Chapter Text
It was the afternoon, the skies were just beginning to fade into oranges and reds. Shadow finds himself standing on a cliff edge that over looked Station Square. It had been weeks since anything interesting had happened, and lately, work at G.U.N. was god forsakenly slow. He supposed slow meaningless days were preferred than another world ending crisis, but it was beginning to become overwhelming.Footsteps approaching disturbed the silence, and Shadows ear swiveled to better pick up the noise. His head turned towards the source of the disturbance, with his brooding voice echoing as he spoke as he crossed his arms.
"...If you wanna stay clear of trouble, then get out of my sight." He snapped.
“Oh! Heya Shads!" Shadow grit his teeth at the nickname. "I didn’t expect to see you here!” Sonic said with his usual co*cky grin. He placed a gloved hand on the hip he jutted out, his ego was practically oozing into the air, and Shadow resisted the urge to gag, eyeing the man judgmentally.
“As much as I’d love to stay and chat, I’m a bit busy! ” Sonic said, his voice hinted at impatience, while that wasn’t usual for the blue blur, the tense posture of his shoulders was. The hero was never tense, not without a reason.
Looking past his black quilled acquaintance, the emerald eyed hedgehog spoke once again: “evil doesn’t wait, after all!”
The comment suggested he had somewhere to be, Shadow found it odd since there hadn’t been news of any villain, let alone anything out of the ordinary recently, stranger still was the bag of supplies, and the strange black cloak the blue hedgehog was wearing.Shadow's crimson eyes narrowed at Sonic's presence, his demeanor as cold and distant as ever. He scoffed under his breath at blue one's casual greeting, not one to small talk.
"Save your antics for someone who gives a damn, Sonic," Shadow retorted sharply, his tone laced with a hint of irritation. His arms remained crossed as he studied Sonic's unusual cloak he adorned, and the supplies he carried, a feeling of suspicion creeping into his mind.
"What are you up to, hedgehog? Don't tell me you're planning another reckless adventure without a clue in sight," Shadow remarked, his voice tinged with skepticism. He could sense that something was off, and he wasn't about to let that damn 'faker' off the hook so easily.
“Awe, come on Shads! It’s not the first time I’ve been off on an adventure by myself!” Sonic said with insistence, his ear flicked at the gruff undertone, and although he knew Shadow hadn't meant it that way, his heart warmed at the fact shadow seemed a bit concerned for him
“‘Sides, it’s a long story, and I’m in a bit of a hurry-” Sonic insisted, his foot tapping against the ground, his need for constant movement shining through. “It’s not like I’ll be bringin’ back trouble…" He paused and gave a sheepish grin. "this time...” he sniffed and rubbed the underside of his nose, a small tic Shadow had noticed Sonic tended to do even when his nose was dry. “It’s in a different dimension!” That... Wasn’t that unusual, dimensional shenanigans wasn’t that out of world given all the various adventures sonic and his friends have been on.
Shadow's expression remained stoic, unmoved by Sonic's attempts to downplay the situation. He arched a single quill at Sonic's mention of a different dimension, a glint of curiosity flickering in his crimson eyes. While he was skeptical of Sonic's abrupt departure, the idea of another dimension piqued his interest, though he would never admit it.
"A different dimension, you say?" Shadow's voice held a hint of intrigue as he unfolded his arms, taking a step closer to Sonic. His demeanor shifted slightly, his natural curiosity getting the best of him. "Fine. I'll bite. What do you need in this other dimension, Sonic? And what makes you so sure there won't be trouble?"
Despite his usual aloofness, Shadow couldn't help but be drawn in by the prospect of a new adventure, especially one involving otherworldly dimensions. He stood ready, awaiting Sonic's explanation, a faint glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
“Like I said, it’s a long story shads…” Sonic said with a dramatic sigh “long story shorts, on one of my many adventures…”
Sonic paused, trying to find the words to explain, his thoughts raced through his head, he wasn't sure if Shadow would believe him, but it was worth a shot, after all, what was the worst that would happen? Shadow accusing him of lying? It wouldn't be the first time.
With a decisive nod he continued; “I ended up in like, an old timey kingdom, and had to like, learn how to use a sword and everything… I dunno if you remember the whole fiasco of the black knight I told you about? The one that uhhh… no one really believed me on...” Sonic cringed at his explanation, he was never the best with words, and perhaps that's why his story seemed so far fetched to Amy, Knuckles and even Tails when he brought it up, all of them brushing it off as Sonic just having a fever dream.
Memories flashed through Shadow's mind, fragments of conversations they had shared in the past resurfacing. He recalled Sonic mentioning the tale of the black knight, a story that seemed too outlandish for many to believe, yet with the things he had witnessed himself, it didn't seem as impossible as the others thought it was.
"I remember," Shadow replied coolly, a hint of recognition in his voice. "I may not have believed your stories at the time, but past experiences have taught me not to dismiss any possibilities outright.
"So, you're saying this adventure in the different dimension is somehow connected to your time in that ancient kingdom?" Shadow inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.
Sonic's eyes widened when Shadow admitted to not being totally unbelieving of his adventure, of all of his companions Shadow was the last one Sonic expected to believe him. Clearing his throat and shaking his head the Hero continued his explanation. With a shrug, he waved his hand in a so-so motion.
"Sort of..." Sonic said with a bit of apprehension. "While I was there I met this guy, his name is Grimm." Sonic said, recounting the interaction.
"From what he told me, he was a sort of traveler who arrived to dying kingdoms... He said something along the lines of 'You're heroic heart might lead us to meet again' or something like that." He paused and tapped his bottom lip. "He gave me this weird sort of uhm... I dunno what is really-"
Sonic paused and pulled out a strange semioval object, dark maroon in color, it resembled a bug exoskeleton, complete with six iron wings and a crown with three prongs. "Said I'd know when to use it and, I dunno, it feels like it's a good time..." Sonic grimaced, when explained like that it sounded more reckless than he thought.
Shadow listened intently to Sonic's account of his encounter with this so called Grimm and the mysterious object he had been given. As Sonic revealed the strange insect-like object, Shadow's eyes narrowed in scrutiny. He observed the oddity in Sonic's hand with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity.
"Interesting," Shadow mused, his tone contemplative. "A traveler, a cryptic message, and a peculiar artifact. It seems like a setup for another adventure, Hedgehog. And this Grimm... seems to have left quite the impression on you. Though I suppose that's hardly a surprise, seeing how you are." Sonic huffed at the last comment, his quills raising in a defensive manner, what was that supposed to mean anyway?
Shadow's mind raced with possibilities, his interest piqued by the promise of a new and unknown journey. He couldn't deny the allure of the unexpected, the thrill of venturing into uncharted territory, though not without the spark of ire coming from how quickly Sonic seemed at jumping into an unknown world without telling anyone else.
"If you're set on using that artifact and exploring this other dimension, Sonic, then I suppose I have no choice but to accompany you." Shadow stated, a rare hint of anticipation glinting in his eyes, he couldn't just leave Sonic to do his own thing, knowing how the lack of self-preservation and heroic personality would lead to more issues than not. Despite his usual aloof demeanor, the prospect of a new challenge beckoned to him, stirring a sense of excitement deep within.
Sonic opened his mouth to protest, but knowing Shadow, the black hedgehog was almost if not more so stubborn than himself, and going alone didn't seem like the brightest idea anymore when he stepped back and thought about it.
"Okay, fine, come on then, keep up!" Sonic said finally after brewing in his own thoughts, and sped off, awaiting for Shadow to follow him into the underbrush and forestry the blue Mobian had ran off into.
Shadow watched Sonic speed off with raised quills, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. Sonic's impulsiveness was something he had grown accustomed to over the years, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with the blue hedgehog in their shared adventures, though his hardened heart and mind quickly shook away the feeling and a frown once again graced his tanned muzzle.
It wasn't long until Shadow managed to catch up, Sonic was on the ground sitting in a circle drawn in the dirt, with the unearthly object sat in front of him, leaving space for Shadow to sit across. "Come on, Shads, sit down, I'm aboutta do the thing Grimm taught me!" and by Chaos he hoped he remembered correctly.
Shadow observed the scene, his expression unreadable as he took a seat across from Sonic, the mysterious object resting between them.
Sonic hesitated, his cheeks growing warm as a pink dusted the peach coloring of his muzzle. "Uh, actually, Shads.." He cleared his throat. "The... ritual requires the casters blood, so if you could..." Sonic gestured for the black hedgehog to turn around.
Right, hands. Something Shadow had learned after being around others for a while was that gloves and shoes are about as important to Mobians as undergarments were for humans, and seeing anothers hands was about as intimate as one could get without physical touch.
For Sonic to complete the ritual, he needed to use his own blood, and the easiest and least painful way would be from the hand, and to do so, he'd have to... remove his gloves.
Shadow arched a quizzical eyebrow at Sonic's request, a faint flicker of curiosity crossing his features before understanding rushed over him. The idea of Sonic needing to remove his gloves made Shadow's typically stoic expression falter ever so slightly, and his own darker skin grew just as warm. Shadow inclined his head in acknowledgment, a silent understanding passing between them. "Very well," Shadow replied, his voice calm and composed. He turned around, giving Sonic the privacy he required to complete the ritual without prying eyes.
As he faced away, his quills slightly ruffled by the movement, Shadow awaited Sonic's signal, a sense of respect and trust underpinning their unspoken agreement. Though he remained outwardly impassive, a subtle sense of understanding and camaraderie lingered in the air between them. Sonic himself was grateful for the privacy and peeled his gloves off. His hands, scarred and damaged from years of battles and adventure, and yet still somehow impossibly soft.
Sonic lifted his thumb to his mouth, and with the rather unnaturally sharp canine tooth, bit into the thumb pad, wincing slightly as blood pooled on the tip of his finger, before he reached down and smeared the blood across the stone, writing glyphs and other symbols from his memory.
Eventually Shadow felt the tap on his shoulder and turned around to see Sonic's gloves neatly back on his hands. The sight of the carapace-like object covered in blood ruins caught his attention, it was strange, he never really stopped to think that Sonic, the Heroic Blue Blur could bleed just like anyone else. Sonic held out his hands, quietly, and without hesitation, Shadow placed his hand on Sonic's, a rare moment of physical contact between them.
Sonic parted his lips and inhaled softly before he began to speak in the strange, unfamiliar language, Shadow's expression remained unchanged, his crimson eyes fixed on Sonic. Then there was a sudden sensation of falling as darkness enveloped them, the world vanishing into nothingness around them. Shadow braced himself for the unknown, his senses sharpening as they plunged into the abyss, while Sonic clung to Shadow with a yelp, his quills bristling.
In that moment of uncertainty, a thread of trust wove between them, binding them in a shared journey into the depths of the unknown. They descended together into the darkness, their resolve remained unwavering, ready to face whatever challenges awaited them in this mysterious other dimension.
