#knuxadow week 2021

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Hi! I was wondering if you're planning to make a knuxadow ship week prompts ever again? I used your prompts in 2021 and I had so much fun!

Hi!! Yeah, I'd love to do another one, but I've been in the biggest burnout for months lmao 😅

I'd like to do it in November, like I did with Knuxadow week 2021 and 2022! If anybody has prompt ideas please give them to me! I'll need help, haha.

[sonicstorybook]

Knuxadow Week 5: Laughter

Just two knights, unwinding in a tavern, celebrating their successes in that day’s tournament. Lancelot’s usually pretty dour, so Gawain considers it his greatest accomplishment of the day to get the knight of the lake to laugh. 

[achirding]

Knuxadow Week 2021: Day 2 - Bandage

  Inspired by this passage in the Dutch 'The Hart with the White Foot':  "When he came to where he had left him, Lancelot was not yet fully recovered. Although it was difficult for him, [Gawain] had to wait and watch over him there until such time as it seemed to him that [Lancelot] could bear arms, if it were necessary for him to do so." Context: Lancelot is recovering in a physician's house after being mauled by like 50 vicious lions and stabbed and left for dead by some  faithless knight who stole the quest item Lancelot just got. Gawain found Lancelot, got him to a physician, avenged him by killing the faithless knight in a duel, and then came back to check on him. Lancelot's doing better and insists he's good to finish this quest, but I think Gawain is going to insist on another few days of bed rest. :'D

[nerdy-artface]

Knuxadow week entry. Duet Ice skating is dancing right? Either way i got this image in my head and i had to do it. The art week list is from @oops-all-knuxadow

[jennsterjay]

Knuxadow Week 2021    

(Host: @oops-all-knuxadow)

This is for the prompt “Laughter” :)

Knuckles started laughing at something Sonic did, and Shadow started laughing too since Knuckles’ laugh is contagious X’D. Amy was taking Thanksgiving pictures and sent this to their group chat. Shadow and Knuckles both saved the picture ;)

[naviclenek0]

Knuxadow Week, Day 2

The prompt was bandages and I had no clue what to do other than Boom designs so yea

[ow-the-hedge]

Knuxadow week day 4 - Identity

I always think of Shadow and Knuckles as guardians of the sky; protectors of the legacy of their people who once lived there. These two watched the stars so many times that they became their second home by now.

[oh-fuckles-it-knuckles]

Dancing

Totally not a week late, what are you looking at?

Word Count: 429

Ship/Prompt: Knuxadow 2021 (Day 1: Dancing)

-----

This was silly, Knuckles knew that all too well, but he wanted to understand.

The two of them, the other being and a Shadow, had been invited alongside Sonic and a few friends to go to a gala. Due to this, the echidna had been stressed for the past day due to overthinking, no matter how many times he'd been told it was safe.

"Do you really trust this, Shadow?"

His boyfriend stood on the other side of their bedroom, looking through boxes inside a closet to find something.

"Not really, but Amy says they're credible and those Chaotix apparently did a thorough background check so that'll keep you from having a panic attack." Said Shadow, not even looking back towards his partner.

"I- "

Before another word fell out of his mouth, Shadow was dragging something gently out of the closet and onto an open spot on their dresser.

"Knuckles, this is going to come as an out of nowhere question, but do you know how to dance? Not just standard dancing, I mean to say slow dancing and-"

"You mean that shit couples do?" Knuckles asked with his head tilted to the side.

Shadows could only really snort in response before putting the needle onto the disk.

"We're a couple.. aren't we?" His voice was low and unsteady as he turned to look towards the other.

With a small hope off the bed, his red fur mixed with black as Knuckles held his lover's hand. "If we aren't then that over the top celebration Rouge through was for nothing."

A simple nod and a low chuckle, little things only ever given to him in secret, were the only reply before hands were put on his waist.

Words were whispered between the two, Shadow guiding in every literal step as he stepped back and forth then a claw tipped hand was pressed under his chin.

Those eyes, only for him and as bright as the morning sky even with their maroon color.

The echidna was caught off guard, almost yelping, when Shadow dipped him low with a mischievous smile on his face.

"I thought you weren't distracted easily, oh great crystal guardian."

Knuckles couldn't even stop himself before kissing him deeply, though this nearly caused them both to fall over.

Beautiful silence, only a scratchy disk playing slow music, faded into the room as the hedgehog helped the other onto his feet. A small kiss from the echidna placed onto his boyfriend's cheek, Knuckles could never stop himself from being lost with his Shadow, even if filled with anxiety.

[oops-all-knuxadow]

I posted 432 times in 2022

That's 302 more posts than 2021!

69 posts created (16%)

363 posts reblogged (84%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@mushtoons

@arrows-asks

@if-i-say-goodbye

@cozyqueerchaos

@chaos-matrimony

I tagged 77 of my posts in 2022

#knuxadow - 32 posts

#shadow the hedgehog - 19 posts

#knuckles the echidna - 17 posts

#shadknux - 13 posts

#🌹 asks - 10 posts

#mun speaks - 10 posts

#shaduckles - 10 posts

#knuxadow week 2021 - 7 posts

#ask - 6 posts

#knuxadow: bandages - 5 posts

Longest Tag: 120 characters

#surprise!!! i'm still chugging away at my half of the trade i was supposed to give you ages ago! djsndksndjs im so sorry

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Now that Shadow and Knuckles are dating, it's kind of imperative that the hedgehog learns to get along better with his boyfriend's friends. Here's how I think he could do it:

Tails is easy. He's extremely smart and they both have an appreciation for automechanics - Shadow with his bike and Tails with his plane. They can also trade information; if Shadow doesn't understand something about technology, Tails will help him in exchange for knowledge about medicine or his chaos powers. Brain Buddies!

Contrary to popular belief, I think he and Sonic are friends, to the extent that sworn rivals can be, at least. There's clearly a respect of skill present, and Sonic is no pushover. He's saved the world so many times by being a surprisingly brilliant strategist and fighter. Shadow knows that he can't come out on top in a race, but it doesn't matter. They challenge each other, push each other to raise the bar, to be better. They're friendly in such a way that they inspire one another to surpass their perceived limitations.

Amy would be easy to bond with, too, I think. Shadow could have a great respect for her strength, being able to wield that giant hammer like it's nothing. I don't know that Amy could necessarily like or admire any part of Shadow besides the fact that he looks a little like Sonic, but she's friendly and adaptive, so it's a bond of mutual respect above anything else.

The Chaotix are a team of skilled detectives (plus Charmy), so Shadow would appreciate their investigative prowess. He'd most likely be friendliest with Espio because of their similar dispositions, and he would mention what a great recruit he'd make on stealthier GUN missions.

Is Knuckles friends with the Babylon Rogues??? If he isn't, oops. If he is -

Wave kinda acts like Rogue, and Shadow lives with her, so he's got this in the bag. Give her a passing compliment, hand her some jewelery or pretend like he's got something precious to steal that she can make off with, and call it a day.

Storm kinda acts like Knuckles, but...dumber. Compliment his muscles, get in some sort of arm-wrestling match, call it a day.

Jet is fucking Annoying. I have no doubt Shadow would have zero patience for this smarmy bird. At BEST, they could bond over extreme gear (nice board. thanks, nice skates.) but that's it, bro. This blog is part of the Jet Sucks Gang.

That's all I've got thus far. If you'd like to see how Shadow could possibly befriend anybody else lemme know.

76 notes - Posted March 13, 2022

#4

I've only seen the first season of Sonic Boom, and Shadow only appeared in the very last episode of that season, with some vague and limited knowledge in between, so if he's ooc I'm sorry!

This is my part of a trade with @louie-loses-it which was super fun!! I hope we can collab again! Please consider visiting his blog and checking out some of their absolutely fantastic art!

Shadow strolled quietly along the beach, ever-present scowl traded in for something softer, for once. He had no plans, no schemes running, and no carefully crafted manipulation fed to him through Eggman to go and carry out at the moment, so his afternoon was free.

His shoes made indentations in the sand as he walked along. He briefly considered taking them off so he could enjoy it barefoot, but dismissed it out of concern that the idiot doctor could come by and annoy him again. He seemed to hatch a new plan against the village once a week. It was nearly episodic at this point, so the hedgehog begrudgingly remained on guard for the sound of machinery on the horizon. For now, he could relax, his ears catching only the sounds of the ocean lapping against the shore and two pairs of footsteps.

Shadow stopped walking. One pair of footsteps.

Fists clenched, the striped hedgehog whirled around and bared his teeth, coming face to chest with a tall, red echidna.

He squinted, then lifted his gaze upward until it landed on a pair of excited, violet eyes.

"Heya, Shadow!" Knuckles beamed. "I'm glad I found you! I -"

"Where are your friends?" Shadow demanded. "Waiting out of sight to ambush me? You all should know by now that I'm much too fast for you to gang up on so easily."

"Huh? No, I'm all alone!" Knuckles replied. "Or - no, I'm not. You're here, so I'm actually not alone!"

"Quit fooling around!"

"How dare you!? I only fool around when I have my jester hat on! And it's in the wash right now!"

Shadow grit his teeth. There was no way he was sent out here to be any sort of distraction, or to do reconnaissance; this buffoon was all muscle and no brain.

"Then tell me," he bit out, rapidly losing patience, "why you're here. Before I beat it out of you."

Although, admittedly, that would be hard to do. He'd seen the kind of force Knuckles put behind a punch, and if he wasn't careful, being on a receiving end of something like that would put him out of commission for a few days. Shadow could not afford to be downed like that. He needed to play it smart if this turned into a fight.

See the full post

93 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

#3

Shadow liked Knuckles' honesty. If he didn't understand something, he was quick to make that known, and the hedgehog was happy to explain it to him. If he wanted or needed something, he vocalized it, and the hybrid would do his best to get it for him.

If he liked something, or someone, well.

Hearing Knuckles confess his romantic interest in the hybrid right after an intense battle with Eggman wasn't something he was expecting, but Shadow was grateful all the same. Since they've been together, he was making an effort to return that same level of honesty the echidna had been giving him.

"I like it when you wear clothes," Knuckles commented one afternoon, gesturing to the bomber jacket his boyfriend had thrown on before coming to visit him. "You have good taste."

The hedgehog thanked him, taking a seat next to Knuckles on the Master Emerald's shrine. Together they watched the slow-approaching sunset, content in each other's company.

"I like when you do that, too," Knuckles muttered some time later. A black ear turned in his direction before red eyes followed, curious.

"Do what?"

"Relax." Violet eyes met his gaze, the sincerity almost too much to bear. "The stiffness leaves your shoulders, and you look happier. I like seeing you calm."

Shadow was glad the low light made it hard to tell if he was blushing, because he could feel the heat in his face.

He cleared his throat. "You...you make me feel calm, so in a way, you're praising yourself."

"Sure, if you wanna see it that way."

They lapsed into silence again, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Rather, it was anticipatory, though the hedgehog couldn't for the life of him figure out what for.

There was also the belated realization that Knuckles hadn't been watching the sunset almost the entire time they sat together. As the last rays started vanishing behind the horizon, the shorter male turned to face his companion again.

"What is it?" Shadow pried, gently. Knuckles didn't shy away, instead giving words to his desires, displaying vulnerability in a way his partner would never fully know.

"I really want to kiss you."

See the full post

97 notes - Posted March 6, 2022

#2

While I continue writing out my hella long angsty fic, have some headcanons!

Knuckles is so so so tactile. Knowing that Shadow is virtually invincible means he doesn't have to be afraid of hurting him, so it's hugs and hand holding and cuddles galore.

Shadow's thoughts run along the same vein. Knuckles is incredibly strong, so the hedgehog can be a little rougher with him when their make-outs get passionate. And if he accidentally pokes his boyfriend with his quills, well...stop trying to hug him from behind. He's not made to be the little spoon.

Knuckles wants Shadow to be little spoon so badly. Getting pricked a hundred times a night while trying to sleep is a pretty big deterrent, though.

They LOVE to play Punch Buggy!!! It's funny and they never keep track of who actually wins, it's just an excuse to work their way up to a friendly spar!

Knuckles has gotten good at translating Shadow's varying "hmms" and grunts, which the rest of the crew finds both cute and weird. One little noise and the echidna knows whether or not he's upset, amused, needs space, or hungry.

Shadow's love language is acts of service. He prefers to show you that he cares rather than simply putting it to words. On the other hand, he loves to receive words of affirmation.

Knuckles' love language is quality time. He lives alone on Angel Island, and while he's not fond of trespassers, it does feel extremely isolating at times. He loves to receive touch.

Knuckles kissed Shadow first. He watched him punch his way through steel in order to take out a giant robot, and made out with him amongst the rubble while they were both high off adrenaline. Shadow considers it one of the most romantic things they've ever done.

Shadow wants kids!!! Let him be a family man!! Knuckles isn't sure he'd be a good dad, but Shadow would assure him he'd be great.

Knuckles has different customs regarding romance compared to the rest of modern Mobius. Sharing his culture with Shadow is considered an extreme act of devotion, and implies intent to stay with him for the rest of their lives.

"Shadow, if you die before I do, would you permit me to bury you on Angel Island, near the shrine?"

Bruh basically fucking proposed with that one djsbcosndksbfjs

Knuckles l o v e s making Shadow laugh. He's very attracted to the sound of his voice. Especially when they fuck

Shadow likes matching chest fur with his boyfriend. This one's a little sillier but I like the idea of him showing up with his fluff cut into a little sideways crescent moon like Knuckles'.

See the full post

113 notes - Posted March 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Thinking about an Actor au besties!

Team Dark still play government agents, but off-camera they're all kind, light-hearted people and Omega is ridiculously funny. His delivery is very dry and monotone on account of being a robot, but man his timing is impeccable. He will make an off-hand comment that sends half his costars into tears and delay the shoot by half an hour.

Sonic is this confident hero on camera but he's almost painfully shy off-camera unless he's friends with you. This makes fan meet-ups hard, cause he tends to get overwhelmed and run off.

Tails is still his adopted brother on and off screen. He acts like a little shit but in a fun way, not in a "please control your feral kid" way.

EGGMAN. my god. Eggman is an angel when he's not playing a diabolical villain. He's Shadow's uncle and they're very close. Think of Mr. Tinker - that's what he's like when he's not acting. Super kind, gives EXCELLENT hugs, doesn't know what method acting is, he just turns it On and Off. He doesn't have a mean bone in his rotund little body.

Knuckles is a volunteer firefighter when he isn't on camera! He and Shadow met when the studio caught ablaze due to a faulty pyrotechnics stunt and they fell in love when he carried Shadow out of the building. Their chemistry was so strong the studio asked Knuckles to play a background character in a film. He did so well they kept him on and gave him bigger and bigger roles.

The meds are kicking in so I gotta take a break but please ask me for headcanons or whatever if you like the idea

122 notes - Posted June 6, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Heyooo!! Vanilla's here to help, and by god she's gonna mother the shit out of you while she does it. Knuckles couldn't have turned to someone better for help.

You can read part five Here!

This story contains graphic depictions of bodily harm!

Bandages, part 6

--

Dawn arrives before they know it. Both first-aid kits are run almost entirely through before Vanilla and Knuckles are done dressing every injury they can. The result is a hedgehog resembling a mummy more than anything else, and two very exhausted Mobians looking over him.

The bones that aren't practically dust have all been tediously set, held in place by splints made of branches and vines. Shadow's torso is barely visible under all the bandages around it, and the stitch jobs performed on the rest of his injuries are mediocre, at best.

But, his heart is beating with more consistency. Almost three times a minute, now. It's a vast improvement compared to his initial landing, so much so that Knuckles allows the little flare of hope in his chest to grow.

"I'll come back later today with more bandages," Vanilla says, breaking his train of thought. She glances at the sky, tracking the rising sun, and her nose twitches. "I'll bring some food, too. What do you like to eat, dear?"

"You don't have to do that," he says, "I just need more bandages. I can take care of food."

"I know you can. What do you like to eat?"

The echidna breaks eye contact, fussing with the empty first-aid kits beside him while he tries very hard not to feel like a child being chastised. Vanilla is a great mom, and she doesn't hesitate to extend that care to others. It's not something he's used to experiencing, which is why he can't look at her while she tries to look after *him.*

His stomach growls loudly at the mention of food, and he caves in with embarrassing ease.

"I like...grapes. Can't grow them on the island. I think it's an altitude problem."

He doesn't see it, but the rabbit smiles like she's just been told the best news of her life. "I can get you some grapes. What else?"

Knuckles shrugs, uncomfortable under the weight of her generosity, so she takes the lead by suggesting things and watching him nod or shake his head. Beyond that, Vanilla doesn't pry much more, and after a final look, deems the injuries patched enough to leave in his care. She stands up and takes off the gloves, patting dirt off her knees and valiantly ignoring the green blood stains along the bottom of her evening gown.

"Try to get some rest, Knuckles. I'll be back in two hours to drop off more bandages and some food, alright?"

He nods, standing as well, and squints when a ray of sunlight passes over him. "Let me help you down."

--

Against her advice, Knuckles doesn't sleep the first shift. Instead, he takes some time to walk the Island and do his best to clean up the damage Shadow dealt when his body made impact. It's quick work to fill the craters, and he's glad to cover up the blood-soaked earth. An examination of the river yields positive results as well; no green blood remained or tainted the water as he feared, so he takes some time to rinse himself off before making the trek back to the shrine.

He has to shoo away some critters nosing at Shadow's body, and he reminds himself to ask Vanilla if the hedgehog is safe to move somewhere else to avoid more coming around. For now, Knuckles sits a few feet away from his charge, crosses his legs, and meditates --

Oh, shit, his comm is ringing. Purple eyes snap open, startled by the loud noise and the blinding sun, and he realizes he fell asleep as soon as he'd settled on the ground.

"Knuckles, dear? Are you awake? Can I come up?"

"Yep!! Yes! I'm - sorry - I'm coming!"

No way, he thinks, hurrying to the edge of the Island. I swear it's only been a minute. I don't even feel like I rested at all. This is gonna SUCK. Shadow, if you die, I'm killing you.

Vanilla doesn't look much better, to be honest. Her big eyes are slightly dull with exhaustion, and her smile rings a little hollow. Still, she's dressed for the day and carrying another large basket of supplies, looking ready to tackle the day.

"There's enough bandages in here to last you until tomorrow, if you change them every three hours," she explains, fussing over him in a way Knuckles isn't used to. "And I packed some meals for you. Lots of water, two packages of grapes, sandwiches - do you like soup? I hope you do, there's a thermos of soup in there as well. And there's non-perishables at the bottom, for you to store and eat whenever you want. Do you like energy bars? There's some tucked on the side if you think you need -"

"Vanilla," Knuckles eventually grunts, muzzle burning. He's sure it's as red as the rest of him. "I - thanks. You didn't have to do...that. All of that. So I - I don't know how to thank you."

The rabbit softens, smiling sweetly down at him, and clasps her hands together in front of her.

"Knuckles," she insists, "I'm happy to do it, so don't go thinking I need to be repaid in any manor, okay?"

She checks the time, nose twitching, and looks to him again.

"I've got to get going, but I can stop by tomorrow with more supplies, alright? Please, try to rest whenever you can, and stay hydrated. You have to take care of yourself just as much as you're taking care of...oh, my, I never did ask for his name."

"Shadow."

"Right." She nods, muttering the name to herself to commit it to memory. "If Shadow's condition changes, or there's an emergency, please don't hesitate to contact me."

Knuckles nods, hugging the basket to his chest. "Oh - is he safe to move? He's just lying on the ground. I don't wanna spend my time batting deer and birds offa him."

"Yes, if you're careful. Would you like me to help?"

"I've got it. Go home, get some rest. Thank you, again, Vanilla."

She reaches down and gently thumbs his cheek. "You're very welcome, Knuckles. Take it easy."

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Help has arrived! Is it enough? Is Knuckles in over his head?

Part four is Here

This story contains graphic depictions of bodily harm/mutilation. This part may contain medical inaccuracies.

Bandage, part five

--

It's quick work to glide down to the ground and meet Vanilla. Securing her in his arms, he catches an updraft and soars back to the island, touching down in silence. She turns and addresses the shorter mobian once they're both back on their feet, handing him a large basket crammed full of stuff.

"There's towels, water bottles, two first-aid kits, some scissors, and a sewing kit in here," she explains. "May I please have an explanation as to why you needed all of this, now?"

"Yes," he says, "but, you'll understand more if I show you."

Vanilla sighs, but she just nods, encouraging him to lead the way. Knuckles warns her that what she's about to see will disturb her, but she reaffirms that she's here to help.

"Besides," she yawns, "I should hope that being woken up in the middle of the night happened for an important reason."

"I'm sorry," he says, "I didn't really have anyone else to go to."

His steps slow once they reach the shrine, the figure on the ground easy to spot, even in the darkness. As they get closer, Vanilla is finally able to identify what it is, and she gasps.

"Oh!"

"He's not dead," Knuckles quickly says. "He's - well, he's nearly dead. But -"

"Nearly? Knuckles, dear," she frowns, ears drooping, "I-I can see ribs, his lung...there's blood everywhere..."

The rabbit looks a little sick at the sight, and Knuckles doesn't blame her. Even after cleanup, Shadow paints a gruesome image like this. But he isn't willing to give up just yet. He can't.

"C"mere." He sets the basket aside, then kneels down next to Shadow's body and reaches for her hand. Warily, she gives it to him, letting him put it against the hedgehog's pulse point.

"Just wait. You'll feel it."

Vanilla looks like she would rather be anywhere else but here right now, and he doesn't blame her, but that little expression of surprise when she does feel a pulse is enough to know that he called the right person for help.

"I can't believe it," she mutters, astonished. A moment later, though, her expression hardens, and she shakes her head. "No time to gawk at a miracle. Knuckles, I need you to open one of the first aid kits and hand me the gloves. Grab a bottle of water, too, and a towel."

He's quick to do what she says, the two of them become a flurry of movement. Vanilla tells him what she's doing as she does it, and Knuckles does his best to commit all of this information to memory, but it's a lot.

The first thing she does is gingerly pick out any loose bone fragments she can see in Shadow's exposed chest wound. The gloves on her hands quickly become soaked in green, but the rabbit doesn't let it interfere with her work. Next, she staples the holes in his lung shut, lamenting that she can't do anything about his other side, since only half of his torso is this exposed and damaged.

"If there are issues on the other side, you're going to have to hope his body can fix them on its own," she warns Knuckles. "Now, here's where you need to pay the most amount of attention; this hole is too large to suture closed, so you have to dress it with gauze, and replace the bandages every couple of hours to keep the wound clean."

"Hours?" Knuckles asks, dreading the answer. He's fucking exhausted. "How many hours are we talking? Like, eight?"

She gives him a sympathetic look. "Based on how badly he's bleeding, about every two or three hours, dear."

Nice. Great. Excellent, this is exactly what he's looking forward to! Little to no sleep and alien blood everywhere! He hasn't even gotten a moment to cover up the craters Shadow's body made on initial impact, yet!

"Any chance you could spend the night and take shifts with me?"

Vanilla shakes her head. "I can't leave Cream unattended. I'd ask you to come to my home instead, but I know you can't leave the Master Emerald unguarded."

Knuckles closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, wrestling down the anger simmering dangerously close to the surface.

It is not his fault he ended up becoming the sole guardian of the Master Emerald, but situations like this really, really make him resent it anyway. He's the last living echidna, the only protector of Angel Island, and he shoulders the burden with pride, even when he wishes more than anything that he could be someone else. Someone who could explore the rest of the world at his leisure, who could socialize and pick up hobbies, who could fucking take care of a dying hedgehog in a more convenient environment.

His hands clutch tightly at the ground, dirt clinging to his nails (he'd cast his gloves aside to carry Shadow out of the crater and never came back for them) and keeping his mind in the moment. Now is not the time to wallow in stolen childhoods and irreparable isolation.

"Guess it's a good thing this communicator has an alarm built in it," he mutters instead, looking up at Vanilla. "Change the big bandage every two or three hours - got it. What else?"

The rabbit nods. If she saw his momentary retreat into his mind, she didn't bring attention to it.

"I'm going to teach you how to suture a wound, and then you need to help me set his broken bones. Hand me a new pair of gloves, and then put a pair on yourself."

Knuckles shuffles closer, doing as she asked, and as the stars begin to recede and birds begin to sing of a new day, he silently vows to treat his new duty with just as much importance as the Master Emerald.

I won't let you die, Shadow.

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Here it is, my big mega project! This story is long, and there are graphic depictions of body mutilation ahead. If that isn't something you can handle, I strongly advise you do not proceed.

This is a medium-burn Knuxadow fic, exploring what might have happened if Shadow landed on Angel Island after the events of Sonic adventure 2.

Bandage, part 1

--

The impact rocks the island.

Knuckles worries for several seconds if the Eclipse Cannon ended up hitting it, and waits with baited breath for everything to start crumbling to pieces around him. The earth under his feet ripples like water and the vibrations send lightning down his spine. He wonders if the Master Emerald will be able to keep what remains afloat, wonders if it will even matter if the damage is as grand as Eggman proclaimed.

The echidna hunches and thrusts his hands into the ground, keeping himself steady as the tremors begin dying off. Blinking through the dust in the air, he scans everything he can see for major signs of destruction or potential danger to fend off.

Animals scatter blindly in search of somewhere to hide. They've never experienced so much as an earthquake on the floating paradise before, so this situation creates a massive upset. Knuckles doesn't blame them, but he can't sort it out at the moment. The fact that he isn't dead or rapidly falling towards the rest of the planet means that the island is still standing, but it doesn't mean that there isn't damage to assess.

He straightens, nose twitching as he catches the scent of something burning, and seeks out the source of the disturbance. If it's Sonic's fault, he's going to clobber him the next chance he gets.

As he closes in on the source, he fears for several, terrifying seconds that what he's stumbled across is Sonic.

There are several craters on the ground, extending about a quarter-mile across. The body that touched down had bounced hard from the force of impact before settling, now curled up and smoking in front of Knuckles. The scent of scorched flesh makes him want to retch, but his panic over identifying the shape of a hedgehog in the ground overtakes the disgust.

"S-Sonic!" He cries, sliding down into the hole the body had made. He can feel the heat radiating off the cadaver, his heart sinking into his stomach at the fact that his blue-furred friend had no chance of surviving this. He waves as much of the smoke out of his face as he can, crouching down to gather the mobian into his arms, and stops when he sees the blood pooling rapidly under him.

It's green.

He'd seen patches of green liquid from the other holes the body bounced from, but hadn't identified it as anything important in the moment. Now, though, as Knuckles leans in closer to inspect the body, he makes out a crimson stripe in one of its charred arms.

That's Shadow the Hedgehog.

Knuckles feels simultaneously relieved and guilt-ridden. He's so glad the body before him isn't one of his friends, but the fact that he thought that at all is what pains him.

Shadow, for as briefly as he'd known him, was a troubled individual. He'd gotten tangled up with Eggman because his faulty memory had been taken advantage of, and it was evident that at the end of it all, the hedgehog had died with no one to mourn him. The extent of his damage indicates he fell all the way from space, where Sonic and the rest of the crew had gone to stop the Eclipse cannon from firing.

What had happened to him? As prideful as he is, Knuckles can admit that Shadow had been an extremely formidable adversary, matching the echidna blow-for-blow, and even surpassing him at one instance, which caused him to lose the fight. The fact that his remains are lying pathetically before him now makes Knuckles shudder in sympathy. Whatever had been the Ultimate Lifeform's end, he doesn't want to find himself in a similar situation.

I should be relieved, he thinks, staring at a former threat. And yet, I wish it hadn't ended up this way.

It was only a few years ago that Knuckles himself had been in a similar situation, tricked by Eggman into attacking Sonic to help the doctor's latest plan for global takeover. But Sonic had seen the best of Knuckles, had gone out of his way to convince him that he needed to see the error of his ways, that he could be different.

"I wonder what you could've been, if you had another chance," Knuckles muses to the body, somber.

After another moment, the echidna turns and climbs out of the crater, a plan set in his mind. Though they had only known one another from opposite ends of the battlefield, Knuckles will come back once Shadow's body has cooled, and give him a respectful burial. As it stands now, he's much too hot to touch, and the echidna risks starting a fire if he were to place him somewhere else. It hasn't rained in days, and the grass could ignite even though Shadow is no longer burning.

He walks away, admittedly shaken, and sits down heavily at the base of the Master Emerald's shrine once he makes it back. The scent of cooked flesh doesn't make his nose wrinkle and his eyes water from this far away, and he breathes in deep lung-fulls of air. When his eyes close, though, his mind brings back the image of the fallen antagonist, so he snaps them open again.

It hurts to think about Shadow right now.

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Now that he knows Shadow is fighting for his life, Knuckles needs a game plan. But he can't do it alone.

This story contains graphic depictions of gore/body mutilation.

Part three is Here!

Bandage, Part four

--

The island is quiet. Most of its wildlife has settled into their respective bushes, burrows, and trees for bed, while Knuckles remains awake under the stars.

Shadow is slowly but steadily continuing to bleed, despite losing much more than what could possibly come out of him from both the fall and the cleanup job in the river. His body is producing it from seemingly nowhere, trying to replenish itself. It's just as fascinating as it is horrifying, because Knuckles doesn't know what the fuck to do about it.

His options are...limited. He can stay nearby, waiting for his body to get the hint and stop all function, but as time continues to pass his weak, little pulse doesn't seem to be going anywhere. He can also just snap Shadow's neck in the hopes of finally putting him to rest, but the idea is so upsetting that the echidna won't make a move to do it.

Because he has hope. A third option. As he stares openly at the dead - at the near-dead - hedgehog, he feels like somehow he might be able to come back from this. It's a notion Knuckles would never entertain for anyone else, but he's thinking of the brief battle he had with Shadow.

He remembers the unbelievable speed at which he moved, the incredible strength hidden under lean, dark fur, and the electrifying spears he could summon at a whim. This hybrid being was (is?) insanely powerful, and he wouldn't put it past him to have some sort of regeneration ability.

It seems, then, since he hasn't succumbed to his wounds, and Knuckles won't finish the job, he must play caretaker. He briefly entertains taking him to a hospital, but the staff would likely take one look at Shadow and cart him off in a body bag.

Knuckles brings his communicator up, contemplating who to call, what to ask for. Sonic is ruled out automatically; after speaking to him earlier, the echidna can't bear to give the hero any hope that Shadow will pull through this. Though it's remarkable he made it this far, his heart will not beat steadily, and he's still a mess of broken bones and torn muscles and punctured organs that he doesn't even know how to begin to mend.

Tails can't be called, either, which is unfortunate. He's the best person to go to, especially for something requiring a wealth of medical knowledge like this, but Knuckles knows he'd tell his brother about it in a second.

Amy? They've never been particularly close, but he doesn't know if she could handle a secret like this. He doesn't know if she could stomach the sight enough to help, and she's in love with Sonic. She's out.

The Chaotix, as great as they are, can't be trusted to handle anything that isn't a case. They simply don't possess the skillset necessary to be of any use. Knuckles scrolls through his contacts with slowly mounting panic, rejecting person after person.

Can't help. Can't help. They'll tell Sonic. Can't help. They'll tell Sonic. Can't -

He stops, hovering over Cream's name, hesitating for only a moment before hitting the call button. There's only one more name on his list after her, and he won't touch that one. It's too risky.

"Mm...hello? Mister Knuckles?" The little rabbit yawns, awoken from her bedtime. The situation is too dire for him to feel guilty about it. "Is everything okay?"

"Hi, Cream," he says, "I need to talk to your mom, it's really important. Can you get her for me?"

She agrees, asking him to wait a moment. The echidna doesn't ask her to hurry because he doesn't want Cream to be concerned. Instead, he takes a deep breath and passes the time by tracking Shadow's pulse again.

Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. Then an almost imperceptible beat. More nothing. More nothing. Over a minute passes before he gets to feel another one. He's so focused on the task he almost misses the voice over his comm.

"Hello?" Vanilla says, voice just as groggy as her daughter's. "Knuckles? Cream told me you needed me."

"Vanilla, I..." He begins, trying to choose his next words carefully. "Can you keep a secret?"

"That depends," she says, "if it could put my daughter at risk, I don't think so."

"It won't, I promise!"

"Well..." He can hear the nervousness in her tone, and prays to Gaia she will help him. "Are you sure I'm the best candidate to keep this information private? Is Sonic -"

"NO!" Knuckles yells, then quickly corrects himself. He can't be snapping at people after waking them up in the middle of the night. "Sorry, I'm sorry. Sonic can't know, it's very important that you don't tell him what I'm doing. Okay?"

There's a period of silence that the echidna knows only lasts for a few seconds. It feels like eternity.

"Okay, Knuckles," she relents. "How can I help?"

"I need a first aid kit, and all the towels you can spare."

"...That's all? Just a first aid kit and towels?"

"And..." He wracks his brain to remember what it's called. "A needle kit? No - sewing. A sewing kit. Something durable enough to make it through skin."

"Are you injured? If you tell me where you are, I can come and take you to a hospital, dear," Vanilla offers, and the concern in her voice is touching despite them barely knowing each other.

"It's not for me," he says, speaking faster. "Please, we can talk when I get that stuff. Can you bring them to me?"

"Not for you?" She asks. "Then why -"

"Please, Vanilla!"

The rabbit clicks her tongue. "Don't raise your voice, I've only just put Cream back to bed. I'll gather what you need. Where should I meet you?"

"Angel Island." The guardian sags in relief. Things are looking better, but he's careful not to let the hope in his chest grow too large. "Can you show me how to use the needle when you get here?"

"Yes. I'll be there in about half an hour, alright? Do I need to bring anything else? Are you sure you're alright, Knuckles?"

"I'm...not sure. Any other medical supplies you think will help. Thank you, Vanilla."

"You're welcome."

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Part three has arrived! It's time to prepare for burial...or is it?

Reminder: this story contains graphic depictions of gore/body horror. It is especially true for this part of the story.

Read part two Here!

Bandage, part three

--

It's twilight. Knuckles is pleasantly surprised to find that nothing seems to've come by to pick at the remains in the hours he left it there. It is the only thing pleasant about this whole situation.

Coming across Shadow again, he can see him lying in a pool of blood similar to the color of leaves in sunlight. It's just as morbid as it is beautiful, much like the hedgehog himself. The echidna casts his gloves aside to avoid stains and climbs back down to retrieve him, careful not to accidentally trample on him or fall into the mess.

Again, he finds himself wrestling with nausea. He stoops down and, taking a breath, carefully gathers the cadaver into his arms. He tries not to think about how warm it still is, how strangely pliant it moves despite the fact that rigor mortis should've set in hours ago. Instead, Knuckles focuses on the positives as he carefully exits the crater, like the fact that all four limbs are still attached. Burying Shadow whole is no longer a concern.

Additionally, while parts of his body are exposed that definitely shouldn't be, the mess is miraculously self-contained. A great many bones are broken, and even more feel like they've been reduced to dust, judging by the uncomfortably flat parts of his body, but the hedgehog's organs aren't spilling all over the place in a nightmarish heap. Knuckles can see, in the places that fur and muscle burned away, that at least one lung was punctured by a combination of bone and the impact Shadow made when he hit the Island, but there's too much blood coming from the rest of the wounds to pick out any further internal damage.

It's not like it matters, Knuckles thinks, solemn. All I can do is hope he died before hitting the ground.

He carries Shadow a little ways away until he finds a river. While he could've simply buried him and called it a day, he knows he wouldn't feel good doing it while his body was in such a state.

Before the extinction of his kind, Knuckles can vaguely remember the respect and care with which an echidna's body was treated, even after death. Those closest to the deceased would carry the body to the river to be bathed and made presentable for a funeral proceeding, then it would be adorned in ceremonial materials, and buried. The higher status they were, the closer to the Master Emerald's shrine they were laid to rest.

How ironic that Knuckles could not participate in this ritual for his own kind, but instead for a former enemy. Still, he will do it right, and with pride.

Toeing off his shoes, he wades into the river until he's up to his knees, then sits down with Shadow in his arms. The water immediately turns green with the alien's blood, and he sets to work cleaning him up as best as he can.

Blunt nails get to work methodically scrubbing away caked blood and dirt from Shadow's pelt. Small chunks of flesh inevitably flake off and get carried away by the current, and the echidna suppresses a gag as he continues on. The work is tedious but worth it, as Shadow slowly stops looking like a huge, charred lump of a Mobian and more like the proud hedgehog he had been in life.

There are parts of him that simply can't be fixed up by the echidna; most of his broken bones were in too many pieces to set correctly, leaving him looking malformed in more than a couple of places, and the part of his torso with exposed innards can't be closed because Knuckles simply doesn't have the skills to suture the hole. He's just thankful his eyes are already closed, unsure if he can handle looking at the missing or bloodied or otherwise damaged eyes sitting under the lids.

But, most of the blood has left the body, leaving behind obsidian fur with an impressive amount of shine, even in death. The vibrancy of his stipes shows through now that they've been scrubbed clean, and the blood and dirt is gone from what remains of his chest fur. He must not have landed head-first, which is the only reason his quills and skull appear mostly intact. Scratched the hell up, sure, and one of his ears is torn almost in half, but compared to the rest of him, the damage isn't terrible.

Knuckles gently scrubs Shadow's cheek, wiping away the last of what he can, and calls it done. He rises with him and steps out of the river, wishing for once that he had some of the comforts other Mobians down below possessed, like towels and first-aid kits. To be fair, Knuckles has never needed them, so getting any was rather pointless before now.

He slips his shoes back on, then carefully leans down to grab up Shadow's hoverskates, having pulled them off before bathing him. With one arm under his knees and the other around his shoulders, Knuckles starts walking towards the shrine to pick out a final resting place.

Maybe I'll tell the others where they can go, if they want to pay respects, he thinks. Loathe as he is to have other people in his home, he hopes they would take him up on the offer.

While he walks, he finds himself needing to discourage the wildlife from trying to sniff at what he's carrying. They aren't afraid of the guardian, which means he's trying hard not to trample on bunnies or let any deer get too close. It becomes a bit of an annoyance, and the fact that he's distracted means he's less aware of the littler things than he normally would be. By the time he shooes them away and comes across the shrine again, he's relieved and exhausted.

"Almost done," he whispers, clutching Shadow a little tighter to his chest, "and then it'll all be over."

His eyes sweep over the earth, gauging the best place to dig the plot. If it's too close to the shrine, it'll mean Shadow is to be recognized as an important figure in echidna culture; if it's too far away, it'll be as though he were something to be shunned. Knowing that he had come around to save everyone in the end, he deserves a respectable location on Angel Island.

Knuckles adjusts his grip as he comes to a decision, fingers grazing Shadow's neck. He goes pale when he feels a pulse.

"...No way," he says, mind going blank as he gapes openly at the body. There was just no way. He's exhausted and upset - his mind made him think he felt something because he wishes Shadow hadn't died, that's all. It was totally impossi --

But there it is again. Whip-quick, barely anything, but Shadow has a fucking pulse.

Knuckles almost drops him. It's a near-thing, his grip slackening in a combination of fright and incredulity, but he corrects himself at the last minute and manages to lie the hedgehog gently down in the grass. He leans over him, both hands now pressing into his throat to feel for the pulse again. He has to make sure, he has to.

Against all odds there is a sign of life, though only barely detectable. His heart is trying to beat and only pulling it off once or twice a minute. After falling from space, partially burning in the atmosphere, and crash-landing at terminal velocity, the hedgehog's body is trying to survive.

Maybe there was something to that pompous "Ultimate Lifeform" title after all.

"What the hell," Knuckles stammers, shaking. "What the HELL DO I DO NOW!?!"

[oops-all-knuxadow]

Nightmares

The host of Knuxadow week, late to posting her own prompts? It's more likely than you'd think. Have some hurt/comfort to make up for it.

The first time Shadow teleported to the island without invitation, it took over a minute for the echidna to get him to make eye contact. When he finally did, Knuckles saw dark bags under bloodshot eyes and a hollow stare.

"I'm sorry," Shadow had said, voice surprisingly soft. "I just...wanted to be somewhere quiet."

Knuckles understood. Above the rest of the populace as he was, the echidna was unbothered by traffic and whirring machinery and light pollution. Angel Island was full of nothing but Earth's natural sounds, soft on the enhanced senses of the artificial hedgehog and the emerald's guardian.

So he invited him to stay the night. Shadow was not a creature built for greed, and his continued displays of heroism towards saving the world told the echidna that he wasn't here for the Master Emerald. He didn't pry Shadow for details, and in turn, the hedgehog didn't overstay his welcome in another person's home. By dawn, the only evidence he'd ever been there was a handful of stray quills that'd been shed in the night.

Knuckles didn't give it any thought, and had crossed it off as a one-time event. Shadow hadn't caused him trouble, and that's all he could hope for.

But, then it happened again. One second, Knuckles was meditating on the shrine, the next, Shadow had appeared in a mess of labored breathing and raised quills, clearly in some sort of fight or flight mode.

The hedgehog nearly collapsed to his knees upon arrival, swaying dangerously in a way that made Knuckles worry he'd topple down the stairs. But, he'd steadied himself and merely asked that he might stay.

"Again?" Knuckles asked. Shadow didn't waver, but the slow flexing of his fists gave away his anxiety. If rejected, it was clear the striped mobian would leave without protest. "Fine. I'm meditating, so just be quiet until I'm done."

That settled, he relaxed back into his seat, legs crossed, and closed his eyes and breathed deep. He heard Shadow's breathing slowly steady, then the click of his skates walking up the stairs. He felt the heat of his body as he settled down beside him, obeying his request to stay silent.

They remained there together longer than Knuckles could reliably keep track of. When he finally reopened his eyes, he found the hedgehog beside him asleep, body lax and head bowed in his sitting position. His ears twitched now and then, but he seemed otherwise in a comfortable state of rest. He noted that his frown seemed less harsh, the draw of his brows less severe. It made him look more youthful.

The guardian debated leaving Shadow there alone and crawling into his burrow to sleep, but another part of his mind told him that wasn't the right thing to do here.

He sighed and closed his eyes again, letting his back press against the Master Emerald and settling in for an unavoidably sore back in the morning.

At dawn, as he stretched and listened to his bones pop and limbs complain about his sleeping position, he found another few stray quills on his shoulder.

--

Months went by. Every so often, Knuckles would find himself with company, and each thought about kicking Shadow off the island became dismissed faster and faster, until he grew to anticipate his arrival. At this point, he was welcomed with a simple, acknowledging nod and an invitation to join the echidna in whatever activity he was doing at the time.

He wondered what the hedgehog did to alleviate his nightmares before he'd started coming to Angel Island. Did he manage to go back to sleep, like he did with Knuckles? Did he run laps across the globe to work the stress off? Did he turn to anybody else for help, or had he been suffering alone until he couldn't take it anymore?

Knuckles didn't want to think about it. It also wasn't his place to ask; the wordless agreement they'd made was able to stay in place because the echidna didn't try to pry Shadow for information. He granted the hedgehog sanctuary by letting him decompress on the quiet paradise, not by digging into his business, and he would honor that.

At least, he would until he was awoken by his companion nearly seizing beside him one night.

After the little moment they had on the altar, Shadow had slowly tested the waters as to how much physical contact the echidna would allow. It was hard for Knuckles to accept it at first, being simultaneously touch-starved and averse, but the hybrid's presence had never really disturbed him, even when they used to operate on opposite sides of the battlefield.

He was comfortable enough in these little sleepovers now to allow Shadow to sleep side by side with him in his burrow, which is why he was able to feel him thrashing in the night. Knuckles rubbed his eyes, squinting in the darkness to stare at the hedgehog.

Shadow's breathing was unsteady, limbs frequently twitching and spasming as if he were restrained by something. His brows were furrowed and a thin sheen of sweat was slicking his fur.

He couldn't even begin to wonder what the nightmare was about. From what very little he knew of him, Shadow's past was tragic, so any number of things could be plaguing the mobian. The dilemma, here, was what to do.

He could ignore the fit and go back to sleep, hoping for it to pass. He could wake him, and risk a possible lash-out in Shadow's disoriented state.

Or he could soothe.

Knuckles blinked slow, in the dark, and inched towards his guest, praying he would not wake him. Carefully, he reached out his gloveless hands and brought them around Shadow's waist, then drew him close until they lied chest to chest.

Almost immediately, the shaking stopped. Knuckles held his breath for several, terrifying seconds, watching to see if the hedgehog's eyes opened.

Instead, the other male slackened, his chest rising and falling at a calmer rate, and the echidna allowed himself to relax as well. He closed his eyes in relief, head resting on the ground tiredly as he allowed himself to go back to sleep. In his last moments of consciousness, he reflected on the fact that it would be much harder for Shadow to slip away in the early morning, though he was too tired to figure out why that pleased him.

When morning came, Knuckles opened violet eyes to find a swathe of quills in his sightline, and the warmth of a body that wasn't his own. His gaze flicked down, taking in the sight of Shadow's head buried against his chest, red and black arms wrapped around his waist.

He stared for a few moments, then smirked.

"I know you're awake. Your ears twitch when you sleep."

The arms around him squeezed gently in an admission of guilt, and Shadow finally lifted his head, red eyes bright and rested. His expression was guarded.

"I know you aren't a cuddler in your sleep," the hedgehog replied, the question unspoken but heard nonetheless. Knuckles swallowed.

He looked away for a minute to gather his thoughts. Shadow waited patiently, neither of them moving to break away from their embrace, lest they also break whatever atmosphere was currently hovering between them.

Knuckles felt like he had to choose his words carefully, like whatever he said next would change the nature of their companionship. His heart beat faster at the thought of messing this up, of somehow pushing Shadow away.

"You were thrashing last night," he said slowly, "and I wasn't going to lie here and just let you suffer...you're here for comfort, and...and if I can give you that, then I will. I want to."

He looked to the hybrid again, gaze imploring. "Is that okay? Can I...can we..."

Knuckles didn't quite know how to form the words, but the way Shadow seemed to soften told him that he didn't need to. He watched the hedgehog look down and bury his fact in his chest again, arms hugging him tighter.

"Yes," came the muffled reply. "Thank you."

The echidna blushed, returning the embrace, and knew he much preferred to wake up like this. Together.

[ow-the-hedge]

Knuxadow week day 2 - Bandage

A lot of effort was put into convincing Knuckles to let Shadster tend to his wound. He ultimately agreed because of the extra hand holding. But yeah, he totally doesn’t need the extra care, he can handle himself, for sure.