#sonic 3 is the shadows on the wall of the cave

[un-pearable]

watched SA2 immediately after . forgot how fuckin good it is

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

AFTER A MILLION YEARS OF WAITING THE SONIC 3 TRAILER IS FINALLY OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! 💥💥💥💥💥💥💥

AS EXPECTED IMMA GO ON A MASSIVE RANT

DID SONIC DRAW THIS ON HIS WALL??? We thought for a second that it was in his old cave but the next shot seems to imply that it's in his room 🥺🥺🥺 THAT'S SO BITTERSWEET!!! WE'RE GONNA GET MORE WHOLESOME FATHER/SON MOMENTS WITH SONIC AND TOM!!! 🥺🥹🥰 Speaking of—

Tom: "But you didn't change in here."

Sonic: (completely seriously) "Yeah, in my lungs."

Tom: "Or in your heart."

LOOK AT TOM'S REACTION HE LOVES HIS KID SO MUCH AAAAACCXHHHHHHHSJRJFNSKNE 😭💙💙💙💙💙💙

And look at this happy kid just running through the woods and doing twirly moves in the air 🥹💙

All the Wachowski family tidbits have me SCREAMING

ARE THEY RACING OR WHAT ARE THEY DOING THIS JUST LOOKS SO FUN AND SWEET THE BOYS AND THEIR PARENTS TOM AND MADDIE AND THEIR KIDS AKNRKFNSMWKNFKD 🥹🥹🥹💙💛❤️ PLUS TAILS IN HIS GIANT PILOT HELMET THING 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

PRETTY EYES PRETTY EYES

ALSO WHY WAS TOM WEARING A G.U.N. UNIFORM AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT WAS MAKING HIM FREAK OUT ABOUT SONIC AAAAKFJFNNSNDND I MEAN G.U.N. DID SEEM A LOT NICER IN THE KNUCKLES SHOW BUT STILL AKMDMFKDSKMDKXMAKAMD

This is just feeding into my theory that it was one of the previous generation Wachowskis that was involved with the ARK incident 😱😱😱

Anyway I can't upload any more screenshots in this post so imma make a separate post to rant about Shadow beCAUSE I'M DYING OVER HERE ‼️‼️‼️‼️

[walkintomymystery]

Fall Into Me

(Set after Sonic 3 - Alternate Ending)

Defeated, world-weary, and impossibly lost, Shadow allows himself to be taken back into G.U.N custody. While they decide his fate, he is housed in a secret facility hidden deep in the heart of one of the country's National Parks. Still reeling from the heartbreaks that have shaped his life, Shadow never expected to find the closest thing to a home he'd known in over fifty years.

Pairings: Shadow the Hedgehog x Original Female Character

Warnings for this chapter: a little about not eating/sleeping, a bit of action but no blood

//

Chapter Four

Shadow stared emptily at the wall opposite him. It had been another long night.

His self-inflicted confinement wasn’t so harsh really; he’d always been fairly adept at amusing himself. Without Maria by his side, the ARK had been a lonely place, and when she was too sick for him to visit, Shadow had to find ways to keep his mind busy.

The days were easy. He re-read his books, combed the room for cameras and bugs again and again, and tried to build a mental map of the base, for future reference. Shadow also found a chessboard tucked away in the bottom of his closet and had whiled away many hours beating himself in game after game.

He’d be alright, if it wasn’t for the nights. Time passed so slowly in that other world. In the deep violet twilight, Shadow could practically feel each second easing by.

The silence made his head hurt, and all he could do was stare and stare, and try in vain to keep his thoughts from wandering to places he’d safely locked away, never to be opened again.

Shadow still hadn’t slept. If anything, avoiding sleep had only gotten easier with each passing day, as if he’d finally pushed through and out the other side of his fatigue. Now insomnia clawed at him, and he wasn’t sure he’d be able to sleep if he wanted to. The thought of resting, of letting his guard down and surrendering to that exhaustion, filled him with more dread than ever before.

His empty stomach twisted and wrung itself in the pit of his belly, begging for food. It had been two days since he last ventured out, since he last ate anything, since he last saw Kit, and Shadow could feel his now mortal body growing weaker and weaker with every hour.

He’d considered sneaking out to the cafeteria, but every time he got close to caving, he was reminded that Kit was able to hear his every move, even from down the corridor. Sometimes, Shadow amused himself by muttering under his breath, cursing her and the people who kept him here, just in case she happened to be listening.

He didn’t want to give her or any soldiers the satisfaction of catching him sneaking out, so Shadow stayed locked up in his room, trying to formulate a plan.

All the information he’d gathered from the books Kit had left for him had been carefully stored away in his brain, filed and categorised for future reference. It would be hard to find someone on Earth who knew about Northern Montana than Shadow did, much to his dismay.

Consisting of just over a million acres, Glacier National Park was an enormous place to be lost in. There were mountains to traverse, over 130 lakes, thick brush, wild animals, tundras and prairies.

Even if he did manage to find the Going-to-the-Sun Road, the highway ran for fifty miles before it reached any kind of civilisation, and what then?

Without his powers, Shadow had no way off this planet. They’d catch up with him eventually, and he’d be right back where he started. But if he kept to the dense shrub, then it would take even longer to get away from The Hill.

Shadow sifted through the facts and figures he’d committed to his expansive memory. According to one of the books he’d devoured, 75% of the park still remained untouched, useful for keeping hidden, but he would have trouble finding his way.

Shadow sighed and lay down on the bed to stare up at the ceiling instead.

There was a way out of every trap. He’d learnt that the hard way. He just had to find it.

Shadow and Kit soon fell into a routine again. As he refused to sleep or leave his room, their morning and nightly rituals were his only way of keeping track of time.

In the mornings, Kit knocked and asked if he’d like to explore the woodland with her, or if he wanted to meet some of the people who worked at The Hill. Every morning, he ignored her, and she went away with a sigh.

Every evening, Kit would knock to tell Shadow that dinner was ready and that she’d love to see him in the cafeteria, before giving up and walking away again.

But tonight was different. When Kit knocked at the door at the usual time, she hesitated before speaking.

In the dark of his room, Shadow raised his head. The light from the hallway seeped under the door, casting a golden rectangle on the floor. He watched Kit’s shadow shift nervously from foot to foot, restless and uncertain, framed by yellow light.

“Shadow?”

Her voice sounded softer than usual, as if through ignoring her, he’d finally worn away its edge.

Kit knocked again.

He could imagine her ridiculous ears swivelling in every direction, trying to pick out his movements beneath the laughter in the next room, and the blaring television noise down the hall.

“I brought you those books you asked for. If you want, I can take away the ones you’ve finished?” She paused, then tentatively added, “I’d love to know what you thought?”

Shadow almost ignored her, but curiosity got the better of him. Though she was deceptive and annoyingly cavalier about his imprisonment, something about Kit made him want to look again, to take his time.

Shadow had tried to picture her in his head a few times but could never summon a complete image of her. Snatches of her bright, lavender eyes, her short, sharp black claws, and the dagger of her smile flashed through his mind, but Shadow found it hard to piece them all together into one person.

He could recall her voice though, as clear as a bell. Low and soft, clearly smart, enough to toy with her words and with him, but never cruel. And when she called his name through the door, Shadow found himself surrendering to that curiosity despite his better judgment.

Kit seemed even more surprised that he’d opened the door than he was. She smiled, and for the first time, it felt genuine and perhaps even a little shy.

“Hi, Shadow.”

He huffed in response, and felt a surge of victory when Kit’s smile dropped a little.

“What did you ask about the books?”

“What? Oh, I asked if you liked them?”

“Why?”

Kit glanced away, then back to him, confused.

“They were mine first. I’ve read them too. I just wondered what you thought of them.”

“Why?”

Kit only looked more confused.

“What?”

“Why?”

”Because,” She shrugged, her voice cracking as she searched for an answer. “I want to know your opinion. I’m interested.”

“In me?”

“Well,” Kit looked sheepish. “Yeah.”

Taken-aback, Shadow set his teeth.

Who was this fox? She moved and changed like the phases of the moon, one moment tough and inscrutable, the next earnest and forthcoming, and now this.

Kit shifted awkwardly from foot to foot again, reshuffling the small stack of books she held in her arms. Conversely, Shadow remained absolutely still, like a moss-patched statue.

It was Friday night, not that that meant anything to Shadow. The corridor was empty but most of the doors had been left ajar, like a college dorm. People could move easily to and fro, some just poking their head around the door, while others brought beer and snacks to share with their friends.

“How are you feeling?”

Kit kept her voice low. Though no one was paying them the least bit of attention, she didn’t want to be overheard.

Shadow’s frown deepened.

“How am I feeling?” he repeated incredulously.

“Fair enough. Stupid question. That’s on me.” Kit held up her hands to show him the books she’d brought for him. “Here. I raided the library. Well, we call it that but it’s more like a big…”

She trailed off, sensing he wasn’t in the mood.

“Anyway, the point is… Books.”

Shadow hesitated, then took the small stack she passed to him, being careful not to let their hands brush.

Something was wrong.

Kit looked nervous. He didn’t think he’d ever seen that before. Even in their first meeting, when he knew she must’ve been on high alert, she had maintained a mask of calm. Now, Kit’s soft lavender eyes were wide, and her gaze kept flicking to the left, down the corridor, as if she anticipated someone coming around the corner.

She fidgeted in the doorway, and he wondered momentarily if she was waiting for him to invite her in. But then Kit forced a smile again and her anxious hands stilled.

“I’m sorry about the other day. You’re right, we don’t know each other yet, I shouldn’t make assumptions. But I’d like to know you. And I’d like you to know me. Maybe even trust me. We really don’t expect anything of you, Shadow. We just want you to feel at home while you’re here, so… When I knock for you tomorrow, will you come to the door?”

Shadow wasn’t sure how to respond. He’d always appreciated candour, and others being straightforward with him, but an apology had completely blindsided him.

Again, he considered how little he understood about Kit, her motives, her actions, her attitude towards him. She shifted and reformed like the clouds, never settling in one place for very long before she reshaped herself.

He hated the unpredictable, and he couldn’t wrap his head around her. Shadow didn’t know if she was throwing everything she could think of at him to see what stuck, or if she was just as uncertain of how to navigate their relationship as he was.

“I just…” Her gaze rose to the ceiling briefly, then back to Shadow. “I just want you to feel as at home here as I do.”

“How can you ask that of me?”

Shadow readjusted the books in his hands, and Kit watched his movements, innocuous as they were. Still wary of him then, despite everything she said, despite the power she had over him.

“I know, I know…” Kit gave him a weak smile. “But I think we have more in common than you think. I-”

The laughter coming from next-door rose suddenly and Kit turned her head towards the sound, startled. When she looked back at him, her mask was back in place.

“I asked about your shoes. You should have them back soon but… I’m sorry. I did try.”

“What are they doing with them?” Shadow’s grip tightened on the books until his nails came close to puncturing the tough material of his gloves. “They were given… They’re important to me.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll keep asking. I promise.”

For some reason, Shadow believed her.

Kit took a tentative step closer, and he fought the instinct not to move away.

“Will you come tomorrow?”

Again, her eyes darted down the hallway, as if she was waiting for someone to come around the corner at any moment.

Was she not supposed to be here? No, that couldn’t be it. As Kit had reminded him many times, they were both allowed to wander around the base as they pleased, he just couldn’t leave.

So what then? She was allowed to be here, it was her job to speak to him… Perhaps Kit was saying things she ought not to be and was afraid of being overheard. But Kit was also, as she put it, a ‘guest’. She seemed right at home, practically one of the family. What did she have to be afraid of?

Shadow scowled. He felt exhausted and ravenous and weak, and the last thing he wanted to do right now was unpack the riddle of his captors.

“Will you ever leave me alone?”

“Never.” Kit smirked. “I told you, I’m persistent. This place… It means a lot to me. It could mean a lot to you too. I know it.”

“Why would I-”

“Because you don’t have a home. And this could be it. We could be… You could be happy. This is a good place, Shadow.”

He sighed.

“So you keep saying.”

Shadow had never been very good at reading people and their intentions. Keeping others at arm’s length tended to deal with that neatly, and Kit was no exception. But she seemed genuine enough.

In the low light of the hall, Kit’s eyes shone, open and honest, her small hands folded in front of her. He watched her thumb rub anxiously back and forth across the backs of her fingers, then his gaze found the brass rings snapped around her wrists. His own still buzzed angrily, sending short bursts of pain shooting through his marrow.

Shadow sighed again.

“I want my shoes back.”

Sensing an impending surrender, Kit brightened.

“I will get them for you, I promise. Cross my heart.”

With her index finger, she traced an X over the left side of her chest.

It made Shadow’s stomach twist to see it. Maria used to do the same. Whenever she made a promise, she would raise her right hand while the other crossed her chest, and all with a huge smile. Kit’s smile was almost as bright.

Shadow huffed and pulled the books closer to his chest.

“See to it that you do.”

He didn’t give Kit a chance to respond. He tapped the door closed with the heel of his borrowed sneaker, then sat down at the table to read.

Shadow slid the books slowly off the pile and placed them down, one by one, on the table in another stack. A few were non-fiction, more information about the park, but there were a few novels as well. The titles seemed vaguely familiar, and he wondered if he’d seen them before in the ARK’s extensive library. Maria loved to read.

At the bottom of the pile, he found a small rectangular box, the same size and shape as the books, disguised in their midst by its dark colour.

Shadow frowned, glancing towards the door.

When he slipped his thumb under the plastic lid, he found it came off easily. Inside, neatly organised into different compartments, was dinner. Vegetables, chicken, some fruit, something sweet, all from the cafeteria, but whether it was his aching hunger or the way it had been presented, it looked like a meal fit for a king.

Shadow stared. He stared and stared some more.

Slowly, he picked up the plastic fork that had come with it and poked tentatively at the chicken. It was the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted.

Though his stomach begged him to hurry, Shadow took his time, knowing he’d make himself sick if he ate too fast.

Had this been what Kit was so nervous about? She was supposed to be his keeper, the one to convince him that this was home now and he should make himself comfortable. Perhaps they’d told her she had to entice him out, with food and water and a breath of fresh air, and she’d defied them. Perhaps false kindness was part of her plan.

Head churning with second-guesses and double-bluffs, Shadow ate his dinner, read his borrowed books, and finally felt the gentle hand of sleep on shoulder, rather than the thorny snare of his nightmares.

That night, he slept peacefully for the first time in fifty years.

/

Kit rolled back and forth on her feet from heel to toe, working up the courage to knock on Shadow’s door.

She’d been awake for hours already, which wasn’t like her at all. Most of the base was usually up, dressed, and on the way to work before she was even able to crack open her eyes.

Since Shadow arrived, things had been a little different. She had a mission now, an important role that only she could fill, and Kit would rather die than disappoint the people that took her in when she had nothing.

Being Shadow’s keeper meant getting him to breakfast before the cafeteria closed, which meant getting up at a good time, even if she’d only managed to draw him out of his room a grand total of once, so far.

Today would be different though, she could feel it. Or maybe that was just blind, desperate optimism.

Kit pulled in a deep breath, then briskly knocked four times on the door, as if anything about the situation was ordinary.

“C’mon,” she whispered to herself as her ears circled left and right, searching for him. “C’mon, tough guy. Give me a break. I’m doing my best here.”

Kit almost punched the air in celebration when she heard shuffling movement behind the door.

She took a step back, giving Shadow space, and tried not to look too worried when he finally showed his face.

She knew he hadn't been sleeping. Sometimes, Kit awoke in the night to hear him shifting around in his room. It was faint and difficult to pinpoint amongst the others in the base, but once she got a lock on him, he was unmistakable. Shadow’s heartbeat was almost twice as fast as the humans that bracketed him, and he liked to huff and sigh to himself like an old man. Which, she supposed, he was.

His eyes had been so bright and stormy when he arrived. You could see the power crackling behind them, the rage and the fury that burned in his core. Now, he just looked tired and faint, like ink running off the page of a tear-stained letter.

Kit didn’t think pointing out how awful he looked would make Shadow any more agreeable, nor would suggesting he get some fresh air and then some rest. She didn’t think Shadow was open to taking any advice at all, least of all from her, so Kit stuck to what she knew.

“Morning, handsome.”

As expected, his response was gruff and terse, but Shadow did at least appear a little more amenable than he had the night before. The food must have done him some good. Which reminded her…

“I brought you breakfast.”

Kit pressed the handles of a small brown paper bag into his hand, being careful not to let their fingers brush, just as Shadow had the night before.

Shadow peered curiously inside.

“What is this?”

“Pancakes. They’re rare here so I thought I’d better snag you some before they went. They’re all boxed up so you can save them for later, if you want.”

She wasn't planning on this becoming the norm, but Kit simply couldn’t let Shadow’s hunger strike go on any longer.

“Here.”

She held out a steaming styrofoam cup, and Shadow hesitantly took it.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d like coffee or not but it’ll keep you warm either way. You’ll need it, it’s cold out today.”

Shadow scowled, first at the coffee, then at her.

“I don’t want it.”

Kit huffed.

“It’s not poisonous, Shadow. C’mon, it’ll make you feel better.”

He stared at her for a second, then Shadow lowered his head and gave the drink an experimental sniff.

The sharp smell of machine brewed coffee made his nose wrinkle, and Kit couldn’t blame him, it wasn’t the nicest stuff. Sometimes, Lisa brewed her own and that was infinitely tastier, but she hadn’t had time to ask.

Resigning himself to the situation, Shadow carefully wrapped his hand around the cup, then held it against the black sweater he wore, warming his chest through the material. It was the first and only time Kit had seen him be gentle.

“What do you want? What’s so important?” he asked.

“Lisa wants to meet you. I thought we could all go out onto the trail together.”

“Why would I want-”

“Lisa said she’d turn off your bracers. Or, at least, lower the inhibition rate.”

Kit glanced down at the rings around his wrists. Hers had only ever been switched on for a few minutes at a time, and only once or twice in all the time that she’d worn them. She remembered how it felt though, to have every ounce of life sapped from you as they buzzed and hummed through your bones.

She had mentioned the long-term effects of their use to Lisa. Shadow had been at the base for a week now, and his bracers had been permanently switched on, night and day. His back was starting to arch, and anyone could see how lifeless his eyes had become. He swayed slightly on unsteady feet, and if you looked closely, you could see that Shadow was trembling.

The bracers had never been used like that before, as far as Kit knew. But Lisa had reassured her that there would be no lasting effects; they would never do anything to harm Shadow. Kit had still looked concerned so Lisa promised that if he behaved, she would switch them off.

“It might make you feel better,” Kit said quietly, looking him up and down again, her chest tight.

Whether he’d finally realised that he could trust her, or his will had bent and snapped like the bow of a cedar in a storm, Shadow closed his scarlet eyes with a sigh.

“Fine,” he said.

Kit grinned.

/

Shadow left his breakfast behind but took the coffee. Every so often, he took an experimental sip, and seemed to hate it less every time.

Together, they trudged across the clearing towards the tree line.

It was a beautiful time of year in Glacier, before the snow settled, when the forest was still teeming with life and the burning orange and yellow leaves lay as a blanket of fire for them to follow.

The air was rich with woodsmoke and pine sap, and a gentle breeze brushed Kit’s cheeks as they made their way into the wood, which welcomed them with open arms.

She could feel Shadow’s eyes on her. He still didn’t trust her, that much was obvious, but she thought he might believe her when she said that no harm would ever come to him here. Then again, if she’d been through everything that Shadow had, Kit supposed she wouldn’t be very trusting either.

To her surprise, Shadow was the first one to break the silence.

“How long have you been here?”

Kit raised her hand to push away a low branch and held it aside, gesturing for Shadow to go past.

He regarded her curiously but did go on ahead.

“At The Hill?” she clarified.

“On Earth.”

Behind the tree line lay a foot-worn trail, carved out by many decades of hikers, and now the heavy, ridged boots of the soldiers. It wound deeper into the woods, curving behind a clutch of brilliant gold larches.

Kit knew these forests like the back of her hand. She surprised even herself. Sometimes, areas of the park felt familiar, even if they were entirely new to her, as if the whole wood was music on a stave and she could read every note intuitively. The park just made sense to her, this world made sense to her, even when nothing else did.

“To be honest,” Kit said. “I’m not sure. I think it’s been around six months.”

Shadow stopped and turned to her. He looked suddenly uncomfortable to be leading the way. It meant his back was to her, and though Kit wanted to show him that she wasn’t ever going to hurt him, she gave him this, and took the lead again.

She heard Shadow begin to follow her, his soft-soled sneakers carefully picking through the fallen leaves. His heart was beginning to race in his chest, she could just about hear its soft melody under the forests’ chorus

“How can you not be sure?”

“I…” Kit readjusted, settling her voice. “I don’t remember how I got here.”

“How can you not remember?”

She stopped, one hand pressed against the solid, cracked trunk of a fir tree. Its envy-green needles stretched out all around it, granting shade and shelter to those who passed beneath.

It was one of her favourite trees in the forest. Sweet-smelling resin seeped from its leaves when crushed between her hands, and the bark was often beaded with sap blisters, a reminder that this forest was alive and breathing and watching.

Kit turned to Shadow to find him gazing at her curiously.

You could easily forget that he was new to this world, new to everything that wasn’t the dark hull of a spaceship, suspended above all life on this planet. He wasn’t from Earth, but he wasn’t quite alien either.

How tragic, Kit thought, to be from nowhere, to have no one, and to know that your one purpose was gone. It made her want to reach out, to expose frayed nerves of her own, despite the strict orders she’d been given.

“Apparently, I fell to Earth like a star. All I remember is a bright white circle of light. And pain. It hurt.”

Kit grimaced.

“A few of the rangers found me in the woods, all muddy and wet. I must’ve been laying there in the rain for hours. They brought me back here, patched me up... I couldn’t remember anything, not even my own name. I still can’t.”

It was a thought that haunted her like a second shadow. Where had she come from? No one seemed able to tell her. How had she come to be here? Did anyone miss her? Had she come to Earth of her own devices or had someone pushed her here? These questions kept Kit up throughout those first few terrifying nights at the base.

But the humans who saved her had quickly become family, and the desire to know what had happened to her and the ache of a home she couldn’t remember were starting to fade. Kit had a sense of purpose now, she had a mission. Her fears and worries could be put to the wayside. She had someone else to look after.

Shadow frowned.

“They named you?”

Kit couldn’t help following the arc of the red arches above his bright eyes, how they seemed to emphasise the slightest shifts in Shadow’s expression. She’d thought him so blank and impassive when they first met. Now in the bright morning sunlight, Kit could see that wasn’t the case. You just had to look closely enough.

“Lisa did,” she said, and watched Shadow’s frown deepen.

“So you are a prisoner too.”

“Guest.” Kit spread her arms, emphasising all the freedom they had granted him. “You don’t look like a prisoner to me.”

Shadow’s sharp eyes fell to the bracers snapped around her wrists.

“You don’t look like a guest to me.”

Kit’s good mood soured. He had a habit of doing that. Just when she thought they were getting along, or at least starting to, Shadow cut through to the bone. The weight of responsibility resting on her shoulders only grew heavier with every step he took back from her.

But she had faith. Kit had never been one to shy away from a challenge, and getting Shadow to trust her, trust her friends, was definitely that. This was a good place. He would see that too, soon enough.

Tired of talking, Kit turned and pushed further into the woods until the trail widened up into another, smaller clearing where Lisa was waiting for them.

Her face immediately broke out into a smile when she saw them coming, dislodging her round glasses. She had to push them further up her nose to stop them slipping off.

Lisa raised her hand and waved.

“Good morning, guys! It’s good to finally meet you, Shadow. My name’s Lisa, I’m the head researcher here at the Hill.”

Shadow hung back at the edge of the clearing. He looked Lisa up and down, scowling so deeply, Kit was worried he’d give himself a headache. It made her chest squeeze to see.

“You’re the one I have to thank for these,” he said gruffly, and held out his gloved hands, making the bracers glint in the sunlight.

Kit glanced nervously at Lisa.

She wanted, needed, Shadow to like Lisa, to trust her as she did. Kit knew the scientists would help him either way, and keep him safely hidden away from the world for as long as was necessary, but she couldn’t help thinking Shadow would be happier if he felt at home.

Selfish as it was, she was lonely. It would be nice to have a friend who knew what it felt like to be otherly on Earth.

Lisa pressed her lips together in thought, or perhaps sympathy. Pushing her glasses up her nose again, she took a step towards Shadow, reaching out to him with clever, gentle hands.

“I’m sorry. The adjustment period can be rough, but it’s the only solution we have.”

She knelt down in front of him so that they were at eye-level.

Shadow regarded her warily, his lip curling back in a snarl, baring one sharp fang that gleamed brilliant white against his dark fur.

He seemed so unnatural out here, amongst the deep greens and earthy browns. His sleek black body was so alien against the trees, his red markings a warning to others not to get too close.

“Hey,” Lisa smiled and poked his chest. “This sweater used to be mine. My sister gave it to me, and I gave it to Kit. Is it keeping you warm? It can get pretty cold out here at night, huh?”

Shadow said nothing, though he did look down at the black pullover he’d chosen that morning.

Sensing she wasn’t going to get much out of him, Lisa pushed up her sleeves.

“Here, let me take a look.”

Lisa wrapped her long fingers around one of his bracers without fear.

Kit noted that she spoke to Shadow like a colleague. They knew he was smart, his impressive IQ had been just one of the many astounding statistics in his file, so it seemed ridiculous to even consider talking down to him.

Shadow watched her closely but allowed Lisa to lift his hand and turn it over, palm up. Her deft, careful movements were so different to how he’d been treated in the past.

Kit couldn’t imagine how much effort it must take for Shadow to rein in the anger and frustration coursing through him and allow someone to get so close, especially a scientist, someone he didn’t know and had no reason to trust.

Her ears twitched, swivelling in his direction, and heard his heart skip a beat when Lisa carefully pulled his hand closer to her. He was afraid.

“Are they still hurting?” Lisa asked.

Kit flinched when Shadow’s gaze rose to meet hers over Lisa’s shoulder. He seemed… Embarrassed? As if he would rather Kit weren’t here, like she was interrupting something private, encroaching on doctor/patient confidentiality.

It occurred to her later that although Shadow claimed to hate scientists, he fell into the role of test subject very easily. It was home to him, familiar, but with no semblance of warmth or comfort to be found.

“I feel… Cold all the time,” Shadow said quietly, his gaze falling to watch Lisa’s hands again. “I feel the need to eat and to sleep. These are not urges I am used to.”

Lisa nodded sympathetically.

“The bracers cut you off from your powers. Without them, you’re just like everyone else. Hunger, exhaustion, pain… Hopefully, there’ll come a time where we can trust you, and you can trust us, and we won’t have to use them anymore.”

“Your pet still has them.”

Shadow’s sharp eyes found Kit again, and she scowled. She regretted reacting to that word so visibly when he first used it, now Shadow knew he had good ammunition against her.

It was a sore topic. Though most had welcomed her to the base with open arms, there were a few who apparently couldn’t resist antagonising her. They made her feel like a wild animal that the rangers had brought home one day, a mascot for the base. They were a reminder that she did not truly belong here, as much as she yearned for it with all her heart.

Lisa looked back over her shoulder and shot Kit a reassuring smile that made her chest feel a little less taut, then she turned back to Shadow.

“Kit’s powers are impressive. She can do things that fall right out of science fiction. Her bracers can help her channel her power as well as cut them off. Speaking of…”

Lisa straightened up and slipped her hands into the pockets of her army green jacket.

“How would you like to stretch your legs?”

Kit watched, hardly daring to breathe, as Lisa pulled out a small device from her pocket, almost like a television remote. There were a couple of buttons near the top and a dial set into the centre, sleek and black and designed to fit comfortably in Lisa’s hand.

Something in her chest twisted. Kit didn’t think it was a good idea to give Shadow anymore leniency then they already had. Even with his bracers, he was dangerous to be near to. One afternoon stroll through the forest where no one got hurt did not mean that the Ultimate Lifeform was in the mood to comply.

Kit opened her mouth to speak but stopped when Lisa looked her way. She didn’t have to say anything, a flash behind her dark eyes let Kit know that now was not a good time to interject.

Kit shut her mouth.

Lisa pressed her thumb against one of the buttons, then slowly turned the dial to the left.

Immediately, Shadow gasped, his coffee cup falling to the ground. His knees buckled beneath him and he staggered forward a step, only just catching himself on a nearby tree.

Kit instinctively took a step closer but Lisa silently held out her hand, warning her to stay where she was.

Shadow’s fingers dug into the rough bark of the tree, just barely keeping himself upright.

Kit knew what he was feeling. To abruptly jump from knowing nothing but an all-consuming numbness to feeling the power in your veins surging like an electrical current, it was almost too much to bear.

Shadow closed his eyes, his brow creased in concentration as he slowly rose to stand upright again. His back seemed straighter, his gloved hands balled into tight fists.

Shadow’s whole being was alight with the power that he’d been gifted at his creation. Kit could practically hear the energy cascading around his body.

Lisa wouldn’t have turned his bracers off completely, just lowered the inhibition rate enough to give Shadow some of his strength back. It wasn't enough to cause harm to others, but it would pull the most important scientific asset acquired in the last century back from the brink.

Shadow raised his head, and the whole forest seemed to bow in deference.

Fascinated, transfixed, Lisa grinned.

“Better?” she asked.

Shadow rolled his hands into fists.

“Much,” he said.

He didn’t let a single new second pass him by. Shadow bent his knees, drew in a lungful of clear, crisp air, then shot off into the woods, disappearing between the trees in the blink of an eye.

A quiet stillness fell in the clearing. There was only the gentle wind through the leaves to break the silence, and the sound of Kit’s own heartbeat thumping hard in her ears, her neck, her wrists. He’d acted just as Lisa predicted he would.

Beside her, the scientist took off her glasses to clean them on her sleeve. It was a habit Kit knew by heart, she often did it when she was thinking.

Lisa slipped her glasses back on, letting another few moments go by before she said,

“Kit?”

Though it made her heart sink in her chest, Kit nodded.

“On it.”

She caught up with Shadow quicker than she thought she might.

Though he had a speed advantage, his bracers were still switched on, even if their control had been reduced. He was not as fast as he was used to, and the strain it put on his body caused him to lose strength quickly. At least, that’s what Lisa had hypothesised.

Kit knew these woods as if she’d lived there all her life, every fallen tree trunk, every hillock and knoll, every bramble patch and streambank. Shadow’s senses were still dulled, while hers were sharp and focused. He had no idea where he was going; Kit would do anything to not disappoint her saviours.

A rush through the fallen, dry leaves to her left made Kit change direction on a pinhead and within seconds, she had eyes on Shadow. He ran across her path and she flung out her hands, knocking him off his feet with one burst of her power.

Shadow grunted as he hit the ground hard, rolling a few feet before finally ending up on his stomach. He immediately tried to get up, his worn, old sneakers scrabbling to find purchase on the carpet of silken leaves beneath him, but Kit waved her hand, pressing him down against the earth.

It came as naturally to her as breathing. With Lisa’s help, she’d only grown stronger. What had once required all her concentration now only warranted a passing thought, what had once been a tremendous effort was now just a flex of her muscles.

“You see how this works?”

Kit knelt down beside Shadow, her hand held out at her side. Fingers splayed, she held him in that position, focusing all her energy to the palm of her hand.

“If you behave, you get your freedom. If you try to run, I take you down.”

Shadow managed to turn his head, his cheek pressing into the dirt. He bared his teeth, his whole body trembling as he fought against her, but he barely managed to move an inch.

“I was right,” he spat, “You are their pet. Just an attack dog, to keep me trapped here.”

His words stung but Kit brushed the feeling away.

“I’m on your side, Shadow.”

“Then let me go.”

Kit shook her head.

“It’s not up to me.”

Shadow growled deep in his throat as he tried to push himself up, but he couldn’t move his arms. He kept trying to hook his hands under his chest but Kit only had to circle her wrist and he was pinned tighter to the ground.

But then, to her horror, the bracer at her wrist started to hum.

“What-”

Kit gasped as a sudden rush, like ice cold water, suddenly spread throughout her entire body. Both her bracers buzzed and seemed to tighten around her wrists, clamping down until it felt claustrophobic.

Her concentration broken, Kit grabbed at them, trying to dig her fingers under the bands to tug them away from her skin, but the awful numbing sensation only grew stronger.

They were too deep into the forest. They were out of range, and the failsafe settings had kicked in.

Sharp pain shot through her, breaking through the sudden dull haze that enveloped her. Kit cried out and tried to grab at her ankle but Shadow had swung his leg around and knocked her off her feet.

The world flipped on its axis. Kit fell hard, jarring her forearms and elbows as she attempted to catch herself.

She blinked and Shadow was on top of her, his body heavy against hers. He held her legs down with just one of his own so that her feet kicked uselessly against the ground. His hands found her wrists, pinning them by her shoulders so that they twisted painfully.

“Why are you keeping me here?”

“Shadow-”

Kit sucked in a sharp breath as his fingers tightened around her wrists. She was sure he’d be cutting off the circulation if it weren’t for the bracers.

“Tell me!”

“They just want to study us!” Kit’s arms trembled as she tried in vain to push him off. “We’re still aliens, Shadow. They’re putting a lot of trust in us. We should be thankful for their kindness, for letting us stay here. Ou-Our powers could be used to help people.”

Kit’s eyes flew wide as Shadow lowered his head, closing in on what remained of her personal space, his nose just a breath away from hers.

“I am not a lab rat,” he seethed.

Despite the panic clawing at her throat, Kit managed a dry, strained laugh.

“Aren’t you?” she shot back.

As Shadow’s eyes narrowed, the terrifying, awful crackling that seemed to rise from his chest filled Kit’s ear. To her own disappointment, she gave a frightened whimper while her legs scrabbled uselessly beneath him.

As the light behind his eyes grew brighter, she could feel the hands that held her down growing hotter and hotter, sparking and cracking like red-hot embers as Shadow’s power manifested.

But then, Kit felt her bracers switch off again. She sucked in a deep breath as the world came rushing back to greet her.

With a rough cry, she splayed her fingers and sent Shadow flying backwards.

She didn’t have time to think. Shadow landed on his feet and immediately ran at her again.

Kit waved her hand and knocked him off course, sending him sprawling into a bank of burning red and yellow leaves.

Shadow groaned, but she knew it wasn’t her doing. His bracers had snapped back into life again, severing his connection to his powers.

Slowly, Shadow sat up on his elbows. His face was all screwed up with frustration, and Kit knew his once sharp senses were whirling around his head, just out of reach.

“If I help you,” he growled. “Will you let me go?”

“Shadow, if you help us, we can both get what we want.”

Kit shook out her hands, bending and arching her fingers. It was good to have her powers back safely in her grasp. It almost felt like pins and needles, the prickling, uncomfortable sensation of life returning to her.

“Lisa is trying to find a way to get me home. She can help you too.”

Shadow struggled to his feet, snarling.

“I have no home.”

“Then why are you trying to escape? Where are you running to?” Kit shook her head. “The faster you realise that this is a good place, the faster you can leave. Please help us, Shadow.”

The bracers at her wrist stuttered and died again. Kit’s teeth clenched together so hard, she almost bit through her tongue.

Shadow’s sharp gaze crossed her face, immediately sensing the shift in her.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he leapt forward and swung his fist at her head, but he wasn’t as fast or as strong as he was used to.

Kit managed to duck out of his way in time but still felt the power behind his fist as it whistled past her head.

Shadow swung again, this time grabbing onto one of her long ears and pulling down hard.

Kit shrieked, her hands flying to prise his off her, but Shadow flung her against the nearest tree trunk.

He pressed his forearm against her throat, not hard enough to choke her, but enough pressure to make Kit scrabble and panic as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp.

“Your powers,” Shadow leaned close again, crowding her body with his till she couldn’t move an inch. “Lisa said she was helping you grow stronger. What did she mean by that?”

Kit tried to tuck her fingers under his arm, hoping to pull it away from her throat, but Shadow just pressed down harder.

“Tell me!”

“She thinks I might be able to control more than the physical!”

Kit clung to his arm, raising her chin as far as she could to ease the strain on her windpipe, but it had little effect.

“She thinks, with time, I might be able to control the mind as well. See into people. The results are- Ah! They’re limited at the moment but I’m growing stronger with every session. That’s why she invented the bracers, to help me concentrate my powers.”

Shadow narrowed his eyes.

“And take away mine.”

Right on cue, Kit felt the bracers flicker into life again. She closed her eyes, reached out to her power, and pulled it back to her.

Shadow grunted as his back hit the rough bark of a nearby tree, scraping his skin and knocking the air from his lungs.

With her hand wrapped around her throat, Kit pulled in deep breath after deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

This was not what she thought convincing Shadow would look like. This was beyond anything she’d ever trained for.

Doubt clouded her mind but she tried to push through the fog. Lisa had entrusted her with this for a reason. She could do this. If Kit ever wanted to find out who she was, if she ever wanted to find a way home, she had to do this.

Kit sighed as she approached Shadow, disappointed that it had come to this. She’d never had to use her power for self defense before. It irked her that she obviously wasn’t very good at it.

“I’m sorry. But you’re just too dangerous, Shadow.”

Kit flicked her hand and lifted him a few feet off the ground, pinning Shadow against the tree trunk until he was forced to meet her gaze.

“They have no reason to trust you. Give them one.”

Shadow huffed. His arms hung limp at his sides now, all his fight gone.

“You can reach into people’s minds?”

Kit flattened the ear he’d grabbed and carefully ran her fingers along its edge, feeling for any tenderness and hissing between her teeth when she found it.

“Barely.”

“For now. How will I know you’re not controlling me?”

Again, Kit was surprised by how much his words hurt.

She didn’t think befriending Shadow would be easy, not by a long shot, but she thought she’d done enough to show that she just wanted him to be happy. Obviously, she was wrong.

Kit had to remind herself that Shadow was frightened, he was alone, and a very long way from everything he’d ever known. She could relate to that, but he didn’t seem to care.

Did he really think so little of her? Kit supposed they still hardly knew anything about each other, apart from what she’d read in the extensive, boggling notes left by Gerald Robotnik and G.U.N. She’d have to fix that. Maybe, if he let her, she could fix him too.

“Hopefully, we’ll get to know each other a little better over time, and you’ll realise what a ridiculous question that is.”

Kit raised her hand and slowly, carefully lowered Shadow to the ground.

She tensed, bracing for another attack, but instead, Shadow sank down, his back sliding against the tree trunk until he was sitting on the ground, his knees drawn up to his chest.

He watched her, and she watched him right back, the freak and the monster, alone in the woods.

At last, Shadow sighed.

“What could I possibly help you with?”

That was the million dollar question. Kit wasn’t sure just how much she was permitted to give away. They weren’t hiding anything from Shadow, not really, not forever. But he was already proving uncooperative and unpredictable. The finer details would be kept close to their chests. For now, all that mattered was making sure Shadow felt at home.

“Look after the forests,” Kit shrugged. “Help people. Learn about this planet. Tell Lisa everything you can about other worlds. And be kind to yourself.”

Kit offered him a wobbly sort of a smile, hoping to claw back some of their already tattered relationship, but of course, Shadow did not return it. He didn’t scoff or try to argue, though, and in that was one small glimmer of hope.

“Isn’t that what you’re for?” Shadow asked. “You’re my keeper, aren’t you?”

Kit began to smile properly then. Was that an attempt at humour? He was a strange one.

“You’re right. I haven’t been doing a very good job.” She moved closer, kicking a stray pebble aside with the toe of her shoe. “But I think you need to meet me halfway, Shadow.”

“Will you leave me alone?”

“I still think we could be good friends.”

Shadow huffed, and it was as close to a real, genuinely mirthful laugh that Kit had ever heard from him.

“You’re crazy,” Shadow muttered.

Kit took a few steps closer, but she wasn’t afraid. If Shadow tried anything, she could easily put him right back down. But he wouldn’t, she was sure of it. He was angry but he wasn’t stupid. He acted forcefully, not thoughtlessly.

“Maybe,” Kit said. “I don’t really know anything about who I am.”

She held out her hand to him, open and empty.

“Help me figure it out?”

Shadow stared at her palm.

She watched a hundred different emotions pass behind his eyes, flashes of light, uncertainty, fear, memories, and under it all, an aching, reaching, grasping, squeezing feeling of longing. He wanted to trust. He wanted to belong. Who didn’t?

Finally, Shadow took her hand and let Kit pull him to his feet.

“Okay.”

/

He awoke in the middle of the night again.

For a few moments, Shadow couldn’t breathe. All he knew were flashes of the inside of a laboratory, stark white walls, a cold metal gurney, and the most overwhelming sense of fear he’d ever known.

Shadow wasn’t sure what was worse, that awful, lonely room, or the blood-soaked pictures that usually haunted his dreams.

He felt better than he had in days but he still wasn’t comfortable. His belly was full, he’d been able to stretch his legs and feel his powers warming his body again, but he was still here, alone in the dark.

Just a few rooms away, Kit was sleeping soundly. He wondered what she dreamt about. She had even less than he had. No memories, no one to miss, not even the soft anguish of knowing you were once loved by another, even if that person was now gone.

Kit’s mask of amusement had slipped just a little when he asked her about it, and Shadow was granted a glimpse at the face beneath.

Something, something behind the soft lavender fields of her eyes, was guarded and sharp. He had prodded and poked and picked away at her and found something real and important at last.

Her hand had risen subconsciously to her wrist again, and fiddled with her bracer. Though she claimed she understood the reason behind their use, she didn’t seem completely comfortable with them. Heavy and clumsy, they slipped up and down her wrists as if she still wasn’t completely used to them, even after six months.

I don’t really know anything about who I am. Help me figure it out.

It was an antagonistic thing for her say. Shadow didn’t care about Kit. He didn’t care about this place and its mission. But curiosity, a need to understand his new circumstances, a desire to be free despite everything, forced him to recognise that knowing his captors would be the surest way of surviving them.

Shadow closed his eyes and slipped slowly off to sleep again, his dreams alight with sunbeams cutting through the leaf canopy, of the dewey grass against his fingertips, and the smile on Kit’s face when he agreed to help her.

Anything to shut her up and get her off his back. That smile was his ticket out here.

That smile.

//

Next Chapter

Master List

[marvell-07]

Merry Christmas everyone!! In honor of the holidays, here is one of my more extensive headcanons about the Sonic 3 Movie. SPOILERS ahead so be warned! 🎄

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At the end of the Sonic three movie, Shadow gets nerfed to hell and dies in an explosion. Except we never see his death on screen and we know the movie is based on Sonic Adventure 2 and Shadow the Hedgehog. In those games Shadow managed to eject himself from the ARK and escape alive. However he suffers from amnesia and now has a fragmented memory. He can only remember his name and Maria’s death. So you know I’m about to write some angsty hc off of this.

Shadow would wander around aimlessly, trying to find remnants of who he was and what his life was before he lost his memory. The problem is that there’s barely anything left. Even if he manages to return to the site of the lab, he had set off the mini black hole in there. Any evidence of what happened, any evidence of Maria, was destroyed in that blast.

The only person who would know about Maria and what Shadow did afterward would be sonic. Sonic was in that lab, he heard the story and saw what happened. He was also the one to spend the most time with Shadow and hear about his pain and loss before teaming up.

Except I have a few ideas regarding this. What if something did survive the explosion of the black hole? The picture of Shadow and Maria. While exploring the lab Sonic found Maria’s room and saw the fort and picture. It was a family portrait, and to him it felt too special, too important, to be left behind in an abandoned lab. It reminded him of the drawing he made of him and Longclaw in the cave. It was all he had left of a family member he lost… just like Shadow. So what if he took the photo with him? Sonic intended to give the photo back to Shadow after they made up, but never got the chance. So now he keeps it as a way to honor and remember both Shadow and Maria.

Now keeping Shadow’s most likely survival in mind, what if after Sonic and Shadow see eachother again, Sonic shows him the photo to convince Shadow to at least hear him out. It leads into Sonic getting slammed into a wall by a very paranoid personification of Hot Topic who demands answers. I think even after hearing the story, Shadow would be confused and apprehensive. So Sonic hands him the photo and tells him that he knows what it’s like to be lost, and that Shadow has a friend if he needs it.

With the amnesia, Shadow would have almost a constant source of anger and guilt and sadness for things he doesn’t even remember. It drives him crazy that he feels so much and doesn’t even know why. When Shadow gets too caught up in his own head, Sonic asks him to tell him about Maria. It’s the one thing he can reliably talk about and it’s some of the only good memories he has.

Shadow chooses to trust Sonic not just because of Maria’s photo or the kind words, but because he can feel that Sonic is a good person. Sitting on that moon with Sonic and watching the stars was the beginning of closure and resolution to all of Shadow’s pain and trauma. And then immediately after that he shared the power of the chaos emerald in harmony with Sonic. That connection remains to be something familiar. However, in a way, that feeling of comfortability and kindness is foreign. He hadn’t felt that since Maria and look how that turned out. Part of it scares Shadow and he doesn’t know how to handle not being constantly alert.

Even if Shadow does permanently join up with the team I don’t see him living with them. He doesn’t have that family dynamic with Tom and Maddie like the others, and I’m not sure he wants to yet. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles had lost their families a while before they met Tom and Maddie, they had time to grieve and find that desire to want and accept a family again. Shadow doesn’t have that, not yet. With that being said, there isn’t really anywhere else for him to go, both the lab and the ship were destroyed.

So what if he lives in Sonic’s old home? Just until they can find somewhere better for him. It’s secluded and private but not so far away that they wouldn’t be able to go see him. Shadow doesn’t have anywhere else to go so why not. Sonic decks it out for him and even finds a picture frame for Maria’s photo.

[catiecat1320]

Sonadowtober Prompt 3: Accident

Sonic suffers an unexpected fall. Problems trail along

Read Below🔽

Early morning.

Too early to be up. Sonic had dragged Shadow out of bed, rambling about the sunrise. Although they’d seen it a million times before, both together and alone, he insisted that this one would be special.

Special, it was.

The sky was still sprinkled liberally with fading stars, the night waning into blue hour in preparation for the sun. He would’ve stopped to appreciate it, but Sonic insisted on running ahead, forcing him to speed up so as to not lose sight of his guide.

Somewhere along the way, Shadow suspected this had turned into a race; the blue blur pulled ahead every time he got close, a game that he didn’t really mind, despite his complaints.

He wasn’t sure when everything fell apart.

He knows it happened in an instant. Knows Sonic wasn’t looking where he stepped. Knows that neither of them anticipated the plunge.

Knows the cry of alarm that so rarely came from the hailed hero.

The cave system that decided to open its jagged mouth was hidden well among the terrain. It’d swallowed Sonic in an instant, leaving Shadow to scramble to a stop lest he suffer a similar fate. When calling the other’s name had garnered no response, Shadow sent a panic message to Rouge, leaving his communicator by the entrance in hopes that she’d understand before descending.

Slow at first, nearly losing his voice yelling through the silence to nothing but echoes. The cave was deep, the steep rocky sides providing little assurance. Somewhere along the way, he’d quieted, focused on getting to the bottom safely. 

It was claustrophobic, the walls narrowing at point with little warning as he slid down, picking up the pace. He still hadn’t a clue about Sonic. How much farther did he have to go?

Then the metallic smell of blood hit him.

It’d taken every inch of his willpower to tamp down the panic crawling up his throat. Hyperventilation would only make his situation worse, especially with how little room was provided by the cave. The darkness was alleviated by the red light of Shadow’s stripes glowing, compensating for his inability to see in the dark. As he scanned his surroundings, hoarsely calling out again for Sonic, his hand found a jutting rock, met immediately with a warm, sticky substance.

He jumped. Literally. A mistake he remedied by firing his rocket skates to slow his fall, though it did nothing to slow his heart rate. Luckily, his surge in adrenaline made his glow brighter, allowing him to skillfully avoid the sharp rocks awaiting at the bottom.

It also allowed him to see Sonic.

The most glaring problem was blood dripping down the unconscious hedgehog’s head. Being the trained professional he was, Shadow saved the horror for later and assessed his injury promptly. Or rather, injuries, plural. In addition to hitting his head, Sonic had apparently also landed on a stalagmite of some sort, puncturing his thigh. Though the rock was preventing blood loss at the area, as soon as Shadow tried to move him, that safety net would fail.

Worry curled in his gut like a snake. How would they get out? The way they came from was out of the question, for even if help arrived on Rouge’s wings, it’d be too complicated, too risky. 

He eyes the other end of the cave, expanding to unknown lengths and depths. There’d be exploring to do if he wanted to find another exit. But with Sonic incapacitated, that’d be difficult. Shadow could go alone, but he didn’t want to leave his partner in such a vulnerable state.

Nevertheless, he walks toward the abyss, as far as he was willing. It did seem like the better option. Would it be enough, though? He had no way of knowing how long it’d take—

His musings are interrupted by Sonic waking up with a groan. Despite his frantic efforts, Shadow hadn’t been able to stop him from moving. Hadn’t been able to stop him from pulling himself off the stalagmite, kicking off a race against the clock as blood gushed from the now exposed wound in his leg. He’d gurgled something in a daze, not entirely comprehending what he’d done, but Shadow knew. 

Scooping up the other bridal style, he yelled hoarsely for him to put pressure on it before running into the unexplored.

[true-blue-sonic]

>:3

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That's a lot of flowers roses ^-^

☆☆☆☆☆

Silver is quite an enigma to Sonic.

He’s angry. He’s rude. He’s passionate to an almost suicidally stupid degree. He’s, according to Espio, a most reliable ally with a heart of gold who has only the interests of others in mind. He’s snappy and sassy and interesting and distant and helpful and obfuscatingly stubborn and has his heart right on his sleeve all at once.

He’s also, apparently, rather adoring of Chao.

At least, that’s the one explanation Sonic can give for how Silver sits cross-legged on the ground in a Chao garden the speedster had stumbled on while racing around the globe, with the creatures in question ambling around the time traveller peacefully. That in itself is a clear showcasing that Silver has been treating them well, for as long as he’s been in here: no Chao would be snuggling against him so unbothered should Silver have hurt them. Still, in a way, that makes little sense, Sonic had mused while he’d been standing frozen in the shadows of the entrance to the cave, hidden away in the rocky wall. For someone with as hot a temper and short a fuse as Silver seems to have, Sonic wouldn’t have expected him to have much patience for Chao.

And yet, in the seconds Sonic had quietly kept to himself as to not disturb his friend or the garden’s inhabitants, Silver’s face had looked soft. As if the sharp edges of unwavering passion and quickly-triggered annoyances had been dulled, somewhat, and something more fond and gentle had found its way on there. Not that Sonic can blame him: the Chao are adorable and the garden is plenty peaceful. Perfect for anyone to relax and just forget the worries of the day.

Except Silver doesn’t seem to relax and forget worries, if the way he acted in his two adventures with Sonic is any indication.

Still, Sonic's piqued interest clamours at the speedster with great intrigue. With how Silver is sitting here, quietly and maybe contently, there might be a chance for Sonic to just talk to him, and get to know his enigmatic friend and all his contradicting intricacies more.

...Even if the very moment Sonic draws a deeper breath and rustles the grass under his foot, that something more fond and gentle has already disappeared faster than he can blink.

[alienjoyer]

sonic 3 thoughts, kind of all over the place.

spoilers inside.

agent stone you are so pretty 💛 not arguing with a man with huge brown eyes whatever you say beautiful. you deserve so much better than him. i did enjoy that he got his kickass motorbike moment too, eggman puts him down a lot so it was good to let him shine for a bit, let him be capable. ofc we didnt know it was him but i guessed pretty much straight away idk about the rest of you

speaking of kickass motorbike moments. that akira slide??? was even more impressive??? than it shouldve been?? not just any akira slide, an akira slide vertically up the side of a building ??? shadow the hedgehog you are the coolest character to ever exist

literally 10 minutes in with tom and sonic in the cave i was like ohhhh theyre leaning into those parallels. yippee!

dont fucking destroy that ancient historically important site because youre mad !!!! it’s historically important!!

coming straight from sonic boom, that fourth wall break when the eggmen found each other (“it’s almost like we’re two characters in a movie being played by the same actor”) felt really in line with the humour from that so im immune to anyone throwing a stink about it, if thats a thing thats happening.

the battle between the eggmen was kinda. unserious. come on man it’s the potential destruction of the world. i did enjoy gerald getting tossed into the bug zapper though

sobbed at the montage with maria. god shes so sweet. she and shadow so sweet… man. man. ☹️

i grinned basically the whole time (except for sobbing for maria whatever) but multiple times throughout the film i sat up straighter in my seat. i locked in. usually when the characters also locked in.

when live and learn kicked in. holyyy shittttt 🔥🔥

ok there were a few changes ofc but. the change to maria’s death. do you think this shadow blames himself more for her death. it’s his chaos energy that killed her. like it wasnt his fault, but that energy was only there because he was there to originally provide it.

the end credits. hello metal 💛 hello amy 💛 they look really good. 2027 cant come quick enough.

the second one was just to confirm shadow’s alive and im ok with that. like i knew already. they wont kill shadow the hedgehog. hes too awesome and makes too much money. but it’a good to have a confirmation. this will allow for the shadamy sabrina carpenter concert in the end credits of sonic 4

and finally, im going to quickly shame the dad in the seat next to me who, DURING THE BATTLE BETWEEN SONIC AND SHADOW, took out his phone and started looking at trucks on facebook. the coolest bullshit of all time is happening onscreen and youre looking at your phone? you paid $50 to get in the door and another $10 to get that popcorn you ate within 20 minutes and youre looking at your phone??

[sweetwhitechoco]

Golden Joinery

So my original plan for this was to write up some scenes for my fancomic about the start of season 3 of Sonic Prime, but it got a little longer over the week so it became a oneshot fanfic. Ha! xD

(Also I had some issues uploading this on AO3, so I'm gonna upload it here for now instead.)

Just a little bit of hurt/comfort. This one takes place after episode 16, Ghost of a Chance. Hope you enjoy!

--

"The only person I can trust is myself."

Shadow watched in silent rage as Nine carried the shards and walked away into a purple framed portal, leaving nothing behind. Sonic was standing below the cave entrance, he held his hands up to his face, hiding whatever expression he had.

Not that Shadow could see it from where he stood, but he guessed the blue hedgehog was pretty dejected about Nine's betrayal.

So much for that trust.

-

Harrowed by what just happened, Sonic repeated what Nine told him over and over in his mind.

"You just assumed I'd go along with you, no matter what."

"Did you even consider what I wanted?!"

"I am real!"

"Just.. not your real friend."

"Trust you? The only person I can trust is--"

".. you listening?"

He briefly snapped out of his thoughts when Shadow's voice broke through, who stepped directly in front of him. Sonic didn't even realize he already slumped down against the wall, didn't realize his darker counterpart was addressing him.

His hands lowered as he looked up in worry, expecting a seething Shadow with clenched fists at the ready. But there was none of that, Shadow simply crouched down to face him, mahogany eyes were now piercing into emerald ones.

"What happened here?"

".. You're really gonna ask me that?"

"Yes."

Sonic sighed. Where could he even begin explaining this mess to him?

"You were right about Nine, Shadow. He refused to fix Green Hill," he paused briefly to study Shadow's expression, then continued when he saw him nodding, "and he took the shards away."

Sonic's ears were lowered, remembering what he told Shadow right before the battle. "I really thought we could.." he trailed off as soon as his voice cracked.

"That we could trust him.." His throat felt too tight, it was hard to form words at this point. This was too painful, the previous mistakes he caused rushed back into his memory. His eyes were wide with shock and sorrow like never before, realized how much he really messed up.

"Sonic?"

Tears welled up in his eyes, he covered his face again and shifted away from his rival. How could Sonic ever fix this, it was lost on him. He could never face Shadow, not after he warned him about Nine for more than once.

By now they lost the shards, their only way to getting back home, because of him. He lost Nine, a friend he thought- no, believed- trusted him as much as he did Tails.

He was wrong. Again.

This is all his fault.

-

"Sonic?"

Shadow called out to Sonic, a hint of concern in his voice. His rival didn't respond, only shifted away as he covered his face again.

Just as he slowly reached his hand out, Shadow was caught off guard when he heard the small sobs that escaped Sonic's mouth.

He lowered his arm, eyes wide at the blue hedgehog that broke down in tears. This was beyond what he imagined; Shadow never expected Sonic to take Nine's betrayal this badly. His face turned to the floor, the way his rival cried already becoming too much for the ultimate lifeform.

What can he do at times like this? Shadow can't just tell Sonic to stop crying in this state, he had to approach this.. odd situation differently.

However, with little knowledge and experience on comforting others he found himself lost on solutions.

Well, there was one way he could think of. He had to swallow his pride to act on it, but for what its worth Sonic needed someone to be there for him.

Shadow sighed again as he held out his arms, wrapped them firmly around Sonic. He pulled him into a gentle embrace, knowing that he would definitely regret this one later.

"What am I going to do with you?"

-

Sonic suddenly felt something- or rather, someone- pressing against him, like he's being pulled into a hug. He opened his eyes to see the familiar quills of black and red, it took him by surprise as he realized it was Shadow who held him.

"What am I going to do with you?"

The blue blur's crying came to a brief halt, he refocused his vision to make sure it wasn't a trick of the mind. Yep, it was his broody rival who hugged him.

"S- Shadow?"

The dark hedgehog remained silent for a moment.

"I know you're not okay with what Nine did."

He paused at Shadow's words, and tears threatened to fall again. Sonic lowered his arms to hold him in return, chose to hide his tears by burying his face into the dark hedgehog's shoulder.

He slowly regained his breathing into a more stable pattern, taking his time to recover himself. The sobs have subsided after a minute or two, although his eyes grew tired from letting it all out of his system.

"You.. said you didn't trust him."

"I still don't," Shadow said this with absolute resolve, then he continued with a calmer tone, "but you did. You.. gave him a chance, and I'm not sure why, but I wanted to do the same."

Sonic didn't know how to respond to that, now that he was proven wrong. He let out a nervous chuckle at himself in defeat.

"I guess that makes two of us with trust issues."

Shadow looked at him briefly before a sad smile rested on his face. "Yeah, you can say that again."

They both held each other through the silence in the cave, an unexpected turn yet most welcome on Sonic's case. He didn't realize how much he needed this until now, it made him appreciate Shadow being there more than ever before.

"Thanks, Shadow."

-

He knew he was taking his time with calming Sonic down, but the contact felt also comforting to the dark hedgehog. The reason he decided to let go was Sonic being too sentimental about it. Or that he realized he might regret letting go after all.

"Um, anyway.. what I'm trying to say is;" Shadow pulled Sonic away as he cleared his throat, "you shouldn't give up because of this."

The blue hedgehog scoffed at him with a confused pair of eyes, appearing offended.

"I wasn't going to give up on our home."

"Good. Because we're still in this," his rival stood up when he said this, held out his hand to him with a smirk, "together?"

Sonic felt a surge of new hope rushing into him when he saw the confidence that Shadow's smile gave off. He grinned back at him before taking his offered hand, the hedgehogs faced each other with stronger, newfound bond.

"Together."

-

"Where did the shards go?!" Mr. Dr. Eggman shouted at the screen which scanned the area for prism energy. There were no energy spikes like it showed him before, which means..

"They moved the shards elsewhere.."

He grumbled to himself and moved back to his control panel, pressed a button to activate a video call.

"Members of the Chaos Council, fall back to the Mothership! The hedgehogs were a distraction; they took the shards away to another location!"

He didn't even bother waiting for a response from the rest of his team and cut the call shortly. There was another problem at their plate, as Mr. Dr. Eggman checked their ship's energy storage.

They barely have enough leftover energy from the shards, it could only track them through at least one or two more gateway.

"Curse these hedgehogs!"

He slammed the control board down in rage. They wasted too much of their time and effort into this chase game, when they could have used all that prism energy to build their empire and destroy the rebellion!

In that moment, the evil genius' brain remembered something. And it brought him a newer idea, that these two rodents might be the key to more than just restoring the lost shards. Mr. Dr. Eggman allowed himself a grin at his new revelation, and quickly began preparing the Mothership to retrieve the rest of the Chaos Council.

Should this plan work as intended, the power to dominate the multiverse will be immediately at their grasp.

--

Well, that's about it. Thanks for reading! ^^

[skaruresonic]

Since you're the best SA2 fan, what's your favourite level music for each character? :>

SA2 has such unique track names for its OST <3 Sonic - Other than "Escape From the City," which is ofc a classic, Sonic's level themes don't strike me as particularly strong compared to the others. If I had to choose, I'd probably pick Pyramid Cave's "Keys the Ruin":

Certain songs in the SA2 OST have a very Bond-film groove to them, particularly in stages where you have to infiltrate a highly-fortified base (Iron Gate; Pyramid Cave; Security Hall) so naturally I gravitate towards them. :P

Tails - Prison Lane's "This Way Out." The drummer went so hard on that one xP

Eggman - It's difficult to choose just one, though for the opposite reason it's difficult to choose a single Sonic level theme. His level themes are decent at worst. Iron Gate's "Remember Me? M.F.M." has a certain Bond-movie swag, perfect for setting the mood to breach a maximum-security military facility. It also cleverly employs a wah-wah pedal to make the electric guitar sound like it's literally saying Eggman's name - how cool is that?

Sand Ocean's "Way to the Base" is decent and conveys the stage's overall mood well enough, but I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about it. Ditto for Weapons Bed's "Crush 'Em All" and Cosmic Wall's "Soarin' Over the Space."

Lost Colony's "Trespasser" perfectly sets the mood for exploring the ARK's dark, abandoned underbelly. I love how quietly the song begins, with a plethora of beeps and electronic chirps, as if to suggest the colony's general systems are still alive, if dormant.

An excellent remix:

Rouge - Security Hall's "I'm a Spy," baby! B)

Shadow - White Jungle's "Rhythm and Balance" is unique for a number of reasons.

It can't be forgotten that White Jungle marks the first time Shadow has explored the natural world on Earth: much of his surroundings are foreign to him. One of his idle animation quotes suggests that this unfamiliar location unsettles him ("Fog... doesn't bother me"). If it truly didn't bother him, he wouldn't have felt the need to point it out. The noticeable pause between "fog" and "doesn't" would imply the same. This sense of disorientation is reflected in the song's dreamlike quality. The lyrics are muffled, as though heard from underwater, or perhaps blunted by the roar of the nearby waterfall, contrasted by harsh record scratch and the barking of an unknown animal off in the distance. Cryptic lyrics like "Hurry through the unexplored land, not scared at all, are you scared of something?" reinforce Shadow's possible fear of the unknown, in tandem with his will to eliminate any obstacle in his path. What also makes this track very interesting imo is the fact that it is the only vocal track in which Shadow is directly addressed by another voice. Typically, his vocal themes are sung from his POV, but the sudden intrusion of another voice telling him "Shadow, don't make me upset" and "you are hiding something" introduces an additional layer of fridge horror. Who is becoming upset? Eggman? Shadow? Is this Gerald's reprogramming at work? "Rhythm and Balance" suggests Shadow is experiencing cognitive dissonance. It complements the previous cutscene in which he decides to save Rouge despite her being a "troublemaker," as well as introduces Shadow's internal conflict in an incredibly subtle manner: "I don't wanna hear you."

Knuckles - Aquatic Mine's "Dive into the Mellow" is a genuinely relaxing tune that I've often fallen asleep to. To quote a YouTube commenter, it sounds like something you'd hear on Adult Swim at 3 in the morning xP

Fun fact: it's also one of a handful of tracks on the DC disc that you had to download off the internet, as it wasn't natively included in the extras music menu. If you want to listen to it in the DC version, you have to actually play the stage. Death Chamber's "Deeper" deserves an honorable mention, too, for the interesting imaginary conversation in the chorus between Knuckles and Sonic:

Idk, I find it a little sad that Knuckles had to imagine Sonic, like... basically treating him with a little more decency? While there's always the possibility Knuckles is daydreaming because he's irritated that Sonic saddled him with this dangerous task without asking for his input, something tells me there's more to it than that. The overall vibe I get is that Knuckles wants Sonic's help and for Sonic to be a little more sensitive to his struggles, but he's too proud - or "stubborn," as the song puts it - to admit it. I find it interesting how the song almost implies Knuckles wishes Sonic were maybe a little more emotionally mature? Because Daydream!Sonic offers to help Knuckles recover the ME because he knows how much "it means to [Knuckles]" and to find the base keys together, despite their differences: "I don't think [our beef] is the point right now, Knuckles." In reality, however, Sonic buttered him up to go hunt for the keys because his lazy ass couldn't be bothered Knuckles is the "world's greatest treasure hunter" >.> Look, SA2!Sonic is a decent portrayal, but also, like. He could have stood to be a little nicer to Knuckles at certain points, imo

[ramblingguy54]

Sonic & Tails R: A Love Letter To Miles Tails Prower’s Characterization

     Warning: This will contain massive spoilers for the short radio play series of Sonic & Tails R. If you haven’t listened to the radio play yet on Youtube, I’d highly recommend any hardcore Sonic fan who hasn’t seen it check it out. It’s one Hell of a treat.

     For as far back as I can remember in my childhood, Tails’ story of trying to step outta Sonic’s shadow has been such a resonating one for myself. Even when I was a much younger kid playing my Dreamcast, during entries like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, there was some idea lingering about why Tails just stood out more emotionally in his journey to grow beyond depending on Sonic all the time for help. Now here I am a young adult in my late twenties having such a deeper appreciation of this little two tailed genius kiddo because he’s got an important element that’s made him so beloved for good reason.

     In spite of his genius being a rival to that of Eggman’s high IQ and of course proving to surpass it plenty of times when scenarios boil down to being a high stakes battle, Miles Tails Prower beneath it all is still just like any one of us. We’re all trying to find our place in this world about what defines us for who we are as unique people. He wants to be more than just seen as someone who’s alongside Sonic The Hedgehog’s never say die attitude, but prove he’s plenty capable of standing on his own two feet to protect everything the kid holds dear to himself. Underdog stories, when they’re naturally executed very well, can reel me in so easily. They are very much my bread & butter trope I adore seeing.

     To no one’s surprise, the two Sonic Adventure’s iterations portrayal of Tails’ characterization are hands down some of my favorite writing for the two tailed fox, regarding what the 3D era has done toward him, development wise. It gave him more of an existential struggle to endure like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t around to help stop Eggman? What if I’m not strong enough to accomplish what he can?”, making Tails plight to be seen as an equal all the more endearing when stopping Eggman in his climatic battle against the Egg Walker in Station Square. This here is a great use of a timeless lesson you can apply in life that if you set you heart and mind on anything, there isn’t a thing you can’t accomplish on your own, which is why many fell in love with Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s writing for Miles Tails Prower’s journey of independence.

     As someone who comes from a large family tree of relatives, I feel the weight of my existence on my shoulders at a number of points more than I’d care to count, admittedly. Seeing Tails struggle with his sense of purpose, in contrast to observing how much Sonic has accomplished with his carefree, yet deeply compassionate attitude, means the world to me in watching another trying to comprehend their value as a whole on how much they matter, overall. This is a big part of why my fondness for SA1 & 2′s quality has never wavered over these years, besides still obviously enjoying most of their game play mechanics. People can try to debate to their heart’s content on whether the Adventure games still hold up in their own eyes, but I’ll always respect them for how they tried to develop certain characters, such as Tails, Gamma, and Shadow The Hedgehog notably, to attempt expanding upon their characters, as well as world building.

     I won’t bother going into a rant about how Sonic’s recent 3D games have butchered Tails’ personality & relatable nature, due to the current writers in charge of handling the cast of characters. More or less, I greatly empathize toward the notion many have already stated about Tails being so cowardly and God forbid, looking at Lost World, downright severely mean spirited. Rather, I’m obviously writing this lengthy post to breakdown why Sonic & Tails R succeeds, where these certain 3D games have greatly faltered in exploring Tails’ emotional dilemmas as an insecure, yet still having the courage to prove himself, talented boy full of hidden potential he doesn’t quite realize, until his back is against the wall in life threatening situations.

“That day, I realized I couldn’t depend on you forever. Not that I can’t depend on you, but like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t here?”, you know?”

     Sonic & Tails R further delves into this fundamental rule of what has defined Tails in Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s stories of events where Sonic wasn’t there to aid his best bud in taking down Eggman’s evil efforts for global domination, most importantly his fear of defending the Earth without his role model. Besides what I already stated in SA1′s events in Station where he stopped the Egg Walker, as well as the missile Eggman launched from detonating before their climatic battle, Tails watched Sonic blow up in ARK’s capsule presuming him to be dead after Sonic imparted how much faith he has in the kid’s abilities to be truly strong in the face of any foe. Sonic & Tails R manages to use fan service in a way that doesn’t feel like “pandering” for the sake of it, using this past canon material to do more of an in-depth study about Miles’ anxieties of existing without Sonic.

     Wouldn’t put it past them if EmuEmi & crew were using SA2′s Sonic death fake out scene in that space capsule to further add trauma to Tails’ psychological attachment to Sonic, as well as his insecurities of depending on him too much, to boot. While it’s never obviously outright stated in their radio play, I definitely believe they were factoring this element into adding dramatic exploration for why Tails is so self-conscious about the worst case scenario of permanently losing Sonic. Watching Sonic supposedly die put Tails into a deeper state of self-reflection, so I very much enjoyed how they went using these past events to create a thorough exploration about him learning just as it’s important to realize you need to stand up for yourself without using someone else as a crutch all the time, it’s doubly important to remember there’s nothing wrong about asking someone for help when you’re about to be down and out with little options left.

     Sonic & Tails R beautifully builds upon the foundation these two games’ stories left behind years ago, creating new damn great material to explore with the most iconic characters of this cast, Sonic & Tails brotherly dynamic. I’ve been praising Sonic & Tails R out the wazoo for how well it captured Tails underdog story of overcoming death defying odds, but it managed to remind me how simply adorable and outright wonderfully endearing their brotherly chemistry is as a whole. This is a big friendly reminder Sonic isn’t all about being cocky wise cracking character making meta jokes left and right, but he can be plenty capable of showing serious compassion to anyone he values as an ally and friend. This is no greater evident, than with him verbally lifting Tails up in his time of need when he’s self-depreciating his own significance. It can be seen in Episodes 2, 4, and 7 giving Tails motivational pieces of advice.

    Episode 2 In Adabat’s Cavern

-Sonic: Wasn’t it your radar that helped us find these Emerald shards in the first place? How could you be slowing us down when you’ve gotten us this far?

-Tails: But, I...

-Sonic: I could never make something like that. You’re the smartest person I know, Tails. One way or another, we’ll figure this out, count on it.

         Episode 4 In Holoska After Helping Silver Save The Chao

-Sonic: So, what was that back there? At the cave, in Adabat? -Tails: What do you mean? -Sonic: Frozen stiff. Confidence shot. It’s not like you. It was more than feeling like you were “slowing us down”, right?

        Episode 7 Inside The Egg Carrier 3

-Sonic: Let’s split up! I’ll distract them and you can go after the energy source. -Tails: You’re gonna take them on all by yourself!? Let me help, Sonic! -Sonic: No time for this, Tails. Stop overthinking and just go! If I can get their attention, I’ll take the heat off of you and that room you’re going to probably won’t have any security. Take this emerald and I’ll take the other one we have. It’ll lead me right to you after I beat these guys. -Tails: O-Okay... -Sonic: Hold on, Tails! Listen to me. Don’t stop moving and be careful. I’ll be fine and so will you!

     Sonic & Tails R remembers the most crucial detail of their important relationship. One isn’t better than the other and needing to always rely upon that notion for helping one outta a jam, but instead showcases how they’re equals as a team/bros. Sonic may be super fast and strong, however Tails has his intelligence to analyze situations in a different angle Sonic wouldn’t necessarily consider, per say. Which isn’t to say Tails couldn’t put up a fight either, as we’ve seen in SA1 & SA2′s stories where he faced Eggman one on one with no outside help to best him at his own game of wits & strength.

     We get see the apex of this idea through Tails facing Eggman in his super improved mecha walker. Although Tails may get thrown for a loop here at first by Eggman, it’s his villainous speech about winners and losers in their world that ironically does the exact opposite of what he intended. Eggman wanted to crush Tails’ sense of self worth before finishing him off, but all it did was reignite the very lesson Sonic told him earlier before running to distract Eggman’s robotic minions. That said lesson of he’s more than capable of facing dangerous threats

-Eggman: Poor boy. We all have to learn this lesson, sooner or later. In every game there’s no one you can depend on. You’re all alone and you’re either a winner, or a loser. And as you know, loser’s lose all of their lives. Say goodbye, fox!

-Tails: You’re wrong! I can depend Sonic! I won’t let him down! I can’t because...Because he’s depending on me! And because of that I won’t lose to you!

     This radio play strikes a good balance in utilizing the grey moral area about depending on someone vs it being an unhealthy display of attachment derived from serious insecurity. Word’s can’t begin to describe how much I loved this moment to pieces because it’s oh so important for writing Tails’ characterization. If you’re going to tackle him being super self conscious about his reliance on Sonic, then you gotta remember why they are so close to one another to begin with. Sonic & Tails have an unbreakable connection, considering they’ve brought out their best qualities in themselves from being together as individuals. For Sonic, it’s his older brother compassion to Tails to bring him outta feeling melancholy. For Tails, the kid finally understands there isn’t anything wrong with depending on Sonic when he needs it most.

     After all, that’s what a real healthy friendship is all about. Whether you’re giving someone a dose of tough love, or simply a piece of motivational advice, it defines how much you truly care about someone, period. Sonic & Tails have this very same power from their bond, which is why new emeralds form from their compassionate friendship that hasn’t been shaken after all the years they’ve been together. Another detail worth noting is it adds to the lore in an impactful manner when Tikal expresses in Episode 8 about positive connections and thoughts from users of the Chaos Emeralds having a strong will & heart. Using the ideas they had for encapsulating Sonic & Tails’ dynamic to create new emeralds from their love for each other as brothers adds an emotional weight.

“So, Sonic’s not the only one who harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds? I can too!?”

“Yes, you have a strong heart! There is a power waiting to be unlocked within you, as well.”

          I’d always daydreamed about in my childhood seeing Super Sonic & Tails take down a threatening villain, whether it was Eggman or different powerful creature such as Chaos or the Biolizard. You can imagine how fucking giddy I was beyond belief to see this artwork of Episode 9′s cover for the radio play. Tails not only got to have another one on one with Eggman, but a team up with Super Sonic in his own respective Super form? Sign me the Hell up! Talk about an all you eat buffet of good writing for Tails’ journey reaching its climax. Getting to hear this play out, alongside the amazing song of Fly With Me, made it authentically feel like something straight outta if there were an installment of Sonic Adventure 3 being brought into reality, which certainly feels like it now.

     Episode 9 has so much awesome stuff with Sonic & Tails working together in their super forms. Particularly, my favorite scene is at the beginning when Sonic teaches Tails how to navigate his newly acquired speed in his respective Super form. My heart melted hearing Sonic help Tails through it all, while he was overjoyed about how fun this new form is for himself. Wholesome Sonic & Tails content is the perfect daily serotonin for me, easily. It’s an awesome fun fact to know they used a scrapped boss from Tails Tornado segment in SA1 for Eggman’s flying dragon three headed robot in their big final battle, once again using old canon material in a very effective manner to boost the quality of their fan made story.

     It’s been a real thrill to hear Mike Pollock play a straight forward serious Eggman making my day in more ways than one, considering that’s another thing I’ve been yearning for desperately besides Tails being a competent character again. His performance in Episode 9 when Eggman gave that speech about how long he’s been at odds with Sonic & Tails stubborn will power was simply excellent. The moment he told his mechanical dragon to crush them I got serious chills. That’s the Eggman I remember and grew up with. He could be a hammy villain sure, but Eggman wasn’t a doormat that could be swiftly beaten. Robotnik can be considered a serious threat in his own right and this radio play nailed it down to the very letter with how much he predicted their actions.

“Sonic, all I ever wanted to do was be like you. You’re not scared of anyone or anything. I could never be like that. At least, so I thought. I grew from that, but then I got so caught up in trying to prove it that thought it wasn’t okay to depend upon anyone, especially you. I just didn’t want to be that scared little kid in Station Square anymore, but now I understand. It’s okay to depend on your friends. It all means is that we’re stronger together, so the next time Eggman comes back and wants to start any trouble with you, or any of my friends. Emeralds or no emeralds, he’s gonna have to get past me and he won’t!”

Sonic By Episode 1′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here we come!

Tails By Episode 10′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here I come!

Turn your thoughts into power. Be all that you can be.

     The ending legit got me choked up because what of they decided to do for wrapping up Tails journey in a poetic fashion. Having Tails go off on his own separate journey to grow more independence pulled on my heart strings perfectly. Very much so, as I’m transitioning slowly, but surely, into gaining more freedom to go out into the outside world in my own life. Concluding the story, by Sonic & Tails holding onto the two Emeralds their bond had formed from positive energy, due to their powerful friendship, was so heartwarming. This is how you write an overview of what makes Sonic & Tails chemistry work so well as it does.

     Sonic & Tails R’s ending represents while some things never change, like Sonic and Tails bond for each other, it also shows there’s very much a necessity for people to grow, hence Tails’ whole solo journey in the epilogue. People can’t stay in the same place forever and will need go about finding their own path, even if it means saying “goodbye” periodically for a notable amount of time.

     It’s for these reasons I’ve listed in great explanation above throughout this detailed post cement Sonic & Tails R high on my list of favorite Sonic fan projects. They captured the magic of what made the Adventure games so beloved. Gonna be looking back on this passion project for many years to come. Everyone involved in this year long effort of a project dating all the way back Summer of 2020 ought to be immensely proud for how much their hard efforts paid off in the long run.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts here! 

Hope you enjoyed. 

[autisticshadowthehedgehog]

Sonic X Theory: the other Ultimate Lifeforms

In Sonic X’s adaptation of Sonic Adventure 2, they make an interesting claim about the Ultimate Lifeform prototypes on the ARK. When Rouge hacks into the base, she informs Shadow of one thing- he wasn’t the only prototype from Project Shadow that escaped the ARK massacre. 

[ID: screenshots from Sonic X: one of Rouge looking up Project Shadow, surprised and reading “Shadow? Secure and dispose?” Another shot of two escape pods falling towards a planet, with the caption from a GUN soldier: “Our mission ended when we sealed away the prototype of the ultimate lifeform.” End ID.] 

Rouge makes the claim that neither of these escape pods was Shadow... so in X Canon, is Shadow even who he thinks he is? And just as importantly... who are the other prototypes? 

Full theory under the cut. 

So first off. Let’s look at Rouge’s claim that Shadow isn’t who he thinks he is.

Part One: Is Shadow from the ARK?

[ID: screenshots from Sonic X of Rouge and Shadow talking, with the following dialogue:

Rouge: This is the progress report for Project Shadow, a plan to create the ultimate life form. The body they created is still held there.

Shadow: I know. That’s a prototype. I’m the Ultimate Lifeform they created afterwards- 

Rouge: Two capsules were ejected when the ARK was shut down. But neither was found. They couldn’t lock up in prison what they couldn’t find. Do you understand? I wonder who you really are.

Shadow looks troubled. End ID.] 

So two capsules were ejected and neither was found in the fifty years it’s been since the accident-- except I think Rouge is wrong about one thing. Shadow is who he thinks he is- because his capsule was sent out alone. It must have somehow not been logged. 

How do we know this? Shadow’s flashback of being sent away and the man who worked for GUN are completely different- first of all, the GUN soldier doesn’t remember her saying anything to Shadow, or Shadow even being there- it seems that she died to send away something or someone else. Second- Maria is in a different position around the lever in both flashbacks. See the GUN soldier’s first-- 

Though we don’t see the full room, we get the sense that it’s small from the other shots that I don’t have the time to screenshot. She’s around an elevated platform not attached to a wall, and either facing the pod she’s sending away or in a completely different room. 

But, both of Shadow’s alternate memories of Maria sending him away-- the first one more stylized, the second one we can assume more real-- neither looks like this. 

In both, she’s in a differing position. In the sepia flashback, she’s not facing him, and pulling a lever attached to a wall. In the second flashback, she’s already on the floor, and the lever pad we see would cause her to be facing away from Shadow. In neither of these do we see any evidence that anyone other than Shadow and Maria are in the room or even nearby. 

Shadow also has enough evidence he’s who he thinks he is- he has the right powerset, the GUN soldier says that they did, indeed, seal away an Ultimate Prototype, Gerald mentions Shadow enough in his monologues, and... honestly there’s really no evidence that he isn’t Shadow, other than the two pods. And two pods? Shadow was sent out alone, we saw no evidence of a second pod in either flashback. So he wasn’t with anyone else. 

So what’s the conclusion? The conclusion is that these are two different events- one where Maria releases Shadow, and one where she releases another- or, possibly, the others, the two pods that were logged as escaping. 

Maria either freed Shadow first and then the other two, or she freed the first two, got shot, and then managed to survive long enough to send Shadow away. Either way-- these events are separate.  

So what was in the other two pods? Two other prototypes of the Ultimate Lifeform, clearly, but nothing like the Biolizard, they’re too small. 

Now let me ask you something... wouldn’t it make sense for the Ultimate Prototypes to look similar, if they were similar lifeforms? 

And who do we know who looks similar to Shadow? 

Part Two: Sonic is an Ultimate Lifeform

[ID: Shadow looking down at Sonic, and saying, “I see. We actually do look alike. It’s like looking in a mirror.” End ID.] 

Okay so like. Unless you’re very colorblind I think you’ve noticed that Shadow and Sonic are completely different colors. But let’s ignore that for now-- they do have a very similar silhouette... in fact, Shadow’s silhouette is incredibly close to SuperSonic, which is Sonic at full power. And in-universe, they look similar enough that in low lighting pretty much nobody can tell them apart. 

And not just that- Sonic has a lot of power for a seemingly “normal” mobian. [Yes, I know they don’t use the term “Mobius” in Sonic X but let me simplify this somehow.] His superspeed, ability to survive so much shit... he’s powerful enough that he presents a rival for Shadow without chaos emeralds (though Shadow is nerfed a little by the Inhibitor Rings- more on that later). 

[ID: Sonic and Shadow racing; they are keeping up with each other. Shadow says, “It seems your appearance isn’t the only thing that’s similar to me. Who are you?” Sonic responds, “I’m me.” End ID.] 

Shadow’s right- their appearance isn’t where the resemblance stops. And of course there’s probably the most damning similarity-- they are the only two characters we see go Super and have the ability to control the Chaos Emeralds.

[ID: First image is SuperSonic and SuperShadow, having absorbed the power of the chaos emeralds. Second image is from the Third Season, where a MetaRex shouts, “There are two individuals [referring to Sonic and Shadow] who can draw out the power of the Chaos Emeralds?” End ID.] 

Oh and SPEAKING OF Sonic/Shadow similarities-- there’s a scene in Season Three where Sonic is being lectured by the villain about how all life ends eventually so why bother etc. and Sonic says that life is worth the good bits, all that jazz. Here’s the scene:

And exactly 1:25 in.... guess what starts playing

This song is scarily similar to “Recollection of the Ark”... Shadow’s sad song about his memories of the ARK... while Sonic is being lectured about still having faith in humanity. You know. Like MARIA WANTED.

Interesting how we know absolutely nothing about Sonic’s past, huh-- pretty much all we have before he meets Tails is that he says he’s fifteen years old, but honestly... are we even sure about that? First of all, if Sonic was revived alone, there wouldn’t be a way to tell his age, he’d probably just accept the first age someone assigned him. 

Alternatively, we know from the end of Season Two and the beginning of Season Three that time works in a very wonky way from Earth to Mobius- in the ~2-3 days Sonic’s alone with Chris, a week passes on Mobius, despite the fact we know he can chaos control at any time. In the third season? Six years pass on Earth while six months pass on Mobius. So time doesn’t really work in a reasonable way, meaning it’s possible that Sonic is fifteen... and he lived fifteen years on Mobius after awakening, while fifty years passed on Earth. 

And we know for a fact that travel between Mobius and Earth was possible even before the events of Season One... because Eggman was born on Earth.

[ID: Eggman looking shocked and turning around in a chair, announcing, “I was born in this world!” End ID.]

Eggman was born on Earth and somehow ended up on Mobius-- but he was young enough he didn’t realize until he saw that Gerald lived on Earth. So was he in the second escape pod? It’s possible, but I don’t think so-- he’d have to have information on Gerald, and it seems he had a picture of Gerald and Maria, so it’s likely he traveled with a parent or guardian, or at least some kind of family history, which I doubt Maria would think to store in an escape pod while everyone was running for their lives. This plot element was probably just to set up that travel between the dimensions happens more than we think. 

Neither escape pod from the ARK was recovered, probably because they ended up on Mobius. 

It’s most likely that they Chaos Controlled into the other dimension-- I know I said Maria probably wouldn’t think to store anything other than the lifeform themselves in the pod, but if the lifeform needed Chaos Emeralds to practice/control their powers, or the Chaos Emeralds were already stored in an escape pod for safekeeping-- or if, possibly, GUN was attempting to capture the Chaos Emeralds as well, and the Robotniks knew that they would use them in a destructive way-- all that combined could mean that the emeralds would also be important enough to send away in a pod. 

If even one of the pods had Chaos Emeralds, it’s possible that the lifeform inside could have sensed danger and unconsciously teleported them to the most safe place from GUN-- another world where GUN didn’t exist and couldn’t reach them. And even better-- a world where mobians like them lived. 

From Sonic X lore that I don’t have the time to find and screencap, we know that the two worlds used to be the same but split at some point in history. If this was after, say, the events of Chaos destroying the Echidnas-- which, sidenote, interesting how they disappear and nobody knows where they went, so it’s possible that Chaos straight-up split the dimensions just to get rid of the Echidnas-- then enough of their lore could remain. Old cave paintings, wall carvings, etc., could show enough mobians that scientists could probably think “oh, wow, that looks like a god figure. might as well design our ultimate lifeform after that, esp since they had this god that could control chaos and the chaos emeralds came from here.” 

Wanna know what’s interesting about those ancient echidna temples? Guess who’s there-- if we go by Sonic 3 & Knuckles, a game that ofc had been released by the time X was being written...

SuperSonic. 

Both the ultimate form of Sonic, and the silhouette of Shadow. 

So let’s say they find this on the ARK studies, and they’re like “okay so our ultimate lifeform goal is a hedgehog. Got it.” There’s two options after this:

They make Sonic, but deem him a failure for reasons and cryo-freeze him until they need him or can release him. They then proceed to make Shadow, who they believe actually is their ultimate lifeform. 

They made Shadow first, but after a while kept experimenting and making more prototypes, just in case, or possibly because they decided Shadow wasn’t powerful enough. However, the prototypes weren’t ready to awaken before the ARK massacre, Shadow never met them. 

So as I’ve made clear, I’m pretty sure that one of those prototypes was Sonic-- who, of course, has no idea. Either he only entered consciousness after arriving in Mobius, or his memories of the ARK were so vague, traumatic, early, or a combo, that his mind blocked them out. Either way, it doesn’t matter, what matters is that he and Shadow are both prototypes, which is what gives Sonic his power. 

And Sonic’s power, btw, isn’t limited like Shadow’s. Because he doesn’t have inhibitor rings. 

If prototype!Sonic was sent away with inhibitor rings, he ditched them. Which would make sense, especially if he woke up with no memory of the ARK and didn’t know why these weird bracelets were on his arm. He would notice that the rings slowed him down and ditch them fast. And that’s assuming they even stuck rings on the prototype. 

But if we do assume they stuck rings on the prototypes... maybe we can find the other lifeform that was sent away along with Sonic. 

Part Three: Who is the Third Ultimate Lifeform?

Okay. Let’s do a headcount. 

Who, in Sonic X, 

Existed on Mobius at the same time as Sonic, 

Doesn’t appear to have a lot of power but has a lot of incredible strength if you pay attention, 

Sometimes shows strange abilities, such as far leaps into the air, a speed great enough that they can sometimes catch up to Sonic (though not as great, possibly because of the inhibition), even potentially the ability to summon weapons out of thin air, 

Looks similar to the Mobian Hedgehog-- or, perhaps, with influences from a Mobian Echidna, who were the ones who had the SuperSonic glyphs in the first place, and thus could potentially serve as a design point, 

Wears rings around their wrists at all times?

[ID: Amy Rose being absurdly powerful in several screencaps, often glowing; though this is normal anime expressionwork, it is something that exclusively happens to Amy in Sonic X. End iD.]

And, of course, this beauteous moment: 

[ID: A scene from the season two finale of Sonic X. Eggman’s ship, on which Amy’s hammer is stuck, is high above her, and Eggman taunts “It doesn’t matter if you’re angry because your hammer is stuck up here!” In the following image, a moving gif, Amy summons a hammer out of thin air, a puff of smoke coming from it, as she is still glowing with a fire-like energy. Eggman’s robots shout “She has another one! How many does she have?” End ID.]

That’s right! This was all an excuse to spout out my “Amy Rose could kill God” propaganda! But it’s not propaganda if I’m right!

Part Four: The Lifeforms

So. It’s been a couple months since I made this post, but I was rewatching Sonic X with my sister, and we did notice that you do see prototype lifeforms for a flash in the GUN soldier’s story.

[ID: Screenshots from Sonic X; The GUN soldier narrates his story, as we see GUN soldiers arresting scientists, while standing in front of empty tubes of bubbling green liquid. The caption reads, “There were many rumors about ARK. Such as doing research for eternal life or creating the Ultimate Life Form.” The GUN soldier steps to a tube that has something in it. End ID.]

We see a brief flash of an experimental lifeform in this memory, as seen above; we also see two more, the ones that were explicitly stated to be the ones Maria was freeing.

[ID: Screenshots from later in the same episode of Sonic X, the first showing two tubes with dark figures inside, surrounded by dark blue bubbling water. The next screenshot shows Maria preparing to free them, with the captions reading “An experimental life form? She’s planning to free it!” End ID.]

So, these silhouettes. Let’s uh. Let’s take a look at those huh

Now, the bodies are too thick to be standard mobian bodies- but we can also see wires attached to the prototypes, as well as, you know, whatever that liquid is. It’s entirely possible there’s something wrapped around their bodies, to keep them safe/asleep/etc.

But..... ok so I might be reaching here but analyzing the face silhouettes, using red lines to mark quills and green to mark potential laid-back ears, it really could be long-quilled sonic and short-quilled Amy.

As well as this, in the shot of the GUN soldier looking at a prototype, I swear I can see a mobian ear.

tl;dr this is all fascinating me and I think we should let the Sonic X crew return to making this show as if they never left so that we can get answers to this

[thecreaturecodex]

Sahkil, Camazotz

“Bat Creature” © Jose Pericles, accessed at his ArtStation here

[Commissioned by @gay-for-ocypete​. Camazotz appears in the Popol Vuh, the creation story of the K’iche’, but the role is somewhat obscure. Namely, depending on who you ask, there is either one Camazotz, or a whole host of camazotz. The name means “death bat”, and multiple monstrous bats are encountered at once. Such confusion isn’t exactly uncommon in mythology (see how a single satan, a prosecuting angel in the Book of Job, developed into The Satan). Pathfinder has a singular Camazotz already, and the commissioner wanted a species of them as powerful fiends. I made them sahkils because of the presence of Xilbaba as Pathfinder’s sahkil central, and to go with other “environmental sahkils” like my borda and fear liath.]

Sahkil, Camazotz CR 15 NE Outsider This creature looks like a parody of a bat warped into human shape, but more terrible than either. Its body seems to drink in the light around it, and its teeth are honed to a razor’s edge.

The camazotz are sahkils associated with the fear of caves and the subterranean reaches of the world. They use darkness and confinement to their advantage, and are able to fit through surprisingly small cracks and crevices despite their size. They lurk in places where the boundaries between the Material and Ethereal planes are thin, and are considered by many to be the guardians of Xilbaba, the realm of the sahkils. One of their favorite sports is to use their spell-like abilities to reshape tunnels, closing off some passageways while rendering others hazardous, confounding attempts to map their lairs.

If they have the space, camazotz make hit and run attacks, weaving into melee range to inflict bleeding wounds or deadly touch attacks. If forced to ground, they will grab enemies in their claws and attempt to tear them to pieces. The darkness protects camazotz from many direct attacks, and if there is no natural darkness around, a camazotz will generate magical darkness. Their teeth are so sharp that they can sever a head in a single blow. These decapitated heads are often kept as trophies and used as grisly balls for sports.

Camazotz               CR 15 XP 51,200 NE Large outsider (extraplanar, evil, sahkil) Init +8; Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 120 ft., low-light vision, Perception +24, scent Defense AC 30, touch 18, flat-footed 21 (-1 size, +8 Dex, +1 dodge, +12 natural) hp 207 (18d10+108) Fort +12, Ref +19, Will +14 DR 15/good; Immune death effects, disease, fear, poison; Resist cold 10, electricity 10, sonic 10; SR 26 Defensive Abilities evasion, shadow blend; Weakness light blindness Offense Speed 40 ft., fly 60 ft. (good) Melee bite +24 (2d6+7/19-20 plus bleed), 2 claws +24 (1d6+7 plus grab) Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft. Special Attacks bleed (1d6), look of fear, rake (2 claws +24, 1d6+7), vorpal bite Spell-like Abilities CL 15th, concentration +20 (+24 casting defensively) At will—fear (DC 21), greater teleport (self plus 50 lbs. objects only), stone shape, vampiric touch 3/day—quickened darkness, empowered slay living (DC 20), spike stones (DC 19), wall of stone 1/day—great shout (DC 23), finger of death (DC 22), summon (level 7th, 1 camazotz, 35%) Statistics Str 24, Dex 26, Con 23, Int 19, Wis 17, Cha 20 Base Atk +18; CMB +26 (+30 grapple); CMD 45 Feats Combat Casting, Dodge, Empower SLA (slay living), Flyby Attack, Improved Critical (bite), Hover, Mobility, Quicken SLA (darkness), Power Attack Skills Acrobatics +29, Bluff +26, Fly +31, Intimidate +29, Knowledge (geography) +22, Knowledge (dungeoneering, planes) +25, Perception +24, Sense Motive +24, Stealth +25 Languages Abyssal, Celestial, Infernal, Undercommon, telepathy 100 ft. SQ compression, easy to call, emotional focus, skip between, spirit touch Ecology Environment any underground (Ethereal Plane) Organization solitary, pair or flock (3-12) Treasure standard Special Abilities Look of Fear (Su) Gaze—30 ft.; Will DC 26; cower 1d4+1 rounds. This is a mind-influencing fear effect, and the save DC is Charisma based and includes a +2 bonus to the DC from the camazotz’s emotional focus. Shadow Blend (Su) In any condition of illumination other than full daylight, a camazotz disappears into the shadows, giving it concealment (50% miss chance). Artificial illumination, even a light or continual flame spell, does not negate this ability; a daylight spell, however, does. A camazotz can suspend or resume this ability as a free action. Vorpal Bite (Ex) If a camazotz rolls a natural 20 on an attack roll with its bite, and then confirms the critical hit, it severs the head of its opponent, killing it. This ability does not automatically kill creatures with multiple heads, and cannot affect headless creatures.

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

🎵 Whoooo wants a nice little short 'n sweet post-Prime one shot with Sonic and Tails and some angst and also fluff and cuddles and nightmares and sadness and cuteness and the implementing of that one headcanon from the post I made about Sonic getting more cuddly and clingy when he's hurt or upset??? 🎵

Sonic Prime - Healing Hugs

Something had happened in the cave with Sonic. Tails was absolutely certain of it.

At first, it had just been pleasant changes, pleasant surprises. Sonic had suddenly switched to being a 100% team player, had started paying attention to each and every thing Tails instructed, and seemingly communicated with Shadow just as the Ultimate Lifeform arrived out of nowhere to Chaos Control the Paradox Prism to who-knows-where.

Then there had been the more weird changes.

Every time Tails opened his mouth, Sonic would drop everything to listen to every word with laser focus, even if it was about something as simple as what he was going to get for dinner or some cool comics he'd read. He was giving a lot more hugs, too, far more than usual. Sonic used to be a lot more selective about physical affection, but now, Tails couldn't seem to get through 30 minutes of a day without his older brother scooping him up in an embrace, however brief. Not that he was complaining, it was nice.

He kept catching the hedgehog lying around in the grass, fingering the green leaves with utter delight in his eyes. Once he found him on the beach, sitting in a palm tree and singing some kind of pirate-y sounding song. Another time he found him wandering slowly around the woods nearby, talking to the flickies about how pretty the trees were.

Something was off, but Tails couldn't put his finger on it. From his perspective, he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary happen during the battle in the cave, but Sonic's change in behavior made it painfully obvious something had.

Especially when the more negative changes started manifesting.

Not negative in a sense that Sonic was doing anything wrong. But he seemed . . . a little rattled. Some of his hugs were far more than just quick side squeezes. Sometimes he'd stare at Tails with an oddly pensive, faraway look in his eyes.

In bed, one night about a week after the cave incident, Tails found himself tossing and turning. These thoughts were driving him up the wall with how often they'd been occupying his mind lately.

He wanted so badly to sit down with Sonic and ask him what happened. He knew something had happened. But whether Sonic was willing to talk about it was another question entirely. He knew something was different, but he also knew his brother. Sonic didn't like uncomfortable conversations. If he felt unsafe, he would run.

Tails knew better than to confront him with questions that Sonic would likely not want to answer. If he'd wanted to tell Tails what was going on, what was different, he probably would've told him already.

With an exhausted sigh, Tails gave up trying to sleep and sat up in bed, casting a quick glance at the digital clock on his nightstand.

3:47 a.m.

Great. Even when I'm not working on a project, I STILL end up sleep-deprived. He smirked. At least Sonic can't get ticked at me this time, it's not my fault.

Speaking of the Blue Devil, he was right down the hall. Conked out on the couch, where he often slept. In fact, he'd been sleeping there every night for the past week.

Since he couldn't sleep, anyway, Tails slipped out of bed and crept down the hall, having memorized which boards creaked and which ones didn't. He half-hoped Sonic was awake so he'd have someone to talk to, but as he emerged into the living room, he saw his brother sound asleep, half-curled on his side.

Tails blinked and looked closer.

Sonic was asleep, but . . . he was also clinging extra tightly to his pillow. And he looked . . . incredibly stressed.

Was he having a bad dream?

Tails took a couple steps towards the couch until he stood right beside it. In past experiences where he'd found his brother having a nightmare, talking it out rarely helped. Sometimes even waking him up didn't help, either. He usually just wound up disoriented and panicking, and sometimes even ran off to deal with his feelings alone out in the wilderness.

Tails really didn't want him to leave. He also didn't want him to be alone.

He reached out and ever so gently placed his hand over Sonic's clenched fist, both ungloved.

One thing he had discovered about his brother during hard times like this was that he became more clingy. On the rare occasion he was visibly upset, he'd sometimes come up and just hug Tails without a word. When he was sick or injured somehow (and actually allowing himself to be taken care of), he tended to snuggle more. If he was in enough pain, he'd hold onto Tails as tightly as he could. Sometimes he'd do the same with their other friends, but Tails was always his go-to.

Not that it happened very often. Tails only knew these things because he'd known Sonic for most of his life. Sonic had raised him. He'd seen more of Sonic than anyone else had.

Now, he rubbed a finger over his brother's fist for a moment, then very carefully tugged the pillow out of Sonic's unconscious grasp. He set it softly on the floor, then carefully clambered onto the couch next to him, lay down, and hugged him tightly.

Without waking up, Sonic wrapped his arms around him in return and held him close, burying his face between Tails's ears with a barely audible whimper.

Tails could feel his brother's heartbeat racing, so he snuggled in closer and softly began to purr.

And, with time, he felt Sonic start to calm down.

A couple minutes went by, and his heart rate slowed down just a bit. The tension coiled throughout his entire body started to unwind, and his spiked-up quills lowered slightly in a more relaxed position. His ears were still kinda droopy, but he seemed a lot more restful than he had a few minutes ago.

Tails smiled, still bundled up tightly against Sonic. And his smile only grew wider when he felt his brother start purring, too.

There was something infinitely comforting about being held, about snuggling with his brother, the person who loved him to the moon and back. The person he loved in exactly the same way. For those moments, the very problems that had been keeping Tails awake half an hour earlier seemed to fade. He was here, Sonic was here, no words were spoken or needed, and they would be okay.

Tails slept soundly for the rest of the night.

-

The sound of flickies singing from the treetops woke Sonic the next day. He blinked blearily as his eyes came into focus, and he realized that Tails had joined him sometime during the night.

Once upon a time, waking up to find him right there had made him jump. It didn't anymore.

He smiled, carefully adjusting one hand so he could stroke his little brother's bangs and give him a tiny scratch behind one ear. Tails mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep, and snuggled closer in Sonic's chest.

He grinned wider. Tails hadn't been snuggly to this level in a while. Granted, he'd always been the more snuggly one of the two of them, but still. It kind of reminded Sonic of the first couple years he'd been taking care of Tails, when the kit was between 3 and 4 years old.

His smile faded a little as he thought of Nine at that age, still alone, still being bullied and hurt, with no one to save him and show him the love and care he deserved.

He could only hope that the other Shatterverse variants were showing him such kindness now. The thought that he would never get to see him again made his heart ache in a way he couldn't quell.

Sonic studied Tails's sleeping face, noting the intense similarities and differences between him and Nine. He wondered whether Nine had always existed even before the Shatter event, as a part of his little brother that Tails would never bring to light. Was it the same with Mangey and Sails?

A tiny snort escaped him against his will as he thought about whether Mangey's existence was an implication that a part of Tails just wanted to go a little feral. Sometimes he couldn't blame him.

His suppressed laugh had Tails stirring, blinking open his big blue eyes. He looked back at Sonic, grinning sleepily. "G'morning."

Sonic ruffled his bangs again, smiling as Tails giggled. "G'morning, little buddy."

Stop calling me that!

He froze at the memory of Nine's angry shout, and Tails clearly saw it.

"Are you okay?" he asked with a gentle, inquiring frown, slowly sitting up.

Sonic sighed as he sat up as well, leaning back to stretch, then pulled his little brother close again. "I've got a story for you, bud," he admitted, deciding it was about time to open up about what had really happened in the cave.

Tails gazed up at him with surprise, but then smiled and nodded.

"I'm listening," he replied quietly.

AO3 version

Did I come up with this while hugging a giant pillow during my nap earlier today? Maybe :3

I also maybe just really wanted to implement that headcanon somewhere teehee

[circuit-music]

2020 Music Recommendations

2020 – WHAT A SHIT YEAR! There was so much craziness in those 365 days – from politics to a pandemic. Music was often times one of those things we could take comfort in or use it as a tool to express a range of emotions. I’m always surprised when compiling these list (of which I’ve been doing for 20+ years now it seems) that no matter the state of the world, there is always an overabundance of great music to be discovered. 2020 musically, delivered - including surprising returns from some bands who’ve been rather quiet in the past years like Consolidated, Cabaret Voltaire, and Portion Control.  

The majority of what I listen to is electronic based music, with techno-body music being my favorite and there was STILL PLENTY of that in 2020 from labels like Aufnahme+Wiedergabe, Fleisch, Bite, X-IMG, Sonic Groove, SOIL, and more. Occasionally something a little lighter like the ethereal shoe-gaze goodness of Mint Julep (“Stray Fantasies” was an amazing record), or the post-punk of House of Harm (wonderful new discovery this year with “Viscous Pastimes”) and Sure (you all slept on “20 years” in 2020) works its way in to my listening. I still find synth pop from the likes of Riki, Korine, Tanz Waffen and Wingtips wonderfully appeasing. The wave material from the likes of Handful of Snowdrops, Linea Aspera, Zanias, Hante., Minuit Machine and Replicant was perfect for those melancholy moods. I even dipped into some aggressive near metal stuff this year from the likes of Pudeur, ESA and Youth Code – perfect for those days of anger.  Oh, and I was thrilled to see a lot of exclusive, unreleased and remixed Curve material surface this year – a band who embraces several genres (walls of guitar, shoe gaze, industrial) and moods.

This isn’t a top 10, top 25 or even a top 100. Instead, it’s an A-Z recommendation list encompassing many genres as those lines are getting more and more blurred. A good tune is a good tune, regardless of genre.  

HIGHLY encourage you to get out there and seek out new music; Visit the record stores, go hear a new DJ, fire up Spotify or another streaming service, check out some new music via podcast, DJ mixes, label sites, online retailers, even Facebook. One of the best sources for discovering new music is BandCamp - who in 2020 with the pandemic started BandCamp Fridays in which the site waived its normal fees to assist artist impacted. Taking place, the first Friday of every month, those will continue in 2021. There’s a plethora of discoveries to be found out there. If you do the work, you’ll be rewarded ;)     Speaking of Spotify – I made a playlist this year featuring plenty of the bands on my list. There’s at least a track or more from the artist who have a presence on Spotify. Sadly a few bands on this list aren’t on the platform, but check BandCamp and you can have a listen. Here’s the link:   https://open.spotify.com/playlist/02kQJZE7uvJxwHJD8j8zrh?si=SHlP4mVRTuaRejh6So3Mig

As in years past I’m certain I missed a few things, ignored the hype on certain releases or just plain forgotten something. It’s a chore to compile this list, but I love to do it. There’s a ton of new pioneering music out there for sure waiting to be discovered and it’s the “what’s next” that keeps me a motivated music fan. There’s never a dull moment in speaking, writing, DJ'ing or promoting new music, so I’ll keep doing it and hopefully be a guide for you all ;).   If it needs mention and I overlooked it - I may do an addendum in the next week or so. Anyways, got your notepaper and plenty of beverages ready? Don’t be a TL:DR (Too Long: Didn’t Read) fool. Read up. Enjoy the music of 2020!

Onwards with the list!!! :D  

2+2=5 - “Hidden In Plain Sight “ (COUP)  

Absolute Body Control   - “1980/2020” 3xLP (Oraculo Records)    

Agent 15   - “Voices In My Head” (Drone)  

Ah Cama-Sotz - “New Skin for Old Tribals “ (Self-released)  

Andi - “Corpse to Corpus” 12” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)    

Arabian Panther - “The Way of the Pentinent” EP (SOIL)  

Arnaud Rebotini – “Workout: This is a Quarantine EP6” (Self-released)  

Autumns - "You Always Taught Me Better" LP  (Detriti Records)  

Benedek - “Mr. Goods” 12” (L.I.E.S.)  

Blac Kolor   - “Extinction” EP  (Aufnahme+Widergabe)  

Blacksmith   - “Dominated” (X-IMG)    

Blitzkrieg Baby - “Remixed” (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)    

Blush Response   - “Void In” LP (Megastructure)   - “Void Out” (Megastructure)    

Body Beat Ritual   - "Raw Dogs” EP (Pleasure Corp)  

Body Divide   - “Pleasure From Pain” (Squarewav)    

Cabaret Voltaire   - “Shadow of Fear” LP (Self-released)  

Calvary Stone - “Hate Unit” (Soil)  

Caustic - “The King of EBM” (Self-released)    

Cervello Elettronico - “No Sides” EP (SquareWav)  

Choke Chain - “Chain Tactics” (Self-released)   - “Grave” (Self-released)  

Chris Shape - “Shaped to Deform” (Unknown Pleasures Records)    

Chrome Corpse   - “Detecting Movement” Ltd. Edition 12" EP  (Oraculo Records)   - “Helmet Mounted Display” (Self-released)  

Chrome Corpse / Decent News   - “Split” (Self-Released)  

Codex Empire   - “Broken by Fear" Ltd. 12” (Horo)     - “Protected by Rage” 12”  (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)  

Cold Cave   - “Waving Hands” (self-releaesed)  

Comfort Cure - “Serpentine City” (Rec.Body.Ltd)    

Consolidated - “Capitalism” (Self-released)  

Crystal Geometry   - “Samiam” EP (Sacred Court)   - “Senestre” 2x12” (Sonic Groove)  

Curve   - “Blindfold EP - Bootleg EP Series 1”  (Self-released)   - “Curve Oddities Bootleg Series 3” (Self-released)   - “Curve Oddities Bootleg Series 5” (Self-released)   - “Horror Head Raw DAT Mixes Bootleg Series 4” (Self-released)  

Cyan ID   - “Blurred Revelation” (X-IMG)  

Dive   - “Where Do We Go From Here” Ltd. Ed Box set (Out Of Line)    

E.L.I.   - “Dying to Live” (SOIL)    

E.S.A.   -  “Burial 10” (Negative Gain Productions)   -  “Eat Their Young / The Scorn” (Negative Gain Productions)  

Einstruzende Neubauten   – “Alles In Allem” (Potomak)  

Evil Dust   - “Desolation” (Crave Tapes)    

Fatal Morgana   -  “The Destructive Remixes” 12"   (Mecanica Records)   - “The Final Destruction” 2LP   (Mecanica Records)  

Filmmaker   - “Reinvent” 12” (Soil records)  

Fixmer - "Invasion” 12” (Bite)    

Fixmer/McCarthy   - “Unreleased From the Archives" (Planet Rogue Records)    

Foreign Policy   - “Watching Existence” 12” (X-IMG)  

Fractions   - “Nite NRG” (Monnom Black)    

Further Reductions - “Array” 12” (Knekelhuis)    

Hakai   – “No Flesh Shall Be Spared” 12” (Megastructure)  

Halv Drom   -  “Slum Vatic” LP (Fleisch)  

Handful of Snowdrops   - “Asymetrical” (NanoGénésie®) - “Echoes -The Complete Cover Collection” (NanoGénésie®)   - “The Four Winds” (NanoGénésie®)   - “The Impossible Dream” (NanoGénésie®)   - “Watch Me Bleed / Theme for Great Cities” (Self-released)  

Hante.   - “Fierce - Remixes & More” LP (Synth Religion)      

HKKPTR   - “Macht & Ohnmacht” EP (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)    

House of Harm   - “Vicious Pastimes” LP (Avant!)  

Human Performance Lab   - “Impact Situation” 12"  (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)  

Inhalt   - “Simulation” 2xLP Remixes (Mechatronica)  

Iron Court   - “Etched Forseights” (Detriti)    

Istigkeit & Angel Karel   - “You A’Int No Punk, You Punk”  (RND. Records)  

IV Horsemen   - “Compilation Vol. 1” (Self-released)     - “Human Crash” LP (Fleisch)    

Karger Traum   - “III” LP (DKA Records)    

Kenny Campbell   - “Blackest Ever Buckfast” (Drone)

King Dude   - “Full Virgo Moon” LP (Van)    

KLACK   - "Two Minute Warning” (Klackprodukt)   - “Move Any Mountain” (Self-released)     - “Catching Up with Klack” (Razgrom)   - “Distancing” (Self-released)   - “Move Any Mountain” (Self-released)     - “Probably” (Klackprodukt)  

Konkurs   - “Terminal Stage" (Megastructure, X-IMG)  

Kontravoid   - “Live from the Void” (Self-released)     - “Too Deep Remixes” (Fleisch)    

Korine   - “The Night We Raise” LP (Data Airlines)    

Kris Baha   - “Barely Alive” 12” (Emotional Especial)     - “Starts to Fall” 12” (Power Station)    

Kutkh Jackdaw   - “Sweat & Thunder EP and remixes” (Dark Disco)      

Lbeeze   - “Induced Expressions” (Phormix Tapes)    

Liebknecht   - “Demos The H4AR 2020" (Self-released)   - “Koln : Total Harmonic Noize remix” (Self-released)    

Linea Aspera   - “LP II” (Self-released)    

Looky Looky   - “Are You There Beach?” (Self-released)    

Machino   - “Ciudad Violenta” (X-IMG)    

Maedon   - “Escape To Berlin" (Sonic Groove)      

Marc Ash   - “Mirror Glaze Lavish" 12" EP (Fleisch)  

Marina Aleksandra   - “Animal Industrial Complex” (Randolph & Mort. mix)  

Max Durante   - “Fear and Desire” 12”  (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)  

Mind | Matter   – “Souvenirs Brises” (Intervision)  

Mint Julep   - “Stray Fantasies” LP (Western Vinyl)    

Minuit Machine   - “Don’t Run From the Fire” 12” (Synth Religion)    

New Frames   - “Outer Limits” 12” (Bite)   - “RNF2” 12” (R Label Group)   - “Stylized Fear” 12” (Haven)    

Nordstaat   - “Singularity Second Coming” (X-IMG)  

NZ   - “More Of Us” 12” ltd. (Infacted Records)    

Objekt Clermont   - "Zeitgeist” EP (Self-released)  

Ofelia Ortodoxa   - “Maleficio” (Soil)    

Pablo Bozzi   - “Last Moscow Mule” (Dischi Autunno)   - “Walk on Wire” EP (Bite)  

Phase Fatale   - “Scanning Backwards” 2xLP (Osgut Ton)  

Portion Control   - “Head Buried” EP  (Portion-Control.Net)   - “Seed  1” EP (Portion-Control.Net)   - “Seed 2” EP (Portion-Control.Net)  

Pudeur   - “Magie Noire” (Area Z)    

Randolph & Mortimer   - “Enjoy More” 7” (Self-released)   - “Manifesto for a Modern World” 2xLP (Mecanica)     - “They Know We Know They Lie” (Self-released)   - “Union of the Faithful” (Self-released)    

Reka X Imperial Black Unit   - “Todo Avaricia” 12" EP  (Fleisch)  

Rendered   - “Stone Cold Soul” CD (Audiophob)    

Replicant   - "Regression” (Self-released)     - “Annihilation” (Self-released)  

Rhys Fulber   - “Diaspora” EP  (Aufnahme+Wiedergabe)   - “Resolve” (FR Recordings)  

Riki   - “Riki” LP (Dais Records)

Rommek   - “Break The Tension” 12” (Leyla Records)    

Salem Unsigned   - “Blood Origin” (RND.r recorcds)    

SARIN   - “Moral Cleansing Remixed" (Bite)      

Schwefelgelb   - “Der Puls Durch Die Schläfen Instrumentals" (n-Plex)     - “Der Puls Durch Die Schläfen" (n-Plex)     - “Die Stimme Drängt” 12"  (Cititrax)  

SDH - “Against Strong Thinking" 12" (Avant!)  

Size Pier   - “Typhoon in Busan” (X-IMG)    

Soft Crash   - “Spitzkrieg” 12” EP  (Bite)  

Soj   - “Land of Lovers and Hammers” (Infidel Bodies)   - “Slow Burn” (Industrial Complexx)    

Statiqbloom   - “Asphyxia Remixed” (Synthicide)      

Sure   - “20 Years” LP (Weyrd Sun Records)    

T_ERROR 404   - “Holographic Skull” (X-IMG)  

Tanz Waffen   - “Led Astray” (Self-Released)    

Teatre   - “Crime Imagery” (Self-released)  

Terrorfakt   - “Achtung 2020 Remixes” (SquareWav)    

The Marquis - “Poison” (Self-released)   - “Scab” (Self-released)    

Trauma Phase   - “Human Caused Disaster Response” (Detriti)   - “The Origin of Social Disabilities” (Self-Released)  

Unconscious   - “Regnum Novum” (X-IMG)     -"Slaves of System" LP  (Detriti)  

Unhuman   - “Voices of Distress” 12” (Bite)  

Various Artisits - “ASM II “ (Forkha) with: Chrome Corpse, Mind|Matter, The Undertaker’s Tapes, Evil Dust and more  

Various Artist -  “Meta Moto 4” (Meta Moto) with: Borsis Barksdale, Raw Ambassador, Filmmaker, Teatre and more

Various Artist - “Antikhrist Visions vol. II” LP (Industrias Mekanikas) with: Downwell, Delectro and more  

Various Artist - “BOY Records – Timeless Technology 1988 – 1991" 4xLP (Mecanica) Retrospective box of the legendary Boy label releases.  

Various Artist - “Crime Violente Vol.4”  (Up North Records) With: Calvary Stone, Lbeeze, Meshes and more  

Various Artist - “Dystopia in Action” 12” (X-IMG)     with: Alpha & Necromante, Kris Baha, Human Performance Lab and more  

Various Artist - “Ecdisis Vol 2” (Frigio Records) Snag this for the outstanding edit of Portion Control’s “Chew You to Bits”

Various Artist - “Murder 01” 12” (Murder) with: Codex Empire, Crystal Geometry, JK Flesh and more  

Various Artist - “Northern Nightmares Vol.1” (Up North Records) with: Autumns, Cardopusher, Teatre, Hate Magnum Opus and more

Various Artist - “Northern Nightmares Vol. 2” (Up North Records) with:  Notausgang, NGHTY, Violet Poison and more

Various Artist - “Sonic Groove: 25 Years 1995-2020" 2xLP (Sonic Groove) with: Orphx, Crustal geometry, Maedon, Rhys Fulber & Portion Control and more

Various Artist - “Uncanny Valleys Vol. 1” (Area Z) with: Chrome Corpse, Sarin x Imperial Black Unit, Celldod, IV Horsemen and more

Various Artist - “Uncanny Valleys Vol. 2” (Area Z) with: Ah Cama-Sotz, 3.14, MDS51 and more  

Various Artist - “Valley of Tears vol 1" 12” (Soil)   with: Imperial Black Unit, Fractions, Exhausted Modern and more

Various Artist - “Valley of Tears Vol. 2” 12” (Soil) with: SOj, Djedjotronic, Years of Denial and more  

Various Artist - “Seven Years of Delirium" (Liber Null)   with: Blush Response, NGLY, Zanias, Celldod, Phase Fatale and more  

Various Artist – “Detriti Split 1” 12” split vinyl (Detriti) with: Black Sun Dreamer and Trauma Phase

Various Artist – “Detriti Split 2” 12” split vinyl (Detriti) with: Mind | Matter and Iron Court  

Visceral Anatomy   - “Modern Anguish” EP  (Oraculo Records)  

Visitor   - “Technofossil” (Braid Records)  

Wingtips   - “Tears Of Pearls" (Self-released)    

Youth Code   - “Puzzle” (Self-Released)    

Zanias   - “Extinction” 12” (Fleisch)     - “Harmaline” (Self-Released)    

Zola Jesus   - “Live at Roadburn” (Roadburn Records)

[davidtennan-t]

‘Saviour in the Snow’ 

Chapter 2

The Doctor doesn't return from a mission on an alien world. Donna has to take matters into her own hands. Some Whump and general Ten/Donna foolery.

Chapter 3 will be following soon!

AO3 Link - Chapter 2

- 

Gelta’Divians were known for their ignorant, selfish behaviour. Their attitude to life wasn’t exactly rainbows and sunshine, nor was their hospitality. It would be the last time he ever offered his help to species this side of the Adrota Galaxy.

“N-noted for n-next time…”

The Doctor never liked to admit when he was cold. A Time Lord’s body temperature was easily adjustable and controlled – better central heating, is what he said to Donna once and she had laughed and commented on his ignorant cockiness over his superior biology.

But even Time Lord’s had their limits and the temperature wasn't going to stop falling.

He was shivering and that, in his mind, was a bad sign. A terrible sign. A dangerous sign, even.

He'd tried countless times to pull himself out but being unable to turn to reach the rocks, or use his sonic screwdriver in any sense or fashion, it all proved useless. The throbbing of his ankle caused the occasional wince and groan, only furthering the problem of his situation. It even crossed his mind to use the sonic to try and shift the rock using setting 82, but even then, the chances of causing another collapse in the cave would be high. It was better to be a trapped Time Lord than a squashed Time Lord.

So, after 1 hour, 3 minutes and 19 seconds, he was still firmly trapped.

“S-should have brought the coat…” the Doctor stated through lightly chattering teeth to nobody but himself. The dimming light through the very few cracks along with his very good sense of time told him the night was drawing close, and there was still no solid plan on how he was going to free himself. The Time Lord was used to making plans up as he went along but he couldn’t move – how could he move along? There was no way of contacting Donna to tell her where he was, nor what he could do to fix the situation. He wanted her there... he missed her.

“In here – the collapse must be further in.”

“With two of our buildings gone it has to be an extensive collapse. The northern forces will pay for the damage caused!”

Deep, booming voices suddenly echoed through the cave and the Doctor steadily glanced up from where he lay. He considered shouting in reply but the unfriendly tone made him second guess his thought. The blue light from the sonic screwdriver was illuminating his position so he reached over with his cold fingers and fiddled with the device, trying to dim the light. However, it was inevitable they would come across him if they were heading this way. There seemed no point in attempting to dim the only light.

"If anyone is in here, present yourself!"

As the Time Lord tried to shift his cold arms into a more comfortable position, the sudden tremor from the loud voice caused one of the rocks in the large pile to slip. It shifted the entire bulk of stone, increasing the pressure on his trapped foot. The Doctor was unable to keep a yell of pain restrained.

That was one way to present himself.

"Who's in here?!" one voice called in response to the pained yell, now much closer. "This is the chief from the southern camp, make yourself known!"

No point in keeping quiet now. The Doctor, now aware it was another group of Gelta'Divians, decided asking for help wasn't the worst thing he could do. Perhaps this was his chance for aid. He would more than likely have to work some charm on the group - at least he knew not to use any of his Judoon jokes.

"Any of you fella's ever s-shifted heavy rocks before?"

Even to him, his own voice sounded weak and feeble and he waited anxiously for a reply, trying to control his quivering jaw and the shivering from his skinny frame.

This was a different group of the native species, not the ones he had helped, so they would owe him nothing. He needed to be on his guard.

"I'm n-not a threat, I'm actually in a rather crushed-s-spot," he added, the footsteps growing ever closer until the large, bulky aliens finally appeared in the blue light of the sonic screwdriver. All five had sleek, golden spears drawn and were kitted in full armor. They must have been expecting a fight, but with what, the Doctor didn't know. They all looked similar to the group he had aided but the colouring of their armour was different - dark brown leather pads instead of overpowering grey.

"Hello, gents - am I g-glad to see some friendly faces around here! Just between us, these cave walls aren't much for conversa-"

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?" The leader of the group bellowed, stepping forwards with the sharp end of his weapon only inches away from the Time Lord's face. The Doctor, unable to protect himself, tried to keep his brown eyes locked onto the blue orbs that were staring down at him. His friendly approach usually always calmed tensions but it couldn't work all the time, he thought.

"Well, if I told you that the northern camp asked for my h-help to track down an alien ball of energy that, upon exploding, caused a cave-in which now has me trapped since all the strapping big fellas I came with ran off without helping me... would you b-believe me?"

The alien cheif and the rest of the threatening group looked between one another, almost debating whether they should believe the thin man lying on the ground.

"Honestly, it's the truth... I was just here t-to help. Now, if you wouldn't mind helping moving these rocks I need to get back to my frie-"

"Silence!" the leader bellowed. To the Doctor's utter dismay, another creak from the rock pile echoed through the chasm and a boulder slipped from the very top. It crashed down near the leader, causing the group to jump back while also narrowly missing the Doctor's side. The Time Lord sighed in relief - or was he relieved? A simple cry for help seemed to be getting him nowhere and, at this rate, he would be crushed if he tried to reason with them any longer.

"P-please," he pleaded, now in a much softer tone, "I just need one of you to move a few rocks and I-I'll leave immediately. If this is your turf then take it up with the leader of the northern camp."

"This cave-in caused a tremor," the leader growled, restraining himself from interrupting the chatty, shivering man again, "it destroyed two of our buildings and nearly killed several of our warriors. We came in search of any culprits and we found you, an outsider. If you're partly responsible for this, then the punishment of our people is death.Your crime is certain and we will not take into account your off-world plea."

Right. Of course it would be death. No rainbows and sunshine present. Straight to the point.

"What?" the Doctor stated, "N-now hold on a second, I never intended for the cave to collapse, I w-was only trying to h-"

A firm kick to the face stopped his plea. The large, armour-clad foot smacked violently into what felt like the entirety of his face, throwing it back and causing horrible vibrations from the impact. Within seconds, droplets of blood escaped from the Doctor's nose and, with no strength to keep his posture defensive, let his whole upper body collapse from the impact of the kick, his face buried in rubble and his breathing raw.

Selfish, ignorant - now he could add violent to his ever-growing negative list.

"You have no say in this!" the leader declared. None of them took pity on the trapped man, nor had they listened to any of his pleas. The Doctor managed to keep one eye feebly looking up, the figures now blurred in the blue light as he tried to retain some of his dwindling focus.

"You... you c-cant do this," the Time Lord wheezed, unable to keep his jaw tremors at bay from the cold and pain, "I h-have r-rights, under the juri... jurisdiction of the Shadow Procla-AH!"

Another kick. This time, his ear caught the brunt force.

"What should we do with him? A quick death would perhaps be more efficient... it would shut him up quicker," one of the group suggested while another shook his head, ignoring the Time Lords wheezes and groans of discomfort.

"Maybe we should leave him to starve... he already appears to be near it."

"Silence - you all know the law. We came here to find the one guilty of the collapse and we found him. I carried out the sentence, it is I who follows through with it," the leader confided, "if the northern clan finds him, they will heed our warning. If what he says is even true."

For the second time that day, the Doctor had no plan. He couldn't run or even move. He couldn't plea for his life. He couldn't even use his most entrusted tool.

He couldn't save himself. And his hearts were now pumping with fear. Not just for himself.

But for Donna.

-

Read the rest over on AO3!

[another-sonic-blog]

That Makes Us Two: Chapter 3: Affliction

The next day, Shadow and Amy had decided to look into the cave to see if they could find out more about the Purple Gem. It was strange enough that Sonic had found one of the broken pieces in the middle of Hedgehog Village when the cave was pretty far away from it.

"Do you really think we are going to find information about the Purple Gem in here?", Shadow questioned as Amy and he made its way inside the cave.

"We have nowhere else to start looking and besides, shouldn't you know more about it? You were living here with that thing for I don't know how long.", Amy looked around the cave, trying to figure out if the hieroglyphics could tell them something about the mysteries of the Gem.

"I've been living here since I have memory and that Gem had always been there. I never really cared for it so I never touched it. I don't know anything about it nor this cave's mysteries."

"Well so much for-" Amy then realized something. Shadow had been living in this cave since he was a little kid? All alone and scared. Was there no one with him? Amy realized that she knew nothing about Shadow. That may be the cave is as mysterious as him. She wanted to ask more, but she was afraid that Shadow might take it the wrong way. "So...you were always here? Since you were a kid? Why did you never move into the village?"

"I couldn't control my powers before, I didn't want to put anyone in danger, I have lost someone because of them and-" Shadow paused noticing that he was losing his cool. He just didn't want Amy to see that side of. Not now, not ever. " and that's none of your business pink brat, you ask too much you know that? We are here to look for clues."

"I was just trying to be nice, jerk"

"I don't want you to be nice, I want you to use your brain to figure out something about this hieroglyphics, but of course expecting that you have a brain would be exceeding my expectations."

"UGH, I CAN'T STAND YOU-"

Amy stopped yelling at Shadow as she had finally caught up to something. From her small knowledge of hieroglyphics, she would tell that the wall behind Shadow read 'Purple Gem'. She walked past Shadow who had his arms crossed watching her proceed reading the pictures behind him.

"Purple, Broken, Gem, Disappear, Locations", Amy said out loud. Shadow approached her from behind. He looked a bit more down of the cave's wall where Amy pointed. "This must be it! When it's broken, the pieces of Purple Gem disappear and appear in different locations!" She looked at the paintings of the locations, some having a distinct feature that separated them from the rest but to her dismay, she didn't know any of the places.

"I know all of these places, they are villages just like this one. Some of them friendly, others very dangerous." Shadow said as he looked over at Amy. "We are going to need an airplane."

.

.

.

"It will be faster if I just go by myself, just distract Tails and I'll take the plane."

Shadow and Amy were hiding behind the bushes. Watching Tails work on his famous Tornado just outside his workshop.

"No, I am coming with you, I just..." Amy looked over at her hand, she was holding a card. Inside it, it contained a letter explaining the reason why she was leaving. "I feel bad for leaving them...especially now that the Village is being rebuilt."

"Yeah, you SHOULD feel bad."

"Wow Shadow, thank you for the nice words."

"My pleasure."

"Hey, Tails!"

Shoot, now they had a new problem. Sonic had just arrived at the scene. The two tail fox stopped working on this plane to greet his best blue friend.

"Hey Sonic, what's up?"

"Just checking if you could repair my wrist communicator, it kinda broke while we were evacuating the townspeople.", Sonic added.

"Sure, come inside."

And with that, the yellow and blue one entered the workshop.

It was now Amy and Shadow's opportunity to infiltrate the Tornado. They walked very slowly as they always kept their eyes on Sonic and Tails to make sure that they didn't look. Amy quietly placed the letter under Tails screwdriver so the wind wouldn't move it.

"Hey, get out of my plane!"

Tails had noticed two shadows on top of his plane and immediately ran outside, Sonic following from behind.

Amy and Shadow panicked as they both took a seat next to each other on the plane. Shadow turned it on as he tried to cover his face.

"Amy? Shadow?", Sonic inquired still surprised to see his pink girlfriend with the black hedgehog.

With that, the plane had left the ground and elevated. Sonic as fast as he was, jumped into the plane and landed on top of it with the other two hedgehogs aboard. "You two gotta answer some questions now!"

Amy stood up from her seat, trying to stay balanced as the plane was in movement. She pulled out her hammer and Sonic eyes widened in surprise. "Shadow you...you are using Amy's ha-

"I am sorry for this.", That said, Amy threw her hammer towards Sonic and the impact made him fall off the plane, landing right where he jumped from in the start. Amy watched how Tails ran towards Sonic to make sure he was fine. Amy sat down to her seat, knowing that Sonic would be alright.

Tails and Sonic watched the black and pink hedgehog fly into the distance, not being able to follow them. As Sonic gained his senses back, he could only whisper words of astonishment and anguish.

"Shadow was...holding Amy's hammer."

.

.

.

"So, we are lost uh?"

"No, I know where I am."

"We passed by the same island three times, Shadow. We should land and ask for directions."

"I DON'T ASK FOR DIRECTIONS, I KNOW WHERE I AM!"

"WHAT IS IT WITH GUYS AND NOT ASKING FOR DIRECTIONS?!

"I DON'T NEED DIRECTIONS!"

Amy sighed, she can't believe that of all hedgehogs in the words it had to be Shadow the one she switched bodies with.

A very STUBBORN hedgehog on the least.

"Just give me the steering wheel," Amy said as she placed her hands on it.

"No, stay away!" Shadow yelled at her, angry as she invaded his personal space. "I know where we are!"

"NO YOU DON'T! JUST GIVE THE WHEEL SHADOW!"

"NO!"

Without realizing, Shadow had moved abruptly moved the steering wheel down, making the whole plane go downwards. Amy screamed as she hugged Shadow for dear life as she closed her eyes, waiting for the Tornado to impact against several trees and bushes.

The plained landed horribly, it turned on its edge again and again. Amy thought that on the least she could vomit on Shadow. The plane stopped moving and at least they had landed on land and not on the ocean.

Amy still had her eyes closed and hugged Shadow for dear life.

"I know you can't stay away from me, but I also need to breathe."

Amy opened her eyes realizing she wasn't dead. She pushed Shadow off the plane, "YOU ALMOST GOT US KILLED!"

"BUT I DIDN'T!"

Shado cleaned off the dust from his dress.

All of a sudden, Shadow felt the earth tremble. One hundred, no two hundred, maybe more steps were coming towards them.

Oh, now he knew where they were.

"Amy, quick turn on the plane and let's lea-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence as arrows were thrown at them. In less than a minute, they were both surrounded by an army of echidnas.

"Is this Emerald Island?" Shadow asked one of the warriors. "Yes."

Shadow looked over to Amy and smirked. "I told you I didn't need directions.

.

.

.

Now, Amy and Shadow were being escorted to somewhere. They walked through the Villages path. Everyone staring at them. If it wasn't that they were taken as hostages, Amy would have loved to have a vacation here. The small rural looking houses looked cozy enough. People making food outside their houses with cooking pout looked delicious enough. The area was lively and everyone seemed at peace.

The guards placed Amy and Shadow inside of a large tent in where an old looking red Echidna was sitting in the middle of two other more young-looking female echidnas.

Amy couldn't wait to go back home and tell Knuckles he wasn't the last of his kind.

"The universe is very mysterious...isn't that right Shadow the Hedgehog?", the old echidna looked at Amy. "Oh, um..yes?", She responded not really knowing what to say.

"It seems just like yesterday when you promised me to marry my oldest daughter in exchange for a Chaos Emerald...but you left!"

The old echidna stood from his seat and inspected the two hedgehogs. "Oh, but what do we have here...you two have been cursed by the Purple Gem...you two have changed bodies, haven't you?"

Amy had to give credit to the red one, just how did he figure it out was out of her comprehension.

"Yes, old man, and we know that one of the broken pieces is here. We need it." Shadow demanded. Amy looked over to him and watched her own facial expression. She could be scary when she needed to.

"Yes, we do have the broken piece." The old echidna paused for a second.

"For generations, The Echidna Race have protected all secrets of Chaos Emeralds and other old gems. You would be happy to know that there's another way to get your bodies back...a very efficient and faster way."

"Tell us please!" Amy asked almost imploring.

"Killing one of you! Guards, arrest the pink hedgehog!" The old echidna commanded and so, the guards did. They grabbed Shadow by the hands, he didn't the same strength, he tried to resist but Amy's delicate body wasn't as strong. It was too overpowering.

"Leave him alone!" Amy screamed. "Chaos C-"

"No, you won't"

Amy realized that they had placed a sharp machete on Shadow's neck. She couldn't risk it. She still didn't know how to use Chaos Control properly and if she failed, that could cost him his life.

"Now, now Shadow The Hedgehog, I won't kill you. You still need to marry my daughter. Once I kill you in this female body, your soul will return to its original body...however your friend's soul won't have a body to return to." The echidna smiles down wickedly at his prisoner. "Call that a small payback for taking too long in coming back...Guards, take the pink one to the dungeon!"

"No...Amy!" Shadow tried to break free.

"Shadow!", Amy shouted his name but couldn't move as two other guards stopped her from doing so. The leader of the tribe, the old echidna approaching her.

"Tonight, the ceremony shall be done."

.

.

.

Shadow had finally done it. He should have listened to Amy since the beginning. All of this is his fault, and now Amy was going to pay for his mistakes.

And he was now on a dungeon, with some other creepy echidna.

"Is there anyways to escape?", Shadow looked everywhere on the dungeon, a false rock, the ground, anything.

"No, only the guards can let you out." The other echidna prisoner said as he looked over to his new cellmate. "What's a young pink hedgehog doing here anyway?"

Shadow sighed, he didn't want to give explanations but may be clearing his head would help him. "I am trying to stop someone from dying."

"Is this person your lover?"

"HELL NO, I DESPISE THIS PERSON!" Shadow yelled at the blue echidna.

"Then why do you care if they die or not?"

"Because-"

That was right...why did Shadow even care what happened to Amy? She dies, he gets his body back and can easily Chaos Control out of this place.

He didn't need her.

He didn't care for.

He ABSOLUTELY HATES HER.

"So then why..." Shadow whispered to himself as he looked at Amy's tender hands. "Why do I still feel...like I care for her?"

"Would this person do the same for you?"

"What?"

"Would this person sacrifice for you? Would this person fight for you?"

Shadow stood quiet, taking in and analyzing the question.

Would Amy go to the same lengths as him? Would Amy do anything in her hands to save him if he was in the same situation?

Shadow had no doubt...

If it was Amy, she definitely would.

Shadow nodded at the Echidna.

"Then it doesn't matter if you hate her or not...those kind of people are worth fighting for."

.

.

.

The night had arrived upon the Echidnas and everyone in the Village stood in front of the hall ceremony. An enormous statue of a goddess behind Amy and the leaders of the tribe. Amy could see how one of the broken pieces of the Purple Gem was in the top of a rack, right in the center of the hall ceremony. She began to think of a plan but her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed that the guards had brought up Shadow. One of the guards holding a very sharp sword.

Was this really how Amy was going to die?

"Ladies and Gentlement, we are here to be the presence of the holy marriage of my daughter Tikal with the possessor of Chaos Energy, Shadow the Hedgehog...But first-" The old leader turned to his Guards, telling them to bring the pink hedgehog closer. " But first, we will give our Goddess Gaia a humble sacrifice!"

The crowed sheer and clapped waiting to see the blood of the pink hedgehog satisfy the goddess.

"Any last words?" The leader said as a Guard passed him the sword, of course, he was going to do the honors. "Oh wait, nevermind...I should be asking your friend over there...I'll be seeing you soon anyways." The Echidna smiled.

"Let me tell you one thing...come closer."

The Edchinda hesitated for a bit but knowing that he was well tied up, he obliged.

Shadow whispered something in his ear and suddenly...

"Let them go." The leader said. The Guards looked at each other perplexed. "What was that sir?"

"I said let them go and give them the broken piece of the broken Purple Gem," He said as he began to walk away."

"But sir-"

"I said to let them go!"

The guards did as told and the old echidna turned one more time to look at Shadow, "I'll be waiting."

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Amy was now the one flying the airplane as Shadow seemed to way out of himself to operate it. They haven't said a word to each other since the leader of the Village had let them go. Now the night was dark and the moon and stars were their only map to guide them to their next destination. Amy build up the courage and finally asked Shadow, "Are you alright?"

A few seconds passed and still, Shadow wasn't facing Amy, he was looking down at the ocean, thinking.

"Would you have done the same?"

The questioned rattle Amy, she didn't know how to answer. "What do you mean?"

"How far would you go to protect me?" Shadow had finally turned his body to face Amy, who had an aguish look on her eyes. She took a sigh.

"Don't get me wrong, I'll still sell you to the devil for five more minutes of sleep but-" Amy couldn't believe she was going to say this, "...but I didn't put resistance for a reason." Amy blushed as she turned her head away from Shadow.

"You are saying that you were ready to give up on your life...just so I could have my body back?" Shadow questioned.

"Sure...if you want to see that way... it's my fault that we are in this mess after all so-" Amy began to babble without realizing, her embarrassment getting the best of her.

"Hmf..." Shadow placed his hand over his mouth, he didn't want to admit it but he smiling and couldn't contain a small laugh. Amy caught onto this and changed the topics.

"What did you tell the old guy anyway?"

"What?"

"What did you tell the old guy so he could let us go?"

"Nothing special, and even if I were to explain it to you, your brain wouldn't be able to process such information." Shadow teased her a little.

"Are you calling me stupid?" Amy asked indignantly.

"Um...Yes."

"UGH, I SWEAR SHADOW ONE OF THESE DAYS I'LL MAKE YOU EAT YOUR WORDS!"

Shadow liked it better this way. He decided to think about his future, later on, right now he just wanted to enjoy the small trip that was ahead of him and his pink team-mate.

He laid down on his seat, remembering each word he told the old Echidna. He wasn't lying, he would threaten and use the same words again and again if that meant he could save Amy; because she was definitely worth fighting for.

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"This can go two ways, you kill me in this body and I SWEAR to you that I WILL burn this Village to pieces, I am not scared to hurt your people. OR you can let me and my friend go along with the broken piece of the Purple Gem and when I resolve my problem...I'll come back and marry your daughter." Shadow had the most serious look on his face, determined, something that was even strange to see for the old echidna.

"No one can't lie in front of Goddess Gaia...You wouldn't dare to lay a finger on this Village...We took care of you for a fair amount of your life. You grow up here...are you really willing to risk everything for that hedgehog?" The Echidna asked he knew very well that no one could lie in front of the statue of Goddess Gaia, anyone who dared lie would have died on the spot.

"In the name of Goddess Gaia who bestowed me Chaos Power, if you dare to hurt the life of my friend, I shall use this power to end you."

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Next Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/186736006810/that-makes-us-two-chapter-4-sleep

Previous Chapter: https://another-sonic-blog.tumblr.com/post/186691087620/that-makes-us-two-chapter-2-duo