Chapter Text
Usually, Sonic could not stop moving. Ever. Sonic was constantly twitching, bouncing, rocking in place. His family eventually got used to it.
Since the whole Shadow incident, it was like a flip switched in the blue hedgehog. His movements grew erratic, or they'd stop all together. Of course, his parents were bound to notice.
Maddie had a hunch it had something to do with the dark hedgehog she only knew through stories.
Maddie didn't know much about the ghost haunting her son, just the fact that he was powerful enough to send her husband into a coma with a single strike of his fist.
Oh, and apparently he had a change of heart and saved the world.
There was that too.
Maddie was a bit confused on her sons stances on Shadow. Knuckles spoke somewhat highly of the hedgehog, praising his skills in battle and his strength. Tails still crawled into her room at night after nightmares of his piercing ruby stare. Whenever Sonic spoke if Shadow, his eyes glazed over. Maybe it was awe or grief, mourning what they could've had.
At this point, Maddie had heard the storie a thousand times. Sonic and Shadow, lighting up the night with gold, in a mesmerizing dance, stoping the cannon. Sonic slipping back into the atmosphere, into the warm embrace of his brothers. Shadow meeting his blazing demise.
Sonic had held a funeral for Shadow, a small gathering in his old cave. Nothing grand, flowers and softly spoken words. Sonic seemed to be doing better since then, but sometimes Maddie still caught him staring at the stars at night.
"He was the brightest star in the sky, mom. Silver, shining, alive. He was desperate. But he was beautiful, you know? I hope he's at peace. He didn't seem to have much of that in his life."
Maddie sat down next to Sonic, tears in his eyes, the cold tiles of the roof rough under her hands. They sat in silence for a while, she didn't really know how to respond to her middle child. How are you supposed to comfort a teen grieving the same person who almost killed your husband?
"It sounds like you cared about him more then you let on." Maddie placed a hand on Sonic's shoulder, rubbing slow circles comfortingly.
"I mean, he didn't have anyone else to care for him. Someone had to." Sonic whispered, almost too soft to hear.
The whistle of the kettle broke the silence.
"I'll make you hot chocolate. It seems like that kind of night." Maddie slipped through the attic window, her son lingered, glancing one last time at the night sky, before slipping back inside.