#shadowxaurora

Happy Valentine's Day!

To: You

From: Me & My AU

@e-vay @evayart

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Birthday Escape

Aurora was putting the finishing touches on her evening attire when the doorbell rang. She looked at the deep purple jogging suit and comfortable sneakers in the mirror and tilted her head. It wasn’t exactly what she had expected to wear when Shadow asked to take her out for her birthday. But she knew he had a reason for the suggestion.

“Tiny?” called Sonic from downstairs. “The Faker- I mean - Shadow’s here!”

She rolled her eyes and laughed to herself. Her dad couldn’t help but get a dig in whenever he could. Aurora grabbed her shoulder bag and headed for the stairs.

After kissing her parents goodbye and promising to be back by midnight, she slipped out the front door. She was anxious to learn what Shadow had planned for the evening. He stood leaning against the porch rail with his arms crossed.

Aurora’s heart did a little flip-flop as her eyes took in his perfect smile, his long, lean form, and the alluring look he reserved for only her.

“Happy birthday, Light,” he said in a low voice that always sent tingles up her spine. “Are you ready to go?”

“I am - but can you tell me the reason for the comfortable dress code?” she asked with a grin.

“You’ll see,” Shadow responded, leading her to his motorcycle and helping her on behind him. After donning her helmet, they set off in the direction of town. It was nearing 4 o’clock and the sun was just beginning to sink in the sky.

In town, Shadow pulled his motorcycle into a parking lot next to a nondescript building with a glowing neon sign.

“An escape room?!!!” Aurora squealed, bounding from the bike. “Shadow, I can’t wait!” No wonder he had suggested the comfy clothing!

“I thought it might be something you’d like to try,” he said, pulling her helmet off as she bounced up and down on the balls of her feet.

Once inside, they approached a tall desk with a bored-looking teenager seated behind it.

“What theme would you like?” Shadow asked Aurora as they studied the information board. Her eyes settled on a title written in old-fashioned letters. “Let’s do ‘Mystery in the Haunted Mansion!” Aurora suggested.

The teenager piped up. “I’m sorry - that one is reserved for parties of four or more people.”

Shadow glared at him, then walked up to the desk. After reaching in his jacket pocket, he slid something across to him. “You were saying?”

“Um… I was saying, ‘Right this way!’” The teenager scrambled off his stool and started down a dark corridor with doors on either side. Shadow and Aurora fell into line behind him.

“What gave you the idea for an escape room?” Aurora whispered to Shadow.

He gave a sly smile. “It’s a great way to hone your sleuthing skills.”

“I’ll always be the Nancy Drew to your Sherlock Holmes,” she said, slipping her hand in his.

Shadow looked at her quizzically. “I don’t know what that means.”

Aurora gave a soft laugh as she remembered the stack of detective novels Eggman had secretly given her each birthday since she was able to read. She still wondered where in the world he had gotten them.

The teen stopped at a door at the end of the hallway and began going over the rules of the game in a dull voice. “Once you enter the code and press the button at the end, the game will be over and the door will unlock,” he said. “You have an hour to complete all the tasks and win the game.”

“Let’s do it!” said Aurora, itching to get started. She and Shadow walked into the room, and the door closed behind them with a thud. The second the door lock clicked into place, the lights dimmed and a message appeared on a screen with the backstory.

The game commenced, and together Shadow and Aurora found clues, solved riddles, and examined evidence until they were certain they had solved the case.

“The only thing we have left to do is enter this code and we will have won!” Aurora said, thinking it was the quickest hour she had ever experienced.

“Wait a minute…” said Shadow, looking at the clock counting down near the door. “We solved all the clues in 15 minutes!”

“But how?” Aurora asked incredulously.

“Well, when you play with the Ultimate Lifeform…” began Shadow, stifling a laugh. Aurora shot him an amused glance.

“So that means we have 45 minutes left…” she said.

“Locked away in a small room…” Shadow added.

“All by ourselves…”

They looked into each other’s eyes, drinking in the realization.

“Wanna make out?” Shadow said with a smirk.

A ShadowxAurora One Shot

Shadow never meant to keep it. With the limited space in his apartment, a piano wasn't exactly practical. But he'd seen it sitting on the street while on a run, a pathetic little spinet that apparently wasn't worth the effort for repair according to the owner, so it sat in wait for the dump truck.

Omega thought he was nuts when Shadow had used Chaos Control to transport the piano into the apartment, and perhaps he was. The instrument had definitely seen better days, and it would take more than a simple tune up to get it in pristine condition again.

That didn't stop Shadow from shoving the spinet against the wall between his mattress and the front door and then going out to purchase the necessary items for piano repairs.

The spinet became Shadow's passion project over the next several weeks. Any spare moment between his mercenary work with Omega and dates with Aurora, Shadow could be found with the spinet piano, painstakingly doting over the instrument to set it to rights again.

"You never told me you can fix instruments." Aurora had noted once, sitting on the little bench with her legs swinging while half of Shadow's body was inside the back of the spinet.

"Never came up." Shadow had grunted.

"Where'd you learn?" She'd pressed.

Shadow had shrugged. "I did a lot of things while off world, Light. Sometimes I was asked to fix things, and music is universal." Aurora had accepted that answer, and Shadow minutely relaxed.

No way he was EVER going to tell her that some aristocrat across the galaxy had taken fancy to him and tried to get his attention by breaking her piano, just so he'd come and fix it. It was the fastest he'd ever fled a planet. Omega still hadn't let him live it down.

The plan for the spinet once he'd finished repairs was simple enough: take it to the resale shop and get a decent sum of cash for it. He'd contacted the shop, gotten a good offer, and was set to deliver and receive his rings, but when he arrived and saw the buyer...a mother and son duo, the latter whom was whining about how much he HATED piano lessons and was currently and carelessly swinging a baseball bat around in his fit....Shadow took his piano and left.

No way was Shadow going to let all his hard work repairing his baby go to waste on some ungrateful brat that lacked basic appreciation. So, the little spinet piano became a permanent fixture in his apartment.

Shadow had never considered himself a musician of any sort. He was a warrior, a mercenary, the Ultimate Lifeform, a guardian. Music...required a certain softness that Shadow, with all his broken pieces and jagged edges, simply did not possess. But, somehow, that didn't matter. Sitting at his little spinet, gingerly filling his apartment with the soft tones of the classics centered him with a kind of peace he rarely ever achieved...with one exception. When he played, Shadow could pretend that was all there was. Just him and his spinet, creating something beautiful together. It was almost magical, if he believed in such a thing.

Shadow huffed a quiet chuckle, gently resting his hand atop the keys but not pressing down, his thoughts drifting towards the other almost-magical thing in his life. Honestly, if it magic was a thing, Shadow could believe it, because of her. The way she pranced through life, with such light and arms wide open, eager and excited for whatever came her way...could anything else but magical describe his precious Light?

Almost without his command, his fingers gently drifted across the spinet's keys, a delicate melody that swirled and danced through the air. Shadow sighed.

"Though I tried before to tell her

Of the feelings I have for her

In my heart.

Every time that I come near her

I just lose my nerve as I've done

From the start."

How many times has Shadow looked into those emerald eyes, seen that smile, and choked? It was three simple words, why was it so difficult? He's made peace with the past, hasn't he?

"Every little thing she does is magic

Everything she does just turns me on.

Even though my life before was tragic

Now I know my love for her goes on."

A sniffle behind him had Shadow whirling around, Chaos Spear halfway formed in his hand and a snarl on his muzzle, when those same piercing emerald eyes damp with tears stopped him dead. Shadow gulped, his ears flattening against his head. Damn. How long had she- Shadow made get up, averting his eyes as embarrassment colored his cheeks rosy red.

And then she's right there, pushing him back down on the bench with pleas of "Please don't stop, don't mind me-," and she's still looking at him with those eyes, pleading and wet, her body pressed tight against his side, lips protruding in the most pitiful pout...

Chaos, he was screwed, wasn't he?

Shadow sighed and tapped her nose with his finger. "You will say nothing to anyone about this." He commanded, and tried to ignore how distracting that beaming smile was in order to return to the piano. He gulped, frozen with his fingers in position. He knew his voice was not what anyone would call gifted, hers was so much better, and he chanced a glance down to his shoulder where she'd laid her head. She smiled at him again, eager and encouraging, and Shadow gulped and resumed playing.

"Do I have to tell the story

Of a thousand rainy days

SInce we first met?

It's a big enough umbrella

But it's always me

That ends up getting wet.

Every little thing she does is magic

Everything she does just turns me on.

Even though my life before was tragic

Now I know my love for her goes on."

Shadow rested his cheek against the top of her head, mindful of the short grouping of quills that acted as bangs, closing his eyes momentarily and just breathing.

"I resolve to call her up

A thousand times a day

And ask her if she'll marry me

In some old fashioned way.

But my silent fears have gripped me

Long before I reach the phone.

Long before my tongue has tripped me

Must I always be alone?"

Her arms squeezed him gently, reassuringly, around his middle, and he pressed a kiss to her head in response, smiling at the growing damp spot on his shoulder.

"Every little thing she does is magic,

Everything she does just turns me on.

Even though my life before was tragic

Now I know my love for her goes on,"

Shadow dropped one hand from the piano and cupped Aurora's cheek, tilting her chin up to look into her eyes, shining with light and joy, and he knew his words wouldn't fail him this time. He smiled at her and leaned his forehead on hers.

"Every little thing you do is magic

Everything you do just turns me on.

Even though my life before was tragic

Know that my love for you goes on."

Shadow ended the song with a soft kiss to her lips, sealing his declaration of devotion with all the love and passion and dedication he had in his heart in the best way he knew how. Words always failed him, but somehow, in this moment, it didn't matter. Aurora wept through his kiss, and he smiled as they parted, a quirk of his mouth so gentle and loving that only she would ever get to see it.

Aurora pounced on him a single moment later, using her own gift of speed to press kiss after kiss on his lips, face, head, everywhere she could reach, glowing so brightly and joyfully exclaiming "I love you"s between kisses. Shadow briefly wondered how she wasn't suffocating before dismissing the thought and basking in their shared love, trading her kisses and words with ones of his own. It didn't matter anyway.

Chapter 8: Winning Your Heart

[previous]

For the next several days, many questions surfaced throughout Camelot. Not much was known about this stranger, and much like Aurora they wanted to know more. He had some pretty serious injuries to be treated, so not many of their concerns were answered. Once the doctor gave them word that he was in a better condition, the King finally came around to approach him with questions; the stranger's bed was empty. The bed felt cold so he must have been gone for several hours by now. The doctor confirmed that he had just saw him that morning. Perhaps he will return and give the royal family some information on the ambush?

Or at least, that's what they had hoped for.

"He left this morning." The knight confirmed with Aurora, joining her at the bench near the lake. She could see the disappointment written on Shadow's face. He too, was desperate for answers. This was his home that was attacked. He had expected this individual knew something.

Aurora didn't want to admit it out loud, but she had a feeling this wasn't gonna be the last of this guy. Maybe her gut feeling was wrong this time? It was just a really bad nightmare, that's all. She constantly reminded herself every single day. "Great! We can get back to our training, hm?" Aurora shook the thought off, and quickly got to her feet.

"Not today; you have studying to do." Shadow grinned under his helmet, and patted her shoulder.

In response, her shoulders sagged in disappointment. The princess rather not spend hours and hours of her day behind a desk, and reading a dusty-old-book that somehow wasn't considered outdated. In the book were listed different duties that was "required" when she became queen. Deep down, she really didn't know whether she wanted to carry that responsibility when it came time for her to take her mother's place. She knew there was no persuading the knight, "how about tonight?" He gave a nod in agreement before they parted ways.

---

In the next couple hours, Aurora had fallen asleep with her head buried into her book. Her mentor thankfully didn't make an appearance, so Aurora was alone to take notes (if drawing counted as note-taking). An hour or two later, she fell asleep. Just like her father, she wasn't great at staying still for long periods of times. When she woke up, she saw the sun had gone down. Shutting her book in excitement, she ran out the door with her sword. Adrenaline pumping throughout her body. Down the long hallway, she ran into a servant walking in her direction. Accidently, knocking him to the floor. Muttering an apology, she came to his side, helping him up. When their hands touched though, her fur stood up on the back of her neck. It was as if there was an electric charge of some sort? She couldn't place the sensation. He must have felt the same way, because he was quick to jerk away from her touch. He quickly bowed and ran off in the opposite direction.

Weird... Aurora shuddered as he disappeared.

The princess approached the arena, of course the Knight was already there. She watched him stretch out any stiff muscles, while he was doing so. Aurora disappeared. It was rare that she used her abilities. Especially with him. Sure, he knew that she was gifted with Photokinesis, but during their training sessions, she didn't see the need for them. Outside of their sessions, she was almost afraid to use such power, because many people may look at this gift as magic... which was greatly frowned upon, and feared in Camelot. But, what harm would it be to tease her mentor a little? Unbeknownst to him, she was now behind him, while "cloaked" she reached at his tail and gave it a yank. Slightly, startled, Shadow whirled around to face his foe. Only to notice that his invisible foe was now taking his very own sword. It looked like the sword was just hanging in mid-air. Shadow jerked back, as Aurora aimed at him. He dodged, by mere inches of the blade. Then all of a sudden, the sword was gone too. But, only momentarily. She was limited to a very short span she could make objects disappear. Once it reappeared, it just dropped to the ground.

Shadow was quick to retrieve his weapon of choice, but instead of attacking his invisible rival, he strained to sense when she was about to attack next. Aurora was enjoying this way too much, she could see the frustration all over his face. Despite, the frustration on his face, though, she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of excitement in his eyes. "If you wish to play like that, princess... then so be it." In a flash, he was gone too. He knew that she was limited at her cloaking ability, and eventually she would be compromised, and he could attack.

She saw him reappear at the top of the concrete perimeter around Camelot. In haste, she ran up the wall. Her body was starting to feel the effects, soon she was exposed to her rival. In haste, she rolled into a ball- aiming for Shadow. Instead of disappearing, he caught her spin-dash, and soon they both rolled down the other side of the concrete wall. They uncurled just before they hit the ground, Shadow ontop of her. The pair breathing heavily. "I win." The knight breathed out. He loosened his grip on her wrists, and started to get back to his feet.

Aurora was quick to grab at the collar of his armor, and pulled him down for a kiss. It was a short kiss, but the passion was there and the pair definitely felt it. The princess felt her cheeks burn, and this sensation traveled to the tips of her ears. She smiled against his lips, then pushed him off of her. "I think it is I who won, Shadow." She teased. Reminding him that she did indeed ambush him, and have the upper hand before a few moments ago.

Shadow gathered himself, and stood to his feet. His legs feeling like jelly. His eyes scanned her, before giving a soft chuckle. "Fine." His eyes darting from her gaze, deep down he wanted to pull her into another kiss. This time, he would be taking the lead. Instead, he just wished her goodnight.

Aurora still felt her heart pounding in her chest as she made her way back to the palace, that kiss still fresh on her lips. The princess climbed up to her balcony, and snuck inside, closing the curtains and the door behind her. She didn't notice the condition of her attire until she stepped infront of a mirror. Her dress covered in mud, and torn from the tussle between the hedgehogs. She tossed it aside, and retrieved her nightgown. She would have to remember to get rid of the dress before questions were asked. Aurora couldn't exactly be upfront about their encounter...

--

The next morning, a guard approached Aurora near the end of the corridor of the palace. She had just finished breakfast with her family, and was heading in the direction of her "classroom" to continue her studies that she had forgotten all about. "M'lady?" He cleared his throat, and bowed.

Aurora craned her head in attention, he stood tall before her.

"Your father... I need to speak with him... please." He breathed out, in a panic. Behind her, Sonic emerged. Relief rushed over his face when he saw the King. In haste, Sonic followed the guard. Aurora following suit. They were led down a set of spiral stairs. The princess forgot this place even existed underneath the palace. It wasn't often that Aurora came down here as a child. It was heavily guarded... usually. When they came to the bottom of the stairs, they found one of the guards near the door leading to another room where Sonic had hidden the Chaos Emeralds. He was out cold, in puddle of blood. They soon discovered that the unfortunate guard had succumbed to his injuries. Sonic was vivid.

He was a new father, and a loving husband. Aurora watched as her father announced to his family. It was painful to watch as the wife collapsed on the limp body of her beloved spouse. Throughout the several days, and weeks to follow security was tightened around the palace. Aurora was limited to her studies, and anytime outside of the palace. She understood her father's concerns. If someone were to get ahold of the Chaos Emeralds, they would be in serious trouble. Especially in the wrong hands. But, the royal family knew whoever killed the guard... their intentions weren't not good.

It was storming tonight, lightning pierced the night sky, and occasionally striking the land around them. Being stuck inside the palace, Aurora was getting restless; however, for once she took her father's warnings seriously. She turned a corner, heading to her living quarters. Before she made it to her door... she was pulled aside. A hand covering her mouth before she could make a peep. She squirmed in the stranger's grasp as he pulled her into another room. The only thing she could see in the darkness, was those piercing red eyes.

"Keep quiet, or your next to die under my hand." He whispered against her. Not uttering a sound, he released his hold on her. "Good girl." She saw his toothy grin shine in the darkness.

"What do you want?" She hissed.

"I was watching you the other night. Your powers are... impressive." She wished she could get her heart to calm down. "I could surely use someone like you."

Her ears fell against her head, and she balled her hands into a tight fist. "Use me for what, exactly?" Like that was gonna happen. She thought.

"Oh, don't be naive. I can feel the energy from the Chaos Emeralds that your father keeps hidden." A familiar red glow appeared from his hand, "this is where you come in, my dear. You'll be the key." Aurora wasn't quite sure what he expected of her. Sure, she could go undetected... easily. But, Aurora wasn't sure how her photokinesis would respond to the energy from within the Chaos Emeralds.

Not that she would even think of retrieving the Emeralds for this jerk. However, she wasn't quite sure what this stranger was even capable of. It was clear that he had powers of his own. The pair was quiet in small room, the dark being before her... waiting. Aurora didn't say a single word, and simply kneed him in the stomach. Because the room was dark, she couldn't really draw from a light source right now...so her abilities were limited. When he fell to his knees, she ran for the door. It wasn't long before, Aurora could feel him behind her again. He was furious. She was quicker than him, but she soon discovered that he was capable of moving objects with his mind. Various objects came flying towards her, just barely missing the princess. She was getting closer to the dining room, when she passed by a servant that was busy away with his nightly duties.

Behind her, a large table was lifted into the air. "Watch out!" Aurora warned to the servant. Quick on her feet, she jumped infront of him. Pieces of the furniture crashing into her body.

"Princess, I'm so disappointed in you. Just let me have the Chaos Emeralds, than I'll let you be."

"You have no right to them." A familiar voice from behind them, "if you lay another finger on my daughter-" Sonic threat was interrupted when the dark figure turned around now facing Sonic, Shadow, and Blaze standing at the doorway. He charged towards his new rivals. Chairs, dinnerware, and benches were lifted into the air...aiming in their direction.

I totally didn’t just remember my love for ShadowxAurora and spend over an hour scrolling through @e-vay ‘s tags so I could re-live the feels.

Gosh it’s been forever...I’m being flooded by all kinds of feels, whoooopsie.

NEW AURORA BIO!✨💜

[I made a bio for Aurora ages ago, but I figured it was time to post a new one since I've altered/developed her character a lot more since then. I'll probably make changes to this as my stories progress]

Name: Aurora the Hedgehog (Legal name: Aurora Rose)

Nicknames: Tiny, Rory, Light, Lightning Bug

Parents: Sonic the Hedgehog (Father) and Amy Rose (Mother)

Birthday: March 13 | Sign: Pisces

Identity/Orientation: Cishet | Pronouns: She/Her

Personality: Bubbly, Playful, Optimistic, Excitable, Caring, Silly

Powers: Photokinesis (Light Manipulation); Minor precognitive dreaming (abstract premonitions in the form of dreams)

Weaknesses: Low self-esteem; Speaks before thinking; Fear of disappointing others

Type: Speed (About the same level as Amy)

Best Friend: Sage Robotnik

Love Interest: Shadow the Hedgehog

Occupation: (Early Career) Counselor for Young Heroes Program | (Later Career) Pop-Singer

Hobbies: Singing, dancing, swimming, writing

Favorite Color: Green

Favorite Food(s): Tamales, Green Chile, sweets | Least Favorite Food: Olives

Favorite Aesthetics: Colorful Maximalism, Eclectic, Eccentric

Dream Voice Actor: Mandy Moore

Physical traits: Aurora has the same pink colored fur as her mother, with sand-colored markings (the same color as her father) on her muzzle, arms, belly and inside her ears. Her eyes are the same shade of lime green as her father. Aurora has voluminous, "wavy" quills and (unlike Amy who straightens hers) styles them "natural," letting the bottom locks and some of her "bangs" curl upwards naturally. She also has back quills, which she is extremely self-conscious about. She is shorter than average which earned her the nickname "Tiny." She doesn't consider herself fashionable, but if she had to describe her style it would be "Maximal," wearing bright colors and many layers. She always wears "light inhibitors" that her Uncle Tails designed for her to help keep her photokinesis under control. The neutral color for her light inhibitors is lime green but changes depending on extreme emotions.

Personality: Aurora is energetic, playful, enthusiastic and optimistic. She gets excited very easily and isn't shy when it comes to expressing herself. She has a habit of blurting out her thoughts before thinking about how they might be perceived, which can sometimes come off as rude (though not intentionally). Nothing makes her happier than making someone smile or laugh, so she is always eager to lend a helping hand or engage in silly pranks if it means it will lift others' spirits. That being said, she can be impatient if someone's being a sourpuss for seemingly no reason. Having such incredible 'superpowered' family members who have traveled across worlds fighting for freedom while she's lived a sheltered, relatively-quiet life makes her feel inadequate and weak by comparison, though she keeps that information to herself. Despite that, she will never hesitate to protect her loved ones. She has a habit of idolizing others, whether that be celebrities or her own friends/family.

Abridged Biography:

Aurora is the only child of Sonic the Hedgehog and Amy Rose. One of Eggman's evil schemes caused a pregnant Amy to go into labor early, and since then, Sonic has been extremely protective of Aurora, to an (unintentionally) detrimental extent. For much of Aurora's childhood, Amy worked multiple jobs and Sonic served as the primary caretaker which made Sonic and Aurora have a very close bond. Though she always had fun with her family, having to stick close within Sonic's orbit and never being allowed to venture out into the world on her own lead to some self-esteem issues and a repressed longing for adventure.

Apart from having Sage Robotnik as her best friend, Aurora has always had a hard time making friends. Her unusual physical traits, her quirky interests and her world-famous family made her a target for bullies or left her ostracized from groups entirely. After a constant barrage of bullying, Aurora's light powers begin to manifest as a form of defense. Afterwards, she slowly gets better at defending herself and gains a bit more confidence.

Aurora joins the Young Heroes Program as a child and stays until she ages out of the program. She was hoping to begin her worldly adventures and her pursuit to help others as soon as she 'graduated,' but Sonic talks her in to staying on as a counselor where she could "do plenty of good close to home." Not wanting to disappoint him, she agrees. Aurora constantly grapples with feeling like she's not doing enough with her life while simultaneously thinking she's not skilled enough to make a difference, leaving her "stuck in place" continuing through adulthood.