ambivalence // sonadow

chapter one // the prairie

As nightfall came, insects awoke and filled the wind with noisy musicals throughout the uncivilized prairie. Sonic dashed throughout the tall grasses, soothing his gloved hands along its pointed edges. Cold breezes of wind sounded throughout the grass, pushing it left and right and swaying it in all different directions, varying where the wind pushed it.

Sonic came to a sudden halt, his sneakers scuffing the earth and digging grass out of the dirt with his heels. There was the ebony hedgehog, lying in a small area of short grass just below a singular tree. Its bright green leaves had fallen from its branches, replaced with orange and brown ones.

The dark hedgehog snapped his head around, his ear twitching in dismay after realizing who had found him so vulnerable like this. "Sonic... you're always finding ways to bother me," Shadow scoffed, attempting to act displeased by the other hedgehog's presence.

"I... had no idea you'd be here," Sonic spoke with astonishment. He had never seen Shadow out in the open like this, neither had he seen him at such ease with himself.

Shadow's ear twitched again, this time without any sign of agitation. He let loose of his shoulders and looked down at the earth below him, showing no sign that he wanted Sonic to refrain from accompanying him.

Sonic moseyed towards the other hedgehog, crossing his arms before standing above Shadow. His gaze wandered up at the tree, tracing its detailed bark and twitching his ears at the sound of the wind hitting its branches. "What's got you out here all by yourself, Shads?" Sonic brushed underneath his nose as he spoke.

Shadow looked up from the ground and sighed, digging at the grassy coat from underneath him as if he were lost in thought. "I come here often," He rasped. "It really isn't any of your business, faker," Shadow immediately shot back after his brief pause.

The blue hedgehog retorted sarcastically with a snort, his muzzle folding as he grinned with amusement at Shadow's obvious attempt at trying to seem irritated by the other hedgehog before seeming subtle. Sometimes it was hard for Sonic to catch conversation from the ebony hedgehog, and he was always faced with disappointment after expecting one to develop.

Sonic sighed and rolled his eyes with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, sitting down beside the dark hedgehog, scanning the areas that he had dug up from the dirt. "I was just running about, you know," Sonic tittered, shrugging his shoulders and glancing over at the side of Shadow's face.

"I never thought I'd find you in such a... place," Sonic said as he turned his head in different directions, scanning the area, only to be met with a dark, starry sky and feets worth of grass around them. Shadow did not seem amused by Sonic's effort at conversation, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to give into Sonic's wishes for once.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Shadow asked gently after meeting the other hedgehog's gaze. Sonic felt an unfamiliar twist in his stomach, at least a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. Sonic swallowed and looked away, astonished that those ruby eyes had met his gaze for such a period of time.

"N- nothing... it isn't supposed to mean anything– well, I mean..." Sonic awkwardly spoke, attempting to seem careless of this unfamiliar interaction between the both of them. It wasn't like they hadn't been alone before, but they've never been so closed off from everyone else. Neither this vulnerable to one another– at least, that's how Sonic felt.

"Sonic, why are you still here?" Shadow asked as if he had been holding the question since Sonic had decided to join him. Sonic was taken aback by the question, a look of uncertainty growing on his face. He lifted his hand to give reason, but nothing came out. Shadow shook his head in return, but didn't continue to make any effort in understanding since he probably wasn't going to get an answer anyway.