Sonic Prime Story Snippet 2/2 (post S3E1)
Read Part 1 here
The first thing Shadow noticed as he regained consciousness was the light.
It came through his eyelids as a purpley-pink—too bright. Shadow squeezed his shut eyes tighter, groaning in the back of his throat. Eventually, he cracked them open.
Directly before him, in all its shining glory, stood the paradox prism.
Shadow gasped at the sight, and he immediately regretted it—a thousand needles shot through his rib cage. He hissed, eyes snapping shut again. He released his breath slowly to try and minimize the pain.
Gradually, Shadow looked back up at the prism, and he stared. He had only briefly glimpsed it before when it was gripped by Dr. Eggman’s excavation robot. Up close, and now fully restored, it was far grander than Shadow remembered; it was magnificent.
The supernatural light radiated from within the prism itself, dancing off its surface and reflecting off everything in the room. It was like nothing Shadow had ever seen. He tried to move closer, only to stop short when something pulled on his arm.
Shadow whipped his head around to see metal domes completely encasing his hands, keeping his arms extended outward on either side. His feet were trapped too, the domes connecting to a larger metal ring that circled him. He was completely suspended in the air.
Shadow yelled in frustration as he pulled against his restraints with all his might. Nothing happened. He boosted his air shoes—
Wait. Where were his air shoes?
They weren’t turning on. That meant he wasn’t wearing them. Shadow felt his breath quicken (a painful experience). His eyes darted around the room, scanning every surface, but his shoes were nowhere in sight. He growled, and it turned into a furious yell as he yanked against his restraints again. They didn’t budge.
He was the Ultimate Life Form—this device shouldn’t be able to hold him. It was almost like…
It was custom-made for him.
“What do you think?”
Shadow looked up past the prism towards the voice: it was Nine.
The fox hovered in the air above him, that infuriatingly smug look from before still on his face.
He flew to where Shadow was, landing on the balcony between the hedgehog and the prism. “I designed this device specifically with you in mind. Though I did borrow a little from a contraption the Chaos Council made a while back.“ He looked directly at Shadow then. “Not even Sonic could escape it.”
Shadow growled, glaring at the fox. “Too bad you’ve caught me instead of him.” He still pulled against his bonds, though more subtly now.
“Oh, don’t worry; that won’t last long.” Nine strode across the floor towards Shadow’s left. “The Grim Birdies will find him. He can’t run forever.”
“You’d be surprised.” Shadow ignored the pain that flared up in his chest as he continued to speak. “Where are my air shoes?”
“Trying to change the subject?” Nine smirked at him. Shadow glared daggers back.
“They’re locked away,” Nine waved his hand dismissively. He now turned to face the prism. “Can’t have you interfering.”
Shadow gritted his teeth. “This is insane. How do you even expect to get the prism energy out of Sonic once you catch him? You think you can just tear him apart and take it out?”
Nine stiffened, though his gaze remained fixed on the prism. He spoke over his shoulder. “I have a plan. Your myopic little mind couldn’t understand it.”
Shadow scoffed, disgust clear on his face. “You know what’s myopic? Being willing to destroy the entire universe for personal power! There won’t be anything left by the time you’re done, including you! Is that really what you want?”
Nine turned his head slightly. “What do you mean, ‘the entire universe’? I’m making a new world!”
“And destroying all the other shatterspaces in the process!”
At that, Nine froze. He turned further towards Shadow, staring at him. “What?”
“Haven’t you realized?” Shadow scowled at Nine. “The entire multiverse is collapsing because of you and your selfish fantasies!”
“That—!” Nine sputtered, then shook his head, steeling his resolve. He turned back towards the prism. “Once I have Sonic’s prism energy, that will be a non-issue. The shatterspaces will stabilize, and I’ll be able to remake everything as it should be.”
“Who are you to decide what that looks like?”
Nine spun around then, snarling. “Who are you to decide? You and Sonic were doing the same thing—you were using me, planning to just wipe me from existence to get your old friends back!
Shadow took a breath. “That was never Sonic’s intention,” he said. “He thought he could save everyone.”
“No,” Nine spat, “he tried to trick me into thinking we were friends so I’d help him. He never cared.”
“That’s a lie.”
Nine turned away, muttering under his breath. “You’d like me to believe that.” He suddenly crouched, pointing his robotic tails at the paradox prism. Green-tinted lazers shot out, causing the prism to pulse until a beam of light brighter than Shadow had ever witnessed shot upward into the sky. Shadow squinted from the light as the room shook around him. He barely heard Nine yelling over the commotion.
“I’m going to turn this place into my paradise, and no one is going to stop me!” Nine stormed up to Shadow as the rumbling settled, jabbing towards Shadow’s chest. “Not you, not Sonic, not anyone!”
“You maniac!” Shadow flung himself at Nine. His trap pulled him back, as he knew it would, but it was enough to make Nine flinch and take a single step backward. The fox’s hands turned into fists, and he grimaced.
“You think I’m the maniac? You’re the one throwing your life away for someone who doesn’t even care about you! He’s abandoned you here, left you at my mercy! And even if he did care,” Nine scoffed then, looking away, “it won’t last. It never does. No one can be counted on. You’ll see that.”
Nine turned and walked towards the balcony stairs, his back to Shadow.
“There’s no place for me in the universe. The only way I’m gonna have a future worth living is if I make sure it happens myself.”
“At the expense of everyone else?”
Nine’s head turned, and he glowered at Shadow. He opened his mouth to speak, when suddenly an ear-splitting screeeach!! came from the distance. Nine’s face lit up, and without a second glance back at the imprisoned hedgehog, he lifted into the air and flew up through the ceiling to greet his robot scouts.
“Nine! Nine!” Shadow called after him, fighting against his restraints again so he could stop him. The fox was long gone, however, and Shadow’s bonds still held fast. He suddenly found himself alone again. The paradox prism still glowed in front of him, its power now seeming more ominous than before.
Shadow sighed heavily through his nose. All he could do was hope that, with the Birdie robots’ return, Sonic wasn’t with them.
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DO NOT TAG AS SHIP
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❛ fine. you were right, and i was wrong. happy now? ❜ / @bairgan
Time flies on squall-filled days, wind rushing clock hands as the sea batters the docks. Eight in the evening, still too early for a Baldurian's standard; albeit never too early for the streets to run murky, rusty, and terribly common red. Blood mixes with the filth, the rainwater that barely cleans the city and rather pushes the waste into the lower districts, and everything drains into the sewers as viscera continues to build the foundation of the city. A populace of murderers, sailors, and would-be-tyrants. How quaint. How homely. It's a place Enver adores and despises in equal parts, his mood toward it fickle as any coin flip. Some days he sees hope in the squalor and grime; a glimmer of greatness that begs for the right hand to guide it. On others... perhaps (oh so graciously) allowing the Bhaalists free run of it would solve the problem. There are, after all, numerous cities across the Sword Coast that could be better used and improved upon. And yet, reshaping the Gate has become a point of pride for him. A challenge for one with a blackened heart.
Eight in the evening, and Enver writes at his desk. A servant brings up a tray of tea and two cups, her slight trembling duly noted as she scurries off. She's the second new hire this month as — much to his chagrin — the frail ones develop a rather dull habit of disappearing. Gone, like nothing ever happened, dragged to Father's altar by an overzealous daughter.
His quill etches against the thick parchment, handwriting confident while the ink dries. Nothing smears, even when a Bhaalspawn appears as a guest. At least this one has the manners to keep blood off the floor. At least this one has sense enough to speak plainly rather than in maddened ravings.
Rather than reply to Kyreth, barely acknowledging the Bhaalspawn's presence, Enver rises and stands before his grand clock, hands folded behind him — posture casual as one can be with a profane murderer at his back. "Nine minutes past eight, on a rainy spring day. Mark the time of your deference, for it will be a far more common occurrence." His profile turns, a teasing grin in view, gilded like the heaviest gold coin pieces. Jeweled fingers gesture to the cooling tea as he continues, voice steady as the rumble of the storm. "Better, isn't it? To let a hunt draw out. To kill without notice. Homicides are usual as cloudy days in the Gate, my dear friend." An exercise in patience for both of them, it seems.
Enver turns to his large windows, eyes tracking the sleet drowning the city. He wouldn't be surprised if by tomorrow's meeting, besides the death of another counselor, there would be reports of weather-related deaths. A good opportunity as any to present his plans for improved security for the city, provided he's given the funds for such a noble cause by other, worthless politicians. "You're not from Baldur's Gate, correct? I hated it whenever it rained during my youth. Now, I have the luxury to enjoy it. How time changes one's perspective on the world."
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Miss lan... I don't know how longer I can keep it in...
Dan heng.
His lil scrunched up face and his gentle voice. That cold "I don't care attitude" when he cares the most. My little traumatized babie, pookie bear, blorbo and husband.
Today I announce to the world proudly, that I am a Dan heng kisser, fucker, server whatever. Everything that has to do with my precious treasure is consumed by me. Angst, fluff, smut, lemon, fan art... I will gobble them up and leave nothing for my fellow dan heng fans. I will not apologize. (JKJKJK)
If I ever transmigrate into HSR,I'll l give him a big fat wet kiss and take him and RUN away somewhere safe and beautiful.
He deserves a world with happiness, joy, pleasure, luxury and satisfaction. He needs to be gently held in my arms and be cradled delicately so as to not break. He should be comforted in my lap while we're gazing at the Xianzhou's sky, reminiscing about the happier times of his life. He needs to be waited on hand by yours truly and be treated like a divine entity who saved no created the world. He needs to be cherished.
I know not if I'm worthy but I will not spare him to any other 💪🏻 (Also JK he is for everyone and everybody to cherish and enjoy, not slander 😔)
Thank you for listening to me and giving me your precious time. 😭🙏🏻
P.S : I understand if you want to block me, my future self would too. I needed to scream about him to someone worthy 😭... but please do share your aggressive love letter like mine to Jing Yuan to the world too. Also your Jing Yuan wedding blog was yummy, I'm gluttonous though...so need more about you and peepaw general 👀
(Also I ship you and him wholeheartedly 🙏🏻 so much so that I'll never read a Jing Yuan fic or the part consisting him, staying loyal to the LanYuan/JingLan ship 🙇🏻♀️🧎🏻♀️🧍♀️)
Have a wonderful day, beautiful reader and writer. ❤
-🌺
he really does deserve all the good things :( and i just know he’d run away with you the moment you suggest it to him
and i will ALWAYS be here to listen to you guys so don’t worry about it okay 😚❗️😼ྀིྀིྀིྀིྀི
this is for you btw 🤭 and this
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