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midnightshard06 · 5 months ago

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Calm(?) Before the Storm

Summary: Everyone takes the time before the Black Arms invasion differently. Both Shadows are predictably the most on edge, and game Sonic just wants his rival to not run himself into the ground before the Black Arms even get there.

Warnings: none

Word Count: ~2600 words

You can check it out on ao3 here if you prefer.

Shadow crossed his arms as he looked around the Montana, at least that's what he'd been told the place was called, wilderness. There was a slight chill in the air, but overall things were peaceful. Well if he ignored the mild strain he was feeling from using the emeralds to keep himself stable in his counterpart's universe at the moment. Thankfully he'd been right when assuming more emeralds would make it easier, but it was still clear that he was going against something strong. It didn't matter though. He could handle it, even if he didn't really understand what was causing it.

At this point he and Sonic had gathered most of their emeralds. Only one was left and Sonic was on route to it right now. As much as Shadow wanted to secure the last one personally he would... trust his rival to do this. Right now he was just popping in to make sure his counterpart wasn't mentally overwhelmed by his own Black Arms. He'd done it a couple times now. Use the emeralds to keep himself stable in his counterpart's universe and act as a sort of scarecrow to make sure his counterpart's mind stayed clear enough to function. There was no sign of the Black Arms physically being on earth yet, but his counterpart had said he could sort of feel their presence. Far, but certainly there and overwhelming since he wasn’t used to it.

Honestly there was no way to tell how long they had, and the uncertainty had Shadow on edge. What he presumed to be this world's Black Doom had seemed... particularly interested in not only his counterpart but him. There had been an attempt to establish some sort of connection. An attempt Shadow had ruthlessly shut down, but also had kept to himself for the time being. He'd already had a suspicion that this world's Black Doom was aware of him, the attempt had only confirmed it. If he were to guess the Black Doom of this world found him through his counterpart, the two seemed to be able to tap into the same hivemind after all if his counterpart unintentionally reaching out to him before was anything to go by. If anything good came of the incident it was that this world's Shadow was left alone for a decent length of time after.

Now though he just... stood. Taking deep breaths of the fresh air. He should head back, having done what he needed to do yet he stayed there. It was a moment of calm he intended to enjoy. With the threat of the Black Arms once more looming over him, he'd felt... stressed to say the least. Even if they weren't his own Black Arms. He would make sure his counterpart wouldn't have to go through it alone. He would help preserve whatever innocence his counterpart had left.

His ear swiveled towards the sound of the crunching of leaves coming towards him. He almost bolted when a dog came bounding out of the foliage. This was a dog he recognized though, the Wachowski family dog. Ozzie he believed. The golden retriever stopped in front of him, head tilting in silent question. Shadow's eyes darted from left to right before he patted the dog on the head a couple times.

"Was wondering why he ran off." A male voice came out of nowhere, sounding amused. Shadow's head whipped around towards the voice, he relaxed slightly as he recognized it as Wachowski's father Tom. "Sorry bud." Tom grinned apologetically. "Didn't mean to startle you."

"You... didn't." Shadow huffed, crossing his arms. Ozzie headbutted his leg but he ignored it.

"Alright." Tom nodded, although his expression said he wasn't convinced. "Anyway... what are you doing out here?" He walked over and patted Ozzie on the head. The dog barked happily.

"Was just popping in to make sure your Shadow was ok." Shadow's ear twitched.

"I'm sure he appreciates it." Tom nodded. "You can always actually come over to the house to do that though. At this point you have an open invitation."

"I'm aware." Shadow sighed. "Though I don't intend to stay very long so there wouldn't be much of a point."

"I'm sure the boys would be happy to see you even if it's only for a little bit. They've taken quite a shine to you." Tom shrugged. Shadow simply huffed. "Just something to think about." He whistled at Ozzie and the dog started to follow him. "We all really appreciate the help. Just remember you don't have to put everything on your shoulders." He gave Shadow a knowing look. "Take care of yourself kid." Tom nodded at him before he walked off.

Shadow turned his head slightly to watch Tom and Ozzie leave. He stayed standing there long after the two left his sight. Kid? Him? Hardly. There was no real reason for him to swing by the Wachowski home when he came here. Not unless he had any relevant information to pass along. His focus was on making sure they were ready for the Black Arms. He fished the ring from his quills and tossed it. Time to go check in on Sonic.

"Too slow!" Sonic dodged out of the way of Wachowski's spin dash. The younger hedgehog uncurled and simply collapsed on the floor.

"I yield." Wachowski groaned, before sitting up. "I'll get you eventually." He pointed a finger at Sonic.

"You will." Sonic agreed immediately as he nodded. "You can only get better." He grinned.

"You fought bravely brother." Knuckles walked over and plucked the hedgehog off the ground. Sonic barely held back a snort at the look on his face. After a moment the echidna put Wachowski down, setting him up on his feet. Somewhere nearby Tails chuckled at the sight.

"Alright you all!" Maddie poked her head out of the house. "Come in for some lunch ok?"

Sonic gave her a grin and a salute. "Yes ma'am." Wachowski was quick to speed inside, but Sonic took his time and walked in with Tails and Knuckles. It had been interesting spending time around the family. Shadow had insisted that one of them stick around to keep an eye on things now that they'd got all their emeralds. Since it was harder for Shadow to stay here with his counterpart still in the same universe, the black hedgehog had begrudgingly asked Sonic to stay in his stead. It had been easy to agree. Not only because he also wanted to make sure the kids were ok, but also Shadow had actually asked for his help. How could he turn that down?

Before going over to grab anything to eat himself he poked his head into the living room where the Shadow of this universe was sitting on the floor. Meditating. At least that's what Sonic was pretty sure he was doing. Apparently Knuckles had been teaching him some meditation techniques that the echidna warriors used. "Hey, you doing ok?" Sonic kept his voice low to hopefully not startle the other hedgehog.

Shadow slowly opened his eyes, blinking to clear the mildly dazed look in them. "I'm... fine all things considered." He looked over at Sonic.

"How's your head feeling?" Sonic took a couple steps into the room.

"Fairly clear." Shadow hummed. "I think Terios was here recently." There was a sort of sad look on his face. One that felt so out of place on someone who looked so close to his rival.

"Yeah sounds about right." Sonic shook his head. "Slipping in and not saying anything. Don't take it personally kid." He held out a hand. Shadow took it after a moment and Sonic pulled him up. "He's just real focused on being ready." He shrugged.

"Right..." Shadow looked down.

Sonic ruffled some of the fur on Shadow's head and the other hedgehog sent a glare his way. That felt more like the Shadow he was used to. "Don't need you going all broody on me too. Let my Shadow take care of all the worrying for both of you. Chaos knows he's doing enough of it."

"Why don't you tell him to relax then?" Shadow rose a brow.

"Cause he'd sooner punt me into the ocean than take my advice." Sonic chuckled. "Besides, that's what Rouge is for. She's better at actually getting him to slow down and take care of himself than I ever was."

"I see." Shadow's ear twitched.

"Anyway if you're hungry Maddie has food ready." Sonic gestured over his shoulder to the kitchen. "Plus I'm sure the others would be happy with your company."

Shadow's eyes darted towards the kitchen. "Alright." He started to walk past Sonic and barely ducked under his hand as Sonic tried to ruffle the fur on his head again. Sonic simply chuckled and followed him to the kitchen.

"There he is." Wachowski grinned as the two of them entered the kitchen. "You missed me totally schooling other me."

"You were handily defeated brother." Knuckles gave him an odd look. Wachowski sent him a look that clearly read 'shut up'. Sonic barely held back a snort at that while Shadow frowned in confusion. "How goes your meditation hedgehog?"

"Well." Shadow nodded as he sat down. "I appreciate you teaching me."

"Of course." Knuckles puffed out his chest slightly. "I am happy to share the echidna ways. Especially when they can be of use to others."

"A lot different than my Knux on that front." Sonic hummed.

"Does he not wish to share the culture of his people?" Knuckles' look turned serious.

"Well... more like he doesn't know much of it." Sonic shrugged. "Spends a lot of time alone up on Angel Island by himself." He drummed his fingers on the table. "Maybe I should actually ask him about it some time..."

"If he is anything like me I am sure he would be happy to have someone to share it with." Knuckles nodded sagely. "Even if my old tribe is gone I honor their memory by keeping their traditions and history alive."

Sonic made sure to actually file the advice away for later. Even if his Knuckles was out actually enjoying some time off Angel Island right now Sonic could always ask him about stuff once he was back. He wasn't entirely convinced the echidna would be as pleased as this world's Knuckles was to share, but he might appreciate the effort on Sonic's part at least. "I'll ask him about it the next time I see him for sure." Sonic nodded.

"Alright, here you go boys." Maddie passed out sandwiches and there was a chorus of thank yous. As everyone ate Sonic leaned back and took things in. Just how happy they all seemed. Heck even Shadow had a slight upturn of his mouth. He really hoped everything worked out for these kids. They deserved to be happy.

"Caught ya this time." Sonic spoke up before Shadow could finish reaching for the ring in his quills. There was a mild amount of satisfaction that Sonic felt when his rival flinched before sending a glare his way. "Put down the ring. Let's chat." Sonic gave him an unimpressed look.

"What do you want?" Shadow reluctantly put down his hand.

"Look I know you're worried about the whole Black Arms thing but would it kill you to actually swing by and say hi to the kids you're trying to protect?" Sonic rose a brow. "Also Rouge tells me you're not getting enough rest. What are you gonna do if you run yourself ragged before they even get here?"

"I don't need as much sleep as the rest of you." Shadow huffed.

"Oh save it Mr. Ultimate Lifeform." Sonic crossed his arms. "Rouge wouldn't be telling me she was worried if you weren't actually not taking proper care of yourself. Even your absence is getting the others worried. I agreed to stick around and watch them cause it was harder for you, but that doesn't mean you should avoid them until it's go time. I'm sure other you could really use some guidance right now from someone who's been through something similar before."

"I don't see what me being there would change." Shadow looked away.

Sonic let out a frustrated noise. "Shadow." He let his voice drop into something serious. "They're kids and even if they're like us and don't act like it they're scared." He walked around to be in Shadow's line of sight again. Shadow said nothing and Sonic could feel his frustration at the situation rising but he pushed it down for now. Getting frustrated at Shadow would only get the other hedgehog to lock up and probably just run off. "If we want to help them we have to do it every step of the way. Not just when the big threat actually shows up." Sonic blew out air through his nose to help shake off some of his built up frustration.

Shadow silently held his gaze for several tense moments. "I-" Sonic held up a hand and cut off what he felt was another excuse. Shadow's expression said it all. Honestly he was surprised Shadow actually stopped though.

He gave Shadow what he'd dubbed his "disappointed big brother look". Something he'd perfected because of Tails. Sure the fox was generally good but Sonic needed some way to get the kit to bed on time when he was being stubborn. "Look I know I'm far from someone you listen to on a regular basis and I sure as hell can't force you to do anything..." His expression softened. "Just think about it ok? We should be using this time to make sure everyone is ready. Physically and mentally." He sighed as he ran a hand through his quills. "I'm gonna get back." He gestured back in the general direction of the house. "I hope I'll see you around before things get interesting." He sped off before Shadow could give him an answer.

This usually wasn't like him but Sonic could feel his frustration reaching a peak with his rival. Shadow wanted to help clearly but Sonic couldn't help but feel like he was pushing himself way more than he should. It wasn't just that though. Those kids were really starting to wonder about Shadow's absence and Sonic could only come up with so many excuses and at some point he'd just stopped wanting to. At this point Shadow could either show up a little more before things or be at the mercy of those kids hounding him during an alien invasion. The ball was in Shadow's court now; Sonic had done as much as he could.

"Arrived safely..." He looked around the forest around him, his tail flicking behind him. "Of all the places for you to accidentally end up brother...some underdeveloped planet..." He sighed. "Whatever we'll make due. Have to find you first though." He tapped his chin. It maybe wasn't the best idea to reach out through the hivemind, not with that strange force that Black Doom was still trying to figure out lingering around. Some force that seemed to hold similar authority to Black Doom. That would only spell trouble if he was noticed. If he could slip under the radar until he'd secured Shadow that would be ideal.

He rubbed his hands together. "A stealth mission it is then." He grinned in excitement. It had been a long time coming, him finally going planet side. Sure it wasn't the planet they had intended but it would do. "Don't worry brother." He stretched as his eyes scanned the plant life around him. "Eclipse is coming."

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic au #sonic fandom #shadow the hedgehog #sonic movie #fanfiction #shadow swap au

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midnightshard06 · 5 months ago

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What is Love?

Summary: Eclipse goes around trying to figure out the nature of Sonic and Shadow's relationship. It takes him asking several people until someone finally really understands why he's asking at all.

Pairing: Sonic/Shadow (though mostly background/mentioned)

Warnings: none

Word Count: ~3000 words

You can check it out on ao3 here if you prefer.

AN: Happy Valentine's day all! I once more decided to do a Lost and Found fic to celebrate. Hope you all have a great day whether you're doing anything special or not!

"Tails!" Eclipse barged into the fox's lab. "I have a question for you."

After jumping at Eclipse's sudden intrusion, Tails sighed and placed down whatever he was working on. "Aren't you supposed to be on the Black Comet right now?"

Eclipse waved his hand dismissively. "Doesn't matter. This is more important."

Tails gave him a look that said he didn't believe Eclipse, but he elected to ignore that. "Sure... What was your question then?"

"Shadow and Sonic..." Eclipse crossed his arms and frowned. "They're close or whatever right?"

"Yes..?" Tails frowned in confusion.

"What exactly is the nature of their relationship?" Eclipse also frowned in confusion. He'd been trying to understand his brother's relationship with the blue hedgehog for a while now but he didn't really get the behaviors he displayed. It wasn't really like anything he'd seen before. Well... maybe it was similar to how he treated the Black Arms but something about the comparison seemed off. Surely the fox would be able to explain. He was supposed to be smart after all.

"I don't think I quite follow?" Tails tilted his head and Eclipse scoffed.

"They act... odd." Eclipse huffed before gesturing vaguely at nothing.

Tails' ear twitched before realization seemed to pass over his face. "Oh." He put his hands together. "I get it now. The Black Arms are a hivemind so I guess you'd never have seen their particular type of relationship before." He nodded to himself.

"That's not an explanation fox." Eclipse pointed a finger at him.

"Right sorry." Tails waved him off. "They... love each other, but on a deeper level?" His face scrunched up in confusion. "Like you care about the Black Arms right?"

"Of course." Eclipse puffed out his chest.

"Right so, they care about each other like that. Kinda." Tails rubbed the back of his head. "I'm... not too sure how to explain it actually. Sorry."

Eclipse hummed. "I see." Well that was an unsatisfactory answer. Of course the two cared about each other like Eclipse cared about the other Black Arms. That much was obvious. Clearly Shadow had bonded with the blue hedgehog during his time on earth. The relationship they shared felt deeper than that though, and Eclipse was determined to figure it out. Even if that meant branching out and asking some others about it…

"Open up bat, I know you're in there." Eclipse knocked probably a bit too hard on the door in front of him.

Eventually, far too slowly in his opinion, Rouge opened the door. She gave him an unimpressed look. "Eclipse." Her voice was flat. "Thought we talked about you just waltzing around in public while we were still getting everything smoothed over. I'm good but G.U.N. is only so patient."

"I know what you've told me." Eclipse gave her a matching unimpressed look. "No one saw me. Besides! I have a question of utmost importance."

Rough sighed but waved him inside anyway. "Fine. I need a break from all the paperwork you and the other Black Arms are putting me through anyway."

"That commander guy still giving you trouble cause of Shadow?" Eclipse folded his arms behind his back as he walked inside.

"Some yes." Rouge sighed dramatically. "But you all moving in is really the big thing right now. Not every day a whole alien race moves peacefully to the same planet they were planning to take over by force. Something about that just sets people on edge." She shrugged but her look was sharp. "But enough about the important business." She gestured for him to sit on a couch as she flopped down on a chair. On the table in between there were several papers spread out, probably the paperwork she was talking about. Eclipse ignored them as he sat down. "What burning question did you have that only little old me could answer hm?"

"Shadow and Sonic. Their relationship. I don't get it." Eclipse put his hands together.

"They're in love hun." Rouge stared at him. She blinked after he just continued to stare at her in confusion. "You know, a couple." She waved her hand around.

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking. I know they're a couple." Eclipse scoffed and Rouge seemed to slump in relief. "There's two of them. Not like they're a triple."

Rouge's frown returned. "Oh you really don't get it, do you?"

Eclipse threw his hands up. "I wouldn't be asking if I did!"

"Well..." Rouge hummed. "Love is... when people like each other but on a deeper level." Before Eclipse could let the bat know how unhelpful that answer was, heavy footsteps came from just outside the room. Eventually they stopped in the room. It was the robot G.U.N. had raided from one of that Eggman guy's bases. Something they'd brought out to help keep them catch Shadow. Unfortunately for them Rouge could apparently be very persuasive and had gotten the bot on her side of things. At least so he’d been told. "Ah Omega." Rouge perked up. "Help a girl out here? Mind giving our little alien here the definition of love?"

Omega turned to look at Eclipse. "LOVE: AN INTENSE FEELING OF DEEP AFFECTION. IT IS A SERIES OF CHEMICALS GOING OFF IN ORGANIC'S BRAINS WHICH MAKE THEM FEEL THIS WAY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT."

Rogue pinched the bridge of her nose. "In hindsight I'm not sure why I thought asking you would help."

"Chemicals..?" Eclipse trailed off.

"Ignore him." Rouge snapped her fingers in front of Eclipse's face to get his attention. "You get friendship right?"

"I guess. Having friends is beneficial." Eclipse's face scrunched up.

"Well love is sorta like that, but more. It's a deep connection between people." Rouge sighed.

"LOVE IS CONFUSING." Omega commented.

"Yeah." Eclipse sighed in frustration. "Love is confusing." Maybe someone else would have a better answer…

"How did you get up here!?" Knuckles yelled as Eclipse casually approached the emerald shrine.

"Not important." Eclipse waved off the guardian's concern. "I have a question."

"I disagree. I think it's very important!" Knuckles threw his hands in the air. "What makes you think I even want to answer a question from you anyway?" He growled as he narrowed his eyes.

"Shadow and Sonic's relationship." Eclipse simply ignored the echidna's protests. "I've been told they love each other, but what does that mean?"

The anger temporarily slipped off Knuckles' face, replaced by confusion. "What?"

"They 'love' each other." Eclipse used air quotes. "But I don't get what that means."

"You don't-" Knuckles sighed in frustration. "What made you think I would be the best person to explain it to you?"

"Tails, Rouge, and Omega all failed to give me good answers." Eclipse crossed his arms. "I'm quickly running out of people I can actually go ask."

"Why don't you ask Sonic and Shadow then?" Knuckles sounded annoyed. "Wouldn't you get a better answer?"

"I would have, but Shadow told me to leave him and Sonic alone for the next couple days." Eclipse growled. "I don't know why."

"You're actually respecting that?" Knuckles rose a brow. "If I knew it was so easy to get you to leave me alone I would have just asked you to before."

"I only respect it because it's my brother." Eclipse pointed at Knuckles. "And even then I'm only actually respecting it because he threatened me and Sonic actually backed it up. I have some sense of self preservation."

Knuckles nodded in understanding. "So if I threaten you, will you leave me alone too?"

"You're not gonna be any help with this are you?" Eclipse frowned.

"No." Knuckles huffed. "Now get off my island before I throw you off myself." Yet another waste of time. Eclipse would figure it out eventually…

"There you are." Amy crossed her arms as she walked up to Eclipse.

"What the-" Eclipse waved away the Black Hawks he'd been conversing with as the hedgehog walked up to him. "Rose? What are you doing here? More importantly, how did you get here?"

"A girl has her ways." Amy raised a brow. "Now I've heard you've been going around asking people about Sonic and Shadow."

"What of it?" Eclipse huffed. "In case you haven't noticed I'm busy here." He gestured vaguely at the comet. "More busy than usual because of someone taking a few days off..." He added under his breath.

Amy sighed. "Sonic and Shadow are enjoying some time away for Valentine's." Eclipse gave her a blank look. "It's an earth holiday. One where romantic couples typically do nice things for each other." She had a wistful look on her face for a moment. "With everything that's happened they deserve a few days to just themselves don't you think?"

"I've been through stuff too but you don't see me slacking off." Eclipse frowned.

"Shadow's been through a lot." Amy frowned. "I'm sure you'll be fine for a couple days on your own. Especially if you have the time to go all the way up to Angel Island just to try to get a question answered."

Eclipse's tail twitched. "It was for a very important question." He huffed.

Amy put a hand on his shoulder. "Why are you so determined to figure this out anyway?"

"I-" Eclipse gently brushed off her hand. "The hedgehog is important to my brother. Sure I respect Sonic because he saved Shadow but I want to understand. Understand why Shadow's so close to him." He crossed his arms and turned away, snuffing out the last thought that wanted to come out before it could fully form.

It was quiet for a while, besides the buzz of the hivemind in the back of his head. He could feel Amy's eyes still on him, but he didn't want to meet her gaze. "I think I get it." Amy finally spoke up and Eclipse dared to look at her again. She had an understanding smile on her face. "You want to understand because you want to be closer with Shadow right?" Eclipse didn't grace that with an answer but apparently his silence was answer enough as she pressed on. "I'll be honest with you Eclipse. You won't have that kind of relationship with Shadow." She held up a hand as Eclipse went to protest. " Because that relationship is something special between Sonic and Shadow. You can still have a close relationship with him though."

"Why can't I have..." Eclipse gestured vaguely. "...what Sonic has with Shadow?"

"They love each other romantically." Amy started slowly. "It's a different sort of bond than the one you'd share with Shadow." She tapped her chin as her face scrunched up in thought. "You feel a connection to all the other Black Arms right? Besides just the hivemind part."

"Of course." Eclipse huffed. Odd that this wasn't the first time he'd been asked that. Why was his care for his species keep being called into question.

"I'd call that familial love. They're your family and you're close with them. Shadow is your brother, so you'd have a familial bond with him rather than the romantic bond he and Sonic have." Amy gently tugged him to the ground. Eclipse isn't too sure why he sat down next to her. "When you love someone romantically it feels... special." Her look was faraway. "It's hard to explain but you just know." She shook her head. "You love Shadow as your brother so you want to be close with him, but your best frame of reference is with how Shadow and Sonic act right?"

"Yeah..." Eclipse was surprised at how soft his voice came out.

"Well look at another example then. Sonic and Tails. I know you've been around them enough to know how they treat each other by now." Amy smiled. "What's the difference?"

Eclipse thought for a moment. "They're close, but it feels different to how Shadow and Sonic are close." His tail twitched. "They tease each other a lot. In a friendly way so I've been told." He thought back to the invasion. "They trust each other too, but Shadow and Sonic trust each other so I don't think that's so different."

"They're brothers, like you and Shadow." Amy explained. "Not by blood maybe but that doesn't always matter with family. Sometimes the family you find on the way is just as much if not more of your family as anyone blood related to you." She put a hand on his arm. "Trust me when I say you and Shadow already have that sibling dynamic down, even if you don't realize it. It may not look like it to you only because this is all new for Shadow and he can struggle to form close connections. From what I've learned actions speak way louder than words for him. Show him you want a deeper connection and I'm sure he'll reciprocate. Eventually."

"You think?" Eclipse tilted his head.

"I know ." Amy's smile grew. "Trust me, if he didn't care about you why would he go through all the trouble of helping the Black Arms live on earth? From what Sonic told me he could have easily used the Ark to destroy this comet." She gestured around them. "He didn't though, because you convinced him otherwise. Showed him there was another way out. It was a struggle for Sonic to even get where he is with Shadow today; just give it time. He won't open up overnight, but as long as you respect him and his feelings it'll happen."

Eclipse hummed as he turned over the information. Familial bond huh? That felt... right. Sure he called Shadow his brother but did he even fully understand what that meant before coming to earth? He called all the Black Arms his brothers and sisters but with Shadow the word seemed to hold more weight. If Amy was right and actions spoke louder than words for Shadow well... he'd just have to try harder to cement that bond. Aim for what Sonic and Tails had, not what Sonic and Shadow had. Yes. That already felt more attainable. He stood up and nodded at Amy. "You're more useful than I initially thought." Eclipse held out a hand to her.

"Watch what you say." Amy chuckled as she took the offered hand. "I'm more than just good with my words."

"Noted." Eclipse looked her up and down. "Now I just have one more question."

"Go for it." Amy nodded.

"How did you get in here?!"

Shadow suddenly shivered and Sonic looked at him in concern. The two were currently sprawled out on the ground of some meadow Sonic had come across on one of his runs. Nice and remote. Nearby their two chao were curled up together, sleeping. "You ok Shads?" He pulled the other hedgehog closer into his side, as his other hand ran idly through the grass under them.

"Just had a weird feeling." Shadow blinked the mild confusion out of his eyes.

"A good or bad weird feeling?" Sonic hummed.

"Unsure." Shadow sighed and seemed to relax. "I have a feeling I'll find out soon."

"Well for now let's just enjoy the peace huh?" Sonic grinned. "Gonna have to get back to it tomorrow."

"Don't remind me." Shadow frowned deeply.

"Hey." Sonic tapped him on the forehead. "Worry about that tomorrow. For now just focus on this." Shadow simply hummed and wrapped his tail around Sonic's leg. "Speaking of. I hope you've enjoyed yourself."

"It's been very nice. Thank you." Shadow nuzzled into Sonic's side. "The break from everything has been... needed."

"Happy to provide." Sonic chuckled. "Just so happened that the holiday lined up well. Of course I would have done this anyway, it just made it easier to justify pulling you away."

"Something had to work out for once." A slightly amused smile twitched onto Shadow's face.

"Hey sometimes the universe likes to actually work with us rather than against." Sonic laughed in amusement.

"Sometimes..." Shadow trailed off as his eyes slipped closed. Sonic started to run his hand through Shadow's quills, fixing any that were out of place as he did. The moment was peaceful and calm. At least until the chao woke up and started demanding attention from the duo. Oh well, that was fine. Shadow had insisted they bring the chao with them, not trusting anyone else to care for little Gale, so the other hedgehog didn't seem bothered by the intrusion. At least if the small, fond smile on his muzzle was anything to go by. Sonic took in the moment so he could remember it. Things just felt so right.

"Brother!" Eclipse called out to Shadow excitedly. Finally he was back from his little trip with Sonic.

"Eclipse." Shadow nodded his head in greeting.

"I've come to a realization while you were gone." Eclipse gestured for Shadow to follow him deeper into the comet. Shadow rose a brow but said nothing as he followed. "After doing some much needed research I've come to the conclusion that I've been approaching our relationship wrong." He stopped and Shadow stopped next to him, confused look on his face. "Be ready for me to show you what I mean."

"I feel as if I should be concerned." Shadow frowned but there was a hint of interest on his face.

"Don't worry." Eclipse put his hands together and grinned. Shadow opened his mouth to say something but Eclipse put up a hand and he paused. "I want to show you because I know that's more valuable than words to you." Eclipse allowed the determination he was feeling to slip into his voice. "But I know now there's still... a lot for me to learn." He huffed. The admission wasn't as painful as he thought it would be. "I want to be your brother though. Really be your brother." He puffed out his chest. "So I'm going to start more properly acting like it."

Shadow hummed. Silence stretched between the two of them before a small smile twitched onto Shadow's face. "It seems you can learn after all." He hesitantly raised a hand, before gently punching Eclipse in the arm. "We'll figure out what works for us."

Eclipse perked up. "Naturally. Just so you know though." There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I intend to be the better brother."

The look in his brother's eyes matched his own. "We'll see about that."

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic au #sonic fandom #eclipse the darkling #shadow the hedgehog #sonadow #ao3 link #fanfiction #lost and found au

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