Chapter Text
As his senses returned, Shadow took notice of the wind blowing around and the grass tickling his face.
Wait- Grass??
He shot up before his vision cleared up revealing he’s no longer in his bedroom but outside. As Shadow kneeled to get up he was shocked to see a pair of human hands instead of his gloved paw, realizing something was off he finally noticed the change in appearance.
His limbs were noticeably human-like without fur and seemingly longer. “What the hell?...” Shadow looked down at the rest of his body, thankfully wearing clothes; a cropped turtleneck hoodie and dark baggy jeans. Rubbing his inhibitor rings he took in the new details compared to the original design.
That was the first thing he noticed. The second thing he noticed was the blue haired teenager dressed in a blue track jacket and dark cream shorts laying near him. “...Sonic?” Shadow rose to his feet a bit unsteady (not that there was anyone to see his stumble) as he made his way to the unconscious form.
Whether or not it was his Sonic, Shadow delivered a solid kick to the teenager's side.
The reaction was instant as he watched as the boy's eyes snapped open and curled up in pain.
“It’s about time you woke up.” Shadow stared down at the life form as he crossed his arms impatiently.
Sonic raised his head up to confusedly glare at Shadow. “What the hell man!... Who are you…?”
“Who else would it be?” Shadow glowered at Sonic.
“Shadow…?” Sonic asked, still a bit drowsy as his eyes widened. “Is it really you?! You’re- you’re human!...?” He scrambled to sit up, pain dulled by shock before gaining another surprise by his lack of fur. “Wha- I’m human!” He marveled at his furless body.
Shadow sneered as his ear twitched at Sonic’s voice reaching it; even though now human it seemed like they kept a few mobain features like their hedgehog ears that laid on top of his head and tail.
“Focus faker.” Shadow said as he crouched down in front of Sonic. “Now, what the hell did you do!?”
Sonic looks at him incredulously “What do you mean ‘What did I do’!? I didn't do anything!” He shouted. “I know I usually get into trouble but it wasn't me this time.” Admitting the truth.
“Ha!- You think I believe that?” Shadow snapped back.
“For all i could know, you could've been the one to get us in this mess!” Sonic shot back, annoyed that all the blame was being put on him.
Shadow scoffs. He rises to his feet as he rolls his eyes before looking around trying to figure out where they are.
“Ignoring me now?” Sonic smirks, used to Shadows' behavior as he raises to his feet shakily. “Woah, this feels different…”
Ignoring him Shadow stares off into the distance while his ears move forward and back branching out to see if he can hear any civilization before he snaps his eyes shut in frustration and slowly turning his head to the other person with him. “Can you shut your mouth for a minute before I rip it off!”
“Damn.. Okay pissy pants…” Sonic grumbled out.
On his second attempt at listening out, Shadow hears the distant sound of movement coming from his left. Opening his eyes he turned his head to Sonic, pausing as he sees him fidgeting with his humanoid fingers before speaking. “Let's go, there should be a town that way.” He points in the direction he heard the sound from.
“How do you know?” Sonic questions as he lowers his hand.
Shadow deadpans before he starts walking in that direction.
“Well then… Race ya there!” Sonic's smile wobbles before he takes off in that direction. He quickly noticed something wrong with how slow he was going; how wrong the wind felt against his face, the fact he could see everything around him and not as a blur.
It took him a moment before he came to a stop, looking at his feet then behind him at Shadow, eyes widening even more at how little the distance between them was.
“My power! I dont have my speed!” Sonic yelled out in shock.
Shadows eyebrows fur while his mouth curves downwards, other than that his expressions don’t change unlike Sonic's (dramatic) breakdown.
“I noticed something was wrong with my chaos energy, but I wasn't sure so I didn't try anything..” Shadows admits while flexing his wrist as if trying to spawn a chaos spear but nothing happens.
His speed, something he considered as equal importance to breathing and eating, was gone?! “What are we going to do!?”
“Calm down dammit. Panicking won't help us.” Shadow snaps before sighing.
“How will we even get back home or-!” “Shut up already!” Shadow glared at Sonic, eyebrows twitching in irritation. “This is a hypothesis but there is a chance that if we get our hands on a Chaos Emerald we might be able to go home.”
“You think so? But what if this world doesn't even have them!” Sonic asked with doubt written in his voice.
“We’ll figure that out when we get there.” Venturing ahead Shadow, leaving the blue head behind. “Now hurry up, at this rate the suns gonna set.”
Sonic jogged up to Shadow before slowing down beside him.
***
“Oh my god! That took so longgg!” Sonic groaned out as they finally reached the edge of the village before he dramatically bent over and braced his arms on his knees.
Forcing past Sonic, he looked at the wooded wall then at the men standing post at the entrance. “Why is it guarded?...” Shadow whispered as he glanced around for any other way to enter.
“Dunno.” Sonic grinned as he skipped up to the gate “Hey! Why don't you let us in huh?” He chirped to the guards while his eyes roamed the brittled walls and the botched wood.
“Get back!” The guard ordered as he raised his gun, it didn't seem like he was gonna shoot but Sonic wasn't about to take any chances. “Woah calm down buddy! We’re just passing through, please…?” Tilted his head in a somewhat pleading way before he was suddenly yanked back by Shadow from him to step in front of him and push the gun to the side in an aloof manner.
“We aren't looking for trouble, just a place to stay for a bit” Shadow spoke in a monotone voice.
Sonic stood by, watching as Shadow does the talking for once. Seeing as he's usually the one doing that.
“Scram kid, there's nothing that we can give you here.” The man spoke coldly, all a bit sympathetic as he lowered his gun. “You came at the wrong time.”
“Wrong timing huh?” Sonic questioned.
The guard opened his mouth to reply just as the gate cracked open enough for some information to be relayed to him before he glanced between Sonic and Shadow and the person on the side of the gate. “....if you say so.”
Looking back at the hedgehogs he opened the gate wider for them to enter. “Seems like you got lucky today. Better keep your words and not stay for too long.”
“Really? Thanks man!” Sonic moves to pat the man's shoulder before his hand is grabbed by Shadow and dragged into the town with a curt nod.
“Ow ow ow-! Loosen up on the arm plea-....”
***
After a few days of roaming about the village Shadow had come to find out a few things about this world.
First, there's magic in this world and the source is mana not Chaos energy. Second, you can't use mana without a staff. Next is that having mana is not uncommon but it is rare to be able to cast a spell or even use it; bringing about mages. People who can can actually use their mana as magic. Lastly; demons. Beings from god knows where that terrorizes the people and can't be killed without magic.
Shadow closes his notebook as he takes he finally acknowledges Sonic who was loudly might he add slurping his soup.
“Are you done yet, at this rate you should become a journalist.” Sonic grumbled from on the bed before sliding off and rising to his feet with a groan. “Shouldn't we get going? We got to look for that guy- uhh.. Yeah i don't remember his name but not the point. So can he teach us how to use our ‘mana’?”
Right. Shadow sighed before getting up and walking to Sonic. “Wizard Frieza. Let's get going. We have to start looking now for a chance to find him.”
Sonic grinned as he turned to leave, grabbing nothing since they didn't bring anything with them or buy anything except the book in Shadow’s hand. “It shouldn't be too hard to find 1 man, or clues about his whereabouts.”
Shadow really hoped he didn't jinx it (for once).
***
“This is taking forever! How is it so hard to find 1 man!” Sonic complained with his face scrunched up in frustration. “If I had my speed this would've been so much faster! I would have probably found him by now.”
By now the sun had begun to set and they still haven't found this man or any clues regarding him. It's as if the town’s people would rather die than talk about that man.
Shadow jaw twitches as he watches Sonic kick rocks while still complaining before lowering his ears flat on top of his head to block out some, if not most of Sonic’s rambling and the outside world.
With his ears down Shadow didn't notice when a short man on the chubbier side walked up behind him until he realized Sonic stopped talking (finally) and was looking behind him.
Lifting his ears up he glanced behind him before stepping sideways as if to acknowledge the man. “Do you need something?-”
“Your mana. It's fluctuating..” The man spoke with a rich tone with shock riding in it, seeming of someone of high status.
“And who are you?” Shadow inquisitively with an underlying tone of displeasure at being interrupted.
“Ah.. Apologies. I am Frieza Hansarm, also known as Wizard Frieza.”
Hearing that name Shadow’s ear twitched as they finally found the man they've been looking for or he found them. His posture changes to a more respectful one as he was about to speak before Sonic’s booming voice came from beside him.
“Really? Dude! We've been looking for you everywhere!-” Sonic was about to continue before Shadow quickly elbows his side. “shut up…”
“Oh really.” Frieza raised an eyebrow at the two before deciding against questioning them as to why that is.
“Wait. You said my mana was fluctuating?” Shadow asked as he just remembered what the man had said first to him.
“Hmm? Yes, this is the first I've seen anything like this.. How about this; you two become my apprentices.”
Sonic looked at the man shocked before grinning as he throws away the plan of begging Frieza or somehow scraping some money to try and pay for him to be their teacher. “Ain't this our lucky day Shadow?” He pats Shadow’s back before readily agreeing.
He didn't say anything but Shadow noticed a strange glint in Frieza’s eyes once Sonic agreed before chalking it off for later.
“Let's go then. I don't teach here.” Frieza turned around walking with his cane as he led the way to his carriage, not checking if they were following.
“Come on shads don't keep him waiting, we spent way too longggg looking for him to lose him now.” Sonic grinned as he followed the man, arms raised behind his head.
Shadow stood there staring at the depleting figure of Wizard Frieza before following him from a distance getting a weird gut feeling from the chubby man but didn’t know where to put his claim.
***
As the carriage came to a stop, Shadow admired the manor from his seat while Sonic had his face up against the glass.
Wizard Frieza chuckled at their behavior reminding Shadow they're not alone. He quickly smoothed out his face and dragged sonic back into his seat. “Why did you even take us as your apprentice? It's common knowledge that you just pick anyone for free.” Shadow spoke, breaking the otherwise silence.
“Aren't you curious? You're right though, I don't just make anyone my apprentice” Frieza’s eyes creased behind his glasses before he got out of the carriage. “Walk with me.”
Sonic looked at Shadow confused but got no other answer other than the frown on his face before he hopped out dragging Shadow with him.
“He’s right, you know? Is there something you see in us that we don't know of? Oh! We must be very special then, right Shadow?~” Sonic jabbed his companions side playfully ignoring the glare he gets in return.
“Like I had earlier, your mana. There's something different about it compared to normal people or even mages Shadow” His cane clicked on the ground with every step he took as they entered the garden leading up to the manor. “Same with you, Sonic.”
Shadow raises an eyebrow behind the wizards back but deduces that he might have heard their name when bluenette had been talking on the way.
Unlike Shadow, Sonic bathed in the complement. “Oh really? What's so different about us?”
“It's not something even I can describe but I can help you use it. If you would wish?” The mage smirked at them as he made this offer.
Shadows’ ear twitched as he filtered out their conversation, observing the environment as it seemed mostly empty other than the few servants running around. Which was odd based on this man's status.
His eyes flickered back to the man then at the worker. He took notice as it seems the servants were actively avoiding them or rather Wizard Frieza, this raised his suspicions as they entered the manor.
Once in the room that had been prepared for them Shadow turned to Sonic now that they were alone; as far as he knew.
“Is it me or the servants act weird around Frieza like they are afraid of him?” Shadow asked.
Sonic paused as he turned to his counterpart. “Now that you mention that, why do you think that is? He doesn't seem like a bad dude.” The blue hedgehog threw himself on the bed as he stared up at the roof.
“Maybe he’s hiding something.” Shadow retorted.
“Maybe, but that's not a me problem!” Sonic grinned before throwing his arm over eyes. “Talk to me when it is tomorrow. Right now it's time for me to catch some Z’s.”
Shadows’ eye twitched as he hears Sonic’s response before sighing and walking over to his bed with his own resolve to figure out what's going on on his own.