Desire For Stripes

Chapter 1: Feelings of Fate

The sun shines brightly over vast green fields, dotted with colorful wildflowers. A gentle breeze rustles the tall grass. Sonic ran through the countryside, his quills flowing behind him. Sonic's feet blur as he effortlessly glides across the countryside, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. He effortlessly weaves between trees and leaps over rocks that were in his way in his movements as a blur. Birds take flight as Sonic zooms past, their feathers ruffled by the wind he generates. Sonic's eyes sparkle with excitement as he navigates the vibrant landscape. He jumps onto a hill and races up its slope, defying gravity as he reaches its peak. With a triumphant leap, he soars through the air, temporarily defying the laws of physics.
The countryside stretches out before Sonic, an endless playground for his incredible speed. He loops around a winding river, his figure reflecting in the water below. The serene beauty of nature serves as a backdrop to his lightning-fast movements. As Sonic continues his high-speed adventure, he can't help but let out a joyful laugh. The freedom of the countryside, combined with his unmatched velocity, fills him with a sense of excitement, until...
"Sonic! Robotnik's attacking the city again!" Tails' voice echoed from the earpiece on Sonic's ear. Sonic groaned and pressed the button on his wrist to speak.
"I'll be right there" He said, unamused.
Of course Eggman had to ruin the mood. He turned around and zoomed to the town.

Flames surrounded part of the town. Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were helping civilians evacuate.Robotnik pilots his colossal mechanical contraption through the streets, wreaking havoc with every step. Sonic ran onto the roof of a building to get a good look at the robot.
"Jeez, they just get bigger and bigger"
Thats when Sonic sees Shadow. They lock eyes, acknowledging the shared purpose that brings them together. Sonic waves to the stripped hedgehog.
"Shadow, let's show Eggman what we're made of!"
Shadow nodded. The two spring into action, their supersonic speed propelling them forward. They dodge debris and leap effortlessly over obstacles as they close in on Eggman's mechanical monstrosity. Robotnik cackles with delight, firing a barrage of missiles from his contraption. Sonic and Shadow skillfully maneuver through the onslaught, narrowly avoiding each explosive projectile, Shadow being more graceful with it while Sonic's sloppy actions showed, making him almost trip. They exchange a determined glance, their focus unyielding.

Sonic charges forward, his speed creating a blue streak as he circles around Eggman's machine. With lightning-fast punches and kicks, he unleashes a flurry of blows, denting the metal and destabilizing its balance.Shadow follows suit, utilizing his Chaos Control to teleport around the machine, striking with precision and power. Using a mixture of Chaos Spear, Chaos Control, strong kicks and punches. Each strike weakens the contraption, causing sparks to fly and smoke to billow from its damaged parts. Robotnik's smug expression turns into one of frustration as his machine begins to falter under the relentless assault. He desperately pushes buttons and pulls levers, trying to regain control.
"Let's finish this, Shadow!" Sonic called out.
Shadow nods, channeling his Chaos energy into one final attack. He gathers his strength, glowing a deep vibrant red. He lands on the unbalanced robot and unleashes a devastating Chaos Blast hitting directly at the heart of Eggman's machine. The blast hits its mark, causing a massive explosion that engulfs the contraption. Sonic and Shadow shield themselves from the blast and emerge unscathed, standing triumphantly amidst the wreckage.
"You may have won this time, hedgehogs, but I'll be back!" Robotnik shouted. With a defeated expression, Eggman retreats, leaving Sonic and the others to celebrate their hard-fought victory. Sonic and Shadow's eyes locked together once again like they did before the battle. That was until Shadow fainted. Sonic quickly caught him and held him bridal style.
"Is he okay?" Amy asked while running over. Tails followed behind Amy and took out a small contraption of his own, scanning Shadow's body.
"Must be exhaustion from the absence of energy in his body, that blast was massive" Tails exclaimed, looking at the results on his device. "It's best to bring him home and let him rest"
"So I can bring him to out house?" Sonic asked.
Tails rolled his eyes. "No! He'd kill you if he woke up inside our house, or blow it up. Just bring him to Rouge"
"Will do!" Sonic chuckles as he ran off. Holding Shadow in his arms was...comforting? I shouldn't be feeling this way...I gotta get to Rouge's quick. Sonic thought as he went faster. In a dash he got to the bat's place and knocked on the door. He tapped his foot impatiently as he waited. His ear perked towards the sound of the door opening and looked at the bat in a robe and slippers.
"What do you want blu-... what happened to him?"
"Oh..he fainted after battle, used too much energy and yada yada" Sonic said.
Rouge took Shadow from Sonic and nods. "I'll get him to bed."
She shuts the door with her leg, leaving Sonic to stand there. He missed Shadow in his arms already. He felt like a piece was missing. Sonic knew he had a crush on Shadow for a while but it didn't suddenly grow like this before. I need a distraction. With that thought he ran home.