There is no header image because I wanted to use Finik’s one, but she wished for it not to be featured on different site, so hit the link already to see it :-D It’s awesome and her gallery is full of awesome stuff.
Inspiration by: Finik
Genre: Fantasy, hurt/comfort
Rating: T (14+)
Story by: @ebachan
Special thank you: @sonicrobots (for your Priest AU one-shots), @gaysilver (for Priest AU), @sweetcorn-chan (for her sweet Eclipse and Shadow pictures) and Finik (for this awesome picture <clik the link above> and much more)
Story: Well, I don’t think I have to add a thing, you get the picture (pun intended XD). Here I would like to share a small intro about how this one-shot came to be. Of course, it started with this picture, but what made the story truly rolling was a song Mercy by Shawn Mendes. Once I heard it on the radio, this picture popped in my head and the story was running wild in front of me. I just couldn’t think of anything else... except until @gaysilver Priest AU pushed it aside, making me go wild. Seriously, whenever I had a time, it was this story I developed more and more.
So essentially, this story is a small predecessor to Crossing Destinies and I like it, so I wrote it down since in CD I’m at the part where the writing process slowed down for me. I know where the story will go, it’s just I don’t have a definite version for few parts. But enough of my rambling hit the “Keep reading” link to get the whole picture (XD).
Shadow felt only a slight pain in his body, how it was already numb from it. His throat was dry and he had a strange feeling in his limbs. He slowly shook his head, unable to remember what happened. He opened his eyes, blankly staring at a red floor.
'Where...?' He noticed he is kneeling... no, halfway hanging. He looked behind, feeling a pull, noticing his hands... were inside of a red wall. “What...?” His eyes widen and a stream of images flooded his mind.
With his teammates and Spider troupe, they invaded new Black Comet. There he fought with remaining Black Arms and was even brainwashed by Eclipse and Black Death. Thou he was able to escape from their control with the help of Rouge and Omega, the mission failed.
The aliens got the bomb, the soldiers were forced to retreat and Shadow made sure they will all leave alive, including his teammates. He could still hear Rouge's voice in his ears calling him. He shook his head, shooing memories away and pulling hard with his arms. The wall was sticky and had a meaty feeling. It was like being in a giant stomach.
“Trying to leave, brother?” asked his younger alien brother.
Shadow angrily glanced at him. “Eclipse!” he growled.
“Why so angry? Why don’t you still get you belong here? This is your home!” Eclipse looked almost sad. “We sacrificed so many of us to separate you from them.”
“Separate?”
“Yeah, I would be happy to blow that planet, but we decided it will be better to wait for another time.” Eclipse was half-way kneeling, having a smug smile, holding Shadow's cheeks in his hand. “Till then, I'll make sure you understand where you belong.” Shadow jerked his head, freeing himself.
“Don't fight it,” his brother looked sad.
>Eclipse, come here!< called him Black Death over the telepathy.
“Roger. I'll be there in a sec,” he answered looking slightly over his shoulder. “I'll be back,” he smiled at Shadow, running away.
Once he was gone, Shadow tried to active his chaos control, but as he suspected, it was no use. He tried to pull his limbs out, but the wall was stuck to them tightly, making any movement almost impossible. But he was one headstrong hedgehog. He refused to yield to them.
Unfortunately, even his hover shoes proved to be useless as they were blocked by the wall. For a full hour, Shadow struggled to get out.
“Still full of energy, I see,” commented it Eclipse. He was having a bowl in his hands. “I'm sure you must have worked up your appetite.” He sat down in front of him, picking a red round fruit and offering it to Shadow. “Take a bite.”
Shadow frowned. “Don't you dare! I'll never eat it!” He pushed himself to the wall.
“Yeah, I prefer fresh meat too.” He took a bite and a slightly sweet smell filled Shadow's nose. “Well, if you don't want to eat now, I'll leave it here.” He stood up, putting the bitten fruit on the top, leaving the bowl there and going away.
Shadow just frowned, continuing with his struggle to make himself free. When he was taking a short break he felt something pierced his arms. He looked behind to notice needles from the wall were putting something in his blood veins.
“What's that?!” He struggled even more. It couldn't be anything good. Suddenly he felt sleepy and his body became wobbly. After a time, he jerked his head, noticing he is drooling. 'What...?' He felt hungry and the red fruit in front of him looked so delicious. 'No!!' He screamed in his mind and his struggle got even stronger. He felt his strength was enhanced, feeling he could actually break free.
“Look? What do you mean? What have you put inside of me?”
“Just additional Black Arms' blood. With it, you can get rid of the dirty D.N.A. that's stopping you from being one of us.”
“You dastards!!” He shouted, pulling his hands slightly out.
“Stop struggling!” Eclipse caught him, pushing him back and screaming as Shadow bit him in the shoulder. He pulled away. “How could you? I'm your brother!” Eclipse had teary eyes. “If you want to bite so much...” he grabbed the bitten red fruit. “... chew on this!” He tried to put it in his brother' mouth, but he avoided it, closely sealing his mouth.
Shadow's eyes noticed a long tail... that wasn't Eclipse's one. He turned his head at it... it... was his tail! At that moment he lost his focus, unable to proceed his skin turned into scale one. Eclipse used this chance. He put the fruit in his mouth and forcefully fed it to Shadow, pressing his head to the wall, sticking his body even further.
Shadow was surprised, taken aback, he still tried to fight back, but the red fruit slid down to his stomach. Eclipse jumped back, letting his brother catch a breath. He was spiting around, trying to get the taste... he found tempting... out.
“You liked it, didn't you? It was good, right?” exclaimed Eclipse, noticing his brother is reacting. “And the meat of living beings is even better.”
Shadow leaned against the wall, getting as far as he could, trying to forget the taste.
“Well, I'll let you alone for a bit. Don't gobble it at one go, you may get a tummy ache,” he playfully smiled at him when he left.
Shadow had to take many deep breaths to calm down. He felt disgusted... yet the taste... he wanted more of it. 'Dang it! I gotta fight it! I can’t...' A slight pain in his forearm told him, an additional blood sample is put into his veins with a paralyzing drug as well. He bit his lip, but he soon fell asleep.
At a certain time, he started to notice someone’s presence, caressing his quills and gently talking to him. He slightly shook his head, waking up.
“How do you feel, brother?” asked him Eclipse, sitting next to him.
Shadow only squinted at him, having a foggy idea, who he is. “Bro... ther?”
“Yes, we are brothers!” He had teary eyes, seeing his beloved brother finally see him that way. “Are you hungry?” He picked the fruit, offering him it, but Shadow turned his head away. “Ah, don’t be like that.” Eclipse put it in his mouth, chewed it and this time gently fed it to him. Shadow put up minimal resistance, letting the food slid down.
“It’s good, right? Want more?” Eclipse put next piece in front of him, but Shadow still averted his eyes.
“Ah, I see,” he smiled, “You like it pre-chewed.” He again fed it him like that. “I’m spoiling you now, big bro.” He fed him few more pieces before Shadow fell asleep.
Once he woke up, he was laying in some meaty-bed-like hole. He slowly sat down. He no longer wore gloves, having sharp claws, but his inhibitor rings as well hover shoes were kept. His skin was now fully covered by scales, turning his skin dark purple and red at the end of his limbs, giving it glossy feeling. He touched his quills noticing at the end they forked into three tips each. Only the ones from his backbone remained the same.
He got up, steadily walking toward a glass-like round surface inspecting his face. His chest fur got big longer, covering more area and his eyes had the same feel like Eclipse’s one, just the pupils were red.
“Brother!” called him Eclipse entering the room. “How do you feel?”
Shadow turned to him, not exactly answering. He just looked around the room, before giving him a small nod.
Eclipse hugged him. “Welcome back, brother.”
As the time went, Shadow took part in next invasions, successfully defeating any resistance. During that time, Eclipse noticed his brother occasionally shed tears or at the meal time, he just blankly stared in front of him. Eclipse would always comfort him, feeding him from mouth to mouth, to cheer him up.
