Chapter Text
A golden beam of sunlight shone majestically down, illuminating the grass. Each individual blade danced back and forth with the tranquil breeze. The sky possessed a gorgeous pale blue colour, there was not a cloud to be seen. In the distance was a vast river that bubbled endlessly into the distance. Occasionally the water would leap out onto the bank and leave a watery mark in the sand. Daisies were spread out randomly coating areas of the ground in a pristine white.On the far side of the river was a towering Willow tree. Each of its low hanging branches swept against the grass casting a shadow with each movement. Leaves were perfectly intertwined with one another causing a tight knit shield. Concealed within the leaves was a bird singing a merry tune. The sound continued on in the background causing an altogether serene experience. Such pure beauty was almost unbelievable, the picturesque landscape was utterly unforgettable. While the artificial plants found on The Ark were definitely stunning, nothing could compare to the natural charm of this scene.
"It's beautiful isn't it?" Sonic interrupted Shadow's internal description of the scene. Internally he sighed, peace could only last so long around Sonic. In Shadow's memory the only time he found peace around the blue menace was when he was asleep. Even then silence was uncommon, Sonic had a tendency to talk in his sleep. Much to Shadow's annoyance.
"For once it appears we can agree on something" Shadow replied in his usual apathetic tone, he often found it tricky to show emotion in his voice. This commonly caused the misconception that he was emotionless and standoffish. Although this was not the case, he did care. Luckily for him Sonic somehow learnt how to differentiate between his limited expressions.
"Took you long enough" Sonic responded jokingly elbowing Shadow playfully in the side. The other was less than impressed, retaliating with a jab to the ribs. Sonic was sent tumbling over as he dramatically flayed his arms pretending to be fatally injured. Sonic lay arms sprawled out flattening the grass. Stray pieces of plants snagged in his quills sticking up at erratic angles. Shadow shot him an ever so slightly entertained look. Sonic's eyes beamed as if he had performed a miracle. Well, to Sonic it most certainly was. According to Shadow he only ever smiled on the inside.
"Come here, you've got bits in your quills" Shadow beckoned to Sonic motioning to the clustered mess that was Sonic's quills. The mere sight of such an atrocious mess was irksome to Shadow. Obviously it had no effect on Sonic whatsoever, however that was unsurprising. Sonic's bedroom was an absolute abomination, the mere sight of it made Shadow's fur bristle.
"Is it that much of a big deal?" Sonic rolled his eyes before picking a single piece from his smooth chest fluff. He looked pleased with his mediocre tidying effort.
"To me, yes" Shadow stated pulling off his gloves, Sonic immediately realised how serious this must be if Shadow was removing his gloves. For many years he was convinced that Shadow was created with those gloves stuck to him. The idea was absurd, but the idea of an invincible hedgehog could have also be seen as abnormal. The truth was revealed when Sonic came across Rouge painting Shadow's nails. The hedgehog claimed that it was just a joke and he had been forced into it. But Sonic begged to differ. Shadow had made Sonic vow to never speak of the experience ever again. Shadow's slender clawed hands rested on his lap. Sonic marvelled at the immaculately trimmed talons, they reflected the gilded light of the sun stunningly.
"Fine, only for you" Sonic agreed shuffling in front of Shadow leaning his head back leaning into Shadow's chest. Warmth flushed into Shadow's face. Sonic inhaled deeply, the fresh air was tinted with the faint scent of Lavender. To distract himself Shadow began pulling out strands of grass. Once he plucked them out the pieces would be discarded beside him. As Shadow rooted deeper within Sonic's thick layers of quills he uncovered many more foreign objects. First he was pricked in the finger with an open safety pin, nothing worth worrying about it was just inconvenient.
"One question Sonic, well actually two" Shadow grumbled, closing the pin.
"Yeah?" Sonic said quickly hovering his hand over Shadow's, he unintentionally nearly knocked the pin away. But Shadow lowered Sonic's hand down away from the offending object.
"Why?" He asked sharply, presenting the pin to Sonic who stared at the object confused for a moment. Eventually something must have clicked in his brain as he took the item.
"So that's where that went!" Sonic concluded, clicking his fingers reaching back to shove the pin back into its hiding place. Shadow snatched it away and dropped it into the front pocket of his bag. Sonic began fidgeting as Shadow dug into the pit of quills. The sensation was awfully uncomfortable, but Sonic didn't complain. He just sat relatively still and patted his knees. Eventually, Shadow began grumbling to himself a signal that he was becoming frustrated by the task at hand.
"Do you not wash your quills?" Shadow hissed exasperatedly, dropping a piece of a jigsaw puzzle into Sonic's lap. Sonic glanced down with a slight sensation of guilt. In a disorganised pile beside his leg was: a bottle cap, a button, a hair tie, a googly eye, a ring, moss, a yo-yo and a credit card.
"What, no of course not" Sonic laughed with a dismissive wave. He knew it wasn't exactly hygienic, but what's the worst thing that could happen?
"I beg your pardon" Shadow huffed in disbelief, how could he not clean them?
"I just never felt the need to, just because you have a 15 step quill care routine" Sonic
"You have literal mould growing in there" Shadow stated plainly, flicking Sonic's ear. A tiny gasp could be heard from him, maybe the gravity of how absolutely disgusting his quills were had finally caught up to him.
"Let's change the subject" Sonic said loudly looking frantically around for a subject of discussion. Eventually his attention was directed to Shadow's hands again. Sonic took notice of how many scars he had. One in particular caught his attention, the skin between his thumb and finger had a wide pale pink mark. It was partially disguised with fur. No wonder he never noticed it prior. Sonic clumsily shuffled backwards in order to sit beside Shadow. Maybe he could get Shadow to talk about something other than the consumption of coffee beans for once.
"How did you get that?" Sonic traced his finger over the mark Shadow pulled back slightly and glared at the blemish. His eyes narrowed with displeasure. The look in Shadow's eyes suggested that he didn't want to talk about it. But he swallowed down his discomfort and sighed.
"If I tell you this, tell nobody" Shadow warned gravely, flexing his fingers. At least he was opening up.
"I promise" Sonic vowed
"Whilst on the Space Colony Ark, I was with Maria. She was skating and I was beside her. She was going through an open door so I went with her, as usual. However, the door swung shut and slammed onto my hand. I would have moved but I had to make sure the door didn't hurt Maria, so I took the hit."
"You were attacked by a door? The ultimate lifeform was defeated by a door" Sonic cackled madly like a hyena, Shadow couldn't grasp what was so funny about his past predicament.
"This is why I don't tell you things hedgehog, you didn't catch me laughing when you broke your wrist" Shadow reminded, a couple of months back during a race Sonic had been bragging and therefore neglecting to concentrate. This caused him to trip over and land awkwardly. At first, Shadow thought he was fine and just being overdramatic, but then the screaming started. Pained, shocked screaming. From that day on, Sonic learnt to watch his step, in fear of the consequences.
"Alright Shads' I'm sorry" Sonic apologised with a weak laugh, Shadow nodded bringing his knees up to his chest. An awkward silence hung in the air, Sonic was clearly searching for something to terminate the issue.
"What about this one?" Sonic pointed to a wide scar just above Shadow's hip.
"You're not going to stop now are you?" Shadow sighed, turning his gaze towards Sonic. He already looked a lot grumpier than usual but Sonic failed to pick up on the cue.
"Nope" Sonic admitted with a mischievous grin
"I was undergoing some physical combat training and I was stabbed" Shadow explained calmly Sonic however had a different reaction. His eyes seemed to somehow stretch wider with shock.
"Sheesh, sounds brutal" Sonic swept his quills back with his hand. He was obviously lost for words.
"That's nothing compared to all the others, plus it was necessary it made me better" Shadow huffed grimly clenching his fist dulling his irritation. All the abhorrent tests he had to face upon the Ark had left unhealed mental scars. If he failed the tests, then he wasn't good enough. He needed to be good enough, for Maria. She had always insisted that he was completely perfect, but not everyone saw it that way. To the scientist's his emotions were just a flaw, so Shadow tried everything to improve. The strain nearly caused his destruction.
"What on earth do you mean by it was necessary?" Sonic pressed urgently despite his excessively loud tone, a hint of sympathy could be heard.
Shadow gave no response, instead choosing to ignore the question. He didn't wish to discuss what he thought was 'necessary' for him to be better. After all he believed that it most certainly didn't leave a lasting mark. Shadow also knew if he spoke a word about his training experiences Sonic would drag him away to therapy. A threat he had heard one too many times.
"Have you got any more?" Sonic asked, his voice was noticeably softer than before, less curiosity but more concern.
"I have got more, I've just learnt to hide them" Shadow muttered resting his chin on his knees, why did he feel the need to be so persistent?
"Dark and mysterious as always," Sonic teased, attempting to imitate Shadow's voice. He was obviously trying (and failing) to lighten the mood.
"Hyperactive and insufferable as usual" Shadow returned, lifting his head up to glare threateningly at Sonic. He knew it was all banter, but the stereotype often formed people's view on him. Negative views.
"Before you go and look at this one I'm going to say something, do not freak out, it's not nearly as bad as it looks" Shadow hesitated before parting the quills that ran down his spine. Concealed beneath them were two twisting long scars. Both reached down to Shadow's lower back. It was a mangled mess but It was so alluring. What could have caused this? It was unbelievable to Sonic that he had missed it.
"Woah I never noticed that! What in chaos' name happened?"
"When Black Doom had control over me, he took possession of my body. I basically sprouted wings" Shadow explained quietly, wincing at the foul memory. Sonic's hand stretched out to trace his fingers over the scar, but he was prevented as Shadow pushed him away.
Sonic rolled back, clearly surprised, he then lay upside down beside Shadow. He turned his gaze up to the sky staring dangerously close to the sun. Without warning Shadow dropped his arm over Sonic's eyes.
"Don't look into the sun" He ordered firmly, Sonic was blinded by a mass of smoky black fur. He playfully shoved Shadow away. Faintly he felt a raised bump upon Shadow's arm. Sonic's hand trailed further and he felt more of the marks. They felt oddly deliberate. Quickly Shadow pulled away, shielding his arm from view. Sonic's ears perked up, he was hiding something. Shadow's gaze turned hostile, a low grumble could be heard in his throat.
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Shadow snarled accusingly, his ears pinned back in offense. Shadow didn't appreciate being touched at the best of times, especially now.
"Shadow, what happened?" Sonic questioned with a concerned frown.
"What do you mean?" Shadow replied quickly trying to hide behind his mask of innocence. However the ebony hedgehog was not renowned for his acting skills. Sonic knew he was hiding something, he could tell how swift and frantic his response was. Deep down in his core, Sonic knew he needed to act as soon as possible.
"Don't play dumb, the scars" Sonic responded bluntly gesturing towards Shadow's wrist.
"I don't need to tell you anything" Shadow snarled in offense, immediately standing up. He snatched up his gloves and yanked them onto his hands. He brushed himself off and clutched his arms defensively.
"Shadow, please" Sonic pleaded
"Look Sonic, I've had enough for one day" He sighed, turning away before taking a shaky breath. Repetitively he pushed his quills back, a motion Sonic had only seen when Shadow was in distress.
"Shads' come sit down, please what happened?" Sonic offered taking light steps closer to Shadow. Sonic believed by doing this he might be able to mediate the situation.
"Nothing happened" Shadow backed away shaking his head firmly.
"Something obviously happened, please talk to me!" Sonic threw his hands up in the air, his voice trembled with desperation.
"Sonic just drop it, please I don't want to talk," Shadow warned in an exhausted tone, his quills puffed up causing him to look even more anxious.
"No I'm not going to just drop it, why did you do it?" Sonic continued losing his breath.
"I did it because I deserve it! I was made to serve a purpose, and I couldn't even do that! Some ultimate lifeform I am, crying like a damn child!" Shadow sneered scrubbing the tears from his face, guilt stabbed him in the chest. He'd just exposed his most devastating regret to the blue hedgehog.
'Unbelievable, what a spineless mistake' Shadow spat internally
"Shadow, you didn't deserve any of this, what happened was completely out of your control. Please don't blame yourself" Sonic took hold of Shadow's hand in an attempt to comfort him.
"Get away from me!" Shadow jumped back, eyes darting back and forth in an erratic panicked manner. Violently he swatted Sonic's hand away, the touch made Shadow's hand feel as if the skin was being burnt off. The unbearable sensation was utterly horrendous, why could he not stop himself from shaking? Shadow's knees nearly failed him as they trembled with overwhelming emotion. Shadow felt an unbearable urge to run, to be anywhere but here. But the air was suffocating him like a noose. In a flash of blinding orange light Shadow disappeared without a trace.
"Oh chaos, what have I done?"