The Speed of Sound

Life Goes On

        Life is good.

        Dr. Eggman has been sent to Prison Island, where he is under 24-hour surveillance. Knuckles has returned to Angel Island to resume his duty of guarding the Master Emerald, although, he did mention visiting the mainland more often. A small house was built along the beach near your home, where Grandma and Grandpa now stay. This way, you can see how they are doing and you can care for them when needed. And, of course, Shadow continues to live with you. It's almost the same as before, except he isn't as cold. Maybe he'll warm up more in the future. He does look out for you, though.

        The passing breeze brings with it the familiar scents of Aldenwise City. Leaves and branches sway slightly, the rustling noise creating a relaxing beat. The sky is only slightly cloudy, the sun peeking through every so often in order for the rays to touch down and keep the air warm. Spread around are thick stones, some round and some rectangle, all protruding from the dirt with messages of respect and love finely carved in the centers. One of these stones sticks out more than the rest. The grave that three (y/a)s stand at, their heads tilted down in respect.

        You don't feel as sad as you had expected yourself to be. Instead, a sense of peace settles over you. Yes, your parents' lives had been cut short...but they were so content with each other, with you, that it never really mattered. They lived exactly the way they wanted, and you know nothing would ever change that. And with your parents' passing, you were able to grow and learn and have experiences you would never have had before. You became a hero.

        "I think we're ready to go. How about you, dear?" Grandpa asks. At your mute nod, he places an arm around your shoulder and friendly shakes it. "Don't forget about those flowers. We'll meet you back at the car." The arm slides away and the elderly Mobians slowly make their way out of the graveyard.

        The smooth stems of white roses rotate in your hands as you fiddle with them, still lost in thought as you stare down at the grave. What can I say to them? you ask yourself. I haven't seen them in such a long time...I have to say something meaningful, right? You sigh as nothing comes to mind, then you drop to one knee and carefully lay the bouquet at your parents' names. When you get up to leave, you just have to turn back to look at the grave once more.

        "Thank you."

        The car pulls away from the curb and continues along the road, leaving the cemetery far behind. Now, you'll head home, hopefully to an atmosphere that's a bit more cheerful. Sonic had called earlier saying that he'll be coming by soon. He wanted to talk about something.

        Grandpa stops the family car in front of your beach house. With a wave of farewell, you slip outside and slam the door shut. Grandma rolls her window down to blow out a kiss before the vehicle carries on along the shoreline. You stand in the sand, watching the car until it has safely reached the elderly (y/a)s' home. With a small smile on your lips, you climb the porch steps and enter the house. To your surprise, the sound of dishes clanking come from the kitchen. Head tilted in curiosity, you peek around the corner to find Shadow surrounded by pots, pans, and various ingredients, his nose buried in a cookbook. He looks extremely focused.

        A knock at the front door startles the hedgehog from his concentration, and he finally glances up to see that you have arrived. The knock comes once more before the door swings open, quick footsteps wandering down the hall and into the kitchen. "'Sup, you two!" Sonic greets with a wide grin. "Whoa, Shadow's cooking? That's something you don't see every day."

        The black hedgehog growls a retort, "I'll bet it's more than you can ever do, Faker." He pointedly turns away with the cookbook grasped between both hands, hunching over a little to read the instructions closely.

        "I do alright," Sonic shrugs in his direction and gives you a humorous wink, "but I'd rather leave the cooking to Tails. Anyway, hope you don't mind if I steal (Y/n) for a bit." He chuckles as Shadow glares at him, taking your arm and leading the way outside.

        Sonic and you start to walk along the beach in silence. The moon is just beginning to rise over the ocean, and the sky is stained purple and orange, not a single cloud around as it had been just a couple hours ago. It's rather relaxing, allowing your thoughts to drift away until all you hear is the crashing of waves. But one thing you can't help notice, however, is that with each step taken, Sonic appears to grow more and more anxious.

        Did something bad happen? Has Dr. Eggman somehow escaped from prison? "What's wrong?" you ask, concern creeping into your tone.

        "Oh, n-nothing!" he exclaims with a rising blush. "I ju-just—oh man! Just look at that view!" Sonic points at the rising full moon and plops his rump into the sand. He leans back in a relaxed position suspiciously quickly, emerald irises constantly flicking between you and the glowing white orb. He smiles, though, acting as if there is nothing bothering him. This further worries you.

        Cautiously, you sit to the right of the blue hedgehog and dig fingers into the sand. He fixes his gaze onto the moon, so you do the same. It slowly rises, growing brighter and brighter as the sky darkens and ocean reflects its light. Eventually, it emerges completely from the water, now a big, beautiful, glowing sphere. How much time has passed since you've been sitting here? Shadow surely must be finishing dinner by now.

        "I think dinner might be ready," you tell Sonic, pressing your hands against the ground to get ready to stand. "You can come if you want. I'll make sure Shadow lets you have something to eat."

        "Wait," says Sonic, and you stay seated. "L-Look, before you go, I...I've got something I need to tell you." 

        The worry begins to grow inside you. Oh no, something is wrong, isn't it? 

        Sonic sits up and fidgets with the cuff of his glove, not meeting your eyes. "I...well, after all this time that we've known each other, it's...it's been fun. I-I mean," he wipes a hand over his sweating face, taking a deep breath to calm the stuttering. Then he looks you in the eye with clenched teeth, trying to bring out a smile.

        "Sonic," you whisper with your eyes starting to water, "...you're not breaking our friendship, are you?"

        The emerald eyes grow wide and his mouth drops open. "No! No, (Y/n)! I would never do that!" He takes your hand into his, head constantly shaking from side to side. "No, that isn't why I needed to talk to you. I—Oh, Chaos, why can't I speak? Ever since you came into my life, things have changed. At first, I thought I was just feeling like how I'm usually with Tails; as a friend or protective brother. But...yeah, things changed and...I don't feel that way anymore. I haven't felt that way for a while now." He becomes still, eyes locking on yours. Is this really happening? 

        "(Y/n), you're the coolest girl I know, and I really—I mean, I want...I-I want you to..." He sighs and closes his eyes, holding your hand between both of his. Then, little by little, he starts to lean in. Muscles tensing, you aren't sure how to react. Your breathing becomes a bit quicker and your eyes dart around, but you are frozen in place. Is this what I want? you silently question. Do I feel the same way? Sonic is only inches away, and you can feel his warmth, smell his scent.

        Do you really deserve love from this hedgehog—this hero who has saved the world countless times, and you yourself? Does he really think that you are good enough? And if you aren't, can you be?

        The long black nose twitches, close enough to almost be touching. You make a decision, and that decision is to close your eyes...

        ...and feel as his lips touch yours.

The End.