The Bonds of Blood

Chapter Fourteen: Realising the Potential for Redemption

....A few weeks later....

...Explosions detonated the area leaving a high-pitched continuous ringing in his ears... Smoke clouds billowed everywhere obscuring his vision.... But he could just make out the distant shadow of Infinite... his maniacal laughter sounded from behind the ringing drone of his temporary tinnitus as he took off... He stumbled forwards, picking up speed before being overtaken by a black and red blur in white hover-boots...

....In a split millisecond he had caught that murderous scowl and firm set grimace... Shadow had meant business...

His blue brow screwed up as a grimace twisted his peach muzzle.

....Everything seemed to jump.... They were high up somewhere where they could see the devastation that this Final Solution had wrought... He could hear Shadow and Infinite were locked in a fast-paced dual which occupied their full attention... There was nothing between him and this final test...

Sonic tossed uncomfortably in his sleep, letting out a soft moan.

....Intense pain.... then that intense cry of despair....

"SONIIIIIC!!"

....Blackness....

A whimper slipped out of Sonic's peach lips, shifting restlessly and turning around with a slight frown.

"Hedgehog?"

"Hedgehog...... Hedgehog...." ......That comforting tone... like a soothing blanket that drew the blackness away... his focus slowly returning.. "Easy..... just breathe..... it's like recalling a distant memory...."

"W-What happened..." His own voice was distant and somewhat groggy.

"Hmh. I brought you back..." Shadow's voice was soothing and dream-like before his voice sounded louder, more panicked and his lips weren't moving with the words.

"Hedgehog! Wake up!"

Sonic's green eyes snapped open as he bolted upright in shock, greeted by the pitch blackness of their darkened master bedroom.

"You alright dear one?" Shadow's voice sounded nearby and he could feel one of Shadow's hands rub his back in concern. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before the silhouetted furniture came into view and his head turned to see Shadow's darkened face next to him on his side of their bed.

"Yeh..... I just had the weirdest dream."

"Hmh, I gathered that when you were tossing and moaning in your sleep. You woke me up. What was it about?" Shadow added and his boyfriend could just about make out the concern in his red eyes.

"It was about my death, y'know... when you brought me back." Sonic yawned heavily, stretching his aching body. "I've never been able to recall anything before but it was like I was reliving a distant memory."

"Well, we do work out our issues subconsciously when we sleep so I guess it is possible that subconscious memories can seep into dreams. What was so weird about it?" Shadow asked with a curious kink in his brow.

"You were speaking to me just like you do now.." Sonic said in an odd tone before his ears dipped low. "You cared about me and I never even noticed. I just caved into Amy's affection after crashing my own funeral.." The blue hedgehog sighed heavily, bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapping his hands around them. "No wonder you didn't speak to me after that.."

"Hedgehog. That's in the past, what happened doesn't matter." Shadow exhaled softly pulling a sad looking Sonic into him so that his now prominent bump was pressing into the small of his boyfriend's back. "We have each other now that's what matters and I know things have been tough lately, for that I'm sorry." He added then leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Maybe these memories came to your dreams as a way to try and make sense of things.."