is right." Tails said. "They'll eat him alive."

"We've gotta go to city hall and warn him." Sticks said, punching her fist into her hand.

"But the storm!" Sonic implored his friends.

"It's just rain." Sticks said with a shrug.

Amy grabbed his arm. "Come on, Sonic. If our public servants can stand out in the rain all day giving interviews, then we can get a little wet walking to the courthouse."

"Ugh, our public servants aren't doing anything. It's just Silver being weird, but let's go. Maybe we can convince him he's got no shot."

---

Amy wrung the water out of her quills while they waited in the courthouse lobby. Sonic leaned against the wall behind her, tapping his foot impatiently.

"I'm sure he's busy." Amy said. "Politicians always overdo it on their first day."

"It's not like he's the mayor." Sonic said. "Silver was never that fast."

The white hedgehog emerged from the top of the stairs and levitated down in front of Sonic. Sticks jumped between them and screamed.

"I knew you were an alien overlord come to make us transcend to our next stage of evolution where we'll be merged with the cosmos!"

Silver looked down at her, smiling awkwardly. "Young lady, I'm going to transcend this entire society. It will be a world where even mentally unstable people like you can be successful."

"Young lady?" Sticks rolled her eyes. "What a nut case."

Silver frowned and looked back at the others. "Good to see you again, Sonic."

"Likewise." Sonic looked into his wild eyes as best as he could. "Congrats on the win, I guess."

He shrugged. "I was the only one on the ballot, and it's not a salaried position. I just kept pestering the mayor until he made an office I could run for, but I'm glad you're here. You can help me get this trade school off the ground. I promise it will be this village's first step on its path to prosperity."

"About that." Amy said, stepping forward. "We think you should reconsider your partnerships with Eggman and Shadow. They're just going to take advantage of you and use your school for their own gain."

Silver smiled. "I appreciate the warning, but Shadow has almost all the money and capital on the island, and Eggman has all the resources and robotics to build our campus. I had no choice."

"Tails can build your campus." Amy said gesturing to Tails. "That takes Eggman out of the deal."

"I can?" Tails said, taken aback.

"Sure you can, buddy." Sonic said, putting his arm around his shoulders. "Anything Eggman can do, you can do just as well if not better. That's how it always works."

"Thanks for the confidence, Sonic, but it's not just about ability. I need workers, cement trucks, cranes, steel, bricks. Where am I supposed to get all this?"

"Well, Knuckles can carry all the stuff and pour concrete. Tax money can cover the rest, right?"

"Our tax money isn't for your little government projects!" Sticks yelled, shaking her fist.

"Actually, it kind of is." Tails said with a shrug.

Silver looked at them all intensely. "I'm meeting with Eggman and Shadow at his coffee shop later today. I'll renegotiate our contract, but I really don't think we can get this school up and running without Shadow's money."

"We're coming with, right Tails?" Sonic said cheerfully.

"What? Oh, I guess. I was kind of hoping we could just watch him struggle. I was looking forward to someone even more naïve than me joining the team."

"Oh, don't worry. He'll struggle." Sonic said with a cocky smile.

"Um, guys," Silver said waving his hand, "I'm standing right here."

"Oh, sorry." Sonic said. "Well, I'm gonna go to Chaos Brews and annoy Shadow, so he'll be relieved when you all get there."

Sonic dashed over to the coffee shop just down the road from city hall. He burst through the door and found Shadow sitting at the bar, drinking a cup of black coffee. Mariah Otomech was behind the bar, washing dishes.

"Hey, Shadow. Man, am I glad you bought this joint back from Eggman. His drinks were way too sweet. No wonder he can't lose weight, am I right?"

Shadow slowly put down his cup and pushed it away. Mariah pulled her dish rag taut as her face contorted with animalistic rage. She stomped mechanically to the bar and loomed over Sonic.

"He doesn't like it when people talk to him before he finishes his coffee, and for the record, he gave this cafe to me. And anyone who bothers Shadow is only welcome here if they're alright with enjoying this establishment as a bloody mess beneath the floorboards."

"And I'd still be the coolest, fastest bloody mess this world's ever seen." Sonic said, grinning at her. "Since when did you get so loose with the rings, Shadow? I guess looking like Maria has its perks."

Mariah started to reach across the bar to grab Sonic's neck, but he backstepped just out of her reach. She grabbed a knife to throw at him, but stopped when Shadow held up his hand.

"Let's take this outside, Sonic. This is Mariah's sanctuary, and if you make her have an episode here, I'll kill you."

Sonic stared at him for a moment and coughed. "So, you're not going to turn that into a joke? We usually try to include some humor in dark, serious lines like that."

Shadow crossed his arms. "Mariah has a serious condition. When you put her health at risk, I get serious."

"Alright, alright," Sonic said waving his hands, "I'll be nice. Give me a Palmtree Panic."

Mariah looked at him with disgust. "As if you need more energy in that malformed brain of yours."

Sonic laughed. "I just got done talking to an old friend of yours, Shadow. Trust me, I need the energy."

He raised his brow slightly. "Who?"

"Silver the Hedgehog."

Shadow's eyes widened and he looked at Mariah. "Give him the drink."

Mariah hesitated, but turned around and started working clumsily with the coffee dispensers.

"So, you're really going to fund Silver's school?" Sonic asked, leaning his elbow on the bar. "You know how he gets with helping people. It never stops."

Shadow nodded. "He's an idealist who wants to see the world run at peak efficiency—to see every man, woman, and child reach their true potential and find fulfillment. . . . find happiness. In our society, it's a fool's errand, but I don't mind throwing my rings behind it because . . . Maria would support it if she were here."

Mariah dropped a cup. It shattered across the floor, soaking hot coffee into the planks. She did not clean it up, but simply stared at the mess a wiped her eyes. In half a second, Shadow teleported, cleaned up the spill, and was back in his seat.

"Sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine." Mariah whispered without looking at him.

Shadow looked at his cup and back to Sonic. "As you can see, Sonic, I've entered the philanthropy stage of my life. If you have doubts as to my intentions, you should lay them to rest."

Sonic laughed awkwardly. "Oh, so you're gonna build a bunch of schools and hospitals now, huh? You still got your casinos and hotels?"

Shadow frowned. "Yes."

"Good because Amy and I were planning . . . Uh, never mind."

To Sonic's relief, the door opened and Silver entered the café followed by Amy, Tails, and Sticks. Knuckles had gone into the mountains to prepare a construction site for the school.

"Oh, Mariah, I love what you've done with the place!" Amy exclaimed as she walked up to the bar. "Those drapes are so you."

The café was filled to the brim with red and black furnishings. Red curtains, black tablecloths, even red light fixtures filled the room with crimson colors despite the idyllic sun beams penetrating the windows.

"Yeah, very nice," Tails said, "and definitely not a manifestation of her pathological obsession with Shadow."

"Amy!" Mariah screamed as she ran around the counter. She fell to her knees and embraced Amy, pressing her large head against her chest. "Thank you so much for helping me find the décor. I hope I can be half as domestic as you some day."

Amy smiled awkwardly. "Ha, ha. Thanks."

"What can I get for you, my adorable friend?" Mariah asked, her voice brimming with joy.

"Air!" Amy gasped.

"Oh, sorry." She released her and ran behind the counter to make some drinks. "I know just what you need—a stardust macchiato with vanilla foam and strawberry syrup."

"You know it, girlfriend!" Amy shouted as she rapped her fists on the bar.

The red ribbon in Mariah's hair bounced happily as she swayed side-to-side in front of the coffee machines. Sonic was sitting between Shadow and Amy now. He looked at both of them and to his astonishment, Shadow seemed just as happy as Amy.

"Shadow, who is this woman?" Silver asked, taking the seat to his left.

Sticks jumped onto the bar in front of him. "That's Mariah Otomech, Shadow's friend Maria from an alternate universe where he was the one who died and she took revenge on the entire planet. She wound up in our universe when she tried to use a time machine to go back in time and save her version of Shadow."

Silver smiled pleasantly. "Very good, Sticks. Now, let's try that again using logic and reasoning."

"It's true." Shadow said, sipping his coffee.

Silver blinked at him. "Oh . . . In that case, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mariah Otomech. I'm Silver the Hedgehog, your new minister of welfare. I've come from the future to make sure this island becomes the utopia it is in my day. If you ever need anything, just ask."

Mariah laughed. "Oh, I don't need anything. Shadow's welfare is my welfare, so as long as you're nice to him, we'll get along."

"I see. . . ." Silver turned around to Tails who was sitting alone at a table behind him. "Is everyone in this village suffering from some level of psychosis?"

Tails smiled and took a sip from his mint smoothie. "Pretty much."

Mariah gave Amy her sweet drink and Silver ordered a muffin. Sonic glanced at Amy and it gave him some peace watching her enjoy her macchiato.

"I thought you only served black coffee here?" Sonic said, smirking at Shadow.

Shadow ignored him and turned to Silver. "What's the plan?"

He clenched his fists and leaned over the bar. "Eggman's out of the deal."

"That's inconvenient. Does he know that?"

"I sent him an email."

"Without Eggman, it'll double the cost."

"Not if we all pitch in." Sonic said, giving them a thumbs up. "Shadow and I can build a school during his lunch break."

Shadow laughed quietly. "You couldn't put a bookshelf together."

"Hey, I've learned a lot about furniture assembly since then. Let's make it a bet. We'll each build a dorm. If I finish mine first, you have to drink whatever Amy has."

Shadow grimaced, then smiled. "And if I win, you have to pay up all the gambling debts you and Amy owe me."

A heavy weight fell upon the café, and even Mariah looked uncomfortable. Sonic and Amy looked at each other and laughed.

"Now Shadow, you know what they say about Casino Night Zone." Sonic said with a forced smile. "What happens in Casino Night Zone—"

"Makes me a lot of money, and you two owe me a lot of money. Don't ask for favors until your debts are paid."

Amy grabbed Sonic by the ear. "What are you doing? Half that debt is mine."

"More than half."

She pinched his ear and he yelped.

Silver cleared his throat. "Sonic and Amy's vices aside, I'm willing to accept any terms if you can fund the construction."

Shadow thought for a moment. "I want you to name the school after Maria, and I want Mariah to teach your highest-level psychology classes."

"Deal!" Silver shook his hand.

Mariah leaned over the bar with tears in her eyes. "You don't have to do that, Shadow. I like working here."

He smiled. "Silver wants everyone to reach their full potential and find true fulfillment, and that's what I want for you. I know you can use your knowledge to help people. That will make you truly happy, and that's all I want."

Everyone fell silent and stared at them until Amy finally asked, "should we leave?"

"No, please stay." Mariah said, grabbing her arms. "I love having you all here, even Sonic. I've been so alone most of my life, you understand."

Amy smiled. "Well, you'll always have me, and I'll have a front row seat in all your psychology classes."

"Thanks, Amy."

Silver dumped a pile of rings on the bar. "Let's go, men. We've got a school to build . . . and you might want to save those rings. They're worth more in the future."