Chapter Text
"You're leaving already, handsome?" Rouge asked, turning towards the shelf behind the bar. She opened a glass cabinet and grabbed a bottle of champagne along with two glasses. With her usual flirtatious smile, she placed the glasses in front of the black and red hedgehog. Her teal-highlighted eyes trailed over her male friend, who seemed lost in deep thought, his crimson eyes fixed on the table.
"I just can't fathom what you're telling me," Shadow said as he looked up at her while she opened the bottle. The dim club lights illuminated her white fur, making the bat look even more enchanting than usual. Her black dress hugged her figure tightly around the chest, with the straps hanging slightly below her shoulders. Despite being nearly thirty, she looked no older than twenty-five.
Rouge opened the bottle and poured the golden liquid into each glass. "Believe me, darling, I was just as shocked as you were when Amy said that Blue proposed to her. Even now, I still can't believe they've been dating for seven years, considering how Blue used to run away from her all the time. But now, they seem happy; I can't deny that."
Shadow pursed his lips tightly. "Hmph, she's a silly fool for marrying Sonic of all people," he huffed, grabbing one of the glasses and raising it to his tan muzzle. His golden inhibitor ring gleamed as light reflected off the glass.
Rouge chuckled lightly, watching him finish his drink. When he was done, she poured him another. "There's no need to be jealous, Shadow. A little congratulation would do them both good coming from you. I want you to come to the wedding with me. It has been years since you've seen everyone. Sonic would be happy to know you're in town."
Shadow's eyes narrowed, and his ears drooped slightly. "I'm good, but send them my congratulations," he replied flatly.
Rouge stared at him, taking in his tired appearance. Her ears faltered as she shook her head. "You never change, do you? Still so shut off?"
Shadow rolled his eyes. "Well, when you lose everything and are put on ice for fifty years, then judge me all you want."
He glared at her slightly as Rouge chuckled again, shaking her head. "You're right; I don't know what it's like to lose everything or to be trapped for that long. However, I do know what it’s like to struggle to find purpose in the world, to love and be loved, and to experience the ups and downs of love. Furthermore, I know what it’s like to be happy, and all I want for you is to be happy."
Rouge's expression softened as she gazed at her longtime friend, who was now looking up at her. Although he wore a frown, she noticed the way his ear twitched and his crimson eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms defensively. Shadow had heard those words many times—a gentle voice telling him to "Be happy, my friend." However, he didn’t fully understand. He thought he was happy. He was busy fulfilling his promise, fighting Eggman, and working with G.U.N. to save the world from smaller threats. That was his purpose. So why did Rouge look at him with such concern in her eyes?
This conversation reminded him of the last one he had with Sonic. "What do you mean, Faker?" Sonic chuckled, rubbing a finger under his nose, a habit he had when he was nervous or needed to think. He leaned slightly, placing a hand on his hip. "Don't you want to live a little, Shads? Be like the wind, go wherever you want, and do what you want to do, without being under the control of anything else. Make your own decisions without feeling like it's an obligation. Be truly free."
Sonic's smile was wide as he turned toward the horizon, watching the sun peek over the landscape. Shadow looked at the blue hedgehog's back. They had just finished racing, which ended in a tie, but neither of them would admit it.
"I'm sorry, Shads," Sonic said, this time apologizing even though he still faced away from him and continued to gaze at the green scenery. Shadow pondered Sonic's earlier words and the questions he had asked, but instead of replying, he simply asked, "Why are you apologizing, Sonic?"
For a few seconds, Sonic remained silent before turning his head toward Shadow with a smile that could shatter the world. "No reason," he said, "it's nothing. But Shadow, no matter where you go or how long you are gone, just try your best to live your own life. Be free, so that you can be truly happy."
"Shadow, are you okay?" Rouge touched his hand, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up at her with his crimson eyes and, for a moment, just stared before nodding. "I'm fine, Rouge, and I don't want you to worry about me, okay? I don't need pity." His tone came out harsher than he intended, and for a moment, he started to apologize. However, when he saw the soft expression on Rouge's face, he hesitated.
Though Rouge wasn't fully convinced, she knew she couldn't push Shadow any further. That was always the nature of their relationship; she allowed him to come to her in his own time, only gently nudging him to think about certain things. It was this understanding that brought them so close together."Okay, I understand, but before you leave again, you should at least stop by Vanilla's house. Cream has been asking about you since Tuesday, ever since I told her you would be visiting again. Who knows, you might run into Amy, and then you can congratulate her since you won't be at the wedding."
Shadow smiled a bit at the thought of Cream, the now seventeen-year-old rabbit who worked at her mother's Cakepop shop. He had grown closer to her when she was younger, often babysitting her and playing dress-up. Even though she was around eleven when he left, he still kept in contact with her well-being through Rouge. It warmed his heart that she hadn't forgotten about him.
"Did you tell her I was back in town?" Shadow growled, realizing he had been found out.
Rouge pretended to be offended, placing a hand over her heart. "I didn't! She just always asks about you, and I tell her how you're doing. She missed you just as much as I did if I had to guess." Shadow shook his head, contemplating whether he would stop by on his way out again. For now, he needed to figure out where he would sleep tonight. "You can crash at my place, handsome. Knuckie isn't there; he's on a mission for one of his ancestors, something about training the next warrior."
Shadow shook his head, not fully understanding the customs of echidna culture, but he could respect the red one's strength. "It's silly, I know, but he has my support. He chose Tails for his warrior training."
"Hopefully he'll be back soon because I have some news for him."
..
Shadow and Rouge made their way down the sidewalk after locking up Club Rouge. Shadow wondered what the news was, but he pushed aside his curiosity; if Rouge wanted him to know, she would have told him. His motorcycle stood parked in all its beautiful glory, and a small smile tugged at his tan muzzle.
"You wanna give me a ride, handsome? It would be just like old times, going on all those missions. Speaking of missions, Omega is still being repaired. Tails is trying his best, but he doesn’t want to mess up his code in case he fails to remember us and tries to attack."
Shadow's smile faded as he recalled the last mission the three of them had gone on together and how Omega had gotten hurt, not to mention the fallout with Commander Towers for trying to dismantle him like junk. Shadow knew that Commander Towers saw Omega as just a weapon—something created for destruction and war.
"We can always remind him," Shadow said softly as he got on the motorcycle. Rouge, caught off guard by his response, smiled; she knew Shadow always had a soft spot for robotic creations like Metal Sonic and Omega, treating them as if they were sentient beings with feelings.
"You think that could work, Shadow?" she asked, hopping onto the motorcycle and wrapping her arms around his stomach, resting her head against his quills. He softened them to avoid poking her or causing her discomfort.
"Yeah, because that's what you guys did for me—helping me remember to the best of my abilities. There are still some hazy things, but I remember the most important things."Rouge didn't say anything; she simply smiled slightly and closed her eyes, allowing the wind from the ride to numb her senses. After a few moments, she softly whispered to herself, "I'm glad you're back, Shadow."
Once they arrived, Rouge directed him, "There's a guest room upstairs on the right." They both removed their shoes at the door, though Shadow took a little longer, allowing Rouge to enter her living room first so he wouldn't intrude.
Rouge switched on the living room lights, and the apartment illuminated like a chandelier. Shadow took the opportunity to study the space, appreciating the aesthetic he had expected from Rouge, who valued appearances more than anything. However, he was grateful that her standards never stopped her from standing up to people; she wasn’t afraid to confront a villain regardless of their pretty face.
As he looked around, he noticed the minty blue and white walls, along with an elongated white couch adorned with fluffy cloud pillows. "You don’t have to be so tense, Shadow," Rouge said with a reassuring tone. "It's the same apartment; I've just changed things up a bit to suit both of our tastes." "By 'two people,' I guess you mean the echidna?" Rouge rolled her eyes at her friend's habit of not using her partner's name as she sat down on the couch. "Yes, now come sit down, relax, and let's watch a movie."
Shadow looked around once more, noticing a couple of pictures on the wall featuring Rouge and Knuckles. One picture showed the echidna looking annoyed as Rouge tried to feed him some ice cream. Another photo caught Shadow's attention; it depicted Sonic, Amy, Knuckles, and Rouge, and it appeared they were on a double date.
In that picture, Sonic had Amy in his lap while she wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against him. Amy had become more beautiful over time; her pink quills were now long enough to be tied into a ponytail, which was how she wore them in the picture. Instead of her usual pink dress, she wore a pink blouse and blue skinny jeans, making her look like a stunning young woman.
Shadow's gaze drifted toward Sonic, his blue counterpart, who also looked different. He was taller and appeared much more mature. His smile was still big and bright, and his emerald eyes—ones that had once caught Shadow in a chokehold—shone brightly. His blue quills were longer too, styled in a ponytail, with some hanging down in the back. His palm wrapped around Amy's waist, giving her a slight squeeze to keep her from falling.
As Shadow stared at the picture, he couldn't help but think how happy they looked—very happy. Rouge noticed that Shadow hadn't taken a seat beside her yet, and her eyes followed his gaze toward the image. "They're cute, huh?" she said with a soft smile. Shadow nodded hesitantly, and Rouge picked up on his reluctance, her smile deepening.
Teasing him further, she added, "Yeah, the media has already gone wild with fan art about it. Our precious friend Sonic is getting attention! Fans are going crazy. You should see it; they call it 'SonAmy.' I can't wait until the wedding! You should come, Shadow. Oh, I can already picture the headlines: 'Sonic's biggest rival/friend attends his wedding to wish him a happy life!'"
Shadow glared at Rouge as he walked over and plopped down in her seat. "Shut it, Rouge! I said no. Besides, the headlines would be more like 'Shadow the Hedgehog crashes Sonic's wedding' or 'Villain Shadow the Hedgehog ruins the wedding with his appearance.' Maybe even 'Did Shadow the Hedgehog conspire with the Black Arms to ruin the wedding day?'"
Shadow crossed his arms as they fell into a comfortable silence, the TV playing a movie. Despite the calm atmosphere, he felt a lingering unease that he couldn't quite pinpoint. The two of them watched a couple of films until Rouge began to get sleepy, eventually resting her head on Shadow's shoulder.
"Hey?" Shadow said softly, shaking a little, but she didn’t stir. He sighed to himself, glancing at the screen and allowing her to rest against him. Not wanting to disturb her, he changed the channel, curious to see what the news had to offer so late at night. He lowered the volume so it wouldn’t wake Rouge, who was softly snoring while snuggled against his arm.
To his surprise, the news was covering an attack. "It seems as though Eggman just won't learn his lesson," the reporter stated, showing footage of Sonic and his fiancée, Amy, who had just finished off the Badniks. The screen displayed videos of Sonic executing a spin dash attack on the last robot, twisting his body as he landed with a flip while the robot exploded behind him. Shadow felt his heartthrob at the display of power Sonic so casually exhibited; a cheeky smile crossed Sonic's face as he rubbed the underside of his nose with his finger while talking to the reporter.
Shadow watched as his blue counterpart, who was his rival, answered the reporter's questions. "Sonic, it is such an honor to be chatting with you. Mind if I ask you a question?" Sonic chuckled, and Shadow couldn't help but notice how his voice had gotten deeper. He no longer sounded like he used to. As he spoke, Sonic said, "You just did, but sure, I can answer a few more. Just make it quick, though." The reporter laughed at Sonic’s bluntness, and even though Sonic wore a smile, Shadow could tell he was serious.
"How does it feel to be getting married in three months?" The question wasn't too personal; it was better than what most reporters would ask. Still, part of Shadow wondered why Sonic agreed to the interview in the first place. He was never one to care about what others thought of him.
"Don’t you care what they think of you, Faker? Their beloved hero turning rogue?" They were having a simple conversation, much like the ones they normally had after sparring and fighting until they were both exhausted. Shadow noticed the sharp breaths from his blue counterpart.
"Ha, ha, Shads! I just do what I feel is right. I only care about what my friends think of me, not what the world thinks. If I did, I'd be miserable, don’t you think?" Shadow frowned, reflecting on Sonic's response. It made it sound so easy to not care what people thought, and he felt that was what made them so different—Sonic had the freedom to not care. However, the Blue Hedgehog was answering the question, "It feels amazing. I mean, my fiancée is perfect and she means the world to me. I have never been happier." Maybe Shadow was imagining it, but Sonic's tone seemed off. He sounded confident, yet Shadow had known him long enough to catch his little quirks.
"That's great, Sonic the Hedgehog! Everyone always thought you two would make such a beautiful couple," The interviewer replied. "But have you heard any news from the guests you invited? What about old rivals?" At the mention of rivals, Shadow's breath hitched, but he shook his head. Sonic had many rivals and guests, and he hadn’t received an invitation; that meant he wasn't invited anyway. How could he just show up? Not that he wanted to—he didn’t care.
Sonic chuckled and closed his eyes, opening them slowly. For a moment, Shadow thought he saw Sonic's eyes dim a bit before they shone brightly again, but it could have just been the darkness of the night and the light from the camera. "Many people are invited; it’s an open wedding. We did send invitations to all our friends, and as for rivals... hmm, I’m not sure if I have any who are worthy enough to come to my wedding because they can never compete with the best," Sonic said, chuckling and giving off playful energy with his last comment, making the reporter laugh too.
However, Shadow wasn't amused. Was he not a rival to Sonic? He was equal to him in many respects and stronger when it came to chaos energy. It twisted his stomach to hear Sonic say such things as if he hadn't even considered Shadow's capabilities. Shadow growled lowly, and the reporter seemed to be thinking the same thing because his next question involved Shadow.
"What about Shadow? Your arch-rival? You two seem to be very close in terms of strength. Is he invited to your wedding? Although some people may not agree since Shadow might bring negativity with his constant—"
"That's enough questions," Sonic interrupted the interviewer, his expression darkening slightly. But once again, Shadow was the only one who noticed. "Let's not talk about Shadow," Sonic said with a forced smile. Once more, Shadow saw his eyes dim, and worse of all, he frowned—his ears dropped at the thought of how Sonic regarded him. Shadow didn't bother to listen to the rest of the interview; he clicked the TV off. He knew it would only make him angrier if Sonic said anything that would irritate him more than his reaction to his name. Shadow had thought they were at least cordial and that the respect was mutual, but clearly, he was wrong. Sonic didn’t take him seriously; he viewed Shadow as inferior. Shadow sighed this was all so pointless as he leaned his head back against the softness of the cushions days of traveling, and he had yet to close his eyes although he didnt need sleep like most people it was releasing when he finally let them shut.
..
"Amy!" Sonic called out, trying to regain his balance as she ran towards him right after he finished the interview. She jumped onto his back, grinning widely at the cameras.
"Let’s go home," Sonic said softly, taking off running against the wind. They reached home in mere milliseconds; it seemed that the older he got, the faster he became.
“Amy, that was amazing! We showed those badniks! I think we should become a duo like Joker and Harley Quinn. What do you think?” Sonic barely heard her; his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the interview—specifically, his feelings related to a certain hedgehog. Damn it, he thought, how could he still be feeling this way?
“SONIC?”
“Huh!” Amy’s loud voice snapped him back to reality. He looked at his beautiful girlfriend, who had grown into an elegant, mature woman.
“Are you okay?” she asked, not angry that he hadn't been listening. Instead, she calmly moved to his side, cradling his face and nuzzling their noses together. A pang of guilt gnawed at him, consuming him slowly. He loved Amy deeply; he could even see himself marrying her. Yet, why was his heart still tethered to past entanglements? Shadow? Someone who had left and was still gone.
He wrapped his arms around Amy’s waist, pulling her close and inhaling her familiar strawberry scent that had intoxicated him for years. But why did he find himself wandering through lavender fields, drawn to the aroma of strong black coffee at the café they frequented? The same café where he and Shadow would go after their many races, enjoying a cup of coffee and a chili dog from the stand. They would sit at a table, arguing about who would win the next race and the one after that. Then it stopped—well, it didn’t stop, but the person had changed, and everything felt different. "I love you so much Sonic," Amy tells him softly hissing his peach muzzle shes smaller than him so she has to stand on her tippy toes to kiss him. He chuckles softly feeling his heart swell at her pout, "It's not my fault you're taller than me Sonic." Sonic smiles lifting her as she wraps her legs around his waist his hands slide down to cuff her bottom, pulling at her pink tail and she groans in pleasure. "Sonic you're naughty," She whispered giggling into his ear and Sonic smiled before kissing the side of her head. "Can't help it with someone as beautiful as you," Sonic charmed as Amy giggled and with her in his arms, they walked towards the bedroom. That night ended passionately Sonics mind filled with the scent of Strawberries and Citrus yet the faint scent of Lavender remained.