The ARK was sailing quite smoothly tonight. So smoothly, in fact, that its captain felt no need to be at the helm. Shadow was currently in his quarters, nestled into his bed. Beside him was a blue hedgehog, Goldheart, the one person he truly loved after his sister. The captain smiled gently, bouncing in and out of consciousness, his arm wrapped gently around his lover as he drifted on the edge of slumber. Eventually, Shadow succumbed to sleep's gentle embrace as he held Goldheart close to him.
Thunder cracked outside. Shadow bolted up immediately, throwing himself out of the blankets and ran for the door. The last thing he heard was a quiet mumble from Goldheart, who he unintentionally woke.
The black hedgehog rushed to the deck, slamming the doors wide open as he stepped out into the night. He stood at the ship's bow in the blink of an eye, his ruby irises squinting at the night sky. Directly ahead of him and the ARK was dark, black clouds; lighting striking the sea while thunder clapped. He snarled quietly. It was a storm, a big one at that. If they were lucky, they'd make it through unscathed. If not, the ship was going down, along with its crew. Shadow wasted no time.
The captain ran to the mast, ringing the bell that hung from it. Its sound resonated throughout the ship, alerting every member of the ARK's crew. Everyone rushed on deck; some were wide awake, dressed and ready, while others were half asleep and yawning. Shadow didn't bother lecturing the unprepared; now certainly was not the time. He shouted order after order—"Knuckles, batten down the hatches!", "Tails, stow the sails!", "Rouge, helm steer smart–like your life depended on it!"—while the winds blew stronger and harsher.
Goldheart came on deck to the sight of the crew fumbling amongst themselves, attempting to prepare for the oncoming storm. His bright green eyes found his partner, the captain, at the helm. Shadow was gripping the wheel so tightly that the blue hedgehog swore it was ready to snap and leave the ship and its crew to fend for itself. Goldheart knew one thing. Shadow steering the ship when stressed? Never a good combination.
"Shadow!" He yelled out, leaping up the stairs. "Shadow, hand me the helm!"
Shadow turned to his partner, his red eyes locking with Goldheart's brilliant green. A wave of relief washed over him as the blue hedgehog laid his hands on the wheel. And Shadow let go. The captain rushed to aid his crew while the first mate gripped the helm and steered the ship through the storm.
Rain soon pounded down on the ship, soaking its wood and crewmembers. Shadow had dumped his leather coat to the floor; his fur drenched in cold water as he tied down every last loose item on the ship. Goldheart was fairing wonderfully, too, steering the ship clear of lightning strikes and any large wave that threatened to capsize the ship. He held his ground, keeping the wheel still and steady as the waves only grew larger and wilder.
The ARK was thrown into the air by a terribly strong wave. The crew shouted, all but the captain and the first mate. Shadow barked orders to his crew, telling them to hold on to something. Goldheart was thrown off his feet, but he refused to let go of the helm. Landing with a hard thud, the blue hedgehog climbed back up, gripping the wheel still. But it was beginning to be harder to steer the ship. The waves and winds were growing stronger.
Shadow ran up the stairs, despite the slippery floor attempting to stop him. He rushed to his partner's side, hugging him from behind as he placed his hands on the helm, holding Goldheart's hand. The two of them held on tightly as if their life depended on it, and it just might determine the difference between life and death.
The ARK sailed through the harsh storm that seemed to have no end. The waves crashed and roared as thunder clapped in the sky. Shadow and Goldheart held each other tight, their hands intertwined on the ship's wheel, keeping it steady through the night.
Hours later, the sun had risen again.
The storm had passed.
The ARK was drenched from mast bow to stern, the mast to the deck. Water dripped from the closed sails, the wooden floors still slippery from the rain. Every last crew member was as wet as drowned rats, each strand of their fur and hair soaked.
At the helm, panting, was Shadow and Goldheart. They looked up at each other, a soft smile blooming on their faces. Dripping wet and damn near freezing cold, the two of them just hugged each other.
It was a rough night, but they were safe.
And for the hell of it, they better not run into another storm again.
