Shadow pov~
It’s been two days since Sonic had come home, and I haven’t heard a thing from Tails. I haven’t decided if this was good or not, considering Faker’s condition. We waited for him to come downstairs, looking for the promised food, but he slept the whole day away. It had gotten to the point where it was getting dark and most were ready to sleep. We left, Tails promising to keep in touch.
It was a complete waste of our time if you asked me, but I could tell how worried they were. Before I managed to leave, the fox kit had caught my eye. The look he gave me still burned in my mind as I wondered exactly what it tried to convey.
The others didn’t notice, as usual, but Rouge could tell that something was up. I regret telling her of what happened the day Faker went missing. She had been interrogating me, trying to make me open up about it… I couldn’t. Rouge had a soft spot for the blue idiot and I couldn’t bring myself to tell her it was my fault his guard was done. My fault that he got captured…
The thought sparked something in my gut, although it was hard to verify what exactly it was. What it meant. Part of me didn’t want to know. I wanted to ignore it. Forget it. But, it always seemed to come back stronger than before. I debated asking Rouge about it, wondering that if I got to the bottom of why this was happing, the feeling would go away.
I was so close to giving in. Despite how annoyingly persistent she was being, I knew I could trust her. Maybe I was a fool…. Maria said I always had a stubborn streak.
I looked up, blinking as Rouge stepped in front of me, blocking the exit to my room. Her hand was on her hips, eyes narrowed in determination. I fought the urge to sigh.
“Look, I know you were with Sonic before he went missing, ‘cause that’s the same day you told me he confessed to you. Now, what did you do?” She looked at me, expecting an answer. I could tell she was getting desperate.
I sighed inwardly, wanting nothing more than to teleport away or slam the door in her face, but I couldn’t run away from my problem; she would just find me later. It was not like I would reverse time or make things better. What was done could not be changed. I had enough guilt without talking about it. “It was nothing. Can you just drop it, already?” I bent down to duck below her arm, only for her to do the same, effectively blocking my way. I growled as she grabbed my wrist.
“Not until you tell me what you said to big blue,” she insisted, unphased. I straightened back up and scowled. She sighed, her eyelids dropping. “I saw the way he looked at you… That was a look of pain and hurt. Please, Shadow, tell me what you’ve done.”
My gaze scanned over her form, seeing how wary she looked. Almost defeated. I thought the urge to chew on my lip. Instead, I turned my head, staring at the bedside table instead. “I,” he began, feeling a little self-conscious. “I went off on him.” I paused, wondering if telling her everything that I said to him would be a good idea or not.
“What do you mean?” She asked, taking a tentative step forward. Her hand let go of my wrist to come and rest on my shoulder. “And don’t bother lying to me.”
I sighed and closed my eyes. This was not my day. “I-I told him that I didn’t care about him. That I hated him,” I started, before clearing my throat. It seemed to tighten with every word, but I couldn’t stop them from tumbling out of me as I confessed to my sins. Another burden I would have to carry. “That he’s an annoying, cocky, pathetic creature who was useless when Eggman isn’t around. I told him that he wasn’t needed anymore and that he should leave, while he had the chance.”
Before I knew it, I felt a hard slap against my cheek. My eyes widened a fraction, stunned.
“You idiot!” She fumed. I turned my head back to her. Did she just? My checks had a tinge of red to them, her eyes downcast. “Have you ever thought about how much you meant to him? That it took all his courage to confess to you, only for you to break his heart!” It was as if a phantom knife had dug through my chest as my mistake was spoken out loud.
“You’re the reason he was captured in the first place! All because you couldn’t accept the fact that you might love him, too!”
My fists tightened as I angled my head away, trying to hide my inner turmoil. “You don’t know anything. And, don’t blame me for Faker’s mistakes. It was him, alone, that got himself caught!”
And, with that, I left the house. I needed time to think.
No prov-
"Sonic, come down here, please!" Tails' voice echoed through the house, causing the blue hedgehog to sigh. He rolled out of bed, throwing his comforter a longing look before he raced down the stairs and into the living room. He skidded to a stop in the doorway, glancing at the new visitor, who was sitting on the couch and chatting idly with Tails. Sonic stepped inside as they noticed him, the pair going quiet.
"Tails what's going on," he asked looking between the two waiting for one of them to answer.
"He asked me to help you unlock some of your chaos abilities," Silver announced, standing up.
Sonic sighed at this. "Tails, I told you it was fine," he said firmly. He turned to exit, about to go upstairs, till he felt his hand being grabbed gently. He turned to look back.
"Sonic, please, I want to help. He is really worried about you, and so is everyone else. At least, give it a try," Silver pleaded, holding Sonic's hand like it was the most fragile thing on Mobius.
This gentle gesture and plea made his heart flutter at the same time. He knew that they were worried about him, and he could never forgive himself for making them so, but the fact that Silver was trying to go out of his way to help him was touching. He hesitated, not wanting to burden anyone else with his problems, but the look in his eyes made him compelled to say yes.
“I-I’ll do it for you, Tails. “ He started nervously, a mixture of excitement and trepidation bubbled within him. It had been a while since he attempted Chaos Control and he was unsure how well he would do now that there weren’t any world-ending threats to deal with. ”Just let me get something, and then we can go out into the forest.” Sonic injected, now looking at their joint hands before gently pulling his away. When he was free, he ran up the stairs.
Tails stepped forward, finally deciding to remind Silver of his presence. “Thank you so much, Silver. You have no idea how much this will help him,” Tails informed with a smile, including his head in a gesture of appreciation. He was glad to finally get Sonic out of the house. Being inside for too long had never done any good for his brother, and the fresh air would do wonders to his mood. Sonic really didn’t like the feeling of being in one place. It was one of the many traits forced upon him by Eggman.
“No problem. I’m just happy to help,” Silver replied with a bright smile.
They both waited for Sonic to come back down and, within five minutes, they left to the forest to avoid anyone getting hurt in their practice.
Silver pov~
I was surprised when Tails called to ask me to help Sonic unlock his Chaos abilities. I didn’t know if I was even fit to teach him; I was no way as skilled as Shadow or as knowledgeable as Knuckles in the subject, but I was happy regardless. This meant that I could get close to Sonic and get to know him more.
For a while now, I have been experiencing the urge for physical contact when I was around him My heart would pound within my chest and I could never seem to breathe properly. At first, I was confused. I remember asking myself various questions, wondering if I was ill or if there was something wrong with Sonic’s Chaos energy making other users act this way.
I, eventually, brought it up with Blaze, who just started to giggle. She made this spectacle, asking countless questions of what I thought about Sonic. I remember telling her many things, ranging from what I liked about him to how I felt during the time he was captured by Eggman during the time we became the resistance.
I ended up breaking down, remembering all the times Sonic had been close to death. Everyone expected so much of him, that they forgot that he was just a teenager. I couldn’t imagine having that much pressure on my shoulders that I vowed that I would help carry the burden whenever he could. In the end, we all stepped up, becoming a strong enough force to take down Mephiles. It was nice, to finally work as a team, instead of against each other.
It taught us the value of how frail relationships could be and that you should make sure you appreciate what you have instead of wishing for something you haven’t. Seeing Sonic in such a state reinforced the idea that I didn’t want to lose him. That, despite being enemies at one point, he had come to be one of my most trusted allies. I came to the conclusion that I would be around, making sure he stayed out of trouble and could live to fight another day. After all, the fate of the future was always in flux...
I was brought out of my thoughts as we came to a stop within a clearing in the middle of the woods. Tails smiled, turning to Sonic and me.”Okay, make sure to be careful and be back before it gets dark,” Tails reminded, pulling his brother into a hug.
Sonic rolled his eyes affectionally. “Will do, buddy,” he assured, smiling. They parted, giving each other one last look before Tails used his namesakes to fly off.
"So, what are you going to show me first," he asked, beaming.
"Well, first off, we need to figure out how much chaos energy you can sense around you," I told him, walking to the center of the opening.
"What do you mean? I thought the emeralds give you the power to control Chaos Energy?" He looked at me, confused.
"Well, yes, that is what the emeralds are for, but you don't need them to channel the power you already have inside of you. See, Chaos Energy is all around us. You just have to feel for it and channel that energy to make something new," I said, gathering all the energy to show him what I meant as a light blue aura surrounded me.
"This is the color of my chaos energy, which allows me to have the abilities that I do. So, today , we're going to focus on channelling your energy." Sonic nodded as we got ready to start practicing.
No pov~
Tails allowed sighed as he looked around his workshop. His gaze swept over his latest project, now halted in its construction due to the loss of the Chaos Emerald to Sonic. Not that he would go back on his actions. His brother’s safety was more important than something he wasn’t sure would even work. Shaking his head, he picked it up, knowing he had to place it in storage until he could find another one to use in order for it to work.
After he was done, he sat back down at his desk, prying the lid to his laptop open to check his e-mails. Just then, a faint beeping caught his attention, causing him to look over to the side. There sat a small machine that beeped happily at him. Upon its screen, a flashing dot was displayed upon his grid. Tails blinked before he reached over, picking it up.
“A Chaos Singal?” He mused out loud as he processed the information. There was a Chaos Emerald nearby! Jumping to his feet, he gathered all the necessary supplies as he shouted “Sonic!” He paused for a second, remembering that he had gone with Silver. “Oh yeah,” he mumbled. Shaking his head, he rushed out the door and climbed into the tornado.
Soon, he was in the sky, heading towards the source. Not even noticing a figure entered his house.
Tails pov-
I hopped out of the tornado, device in hand, looking around for the Emerald. I followed the signal to one of the many trees. Confused as to why it led me here, I searched the base. Till a voice from above made me jump, and I had to crane my kneck to get a good look at the figure sitting on one of the tree's high branches.
“What are you doing here, fox boy?” Shadow asked, peering down at me with casual interest.
“Looking for a Chaos Emerald… which seems to belong to you,” I answered dryly, eyes narrowing at the hedgehog. I could never forgive him for breaking my big brother’s heart.
“You’re looking for the Emeralds by yourself? I though Faker would be with you?” Shadow asked as he looked down at me with a blank expression.
Even though he stood a good few meters away, I felt hyperaware of the height he had on me. This made me nervous, especially when his crimson gaze met mine. I had to hold myself back from bolting the other way, but I managed to stand my ground. I had to do this, let my emotions out before it escalated any futher.
"That's none of your business. But, I can tell you something that is, Sonic." I started, hand going reaching out to point an accusatory finger. "What did he ever do to you to make you so heartless? All he ever wanted was for you to accept his feelings, or at least be his friend! But no, you're too stubborn to see how much he loved you. Oh no, Mr Ultimate Lifeform had to crush his heart into a million pieces because he is above us mere mortals." By the time I was finished, I was breathing heavily as I glared at the indifferent hedgehog.
"You don't know anything fox, so don't try to think you do. You have no idea how painful it is, to watch the ones you love die in front of you. If I can spare my heart from seeing him die, then so be it. I won't lose him," he said, clutching his fist.
I winced, turning my head away so that I avoided his gaze. He... He had a point. After the events on the arc, and what happened with GUN, Shadow had the right to be wary when trusting others. I couldn't imagine how bad it would be, seeing my brother die, right before my eyes. I could barely take it when Sonic was hurting. It wasn't fair to go through that alone. But, did that mean that Shadow should take the path of solitude? "Is that better? Either way, both of you get hurt. At least, when your together, you can soften the blow. Leaving a path of loneliness and destruction has never done anyone any good! He cried for you. He barely even eats, anymore." I took a deep breath, trying not to sob as the stress resurfaced. Sonic hadn't improved much since he returned, and, deep down, Shadow needed to learn of the effects simple words could have on others.
"Tails, I..." He paused unsure what to say, but I felt a hand on my shoulder. "I do love him... I just don't want to lose him, I've failed Maria, I couldn't bare failing him besides I'm sure he won't forgive me for my actions before!" He told me finally showing all the loneliness, sadness, and regret in his eyes that I have never seen before.
Despite the situation, I almost snorted. Sonic, not forgiving the ones he loved? It was un-imaginable. Heck, he even forgives Eggman after the manic had tried to kill and torture him countless times. It was devastating the lengths my brother would go through just to help someone. If Shadow couldn't see that, maybe he was best off never pursuing a relationship with Sonic. Regardless of my own feelings, I couldn't let my anger get to me. I owed it to Sonic to, at least, try. "He's not the one to hold grudges.." He trailed off, the words, 'but I do,' was unsaid, but thought.
"I know, he's always had a good heart for others… I just don't feel like I am worthy of his forgiveness and I'm sure my actions have hurt you and I'm sorry for that. You are a bright fox, but you are still a kid and that's a lot of stress to have put on you," he confessed, looking down with shame.
"He's my brother, the only family I have left. His happiness means everything to me. His life is not as happy as he makes it look. He's had a traumatic past, that even I do not know about." I sighed, wondering if I was doing the right thing. Maybe I was overstepping, telling him something Sonic kept close to his chest, but he needed to know. To understand. I knew that if anyone could understand how Sonic felt, it was Shadow.
"He may not say it, but he needs someone who can keep up. Someone to be there for him. Someone to hold him back from being reckless and reassure him that his actions are right. He may give you countless chances, but I'm giving you one. Please... At least talk to him. He needs closure... And reassurance that you don't hate him..."
"So all this time... I thought..." He paused before he looked up at me. "I'll talk to him, and thank you for giving me a chance. You're a good brother to him,” he finished, saying turning to leave, but not before looking back at me. "Here, I believe this belongs to you." He tossed something to me. As I caught it, I looked to see it was the Chaos Emerald he had.
I looked down, eyes wide in disbelief. "What...?" My brain tried to process what he had given me. "Don't you need this? I may not know much about how your powers work, but..."
His lips tugged before going back to a neutral expression. "I have a spare. Managed to take it from the doctor when Silver was distracted with saving Fak.. Er, Sonic. Couldn't allow him to continue with his schemes." He looked away, crossing his arms.
"Shadow, I..." I started but was quickly interrupted.
"Take it... You'll need it more then I will." And, just like that, he was gone doing his infamous Chaos Control, not giving me the time to speak.