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loudlypanickinginvenezolano · 2 years ago

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It was a cold, windy nigh. This old castle they had made into their temporary base exuded an almost overwhelming feeling of loneliness, and a phantasmagoric melancholy hung on them, even at this late time.

Shadow knew he wasn’t the only one awake.

It surely felt like he was. Then, there is a pleasant surprise visitor.

A long yawn threatened with having his already sore jaw broken, his whole body shuddering as a somewhat heavy feeling settled itself over his shoulders and pressed against his back, weighting him down ruthlessly to a point he was sure his knees would collapse under him.

He was tired.

Ohhh, so tired.

With a flicker of his wrist, coffee grounds were added to a pot with water, eye measuring the exact amount as of right now he really couldn’t be bothered with the idea of searching for a teaspoon.

Mhh. Did his body suddenly sway?

Fuck.

His hands went to his face, carelessly rubbing his eyes free of tears as another bone-shattering yawn attacked him, without bothering on being careful with getting stray fur on his eye, or even rubbing his eyelashes the wrong way.

Helplessly, he stared at the pot, silently willing it to finish quickly, were he to succumb due to weak knees in that very spot.

Being completely honest? By that point he was still in function purely because coffee, and well, the most bitter of spite his body was capable of producing. And that was saying something.

He groaned, resting his elbows on the counter and letting his body sag forward, the lulling promise of a sweet short nap trying to wrap itself around his mind, begging relentlessly for him to just give in and get that sleep his mind so desperately wanted!

But he couldn’t!

There was no way on hell he was lowering his guard right now, with so many badniks and bands running as they wished across the place, tormenting people to their hearts content and playing around as if this was a no-one land!

If there was something Shadow couldn’t forgive, was how people was trafficking food and necessary medicines for almost thrice their actual price in this moment of need, playing with their own people lives with so little care, sucking them dry from everything they had gained or managed to keep during the war and the progress of rebuild.

And boy if it wasn’t a slow process of rebuild.

He knew, of course he knew, that you didn’t build a city in a few days, that you didn’t go over fallen buildings and pick it up completely in a few hours, or that you couldn’t bring back those who were lost and were needed back home even if you had 5 years’ time.

It was going to be a long, and rather hard time. For everyone involved.

And…He was sorry, maybe he wasn’t right. Maybe Mobius was going to do the thing they were best at and would surprise him and make him eat his words!

…

But he doubted it.

He didn’t have that hope Amy and Sonic and everybody else seemed to preach to the rest. He didn’t have it on himself.

Ahead of them was a long ride. A bumpy one, no doubt.

Were things going to be better? Yes, indeed they will! But It wasn’t going to be a smooth progress. As a matter of fact, He was certain that they were going to be thrown back in their progress constantly, and that sometimes, that same progress was going to be blown to nothing by the very people they were trying to help, needing to start anew once, and once again.

Even when G.U.N. and many others agencies tried their best to contain and counterattack the damage, their world has been dealt a heavy punch, and it was rattling even now, long months past the start and the end of it all.

Many were discouraged. Scared. Hopeless. A few were surprised, many were plainly disgusted.

And he understood. Hell. Maybe better than the rest.

Shadow knew by heart how much could people change in the span of a year, and how frightening was seeing those changes in persons you once knew.

If they could turn into emotionless machines in a theoretically save environment, what was he supposed to expect after an actual war where everyone thought the battle was lost? That everything was hopeless?

They were raiding the very Resistance equipment and lying on their forms to get merchandise they could then re-sell at out-righteous prices!

He understood if anyone else didn’t want to acknowledge it, but for him? It was pretty clear they had entered a war with anyone else that weren’t themselves.

Profiteering out of someone else´s pain.

Ha. Fuck them all.

Even as he got lost on his thoughts, right now, Military forces kept marching and spreading like a disease across…everywhere, trying to control the situation by their own, forceful if he can add, means.

It was like the marching rhythm on their step was simply trampling on Shadow´s heart every time he saw them pass, taking with their cold gazes whatever warm the citizens have managed to get back on this day.

Sometimes, it was like watching the dead move. Pained, downcast eyes stuck in an unwilling puppet.

Sometimes, not even them were all right.

…It hurt to see.

It was a sight that took away his will of live, and that seemed to have the same effect on the viewers close by.

It made them hopeless. Like the bright end was further and further everyday no matter how hard they kept fighting to revive their country.

Their planet, actually.

It was a silent war, all again, all over.

Shadow had to fight with Eggman´s pawns, and then, he also had to fight the very people he was constantly trying to save, and that probably, were also trying to just get by… and in their blindness and greed just choose the worst option of them all…then he also had to fight with G.U.N. higher ups along with The Commander, and, wasn’t that a surprise? They actually seeing eye to eye?

Surprisingly, all it took was a goddamned war.

And then, because things just couldn’t wait to get better, he had to wittingly deal with politics. Those damned things, and laws, and complicated wordings that made his head hurt.

Then fighting the corrupted forces that just kept popping up, as disgusting and quickly like cockroaches.

Of course.

That’s what you did in your usual Wednesdays, isn’t that right?

And finally? Fighting with the very people he worked and lived with because suddenly everyone decided to be an ass?!

Fuck him sideways!

Chaos! Just fucking dealt him the final blow already you coward!!

“You should go to sleep” came a subtle whisper, an agile hand reaching up to turn off the stove. Sonic hip´s bumped into his own, a barely there, blink and you miss, look of pure concern flashing through his face. “And you should also stop with the coffee, dude. You are inhaling this thing as if it were water. Leave a bit for the rest, could ya?”

“I think I am old enough as to choose when and what do I do with what I do, Hedgehog. And I bought the coffee. Is mine.” Shadow mumbled without bothering in straightening his posture, picking up the pot with a lazy gesture and starting to filter it. The steam danced in front of his face for a while, the feeling and smell of the coffee awakening him a little bit.

He welcomed it pleasingly.

“Weren’t ya like, hm, chronologically 11 this year?”

“Those are…68 years for you, dipshit.”

“Ah. So you are going to change your age depending on what suits you the most?”

“What would be the advantage of it being unknown if I weren’t to?” a fleeting, small smirk crossed Shadow´s lips, and a little but powerfully genuine smile split Sonic´s face, making the dark hero snort and look away. He didn’t want to think about how short lived and scarce were these becoming ultimately. “I thought you were sleeping, Sonic.”

“Yeah. I also thought the same.” The blue hedgehog looked around, analyzing the little makeshift office Shadow had settled in these last days. Many things were… well.

It was chaotic and messy, and yet, he could tell there was some rhythm to it, certain…order in all the mess. It took him a while to realize it, but everything could be packed in the blink of an eye, ready to go at a second´s notice… Wasn’t that a bit paranoid?

In some way, it reminded him of Tails… And how this very tactic usually failed the fox.

He snorted, ignoring Shadow´s suspicious glance, as he took the place in with rapt focus, curiosity surging on his heart.

The other let him be, as he usually did, silently indulging him in the harmless, mundane things.

Without realizing, silence fell on them, but it wasn’t awkward, nor looming.

It… it was calm. A welcomed calm. It didn’t ring on his ears, and it didn’t felt forced, nor expecting.

This place was grounding, somehow. He couldn’t really tell why.

Maybe it was the light, or how the open windows let the noises of the night drift in or the smell of faraway carried in by the wind.

Hey! Maybe it was that lil candle in the corner!

Maybe how messy and known was this actually unfamiliar place. The soft clink as Shadow stirred his coffee lazily, with eyes half lidded and full with longing for sleep.

And a mind filled with nightmares that kept them both awake.

Maybe it was Shadow´s nature on itself. Secure, quiet and grounding until he decided not to be, and all got dyed in a characteristic scorching red. The almost lazy waves of his strong chaos energy signature rolling off to him, small, loopy red wisps being assimilated by Sonic´s own body unconsciously. As always, they felt warm, carrying now the smallest of hints of sleepiness.

Maybe it just was that this felt lived in, and there wasn’t any feeling of oppressing loneliness robbing him of his breath.

Why did it matter? He didn’t know, neither.

Suddenly Sonic wasn’t drowning anymore.

Wasn’t that okay?

“You, on the other hand, really need to go back to sleep. For real, you are going to scare everybody into holiness if you don’t get your night. What would be the fun, then, if I can’t put the fear of god on them myself?” Thanks heavens Shadow wasn’t looking, so he didn’t catch the slightly alarmed expression on Sonic´s face as he startled back into focus.

What nonsense was Shadow even talking about?

Ahh. Too much for a quiet nature…

He watched as the black hedgehog rummaged through some boxes stashed at the far corner of the room, finally coming back with, Sonic greedy eyes noticed, two package of Pocky´s on his hand. He settled on his right side, reclining in the table Sonic was sitting on top of, seemingly ignoring the salivating hedgehog. However, a Green tea Pocky soon found its way to peach hands, and the blue speedster lighted up immediately, much to Shadow´s honest amusement.

“I am serious, hedgehog. You need to back to sleep.”

“That is quite rich comin from ya, you know?”

“Surely. It doesn’t make my statement any less true.” Shadow straightened, walking towards his little ´´ working desk´´ with a slow step, sitting and sinking on the bigger than it should, chair.

You didn’t hear this from him, but…It almost looked like the thing could swallow him up.

Heh.

Sonic snickered at the mental images out of his brain-pit, and Shadow, acting as the mature individual between them, obviously, threw him a rock without looking up.

Sonic cackled loudly through the pain in his now sore nose.

´´Just where did that come from?!´´

Honestly, he didn’t need to seriously search on the other´s face to know he was fine, playful even, instead of truly angry or annoyed, unlike before, where he would need to stay alert and wary in all times; So, he was unfazed even in a situation like this one, even daring to laugh from his belly at the unexpected outcome.

He now could tell (CoffCoffBrag.) with confidence that he knew what to look for in these instances. Even if he slipped from time to time, because well, no one was perfect.

It had taken them a long while to get to this point in their friendship, to understand each other even if slightly, a task not made easier with Shadow´s initial scarce use of words and the lack of communications skills on both parties, but it was okay, truly! Sonic liked it as it was, and he was sure Shadow thought the same.

It was comfortable. Theirs. It felt nice, even if Shadow would deny it to the end of the time.

The trust was still there. The bond, if you may.

It didn’t mean Sonic didn’t enjoy poking fun at the ebony every time he had the chance.

“Aaaweeee. Why are you so rude, uh?”

“Do you want that pocky or not?”

“He-hey buddy! Calm down! We don’t play with that.” Sonic scrambled immediately, holding the package close to his chest and taking a step back, much to Shadow´s pleasure.

Welp. That backfired quickly.

It goes without saying, these kind of treats were actual treasures! They had been sold less and less, as many emprises went bankrupt or just couldn’t sell their merchandise or even produce, and if you managed to find them, their prices kept going up without ever stopping!

That or they had Eggman´s insignia and or designs on them.

How did Shadow found them, with their original package and no egg-related detail? It was unsure, honestly. But he was the guy to go to if you wanted something…if you could pay his price, that is.

A gift like this was not the be treated lightly! To suddenly loss it like this, are you kidding him?!

“Shut up, then. I don’t mind taking candy from children, you should know it already.”

“What children? Dude, I am older than you for a year! Or something!”

“If thinking like that lets you sleep at night, be my guest. Pass me my Janik, if you could be so gentle.”

“Your what?”

“Janik. What I hit you with.”

“Ah. The rock… Kay.” Sonic shrugged before jumping down the table, squinting slightly at the floor as he looked for, eh, Shadow´s rock.

Thinking about it, that… wasn’t something he thought he would end up doing like, ever. Even less today.

He really didn’t have a lot of expectations for the rest of the night after waking up from a hideous nightmare, but. Still.

You do see his point, right?

But oh well. His life could never spell normalcy, and in the big scheme of things, looking for a friend´s rock at whatever-in-the-late-late-night time while in an ancient castle of all places was… more probably to happen than fighting against Chaos themselves, to name something.

Just. Why did a rock have a name? why did Shadow carry it with himself?

Does he seriously need to squat down like this while looking for it?

And while he is at it…Just HOW could it get lost just like that?!

He huffed, irritated with who knows what at this point, really, before starting to mumble annoyed incoherencies that had Shadow biting a smile. Sonic was…truly a curious being, ah.

The actual, whole Chapter is about 4000 words so I´ll just post half first?

As I said, I´d really appreciate some help...

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