Chapter Text
“Remind me why I’m here with you again?”
Shadow sighs, watching with disgruntled disinterest as members of his tribe and others have begun filing in. Some are wearing clothes made of zebra, others hyena hide or snakeskin—but Shadow recognizes his fellow tribe members by the cheetah patterns donning their bodies.
“Because it’s the annual hunt and everyone is invited! Plus…”
Rouge leans in, the flirtatious smirk on her face not boding well for Shadow. She whispers,
“I’ve got an eye on a certain echidna from the Zebras. Maybe he’ll finally catch me this year.”
Shadow rolls his eyes, giving a cursory glance for red fur in the throng of zebra-patterned individuals some feet away. He spots him and his abnormally large fists, responding with an amused huff.
“That guy’s denser than rocks. You might as well start courting him instead, with the way things are going.”
Now it’s Rouge’s turn to roll her eyes. She shakes her head before smirking at Shadow.
“Should I really be taking advice from an old man who hasn’t shared a rut with anyone in years?”
“You’re no different. You’ve been playing this cat-and-mouse game with that echidna for just as long—and he still doesn’t go for you in hunts.”
Rouge laughs, wagging her finger.
“Alright, how about this?”
Shadow raises a brow, already regretting whatever is going to happen after her proposal. Rouge says,
“If Knuckles catches me this year, then I won’t ever drag you to the annual hunt ever again.”
Shadow lets out the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding, and he smirks.
“Looks like we’ll be coming back next year, then.”
Rouge clicks her tongue and crosses her arms.
“You’re no help. One of these days, your old bones won’t be able to handle these lonesome ruts of yours and you’ll keel over faster than you can say hunt.”
“Can’t wait. That just means I won’t have to deal with this pathetic yearning of yours for any longer.”
Rouge laughs again, lowering her voice as most people now seem to be in attendance.
“You could use a little yearning in your life, grandpa. Keeps you youthful.”
Before Shadow could even think of a rebuttal, the leader speaks up,
“Welcome one and all to this year’s hunt! It seems that everyone is in attendance, so that’s wonderful—but, we have some new members joining us today!”
There are new members almost every year, so it comes to no surprise that there are some alphas and omegas who have come of age to join the hunt this year. Nevertheless, the leader continues to give his spiel and Shadow tunes it out with no regard for the new members.
He may be participating by obligation, but he’s not actually planning on catching any omegas. He never does. The moment the hunt starts, it’s just a matter of finding the farthest shade or cave to rest in until the time is up.
After all, none of the omegas fit to Shadow’s tastes or needs anyway. Their scents don’t attract him, and nearly all of them are much too fragile to survive Shadow in pre-rut, let alone him at the worst of his rut.
So he sits it out while the other alphas duke it out for the year’s most fertile omega—also known as the last omega left in the hunt. There’s a belief that the final omega left surviving the hunt is the most suitable to care for their young with their survival instincts and agility. Obviously Shadow doesn’t buy into it, since Rouge had been the prize omega last year and she's never even expressed a desire for children.
If anything, the hunt is just a tradition that’s kept for the sake of blessing the tribes’ fertility for that year—through the ritual at the very end, in which the alpha who catches the final omega gets to copulate with them in front of everyone else.
Though that part is technically optional, since the leaders aren’t heartless enough to force a mating between partners—but it makes little difference. The ones that refuse to complete the ritual will not be able to join the hunt in the following year, and they’ll be forced to withstand a heat or rut in their lonesome.
Enough consecutive heats or ruts spent alone will end up killing the average Mobian, but Shadow is built differently. He’s never been one to depend on another, and he never will be. It’s as simple as that.
“Take it easy on the fresh meat, alright, everyone? We’ll be starting soon!”
The leader announces, and Shadow can already see the others chugging water to prepare themselves. Even Rouge has already disappeared from his side to regroup with the rest of the omegas who are talking amongst themselves.
The alphas stay scattered about, some eyeing the nearby omegas for their chosen target. Shadow can’t help but roll his eyes. This whole thing is just unnecessary. People find mates outside of hunts all the time—everyone is simply invited to keep the tradition alive, and of course, the only alphas who really join are the ones who are too knotheaded to find themselves a willing omega outside of using their brute strength to do so.
And from what Rouge has told him, the only omegas who join are either first-timers or those who are desperate for a partner to share their heat with—because if he’s learned anything from Rouge’s heats is that they’re far worse than an alpha’s ruts. Rouge only joins this tradition at all because she’s actually quite agile herself, and gets off to playing with knotheaded alphas and their egos—plus, she’s been crushing on that echidna too, so there’s that.
Shadow is only here so that Rouge wouldn’t end up complaining about it for the rest of the year, saying he’s getting way past his prime to think he could find a mate outside of these hunts anymore—as if he’s even looking for a partner at all.
He knows that it comes from a good place in Rouge’s heart, but he could do without the incessant complaints about his lonesome sex life.
“Hey,”
An unfamiliar voice greets him, and Shadow turns to find the very same echidna Rouge is so fixated on. He glances in her direction, but she isn’t paying any attention to them right now. Shadow nods.
“Hey.”
They stare awkwardly at each other for a moment. Clearly, neither of them seem to be quite the conversationalist.
“The bat,”
Knuckles nods in her direction, but Shadow doesn’t bother looking again. He nods in return.
“Yes?”
“Are you catching her this year?”
Shadow raises a brow. He’s never caught anyone, but if he were, it wouldn’t be Rouge. She’d bite his head off before he could do something like that.
“She wouldn’t want that.”
Knuckles’ brows raise in what seems like surprise, and Shadow comes to a halting realization.
Knuckles is interested in Rouge, but he’d assumed she was with Shadow.
“Why not?”
Knuckles asks, still confused about Shadow’s answer.
“If we were already together, she wouldn’t be coming to these hunts, now, would she?”
Shadow can only hope that Knuckles is picking up what he’s putting down, because if Rouge found out he was conspiring with the object of her affections—she’s not kind enough to be merciful about her wrath, even for him.
“Then… Why does she keep coming back?”
“That’s for you to find out.”
And Shadow wants to leave it at that, but Knuckles seems dejected by this. He sighs,
“I can’t catch her… not this year.”
“…Why?”
Knuckles’ gaze hardens on Shadow’s, and his quills bristle a little at the intensity. He points a firm finger at him and asks,
“You never catch any omegas, right?”
Shadow should probably be embarrassed about being called out like that, but he doesn’t have it in him to care.
“Yes. I don’t hunt.”
“Good.”
Knuckles lowers his finger and sighs. He nods in the same direction toward the omegas in the distance—and this time, Shadow looks.
“See that blue one, over there?”
Shadow spots the shock of bright blue immediately. Those quills are much too eye-catching not to notice. Knuckles continues,
“That’s Sonic. He’s one of the new additions this year, and he’s my friend.”
Shadow nods, barely making out what Sonic even looks like from here since his line of sight is obstructed by the other omegas standing in the way, so he returns his gaze to Knuckles when he goes on,
“He doesn’t like it sometimes, but I’m protective over him. I’m not gonna let any alpha catch him for them to use as some kind of rut toy.”
Shadow nods again. He shares a similar sentiment toward Rouge, but she’s more than capable of taking care of herself without his intervention. Knuckles says,
“…But if I’m busy catching up with Sonic to make sure he’s not been caught, there won’t be any time for me to catch anyone—let alone Rouge.”
And just like that, Shadow sees an opportunity falling right into his lap—in the form of a blue hedgehog.
“Allow me to assist you. I’ll keep Sonic away from other alphas. You focus on Rouge.”
Knuckles considers this carefully, crossing his arms as he looks Shadow up and down.
“What’s in it for you?”
“Let’s just say that what you feel for Sonic is similar to how I feel about Rouge. I don’t want just any alpha catching her either.”
Shadow gives Knuckles a meaningful nod and the tension leaves Knuckles’ shoulders before he returns it.
“Got it.”
The corners of Knuckles’ lips turn upward while Shadow’s stance relaxes.
“Take care of Sonic, yeah?”
“And you—Rouge.”
“Omegas, gather ‘round!”
The leader calls out, beckoning them with his hands as the omegas take their positions before him. The alphas stay in the periphery as they watch, some already itching for a chase.
“Remember, you all have a five-minute headstart. Make the most of it!”
And with a countdown from three, the omegas scatter into the forest in a whirlwind of laughter and fading footsteps. However, the blue one that Shadow was keeping an eye on had disappeared in the blink of an eye, with the only proof that he was there at all being the blue blur he left in his wake.
Despite himself, Shadow finds himself intrigued at the other hedgehog’s unnatural speed—he wonders if he’d be able to catch up at all. It’s been a while since he’s had a real chase, after all.
The five-minute grace period goes by swiftly, but not as swift as some of the alphas who are rearing to give chase for their desired omegas.
“Alphas! Get ready!”
The alphas gather, some on their haunches while others sniff the air for a scent of omega. Shadow approaches the edge of the forest, eyes sharp, waiting to catch a glimpse of blue.
“Set…”
Shadow glances over at Knuckles to find the echidna already looking at him. They nod at each other in silent understanding.
“Go!”
With a burst of speed, Shadow takes off in the same direction he’d seen Sonic disappear to. His senses are much sharper than the average Mobian, but the scents of the forest and the other creatures dwelling in it make it more difficult to pinpoint a single scent apart from the rest—especially with the other omegas in the area.
He doesn’t even know what Sonic smells like, so he’s forced to rely on his sense of sight as he swivels around for any sign of blue among the green and brown shades of the forest.
However, in the sea of deep green is a brighter shade, nearly blending in to its surroundings if it weren’t for Shadow’s keen senses and the fact that the owner of that green shade made himself known with a shout of,
“Sonic! I’m gonna get ya’!”
Shadow wastes no time in following the moving blur of green—while it’s fast, it’s not nearly as fast as Sonic was earlier. Upon a closer look, Shadow recognizes that green to be the feathers of a hawk belonging to the Hyena tribe. For as quick as he is, he’s not quite perceptive enough to realize he’s being followed.
It’s only when the hawk leads him to that familiar shade of blue that Shadow picks up speed. Sonic notices the hawk’s presence from seemingly a mile away, even as he’s lounging on the high branch of a tree. He grins when he recognizes him, waving at him like he’s trying to get caught.
“Sonic!” The hawk yells out again—not even attempting to sneak up on Sonic or something else with a little more strategy than calling for the omega’s attention.
“Hey, Jet! Good job on finding me!”
Sonic laughs, leaning casually against the trunk of the tree with impressive balance for the thin branch he’s perched on. Even with the good sportsmanship, it only seems to irk Jet—as Shadow’s learned his name is—and spurs him to leap for the trunk as he starts scrambling to climb to the top where Sonic is.
Sonic watches with amusement as he waits for the hawk’s arrival, and Shadow almost thinks that the hedgehog had chosen to be a sitting duck for the avian until Jet actually gets to the top—only for Sonic to make a beeline back down the tree and deeper into the forest.
Jet groans, punching the trunk of the tree in frustration until it causes the branch he’s standing on to wobble, making him cling onto the trunk lest he fall. Shadow rolls his eyes. Sonic the hedgehog did a better job at being a bird than he’s acting like at the moment.
Shadow approaches the tree like a predator waiting for their meal to drop from their hiding spot, and Jet finally notices his presence.
Before Jet could say anything, Shadow spoke up.
“You stay up there if you know what’s good for you, hawk.”
He wastes not a second more on the bird before following in Sonic’s footsteps, leaving the hawk to gawk at his retreating form.
Shadow actually manages to catch up this time, finding the other hedgehog on the outskirts of the forest, right by the boundary of where the hunt is meant to take place. He’s already slowed down to a leisure stroll, leaning down to pick berries and smell flowers. For his first time, he seems to be way more relaxed than any other omega that Shadow’s seen during a hunt.
He stays hidden behind a tree to watch him, but even with Shadow’s honed stealth, Sonic notices his presence as he sniffs at the air curiously. Color him impressed.
Sonic looks in Shadow’s direction, staring for much longer than if there really wasn’t anyone there. He tilts his head, watching for a few more seconds before turning his back.
When Shadow peeks around the corner, Sonic has returned to picking at a mossy log on the ground, letting a caterpillar crawl onto his finger. Maybe he’s not as smart as Shadow thought he was, if he were turning his back on a threat this easily.
However, he’s quickly proven wrong when Sonic speaks up, seemingly to the caterpillar—but Shadow knows the words are for him.
“I can smell you, you know?”
Shadow doesn’t move from his place, waiting for Sonic to do something about it.
Instead, he merely calls out,
“…Alpha.”
Shadow’s hindbrain responds to the call, and he nearly makes a move out of turn—almost giving away his presence and precise location. When Sonic doesn’t see or hear a reaction, he laughs.
“Interesting. If you’re planning to ambush me, you’re a little slow on the uptake.”
Sonic leaves it at that, waving at nothing in particular as he says,
“And I don’t do slow, alpha!”
As if proving his own point, he disappears in a blinding flash of blue, leaving Shadow alone with his dust. Shadow finds himself smirking in intrigue at this lithe little hedgehog. He’s never encountered an omega whose confidence could rival Rouge’s, especially not at such a young age. He actually respects it.
In fact, he respects it so much that Shadow gives chase once more. Finding Sonic again is easier now that he’s a little more familiar with the other hedgehog’s scent. It nearly blends in with the scent of the forest with how similar and light it is, almost like a breath of fresh air mixed with morning dew.
Shadow finds it hard to believe that anyone else with a less keen sense of smell would even be able to pick up on it. He also finds that he’s quite fond of how gentle the scent is on his senses, unlike the stronger and sweeter type that most other omegas had. Besides that, it just means it’ll probably be harder for other alphas to catch the blue blur, which makes Shadow’s job easier.
But this isn’t the case when he sees Sonic again, only for his attention to be stolen by a different scent in the air. This one is faint too, but it reeks of alpha. Shadow stifles an instinctive snarl, his nose twitching as he follows the direction of the source.
There stood a jackal, resting on his haunches as he watched Sonic like a true predator from the bushes. Shadow sees the snakeskin around his waist, signifying the tribe he belongs to.
He’s never been fond of the Snakes, because they certainly live up to their name—and the jackal proves as much as he’s coiled like a cobra, waiting for a chance to strike. But he’s much smarter than the hawk from earlier, keeping a safe distance away so that Sonic wouldn’t be able to smell his scent from afar.
That’s when Shadow picks up on another scent—nearly identical to the jackal before him. Another jackal moves silently from behind a different bush, also wearing snakeskin, then another, and yet another. All from the same tribe, they circled the unknowing hedgehog as they waited for an opportunity.
Or at least, that’s what Shadow thought they were doing—until the first jackal nods, giving a go signal. They hadn’t been waiting for an opportunity, they’d been waiting for an order.
Sonic turns at the sound of a rock being thrown a few feet away from him, but he doesn’t get to see where it came from, because at once, the jackals pounce. Sonic makes a noise of surprise, barely dodging just in time as he weaves through swinging arms and slashing claws.
Shadow almost loses a chance to intervene as Sonic makes quick work of the alphas all on his own, using his limber physique to knock the jackals off balance for just enough time to escape. He’s about to make a break for it until the first jackal that Shadow had seen grabs him by the throat, raising him into the air when Sonic starts kicking his legs out wildly.
“You—”
The jackal barely manages to get a single word out through gritted teeth before Shadow practically materializes behind him to knock him out with one precise chop to his neck.
The jackal drops the other hedgehog as he crumples to the ground, and the other jackals that were lucky enough to keep their consciousness rush at Shadow—only to be taken care of in a blink of an eye. The jackals all lie limp on the ground, but when Shadow turns to find the blue hedgehog, he’s already gone.
Shadow’s eyes follow the blur of blue before his feet do, but instead of Sonic stopping like he usually would—he doesn’t stop running.
So, neither does Shadow. It’s a true chase now, with Shadow matching Sonic’s every move—weaving and winding over roots and under branches until he’s right behind his tail.
Besides the sounds of their footsteps, Shadow catches Sonic’s giggles like the ringing of bells—at their speed it sounds distant even though he’s right behind him, like he’s leaving peals of laughter in his wake.
Looks like this hedgehog enjoys the thrill of the chase as much as Shadow does.
Right as Sonic is about to skip over another protruding root, Shadow takes the opportunity and lunges for him, overtaken by his own instincts to capture the wriggling little thing in his arms.
But Sonic doesn’t scream in terror or in pain—he laughs like this is the most fun he’s ever had in his life—that is, until they go tumbling down the steep incline together. They end up rolling into a ball of quills as they skid to a screeching halt at the bottom of it all, until Sonic ends up on his back underneath Shadow.
They both pant for breath, unable to do anything more than to stare at each other when a resounding bell rings from afar.
Time’s up.