Interpretations and Observations (Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow/Knuckles, #11)
Title: Interpretations and Observations
Author/Artist: Aurora_twilight
Pairing: Shadow the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog
Theme: #11~ Gardenias
Disclaimer: I don’t own the boys in any shape or manner. ^^ Nintendo and Sega didn’t feel like sharing. *Chuckles*
Note: I started this a bit back and ended up writing the middle, then the ending and finally the beginning. So yeah if something seems odd- there's why. I've had to stop in the middle of this thing so many times but I think it still gets the point across. I would love feedback as I know my grammer can be..odd at times. Thank you! =) This story is pre-slash so no warning for that yet.
The Chao Garden was a place of innocent mystery. Even time itself seemed to have its own stream sat aside just for these gardens, or at least that’s how it felt. Indeed it seemed like an entirely new world inside of another, as crazy as it sounded. Inside these gardens lived the gentle and ever loveable Chao. They were as shrouded in mystery as their home however this hardly deterred people from raising them. As there were so many Chao in the world there were of course plenty of gardens in different parts of the world.
Some gardens weren’t quite as accessible, such as the little garden in the Mystic Ruins. The entrance was tucked back away from everything so not many people visited it as often. That was precisely the reason that Shadow would show up at this particular garden, as he was now. He had stumbled across the garden after some curious exploring and ever since he would find at least a little bit of time to come around.
The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes slightly as he walked into the poorly lit cave, allowing his eyes to adjust. He hadn’t been able to visit much; this was only the third or time he had come around. There was no telling why he enjoyed the place as much as he did, not even to him. At first it had simply been a place where he could piece together his often broken thoughts in the tranquil atmosphere. However it hadn’t been long before Shadow had started to observe the Chao, who had yet to object to their new guest, and slowly he started to interact with them.
So far there were only two Chao and they were very young at that. After first watching them Shadow guessed that they had only just recently hatched. It had been the shyer of the two that had reached out to him and somehow it had started an odd sort of friendship between them. So far he had been the only one in the garden at any given time but the hedgehog had a suspicion that someone else was visiting as well by the way the other Chao acted. As long as they didn’t show up while he was there Shadow couldn’t care less. The hedgehog snapped out of his musings when he came closer to the actual entrance of the Chao Garden and realized that someone else was already there. Cautiously he paused at the cave rocks and peered in.
“Well what do you know.” Shadow chuckled as he quickly caught sight of the other occupant.
Shadow wasn’t surprised to find Knuckles there. Somehow the echidna’s presence there seemed natural and the young Chao certainly didn’t have any issues with him there. The two sat just a bit behind Knuckles and were watching with intent curiosity as he planted some sort of plant. From where he was Shadow couldn’t quite make out what it was but he did notice its white blooms. Leaning back now, no doubt looking over his handiwork, Knuckles had a soft smile on his face. It was different from the few smiles that Shadow had seen himself. This one seemed relaxed, as if Knuckles was really pleased and content. The Chao seemed to like the new addition to their garden as well. One moved closer to the plant and stood up on its tip toes to peer at it.
Knuckles smiled again and picked up the curious Chao. Carefully he held out the small, blue infant out and allowed him to sniff one of the blooms. Shadow found himself smiling slightly when he heard the Chao give out a happy approval. Chao were very expressive from the first day they hatched. Depending on the personality and how it’s raised they would continue to be expressive and positive to their surroundings. It was almost amazing how much one could learn just by watching things, as Shadow did.
Of course as of late Shadow seemed to be watching, or at least more aware of, Knuckles more then normal.
However he chose to ignore that little revelation.
By now the Chao had grown tired of the flower and was more interested in being cuddled. The small infant gave a low purr when Knuckles pulled him into the wanted embrace and tenderly placed a kiss on top of its head. It was quite obvious that Knuckles was very parental with the young Chao and that alone vaguely surprised the black hedgehog. The echidna had always seemed aloof and preferred to be alone, at least to him. Of course, Shadow supposed, that alone didn’t mean one couldn’t be seen in a parental role. What one looked like on the outside could hardly even hint on what was on the inside. Perhaps it was the fact, no the imagery, of Knuckles cuddling anything seemed almost unlikely. Never the less here he was, cuddling a Chao. Shadow chuckled to himself and started to leave the garden, as he was for some reason unwilling to disturb the guardian, until he heard a noise.
“Buu~”
Surprised Shadow looked down. Looking back up at him with clear blue eyes was the Chao that he had been looking after. He had decided to name the little one Airam; despite his better judgment. He knew how dangerous it was to become even remotely to anyone, especially a Chao that was very dependent. Despite this knowledge he willingly came back here time and time again. Knowing that the echidna had to of seen him by now, Shadow bent down and picked the tiny Chao up. It gave a sound of pure happiness as he walked over to where Knuckles was standing. Shadow gave him a look, as if daring the other to try and say something about him being there. Knuckles merely looked back with a raised eyebrow and seemed to be slightly amused.
“So you’re the one whose been looking after the little guy huh? I was wondering who else was coming to this particular garden. Only people who come around the ruins are the archeologists and they don’t exactly have the time to come around.” Knuckles said and gave the Chao in Shadow’s arms a friendly pat.
“I just liked this place better then the others.” Shadow replied, looking away.
He had no idea why he was explaining himself to Knuckles.
“It does seem to carry a more relaxed atmosphere around it. It just so happens that this one is closer to the island so I’m not that far away.”
This time it was Shadow’s turn to raise an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected Knuckles to be so conversational, let alone with him. However the two Chao weren’t quite as interested in the conversation and both were now squirming to get down. The two sat the little ones down and Shadow took the chance to look closer at the echidna. Here Knuckles seemed more at ease, more relaxed then Shadow could ever remember seeing him as such. He was quick to notice Knuckles’ smile again and how his eyes seemed brighter. Knuckles met his gaze then and Shadow abruptly stood back up.
“So what planet is this one?” Shadow asked, gesturing at the newly planted flower.
“Gardenias. They just started blooming on the island and I figured they might like it. It gives them something new to look at anyways.” If Knuckles was confused by Shadow’s previous actions he wasn’t letting on to it.
Shadow peered more closely at the flower. While he was still so unsure about a lot of things concerning his past he knew that he had never seen something like this before. He must have been upwind before because now that he was so close he couldn’t help but take in the bloom’s fragrance. It was almost over-powering and he would have thought that the flower wasn’t suitable for the garden but it also had a sweet scent to it that kept everything in balance. With its creamy white petals and light green leaves the Gardenia was truly a flower that had to be looked at up close.
“It’s beautiful.” Shadow said after his inspection, quite unaware that Knuckles had paid close attention to his reaction.
“It’ll get prettier as it grows and adjusts to the soil here. If you’d like, drop by the island sometime and you can see the others.”
Knuckles looked just as startled as Shadow as they processed what was just said. Shadow knew without having knowing Knuckles that well that he hadn’t done something like that before. He vaguely recalled Rouge mentioning that the echidna was a very private person (which threw all her schemes for the Master Emerald haywire). Without either of them realizing it something had passed between them.
“Uh, thanks. I’ll remember that.” Shadow replied carefully but honestly.
“Alright then.” Knuckles, though looking a tad uneasy, flashed a smile that caused Shadow to feel a sensation that he didn’t understand.
He did understand though that sensation had the potential to be very bad.
The two stood there for another few minutes watching their Chao play around. Finally though Knuckles’ duty to Angel Island and Shadow’s quest for his lost past made them part ways. Needless to say that the time they had shared had and would always leave a mark on them both. It all could end there and simply become a meeting of coincidence and the two could go about their normal lives. However Shadow didn’t exactly believe in coincidences anymore and he found himself unwilling to let it stop there. Something inside him, either in his heart or his instincts, told him that this encounter had opened a door for them both to embark upon. Sometimes Fate had a way of connecting people.
Author/Artist: Aurora_twilight
Pairing: Shadow the Hedgehog and Knuckles the Echidna
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog
Theme: #11~ Gardenias
Disclaimer: I don’t own the boys in any shape or manner. ^^ Nintendo and Sega didn’t feel like sharing. *Chuckles*
Note: I started this a bit back and ended up writing the middle, then the ending and finally the beginning. So yeah if something seems odd- there's why. I've had to stop in the middle of this thing so many times but I think it still gets the point across. I would love feedback as I know my grammer can be..odd at times. Thank you! =) This story is pre-slash so no warning for that yet.
The Chao Garden was a place of innocent mystery. Even time itself seemed to have its own stream sat aside just for these gardens, or at least that’s how it felt. Indeed it seemed like an entirely new world inside of another, as crazy as it sounded. Inside these gardens lived the gentle and ever loveable Chao. They were as shrouded in mystery as their home however this hardly deterred people from raising them. As there were so many Chao in the world there were of course plenty of gardens in different parts of the world.
Some gardens weren’t quite as accessible, such as the little garden in the Mystic Ruins. The entrance was tucked back away from everything so not many people visited it as often. That was precisely the reason that Shadow would show up at this particular garden, as he was now. He had stumbled across the garden after some curious exploring and ever since he would find at least a little bit of time to come around.
The black hedgehog narrowed his eyes slightly as he walked into the poorly lit cave, allowing his eyes to adjust. He hadn’t been able to visit much; this was only the third or time he had come around. There was no telling why he enjoyed the place as much as he did, not even to him. At first it had simply been a place where he could piece together his often broken thoughts in the tranquil atmosphere. However it hadn’t been long before Shadow had started to observe the Chao, who had yet to object to their new guest, and slowly he started to interact with them.
So far there were only two Chao and they were very young at that. After first watching them Shadow guessed that they had only just recently hatched. It had been the shyer of the two that had reached out to him and somehow it had started an odd sort of friendship between them. So far he had been the only one in the garden at any given time but the hedgehog had a suspicion that someone else was visiting as well by the way the other Chao acted. As long as they didn’t show up while he was there Shadow couldn’t care less. The hedgehog snapped out of his musings when he came closer to the actual entrance of the Chao Garden and realized that someone else was already there. Cautiously he paused at the cave rocks and peered in.
“Well what do you know.” Shadow chuckled as he quickly caught sight of the other occupant.
Shadow wasn’t surprised to find Knuckles there. Somehow the echidna’s presence there seemed natural and the young Chao certainly didn’t have any issues with him there. The two sat just a bit behind Knuckles and were watching with intent curiosity as he planted some sort of plant. From where he was Shadow couldn’t quite make out what it was but he did notice its white blooms. Leaning back now, no doubt looking over his handiwork, Knuckles had a soft smile on his face. It was different from the few smiles that Shadow had seen himself. This one seemed relaxed, as if Knuckles was really pleased and content. The Chao seemed to like the new addition to their garden as well. One moved closer to the plant and stood up on its tip toes to peer at it.
Knuckles smiled again and picked up the curious Chao. Carefully he held out the small, blue infant out and allowed him to sniff one of the blooms. Shadow found himself smiling slightly when he heard the Chao give out a happy approval. Chao were very expressive from the first day they hatched. Depending on the personality and how it’s raised they would continue to be expressive and positive to their surroundings. It was almost amazing how much one could learn just by watching things, as Shadow did.
Of course as of late Shadow seemed to be watching, or at least more aware of, Knuckles more then normal.
However he chose to ignore that little revelation.
By now the Chao had grown tired of the flower and was more interested in being cuddled. The small infant gave a low purr when Knuckles pulled him into the wanted embrace and tenderly placed a kiss on top of its head. It was quite obvious that Knuckles was very parental with the young Chao and that alone vaguely surprised the black hedgehog. The echidna had always seemed aloof and preferred to be alone, at least to him. Of course, Shadow supposed, that alone didn’t mean one couldn’t be seen in a parental role. What one looked like on the outside could hardly even hint on what was on the inside. Perhaps it was the fact, no the imagery, of Knuckles cuddling anything seemed almost unlikely. Never the less here he was, cuddling a Chao. Shadow chuckled to himself and started to leave the garden, as he was for some reason unwilling to disturb the guardian, until he heard a noise.
“Buu~”
Surprised Shadow looked down. Looking back up at him with clear blue eyes was the Chao that he had been looking after. He had decided to name the little one Airam; despite his better judgment. He knew how dangerous it was to become even remotely to anyone, especially a Chao that was very dependent. Despite this knowledge he willingly came back here time and time again. Knowing that the echidna had to of seen him by now, Shadow bent down and picked the tiny Chao up. It gave a sound of pure happiness as he walked over to where Knuckles was standing. Shadow gave him a look, as if daring the other to try and say something about him being there. Knuckles merely looked back with a raised eyebrow and seemed to be slightly amused.
“So you’re the one whose been looking after the little guy huh? I was wondering who else was coming to this particular garden. Only people who come around the ruins are the archeologists and they don’t exactly have the time to come around.” Knuckles said and gave the Chao in Shadow’s arms a friendly pat.
“I just liked this place better then the others.” Shadow replied, looking away.
He had no idea why he was explaining himself to Knuckles.
“It does seem to carry a more relaxed atmosphere around it. It just so happens that this one is closer to the island so I’m not that far away.”
This time it was Shadow’s turn to raise an eyebrow. He hadn’t expected Knuckles to be so conversational, let alone with him. However the two Chao weren’t quite as interested in the conversation and both were now squirming to get down. The two sat the little ones down and Shadow took the chance to look closer at the echidna. Here Knuckles seemed more at ease, more relaxed then Shadow could ever remember seeing him as such. He was quick to notice Knuckles’ smile again and how his eyes seemed brighter. Knuckles met his gaze then and Shadow abruptly stood back up.
“So what planet is this one?” Shadow asked, gesturing at the newly planted flower.
“Gardenias. They just started blooming on the island and I figured they might like it. It gives them something new to look at anyways.” If Knuckles was confused by Shadow’s previous actions he wasn’t letting on to it.
Shadow peered more closely at the flower. While he was still so unsure about a lot of things concerning his past he knew that he had never seen something like this before. He must have been upwind before because now that he was so close he couldn’t help but take in the bloom’s fragrance. It was almost over-powering and he would have thought that the flower wasn’t suitable for the garden but it also had a sweet scent to it that kept everything in balance. With its creamy white petals and light green leaves the Gardenia was truly a flower that had to be looked at up close.
“It’s beautiful.” Shadow said after his inspection, quite unaware that Knuckles had paid close attention to his reaction.
“It’ll get prettier as it grows and adjusts to the soil here. If you’d like, drop by the island sometime and you can see the others.”
Knuckles looked just as startled as Shadow as they processed what was just said. Shadow knew without having knowing Knuckles that well that he hadn’t done something like that before. He vaguely recalled Rouge mentioning that the echidna was a very private person (which threw all her schemes for the Master Emerald haywire). Without either of them realizing it something had passed between them.
“Uh, thanks. I’ll remember that.” Shadow replied carefully but honestly.
“Alright then.” Knuckles, though looking a tad uneasy, flashed a smile that caused Shadow to feel a sensation that he didn’t understand.
He did understand though that sensation had the potential to be very bad.
The two stood there for another few minutes watching their Chao play around. Finally though Knuckles’ duty to Angel Island and Shadow’s quest for his lost past made them part ways. Needless to say that the time they had shared had and would always leave a mark on them both. It all could end there and simply become a meeting of coincidence and the two could go about their normal lives. However Shadow didn’t exactly believe in coincidences anymore and he found himself unwilling to let it stop there. Something inside him, either in his heart or his instincts, told him that this encounter had opened a door for them both to embark upon. Sometimes Fate had a way of connecting people.