Shadouge Summer Contest entry

Shadouge Contest Entry

Washed Away: A Shadouge Story

The beach.
Perhaps the most frequented place during the heat of summer, just when one could swear the merciless sun couldn't beat down any harder, the beach was always open to those who sought an escape from the confines of buildings.
With the most open sky, the sapphire oceans with slowly-whitening waves caressing the golden sand, the ocean and earth merged into a perfect marriage, beckoning people forward. They always heeded its call, basking in the simple pleasures the earth had to offer.
Emerald Beach, just south of Emerald Town and home of some of the famous Mobian heroes, was busy as ever during the later days of July. But something very special would be occurring here this day.

***
A snowy-white figure darted behind some small tents that served as changing rooms. Panting, she poked her head around the side to see two police cars, sirens ablaze, driving off into the distance. Sighing in relief, she peeled the bandana hiding her large ears off, and then the rag covering her mouth. Rouge the Bat tossed the disguise at the ground like a touchdown in her victory.
She rummaged through a beach bag she had brought with her, smiling smugly to herself as she examined the assortment of rings, necklaces and bracelets that laid within. There were even a few handfuls of smaller gems by themselves, intended to sometime fit into a band of gold or be mounted on an amulet.
But now, all these sparkling beauties were hers.
"Score one for the world's greatest huntress!" Rouge whispered gleefully to herself. She slipped into a nearby changing room, and pulled a dark-violet two piece bathing suit out. She quickly slipped into them, hiding her stolen treasures under her regular clothes. Rouge then sighed contently to herself as she walked out of the tent and onto the golden beach.
She felt herself being burnt not only by the glare of the sun, but by the envious glares of almost every woman on the beach, Mobian or no. Her figure was practically flawless and her form was graceful, an angelic phantom strutting through the glittering sand. Rouge smiled proudly to herself and kept her head held up high, knowing damn well she had to be the most gorgeous thing any of them had ever laid eyes on. Finding a nice open spot, she laid a blanket down and pulled out some tanning lotion, getting it all over herself as best she could. Frustrated that there was nobody to help her apply it, she sighed and decided her work would suffice. Rouge gracefully laid back, sighing a content, inward sigh as the sun hit her, glinting off of her sunglasses like the diamonds she loved so much.
"I wonder… how much would you be worth if you were a gleaming diamond, sun?" she wondered out loud. The master thief stretched her body out and let the sun soak into her, sighing as if it were powering some source of beauty within.
Suddenly Rouge turned to look to her left, and saw a distant cloud of dust. Something seemed to be speeding along the beach. The ivory huntress figured it was just a family driving along to find a nice spot without having to walk, so she turned over on her back, paying it no heed.
But soon she heard people clambering, a few of them shouting incoherently.  Rouge looked back over and her eyes widened to see that the dust cloud was quickly gaining speed and drawing ever closer. Some people were starting to run out of the way. Rouge followed their lead, grabbing her blanket and beach bag.
She went out and stood about knee-deep in the water, a safe distance away from the incoming cloud. What was this; a dirt-devil or a crazy driver? Rouge peered closely, pushing her sunglasses up her head and sighed when she saw what it was.
Sonic and Shadow, racing like morons on Fast and Furious, tore through the beach like bats (not the Mobian variety) out of hell.
"GIVE… IT… UP, FAKER!!" Shadow snarled, him and said 'faker' now neck and neck.
"Why would I?!" Sonic shouted. "The finish line… is right… over there!" he pointed at a sign that indicated where the changing rooms were.
The two hedgehogs dashed like demons escaping their prison, racing as if their lives and everything else mattered on the other winning. It seemed that the contest might have to be a tie, and the race would have to start over again.
But Shadow suddenly realized where they were.
All around him, no matter where he looked, he saw people wearing the most exotic and alien undergarments he'd ever seen in his life.
Tropical-themed boxers, female garments that joined at the stomach to create some sort of legless and sleeveless outfit. Frilly linings, some so long they went past the knees and some so short he couldn't fathom them being legal.
Where the hell was this?!
Shadow's distraction cost him dearly; his foot caught on the edge of somebody's recently-dug sand hole, from which he barely recovered and manage to get back on his feet. But it was too late; Sonic had already reached the proposed finish line, the indicated sign spinning around like a fan.
The azure hedgehog clapped his hands together and shook them over his head in triumph, a weary but proud grin plastered on his face. Still-stunned beach goers who finally caught on to what happened reluctantly applauded.
"Thank you, thanks! Mucho gracias mi amigos!" Sonic laughed. "It was a tough race, but as you all know, I'm-"
"You're dead" came a voice, cold as a knife and sharper than one. Sonic looked to see Shadow, eyes aflame, approach him and seize him by the neck.
"Ack! No wait, Shadow! What're you doing?!" the blue hedgehog choked.
"You're going swimming" the ebony hedgehog growled, an evil smirk now scribbled maniacally on his face. "Let's see your racing skills help you now!"
"OH MY GOD, NO!!" Sonic screamed, pawing at the sand uselessly to try and save himself.
"Shadow, let the idiot go."
The hedgehogs turned to face a familiar figure standing near them, arms folded in disapproval.
"Seriously, can you two do anything without leaping at each other's throats?" Rouge asked, tapping her foot irritably.
Shadow sighed and released Sonic's neck, his arms folding in his normal brooding pose. The poor blue hedgehog coughed a little and stood up.
"Hmph. Don't blame me; the idiot was gloating over an undeserved victory" the angsty hedgehog replied.
"Oh shove it; you're a sore sport" Sonic muttered. "So Rouge, what're you doing here?"
"I was trying to get a peaceful tan, until you idiots came stampeding across the beach" she replied. "How long have you been racing, anyway?"
"Since Mystic Ruins" Shadow replied, eyes still closed in his brood. "Been racing for over half an hour now."
"You two are ridiculous" Rouge sighed. "Oh well, are you done now?"
Sonic affirmed with his trademark thumbs-up. "Yep! I'm heading over to Tails' house now; he says he wants to test out some upgrades for the Tornado" he told them.
"Charming. Now get lost" Shadow hissed.
"Alright! See you two later!" said the cerulean speed-demon, and in a puff of dust and sand he was gone. They watched him leave for a moment and then they both sighed irritably in unison
"Thank you so much for ruining my tan" Rouge huffed. "Do you two have to take your stupid rivalry as far Emerald Beach?"
Shadow scoffed. "First off, he was asking for it. Secondly, it's not my fault you happened to be on the premises."
"And it didn't occur to you that there might be other people here? In the middle of summer?!" she replied, face-palming at his statement.
The ebony hedgehog ignored her last comment, glaring around at all the ridiculous beings wandering the beach like a herd of simple cows.
"Rouge, would you mind telling me why everyone here struts about in such ludicrous undergarments, including yourself?!" Shadow muttered, a bit pink in the face. "This distraction cost me my triumph over that… that… blue abomination!"
"It's a beach, Shadow. We're wearing bathing suits, not underwear" the ivory bat answered, her irritated glare now rising into a smirk of amusement. "Never been to a beach before? Or seen a beautiful woman's voluptuous curves?"
"Not while this heavily populated" he replied, ignoring the latter question. "I've been a bit busy to come and waste my time here, anyway!"
"It's not wasting time if you want to do it!" Rouge pointed out. "There's all kinds of activities here! Ugh, you really need to loosen up, Shad. For someone who likes to move you sure can be a stick in the sand, you know?"
The dark hedgehog scoffed at her remark, but ironically he had loosened up a bit already. It wasn't noticeable but around Rouge, he felt a little more comfortable and a little less irritable. Maybe it was because the huntress was kind enough to share a house with him, or perhaps it was the teamwork they had developed after being partners in G.U.N. for so long. Either way, Rouge was pretty much the only person he could even remotely stand.
"I don't need to 'loosen up'" Shadow replied irritably. "Don't need to partake in these 'activities' either. Never have, never will."
"Seriously?!" Rouge asked, appalled (but not overly shocked) that the ebony hedgehog apparently hadn't done anything to socialize since she saw him last. "Well, c'mon! You're getting the full experience today!"
Shadow's face fell as if Jupiter's gravity were running the planet while Earth's gravity went on vacation.
"What?! I-I can't!" he stuttered.
"Why not? Can't you swim? Didn't G.U.N. teach you?" Rouge giggled. "Or did they just classify you as 'rock' and let the exam slide?"
"Of course I can swim!" Shadow growled. "I just… don't like getting my fur wet… takes forever to dry."
"Oh boo-hoo, poor thing" she mocked. "C'mon! There's a little stall that sells cheap swimming trunks, I'll buy you some!"
"No, stop!" the ebony hedgehog pleaded, pawing at the sand as Rouge dragged him by the tail. Score another point for karma.

***
Life sucks.
Everything in the universe was doomed to be sucked into an abyss of endless darkness. Despair was a magnet, and everything else was its metallic prey. No matter where one went, they could not escape the almighty vacuum of dreadfulness and wretchedness that was life.
So felt Shadow the Hedgehog, standing in "Aloha, Hawaii!" themed swimming trunks, the bright texture almost illuminating his dark, moody aura. His gloves and trademark fire-skates in the beach bag, Shadow no longer felt like the Ultimate Life Form. He felt like a disgraced Beach Boy.
"Shadow, c'mon! Get in the water!" Rouge called, already wading outwards.
"Over my dead body" he growled, so low that even her bat ears almost didn't catch it. Rouge sighed, and walked back out of the water and up to Shadow's ear.
"Sonic would be brave enough to do it!" she whispered.
"No, he wouldn't" the Ultimate Life Form replied stubbornly.
"So… you're not braver than Sonic?" she asked casually, as if not surprised.
Shadow's eyes flared open like an over-heated furnace.  "Don't you even dare insinuate such a thing!" he growled.
"Then swim! Show me how good you are!" Rouge goaded, and fell back into the water, floating back into the ocean gracefully.
Shadow sighed, and finally stepped into the water. He gritted his teeth at the sharp, cold sting clinging to his legs. But he pressed on, ignoring the slick, cold sensation engulfing his body.
"There you go, Shadow!" Rouge giggled. "This isn't so bad, is it?"
"Hmph… why is it so frigid?!" he growled.
"Lighten up! God, why is everything taken so horribly with you?" Rouge asked irritably. "Look, there's dozens of people enjoying themselves. The sand, the holes, the water, the sun, it's all good! Why can't you take a little enjoyment out of life?"
"Ugh, don't even get me started on life" the ebony pessimist snorted.
The ivory bat sighed, now treading water not too far from the angsty hedgehog. This wasn't going well; she wanted Shadow to socialize, be part of something other than his own dark thoughts. Her mind racing, Rouge tried to think of something to loosen him up.
Unfortunately, trying to get Shadow to lighten up may very well have the opposite effect. Like almost everything else about the Ultimate Life Form, cheering him up was volatile. It was a dangerous gamble.
But Rouge was quite the talented gambler; why else open a casino?
Taking her wing, she drew it back and hit Shadow with a big splash of water.
Shadow's whole body stiffened, and his ruby irises widened. He slowly looked up at Rouge, and his face contorted itself with rage. The ivory bat stood her ground, ready for whatever punishment the crimson-streaked warrior saw fit to dish out.
Shadow seized Rouge by her waist, and threw her head-first into the salty depths. She emerged a moment later, and Shadow smirked in anticipation of her look of shock at his retaliation.
But Rouge was laughing.
His face going a bit slack, mouth opening slightly in confusion, Shadow could do little but stare. It was an expression unsettlingly similar to something Knuckles may have wrought upon his face if confronted with advanced calculus.
"That's more like it, Shadow!" she said eagerly. The huntress smiled smugly, and beckoned at her companion. "Is that all you have?"
He took the bait.
Never would the Ultimate Life Form turn down a challenge.
"You haven't seen anything yet, bat girl!" Shadow growled, smirking despite himself. Rouge just laughed, and soon a violent war of splashing, dunking and throwing ensued between the two Mobians.

*Two hours later*

By this time, the beach had been emptied of most of its goers. Shadow and Rouge were exhausted, neither one of them willing to surrender the war fought with water. They had somehow come to terms through exhaustion and now shared Rouge's blanket, laying across the sands of Emerald Beach.
"Nice to see you come out of your shell, Shadow" Rouge commented, looking out over the sparkling ocean, now glowing orange as the setting sun set its crystalline waves aflame.
"Well, don't get used to it" he replied with a smirk, leaning back on his hands. "You're just lucky you got to push all my right buttons today."
"What're you supposed to be? A bomb?" she chuckled. "Well, don't worry; I won't tell anyone how to defuse you. I want to be the only one who can."
Shadow shook his head at the metaphor, and continued gazing out at the ocean. He seemed lost in thought, but then again he always did.
"You know… Maria and I would often gaze out of the ARK's observatory room, down here at Earth" Shadow finally said. "I used to wonder… what the ocean was like."
Rouge sat up next to him, removing her sunglasses to watch him closely. Very rarely did Shadow open up to her about personal things, especially related to Maria.
"We… often compared it to a big bathtub" the dark hedgehog went on, smiling softly. "After all, that's all we had to compare it with. I never knew it'd be quite so… salty" he finished.
"I don't think anybody does" Rouge chuckled. "Did you anticipate what the sand would be like?"
"No… I thought it'd just be dirt" Shadow replied. He looked up into the sky, perhaps searching for the Space Colony he once called home. "We dreamed so often of coming down here together… you know, once she was able to and Gerald's research was completed." Shadow looked down at the sand, trailing his finger through it absentmindedly. "I remember one dream I had where she and I were sitting under a tree, reading a book. It felt… so real. The grass felt like it does now, I could feel a breeze across my face… like the ghost of a hand caressing you…" He sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, I'm being foolish… all this sentimental crap…"
"I think it's sweet, Shadow" Rouge said soothingly, scooting a little closer to him. "Makes you seem more human for a change."
"Human?"
"You know what I mean" she chuckled.
The two of them were silent for awhile, absorbed in thought. Rouge broke the tension by scooting over a little and resting her head on Shadow's shoulder. Normally the would've been irritated at the invasion of intimate space, but it seemed… fitting. Shadow didn't know what had come over him but he felt very comfortable around Rouge at the moment. Maybe spending time with her and unwinding like he had contributed, who knew?
"You know I'm always here, if you need to talk" Rouge said softly. "Doesn't have to be about anything. But a friendly ear always helps and hey, I got two of the biggest ears on this planet."
The ebony warrior couldn't help but smirk at this weak joke. "I know Rouge… nothing's really bothering me though. I just… kind of miss her, sometimes…" He sighed, feeling like a complete fool. He was coming across as a weakling, and the last person he wanted to see him like this was Rouge, his most trusted ally.
"Well… you got company right here" the bat said sweetly, and boldly ran her hand over the patch of white fur on Shadow's chest. He stiffened a bit at her caress, not accustomed to such things whatsoever. But it was… relaxing. Her touch was warm and soft, and they weren't exactly in plain sight at the moment. The Ultimate Life Form let it slide…
"Shadow, we've been partners for a long time…" Rouge said softly. "So… do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"You… do think of me as a friend, right?" she asked, giving a nervous chuckle. "I know it sounds stupid, but… well, I think of you as a friend, and… er, well, I was just curious h-how you felt, so…"
"Shut up" Shadow interrupted. Rouge looked up at him in surprise, and found that the hand caressing Shadow's chest was now being gripped by his soft, strong hand. A rare smirk pulled at his lips. "You're annoying when you stutter. You want an answer? You wish to know how I feel about you Rouge, for always being my partner and watching over my ass? This is how I feel."
Pictures are worth a thousand words.
Feelings… can only be hinted at with pictures.
Yet not all the artwork in the world could begin to even grasp what Rouge felt in her heart, exploding with an overload of emotion as Shadow pulled her hand back so that her lips fell on his.
Shadow really didn't know what had come over him… seeing Rouge stutter like that while feeling so close to her, letting down his guard like he had… That little bit of weakness and uncertainty on Rouge's part had been enough to make him rush and comfort her, in a way he knew she'd appreciate…
And, God forbid Sonic should ever know, a way Shadow would enjoy.
Rouge's eyes were wide, her face flushed as she kissed the ebony warrior. She moaned softly, tasting a faint spice on Shadow's lips. Her brain was barely registering this as reality; it felt like a hazy dream one was usually forced to unwillingly wake up from. But she never woke up.
She never wanted to.
Shadow wrapped his arms around Rouge, pulling her close and amplifying the warmth between the two. He was surprised at how enjoyable this simple act of connecting lips was. Perhaps it was electricity… or something more powerful from within?
He didn't care.
Shadow pushed himself deeper into the kiss, and eventually ended up on top of the ivory huntress. He craved her, wanted her so badly and for her to never let go.
All notions of keeping up appearances and public decency were gone, washed away in a massive flood of passion. Washed away were Shadow's walls of emotionless detachment from Rouge, embracing the deep relationship that their time together had carved. Washed away were Rouge's worries that Shadow didn't care for anyone, her worries that he would never be more than a teammate. The waves that were their feelings, the waters that were their bodies crashed and molded fluidly together, like a liquid falling into the perfect container and taking its meant-to-be shape.
Rouge moaned loudly into the kiss, pressing herself back up against Shadow and wrapping her wings around him, as if possessively clinging to treasure. The ebony hedgehog finally broke the kiss, and opened his eyes to look into Rouge's.
"That… is what I think of you" Shadow panted. "Need I say more?"
"No… I think I get the point" Rouge chuckled weakly. She nuzzled his chest, almost purring with happiness. "Shadow… do you…?"
"How about I buy you dinner tonight and then we'll see if I feel like saying something cliché" he replied with yet another smirk. It had to be a record for how many smiles he'd had in one day.
"Fine, fine. Now get the hell off of me, handsome. If you want the whole package, play your cards right tonight and you might get a chance" Rouge laughed. Shadow scrambled off, even now a bit embarrassed by her lewd suggestion. He offered Rouge a hand and they stood up to leave the golden beach.
Shadow walked over to the beach bag to grab his shoes, and frowned.
"Damn it, Rouge!" he sighed.
"What is it?" she asked, looking back at him.
The ebony hedgehog held up a large, emerald-engraved ring from the haul the huntress had made earlier that day.
"I was going to buy this for you" Shadow told her, his frown deepening.