A/N: This fic was based off a conversation that Emiko Gale and I had a few days ago.
It was a cool, somewhat cloudy day in Western Mobius, and Shadow the Hedgehog drove south to Quartz Village. Today, he intended to visit his friend/adopted sister Venus the Hedgehog. She'd called him the day before and invited him over. His Hedgehog Sense told him that something was on her mind, but on the other hand, he knew that she had the best intentions for him, and she was one of his favorite people ever, so he didn't mind visiting her. Eventually, he pulled up to her house, a one-story country-style home, and he could tell she was home because of the blue 1972 Pontiac Grand Ville sedan in the driveway. He parked his black 1970 Pontiac Trans Am in the spot next to her car, and after killing the engine, he headed for the front door and knocked.
"Coming!"
Shortly thereafter, the door opened, and…
"Hey Shadow!"
"Hi Venus!"
Venus gave Shadow a big hug, which he gladly returned. Even if it wasn't the same as hugging Amy or Vanilla, he loved hugging Venus because of the unique way that she was soft and cuddly.
"Come on in!"
Venus led Shadow into her house, which was very clean and decorated with a diverse array of knick-knacks, such as figurines from her favorite TV shows or various things she picked up from thrift stores. She led him to the living room couch, where they sat down.
"So Venus, what's on your mind?" asked Shadow.
"Shadow, I wanted to thank you for saving my time."
Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I can understand saving your life, but how did I save your time?"
"You see, I used to be a member of this group called the Bluebugs, which was a Miraculous group dedicated to Lukanette fics. I enjoyed it at first, but then the group leader – a woman who went by the handle of Quickstinger – proved herself to be a massive woman-child. I mean, it was like I had to tiptoe around her emotions or she'd have the biggest crap attack. She seemed to think that getting angry made her badass, and ugh! She was going to therapy, but that was only because her husband forced her to or he'd divorce her ass. Pretty much she just goes there as a warm body and makes NO actual effort to improve. Even worse, a bunch of other members of the Bluebugs – who I thought were my friends – enabled and supported her fascistic behavior. It was because of you that I found the courage to leave them and not waste time with them."
Shadow put a hand on Venus' shoulder. "Venus, I don't know what it was like for you to go through that. However, it means a lot to me that I could help you out like that, and I promise, I'm always here for you, as are Rouge and Amy."
Venus smiled. "Shadow, you're the best!"
Venus gave Shadow another big hug, which he gladly returned. While he loved Amy Rose and was glad to have her as his girlfriend, there was just something indescribably special about having this girl right here as his adopted sister. In a way, it filled the void left in his heart after Maria's death. While no girl he met could ever completely replace Maria, the fact that he had Amy and Venus as part of his soul family made him feel like a good person, someone who was worthy of being loved rather than a weapon to be feared. The fact that he had changed others' lives for the better and lived up to Maria's promise meant a lot to him too.
Having Shadow as her adopted brother meant a lot to Venus too. Having lived a childhood under two abusive parents and having had to put up with an abusive ex, she truly felt like he was her savior. While working as a G.U.N. agent had helped her self-esteem, and while she valued Rouge the Bat as a coworker, finding out that Shadow and Rouge knew each other made her feel less alone in this world, and when she met Amy and found out that she was Shadow's girlfriend, that helped her to heal like nothing else could. She wasn't entirely sure what brought Shadow into her life, but every day since she met him, she felt like things could only go up from there.
"I love you so much, Shadow."
"I love you too, Venus. May we please snuggle?"
"Sure!"
Shadow and Venus lied down on the couch and snuggled with each other, grateful for each other's presence.
NOTE: Venus the Hedgehog was originally created by Greybullet/SaberA2/RedHadal.
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