Chapter Text
3:13 AM - Angel Island - November 1st
Fire rained down from the sky in brilliant arcs.
A series of explosions burst in a chain reaction across the airship’s hull and blotted out the light of a broken moon above. Steel crossbeams making up the ship’s frame melted from the heat, sending chucks of metal and glass pelting down, burning out before they landed in the ocean waters far below.
If Sonic didn’t know better, he’d call it a meteor shower.
On the open ruins of northern Angel Island, the blue hedgehog was buffeted by a witching hour breeze that ran nearly as fast as he could. It was blustery and fed the flames of the disaster above.
Sonic wasn’t alone in witnessing the destruction, although he was the first to recover from the fall.
Closest to the hero was a darkly striped hedgehog with burning eyes that reflected the fire-lit night sky. Shadow pushed to stand from the cracked stone ground, rolling his shoulder in the process and popping the joint back into place. He made a mental note to get even with Knuckles for dislocating it in the first place.
Shadow’s leather clad fingers brushed the cotton cuff of Sonic’s glove, a silent ask that the blue hedgehog answered by threading their hands together.
On this side of the island, the Master Emerald was far enough to the south that the only natural light came off the moon and the raging burn filling up the horizon. Across the ruins of cobblestone Sonic’s friends, and occasional foes, picked themselves up off the ground.
They all wore some amalgamation of a costume, although pieces and accessories had been snapped or torn in the fight and were dusted with soot from the subsequent explosion.
Amongst the mass of party-goers, it was a sole Babylon Rogue that was most affected by the sight.
Having only risen to his knees, Jet stared wide-eyed and jaw slack, at the fiery inferno of the airship above. He was too shocked to speak for once.
Sonic grimaced, not able to feel totally guilt-less for the hawk’s reaction. With one hand still folded into Shadow’s grip, he dropped the other onto a green-feathered shoulder and gave a comforting squeeze.
Jet didn’t react beyond a scoffing noise in the back of his throat.
Sonic broke the hushed silence with a low whistle, bringing the attention of the scattered party to him.
“Well, that got out of hand…”
💙🧡🖤
9:15 PM - Babylon Rogues’ Airship - October 31st
“But if you’re the only one not wearing a costume, at your own Halloween party, then wouldn’t that make you the one that’s been pranked?”
“You don’t get,” the hawk smirked, “Classic.”
For all his speed, Sonic could not keep up with the Rogue’s logic. He’d been the one to send out the invitations, had even printed in bold the dress code was Halloween costumes, and yet Jet had shown up to his own party costume-less. It was a prank that Sonic couldn’t wrap his head around and so he decided to simply let the hawk have this one.
“You know what, Jet, I don’t get it,” blue-furred shoulders jumped and fell on a bemused shrug, and Sonic smiled in return, “It’s a good party though, nicely done.”
“Don’t compliment me, Sonic,” the Rogue snapped, “Of course it’s good.”
“And that’s all you… not too much help from Rouge then?” Sonic’s grin at the hawk’s sneering eye-roll was mostly obscured by a sip of party punch from a red plastic cup. The bubbly syrup of the drink, undercutting the strength of the spirits mixed in, went down surprisingly smooth.
The punch wasn’t the only thing good about the party, but Sonic wasn’t going to douse Jet in a torrent of compliments. No, it was better to give just enough genuine admiration and balance it with a provoking bite. The combination truly worked wonders at getting under his rival’s feathers and riling him up.
The trick was giving a compliment that was mostly sincere. This truly was a good party, Sonic wouldn’t lie and pretend otherwise even to needle the hawk, and one only had to look around to know he was being honest.
The Babylon Rogue’s airship had transformed seemingly overnight. It was chosen as venue for the annual Halloween party when Jet and his posse were brought in on the prank war by Amy’s good word months ago.
The main deck of the gondola was entirely outfitted for the Halloween Party. Purple and orange streamers, balloons, and table cloths were tasteful in accenting the wood paneled walls and deep green flooring of the Rogue’s home. The false burn of large trick candles had been engineered precisely by Wave to reflect in the three discoballs hanging from the rafters above.
Out on the packed dance floor Storm was bringing up the tempo as honorary DJ for the night. Kegs on tap and tables of snacks overcrowded with chips and dips ran the perimeter.
And all that set dressing was a backdrop to the vibrant good times of the party-goers themselves. Old friends and new, only those close enough to receive an invite from Jet, (or the amended party list from Rouge), had been aloud on board.
Now, those familiar faces were obscured by all manner of Halloween costumes. Witches, mummies, and ghosts of varying levels of effort crowded the main deck, laughing and dancing the night away.
Sonic and Jet had found themselves off to the side of the party, nursing their cups of punch and catching up. The cobalt hedgehog was decked out in his own costume while the hawk stubbornly defended his choice not to don anything but gloves, boots, and his favored goggles.
They were not left to their own devices for long though, as another old rival fully outfitted for the evening, cut through the party towards the hawk and blue hedgehog.
With one visible eye glowing in the low light, the dark and stormy hedgehog cut an imposing image and the party guests quickly jumped out of his way.
Sonic’s easy grin turned full wattage as his boyfriend reached him. The dark hedgehog trailed a hand along the small of Sonic’s back, half-circling him until he was by the hero’s side, sliding a deceptively possessive arm around his waist and tugging him in close.
The blue hedgehog reveled in the undeniable affection, enjoying more than he should the light territorial display of his boyfriend.
“And what are you supposed to be?” Jet grunted dismissively, looking up and down the striped hedgehog with an unimpressed curl to his beak.
Shadow cut a glare at the hawk, his jaw clenching tight.
“He’s a pirate captain,” Sonic answered instead, his own checking out of the dark hedgehog had been far more appraising, “He sure can pull off an eye-patch, can’t he?”
The slip of silk over Shadow’s right eye was the most obvious pirate accessory he wore for the costume party. The fitted carmine red pea-jacket, thick leather belt, and cavalier boots sold the look but it was the finishing touch of the gold-lined tricorne hat that brought ‘Captain’ to mind immediately.
Sonic couldn’t get enough of Shadow in that costume. But he also had to remind himself, on multiple occasions, that they were technically in public. Tackling his boyfriend to the ground and tearing open his seafaring shirt with teeth alone wasn’t an option.
Yet. The night was still young of course, and Sonic could find all manner of hidden away rooms to pull his swashbuckling pirate into for a moment or two alone.
“Which makes Sonic…” Jet continued, frowning as he struggled to find the connection between the hero and the hybrid’s choice of costume.
Sonic cocked a grin. He leaned back to better show off his suede vest over a dark blue western-style shirt. He also wore a concho belt with attached lasso and red leather boots to match his neckerchief.
With a wink, Sonic tipped his cattleman’s hat, “Howdy, partner.”
Jet’s brow furrowed beneath his extreme gear goggles, “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“I’m a cowboy sheriff, Jet,” Sonic sighed exasperated, “Seriously, you have got to come to movie night.”
Shadow flexed his grip on Sonic’s waist, his thumb hooked under the belt to rest on the warm cobalt fur beneath. It was a lightly suggestive touch, and yet had Sonic shiver imperceptibly.
“Aren’t you supposed to match?” The hawk asked dryly and Sonic snorted a laugh, bumping his hip against Shadow’s, challenging him to answer.
Shadow eyed the blue hedgehog, waiting to see how he’d tell it.
“We couldn’t come to an agreement,” Sonic admitted with a secretive grin, “And I even though I won the race—”
“It was a tie,” Shadow cut in with a growl.
“—A tie that I won!” Sonic continued louder, “We just picked our own.”
This was a version of the truth, not a lie but an omission. When they hadn’t been able to decide on a pair of costumes, they’d settled on choosing what the other would wear for the night. Shadow got his cowboy and Sonic his pirate.
Even if Jet had known the full truth, his amusement of the couple’s antics would have been sparse and coarse.
“That’s stupid.”
“Says the guy not even wearing a costume to his own costume party— Oh!” Sonic snapped his fingers, interrupting himself, “Let’s find you an eye patch too! You can be Shadow’s parrot.”
The revolted lip curl on the dark hedgehog mirrored the outrage on Jet’s face and sent laughter rolling through Sonic.
SCREEEP!
The blue hedgehog’s mirth was interrupted by the sudden screech of an air horn going off in the ship.
Shadow tensed beside Sonic. His pupils dilated and his hand gripped a blue waist harder for a strained second. Sonic pressed closer to his side, sharing warmth and his steady heartbeat. Then the raucous sounds of the party returned to full volume and the knife-edge moment dissipated. Shadow’s next breath came easier.
When the air horn went off, most party guests had shouted out in surprise before bursting with good humor for the prank on the far side of the main deck. The thumping music only dipping for a second before turning back up and the crowd of mostly old restoration and resistance members continued on.
Over the head’s of the guests, Sonic could easily spot Tangle’s elongated ringed-tail poofing up to three times its normal size. The noise of the air horn had spooked Tangle for only the first instant and now that ringed-tail swooped around to wrap up her wife in a playful hug.
Operation Scaredy-Lemur was a success for Whisper, Sonic noted, and if that prank’s already happened…
“Well that was my que!” Sonic blurted and downed the rest of his drink. Dropping the cup on top of Jet’s, the two pieces of plastic holstering together and essentially trapping the hawk’s drink under a lid, Sonic turned to make his escape into the party proper.
But Shadow still had his arm slung around cobalt hips and when Sonic moved to leave, the dark hedgehog spun him back into his hold. The hero half fell forward into Shadow’s strong chest, his hand seizing on the lapels of his pirate’s coat.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Shadow growled, all but daring Sonic to leave him with only the Rogue for company.
Jet let out a rude squawk but neither hedgehog was listening to him.
Emerald eyes danced over Shadow’s face, down to the smirking curve of his lips and up to the glowing power in his one uncovered eye.
The hybrid’s real power wasn’t always obvious at a glance, it took someone that knew him deeply to see it. And Sonic saw it, he felt it, he cherished it. The beating heart of Shadow, its steady rhythm that could never slow or rupture, which held a strength of compassion and determination like seemingly no other, was right beneath the cage of his ribs.
If Sonic could, he’d break that cage and free that heart forever.
But he’d happily settle for a kiss from its keeper instead.
“No time to explain,” Sonic answered his boyfriend. Although he made no move to pull away, he instead lifted a peachy-furred muzzle to brush his nose against Shadow’s teasingly. “Big plans are in the works and I can’t spoil it all.”
Shadow’s uncovered eye narrowed, debating arguing for details but dropped it when Sonic pushed forward, sealing his quick goodbye with a searing kiss.
The blue hedgehog slipped from Shadow’s grasp then, stepping back and brushing off his cowboy get-up. He gave a perfunctory salute to Jet, (who rolled his eyes in response), and walked another step backwards into the party, taking one last long look of his dark hedgehog pirate as he did so.
“Captain,” Sonic purred, tipping his cowboy hat and giving a cheeky wink for good measure.
And then he was gone. Shadow’s heated gaze following his flicking tail as he disappeared into the crowd.
For a moment Jet and Shadow simply stared at one another. The hawk swilled his drink, having taken Sonic’s cup out and thrown it at his quills when he’d run off, and Shadow crossed his arms over his chest.
The club beat of the music dipped as Storm switched tracks and cheers went up from the dance floor as a new heavy drum solo began.
Jet broke the strained air first.
“So, how’s that going?”
A crimson eye narrowed, and Shadow growled back, “Green with envy, Jet?”
“No! ‘Course not,” the hawk scoffed on reflex, his feather puffing indignantly, an obvious tell, “I just think it must be weird. Going from the second best rival to boyfriend. That couldn’t be easy.”
“Second best?” Shadow snarled the question, gladly rising to Jet’s obvious bait. Fighting sounded like a way better idea than small talk. And Shadow would readily put the hawk in his place.
“I’m just saying,” Jet grinned, equally willing to drop any pleasantries, “Can you really be a rival when you’re making him breakfast the next day?”
💙🧡🖤
Sonic was running out of spots to look for Silver.
The telekinetic hedgehog wasn’t exactly easy to miss, with his fan of grey quills and almost constant glow of psychic energy he should’ve been easy to spot.
And yet Silver seemed determined not to be found and then led into a trap by his closest friends.
Unbelievable! You try and help a guy and this is the thanks? Sonic thought as he turned to make another circuit of the rigid airship.
The blimp was surprisingly large. Including the main deck where the party was held, the gondola also housed a mess hall, storage vaults, crew barracks, assorted private rooms, and flight mechanisms.
Sonic had checked everywhere he could think of for his telekinetic friend and so far he hadn’t turned up.
Now the Blue Blur was heading for the bridge, slower than he wanted to, but still moving. This would all be over with if he could really stretch out his legs but being in an enclosed space, floating a half kilometer above an ocean, meant Sonic could only justify a speed-walk. Anything more and he risked accidentally tearing a hole in the ship’s siding from a slipstream alone.
Which would be bad, Sonic reminded himself, his azure fur itching from the restraint.
Checking his wrist communicator again, and seeing no updates from his pranking team, Sonic spun the locking wheel on the bulkhead door that lead from the main passageway onto the bridge.
This far from the party he couldn’t hear the music or the voices of his friends. He needed to get back soon, and maybe convince Shadow to dance for at least one song…
The thought burst like a firework in Sonic’s mind as adrenaline spiked along his veins. He’d just opened the bridge door and taken a step inside when a massive metal arm swung out, aiming to punch through his chest.
Sonic rolled under the swing of the arm, moving on heightened instinct, and somersaulted forward. He hopped out of the roll to spin around and face his attacker.
His attacker was a large, intimidating robot— Who was dressed as an even larger pumpkin? Sonic grinned, dropping out of his readied stance.
“Omega!”
“MISSION COMPROMISED,” the combat robot intoned, the red beam of his gaze zeroing in on Sonic and a targeting mechanism clicked into place somewhere within his armor, “INITIATING PLAN S.”
“Woah, buddy, time out!” Sonic scrambled back a step only to trip and fall over a bent and twisted metal panel. He landed with a thump on the floor.
“Safety on, Omega,” another voice called out from somewhere further in the bridge, and instantly the bot canceled his weapon’s arming, “Blue can be trusted, right?”
Sonic twisted where he’d fallen searching for the echoing muffle of Rouge only to find the bridge seemingly deserted of anyone but himself and Omega.
Other than the main captain’s wheel, which seemed an outdated choice for the sheer amount of aeronautical instruments blinking and buzzing across the rest of the deck, the bridge was fairly sparse.
A plexiglass table lit from within, was off to one side of the room and showed the airship’s progress in its autopilot route. Technician and crew consoles were staggered between the door and the massive wall of curved glass that looked out on the night sky. To the starboard side of the windshield, Sonic could see Angel Island floating almost level with the airship.
“Um.. Rouge?” Sonic asked, ears tilting rapidly to catch any directional sound.
“Down here, sweetness,” the bat called out and a second later her tall white ears appeared, popping out from behind, no within, Sonic realized, one of the bridge’s larger consoles.
The metal front of the instrument panel had been pried off by most likely a large combat-bot.
That explains the tripping hazard, Sonic thought and kicked the metal panel towards Omega.
Little bits of wires and motherboards were strewn across the flooring in front of the console. Even now, Rouge was fiddling with some hard drive looking mechanism, yanking on it until it snapped out of its place within the ship’s hardware.
The bat was dressed like the Bride of Frankenstein. Her cropped white fur had a black lightning bolt streak of fur-dye around one tall ear in a reversal of the classic monster color-pallet, and she had fake stitching around her neck and across the bridge of her muzzle.
Sonic pushed himself up and adjusted his neckerchief, hoping Rouge wasn’t doing what it very much looked like she was doing.
“Are you sabotaging Jet’s airship?”
“Of course not, Blue,” Rouge smiled, her voice falsely sweet, and she threw the shoe-box sized hard drive over her shoulder to crash against a helm chair, “Just making myself at home.”
“Sure you are,” Sonic said without a single quill of trust for the bat. “This wouldn’t happen to be that prank Shadow was talking about?”
“Maybe,” Rouge hummed, “It’s best you don’t get involved, hun. But could you pass me that wire cutter?”
Sonic scrubbed a hand over his eyes and down his muzzle, he needed to listen more when Shadow was telling him about his secret missions with Team Dark. But, in his defense, Sonic had been fairly wrapped up in his own Halloween plans with his team and he doubted Shadow had listened to his pre-morning coffee ramblings either.
“Wire cutters,” Rogue’s prompted again, already shimmying back into the small space inside the console.
“I’m kinda busy, Rouge,” Sonic said, grabbing the tool from Omega, it looked oddly similar to Tails’ favorite pair he’d misplaced about a month ago, and handed it to the bat. “This better not implicate me in whatever you’re up to.”
“Oh you became an accomplice as soon as you stepped on board. But don’t you worry those wind-damaged quills of yours. If you’re extra helpful to me I may share the treasure with you, matey!”
“Shadow’s the pirate tonight,” Sonic couldn’t help but laugh and ran a hand subconsciously through his quills.
They weren’t weatherworn, just streamlined, Sonic told himself before his hand froze in combing through a thick spike.
My cowboy hat!
Spinning on his heel Sonic gave a quick search around the room, instantly spotting the suede cattleman’s by the open door where Omega had swung at him.
He swooped to pick it up, tugging it securely back down over his ears and looking to Omega to double check it was on straight.
The robot’s arm mechanism whirred as he lifted his hand and gave a thumbs up.
“Thanks Omega,” Sonic grinned, “Now unless you know where I can find Silver, I gotta go see an echidna about a cat.”
“What do you want with my husband?” Rouge asked, her voice muffled once again as she worked.
A cobalt ear flicked and Sonic turned, momentarily distracted by the glittering shine of the Master Emerald through the bridge’s horizon sized windshield. Angel Island loomed large on the starboard side, the airship was on course to circle it more than once over the night. It was lit by the moon Sonic and Shadow had kind-of broken and the fireflies that lived on the island. It was a stunning view but, in truth, Sonic had seen better.
“You’re only calling Knucks ‘husband’ now?” Sonic said with a light huff of disbelief, “Can’t believe you two actually made it down the aisle.”
There was a zapping noise from the console followed by a surprised hiss from Rouge before she appeared again, shaking out her electrocuted hand.
“Why’s that?” Rouge asked the hedgehog. If it had been anyone else, save for her team or Knuckles, she would have taken his words as an insult. But that wasn’t like Sonic and that distant sound in his voice wasn’t missed by the spy.
“You know,” the blue hedgehog shrugged, “You’ve always been so independent. Just never saw you as someone that would tie your life to someone else’s. Forever. I mean, you still haven’t officially moved out of your apartment.”
“That is because Shadow and I are good roommates,” Omega answered, the red light of his eyes zeroing in threateningly on the hero, “We pay the rent and do not leave blue quills in the shower drain.”
Sonic snorted a laugh, “You don’t even take showers, Omega!”
“But Shadow does and he complains about it to us,” Rouge countered, “And we’re taking his side, Blue, every time.”
“Fair enough,” Sonic smiled.
Rouge stood then, her rolling her shoulders to stretch out her wings. The leathery wing span was marked up with fake stitches, and her intentionally ragged looking wedding dress, sold the vision of her undead bride costume.
Sonic couldn’t find it in himself to envy the obvious couple-ness of Rouge and Knuckles easily agreeing and coming costumed as they did.
He wouldn’t give up his and Shadow’s spar over something as silly as party outfits for anything. He thrived on that rush of adrenaline, the chase and circling of each other, again and again. What greater adventure was there?
Rouge flitted her make-upped wings until she could sit herself down on one of the bridge’s table tops, dropping a pile of cut wires onto the stainless steel. She plucked on of them, a thick piece of red rubbered wire, and wrapped it around her ring finger in a simple loop.
For the most part, Mobians did not wear specific jewelry to signify they were legally bound to another. Their cultures varied so wildly between species that consummation and ceremony acts (like carrying scents, building nests, sharing hibernation, and more) were incredibly personal.
While Rouge and Knuckles had their wedding ceremony with friends and family present, and chose to follow in the ancient echidna tribe observances, that was a choice they’d made together.
For the first time in his life, Sonic had begun to wonder what his own symbolic promises of lasting love would be.
What Shadow’s could be too.
“Honestly, Blue?” Rouge said, interrupting his thoughts as she twisted the wire tighter in its ring shape, “I wasn’t sure for a long time. But one day I looked over at Knuckles, and he looked at me that way he does… Like he’s never seen anyone or anything more dazzling in the world. I knew loving him mattered more than a silly piece of paper or completing all those echidna trials. Even moving to an isolated island in the sky. I didn’t stop being me when we had our wedding feast.”
“But getting married. It did change you, both of you, right?” Sonic asked, his tone noticeably serious.
“A little yeah,” the bat smiled softly, for herself, “but I like to think it’s been for the better.”
Sonic’s brow furrowed and he looked towards the floating island again, where Knuckles and Rouge were building a life together. He chewed on both his lower lip and a building determination within himself.
“Wanna tell me why I’m getting the third degree?” Rouge prompted, watching Sonic closely for any tell. “Over getting married not the Team Dark scheme you’ve interrupted.”
The blue hedgehog snapped out of his reverie, an easy smile returning to his face, “No reason, just like talking to my second favorite thief. But I do gotta go, Silver’s not getting away tonight!”
Rouge titled her head, unconvinced. She flicked an indecernable look towards Omega, the bot staring right back and Rouge cleared her throat.
“During some earlier recognizance I may have seen that cutie-pie hedgehog in the study. It seems our hawkish host has a fascination with old Babylon texts and has quite the collection. Silver was pouring over them but wasn’t too keen on my offer to steel him a few copies.”
“Thanks Rouge,” Sonic grinned, “I owe you one!”
“You’re going to regret saying that—,” Rouge began but Sonic was already gone, the bridge door smacking closed behind him.
“Dibs on being Shadow’s bestman,” Omega beeped and Rouge’s soft smile sharpened a touch.
“Now those are fighting words, Omega.”
Deep within the airship, a clock began to count down.