#movieverse sonic

[zero-is-nebulous]

What if in movieverse sonic didn't leave for earth,,,,or he,,,or he came back,,,,,

[lazypanartist]

HELLO i fucking LOVE ur stobotnik and their kid series!!! its what initially got me to watching the movies and into the sonic franchise as a whole!!! can i request a stobotnik and their kid whos sort of like maria.... like they genuinely love the world and humanity despite (ahem) everything Ivo says. Maybe add in a sprinkle of shadow who sees reader and is taken aback by how similar they are to maria, and now stone + ivo has to deal with their kid having a new guard dog/brother HDSHSDH love ur writing, hope u have a good day!!

AHHH I'M SO GLAD I COULD HELP YOU GET INTO THE SERIES!! Super touched 💙💙💙

*Frantically googling Shadow's personality + Maria Robotnik*

*Having a Crisis™ because WOW OKAY*

Anyways! I've been working on this since the request rolled in, and am 100% invested. Willing to take related requests ^-^

Stobotnik + Sweetheart! Child, + Guard Dog Bestie! Shadow

Note: this is long. Like, LONG long

Your fathers have always loved you, if a tad.. oddly.

Papa Ivo doesn't understand your interest with the rest of humanity.

"What if one of those disgusting cretins gets my baby sick? What if someone actually wanted to hurt you?"

"No, it's far safer for you if you stay by his or Papa Stone's side. Or in the lab. The lab is VERY safe, you know. Well idiot proofed"

Not that he's calling his baby an idiot, of course -

Baba Aban, however, seems to understand you.

Of course he respects Papa's wishes, keeps you close when you do go out, but he tries to sate your interest in humanity best he can.

Always open to questions, and will try to answer everything as age-appropriately as possible.

"What does Papa do all day?"

"He builds things for the government."

"Why?"

"Because it pays well enough to raise you and keeps him busy."

"Why doesn't Papa like other people?"

He.. doesn't have an answer for that one. Not really.

"Just because" sounds too shallow, and "Because people can be horrible" is almost worse.

"To keep you safe."

It's not a lie, but it's not the truth, and the way you huff lets him know you're onto him.

Lets Ivo know before you two are finished with errands, in case you bombard the older man with questions next

They both try and keep you entertained in their own ways

Papa Ivo tries to keep you interested in his machines, how they can be used to better your life

Baba Aban takes you out for errands and helps teach you in the kitchen

Life is as balanced as it can be, considering your solitude growing up

Both dads help you set up a little greenhouse in the traveling lab

"For self sufficiency!" - Papa Ivo

"To give them a new hobby." - Baba Aban

"To keep me busy." - Baby You™

You know what's up

SO since we don't yet know how Shadow calmed tf down in the movie, bare with me here.

After the events of Movie 2 and then the unearthing of Project Shadow, you and your dads are living in the Crabmeat base deep in the Pacific

You and Baba Aban still surface occasionally for groceries and supplies, while Papa Ivo throws himself into his work to distract himself from his latest defeat.

During one surface visit, looking around the Seattle streets while on the back of Baba Aban's motorcycle, you see a strangely familiar figure on a similar vehicle.

You tug on your das's sleeve before gearuring toward the hedgehog

"Baba.. that's not Sonic, is it?"

He looks, does a double take

"Uh.. no."

He's stopping near the same lot the two of you are, and Baba instructs you to message Papa

"Found another alien hedgehog, will update"

He seems wary when the two of you approach, glancing between you as Aban steps closer, an arm in front of your chest to keep you back behind him

"Who are you?"

The hedgehog glares, and you slink just a bit closer to see him

"I am the ultimate life form."

"Decided by who?"

"That's none of your concern."

The two are almost circling one another now, Baba keeping you behind him, even if just barely

"It's my concern if you're here to.. to destroy humanity, or whatever."

You eye him from behind your dad, but he just huffs a laugh

"Destroy? I was created to preserve your human lives."

Your eyes widen again, catching his own before he glanced back towards your Baba

"Is that a problem?"

You tug at Aban's sleeve again, and he slows his movement, letting you peek out more from behind him

"No.. I don't suppose it is."

You finally slip out from behind him, smiling, and Shadow is hit, mentally, with the image of Maria, smile - the same energy as your own

A certain kind of sad loneliness, with an undertone of care

He doesn't know why he thinks of it that way

All he knows is that it feels like home again

The two of you see each other a few times after that, while out on errands with Baba

Papa wants to meet him - of course - but doesn't want another Knuckles situation

(He's very glad that the echidna didn't try and go after you for revenge - after the emerald was taken away, he wasn't sure he could have saved you)

So he lets you - and Stone - approach him on the surface

Not that you know explicitly that you're helping.

Neither of your dad's know about Maria - at least not explicitly - and Shadow still hasn't voiced why he's so attached to you

He finds himself following you whenever he sees you on earth

Of course you're with Baba every time, kept at arms length from Shadow, but he keeps coming back

Papa allows it because he hasn't made any threats

Baba allows it because he seems genuinely friendly

And doesn't seem to recognize him

Finally - FINALLY - Papa asks Baba to help bring him to the base

Respectfully, if possible. He wants to keep the peace, even if it's just for your sake

You get to be the lucky one to invite Shadow to the base

You smile when you ask if he'd like to come, and all he can see is Maria inviting him to see a new breakthrough from her grandfather

He says yes

Immediately

Your smile gets wider

"This is the first time I've invited a friend home!"

His poor, walled-off heart cracks just a little, and he gives Stone a Look™

Baba just glanced away before offering him a ride in a (rented) car

The two of you sit in the back, just talking to each other, while Stone contemplated how he got to driving one of the aliens.

To his home.

With his child in the backseat next to said alien.

As long as you're happy, and Ivo's happy, then he's sure he'll be fine

Shadow is still vague with answers around his past - every time you try and engage him about family, friends, childhood, home - he thinks of Maria

He still tries to answer you - he grew up in space, with his best friend and her grandfather.

She was.. sick. Very sick. And she died.

Conveniently leaving GUN out of the convo.

He sees the sadness you have for him - the same Maria held when she told him to go - and decides that he'll make space for himself in your life

If you let him.

ONLY if you let him.

The three of you make it back to crabmeat safely, and both of your dads hover, but let you interact how you want

Shadow sees a lot of Gerald in your Papa, but won't say anything.

He can't

Not yet, at least

He ends up staying the night, nested on your floor next to your own little fort, facing the door even in his sleep

Ivo tolerates it, if barely

He brought the hedgehog here to study, not to befriend his baby

"What if he has.. space rabies?!"

Stone just rolls his eyes as he shuts your door most the way, alarm systems all in place for the night

"This is the first time they've had a friend over, Ivo. We'll know if something goes wrong - just let them have this."

"This" turned into "a live-in best friend" rather quickly, to both parents' surprise (and your absolute delight)

Eventually, he caves.

He starts answering questions truthfully, the pain still rather fresh in his mind

He tells you about Maria, about GUN, about his purpose and pain

And you're there to comfort him

He's not graphic, and you don't push, and he appreciates it more than he'll voice, even to you

He figures that as long as you're willing to be there and listen, he'll be there to keep you safe company

Both dads are.. annoyed

Ivo thinks this new hedgehog is overbearing - always at your shoulder, keeping you company when he's supposed to be, never seeming to let you out of his sight

Stone thinks he's up to something, the way he lingers between streets when you're out, watching from the shadows (ha)

In reality, he's just trying to keep you safe

Your dads seem to figure that out when one of Ivo's ridiculous predictions comes true - you wander just a bit too far from Baba to look at some UV lights for your plants on Crabmeat, and someone grabs your arm as they walk past, jostling you enough that you yelp

Shadow is there in half a second, sending the aggressor to the floor before tugging on your hand, coaxing you down so he can look at the bruise forming on your bicep

Baba Aban is there a second later, lowering himself and helping Shadow turn your arm before helping you back up

"We should leave."

The three of you are silent until halfway back to the base, when Baba tilts the rearview to look at Shadow while he's druving

"Shadow.."

"What?"

He always glares when he talks to anyone besides you. Typically toward the floor or their chests, but right now he's looking your Baba in the eyes through the mirror, watching your father's gaze soften

*Thank you."

And thank YOU anonymous requester for all of this!

The requests for Sonic Movieverse, and this particular headcanon set, are wide open! Please send me reqs! I'm fixating like a mofo right now!!

[guardian-of-da-gay]

Family Ties

Read it on Ao3

Tails slid the rental skates off his feet.  They were just a bit too small.  He’d have to ask Mom to get another pair.  That was probably okay, though.  She had said to let her know if the size was wrong.  It wouldn’t annoy her if it wasn’t.  Probably.

He looked up and watched as she handed Knuckles his own pair of skates.  Tails noticed right away that the skates had laces.  Knuckles looked at them and Tails could practically hear him thinking ‘what am I supposed to do with these?’  He looked between her and the skates and back, but she was sitting down and pulling on her own.

Knuckles looked out at the rest of the skaters and Tails did too. There were only a few other families (who were obviously trying not to stare at them), but as far as Tails could see, everyone else's skates had laces.  But there must’ve been non-lace shoes, right?  Mom had just accidentally gotten the wrong kind for Knuckles too.

Tails watched closely.  If Knuckles pointed out the mistake, he could probably tack on that he needed different skates as well.  He felt more comfortable with that.  Knuckles opened his mouth to say something when–

“Sonic, wait!  You have to switch your shoes first!”  Mom got up and hobbled off wearing only one skate.

“I wanna see if I can run in place on the ice!”

“I think you’re just as likely to run right into the side of the rink.” Dad steered Sonic away from the ice.

“Aw, come on.  Just one lap?  I’ll go so fast they won’t even see me–”

It looked like this was going to wind up being a debate, Tails thought.

Knuckles watched them, fiddling with one of his backpack straps.  That had been a debate too.  Mom was worried if he carried the Master Emerald out on the ice he’d fall and hurt himself landing on it.  Knuckles refused to leave it behind or even far out of sight.  In the end, she’d allowed him to carry it in a backpack in exchange for him giving in to their other debate: whether or not he should wear a coat.  (Tails didn’t mind having to wear his own jacket and scarf though, it was chilly here and he didn’t have his winter fur yet.)

Knuckles glanced his way.  He watched as Knuckles’ eyes slid down to the skates in Tails’ hand.  At least they were in this together.  Maybe they could solve the problem together too.

Tails hopped down from the chair, sliding his shoes back on.  “Um… I’m going to get some different skates,” he said before he could overthink it.  “Do you want me to ask for snap shoes for you?”

Knuckles scowled and stood.  “I can ask myself,” he grumbled.

But Knuckles let Tails lead the way from the stands back up to the rental counter.  Which was weird.  Usually it was Tails following as Knuckles loudly declared to the cashier: ‘My brother requested NO pickles!’  Instead, Knuckles kept looking around, which made Tails feel like he had to look around too.  One thing he noticed: no one was wearing snap skates.

Tails hated talking to cashiers or… any customer service kind of person.  It made him anxious.  But since Knuckles was being weirdly quiet, it was up to him to do the talking.

“E-excuse me,” he asked, standing on his tip-toes to see over the counter edge.  “Can we swap lace skates for some snap skates?  And switch sizes?”  He set his skates on the counter.  He hoped that was okay.

Humans always either acted like Tails was some weirdo freak… or that he was really cute.  The guy behind the counter smiled real wide and Tails knew that here it was the latter.

The clerk leaned over the edge of the counter so Tails could step back and didn’t have to stand on his toes.  “Hey, little guy!”  He said in a candy-sweet voice.  “You said you want ‘snap skates’?  What’re those?”

“Oh, um… you know… like snap shoes?”

The clerk looked confused.

“Um… button shoes?  They’ve got little magnets in them?”

Now he looked even more confused.  Tails hadn’t expected this.  He glanced back at Knuckles.

“I think they do not have any,” Knuckles said.  “It is alright.”

Tails wrung his hands, his tails twisting around each other.  That wasn’t right… Knuckles never gave up when Tails said he’d just wipe off the pickle juice.  Tails couldn’t give up now!  He turned back to the clerk.  “Aren’t there any skates without laces?”

“Oh, like velcro?  Sure, little guy.  What size do you need?”

Both of them perked up at that.  Tails looked excitedly back at Knuckles.  His big brother stepped forward, holding up his laced skates.  “I require an adult human male’s ‘size twelve’.”

“Oh.”  The clerk leaned back and looked at Knuckles in surprise.  He wasn’t giving him the ‘I think you’re a freak’ look, but he definitely didn’t think Knuckles was cute either.  “Uh… sorry, man, we only have velcro skates in kid sizes.”

Knuckles’ shoulders slumped along with Tails’.  “Um… you don’t have any other kinds of no-lace shoes?”  Tails asked.

Knuckles had already turned and walked away before the clerk could finish apologizing again.  Tails wavered between following and staying to mind his manners and thank the man before he remembered he needed to switch his own skates.  As soon as he had the new size he hurried back to the stands, feeling extra aware of all the strangers glancing his way.

Knuckles was sitting with the family again, his skates on the floor beside him.  He watched Mom watch Sonic tie his skates.  “Remember to get them good and tight,” she said.  “It’ll hurt your ankles if they’re loose.  And tuck the extra string into the lower straps–yeah, like that–that way you won’t accidentally trip on them!”

“Yeah, yeah, I got it Mom.”

Dad looked up from tying his own laces and saw Tails standing there holding his skates.  “You need help, bud?”

“Oh!  No, I’m okay.”  Tails hopped up to sit next to Knuckles and pulled off his shoes.

He thought Knuckles would ask for help.  Or… more likely Mom or Dad would offer.  But Knuckles didn’t say anything and–

“Last one on the ice is a rotten egg–and it’s even a fair fight ‘cause I cannot run in these things!”  Sonic yelled.

“Hang on, let me put my purse in our locker.”

“Should we put our shoes in there?”  Dad asked.

“Oh yeah!”  Sonic said.  “I was just hearing on the news about this ‘Stinky Shoe Bandit’!  Better be careful, Dad!”

“I doubt anyone is going to steal anybody’s shoes.  And even if they do, we can always buy new shoes!  But my wallet is definitely getting put away.”  Mom hobbled off toward the lockers and Dad hurried to follow Sonic.

Nobody remembered to check on Knuckles.

Tails stared down at his socked feet and the skates with their long, skinny laces.  He realized with mounting dread that he might need to offer Knuckles help.  Knuckles!  He was good at pretty much everything… except anything to do with technology.  But other than that, he could do anything!  Except… he couldn’t tie laces. 

But some species just weren’t built for stuff like that!  Their fingers were too short or their claws too long or they had webbed fingers or… whatever!  The point was it happened plenty on other planets and there were usually other options available.  Apparently not here though.  Here, it looked like it wasn’t something people really thought about.  Maybe that was why Knuckles was being so quiet… across the galaxy, people would look at his mitts and his snap shoes and know.

Here Knuckles had to admit he needed help.  And he never needed help.  He was the one who gave help.  That’s probably why Mom and Dad hadn’t thought to offer… and why he wasn’t asking now.  And why he’d probably just get annoyed with Tails if he tried to help.

His conflicted thoughts must have shown on his face.  “What is wrong?”  Knuckles asked.

Tails looked up in surprise.  “Uh…”  A perfect lie suddenly hit him.  “I need help!”

Knuckles perked up.  Always ready to assist.

That thought had Tails plucking up his courage.  “Tying these skates is kind of tricky…” he said.  “Could I practice with you first?”

“Oh.”  Knuckles frowned slightly.  Tails could see the gears turning in his head.  Was tying skate laces really that much different from shoelaces?  After a second, Knuckles shrugged.  He didn’t know enough about tying laces to call Tails’ bluff.  “You may practice on me,” he said.

Tails hopped down from his seat, breathing a subtle sigh of relief.  Knuckles snapped the magnetic tops off his shoes and pushed them aside with his foot.  Then pulled on his skates.  Once they were on his feet, he stopped and looked up at Tails.

“L-leave it to me!”  Tails replied, standing up straight and proud before he knelt down and got to work cinching the laces.

He pulled the strings tight around Knuckles’ ankles just like Mom had said.  “How’s that feel?” He asked.  “Too tight?  Too loose?”

Knuckles rolled his ankle a little.  “It is sufficient,” he said.

Tails got back to it.  It was a little weird tying shoelaces from this side of the shoe.  Plus Knuckles was watching him like a hawk the whole time.  Tails had to restart once, which probably helped sell his lie that he needed practice.  He managed to get the first skate tied before there was a loud thump! on the dasher boards across from their seats.

“Wait, Knuckles, is Tails tying your shoelaces for you?”  Sonic cried as his face popped over the top of the boards.  “Oh my god… can you not tie your shoes?!”

Knuckles’ quills bristled.  “Of course, I can!”  He said too quickly and too loud.  He was such a bad liar.

“Wait, what?”  Dad asked as he came up behind Sonic.

“It is nothing,” Knuckles said at the same time as Sonic announced:

“Knuckles can’t tie his shoes!”

“He can’t?”  Oh dear, Mom was back too.

Knuckles crossed his arms with a huff.

“You can speak like a billion languages but you can’t tie your shoelaces?”

Knuckles gave Sonic a dirty look, but before he could say anything, Tails piped up:  “That’s not nice, Sonic!”

He immediately wilted as his whole family looked at him in surprise.  Oh gosh… he’d scolded Sonic!  He’d just been so surprised that Sonic would tease Knuckles about something he couldn’t change… But of course now he thought about it, Sonic grew up around humans.  He probably thought it was a ‘knowing’ issue and not a mechanical one.

Ears folded against his head he dedicated his full attention to tying Knuckles’ laces as quickly as possible.  If he’d looked up he would’ve seen the very pointed look Mom was giving Sonic.

“Uh… okay, point taken.  Um.  Sorry, Knux?”

Knuckles just let out a grunt.  He was done with this conversation.  But Mom wasn’t just yet:

“I’m sorry too, honey.  I should’ve checked if you needed any help.”

“I don’t need help,” Knuckles said.  “Tails was only practicing his lace-tying skills on me.”

“So… Do you know how to tie laces?”  Sonic asked.

“Do you know how to shut up?”

“Okay, neither of you two talk to each other until Tails has his skates on,” Mom declared.

Oh gosh… Tails wasn’t sure if that put pressure on him to go fast or slow.  He tied them quickly, just in case.

“Fine!”  Sonic huffed and disappeared over the boards once more.

“Fine,” Knuckles grumbled.  He stood from the chair.  And nearly fell over.

“Oh, careful!”  Mom sounded like she was trying not to laugh as she grabbed his arm and helped him stand upright.

“These are hard to walk in!”

“Yeah, they’re not really built for walking in, but they’re perfect once you’re on the ice!”  Mom knelt and checked the lacing on Knuckles’ shoes.

“Good job, bud,” she said to Tails.  She checked Tails’ laces too.  With her back to Knuckles she met Tails’ eye and whispered.  “Thanks for looking out for your brother.”

Tails flushed under his fur.

“What was that?”  Knuckles demanded.

“I said maybe when we get home, we can all practice tying laces together?”

Knuckles frowned.  “No, thank you,” he said.  He didn’t elaborate further, just crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Tails expectantly.

Tails’ eyes flicked between Knuckles and Mom and back.

He didn’t say that Knuckles should explain a bit more to Mom, but he definitely thought it.  Knuckles must have picked up on it; his expression shifted into a scowl.  When he turned back to Mom his mouth was twisted into a grimace.  He held up a mitt.  “These are not really built for tying shoelaces… But they are perfect for punching!  Also digging!  And swimming and climbing too!”  He bumped his fist over his puffed up chest.

“Okay…”  Mom said.  She looked down at Knuckles’ gloves and then her eyes slid to his discarded shoes.

Knuckles must have felt like he’d sufficiently proven echidna capability, because he wibble-wobble-walked off to the gap in the boards with his head held high.

Tails glanced back at Mom and saw her picking up Knuckles’ snap shoes curiously.

“Um… Are you coming, too?”

“Oh, yes. You go on ahead.  I’ll be right there.”

There was a bit of a clog at the rink entrance.  Sonic was taking a little bit of extra time figuring out skating.  He clung to the railing while Dad ran through the basics. Knuckles stood at the threshold, listening in.  Tails came beside him and realized that he couldn’t reach the railing.  Uh-oh.  Well, that was alright.  He could learn without the figurative training wheels.

Knuckles let out an annoyed hum and Tails instinctively cringed.  Was Knuckles annoyed that they’d been caught by Sonic?  That he had to explain himself to Mom?

“You are too short,” Knuckles said.  He grabbed the edge of the baseboard with one mitt and held out the other.  “Hold on to me.”

“Oh… thanks Knuckles.”  Tails took the offered mitt.  Knuckles’ mitt was practically as big as Tail’s whole torso so his hand looked extra teeny tiny in his older brother’s giant fist.  With Knuckles leading the way, they took their first unsteady steps out onto the ice.  It was nice that Knuckles had offered to help.  Made him feel… the opposite of how being scared of annoying him felt.

“Oh, Tails!”  Tom called from where he was trying to get Sonic to stand right.  “Do you want a bucket?”

“What?”  Tails looked up to see another little kid scooting around the middle of the rink, using a stack of upside-down buckets to keep his balance.  The kid was staring at them of course, but a sharp look from Knuckles made him stop.

Tails appreciated the ingenuity of the bucket but… he looked up at Knuckles who looked equally unimpressed with the technique.  “Um… I’m okay,” he said.

“You sure?”  Tom asked.  “The bucket won’t fall down and take you with it.”

“I will not fall!”  Knuckles said, outraged.

He fell immediately.  Then Sonic laughed so hard that he fell too.  Tails avoided the pile-up only because Knuckles let go of him.

“Alright, we will try this again!”  Knuckles said, determined.  “Hold my tail and I can use my arms for balance.”  He turned and pointed his funny crooked tail in Tail’s direction.

“Uh… won’t that hurt if I fall and pull on it?”

“Of course not!” Knuckles boasted.  “The bend is for little ones learning to walk to hold onto!”

“Really?”  Tom and Sonic asked as one.  Sonic’s skepticism was undercut by the way he was slowly and unintentionally doing the splits against the boards.  Tom rushed to rescue him.

“That is what my father said…” Knuckles trailed off like it’d only just occurred to him that might’ve been just a little kid story.  “Regardless, my tail is very sturdy.  Much stronger than yours.  You can pull all you need.”

The little tip wiggled like it was waving to Tails to go on ahead and grab it.  Tails hesitantly took hold.  It felt like a rock covered in bristles… just like all the rest of his brother’s ‘one million percent muscle’ body.

“Okay, I think I’m ready to try again!”  Sonic said.  He pushed forward, moving along with half his usual grace.  Tom kept close to his side, glancing back at Knuckles and Tails and looking around for Mom.

Knuckles took a few experimental steps forward, dragging Tails after him.  

Tails wobbled and bobbed, his tails whipping this way and that as he tried to keep his balance.  Knuckles glanced back at him over his shoulder and he feared for a moment that he was tugging too much.  “You know, you do fly with your tails.  They must be quite strong!  Have you ever tried lifting weights with them?”

“Oh, um…”  Tails' knees shook as he tried to keep his balance.  “I’ve lifted you while flying, does that count?”

And then Knuckles actually smiled!  Tails was so surprised–he could count on one hand the number of times he’d made Knuckles smile.  Distracted, he stumbled and wobbled, trying to keep his balance while his feet kept moving without him.  Even when he thought for sure he would fall, Knuckles’ tail was completely firm and still.

“Lean forward more,” Knuckles said.  “And bend your knees a bit.”

“What he said,” Dad added.  “It helps if you lower your center of gravity.”

Tails thought his center of gravity was easily the lowest in the whole rink, but he did what they said.  It did help.

Knuckles focused his attention on the ice below them, taking smooth, short steps.  Tails watched his feet and tried to move the same way.  Knuckles’ movements became more confident, but Tails was still unsteady.  He looked up at his big brother’s broad back and watched how his dreads swayed from side to side over the back of his backpack,  purposefully shifting his weight with each step.  Tails mimicked his movements, stepping in time with Knuckles.  Immediately his movements felt smoother.  He was getting the hang of it!

Mom skated up beside them.  Like Dad, she didn’t need to hold the wall at all.

Dad looked over expectantly.

“I put Knuckles’ shoes in our locker.”

“Because of the Stinky Shoe Bandit?”  Sonic asked as he did a funny T-pose shuffle across the ice.

“Because I realized his shoes would be harder to replace if someone decided they wanted to steal shoes–”

“Because they’re so stink–”

“Because they’re special shoes from outer space.”

Knuckles puffed up at that.  “My shoes have received a place of high honor!”

Sonic rolled his eyes so hard he lost his balance and had to cling to the wall.  “That’s literally nothing to brag about,” he said.

Knuckles huffed.  “Well then, how about this?”  He let go of the wall and pushed away, skating around Dad and Sonic and pulling Tails after him.

“Woah!”  Tails cried out in surprise and delight.  He hung on tight, keeping his posture like Dad and Knuckles suggested.  Knuckles was going fast enough to blow his bangs back and Tails tummy flipped whenever his balance shifted too quickly.  But it was fun!  Like flying, but even easier!

When he realized Knuckles wasn’t going to return to grabbing the wall, Tails focused on copying his movements.  It was just like dancing with Sonic–all he had to do was follow his brother's lead!  Halfway around the rink, he had it down.

“What the heck, you hadn’t even heard of ice skating this morning!” Sonic said as the two of them passed him a second time.

“I am a fast learner,”  Knuckles gloated without stopping.

“Tell that to our last two microwaves!”

“I cannot hear you because of how much faster than you I am going!”

The third time they passed Sonic, Tails felt confident enough to slowly let go of Knuckles’ tail.  His older brother looked over his shoulder, slowing as Tails came up beside him.  He wobbled a little, but stayed upright.

“You are a quick learner too!”  Knuckles praised.

Tails flushed under his fur.  “Heh, I um… I had a good teacher.”

There was a loud thumping and scuffing sound and they both looked over and watched as Sonic hurried across the center of the rink, pushing an overturned bucket in front of him.  Halfway through he jumped up and sat on top, letting his momentum carry him.

Knuckles and Tails stopped as Sonic drifted to a halt in front of them.  “I have decided,” he said magnanimously.  “Since you two are both so slow off the ice: I will be a gentleman and let you take the W here.”

Knuckles shot Tails a cocky grin.  “Perhaps I should teach Sonic now too.”

Sonic leaned back on his bucket with a frown.  “How come I can’t tease you about the shoelaces, but you can tease me about ice skating?”

Tails suppressed a wince.  Knuckles probably wouldn’t like the reminder.  But Knuckles must have been having too good a time, because he actually answered: “Because my fingers cannot bend that way, but your feet work just fine.”

“Touche.”

“Also I was not teasing that time.  I thought it might be more helpful to receive training from someone more similarly proportioned to you than Tom.”

“‘Similarly proportioned’,” Sonic repeated.  He looked Knuckles up and down then looked at Tails.  “Okay, maybe between the two of you.”

“Tails can help too!”

“I can?”  Tails didn’t think he was that good yet.

“Yes, you are very good at being a helpful brother!”  Knuckles smiled at him and there was a knowing gleam in his eye.  Maybe Tails’ lie earlier hadn’t been that good after all.  But Knuckles didn’t seem mad at all, he actually seemed appreciative!

“Alright, I’ll allow the both of you to help me.  But first!” Sonic tipped his head to the side and Tails followed his gaze to see Mom and Dad skating along the wall, holding hands while Mom showed something to Dad on her phone.

Sonic shifted on the bucket so he was seated squarely and held out both hands.  “You two can pull me!”

“And that will help you learn?”  Knuckles asked.

“Nope, but if you pull me super fast and let go I’ll go flying and it’ll be awesome!  But we aren’t supposed to do it so that means we can only do it once.”

***

“One more picture!  Sonic demanded as they stepped off the ice.

Tails fumbled after him.  It felt weird walking after skating so long!

“One sec!”  Dad said, pulling his skates off.

Mom had already taken lots of pictures (some very sneakily while the three of them had been goofing off on the ice), but she and Dad seemed to be game for any photo opportunity where Sonic would voluntarily stay still.

Sonic was busying himself taking a bunch of silly selfies with the bucket when Tails noticed Knuckles sitting on the bench behind Dad.  The corners of his mouth slipped down as he looked down at his skates.  He probably couldn’t untie his shoes either.

Mom appeared, kneeling by Knuckles’ feet with a smile.

“Let me help you get those off,” she said.

Knuckles’ expression crumpled into a pout and for a second it looked like he was going to insist on doing it himself.  Mom handed him his snap shoes.  “Also here’s these back from the honored locker.”

“Ah!  My shoes return, victorious!”

“What did they win?”  Mom grabbed one of his skates.

“Most important shoes!”

She laughed, undoing the knot and uncinching the strings in quick, smooth motions.  “Dad and I were thinking about getting some hot cocoa, what do you think?”

“I think that I like cocoa.  And it will help to warm you up.”

“Warm me up?”

“Both of you!  You fuss over us to wear these–” he pulled at his jacket “--over our fur when you have no fur of your own!  I worry, you know.”

Mom beamed.  “Thank you,” she said.  “That’s sweet of you to worry.”  She patted his ankles.  “And you’re right, I could use some warming up!  Get your shoes changed and we’ll go get in line!”

Knuckles looked down to see Mom already had his skates undone.  He looked like he’d hardly realized when she’d done it.  Honestly Tails was impressed, but Mom liked to tell stories about vets needing fast hands so he shouldn’t be surprised.

“Hey Tails!”  Sonic appeared in front of him, pushing the bucket into his hands.  In a second he was behind him, hands under Tails’ arms, and zooming the both of them over to Knuckles.

“One last picture!” Sonic ordered.  “Us and Bucket Buddy!”

“I agree, we should commemorate Sonic’s noble steed.” Knuckles patted the top of the bucket.  “Thank you for throwing Sonic into the wall.”

“I’m pretty sure that was you.  Using your strength when I said not to–”

“I did not!  It must have been Tails.”

“What?!”

“Alright, I’m ready,” Dad said as he pulled out his phone.

Sonic leaned in on one side as Knuckles leaned into the other.  The air was quite cool but Tails felt very cozy with his brothers on either side.

“Smile!”  Dad said.

And Tails did.

[redpenship]

why is everyone advocating for wade to die in the knuckles show? who else is going to convince shadow that humanity is worth saving so he helps sonic stop the ark

[possum-socks]

my live reaction to the new trailer. warning for spoilers!!

CHAO SUIT DANCE

knuckles you will always be my favorite of the movieverse

I ATILL DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW GERALD IS HERE. HOW ARE THEY GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS. is he gonna be really young on the ark in this version? is he a time traveler???

fisheye lens tails is going to haunt my nightmares

where tf did eggman come from? was he in the sewers??

the moon is getting pissed on.

shadow and maria 🥺 donMt do this to meee..

holy shit that hedgehog is strapped

sonic wants highlights <3

[losttimpactt]

thinkin bout sonic realizing his previous tactics won’t work and ptsd is a bitch that manifests a thousand different ways and him having to deal with that and nnnnnnnnnggg is it 2024 yet

transcript under the cut if you can’t read my handwriting

🔴 KO-FI

⚫ COMMISSION INFO

Sonic: Look, I know what happened. And, I get it okay? We've both lost someone who meant the whole world to us. I know it feels like the end of everything, but! It's not! You can find a new family. Start a new life!

Shadow: No, you don't get it. I don't want a new family...I had one. And I want her BACK!

[alfairy]

Absolutely insane family tree ngl

[shrineofshadow]

"waaah everyone's being too negative about the live action sonic" you must be new here. I won't rest until the movieverse is more hated than Shadow the Hedgehog 2005 was when it first came out

[lore-of-mobius]

Crabmeats Exist In The Sonic Movie Universe Part 2

So in a previous post I mentioned that Crabmeat Badniks are canon to the Sonic movies because they show up in a tie-in comic. Well recently in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Movie Trailer we get to see one is in the movie.

[catgirlweed]

pov: you're a colourful bunch

[flandesuka]

a week or two ago i got particularly heated over the boring human cop characters from the sonic movies (and the "scu" that they're trying to turn em into ugh) and drew this up in the moment to get my frustrations out. this is probably the most politically-charged thing i'm ever gonna draw so don't worry if this ain't your thing 🙏 anyways boycott paramount lol

(shout-out to @rabbotred as i referenced some parts of her au sonic in my new sonic design, ya'll should absolutely check out her work i absolutely adore her style 🫶)

[zero-is-nebulous]

I want Dark supersonic in sonic 3 movie very badly pls give me this paramount 😫🙏

[writingtraumaforever]

Courtship Masterpost!

Main Story:

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Sequels:

Home Alone

AO3 Link

[vani11adeath]

So while everyone was freaking out over the whole "knuckles is the iblis trigger" thing, I was actually flashbanged with this information long before I could even watch the show because they decided to give the new series knuckles skin *this* move in sonic forces speed battle.

This event started before the show even premiered, I read that and was just like

PARDON??????

[hedgehogfangirl317]

Listen, I just want Amy to be in the movies, and I want there to be a scene when she meets Knuckles that she goes in for a handshake before Sonic and Tails can warn her, but her hand doesn't get crushed, and even Knuckles is surprised. And then it becomes a running gag that every time they shake hands, it turns into an impromtu arm whrestling match.

Is that too much to ask?

[guardian-of-da-gay]

Throw It All Away

Read it on Ao3

Description:

It’s Tails who finds it. An old owl legend that says the Master Emerald has the power to alter its guardians. Granting them unnatural long life, slowly mutating their bodies and altering their minds. Is it really true? Tom, Maddie, and Sonic all try to brush it off, but multiple sources confirm the Master Emerald’s power to corrupt. They talk among themselves and decide an intervention may be in order.

They bring their concerns to Knuckles and find that not only did he already know of all this, but he’s wholly unconcerned. Just because the Master can change his body and mortality doesn’t mean it’s corrupting him. Do not be so quick to fear what you don’t understand!

That’s when Sonic ‘if I throw the bomb out the window, that’s problem solved’ Wachowski makes a snap decision that will change their family forever.

tw angst, miscommunication, panic attacks, hurt no comfort, betrayal, bad decision making skills all around

The Master Emerald hit the water and sank immediately.  Knuckles watched as the last thing left to him of his family, his tribe, his entire species vanished into the depths of the ocean.  The warp ring closed and his world narrowed with it.  The Wachowskis and the back deck faded out.  Knuckles could see nothing but that little ring of ocean growing smaller and smaller before it vanished all together.

Reforming the Emerald all those months ago had kindled a small nest of warm energy inside of him.  When the ring vanished he felt that energy gutter.  It wasn’t a physical pain, but his mind knew of no other way to process it.  He squeezed his eyes shut tight, trying to ride it out.  He had withstood horrible pain in his life and shown no weakness, but he had no barriers against this agony.

He felt as he did after a nightmare.  Ears ringing, breathing fast and wrong.  Usually he would rise from his bed and sit before the Master and allow the soft flutter of its power to soothe him.  But it was gone.  Only a faint echo remained, a distant voice he couldn’t hear.  He couldn’t stop shaking.  Why couldn’t he breathe?  Why wouldn’t the pain fade?

There were many voices around him, but he struggled to pick them apart.

“I thought we agreed…”

“Knuckles?”

“... better to ask forgiveness than permission!”

“This wasn’t the plan!”

The plan?

“Uh, pretty sure we talked at length …”

“Knuckles!”

“...the best idea!”

“I mean, at least this way…”

“Honey, can you hear…”

“...it’s too late now!”

“Tom!”

“... really freaking out…”

“Sonic!”

“...deep breaths.  Like when we do yoga?”

What was ‘the plan’?

“Knux?  … You okay?”

Knuckles’ focus was slow to return.  He became aware of his family around him.  They’d been talking about something.  Before.  Called him out to his favorite spot on the back deck to sit and talk about…  The Emerald.  And Him.  He hadn’t liked what they’d said.  They’d argued.  And then Sonic…

He turned to Sonic beside him, feeling as though he were half-asleep.  His brother watched him with soft concern.  It took a moment for Knuckles to remember how to speak:

“You are playing a joke on me?”  His voice sounded strange.

Sonic’s ears flattened, answering before his mouth could.  “No, Knuckles.  I uh… I really threw it away.”

The plan.

Knuckles gasped like he was coming up from drowning.  Everything snapped into stark clarity.

“You!”  He snarled, backing away.  “You liar!”   He raised his fists, ready for the turn.  The confrontation.

The soft concern shifted to something more alarmed.  “What–”

“This was all a trick to steal the Emerald!”

“Sweetie–” Healer Maddie’s hand touched his shoulder and he darted away, leaping off the deck stairs and whirling to snarl up at them.

“I should have known Longclaw’s apprentice would never leave the Emerald in the hands of an echidna !”  He yelled.  “You have been scheming this from the beginning!”

He was met with a chorus of predictable denials:

“Woah, hey!  That’s not what happened–”

“Sweetie, no .  We were just worried–”

“We would never do that to you–”

But it made perfect sense.  All the Wachowkis’ attempts to get him to ‘open up’?  They were searching for weaknesses.  Their urging to do things other than guarding the Master Emerald?  Distractions.  Trying to get him to relax, to indulge in games and desserts and ‘coziness’?  They’d just wanted him soft and weak!

“Don’t lie to me!  I know your game!”  He roared.  “You did all this–made up this lie that we were a family! – all so that one day you could take the Emerald from me and I would allow it!”

At least Robotnik had confessed his treachery as soon as he could.  Not like these traitors who professed to love him even as they stabbed him in the back.  And then they acted like they expected him to fall into their arms for comfort over the harm they caused!   If their shocked reactions were anything to go by, they certainly expected his forgiveness.

“Bro,” Sonic moved with speed to stand before him. “You are coming to all the wrong conclusions.”  He seemed more frustrated than upset by Knuckles’ accusation.  Further proof their brotherhood was a sham.  

“Sonic, dial it back,” Maddie said, hurrying down the steps.  Tom trailed after her.  “We knew he wasn’t going to like this!  Cut him some slack.”  She turned to Knuckles like she hadn’t just confirmed they’d been conspiring against him.  “Knuckles, honey, I know this is hard.  You deserve to be upset, but I promise you we haven’t been lying.  We love you.”

“If you loved me, you would not have done this!”  His anger was undermined by a crack in his voice.

She paused, having the gall to look at him with pity.  “Oh, honey, I’m so–”

“NO!”  He snapped.  “I am not your ‘honey’ and I am not your ‘bro’!  You are not understanding: I have found you out!  You can’t pretend this is some family squabble.  This is an act of war!”

That finally gave them pause.  Tails cowered by the deck chairs, looking quickly between all of them.  Tom and Maddie exchanged concerned glances.  The silence was of course broken by Sonic: “Okay, you’re being really dramatic right now!  I think we just need to simmer down–”

White hot rage filled him.  He advanced on the hedgehog, but Tom stepped between them.

The rage fled him immediately, replaced by a cold focus.  The human reached out toward him–to continue the charade of the caring paternal figure or to drop it and attack.  Knuckles didn’t know.  He didn’t wait to find out.

Humans were so pathetically fragile.  The slightest shove with an open palm sent Tom flying.  Not lethal, but he wouldn’t get up again soon.

One threat neutralized.

Sonic was the far greater concern.  Sturdier than the humans and infinitely faster.

Maddie hadn’t even finished her sharp gasp before Knuckles’ next attack.  He struck the ground hard .  Earth exploded around them.  The back windows shattered.  This was a strategic move: disrupt the terrain, blast everyone away from him and off their feet, throw up a blinding dust cloud.  Instill chaos.

One thing Knuckles had learned with the Wachowskis: In the years Sonic and Tails had lived alone, they had still lived ‘civilized’ lives as best they could.  They relied on fragile gadgets and useless trinkets, never honing their natural abilities.  Knuckles could hear their breath.  Feel the vibrations of their footsteps.  Smell their fear.

With Sonic’s speed hampered, Knuckles set his eyes on the next threat: Tails.  The fox was carrying several devices.  Knuckles could sense their electricity.  He wouldn’t kill a child, but he couldn’t let the fox get in his way.  Luckily he had one warp ring on him.

He attacked from behind.  Grabbed the fox by his tails.  Thought of that cold mountain where they’d found the compass all those months ago.  He threw the ring and flung the fox through the opening gate.  The kit’s scream was cut off as he crashed into a snow drift.

Another threat neutralized.

“Tails!”  Sonic yelled.  Giving his position away like a fool.

“Tails!”  Maddie coughed.  “Where are you?  Sonic?”

“Hang on,” Sonic cried back.  “I’m gonna clear this dust–”

Knuckles swung.

Sonic dodged.  “Woah!”

He swung again.

The hedgehog ducked.  “Knuckles!  Cut it out!  Seriously–”  He leapt back and avoided a kick to the face.  “You are not doing a good job convincing me you don’t have some Gollum-y dependence on the freakin’ Emerald of Power!”

Pointless jokes!  His brother ( not his brother!) had never had any respect for him!  Knuckles snarled as he leapt forward, again and again, swiping each time and each time missing.

“There’s gotta be something wrong with you–attacking Dad like that?  Me?  I get!  But he’s never been anything but nice to you!”

His blows slowed as the words sunk in.  Tom had always been good to him.  And he had no allegiance to Longclaw, no stakes in the war over the Emerald.  Neither had Tails.  Why had they taken Sonic’s side?  Why was no one ever on Knuckles’ side?

Sonic’s evasion slowed along with Knuckles’ blows, but his mouth kept going.  “You’re attacking your family over some stupid rock.  Don’t you see how messed up that is?”

That stopped Knuckles dead.  Sonic’s ears twitched forward in interest.  But his words certainly weren’t hitting the way he’d hoped.

Stupid rock.  Stupid rock?!  So many of Knuckles’ people had died, for centuries, for that ‘stupid rock’.  Knuckles had devoted his childhood to finding–and sworn his whole life to guarding–the Master Emerald.  He had suffered grief and violence and slavery and treachery for one purpose and Sonic took it.  Threw it away.  Called it stupid .

Sonic, who had brought him into his home.  Given him a family, a warm place to sleep and food to eat–a world of kind words and soft touches and urging to relax, to let his walls down, to share the bad memories and painful broken pieces in his heart.  

It was messed up that he had made up that colossal lie just to trick him.  To continue the work Longclaw gave her life for.  Knuckles should have known better.  But now he was going to continue the work his tribe had given their lives for.

Sonic was so confident his manipulations were successful, for once he didn’t react fast enough.  The crack of Knuckles’ fist against the hedgehogs’ jaw was satisfying.  The blow was strong enough to take Sonic off his feet, his body nearly horizontal.  Knuckles snatched his ankle before he could go flying away.  He swung him around and smashed him into the earth.  Then whipped him back the other way, over his head.

A cell phone cracked on the ground as coins and random bits of candy fell from the hedgehog’s spines.  A few high metallic pings told him he’d shaken loose Sonic’s stash of spare rings.  He bashed the hedgehog into the ground once more.  Lifted him up, let go.  Punched hard.

Sonic yelped as he was sent flying.  Knuckles launched himself after.

Sonic crashed into a tree.

Knuckles’ hand crashed into his throat.

This was familiar.  But Tails wasn’t here.  There was no one to stop him this time.

Knuckles squeezed.  Not his full strength.  He never used that against living things.  But the constant thought of how much strength to use rose within him and gave him pause.  Was this it?  Was he going to kill Sonic?  He was one of the greatest threats Knuckles had ever faced (and he had faced plenty).  But it wasn’t necessary, was it?  He would get the Master Emerald back and he didn’t need to kill Sonic to do it, did he?

“Knuckles!”  Maddie screamed.  Her voice was far too close.

He dropped the hedgehog and whirled, snarling.  His quills flared and he let the chaos energy enter his eyes so even in the lingering dust she could see them glowingand know he was not to be trifled with.  She stopped immediately.  Took a step back.  Empty hands up in front of her.  Her eyes were wide and fearful as they flit between him and where Sonic slumped, coughing and gasping for breath.  She looked as pained as if he’d attacked her instead.

A pathetic part of him shrank at the sight.  This was the only mother he’d ever known.  The one he’d grown closest to since he’d joined the Wachowski tribe.  He would have done anything to protect her, to please her, to make her proud.  He’d loved her.  He still loved her.

He tried to chase the feeling from his heart.  She’d lied to him.  They’d all lied to him.  Played on his naivety and the pathetic need for companionship that he couldn’t seem to choke out of himself.  All to steal what was most important to him–his reason for living for the past ten years.

“Oh Knuckles… Honey, this… this isn’t what you think I promise you– I promise you –” She stepped toward him, arms out, entreating.  “We love you.  That’s not a lie.”

He shook his head like he could shake the words out.  “Stay back!”  He took a step back himself.  Pitiful.

She paused, holding her empty hands higher as if to emphasize how unarmed she was.  She bent slightly, making herself smaller.  She didn’t need to, he knew she was no threat.

“Please, baby… let’s just… let’s just take a minute, okay?  Just a minute to calm down.  I know you’re hurting, I’m so sorry.  Please–”

“I will hurt you!”  He warned, but his voice came out wrong.

Maddie shook her head gently and looked at him with that same softness that had once made him feel so warm.  “I know you Knuckles,” she said.  “I trust you’re not going to hurt me.”

Knuckles drew in a ragged breath at her words.  “I trusted you not to hurt me.”

Maddie’s eyes watered as she drew in a shaky breath.  She blinked and her tears slipped free.

The sight made him want to take it all back.  To beg her forgiveness and fall into her arms and let her soothe him and ask her please, please let’s get the Emerald and she would agree and everything would go back to how it was.  Back to those peaceful, ignorant days meditating with her on the porch, overlooking his garden while Tails tinkered in the garage and Tom played with Ozzie and Sonic flitted around doing a little of everything.

But that could never be again.  It had never been real to begin with.  

Maddie wasn’t crying because she loved him and felt his pain.  She was crying because he loved her and knew her tears would chain him into compliance.  He could not let himself be caged by their lies any longer.

A gleam caught his eye.  Sonic’s warp rings.

He leapt away from the human, snatching three rings off the ground.  He threw one and a portal opened high in the air above a field of lava, towering cliffs in the distance.  A place he knew well.  Perfect for evading potential pursuers.

“Knuckles!”  Maddie screamed.  “No!”

“Knux–” Sonic croaked as he jerked to his feet.  He stumbled. “Don’t–!”

Knuckles leapt through without a second glance.

For a moment he was weightless, his strength carrying him far through the sweltering air.  Nothing could reach him here.  His jump gradually shifted to falling and he spread his body and spines, gliding easily.  Familiar thermals caught him and he was lifted high along the cliff face.  He saw a skeletal bush and collapsed his spines, catching himself on the cliffside with his spurs.  Only then did he look back.

The portal had closed.  His former family left behind.  He didn’t know how he felt about that.  And he didn’t care.  It was the Wachowskis who had tried to get him to draw out his emotions and examine them–a useless distraction.  Look where it had led him!  He’d lost the Emerald through his own stupidity.

Knuckles climbed.

After crawling along the cliff face a few moments he found a narrow crevice.  Even the greatest warrior in the galaxy needed a place to lick his wounds.  This was one of his boltholes.  It was smaller than he remembered, but he squeezed through.  There were no foreign scents to greet him, just his own faded smell.

He meant to start planning his next move.  Instead, as the calm focus of battle fled him, the strange breathing from before started again.  Why?  Was this something the Wachowskis had done?  Had they poisoned him?  Some sort of mind control that made him panic at the thought of losing them?  Knuckles gasped for air, thoughts racing, body shaking, ears ringing, eyes blurring–no.  No, that was because he was crying.

But why?  He’d faced all manner of horrors and pain that still left him waking from sleep in a cold sweat–but he'd come away without shedding a tear.  He didn’t cry!  He hadn’t cried since he lost his tribe…  This wasn’t the same as then though.  The Wachowski’s had never truly been his tribe.  They had only been pretending!  Why should he mourn?

His eyes weren’t listening though.  He choked as the shameful tears stained his fur.

Later… Later he would pick himself back up and resume his old mission.  The ocean was far too deep for him to swim.  He would need some sort of submarine to scour the bottom.  He would either need a machine of his own and then lessons in how to use it, or he’d have to hire someone else and use theirs.  And he would need more than the few rings he had now.  Regardless, he would need money.  So the first thing he would need to do was get some… Perhaps he would need to return to the arenas.  The thought made him sick, but so did the thought of never finding the Emerald again after his own weakness lost it.

Later he would bury that weak fool ‘Knuckles Wachowski’ and return to himself: Knuckles the Greatest Warrior in the Galaxy.  The Last of the Echidna.

Later he would swear not to waste another moment on the Wachowski tribe.  If he met them again… If they got in his way again.  Then he would remove them with extreme prejudice.

But that was for later.  For now, he allowed himself one last moment of weakness.  He was safe here.  Far away from anyone and impossible to reach.  There was no one to see him cover his face with his fists.  No one to hear him scream out his pain.  No one to care if he cried.