Chapter 6: Warm
Vamo’alla
She had discarded the idea for a plan to make her brother find her. Her five-year-old mind was much happier with playing with the toys in her imagination. She found that she liked to play on her own, but she liked it better when someone else played with her. That was why she needed her brother with her, so that they could both play.
Would her brother play her sort of game? She hoped so. She
wanted her brother to understand her games, even if her games had to do with items like Heretic's Forks or Iron Maidens. Would they be alike? Would they both enjoy the same things?
She snuggled into her warm thoughts. Of course she and her brother would be similar. They were brethren.
Sonic
Sonic was worried Knuckles and Shadow wouldn’t get along, which, of course, they didn’t. Tails had to drag Knuckles away from Shadow forcefully, which was quite a feat.
Sonic was alone with Shadow, and for some strange reason, he couldn’t have been happier.
Initially, his idea was to just leave Shadow alone. But he found that he couldn’t. Shadow was cold, alone, and all Sonic wanted to do was to warm him up again, make him realize that he did have friends. He wanted to have the Shadow who he had only seen weeks ago, with a fervor for life and a sense of humor. True, that was when Shadow had found a path to his purpose, but all the same, Sonic wished…
He wanted that Shadow back. Right now, Shadow was a shadow of his former self. He was moody and silent, dismal. It made Sonic sad. He knew Shadow could be just as lively as the rest of them, so why didn’t he act that way?
He turned his attention to the black and crimson streaked hedgehog, who was not paying him any attention at all. Sonic was surprised by Shadow’s strength, amazed that he could pick up buses and fallen walls with such a slight figure. Sonic couldn’t, and he was about the same, figure size. Shadow was just as easily putting back together the arch that used to sit above the Master Emerald.
“Shadow?” Sonic asked. The older hedgehog did not respond, so Sonic continued, meekly. “Why is it that you’re so strong?”
“…” Shadow looked at the arch, and then back at Sonic. “I don’t know.” He said. For once, Sonic couldn’t detect any sarcasm or disgust in his companion’s voice. Shadow continued, “I don’t lift weights or anything. I guess I’m just top heavy or something.” His ruby eyes glazed over slowly, as if he was thinking of something. Then, almost dreamily, he said, “Weird, huh.”
Sonic agreed. He couldn’t help but watch in fascination. Shadow had some funny ways about him, and Sonic could never figure him out.
“How are we going to make this stick together?” Shadow asked. He had turned back to the arch, speaking like he normally did, tinged with some sort of anger.
“I’m sure Tails has some sort of idea. But Shadow, I haven’t helped out at all!”
“So what? You don’t need to help all the time. Jeez. Take a break, will you?” Shadow grumbled at him turning away from his handiwork. “It’s stupid that you always need to be working. There’s no point. The humans can build up their city without your help, you know.” Sonic blinked.
“But…”
“Yeah, I know. But you think it was your fault. Get over yourself.” Shadow said this with a wave of his hand, seemingly dismissive. “The fact is that you don’t owe anyone anything. You’ve saved them all. You don’t have to fix cities or repair relationships…no one owes you. So just sit back.”
Sonic riled. “But I want to help.” He said, instantly. “Even if I wasn’t the one to cause all the trouble, this is the quickest path back for everyone to being normal again!” Shadow looked at him as if to ask, and what’s normal? “And Shadow, I think it’s really selfish of you not to help, even if you are still looking for your purpose! What if part of the reason you were created is buried under the rubble in Westopolis, Shadow?”
Shadow glared at him. “Don’t accuse me of anything.” He said.
“I’m not!”
“You just accused me of being selfish, faker.” Shadow said, his eyes narrowing. “I’m not selfish. I just don’t like working with people, that’s all. Especially people who hate me.”
Sonic backed down, his heart slowing. “But… I don’t hate you.”
“Well, I know that.” Shadow snapped. “But just about everyone else does. I don’t need to be told twice, I know when to get lost.”
“Shadow…”
His counterpart gave him a very evil sneer and turned away. “Leave me alone.”
“But…” Sonic started. But when he realized Shadow was going to give him the cold shoulder, he sighed and gave up.
Vertical Infinity by NiGHTShadow
Chapter notes:
I went to Fanfiction a couple weeks ago. I had put a story up on there that got me into a whole lot of trouble in the Prince of Tennis world. Writing this story was really hard because of that... -_-'' Anyway, I checked out the Sonic the hedgehog fanfictions. There are a lot of really good writers there!