Live and Learn!

This thing was originally for the Sonic AU Collision, which sadly didn't end up happening, so I forgot to post it. But this whole piece was an absolute blast to draw, especially Angel Shadow! He’s got such a complicated design. I forced myself to actually draw his hand and I think it paid off! It was also really funny to draw Demon Sonic with his arms on since I usually him without them.

Anyway, here's the logo-less and flipped versions!

you can see exactly how much I futzed around with shit I did not ultimately use. I had to be talked out of futzing more. You can also see just how tedious the process for making all the stupid puzzle pieces was even with reference. (the model used in said reference was pulled from 十塚翔 [244's workshop])

This ended up taking hahhhhh 175 layers and somewhere in the ballpark of 8 hours (should I keep some kind of timer? maybe. will I? no.)

Bloody version below

not sure how happy I am with this version. I think it sacrifices a bit too much of the already very limited visual clarity, but at the same time I liked getting to lean into the, in my eyes, incredibly graphic nature of the scene.

Fun fact! Hearts were not removed from mummified bodies in ancient Egypt due to them being believed to house the soul.

(oh right! I forgot to mention- the map overlaying everything is from the valley of kings)

Warped Perspective AU:

Eclipse the Darkling is a weapon. A weapon to be used. Nothing more. And there’s nothing else he’d rather be. He’s sure of that…when did he become sure of that? Right. When Shadow became a problem again. Eclipse thought they could finally be brothers, it was what he wanted from the start. Now, though, he’s been shown the “truth” about why Shadow or anyone else accepted him in the first place. To use him. Manipulate him. And when the time came? Kill him. So how foolish of Eclipse, to think he should do anything other than he was made for! This time, he will kill Shadow, and avenge his kind, even if it takes the help of the only mortal he trusts to do it. When and why did he begin to trust him? Didn’t he hate Starline before…? Doesn’t matter anymore. Eclipse will do anything to fulfill his intended purpose. Anything.

Shadow, on the other hand, is being forced to come to terms with all the things he’d tried to push away for the longest time after Eclipse goes missing. The truce made between him and Eclipse (with the help of Sonic, annoyingly) was messy, but whether Shadow wanted to admit it or not, it led to a bond later down the line. It led to Shadow…caring about that little alien. Genuinely. Even nowadays he can feel conflicted about that part, given all that happened in the past, everything with the black arms…and if there’s something Shadow is NOT good at, it’s being open about anything. The roles are reversed after Eclipse’s rescue, with Shadow (in his own special Shadow way) attempting to bring back a bond that currently doesn’t exist, and Eclipse wanting nothing more than his “brother” to face his downfall. Even the dark arms aren’t too fond of Shadow right now. And though he feels Eclipse has every right to hate him, Shadow is determined to put Starline’s influence over this whole situation to an end. The question remains: how?

Reach for the Stars:

A utopic world where the ARK is a space exploration project. Maria, a young scientist, travels the solar system in search of new alien lifeforms, eventually coming across Black Arms hedgehog and future lifelong friend Shadow. Alongside a crew of humans and animals alike, a tranquil space opera unfolds.

☆ Noteworthy Changes ☆

The ARK is an equivalent to real world NASA.

GUN doesn't exist, or at the very least never targeted the ARK offensively.

Maria is the ship's head scientist and/or captain. She was either treated for her illness or follow active treatement that allows her to pursue her passions.

After finding Planet Wisp, they joined the crew, helping with fuel power and miscelleanous tasks.

Each sonic character has a set role inside the ship! For example, tails is lead engineer.