Gay Hedgies

Tall black monolifts of obsidian towered over the two hedgehogs as they are many in this desert as if someone stuck a whole set of thin rocks in the sand at random. Haunting and majestic, Sonic himself at any other time would be in awe of the strange geological structures. But there was no chance for a pause, not when a silvery spore was laced across his body, spreading more by the day since his exposure from the zombots he had to dispatch. Running seemed to slow it's spreading, but even being the fastest thing alive, his speed and stamina is not infinite.

Sonic was now running ragged and at the end of his rope with his quest and the infection. The chaos ley was causing his quills to flare as both hedgehogs sensed a chaos emerald is somewhere within this strange desert. At the same time the whispers were crying louder in his enfeebled mind, convincing him to stop and rest with each step he took. Even Shadow now was starting to be ahead of him by a few yards as the blue hedgehog’s pace was slowed.

Stop

“No!” Sonic snarled as he tried to pick up his pace to catch up to Shadow. Skin is feeling more like it's on fire, even the long healed scars on his chest from top surgery were burning as if molten iron was poured upon his sensitive chest. His sight was growing dim as it seemed the stars and the crescents were being swallowed up by the void snuffing the lights out. Even Shadow’s scarlet streaks, growing more distant by each slowed step, was barely visible as the void was swallowing up the hybrid hedgehog. 

Stop. Stop. Stop 

“Ahhh!” Sonic yelped in a futile attempt to silence the loudening whispers. Everything was dark and almost formless, even the white sands were more like black if he were to look down. 

Stop.

“I'm sorry…” the hedgehog whimpered as he collapsed on the sand with that last plea for rest that seemed to ring in his mind. Only to hear Shadow’s cries echo to break the ringing silence.

“Sonic! Sonic! Get up! They're all counting on you! Babe get up!”

The hybrid hedgehog was kneeling beside him where Sonic collapsed, face partially buried in the white sands. His mate opened an unburied eye, his emeralds usually bright and full of life, now dulled from fatigue and despair. The whites of his eyes are bloodshot, almost like those of whom became fully undead from the metal virus. 

“Everything hurts…I'm so tired…” Sonic groaned as he barely lifted his head from the sand. Shadow almost offered a hand to help his mate get back up but then stopped when he remembered he may contact contamination. The Ultimate Lifeform may not be at risk of contracting diseases. But that was naturally borne pathogens. What about something that is crafted, unnatural, and conjured such as this metal plague? That is something neither hedgehog wants to tempt to find out, as much as it is killing both of them emotionally that touch is prohibited for their safety and anyone else's. 

Shadow could only watch with horror and anxiety as Sonic struggled to get back up from the sands. The blue hedgehog was standing hunched over for a moment before he collapsed again, coughing out sand from his muzzle. He shook his silver marbled cobalt quills of sand. 

“I just need a moment…” He weakly smiled at his mate, hoping Shadow would shelve his worry for the blue hedgehog.

“More than that is likely..” Shadow tried to smirk but Sonic being in such a state only had a slight frown on his face. The dark markings under the emerald eyes of his mate were thicker and darker from the fatigue, the knees and ankles had swelling as well as the breathing of Sonic was labored. The blue hedgehog stood with his hands clutching his knees as he wheezed.

“Babe…you're falling apart where you stand…” Shadow stated refraining from giving a supportive embrace. 

“I’ll be fine, we’re close to where the last Emerald is. My quills can sense it's here within the Obsidian Needles.” Sonic shook his head as he prepared to continue his run.

“Alright, just don't push yourself.” Shadow nodded gravely. “I'm right beside you, Sonic.”

“The sooner we get that Emerald, the sooner we can meet up with everyone at Angel Island and get rid of the infection. Then I can rest and perhaps make some love to help soothe me to sleep?” The blue hedgehog winked and gave a smirk at his mate.

“Damn you Faker, you are such a sex fiend.” The hybrid growled but playfully to where it was more of a coo than a snarl. Touch, just touch is something both are craving for since the infection. Even though both are well aware what may happen upon touching, both hedgehogs yearn for when it resumes they can have physical contact more than anything. Whether it be a sweet embrace or intercourse to help affirm their relationship as lovers. Since the self imposed mandate, it has been challenging to be mindful of the infection and to stop themselves from touching one another. Especially with Shadow’s need for physical touch as a comfort which the blue hedgehog normally would be happy to oblige.

“First up let's get that damn Chaos Emerald.”

You should rest NOW

 Whispers were not silenced as the two hedgehogs continued their trek over the starlit dunes. Even with the pains and aches that wracked over his body, Sonic followed after Shadow for several miles, trying to ignore the voices beckoning him to stop and rest. To allow the infection to spread to where he would be fully turned to undeath as a Zombot. And  remove an asset for what may be the cure of this metal plague. Shadow was ahead of him, skating over the sands as they both zero in on the location of the emerald.

It was seen at the tip of one of those obsidian towers that gave this tract of desert its name. It stood erect for several yards over the two hedgehogs. Sonic yelped as he attempted to spindash to the summit of the pinnacle but he was deflected due to the poor velocity of his maneuver. Shadow proceeds in his stead taking out one of their collected emeralds and teleported to the tip of the monolift.

“Chaos Control!” The hybrid hedgehog roared with vigor as one moment he left Sonic’s side and was at the summit, clutching the emerald. Sonic slouched at the foot of the pillar breathing heavily from his failed endeavor as he watched his mate hover down from the summit with the rockets on his air shoes.

“Babe, please save your energy. You're going to need it to go Super to purge this affliction.” Shadow frowned with concern. “Must I remind you that you’re falling apart?”

Sonic spat onto the silvery sands at their feet.

“Yeah…I guess it was the force of habit. You know normally I would be able to scale that rock pillar like it's nothing.”

Shadow nodded and grinned slightly. “I know you can, and soon you would be able to but we now need to leave this desert. It’ll be dawn in a few hours and we can't afford time for your sake to shelter in the shadows of these pillars when it's midday.”

Sonic nodded. The desert now is cool with it being night. However, as with any desert once the two suns come up and by midday the temperature would be scorching, and with the hedgehog’s current state of self the conditions may prove fatal. Neither of them had packed any water, as they normally would be able to cross the desert in due time before severe dehydration sets in. Their chances of survival would lie with the ability to seek shelter under the shadows of the tallest obsidian monolifts to wait out the suns’ ascent. However not in this case as Sonic would have to be constantly on the move to keep his infection from fully spreading.

The blue hedgehog rose from his knees on the sand and followed after the Ultimate Lifeform. The one keeping him going when his spirit and will was bruised from the affliction of silvery spores melding into his cobalt quills. The inky black sky was already getting a sliver of green on the horizon of the east. The suns' are starting their ascent to twilight.

The hedgehogs were able to keep their pace for another hour. The sky was already getting more color as sunset was getting closer. All the while everything around Sonic seemed to not become brighter but darker once again. His ears rang and the pains and aches etched from every nerve in his being grew more agonizingly intense as the whispers grew louder.

Stop. Rest.

“Fuck off!” The blue hedgehog screeched. 

“Sonic, keep running!” Shadow called from ahead of him with encouragement. 

Sonic’s legs and feet were feeling like they were melting off from the hips.

Stop. Rest. Stop.

“Dammit..I..” The world around Sonic was closing in around him, everything fading to black and Shadow ahead of him lost in the void.

Thump! The blue blur slumped into a halt as he collapsed on the cold sands.

“Sonic! Sonic! Babe you must get up!” Shadow cried as the ringing in Sonic’s ears made his mate’s voice echo. The hybrid hedgehog skirted to where his mate laid. The emerald eyes were very dim and the muscles twitched in a futile attempt to get back up.

“Shadow…I-I can't seem to…” Sonic panted.

“You must, they're all counting on us, especially you more than anyone, and….I love you.” Shadow’s face grew grim and his ears drooped.

“I know babe…i am trying to…” Sonic raised a tattered gloved hand up as if he was trying to reach up for something. His claws were exposed from several fingers. 

“Come on, we’re almost at the edge of the desert. From there we can be in range of Tail’s communicators and call for a lift.”

Sonic smiled at the mention of his little brother. He got to be able to lift his torso from the sands, grinning at Shadow as his arms shook trying to support his weight.

“Almost…there…”

Thunk! The blue blur was planted on the sands.

Shadow growled. They are so close to where they will be able to be in range of the communicators as well as to exit the desert before conditions were to be inhospitable. No, this is not the end of the line.

Sonic reached into his quills and pulled out the Chaos Emeralds that he had on his person and dropped them on the sand in front of Shadow’s air shoes.

“Sonic..Do. NOT…” Shadow groaned.

“Let me speak Babe…” Sonic hissed, silencing the hybrid hedgehog. “look at the tower adjacent to us.” the blue blur raised his brow at the large obsidian pinnacle towering beside them. “The suns' aren't up yet and they will rise in front of that. It'll cast a long shadow for a while and in that time, have Tails and Knuckles come on the Tornado to pick me up. As you carry these Chaos Emeralds to get rid of the infection.”

“Sonic….” Shadow shook his head. “I am NOT gonna leave you behind…”

“You must!” The blue hedgehog hissed. “I can't move an inch more, my body gave out. I will relapse and likely turn undead. What else can you do? Carry me?!”

Shadow stared grimly at his mate. Uh oh…he wouldn't..Sonic sternly met his eyes.

“Don't you FUCKING DARE Shadow!”

There was a brief silence across the silvery dunes, not even a slight breeze and the shifting of sand was heard, before the hybrid clutched his hand on Sonic’s back, swiftly picking him up and the Chaos Emeralds, and just dashed over the sands.

“SHADOW…DROP ME RIGHT NOW! DONT BE A FOOL!!!” Sonic flailed in an attempt to have the hybrid hedgehog drop him, pounding on his back forgetting in the panic of spreading the spores. “LET GO OF ME! YOU'RE GONNA GET INFECTED!”

“Enough faker! I'm not going to leave you to either bake to death or turn into a Zombot.” Shadow roared as he continued to skate over the dunes. The obsidian towers were blurred with Sonic’s faded vision as Shadow turned on the jets in his air shoes. Sonic yelped as his mate pinched his nose as he was maneuvered to be carried bridal style, followed up by the blue hedgehog crossing his arms and pouting.

“I can't believe you. We agreed NO CONTACT. Look, you got the spores on you!”

Shadow looked at his chest fluff and arms, yes there were a few small splotches of the silvery spores and they were starting to tingle. His back too also had that tingle felt.

“Tch…a small sacrifice for the eradication. Sonic…we need you to eradicate this virus! Silver and I can only do so much together, you are the one who really can save us all. I may be the Ultimate Lifeform but remember, I said you may be as well too long ago! Even I remember that after my memories were wiped, cleaned and realized!’

Sonic huffed in protest. Followed by a pout and crossing of his arms as he gave Shadow a mean look.

“Come on…enough The Face! Stop that….I feel fine so far!” Shadow scolded. “ Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll sleep on the couch for a week and make you all the chilidogs you want.”

Sonic’s drooped ears perked right up. “Forget the couch, I'll take up the offer of an all you can eat chilidog buffet!”

“Deal!” Shadow grinned lovingly. “ Now you need to rest, Sunshine. You're going to need your strength soon and I'll get us out of these infernal Obsidian Needles plus call Miles before you even fully turn.”

Sonic whimpered and felt misty eyed. He was angry at his mate doing something this foolish but also was grateful that he had a chance to rest. His tail wagged, the touching almost overwhelming after having to be starved of it.

“Just promise me before I am fully silver you wake me up…” Sonic demanded.

“Of course babe…I wouldn't let you. Now get some sleep. I’ll wake you when it's time.”

The blue blur smiled with tenderness and nodded, nuzzling his snoot into Shadow’s chest fluff. It was softer than he last remembered nuzzling into pre-pandemic. Such little things like that are so easily taken for granted when it's no longer there, even in plain sight. He closed his eyes and soon drifted into a dreamless but deep slumber.

Shadow lovingly grinned at his sleeping mate. Already Sonic looked a trife better from the rest. The hybrid looked up at the large crescent and the planetglow mixed with the upcoming morning auroras, his crimson eyes glistening as he gazed to the heavens.

“Maria…see to our crossing. Don't let him fully succumb…”

And with that, a golden streak continued to zip over the silver dunes ahead to get the Blue Blur to safety as he was granted a moment of rest.