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tenebraevesper · 3 days ago

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With Light In My Heart, Entry 3: Heart Wave

''A signal flows past today, flowing endlessly forward. A familiar frequency distorts what you want to say. I'm lost while I try to shake off this hesitation... The path over there is the one I will take! Now look in the sky, in my heart; where wishes pile up and lie. That picture from the dream will reflect. Most certainly someday, with these hands, to be strong high up in a place not yet reached. Shine!''

– Heart Wave by Ryuusei no Rockman (MegaMan Star Force)

xXxXxXx

Sonic could feel the warm sun rays on his fur, seeing the sunlight through his still closed eyes. He stretched his arms, not really wanting to get up, but he changed his mind when the scent of fried eggs and bacon wafted from the kitchen. He slowly got up, his stomach growling as a sense of hunger set in. He took a look around, recalling how he crashed for the night at Tails' workshop in Mystic Ruins, having fallen asleep on the couch. He had told Shadow to take the guest room, with the dark hedgehog accepting his offer after some initial protest, responding how he would take the couch since he was the guest and Sonic was the one who sort of ''lived'' here, courtesy of being Tails' older brother. Sonic assured him that he always slept on the couch, so it was no big deal for him.

The cobalt hedgehog walked into the kitchen, finding Shadow, who had made breakfast for both of them, sitting at the table and sipping coffee.

''Good morning,'' Shadow said once Sonic walked inside.

''Good morning! Thanks for the breakfast!'' Sonic quickly sat down at the table, enjoying the meal.

''Since I'm your guest, I had figured that I should take care of the breakfast,'' Shadow said, with Sonic smiling, only for the smile to falter when Shadow added, ''You can wash the dishes.''

''I guess that's fair,'' Sonic muttered, narrowing his eyes, taking note of Shadow's smirk.

''Any plans for today?'' Shadow asked, with Sonic humming in thought.

''Not… really? I could go for a quick run, and Station Square is close. We could go there,'' Sonic said.

''I suppose you want to reminisce a bit longer about how the city got flooded and you got to play hero,'' Shadow replied in a snarky tone. Sonic rolled his eyes.

''I was actually thinking of trying to find something interesting to do. You never know what you'll encounter unless you make the first move,'' Sonic explained. ''The best way to find another adventure is to take action and search for it.''

Shadow gave him an inquisitive look, not too different from the one he had when Sonic talked about his confrontation with Perfect Chaos, but remained silent. Sonic did take note that he seemed as if he wanted to ask something, but the dark hedgehog decided against questioning him. He wondered why Shadow was giving him that look, assuming it was because of something he had said. However, considering how Shadow didn't make any snide remarks, Sonic figured that whatever he said wasn't bad and that made him happy.

Rest assured, he was looking forward to spending more time with Shadow.

xXx

The people who were going on about their day in Station Square had been startled by a blue and an orange flash of light as they dashed through the streets. Those two flashes were a pair of hedgehogs, having turned what was supposed to be a simple journey from Mystic Ruins to Station Square into another race. They were weaving through the streets, easily dodging any obstacle they saw with no real goal in their mind. Admittedly, Shadow was just following Sonic's lead, making sure he kept at the same pace and not let his rival get ahead of him. If they were already racing, he didn't want to lose against Sonic. Speaking of the cobalt hedgehog, he had the time of his life. Truth to be told, he had no destination on mind, simply enjoying the thrill that came with their competition.

However, that sense of thrill was replaced with surprise when Sonic realized that the area he and Shadow were at was quite familiar, eventually coming to a full stop. Shadow was confused when he saw Sonic skidding to a halt.

''What's wrong, Hedgehog? Are you already out of breath?'' he asked.

''Actually, I just found our next destination,'' Sonic replied, pointing at the structure in front of them, a gargantuan theme park.

''Twinkle Park?'' Shadow read the sign on the entrance, raising an eyebrow as he gave Sonic a questioning look.

''I've been here before with Amy, although I don't really remember why she was so insistent on going here…'' Sonic muttered the last bit as he tried to recall her motivation, but when nothing came up, he shrugged and grabbed Shadow's hand, pulling him along. ''Let's go! They have a bunch of attractions that you need to experience!''

Shadow was startled when Sonic pulled him towards the entrance, taking note of his excitement. Instead of scolding him for just pulling him along, he sighed, well aware that Sonic was simply thrilled to show him around and he couldn't hold that against him. He decided to just resign himself to the fact that he'd be spending the day at the amusement park.

Sonic did recall that last time he was here, there was a hovering monitor that dispensed tickets for the park, but instead of the monitor, there was a human woman in an uniform standing in a booth next to the elevator that would lift one up to the corridors that led into the park.

''Huh, I thought Twinkle Park had an automatic ticket dispenser,'' Sonic said as he and Shadow walked up to the booth.

''Unfortunately, we had some technical problems and decided to replace it. I'll be the one to welcome you to Twinkle Park,'' the woman explained, smiling at them and taking a closer look at the hedgehogs. She then reached for the boxes next to her, one containing dark blue and purple wristbands with yellow star patterns and a silver star pendant on top, while the other contained a pink and purple wristbands with red heart patterns and a silver heart pendant on top. She grabbed the one with the heart patterns and held them out. ''Please, take these. Per Twinkle Park's policy, cute couples are allowed in for free.''

Sonic felt a sudden chill flow down his spine when the memory of how he and Amy actually got inside Twinkle Park the first time hit him like a ton of bricks. He could sense Shadow's cold glare from behind him, sweatdropping and smiling nervously at the woman. ''W-Wait, you're mistaken! We're not a couple…''

''Really? Then, why are you holding hands?'' the woman asked, making Sonic realize his mistake. He glanced at Shadow, who was still glaring at him while holding his rival's hand. Sonic let go of Shadow, who just huffed, deciding not to comment on it, and folded his arms across his chest. The woman, on the other hand, giggled, pushing the wristbands into Sonic's hands. ''I assume this is your first date, then. I know most couples get really shy about it, but you don't have to worry. I wish you a lot of fun!''

Sonic really wanted to clear the misunderstanding, but before he could do that, he could hear a sharp exhale behind him, with Shadow grabbing his arm and dragging him into the elevator. The ride was short, but really awkward as Shadow took one of the wristbands to put it on his wrist, just behind his Inhibitor Ring.

''You know, you could've helped me clear up the misunderstanding,'' Sonic pointed out, wondering why Shadow didn't say anything.

''I couldn't care less about that woman's opinion on our relationship. You wanted to go to Twinkle Park, and now we're here,'' Shadow responded in his usual dismissive tone. Sonic rose an eyebrow, placing the wristband on his wrist over his glove as they walked through the corridor towards the inside of the amusement park. He knew that Shadow never cared much about what people thought about him, a sentiment Sonic shared. Nevertheless, that didn't stop him from teasing Shadow.

''I guess the lack of protest means that you agree that we do make a cute couple,'' Sonic said in a casual tone, smiling slyly.

Shadow suddenly stopped in his tracks, his quills bristling as he turned to Sonic with an irked expression. ''We are not a couple.''

''Okay, okay, I get it. You don't want to put the couple-label on our relationship, and I understand that,'' Sonic replied, holding up his hands in defense. Shadow scoffed, turning on his heel and continuing the walk, not noticing the playful smirk on Sonic's lips until the latter stepped in front of him. ''But, you never said anything about us not being cute together.''

Shadow gritted his teeth, looking like he was about to punch him, while Sonic just laughed heartily, leaving the dark hedgehog shaking his head. Despite his irritation, Shadow knew that he brought this on himself the moment he agreed to accompany Sonic on his journey. He knew that he'd have to deal with Sonic's relentless teasing, because his rival clearly fancied riling him up with stupid comments like this. Shadow felt like he shouldn't even care what Sonic said, but somehow, his remarks always managed to get a reaction out of him and he simply couldn't understand why that was happening. It was because of that that the cobalt hedgehog always fascinated and frustrated him.

However, before Shadow could even respond, Sonic grabbed his hand, pulling him along. ''Com'n! The roller-coaster isn't going to wait for us!''

Despite his desire to make a smartass remark, Shadow remained quiet. All he could think about how Sonic was this irritating, impulsive, impatient, impetuous person who he swore would get on his nerves because he knew he could get away with it, leaving Shadow frustrated until he knocked some sense into his rival. Indeed, Sonic was someone who drove Shadow up the metaphorical wall with his antics, but despite everything, Shadow never hated him. He just couldn't – not when that ember of warmth he continuously attempted to ignore would grow stronger and stronger in Sonic's presence.

Sure, he had heard people talking about how their rivalry was supposedly based on mutual hatred between each other, especially on Shadow's part. They would be puzzled over why the two hedgehogs were even working together if they hated each other so much that every encounter they had was an ''on sight'' moment. Shadow never payed much attention to any of those rumors, ignoring them as there was no reason for him to explain to anyone what his and Sonic's relationship was. It was enough that he and Sonic knew that it was based on mutual respect, and even if they did get into some petty fights, that still didn't influence their own opinion on each other. Shadow knew that he could never hate Sonic and Sonic shared that sentiment.

Nevertheless, getting annoyed at his antics was a completely different matter.

xXx

As expected, Sonic's first choice for a ride was the Twinkle Coaster, a roller-coaster attraction that left everyone's hearts racing. It was a rather fun ride, but Shadow noted how it was nothing in comparison to what he and Sonic would experience on almost daily basis. Nevertheless, Sonic enjoyed himself, so Shadow figured that it was fine.

Things got more interesting once they decided to go to the bumper cars attraction next. Shadow noted how the attraction looked more like a race track, with the bumper cars appearing to be hovercrafts. Sonic got into a blue bumper car, while Shadow chose the black one, starting their race. At first, Sonic had a lot of fun colliding with the other racers and outmaneuvering those who attempted to ram into him. However, he felt someone ram into him from behind, causing him to jolt and swerve. When he turned his head to the culprit, he realized that it was Shadow, looking quite determined to knock Sonic off the track.

''Woah!'' Sonic narrowly avoided getting hit, using his racing skills to dodge Shadow's next move and allowing for the dark hedgehog to pass, much to his surprise. He then got right back on track, managing to get head-to-head with Shadow. ''What's the big idea?!''

Shadow simply lifted the hand with the wristband, causing Sonic to snort in amusement, followed by a look of determination. He realized that Shadow was just being petty and paying him back for all the teasing by targeting him during the race. Sure, most people would get annoyed by getting targeted like this, but Sonic wasn't like most people. In fact, he loved to have Shadow's attention focused solely on himself, completely basking in it.

Both weaved between other racers, with Shadow managing to get another hit in, only for Sonic to return the favour. They were relentless in their pursuit, just like during their races, showing off their skill as they tried to outdo each other once again, but the issue was, they weren't the ones who were in control of this race. The bumper cars stopped floating once they reached the end of the track, leaving the hedgehogs more than a little miffed, Sonic especially, as he was having a lot of fun during the ride. However, he didn't let it bother him as he leapt out of the bumper car.

''Are you satisfied now?'' he asked Shadow, who just gave him a smug look.

''Very,'' Shadow replied, quirking a brow when he saw Sonic smiling nonetheless. It was obvious that something like this wouldn't bother his rival and that he'd end up enjoying it. Shadow had to admit that, for his part, he also got some enjoyment from messing with Sonic, briefly forgetting everything around him as he focused on the thrilling sensation that was coursing through his body. However, now that that came to an end, he wondered what would come next. He followed Sonic through the park, the cobalt hedgehog already having an idea what they could do next.

''There! I don't remember those being here when Amy and I visited the park,'' Sonic pointed at several carnival game booths, each with their own games and prizes. He glanced at Shadow. ''Do you want to choose one?''

''I don't have a preference. You are the guide, and therefore, you should choose,'' Shadow replied curtly.

''Yeah, I know, but still, I'd like you to be the one to choose,'' Sonic insisted. The truth was, he wanted to learn more about Shadow, and getting him to decide what game to play would hopefully give him some insight. ''I'm willing to play any game.''

''Tch, any game, you say?'' Shadow rose an eyebrow, watching Sonic as he nodded eagerly. Shadow relented, glancing at the game booths. He wasn't familiar with carnival games, having never indulged into any of them, but if he was already going to play one, he wanted it to be the perfect choice. He could feel Sonic's curious gaze on him as they walked past the game booths, observing the people who'd participate in the games and trying to gauge whether the game would fitting for them or not.

Eventually, he came to a stop in front of a shooting gallery-type of game. Just like everything else in Twinkle Park, it was space-themed, utilizing a toy space gun with pellets that would be fired into paper targets looking like UFOs, each target having a point system ranging from 10 to 50. Next to the booth was a sign that explained the rules of the game – you would get a limited number of pellets and the prize you'd get would depend on your score. Intrigued, Shadow glanced at Sonic, his expression making it clear that this would be his choice, only to notice the knowing look Sonic was giving him, leaving him puzzled.

''You said you'd play any game I'd choose,'' Shadow responded, wondering why Sonic was looking at him like this. ''This is my choice.''

''I know, it's just that I find it interesting that you chose a game you'd have some experience with,'' Sonic replied, only for Shadow to sigh in exasperation when he realized what Sonic was referring to. Sure, he may have had experience with guns, having used them during the Black Arms Invasion, but it was only because he didn't really care what weapons he would use to fight them off. He made use of both G.U.N. and the Black Arms' resources at the time, having been fairly pragmatic in his approach, but despite being skilled in using weapons, he didn't utilize any kind of weapon since then, preferring to rely on his own powers and abilities, like Chaos Control and his super speed. It was something he was more comfortable with, leaving the use of weapons during a battle to Omega.

After talking for a moment to the vendor, who explained to them the rules in details and gave them their space guns, the game started. They had 10 pellets each, with Shadow deciding to waste one on testing out the space gun first. He still hit the target at 40 points, considering it a good start, and then started to aim as close to the 50 points mark as possible. Shot after shot, his score went up quickly 490 out of the 500 total points, as he proved himself once again a perfect marksman. He placed the space gun down, feeling satisfied despite not getting the full score due to wasting his earlier shot.

Shadow then glanced at Sonic, realizing that his rival's score was still at zero despite the fact that he used up nearly all of his ammo. Sonic was quite frustrated as he missed the target again, with Shadow noting just how pathetic his rival looked. He sighed.

''Your stance is wrong.''

Sonic suddenly froze when Shadow stepped behind him, grabbing his hands and placing them around the space gun properly, continuing with the lecture.

''This may be a toy gun, but you can still apply the same theory as with a real handgun. Hold it with your dominant hand and steady with your free hand.''

Sonic could feel Shadow's warm breath tickle his shoulder, his calm baritone voice so close to his ear leaving him breathless for a moment. There was a sense of anxiety and excitement growing within him, his heart pounding strongly in his chest. He could feel the dark hedgehog's fluffy chest fur pressing into his back, carefully avoiding his quills, and making his own heart only race faster.

''Face the target and stand with your shoulder-width apart. Take a step forward with your non-dominant foot to stagger your stance.''

Sonic was a quick learner, following is instructions while at the same trying to ignore the sense of fluttering in his stomach. He knew that Shadow was just trying to help him with his stance, but why did he feel like the dark hedgehog was hugging him from behind? And more importantly, why did Sonic wish that was the case? The cobalt hedgehog took a moment to collect himself as he tried to focus on Shadow's instructions.

''To aim, align the front sight with the rear sight until the target comes into focus. Pull the trigger slowly in one smooth, controlled motion.''

''Y-Yeah, I get it,'' Sonic replied, praying to every god-like being he knew that Shadow didn't notice just how flustered he felt or, more importantly, the reddish hue that spread across his fawn muzzle. Shadow then stepped back, allowing Sonic to take a deep breath and follow Shadow's earlier instructions, aiming the space gun and firing. To his relief, it hit the 20 points mark.

''Not bad for an amateur,'' Shadow said, with Sonic smiling awkwardly at the compliment. He then tried again, managing to hit the 40 points mark. Shadow whistled, looking impressed that Sonic improved so much between shots. In turn, Sonic felt quite proud of himself.

''I still prefer using a sword over a gun, though,'' Sonic said, setting the space gun down. The 60 points he got didn't earn him any prize, but he was fine with it.

Shadow, on the other hand, seemingly forgot that his own score earned him a prize, because he was startled when the vendor gave him a black cat with a red ribbon collar plush toy half his size.

''Congratulations on your prize,'' Sonic said as they walked away from the game booth, with Shadow looking a little lost, clearly not knowing what to do with it.

''Here, you take it.'' Sonic was startled when Shadow suddenly gave him the cat plushie. ''I have no use for it, so you can have it.''

Sonic at first wasn't sure what to make of it, only for a mischievous smile to form on his lips. ''Thanks, Shadow! Now, give me just a moment, I'll be back soon!'' He shoved the cat plushie back into Shadow's arms, leaving the dark hedgehog perplexed as Sonic disappeared in a flash of blue, going towards one of the game booths and returning after a few minutes with a dark blue and grey wolf plush toy that was the same size as the cat plushie. ''This one is for you!''

''But, I told you-'' Shadow attempted to protest, but Sonic quickly swapped their prizes, interrupting him.

''I think it's really cute that we get to gift each other something as a couple,'' Sonic said, holding the cat plushie in a way that showed the wristband while giving Shadow a seemingly innocent smile.

The dark hedgehog was left both flustered and annoyed at his rival's teasing, shooting a glare at Sonic. Even though his fierce gaze could intimidate anyone, it never worked on his rival, who was simply amused by the dark hedgehog's reaction. Shadow felt even more annoyed by this, but he knew that it wasn't so easy to rile Sonic up, the cobalt hedgehog being almost unflappable to any attempts at being antagonized. However, Shadow wasn't above playing Sonic's little game if he could secure a victory for himself. He knew that he could simply walk away from this whole situation, but he refused, allowing his stubborness to prevail this time. If Sonic was going to tease him about being a couple, then Shadow would commit to it.

Sonic was left bewildered when Shadow suddenly grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers and leaving the cobalt hedgehog completely flustered as he processed what had happened.

''If you already want to call us a couple, then follow through with it,'' Shadow told him in a firm tone, leaving Sonic speechless. He had expected that Shadow would just express his frustration in some way, but he never thought that Shadow would treat his teasing with any kind of weight. Shadow stared at him for a moment, his ruby eyes gleaming in the light, while Sonic was silent, still trying to understand what had just happened. Shadow then tilted his head. ''If you have nothing to say, I believe that we should continue… Unless you want to leave.''

''N-No…'' Sonic muttered, with Shadow simply nodding and continuing to walk while his stunned rival followed him, still holding his hand tightly.

It took a bit for Sonic to snap out of his bewilderment, and he wondered if he may have gone too far with his teasing and that Shadow was trying to prove something. He wanted to assure his rival that he would be dropping this and move on, only to get caught off guard when he noticed that Shadow appeared to be rather at ease and content, as if none of this was affecting him at all. It left Sonic a little confused, and even though he'd usually go along with whatever was happening, his mind was overwhelmed with questions he wasn't sure he wanted answer to.

''Were there any other attractions you had visited?'' Shadow suddenly asked him, his kind and polite tone catching Sonic off guard. He was too used to his rival being cold and stand-offish, so this felt quite bizarre.

''There are, but… Now I'm wondering if you've been replaced by some kind of doppelgänger,'' Sonic said in a deadpan tone.

''Tch, you just keep underestimating me, Hedgehog,'' Shadow replied, furrowing a brow, with Sonic snorting as this response was more in the line of the tone he was used to hearing.

''Yeah, I guess I do,'' Sonic agreed, now genuinely curious of how this would turn out, especially that Shadow had taken the initiative, albeit while also taking Sonic's suggestions into consideration.

Having left their prizes at a locker, they ended up entering the Mirror House next, which consisted of a series of dark, tight corridors with mirrors instead of walls. They weren't the only ones inside, with other people walking through it, but the layout appeared to have been changed from what Sonic remembered, turning it more into a maze.

At first, Sonic was having fun making silly faces at his own reflection, but soon, he realized that he was seeing things that weren't there, like people who weren't the same corridor as he and Shadow were, and when he wanted to lean against what he thought was a mirror, he almost fell over as this turned out to be an actual room. Fortunately, Shadow managed to grab him by the arm before he could faceplant into the floor.

''You should be more careful,'' Shadow said. ''The mirrors had been placed in such a way to create optical illusions to confuse you.''

''Yeah, I figured. I just hope we'll find a way out without getting completely lost,'' Sonic said, only to raise an eyebrow when he saw Shadow extending his hand to him. He smirked. ''You really are insistent on holding hands.''

Shadow rolled his eyes, giving Sonic an exasperated look. ''The reason why I'm doing this is because the last thing I need is for you to get lost in this place. You can either accept it, or I'm leaving you behind.''

''You could leave me behind,… but we both know that you wouldn't do that,'' Sonic responded, giving Shadow a mischievous look, but he still grabbed his hand. After all, if they do get lost, Shadow could simply use Chaos Control to get them both out.

Shadow didn't bother to respond, not really wanting to admit that Sonic was correct, at least in this case. Instead, he focused on finding the right path through the mirror maze, having to stop a couple of times as he noticed his own reflection disappear, allowing them to move into another room. Unfortunately, the maze appeared to be much more deceptive than he had anticipated, with Shadow ending up leading them into a dead end. His mood soured, as he felt that he should've known better, with Sonic taking note of that.

''How about we return and find another path?'' he suggested, with Shadow following him back quietly. Sonic, determined to cheer him up, took charge as he led Shadow towards another corridor. ''You know, this place has become a real challenge, but I'm sure we can get out if we work together.''

Shadow hummed in thought, well aware that Sonic was right. The mirror maze could be quite confusing at times, so looking out for each other and working together would be the better option. He nodded, following Sonic's lead until they came to what seemed to be a split that led to two different rooms. Sonic scratched his head at first, unsure which path to take, but fortunately, Shadow stepped up, carefully observing the two paths before picking the one on the left. When Sonic gave him a questioning look, Shadow pointed at the other path.

''That's a two-way mirror,'' he explained.

''Wait, really?'' Sonic blinked in surprise, walking over to what he thought was another path, only for his hand to touch glass.

''I assume that they placed it here to leave visitors confused, but also direct them towards the correct path in case they walk into it,'' Shadow said.

''I guess that makes sense,'' Sonic replied, the two walking down the corridor and ending up facing a row of mirrors. They exchanged glances as there was no clear exit, only for Sonic to pull Shadow along as he gazed at the mirrors, spotting one that had no gleam, revealing it to actually be another path into a room. He glanced at Shadow, feeling quite satisfied that he found it, even more when he got a look of acknowledgement from his rival.

The two had slowly managed to make more progress through the maze, letting one or the other take over whenever they ran into what seemed to be a dead end and making sure neither would wander off too far and get lost. It took a while, but they finally managed to approach the gate leading to the exit, stepping outside.

''Finally, we got out!'' Sonic exclaimed in relief, stretching his arms and feeling the warm sunlight on his fur.

''I suppose it was a little challenging-'' Shadow started, only to get elbowed playfully by Sonic.

''Yeah, but we still got out because we worked together. I'd call this a huge accomplishment,'' he said, with Shadow raising an eyebrow, arms folded across his chest.

''Something is telling me that you're not talking about our experience at the attraction,'' he said. Sonic was about to respond, only for his stomach to growl, leaving him a little embarrassed. Shadow simply tilted his head, adding, ''Hungry?''

''Heh, I guess so,'' Sonic replied, rubbing the back of his head, only to blink in surprise when he saw Shadow extending his hand. ''Huh?''

''We'll go and find you a chili dog stand, considering how that appears to be the only food you eat,'' Shadow said, with Sonic rolling his eyes.

''Dude, I also eat other food besides chili dogs. I ate the breakfast you made,'' Sonic pointed out, his slight irritation amusing Shadow. Sonic then walked past him, hands placed on the back of his hand and leaving the dark hedgehog a little curious and confused. ''If we're going for a lunch break, you should also eat something.''

''I'm not hungry,'' Shadow replied, only for Sonic to grab his hand and giving him a firm look.

''Nope, don't care, you're also getting yourself some food,'' Sonic replied resolutely. ''You have said that you'd be looking out for me, and I'm saying now that I'll be looking out for you.''

''Even if it's over something simple like food?'' Shadow asked, his curiosity piqued.

''Even that,'' Sonic promised with a sincere smile.

xXx

Sonic hummed softly as he took note of the sky, which was slowly growing darker and darker. He and Shadow had spent most of the day exploring Twinkle Park and its other attractions, with Sonic enjoying the experience and even catching Shadow smiling a couple of times, feeling happy that his rival also found some joy in the activities they had participated in. Unfortunately, all good things have to come to an end, with their final stop being the Ferris wheel. This was also when Shadow finally stopped their little couple act, letting go of Sonic hand, with Sonic feeling his heart sink a little.

''Don't even believe for a moment that this means anything. I have simply stepped up to your challenge,'' Shadow replied, back to his usual reserved and serious tone. Sonic faltered, giving Shadow an awkward smile.

''Yeah, yeah, I know… I brought this on myself by crossing the line,'' Sonic replied dryly, sighing as he gazed ahead at the orange and purple sky, the first stars already appearing. He then smiled. ''Still, I really liked seeing that side of you. Maybe you could show it more often.''

''Bring that up again and I'll throw you off this ride,'' Shadow growled, shooting Sonic a glare.

''Aaaand the Shadow I know is back. At least I can say for sure now that you weren't replaced by some kind of imposter,'' Sonic responded in a snarky tone, earning a frown from Shadow, but no threat followed. Both then remained silent as their cart rose high above Twinkle Park, with Sonic leaning back as he stared at the dark sky, now dotted with shining stars. He grinned, turning to Shadow. ''Still, thank you for everything.''

''Why are you thanking me? Nothing significant had happened,'' Shadow replied in a dismissive tone. Sonic shook his head.

''You have stayed with me this whole and even went along with the whole couple thing, even though you could've easily left. I'm impressed that you went so far,'' Sonic replied, giving him a sheepish look, catching a glimpse of a tiny smile that involuntarily formed on Shadow's lips, only to vanish a moment later.

''I know that you are capable of being much more obnoxious than this, so I'm willing to tolerate your presence a little longer,'' Shadow replied. ''Besides, sometimes the things you say are worth listening to.''

''What do you mean?'' Sonic rose an eyebrow, wondering whether this was another backhanded compliment.

''I thought that what you had said about Perfect Chaos was quite intriguing. You had recognized his pain and sought a different solution when everyone else already gave up on him,'' Shadow replied. Sonic smiled.

''Oh, that. I just said what was on my mind at that time. Y'know, stating the obvious,'' he replied in a casual tone. ''Perfect Chaos was only a danger to everyone because of his anger, and I figured if he calmed down, things would be fine.''

''I see. I wonder if there are more stories like this one,'' Shadow said, staring ahead at the dark sky.

''I guess that, if you stay with me long enough, you might hear another one,'' Sonic replied, smiling at Shadow contently. Even if he didn't admit it, he hoped that the dark hedgehog would be able to be in his presence without the cause for it being some sort of challenge or necessity caused by an outside force.

Shadow glanced at him for a moment, then turned his gaze back to the stars in the sky, having to admit that Sonic had a way to convince him to go along with his ideas, no matter how annoying or foolish they were. It was a quite unusual for him to participate in an activity that was clearly out of his comfort zone, but he didn't hate it. As stated before, Sonic offered him a challenge and he accepted it, nothing more and nothing less. He was here because of his own curiosity and stubborness, as well as the desire to escape from his nightmares.

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