Literature
Sonadow- Another Hedgehog Bites The Dust
The blue hero woke up in his home in front of an endless tranquil sea of blue located on the outskirts of his hometown, Hedgehog Village. Sonic stretched his arms up and a smile formed across his face as he released his stretch, feeling well rested from his slumber. He took in a deep breath of fresh air before jumping off his hammock. He noticed his shoes were placed to the side of his bed and he slipped them on his feet one after the other. Afterwards, he puts on a new pair of gloves and begins topping them with a fresh layer of sports tape he set aside the night prior. Sonic decided today would be a nice day to warm up his legs and take a jog through the canyon. In doing so gives the speedster enough time to get away for at least a few hours before another attack is thrown at the village by Dr.Eggman or his friends begin to look for him, whichever comes first. "No time to waste!" he said as he positioned himself and sped off towards his destination. Sonic sped through the village passing by his fellow villagers and neighbors alike. Many folks greeted him as the blue hedgehog is well known amongst the community after all. As he nears his destination, he sees a strange figure standing in the distance, making the blue blur squint his eyes trying to make out who it was. "Is that-?" A hedgehog with black fur and red stripes was standing at the foot of the canyon. His arms were crossed, and his mouth curled downward as he looked off into the distance, lost deep in thought. "Oh great.... it's Shadow." Sonic muttered to himself. The dark hedgehog sensed a presence nearby and breached his gaze to fixate his eyes on the approaching hero below. Sonic switched his feet causing friction between the soles of his shoes and the dirt, forcing him to a halt. "Hey Shadow, don't break a sweat trying to overthink about … whatever is in your head." Sonic said sarcastically at his dark rival standing above him. "That insult was as lame as you are, hedgehog. What are you even doing here?" "Well, this is my territory. I suppose I could ask you the same question." Sonic pointed at Shadow. "Since you're so obstinate on this being your spot, how about a race? The first one around the island and back gets the canyon and bragging rights. Although, if I were you, I'd spare myself from the humiliation and walk away." Shadow smirked. "Hmph, I don't think you've realized who you're talking to, pal. I'm the fastest thing alive! I can take you down in a race even in my sleep." Sonic raised a hand and placed a fist on his chest to form a confident stance, smiling back at Shadow. "We'll see about that." Shadow gets into racing position and skates off into the canyon. “Cheater!” Sonic yells and begins to chase after him trying to catch up to his rival. Sonic and Shadow went on to have their race, neck to neck. Shadow’s steps were blaring on the floor causing the dirt below him to blow away from the friction of the air emitting from his air shoes. Sonic's shoes were hitting the ground at equal speed. Unfortunately for Shadow, the blue blur was able to overtake him in the nick of time, and won the race. Sonic looked back at his grim counterpart and raised his hand holding a peace sign and closed his left eye forming a wink. Shadow grunted and walked the opposite direction facing utter defeat. He paused midway to let out his last words. “I’ll get you next time, Sonic, but don’t expect me to go easy on you.” Shadow said as he disappeared into thin air. “Yeah, sure. You sound just like Meh burger when they said they’d stop using newspaper in their hamburger meat. I’ll believe it when I see it.” It was from then on that both hedgehogs began a path towards an unusual rivalry. As days pass, they begin to see each other more, trying to surpass one another in a fight or in a race. Mutually, they begin to seek the thrill of their rivalry, as they both knew they were evenly matched. With more encounters, Sonic was able to notice certain features about his foe that he didn't notice in the previous matches. It began with him noticing which race spots made him lose speed and concentration and using that to his advantage. Eventually, it went on to physical traits like how well-kept Shadow's quills are and how beautifully his red stripes blended with his black fur. He was able to notice how his chest hair glistened in the sunlight when the rays of the sun hit his chest a certain way. Most of all, he began admiring his ruby red eyes and how they project like jewels in a cave when he wasn't noticing. In turn, Shadow began to pick up a few things about Sonic as well. How the blue blur likes to set the mood and pushes him over the edge before a race. How his emerald green eyes are always meeting his eyes when they exchange friendly banter as well as how it gradually made him more nervous being around him, all at the same time excited that he could face Sonic once again to prove once and for all who’s the best. It was evident that the hedgehogs have grown closer as time passed, eventually they both began to sense the attraction between them, but internally denied their emotions. However, their secret bond inevitably grew into something more than they could bargain for. One day out of the blue, a simple slip up from the blue blur changed the course of their relationship. A couple of weeks have passed since the race at the canyon and both hedgehogs once again ran into each other on the outskirts of Hedgehog Village. As they intercepted, they bumped into each other with forceful speed, causing them to fall backwards into the ground. Shadow scowled at Sonic as he was angered at the sudden impact. "Are you blind or are you just stupid?" Sonic in a daze looks at Shadow. "Wanna fight it out, faker?" Shadow smirked. "I thought you'd never ask." Shadow springs into action and throws a fist towards the blue hedgehog. Sonic dodges in time and grabs Shadow's fists while in the air. He then pulls the dark hedgehog closer and raises his right leg as if he was positioning himself to kick Shadow away. Shadow manages to dodge his kick and flies past his foot, now moving towards Sonic's face at an undesirable speed. ‘Hmph, a failed kick huh? All I gotta do is flash out of his grasp and-’ Shadow’s internal plans stopped as he suddenly felt something soft planted on his lips. Sonic had pulled his rival in for a kiss in the heat of the moment. They both stood there paralyzed, lips touching while Sonic still held Shadow's extended right arm from the punch he threw, and Sonic's bent leg was pressing against Shadow's waist from his failed kick. In a realization of what was going on, Sonic pushed Shadow back, breaking their kiss. A flustered Sonic panicked and he fled the scene the opposite direction at high speed. Shadow's face grew a bright shade of red, his eyes focused on a nearby tree trying to process what happened moments ago. ‘Did he just pull me into a kiss…’ He began to think to himself, ‘But why couldn’t I move away?’ He began thinking back to moments ago when Sonic’s soft lips were touching his. His immediate reaction was confusion until his bottled up emotions took over. The warmth of Sonic’s breath breathing down his cheek while his lips fused with his made the fur on his back stand up. His thoughts then wondered how he felt his nerves dance when he felt the pressure of Sonic’s legs pressing against his hips. His body began starving for more, until the blue hedgehog pushed him away and ran off. Shadow shook his head to bring himself back to reality. "I-I... should follow him." He said out loud himself as he skated off the direction of Sonic's tracks. —---- Sonic ran until he found a secluded area with a cliff facing the ocean. He could hear the waves of the sea crashing on the wall of the cliff and began to feel his stomach churn. Despite the noise from below, he sat on the edge of the cliff, as he had nowhere else to go. His feet dangled in the air and his hands began gripping the ground below him. "What in the hell just happened..." He thought to himself, breathing heavily from the mixture of nerves and exhaustion trying to get away from the scene. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of the situation. Shortly after, the bushes behind him begin to shake and Shadow emerges from the woods. Sonic looks back and his pupils shrink when Shadow comes into view, 'He caught up to me!' He thought to himself as his cheeks began burning a bright red. Sonic felt his face grow warmer and looked away from Shadow, facing the direction of the ocean trying to cover his embarrassment. "Shadow I-I didn't want..." Shadow cuts Sonic's words off with a deep sigh. He walks up to the hedgehog and sits right next to him. "Running off only makes you look weak, blue." Sonic breaks off from his embarrassment and chuckles. He turns his head to Shadow and notices his serious expression. "For the record, I'm far from weak. I kicked your sorry ass in a race just last week." Sonic said sarcastically. "Don't push it, hedgehog. I will throw you off this cliff with no remorse." Shadow said bluntly. "If this is your way of cheering me up, then you're doing a ‘horrific’ job." Sonic extends his hand and pats Shadow on the back a few times and plants his hand on the ground once more. "Tsk..." Shadow looks away from the blue blur. An intrusive thought popped up in his head and a blush began to appear on his muzzle. In the spur of the moment, Shadow whispered under his breath, "You're a terrible kisser by the way." Sonic's right ear perked. He was able to hear the words that escaped Shadow's lips and began to process his next response. He clenched his fists, digging them deeper into the ground trying to compose himself. "W-what!? Are you kidding me? You didn’t even kiss back, jerk!" He yelled out loud. As soon as the words escaped his mouth, he immediately covered his muzzle with both hands. Shadow's eyes widened as he felt his heart beat faster in his chest. "Huh, so this confirms my suspicions." he muttered to himself, more quietly this time so that the blue hedgehog couldn’t hear him. A loud silence emerged between them as Shadow thought back to the recent times he fought with Sonic. At the end of a race or a fight, Sonic’s eyes would soften, his eyes beaming with guilt at the sight Shadow losing. It began with taunting and gradually his words became more compassionate, however, they were always disguised behind an insult to make it seem less endearing. Shadow in turn became a bit more submissive, letting the blue blur win just to see his cheesy smile over and overs again. This moment seemed like a pipe dream for both of them. They wanted nothing more than to pour every ounce of their being to each other, however, afraid how one or the other might react, they stayed mute. Finally, Sonic broke the silence between them. “Shadow-” Sonic began as he scooted closer to the ultimate life form, only leaving a few inches between them. “Can we be honest with each other for a Sonic second?” Shadow was still facing away from Sonic, hiding away his blush. He turned his head to the direction of the sky taking in a deep breath. “Yeah.” Was all he could say at the moment. Sonic then continued his words “I…look forward to our arguments, but for reasons you may not-” Sonic suddenly felt a tug from his scarf and was pulled in for a kiss from the Ultimate Lifeform. Their lips begin to dance as they feel the warmth of their embrace fill their bodies with ecstasy. Shadow slowly raises his hand and begins to caress his partner’s cheek, bringing him closer in their embrace. Trees behind them were shaking from the strong winds of the bay and passed through their bodies like a blanket, setting the mood just right. Each passing moment that their lips overlapped, the kiss intensified as a way for them to communicate their growing desire for one another. As they released the kiss, a small breath escaped their lips from the intensity. Both eyes were locked on each other as their forehead and noses touched. “-think” Sonic whispered, finishing his earlier sentence. “Now that’s how you properly kiss your enemy” Shadow’s lips curled upwards, forming a smirk. Sonic pressed his right hand on Shadow’s chest and lightly pushed him away. “Go to hell, asshole.” He responded jokingly. “I’ll take you there with me.” Sonic blushed at Shadow’s response. “What? You’re gonna race me there too?” Sonic said wittingly. A small chuckle came from Shadow. Normally he’d have a response to combat his blue rival, but his composure began to loosen up a bit. He scooted close to Sonic, parallel to his shoulder, both now looking off into the distance. The sky began turning a hue of pink and orange, indicating that the day was near its end. The thought of both of them sitting on the edge of a cliff, sun beaming against their fur and waves dancing below their feet was a hard pill to swallow for the pair. They would have never imagined they’d be in this position someday, let alone smacking lips, but it was almost as if it was naturally meant to happen this way. Sonic looks off his shoulder noticing that his rival was nearly touching him and got flustered at the proximity they were in. He looked down at Shadow’s hand and saw how tender and loose they looked. ‘I really want to hold his hand, but….would he be okay with it?’ Sonic thought to himself. He slowly slipped his right hand on top of Shadow’s. The ultimate lifeform noticed and turned his hand to slip it through Sonic’s fingers, making their hands hug. Seeing that Shadow accepted his invitation, he got bolder with his advances and placed his head on his right shoulder. The dark hedgehog then leaned his head on Sonic’s as they watched the sunset together. —--- "SONIC! WHERE ARE YOU!?" A voice echoed in the direction of the woods catching the attention of the two rivals. They quickly scooted away to sit on opposite ends, creating a huge distance from each other. The voice calling out Sonic's name got louder as the distance closed between them. "SONIC” The voice yelled, “EGGMAN IS ATTACKING THE VILLAGE! YOU LEFT YOUR COMMUNICATOR AT HOME!" A young two tailed fox emerged from the woods. Sonic and Shadow turned to look at him, both tense from head to toe. "Oh Sonic! I knew you'd be.... Shadow?" He gave the dark hedgehog a perplexed look. "I sure was not expecting you to be next to Sonic." Shadow clears his throat. "It wasn't by choice, meddlesome fox." Shadow began to stand up and brush off all the excess dirt that stuck to his fur. "Enjoy cleaning up Eggman's mess, I’m out of here." He said to the two friends, giving Sonic a slight nod before he sped off. 'He's a worse liar than Amy trying to sneak off to see Eggman at his lair to play their Fuzzy Puppy board game last week.' Sonic thought to himself and rolled his eyes. "Well, that was weird…. Are you okay, Sonic? You're looking a bit flustered. Did you get sick?" Sonic's eyes widened in shock. His friend doesn't know about the encounter he had earlier with Shadow so the idea of something romantic happening between them didn’t even cross his mind. Sonic’s face went down and gave a slight chuckle "Yeah, I guess you can say that." Sonic stood up from his spot near the cliff and began walking towards his friend. "Alright Tails, let's round up Eggman's bots and pound that Egghead into next year." Tails nodded in agreement. Sonic and Tails made their way back into the village to save the day once more.
.Is it.....Shadow or Silver