-> Sonic won the race, obviously, but that’s not what he’s so happy about— and Amy can tell. I mean, she doesn’t know why either, but she definitely has a feeling it has to do with romance (her specialty!) somehow. But without any context, can she let her heart hope that it’s for her?
Week 1: Past
1. Memories
2. Expectations
3. Importance
4. Destiny
5. Guidance
6. Inspiration
7. First Step
fun fact: this was all originally written in one go, then each section was adjusted to fit the prompts better, but this was the last of the original chunk !
(i like this format much better, i think)
Tags: Sonic Movie Universe, Sonadow, Fluff, Silly, Race, Sonamy teased, Wachowski family, 5k+, To be continued (probably), possibly multiship idk we’ll see where the prophecy takes us
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***
1.5. Guidance
Amy skidded to a halt in front of Sonic, panting but assuredly coming in second, quickly followed by Tails and Knuckles, who were basically neck and neck.
“Cheater! You cheated!” The echidna’s roar echoed around the clearing, sending some birds in nearby trees flapping away from what was probably their sleeping place, seeing as it was still the middle of the night.
“I did not! Sonic, tell ‘im using items is not cheating,” Tails whined, voice cracking as he defended himself from Knuckles’ fists swatting at him from the ground.
“I hate to say it little buddy, but it is kind of cheating if we don’t all get to use them,” Sonic admitted in an authoritative tone, not exactly a vision of brotherly guidance as he opted not to interfere with their squabble.
Amy, who just now caught her breath, took her hands off her knees to stand up properly and exhaled deeply. “So, obviously you won, but do I get any points for beating those two?”
Sonic laughed with an ease he hadn’t felt since before the Eclipse Canon. “They’d be more of a challenge if they weren’t hellbent on arguing,” he said with a raised brow.
Does that mean he’s not impressed, then…? Amy tried to hide the disappointment that wanted to decorate her expression.
“Maybe you and I should go next time, one on one,” Sonic followed up, which made her perk up excitedly as her cheeks flushed with heat.
One on one?? Was he flirting? Her heart skipped and rejoiced in her chest at the implication.
“…But that might be kinda mean, ‘cus I’d definitely wipe the floor with you.” He concluded with a shit-eating smirk that made her smile drop.
Typical teenage boys.
She turned away in a huff as she watched the other two scuffle in the dirt, Knuckles having pulled Tails out of the sky with a triumphant yell that had Sonic laughing even harder than before.
Somehow, he seemed lighter now than when they started the race, like a heavy weight had been lifted from his very soul.
Huh. I guess he really likes racing, she thought to herself as she scanned him, forced to chalk it up to just that for lack of any other context that could explain the sudden change in his demeanor.
She made a mental note to take him up on his 1v1 race offer, even if she was destined to lose. She would prove to be a good match for him in other ways, even if it meant letting herself be bested.
Besides, there wasn’t anyone alive on Earth who could beat Sonic in a race.
"Phew! Almost done.” Wave stands with her hands on her hips, surveying all the lines she dug in the sand to mark the two robots’ combat arena. “The main rule I have is to stay within the lines. I will call foul if I see any machine parts cross it. This includes detached ones.” She points her finger at them accusingly. “Just know, I'm an expert at cheating, so don't even try it.”
“Acknowledged.” Both robots nod their heads and advance into the marked sparring field.
“And remember,” the swallow adds, gathering their attention once more. “The more I have to clean up after you two, the more I will fine you! That means explosions outside of the lines will cost you double rings, Omega.”
The larger robot clenches his fists and advances in her direction. “ERROR: VALUE DESCREPENCY DETECTED. YOU DO NOT NEED DOUBLE RINGS TO PICK UP SHRAPNEL.”
“It’s not just the shrapnel from your bombs, it's also the ground! I’m the one that’ll be questioned if the authorities find a bunch of holes in a well-maintained and well-traveled area! You’ll be paying for both the restoration cost and my headache!” She pokes at his chest as he tries to tower over her in intimidation, but his height does nothing to phase her. She has had practice with Storm after all.
They glare at each other for a moment and the shorter robot sprints over to pull the larger one back into the arena Wave drew for them. “Suggestion: take your anger out on me, not our mechanic. It is her service and she can charge what she pleases.”
Omega grunts in his response and remains where he stands, still pointing his finger at Wave. “THIS SERVICE CHARGE IS OVERPRICED. I DEMAND TO READ THE FINE PRINT OF OUR CONTRACT.”
“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes, turning away from the both of them for a moment. “I should have expected this sort of behaviour from one of Rouge’s henchmen. How about this? I’m a reasonable person. I tend to treat my best clients better than the others. The better professional relationship we have, the greater the possibility that I’ll offer discounts.” She offers, her hand held out to her side with her back still facing them. “Or, you can send in Rouge to do the haggling for you, since that's her area of expertise.” Omega’s finger lowers at the implication and the two robots share a look that Wave could not read.
Gemerl speaks first. “Confession: Impossible at the moment.”
“Impossible?” Wave spins back around to face them, confusion apparent on her face. “What do you…Wait…does she not know you two are dating…?” Her voice trails off as their heads shake in sync with each other in response.
Her beak hangs open a little in surprise, but she quickly closes it. “W-what about Tails? Did you at least tell him why you were seeking another mechanic?”
Gemerl and Omega share another look. “NEGATIVE.” The E-Series robot responds. His voice box is quieter than usual.
“Does anyone know?!” Wave throws her hands up in the air, exasperated that these two idiots hadn’t thought to tell anyone important about their relationship.
“Vanilla is aware.” Gemerl states, providing some relief for the swallow.
“Oh good. The one with actual relationship advice. I was worried you both were gonna start coming to me with your problems.” She cackles for a moment as she imagines herself as a couples therapist.
“QUERY: WHY WOULD WE COME TO SOMEONE WITH NO RELATIONSHIP EXPERIENCE?” Omega folds his arms and the gizoid stumbles slightly at the humorous slight to the swallow’s love life.
Wave scoffs. “Excuse you! My experience is none of your business! And frankly, your’s shouldn’t be mine either, but because I signed a contract with both of your rust butts, it is now. Just…shut up and spar already. You’re wasting your rings and my precious time.”
Gemerl tugs Omega’s arm into the arena once more and this time he follows, glaring daggers at Wave until the gizoid grabs his shoulder handle to divert his attention back to him. The two lower their voice boxes to talk to each other for a moment, before they jump back from their positions and assume fighting stances.
“Finally.” Wave stretches her arms to the sky for a moment, then raises a whistle up to her beak. “First trial run of your regular sparring sessions. I’ll supervise three and take an average damage count so I have an idea of what I’ll have to repair whenever you two fight your hardest either against each other, Eggman’s forces, or whatever else might threaten the world. Ready…” Wave could hear their missiles prime from her position on the sidelines and decides to take a couple steps back as a precaution. “Set…” She places the whistle in her beak and waits a beat before blowing it as hard as she can. The sound of metal striking metal follows and multiple explosions cause smoke to envelop the two spartners.
Wave watches in awe as the fierce battle rages on. She contemplates the differences between Xtreme gear and robots, but she has been meaning to grow her area of expertise for quite sometime. Perhaps analyzing their machinery and code during maintenance will give her new ideas for her experiments. Maybe this contract would prove more useful than she initially thought.
I decided to treat each prompt like a chapter suggestion so they could be continuous, in the form of some kind of AU that’s my idea of a sequel (Sonadow-flavored, of course), so maybe one day it will be a full fledged fic of its own volition, who knows. (it’s off to a decent start)
Anyways can’t wait to see what this month has in store for this event!! super excited to see everyone’s submissions ^_*
Tags: Sonic Movie Universe, Sonadow, Fluff, Silly, Race, Sonamy teased, Wachowski family, 5k+, To be continued (probably), possibly multiship idk we’ll see where the prophecy takes us
next >> | week 2 >> | week 3 >> | week 4 >>
***
Chapter 1 - Past
1.0. Ready, Set, Go!
The crisp autumn breeze of early August swept through the nearly-naked branches of shedding trees as they shivered in the evening chill, carrying the familiar scent of pine and earth and with it, the spark of friendly competition. All common things found in the forests of Green Hills, Montana, where the newest Mobian member of the Wachowski household was preparing to undergo the same initiative welcome as the others had— the only kind Sonic knew how to provide— which was, of course, a good ol’ race.
“Any questions?” Sonic quipped as he stretched flexibly into a half-lunge, alternating between legs with a wide, overly-confident grin spread across his peach muzzle.
“Only like, a million,” muttered Amy with a raised eyebrow and a shake of her head, hating that she found herself admiring the view.
The pink hedgehog, who had proven to be impressively endowed with her own abilities in both speed and power, which made her an excellent addition to Team Sonic (yes, that’s the name they’re going with, no take-backsies), crossed her arms as she glanced around to the other primary-colored teammates skeptically. As if to ask them, are we seriously doing this right now?
Their expressions, however, offered not much more than simple acquiescence to the task at hand— apparently, it seemed, midnight races in the forest were the norm around here.
“As long as we can agree on a finish line, that’s pretty much all you need to know,” the blue blur (some would say menace) replied, smirking as he finished up his stretches by jogging in place.
Amy looked between Tails and Knuckles pleadingly while they avoided her gaze directly, taking it upon themselves to do what they could to prepare for the relay in their own ways. Any chance of turning down the offer was quickly extinguished by Sonic’s eagerness that, infuriatingly enough, she found to be so, so endearing that she couldn’t even fathom telling him she wasn’t that into racing.
“It’s just… well, I feel like we might cause some sort of… disturbance,” Amy said carefully, hoping her hint would at least be backed up by one of the other two, who remained silent and compliant as they readied themselves at the starting point.
“That’s why we’re running at night! Less likely to be seen,” Sonic was quick as a whip with his justification, because of course he was. Amy felt her shoulders sag with each passing moment building up to the one where she’d have to be his opposition, even if just for a race, even if it was his idea of being welcoming.
She mentally raked through the long list of reasons why she didn’t want to do this, none of which seemed appropriate to present aloud, lest she accidentally insult the very person she was trying so hard to impress. If Sonic knew how she felt about him, he didn’t make it obvious; regardless, she wasn’t about to burn that bridge over something as petty as a race.
“I-I see…” She started, chewing on her lower lip nervously as they lined up across the starting line, a crudely-drawn indent in the forest floor. “So, uh, meet you guys at the state line, then…?”
“I will beat you all to the meeting,” Knuckles snorted, punching his fists together as he angled his gaze down. “Do not think I will go easy just because it is your first race.”
“That’s the spirit, Knux!” Sonic cheered with a fist in the air as he knelt over the line, earning a glare from the fiery echidna.
“You will, as they say, be eating my dust too, hedgehog,” he warned, but there was a playful edge to his threat as he smirked coyly and matched Sonic’s position.
“What they meant to say is yes, the state line is fine,” Tails clarified in a chipper voice, his namesakes whipping behind him and lifting him into the air. All Amy could think to do was reply with a meek thumbs up of understanding as she assumed the same position as the other two in the dirt beside her.
Sonic wiggled into his spot, eyes narrowing as they focused on the path ahead, and the others followed. “On your marks now,” he began, a smile creeping along his chin.
Amy swallowed hard, glancing once more at the handsome hedgehog beside her with one last lingering look.
-> Oh boy. Sonic wants to sweeten everyone up to the idea of Shadow’s return from death (the rumors of which had been greatly exaggerated) by making dinner, and by asking Amy for a favor. But unfortunately, they both have their own ideas of what that favor could be.
Week 2: Present
1. Journey
2. Secret
3. Challenge
4. Mistakes
5. Live & Learn
6. Home
7. Happiness
really truly winging this guys wish me luck on tomorrow’s prompt… ahahaah… im like almost halfway…
Tags: Sonic Movie AU, Sonadow, Fluff, Humor, Silly, Light profanity, situational comedy, Wachowski family, 5k+, 10k+, To be continued (probably)
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***
2.6. Home
A few hours ahead of Friday night family dinner, Sonic tells Tom and Maddie that he has a surprise for everyone before the meal that he promises to prepare— an offer which sounds some alarms, but either out of piqued interest or genuine appreciation, no one argues otherwise. He isn’t the best cook, but tonight he plans to make his specialty— spaghetti and meatballs with a side of garlic bread— which is relatively hard to mess up; even for Sonic, whose diet primarily consists of microwaveable goods for that exact reason.
Besides, it’s easier than explaining why he needs to prepare a seventh serving.
The plan is to butter them up (pun intended) with promises of a home-cooked meal before dropping the bomb of Shadow’s resurrection, which they probably won’t believe at first. Then Shadow will walk in as proof, and with Sonic’s support, he’ll sit with them and dine on spaghetti for their first family meal together in the Wachowski home.
In an ideal world, that is.
Out of concern for the many different ways tonight can go wrong, Sonic, who’s been deliberating since his conversation with Amy whether or not to involve her, finally decides that he’d feel better if she would also back him up about Shadow, since she already knows about him.
So once he has a moment alone with her in the kitchen, Sonic pulls Amy out of earshot of everyone else (hopefully) to ask her for help.
“Amy! So, um, regarding that secret of ours…” Sonic starts in a hushed voice, eyes shifting around to ensure they are truly alone. “From, y’know, a few nights ago, when we were outside…?”
Amy blushes and kicks at the ground out of nervous habit, chuckling dreamily, “Hehe, yes, I remember.”
From the way she’s acting, Sonic has to guess that her enthusiasm towards Shadow is likely due to her inevitable attraction to him, since he could certainly understand the appeal. All the more helpful for his case, surely.
“Well, I kinda need your um, support, telling everybody else, ‘cus I wanted to hold a family meeting about it tonight. But…” He pauses to glance around again, lowering his voice a little more just in case. “They might not take it too well. So, it would help a lot if you could back me up.”
Amy’s eyes widen as she takes this in, and coupled with her mental image of him crying alone outside, an understanding washes over her. Of course he’d come to her; given his hesitation to tell his family, it’s possible she was the first person to welcome his vulnerability with open arms. His first safe space, if you will.
She giggles in spite of herself, then muffles them down to answer seriously. “Oh, wow… of course, Sonic. I’ll support you no matter what!”
Sonic visibly melts in relief, a smile growing along his muzzle that seizes her heart in a way that confirms how much she really means that. And after months of trying to get his attention, here they are— smiling together in a huddle, sharing secrets, growing closer by the second.
Little did they know they both have very different ideas of what the same secret is.
“Phew… thanks, Amy. You’re a good friend.” Sonic squeezes her shoulder with one hand, noticing for the first time just how sturdy she is, how toned her arms are. The wandering thought brings a heat to his cheeks and he pulls away quickly to check on the pasta.
Amy doesn’t miss the pink tinge spreading like wildfire across his muzzle, and soon her complexion mirrors his as she plays with the ends of her quills shyly. “Heh… shucks, it’s nothin’…”
After finishing food prep and setting up the table arrangement, Sonic’s eyes flit to the kitchen analog clock to see it blinking 6:24 — meaning he had about six minutes before the time he’d told Shadow to show up. And it’s too late to whisper anything else to Amy, as Tails and Knuckles pile in demanding food, followed by Tom and lastly Maddie. (Ozzie’s been begging for hot water on the stove for the last twelve minutes, if you were wondering where he is during all of this.)
As everyone is taking a seat, there’s some background chatter about the confusion behind the seventh setting, as well as idle speculation as to who they might be expecting, whoever it is Sonic surely invited.
Sonic glances at the time once more — 6:29 now — and thrums his fingers on the back of the chair at the head of the dining table, his anxious percussion drowned out by the casual conversation and laughter bubbling in the room.
Amy meets his eyes, and it’s just enough for him to snag her attention from it all and indirectly ask her to meet him at the edge of the room with some not-so-subtle hand signs.
In the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room somewhat away from the cacophony of family dinner night, Sonic leans in to Amy and asks in a hushed voice, “Amy! Have you seen him yet?”
Understandably confused, Amy cocks her head. “Seen who?”
Sonic peers behind her to check one more time. Yep, his seat is still empty.
“You know…” He nods at the seat. “Our guest.”
“Am I supposed to know who we’re waiting for…?” Amy’s even more confused than before, especially now that Sonic is doubling down.
Sonic sighs, or more accurately groans, as he palms his face. Because sheesh, does he have to spell out everything around here?
“Obviously I’m talking about—”
A sudden flash that erupts into something solid followed by a buzzing in the atmosphere interrupts everything else, and everyone’s reactions are instant.
“Shadow??!” Sonic finishes, in sync with everyone else in the room, all with the same exact inflection of shocked horror. Everyone save for Amy, who finds herself gawking at someone who appears to be a hotter, edgier version of Sonic, with dark grey fur accentuated by fiery red highlights across his body, and a fluffy patch of white chest fur.
“Who??” Amy’s voice stands out amongst the chorus of surprised exclamations, her eyes scanning the faces in the room around her for answers, because why didn’t anyone tell her this guy existed?!
Knuckles is the first to break past the initial shock, as he grabs and cracks one fist at a time with a smirk. “Finally, a worthy opponent.”
“Shadow, what the hell?” Sonic chides, pushing aside both Amy and her question as he zips over to the other hedgehog’s side in a blink. “Haven’t you ever heard of using the front door?”
The dazzling black and red hedgehog, the one they keep calling Shadow, folds his arms with a certain petulance Amy can’t quite name. “You asked me to be here. I’m here. I don’t see the issue.”
“Yeah, but you can’t just teleport into peoples’ living rooms, have you no decorum—”
“Sonic,” Tails interjects, eyes wide as the plates on the table, irises tiny and sharp, “how can he be here?”
Amy notices the fox’s fur is puffed up and wiry as he points at Shadow in what is clearly fear. Knuckles is still cracking other miscellaneous joints on his body, as if preparing for battle; even Tom and Maddie look apprehensive and a little shaken.
Whoever this fake Sonic guy is… everyone else seems afraid of him.
Everyone except for Sonic, who ran right to his side as soon as made his appearance, and even now it almost seems like he wants to reach out and touch the other. He only recently got that close with her, like within the week, and she’s been trying for seven months.
Whoever he is, he has something with Sonic. Something special, something beyond platonic, even if Sonic himself doesn’t realize it.
And instead of making her heart pulse with envy or jealousy… the thought of them together excites her in a way unlike anything she’s ever felt with Sonic.
Oh, how she loves family dinner nights at the Wachowski’s.
-> What’s Shadow’s deal, anyway? The two guys talk it out (without their fists, yay!) and really get to have a moment where they understand each other a little better. But that’s it. Nothing more. THAT’S ALL IT IS.
Week 1: Past
1. Memories
2. Expectations
3. Importance
4. Destiny
5. Guidance
6. Inspiration
7. First Step
oh Sonic, my ADHD king… and Shadow, autism overlord
Tags: Sonic Movie Universe, Sonadow, Fluff, Silly, Race, Sonamy teased, Wachowski family, 5k+, To be continued (probably), possibly multiship idk we’ll see where the prophecy takes us
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***
1.3: Importance
Now, this answer came as a surprise to Sonic, who had been asking out of some blend of teasing and genuine curiosity, but clearly never expected an austere answer from his moody rival.
He couldn’t help the way his mouth fell open in shock, eyes wide as dinner plates. “Owe me…? I feel like I owe you, since you pushed me out of the way of the Eclipse Canon.”
Shadow turned his gaze away with a huff, recrossing his arms again almost petulantly, as if he hated to admit any of this (which he most definitely did.)
“I… hurt someone you care about.”
Is he… trying to apologize for Tom…? Sonic’s wide-eyed stare was now coupled with something only few people could accomplish— leaving him utterly speechless.
“I’m a weapon. I shouldn’t exist,” Shadow continued, voice wavering in a way that yanked on the blue blur’s heartstrings, further rendering him at a loss for words, a rare occurrence.
“Shadow…” was all Sonic could think to say as his brain buffered, trying to imagine what could possibly mend the wound of Shadow’s indiscretion. But for once, he was stunned into a silence that engulfed them for a few moments too long until Shadow broke it.
“This was a mistake,” he muttered, but before he could disappear again, as Sonic had honestly been expecting him to all this time, his arm was siezed by the still-shocked hedgehog who didn’t spend all those months seeking him out for nothing.
“Wait!” Sonic cried out, but that was about as much as he had prepared to say. So he decided to wing it. “Uh… well, for what it’s worth, I’m glad you exist.” He took a breath before continuing. “Fighting you on the moon was probably like the coolest thing I’ve ever done. And then we saved the world together, super-power style.”
Shadow looked at him, the suffering contorting his expression dissipating like a storm residing from the shores, leaving an aftermath of internal destruction in his features. Sonic hoped that his words at least helped it pass.
“Um, would you want to come back with me?” Sonic blurted out before he could second guess himself; truthfully, he’d played out this scenario a hundred times before in his mind, but he never imagined he would actually have the opportunity to go through with it. Granted, it was going about as well as he expected, with Shadow angrily about to leave again, but hey, he wasn’t trying to kill him, either. Progress.
But even his imagination could never predict how this next part would go, and not for a lack of creativity; there were plenty of ways he wanted it to go, but none so promising as reality seemed to be.
“I…” Shadow appeared to be fighting some internal struggle, conflict coloring his expression as he searched for the rest of his sentence, “I can’t.”
Sonic’s heart fissured and with it, his resolve to not fight back. “Why not?” He pressed, unable to keep the desperation from leaking into his voice, but he was past caring about that.
His rival, if he could even be called that anymore, shook his head with a deep sigh. “I can’t risk it.”
He didn’t need to elaborate for Sonic to piece the clues together. Sonic was a lot of things; easily distracted, high energy, bad at staying still; but he was also perceptive, and smarter than people usually gave him credit for.
I can’t risk G.U.N. finding me. I can’t risk going back into stasis, the unspoken importance explained in Shadow’s voice. The thought certainly crossed Sonic’s mind enough for him to always consider this as a possibility.
Which is why he was prepared with an answer: “Shadow, I can assure you, there’s no better place on Earth for a super-powered alien hedgehog than the Wachowski household,” Sonic promised, supplying his best reassuring smile. “Speaking from personal experience, of course.”
Shadow’s eyeline flattened into an unamused stare, and he didn’t need to roll his eyes to give off the same energy. “You never almost killed any of them.”
“You don’t know that!” Sonic fought back, but even he knew it was a moot point; Shadow was right, but he didn’t need to know that. However, his returning doubtful gaze told Sonic he already did.
“They don’t trust me. And they’re right not to.” Shadow fired back, but underneath the surface-level ire he was trying to emit, Sonic could hear the hurt in his unfortunately rational reasoning.
“I trust you,” asserted Sonic with a determined vigor that had him clenching Shadow’s arm, still trapped in his grasp, “And you should give them a chance. Who knows, maybe you’ll win them over with your overwhelming charm.” He didn’t mean to come off sarcastic, but he couldn’t help it. Shadow was so fun to tease, after all.
And he wasn’t beating the fun-to-tease allegations anytime soon, the way his face flushed with an anger that tinted his cheeks. Shadow yanked his arm from Sonic’s grip with a growl, baring his fangs as his crimson eyes flared with golden specks.
Sensing that he was about to lose him, Sonic put his hands up in surrender, doing his best to make his expression as apologetic as possible as he stifled his chuckles. “Kidding! Kinda. I do think you’re charming, in your own way.”
Heat colored both of their muzzles respectively before Sonic realized the implications of his comment. “I-I mean…! Uh, yeah, achem, well, the offer still stands,” he stammered, the pink in his cheeks spreading to the tips of his ears, fully expecting Shadow to ditch him at a moment’s notice— an idea he didn’t hate, as the action would unshackle them from the chains of indignity.
But he was just as stunned as Sonic, just as flushed, just as awkward as he coughed on his breath haphazardly. A few beats later, and he seemed back to his stoic self.
-> Shadow spills the beans to Rouge about last night, and it seems like Amy is in those beans 🤨
Week 2: Present
1. Journey
2. Secret
3. Challenge
4. Mistakes
5. Live & Learn
6. Home
7. Happiness
i thought i would use an outline but i’ve fully abandoned it at this point so this is basically like improv 2 me
Tags: Sonic Movie AU, Sonadow, Fluff, Humor, Silly, Light profanity, situational comedy, Wachowski family, 5k+, 10k+, To be continued (probably)
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***
2.3. Secret
Rouge’s mouth forms a tiny ‘o’ shape as she gasps, topaz eyes shocked and small against the whites of her sclera.
“I don’t think she knows that, though,” Shadow continues, feeling obligated to explain now that the bat was out of the bag, so to speak.
“What do you mean?” Rouge implores, eyebrows high on her face, colored in curiosity. Just imagining how the scenario went down is making her vibrate with anticipation.
Shadow hesitates before offering up even more information, because this much is killing him already. But ultimately— and if he’s being honest with himself, which he seldom was— he needs someone to talk to about it.
“She mistook me for Sonic.”
Rouge takes a moment to scan him up and down, lowering one eyebrow while squinting and angling herself then Shadow from within the frames of her fingers until she folds her arms to her hips, shaking her head.
“Eh, I don’t see it.”
“That’s besides the point. She saw me, and thought I was Sonic.” Shadow reiterates with renewed irritation, emphasizing the gravity of his situation. “As in, she spoke to me. As if I were Sonic.”
“She what? Well, what did she say? And did you say anything back??”
“Obviously not.” Shadow snorts, “She was looking for him, and when she found me instead, she was worried about him.”
Rouge processes this for a few beats. “Oh my… oh my. Tell me exactly what happened.”
— A few hours earlier —
“Sonic? Is that you?”
The urge to teleport was so strong, so intense, and yet Shadow resisted and instead turned very slowly in the dirt to peek at the person who’d just approached him.
Amy.
“Are you… okay? You seem a little off tonight,” Amy offered, taking a cautious step towards him. Shadow reflexively shuffled further away— further into the shadows after which he was named to hopefully conceal that very identity.
However, she didn’t take to this movement as an indication to leave him alone, and rather seemed more intent than ever to resume her approach.
“Does… does it have anything to do with why you were acting weird earlier?”
Her voice was gentle, soothing, as if speaking to a hurt or wild animal. Which, while not the case here, wasn’t too far off from the truth, depending on your definitions.
“Sonic…” Through the corner of his eye from which he was steadily ignoring her, Shadow could see Amy wilting like an underwatered rose, deflating with thirst for an answer. So he decided to grace her with one.
“Mhm,” he mumbled, muffling his voice so it wasn’t so obviously not Sonic’s distinguishable gab. This was about the best he could manage.
But it worked. Amy’s eyes brightened up as her body perked in the fresh misting rain of attention.
“I understand if you don’t want to tell me, y’know, if it’s like, a pride thing or whatever, but…” She bit her lip, shifting unsurely before asking:
“…Were you crying just now?”
Amy’s deduction, while as sweet as honey and saturated in sympathy, inspired an insidious idea within Shadow. A harmless prank, if you will.
“…Mhmph.” Shadow hoped she could see the outline of his nodding head in the darkness as he certified her assumption.
But what Shadow thought would be met with further indignity for his former rival in some form of pitying or disgust, was actually met with compassionate understanding.
“I’m here for you, Sonic,” Amy cooed, her voice as soft and gentle as the evening breeze combing through her short pink quills. “Do you need anything? Tissues? A glass of water? Maybe a hug?”
Shadow shook his head, grumbling a desperate “mmph” to rebuff the offer of what would surely reveal his true identity, as nice as it sounded. Had he actually been crying, the saccharine call of her proposal might have worked on him.
The vanilla and chestnut notes of her essence curled in the gust that blew past him and for a minute, he almost rescinded his rejection before thinking better of it.
“I understand. Do you want me to sit with you?” Amy was still standing a respectful distance away, apparently just so that she still couldn’t tell she wasn’t speaking with Sonic, nor was he crying at all. Much to be said about the powers of the wishful mind.
“Mmhm.” Shadow shook his head clearly and slowly, as if reluctant (he was really getting into his role as Sonic) but firm. Amy appreciated the gesture nonetheless.
“Okay. I’ll keep this between us, our little secret,” she giggled, turning to go back inside. Finally.
“Mhmm,” Shadow confirmed, and the relief he displayed nonverbally was no farce as he waved her goodnight and waited until the door clicked shut before making a mad dash back to his hideout.
Had he been running like that in his race with Sonic, he surely would have won.
-> Sonic has been worried (an understatement) about Shadow ever since he disappeared post-Eclipse Canon, borderline obsessive with tracking his seemingly-untraceable whereabouts while also pretending entirely not to be so. Until seven months later, when he finally gets a crumb of a clue.
Week 1: Past
1. Memories
2. Expectations
3. Importance
4. Destiny
5. Guidance
6. Inspiration
7. First Step
okay now we got the ball rollin! trying out this format for navigation (subject to change as i upload more parts)
i’m keeping these real short & sweet so i can actually finish them daily, lol— but worry not! There is a plot 😋
Tags: Sonic Movie Universe, Sonadow, Fluff, Silly, Race, Sonamy teased, Wachowski family, 5k+, To be continued (probably), possibly multiship idk we’ll see where the prophecy takes us
A burst of blue light blew past Amy’s peripheral vision before she had time to parse out her own convoluted emotions and, in an instant, disappeared from her sight entirely.
It was immediately obvious why Sonic loved the idea of a race so much; while she could pace with the other two, he shortly became just a phantom in the night as even his trail withered into the forest in less than a blink.
Disappointment wilted her heart for just a moment, as she mourned the loss of his company before stumbling across the realization that perhaps this was his way of showing off to her. Hope picked her back up again with strong arms as she pushed past a yellow streak, gaining speed until she surpassed a red streak and found herself enjoying the dreaded race more than she initially intended.
Sonic, however, was lost in his own world; the thrill of competition was fun, sure, but really he was just trying to let off some steam— he really did want to give Amy a Wachowski welcome, but it was also an excuse for him to go all out, which he seldom could these days, ever since eliminating the short-term threat that was Metal Sonic. (Turns out that Stone was grieving his demented boss a little too viscerally and took it upon himself to unleash the late doctor’s latest robotic invention, only to be stopped by the brute strength of their newest companion. With Team Sonic’s help, of course.)
Many moons (half-destroyed, at that) had passed since the Eclipse Canon event that shattered his world, both literally and figuratively; about seven of them, to be exact. And in that time, Sonic had spent countless hours hunting down the elusive yet alluring black-and-red hedgehog who had helped him destroy it, only to come up with nothing, not even a body. At this point, he felt like he was probably the last remaining person on Earth who still believed Shadow would return, alive.
Call it blind faith, optimism, hope, whatever you will— not even the Chaos readings (or lack thereof) that Tails tried to explain proved that Shadow couldn’t be on Earth, nor the G.U.N. reports that already wrote him off as M.I.A., nor the lack of evidence in his own searching could sway his deeply-held belief that Shadow was still out there.
He couldn’t even explain it to himself. He just had a feeling.
Forcing himself to slow down, Sonic broke his pace to a soft jog as he scanned his foreign surroundings for a clue to his location. He circled around a wooden post to read its inscription out loud, hand on his chin.
“Zion National Park…? Utah??” He gaped, glancing around. The landscape certainly suggested he had gone at least two states too far. “Definitely overshot the finish line again.”
This time, though, there wasn’t a horde of evil identical robots to attack him suddenly (which was kind of boring, if he’s being fully honest), so he did what he thought was probably the right thing to do— headed straight back towards Green Hills, or at least in that general direction, and hoped to not overshoot that either and god forbid, lose a race.
(Though, he would argue he already won by a longshot, literally.)
It wasn’t like he didn’t appreciate the opportunity to run some more to clear his head, which always seemed to be swimming with thoughts of Shadow. Wondering where he slept all these months, if he even slept, why he was hiding, and most of all, why he had ever helped Sonic in the first place.
That was the real kryptonite of it all. Maybe if Shadow had just been a cut-and-dry villain like Eggman or Metal, or enemy-turned-ally like Knuckles (and arguably Stone, now that he was on the mend and brewed a mean coffee at the Mean Bean under heavy G.U.N. surveillance); but no, Shadow seemed to work under his own set of rules, his own moral code. One that Sonic knew existed, in the way his gaze softened after he saw him kneeling over Tom’s unconscious body, and the way he took the brunt of the Eclipse Canon’s blast in lieu of Sonic.
It was confusing, to put it lightly; it would be easier to deal with his feelings towards Shadow if he could decide whether he hated or admired the guy, or hated that he admired him. But Shadow didn’t even give him the chance, choosing to blip out of existence instead and remain a ghost confined to the haunted house of their memories, leaving only the uncomfortable limbo that Sonic often found himself wandering in his psyche.
The distant scent of pine and donuts (just kidding) wafting into his nostrils indicated his arrival back home, or at least the vicinity of what was hopefully the state lines to meet his companions who should be approaching right about now. However, the stagnant air suggested he was the first, if not only the one in the clearing at the edge of the forest.
Until a faint, almost undetectable, snap of a nearby twig debunked that theory as his head whipped towards it with a light flutter in his chest, perhaps a spark of hope, which was quickly shoved down and replaced by a much more realistic expectation that it was one of his friends arriving to the finish line at last.
“Sorry guys, I win again, no surprise there,” Sonic leered, folding one arm on his hip as he nonchalantly strode towards the source of the sound, scanning the shrubbery for movement. When no one answered his cockiness with a heat of their own, he began to wonder if he had just been bragging inanely to a woodland creature.
Sonic stopped to look around more closely, letting the soft noises of the night flood his senses, ears twitching at every minute detail. The subtle, yet determinedly real, echo of another person’s footsteps alerted him to their undeniable presence, unmistakably belonging to something larger than your average woodland creature and closer to his own size.
He pretended not to notice when the not-woodland-creature took great care to remain just behind him, just out of sight, meticulously and strategically avoiding his field of vision, a little too perfectly.
-> Shadow is bad at navigating feelings, but what else is new? Good thing Rouge is there to call him out.
Week 2: Present
1. Journey
2. Secret
3. Challenge
4. Mistakes
5. Live & Learn
6. Home
7. Happiness
almost forgot to post (and almost forgot to edit lol) but IT IS HERE! I am still on top of the prompts B) see you tomorrow i hope
Tags: Sonic Movie AU, Sonadow, Fluff, Humor, Silly, Light profanity, situational comedy, Wachowski family, 5k+, 10k+, To be continued (probably)
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***
2.3. Challenge
If you’ve ever ice-skated on lake ice before, you may know that it’s usually darker in places where the ice is thinner— more likely to crack, to snap you up like a frozen clam. Locals know to avoid it, while those who tread unknowingly are at extra risk in such areas, lest they be snared into an icy grave.
The conversation between Shadow and Rouge feels just like that; navigating a frozen pond without any experience. Trepidatious, cold, calculating— and still, the tension can break at any moment.
As Shadow recounts his experience roleplaying as Sonic, Rouge perches herself on the kitchen island, elbows on her knees, chin in her hands with an inquisitive keenness. Not a trace of judgement among her features though— thankfully, after what he just admitted.
Together they establish that Amy had mistaken Shadow for Sonic and now keeps a secret that doesn’t exist and at the same time, is itself a secret.
Schrödinger’s secret, Rouge had called it jokingly. Shadow didn’t find it funny.
“So, what are you going to do?” She asks him, sighing sleepily as birds chirp outside their window and remind her of her sorely-missed slumber.
Still anxious, Shadow feels an irritation crawling up his throat, threatening the life it belongs to— a dark spot on an icy lake.
“I don’t know. That’s why I asked you.” The timbre of his voice is darker and meaner than he intended, the ire escaping in his tone.
She scoffs, rightfully offended. “You never asked me anything— if anything, I’ve been probing you with questions all night! Morning, now!” Her (still-gloved, mind you) hands gesture to the window above the sink, where the peach light of the waking sun softly is pouring in.
“Why did you think I was telling you any of this?” Shadow snaps. The leash on his inhibitions loosens.
The first crack in the ice.
“Because we’re friends, duh!” Rouge exclaims with a wag of her hand, apparently unaffected by his unappareciative attitude.
“If you’re not going to help me, we can just go to bed now.” Shadow shifts to duck beneath the back of his couch, but Rouge isn’t done.
“I never said I wasn’t going to help you. I said you never asked me anything,” she continues, moving now out of the kitchen and closer to his spot on the couch, where he lay groaning in despair. “And in order to help you, I need to know more about the situation.”
The groans deepen. “Not more questions,” he drawls, like a whiny kid being told to do their homework.
“How else am I supposed to give you advice? I need to know what’s going on. What your goals are. Expectations, even.” She props one hip over the back of the end of the couch opposite to him, using her wings to balance.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, it’s relatively good news that Amy thought she was interacting with Sonic. You had me scared our cover was blown for a second there,” Rouge exhales as she wipes a dramatic hand across her forehead in a graceful sweep.
Realization blooms over his features, followed by embarrassment. “…Right. Sorry about that.”
“Secondly, we know why you’re hiding from G.U.N. — that much is obvious to anyone who has eyes. I’ll bet even Blue can guess why you’re choosing to stay incognito, even if he is a dimwit. So my question to you is this: what are you getting out of risking exposure by going to see him?” She tips imaginary glasses down the tip of her muzzle, one eyebrow raised as she stares at him with a penetrating gaze. “In fact, he’ll probably try to convince you to confront them, knowing his style— so, Shadow, is that what you want? To be convinced to face your true foes at last?”
Shadow grimaces. “Is that why you wanted us to talk so badly?”
“What I want is for you to feel safe. Be safe. And… I think he can give that to you.”
How she could say such a ridiculous thing with such a straight face, Shadow can’t understand— as the ice fissures some more.
“I don’t need his protection. I don’t need anyone’s protection. I can take care of myself.” He seethes, the words hissing from between the sharp bars of fangs in the cage of his jaws. Another loud crack.
“No one is doubting that. But who else would team up with you against your enemies after what you’ve done?”
The ice shatters.
“Besides me, of course,” Rouge adds, but it was too late to save him from succumbing to the icy current of his thawing heart.
“Whatever. This is horribly unclear advice. I have no idea what you’re trying to say, but even if I did, I don’t know if I’d trust it because the only thing it’s done for me so far is give me more trouble!”
His rage shakes the room while he roars, up until he hurls that last indiscretion at her with his fists curled, fangs bared, crimson eyes glowing with a golden ire. A dangerous aura, if left unchecked.
“…Maybe we should pick this back up another time and cool off for now,” Rouge says carefully, any trace of any teasing in her voice from earlier completely wiped as she flaps her wings and swiftly returns to the hallway, at the end of which her bedroom door awaited.
“Goodnight, Shadow.”
Leaving him breathless, panting, alone like he thought he wanted to be in the middle of the living room, where it is pointedly no longer nighttime. Fuming with a profound anger he didn’t realize had been brewing.
But Rouge has done the right thing. Somehow, she always knows the exact moment he reaches his breaking point, an expert in all things Shadow which includes knowing exactly which buttons to push, as well as when to stop pushing.
Her and Sonic have that in common.
Shadow knows he is a challenge— an expertly difficult one, at that— to befriend, somewhat by design. He keeps his walls up high, because it’s safer to be alone.
Not to mention, he’s moody, depressed, brooding, and overall intense to be around — all valid, but he’s working on it. He didn’t want to be this way. It’s not his fault entirely that he’s so brutal, so untrusting. He always called himself a realist, because he knows how harsh the world can be.
Then they showed him how soft it can be. How beautiful. How free.
It all started with Sonic, in the moments leading up to but especially in the one they shared on the moon in super form, where he held his punch. Shown mercy on his foe, when he had the upper hand.
