Goldheart's face scrunched at the paper he held in his hands. It was a map; one he's had in possession for as long as he could recall. Yet every time he tried to read or make sense of it, his brain would run in circles trying to find an answer. Why did he have this map? Better yet, where was it trying to lead him?
Goldheart set the map aside again, tucked under his bed in his quarters. His nose picked up the familiar smell of fish being cooked over a charcoal fire, and he made his way to the deck, swiftly. He was craving a meal.
"Goldy! Over here!" Amy called out, waving her hand at the blue hedgehog. Goldheart smiled, taking an empty seat beside the fire. Apparently, having been decided by the universe, the only empty seat was next to the captain of the ship; Shadow the Hedgehog himself.
The blue hedgehog gulped, easing his flustered nerves. Even though he and Shadow had been in an affair for a while, it was still nerve-wracking to be sitting next to the most handsome person on the entire vessel, by Goldheart's standards. But something other than adoration must have seeped through his expression, as Shadow leaned closer.
"What's bothering you?" Shadow whispered into his ear, concern washing through his quiet voice. Goldheart gulped again, goosebumps ricocheting through his body like bullets. He gazed into the captain's ruby eyes, feeling a warmth of comfort and tranquillity wash over him. Shadow had that effect on him. And so, Goldheart whispered back.
"Can you read maps?"
Immediately after dinner, Goldheart was leading Shadow to his quarters. Locking the door once they were inside, the blue hedgehog checked under his bed.
Shadow watched, intrigued. He had never seen the blue hedgehog act so secretive, or nervous. The black hedgehog observed Goldheart, who pulled out a large scroll from the underside of his bed.
Goldheart sat on his bed and patted the space beside him, motioning for Shadow to sit next to him. The black hedgehog obliged, sitting beside his dear one. His eyes trailed to the scroll in the hedgehog's hands, his eyes studying its features. It was old, very old parchment, definitely older than any maps the captain owned. Shadow was now truly interested in what secrets lay on this map.
"I can't read it." Goldheart admitted, unrolling the scroll to reveal the map. "I was hoping you could."
Shadow was, in fact, reading the map as he spoke. Scarlet eyes scanned every splotch of ink, every line and dot and every word. The black hedgehog gently took the map into his hands, reading through the lines—literally—as he brought it close to his face.
With a few more minutes of studying the map later, Shadow turned back to Goldheart. The information came flying out; the estimated scale of distance, hypothesised locations, and other points of interest such as landmarks.
Goldheart listened, taking in every detail with a smile on his face. After all these years of owning the map, he was finally getting answers. Shadow eventually handed the map back to him, and Goldheart smiled brightly, tucking the map back under his bed. As he did, the blue hedgehog felt a beam of warmth behind him. Call it crazy, but Goldheart was certain he felt Shadow smile at him.
"If you want," the captain spoke, "we can go find this secret treasure of yours."
Goldheart stood up and looked at the black hedgehog, his face beaming with delight. He held back every urge to pounce onto the captain in gratitude, and so he nodded eagerly.
"I would love to!"
