The soft tapping sound of claws on a metal floor echoed through the usually dead silent halls of the long abandoned Space Colony ARK as Shadow walks out from the station's kitchen with a mug of hot chocolate in his hands to sit by the large window where he often used to sit and watch the planet below with his sister Maria, discussing the things they had planned to do together once the girl's illness had been cured and they could finally go down to live there together. If only she had been allowed that chance instead of being gunned down in cold blood for protecting him, he wished more than anything that she could have been allowed to achieve her greatest dream. That she could be here with him now that he was more vulnerable than he had ever been, feeling more lonely than he had ever felt despite not actually being alone "At least I still have you, kid" he sighs and rests a hand on the underside of his rounded stomach as he sets his mug on the window ledge and carefully lowers himself to sit down on the floor where various blankets and pillows were left sprawled out and untouched since the last time he and Maria had spent time here together on that unfortunate day when they had lost everyone and everything they had ever known. The day his sister lost her life.
Shadow remembered that day in greater detail than he ever wanted to. He remembered listening to Maria playing a song that she was writing on her guitar while he softly hummed along to the tune as he drew a picture for her, that was when Professor Gerald came bursting into the room telling them to head for the ARK'S escape pods and to keep each other safe. GUN had come to take Shadow away and they were willing to shoot anybody that tried to stop them, including innocent children. Including Maria. A comforting presence nudging at the back of his mind is what pulls him out of his spiraling thoughts, although no words were ever spoken he had come to recognize that the presence was his hoglet trying to reach out to him through a mental hivemind connection that they seemed to share, said connection likely being possible due to the Black Arms genetics that he and his unborn child both shared.
"Thank you, little one. No use in letting myself get worked up over the past, there's nothing anyone can do to change it now" Shadow sighs and picks up his mug of hot chocolate to take a sip of the sweet drink, it wasn't coffee but it would have to do until after he gave birth. A small smile crosses his face when he senses a happy little flutter humming through the hivemind that was accompanied by a soft kicking sensation in his belly "Do you like cocoa, my darling?" He chuckles affectionately, resting a hand on his stomach when that happy flutter grows from a hum into a full on purring in his mind "I'll take that as a yes" The dark hedgehog laughs and takes another drink. It felt good to have someone to talk to while he was up here in his childhood home, even if his tiny companion couldn't respond with words. Being able to know how they were doing and what they were feeling brought him a sense of comfort that he hadn't felt since Sonic went missing nearly six months ago, he refused to believe that his child's other father was dead even though everyone else seemed to have given up on finding the blue hedgehog alive. The only other people that still remained hopeful were Tails and Amy, the fact that he wasn't alone in holding onto that hope only strengthened his resolve to find the other hedgehog and bring him back home alive. Back to him and their child. The thought of losing Sonic hurt too much for Shadow to accept that he was truly gone for good, he had to be out there somewhere. He had to be alive.
"Don't worry, Papa will make sure that you'll get to meet your Daddy. I promise" Shadow whispers to his unborn hoglet as he watches the planet slowly spinning below the ARK, it's atmosphere thick with smog and smoke caused by Eggman's various factories and bases as well as the constant fighting between the evil genius and The Resistance's forces. He wished that he had some way of knowing how the war was playing out down there, it was safer for him not to have any contact with the world below so his location couldn't be tracked as easily. The only person that even knew he was up here at all is Rouge, her and Omega were the only people he really trusted besides Sonic. Unfortunately Omega was currently out of commission so that left Rouge as his only connection to the outside world while he remained in hiding to protect his baby, not even GUN knew where he was despite him being their greatest asset. The possibility of his location being leaked to the wrong people was a risk that Shadow wasn't willing to take, not when his baby could end up in harm's way because of it. The red eyed hedgehog sighs and carefully gets up off the floor to make his way back into the kitchen for another mug of cocoa and to make himself something to eat out of the various ingredients Rouge had managed to send up for him, he was grateful to have a friend like her on his side.
"Alright kid, let's see what Aunt Rouge brought for us to eat this time" Shadow says softly as he opens one of the industrial sized refrigerators that stood in the ARK's kitchen, Seeing them containing only enough food to feed him and his baby alone felt wrong. He remembered when this place was full of activity and life, how he used to weave through the legs of the kitchen staff to sneak off with snacks and sweets for himself and Maria to share while the chefs prepared meals for the colony's residents. How the professor would scold them for spoiling their appetites with junk food but ultimately give in and let them finish whatever snacks they had managed to smuggle into their pillow fort by the observation window, sometimes even joining them whenever he had the free time. Shadow smiles sadly when he thinks about the family he had lost, he hoped that they could see him now and that they were proud of him. He chuckles softly when he feels his hoglet trying to encourage him to choose the raw steak that sat neatly stored in an air tight container inside the fridge "Meat again? I'm starting to think that you might have a problem, kiddo" Shadow smiles and shakes his head, grabbing the steak anyway before shutting the fridge door "You're lucky that I love you, y'know that? The things you've been making me crave aren't at all normal, even for pregnancy cravings. But then again what about this pregnancy has been normal?" He laughs softly as he puts the steak on a plate and sets it in the microwave to warm it up, he had come to learn over the past few months that his baby preferred their raw meat warmed up. He wouldn't admit it but he didn't mind it as much as he was expecting to. The thought of enjoying eating raw meat unnerved him, it reminded him too much of the Black Arms and their intentions for the residents of Mobius. He was nothing like them, nothing like Black Doom. He didn't want anything to do with that side of himself, although he supposed that those genes were likely responsible for his ability to get pregnant in the first place so he couldn't deny them entirely. He liked to think that it came naturally due to being the Ultimate Lifeform, as such he was capable of doing much more than the average Mobian hedgehog.
Shadow takes his freshly heated food back to his comfortable spot by the window and carefully sits down again. He had to remember to ask Rouge to send up some books next time she called to check in on him, while he did enjoy exploring his old home it was starting to get awfully boring doing so by himself. There wasn't much to do besides look out through the windows and just walk around until he got tired, at least he had his baby to talk to. Having them with him made his situation feel less lonely, he just wished that Sonic could be here too "Hopefully we won't have to stay here much longer, once it's safe to leave we can go look for your Dad if he doesn't come looking for us first" the dark hedgehog sighs as he quickly finishes the raw steak and sets the plate aside, he didn't feel like getting up to wash it right now so that could wait until he got up again. He had found himself becoming more easily fatigued as his pregnancy progressed, his baby requiring a bigger share of his energy to grow at a healthy rate. The hoglet's most recent growth spurt had left him feeling particularly worn out, as well as making him feel huge and vulnerable. While being back on the ARK was lonely it was also safe and secure despite being within view of the Death Egg and all of the destruction it's creator had caused, just the sight of that thing angered Shadow beyond belief. It felt like a mockery of his creator's finest work, well the finest after himself of course. Looking at it made his blood boil. That stupid mustache and toothy grin reminded him too much of the man that had started this whole pointless war to begin with, the man that had caused his partner to go missing.
He sighs and turns away from the window when he senses his baby trying to calm him down by projecting it's mood to him through their connection. He rests a hand on his stomach and gently rubs at a spot where he could feel the hoglet's little feet kicking "Sorry kid, I let my thoughts get the better of me again. Sometimes I still forget that you can feel everything I feel" The dark hedgehog chuckles softly as he settles into Maria's old bean bag chair and picks up her guitar to try and tune it, trying to keep his mind off the circumstances of his situation. While he wasn't very well versed in playing guitar he had seen both Maria and Sonic do it enough times that he felt confident enough in his own knowledge to try doing it himself, his sister had even taught him how to play a few simple chords so he would be able to test how his attempts to tune the instrument will turn out. Shadow carefully turns the small knobs at the top of the guitar with one hand while he gently strums at the strings with the other until he was satisfied with the sounds the instrument produced, a wave of curious happiness floods his mind so he decides to keep on playing for his baby a little while longer.
Shadow idly strums on the guitar for nearly an hour, softly humming along with whatever random tune he came up with as he just lets his fingers wander along with his thoughts. The sound of the soft music brought a familiar sense of peaceful comfort, taking him back to some of the happiest points of his life. Back to the time he had spent with his first family on the ARK, back to when he found out about his pregnancy and Sonic's adorably ecstatic reaction to the news. To the first time he had been able to feel his hoglet kicking and the first time they had reached out to him through the hivemind, establishing a mental connection that allowed the two of them to bond with each other on a deeper level than anyone could ever understand. They were different from everyone else, the only ones of their kind. Shadow just hoped that his child wouldn't end up being cast out due to their differences like he had been, or even worse he hoped that they wouldn't end up being experimented on. He would do everything in his power to make sure that would never happen, he was certain that Sonic would do the same. At least he could find comfort in the knowledge that no matter what the rest of the world would think about his child they would have a family that loved them and would protect them, not only Sonic and himself but their friends as well.
"Ow! Geez, take it easy in there kid. What was that for? Is something bothering you?" Shadow winces and hits a flat note when his fingers falter over the guitar strings as a sharp twinge of pain passes through his pregnant belly, he had never felt anything like that before. It didn't feel like the nudges of emotion that his baby usually used to communicate with him, could something be wrong with his hoglet? "H-Hey, you doing okay in there...?" He mutters, his voice strained with worry that was quickly growing into genuine fear the longer he didn't receive any kind of response from his baby. The hedgehog decides to get up and walk around to try and get a reaction from his hoglet and to calm himself down, cradling the underside of his belly and nervously drumming his fingers against it as he walks toward the ARK's infirmary to look for something he might be able to use to check on his child "You're really starting to scare me kid...please do something to let me know that you're okay" He thinks to himself, trying to use the hivemind's connection to reach out for a reply of some kind only to be met with silence...until he feels a slight squeezing sensation in his lower stomach followed by a wetness spreading from his groin and down his legs onto the floor beneath his feet "O-Oh...oh no...no no no no, why now?! S-Sonic was supposed to be here for this! I don't want to do it alone...I-I can't do it by myself..." Shadow whispers frantically as he stares down at the growing puddle on the floor, frozen in utter panic as his heartbeat pounds in his ears.
Screw going to the infirmary, his spot by the window was closer and more comfortable than any of the hospital beds that were in that wing of the ARK anyway. Hopefully the Death Egg was out of view of the window by now, he didn't want to have to be stuck looking at it while he was already scared and in pain. That would be too much for him to handle right now, especially while he was on his own. A sudden shift in position from his baby was all he needed to ease his fears that something was wrong, they were just preparing to enter the world outside the warmth and safety of his body. They were okay "There you are, did you have to scare me like that?" He sighs and settles back onto the bean bag chair after laying a few blankets down on top of it, definitely much more comfortable than a human sized hospital bed or the cold examination tables he was used to. While he might not like the fact that he would be delivering his baby on his own, at least nobody was poking and prodding at him or staring and studying him while he gave birth. He was alone but he was also safe, but more importantly his baby was safe. The loneliness and fear would be worth it once his little one was in his arms, but for now he was going to try and rest while he still could. The pain was only going to get worse from here and Shadow wanted to be as prepared as he could be for his hoglet's impending delivery...
Which turned out to be not prepared at all.
No amount of reading or research could have prepared Shadow for the struggle his body had in store for him. Everything below his chest ached, leaving him painfully uncomfortable no matter what position he tried to relieve his discomfort. Laying down relaxed his legs and supported his belly but left his spine feeling like it would snap in two, standing and walking felt better on his back but left his legs aching and his belly weighed him down. Currently the hybrid hedgehog was slowly pacing in careful circles around the bean bag chair and the pile of blankets that covered it with a pillow clutched tightly in his hands, the plush object keeping him grounded and focused through the steadily increasing pain. His water had broken over an hour ago and by this point his senses were on high alert, meaning that he was seriously stressed and over stimulated. Even the sounds of his own ragged breathing and his claws tapping against the floor with every unsure step he took were driving him crazy. It was starting to get harder to walk around now that a solid pressure was beginning to settle in his pelvis, spreading his hips apart and causing his stride to become more clumsy and awkward as time ticked on. His swollen belly had even visibly shifted to rest lower on his frame, he would definitely be holding his hoglet soon. All he had to do right now was wait for his body to let him know when it was ready for him to start pushing, hopefully it wouldn't be much longer now. Shadow didn't know how much longer he could take this, to make matters even worse he couldn't seem to be able to reach out to his child through the hivemind now nor did they seem to be able to communicate with him anymore. He hoped that was only caused by him being in labor, nobody really knew how Black Arms reproduction worked or how it might affect his pregnancy and labor. Himself included. He hadn't really thought to ask his alien father about the extraterrestrial equivalent of the flickies and the chao during either of their past encounters, they were both too busy trying to kill each other to have The Talk. Not that he could or even would trust a word that Black Doom said anyway.
Another contraction brings Shadow out of his wandering thoughts with a sudden spike in pressure that left him breathless and caused his knees to nearly buckle out from under him, something was finally happening. The dark hedgehog carefully lowers himself down onto the bean bag chair with an anxious sigh, this was really it. He was finally going to hold his little hoglet, it wouldn't be much longer now "Okay, kid. I'm ready when you are...at least I hope I am" He breathes out softly and rests both hands on his belly as the pain eases up, although he knew these breaks would be brief he would still take every opportunity to rest as much as possible between pushes. Shadow shifts his position to lay partially on his side with his upper half being propped up by the back of the human sized bean bag chair, cradling the underside of his swollen belly to take some of the burden off his back and hips. He was finding it increasingly difficult to get comfortable at this stage, it felt like a large cannon ball was wedged firmly in his pelvis and trying to ram it's way through.
Removing one shaking hand from his belly and slipping it down between his thighs, Shadow attempts to gauge how far his labor had progressed by using his fingers to carefully feel how dilated his opening was. Even if he had felt the urge to do so, he wouldn't be ready to start pushing until he could fit at least four fingers inside himself. Otherwise his hoglet wouldn't be able to fit through his small opening, leading to tearing and other serious complications that could result in not only possible death or injury to his baby but to himself as well. As much as he wanted this whole ordeal to be over with as soon as possible he knew that he had to let his body do what it needed to do and prepare for the birth at it's own pace, it would let him know when the time came for him to start pushing and keep everything moving along at a safe pace. Rushing the process could be dangerous but prolonging it for too long would definitely be even worse, he could succumb to blood loss and his hoglet would eventually run out of oxygen if he was stuck pushing for too long. Shadow shuts his eyes and shakes his head to clear his head of those thoughts. Stop it. Don't think like that, the baby will get scared too if they pick up on his fear. He didn't want that for his hoglet. He wanted to welcome his child with love, not fear. The laboring hedgehog lets out a relieved yet anxious breath when he discovers that not only was he fully dilated, the four fingers he had been using to check his dilation could just barely feel a mass of wet fur resting only a couple of inches back inside his opening. His baby was right there, it definitely wouldn't be long now. All he had to do was wait for his body to let him know when it was time to push, then he would finally be able to see his hoglet.
Thankfully Shadow didn't have very long to wait before the next contraction struck, bringing the urge to push along with it. He was more than happy to give in to that urge as while finally getting to push was painful it also granted him some degree of relief as well as the feeling that he was finally making some kind of active progress instead of just waiting around for something to happen. He felt the weight in his pelvis shifting downward little by little with every push, the pressure between his legs growing more and more intense the farther his hoglet descended towards his opening. The hedgehog groans softly and shifts his hips a bit, spreading his legs farther apart to try and ease some of the building pressure and discomfort. A small whimper escapes his throat as he bares down with all of his might, his body trembling from the effort. Shadow kept a hand cupped over his opening to keep track of how his hoglet was progressing, he could feel his own tight skin beginning to bulge outward against his palm to make way for his baby. It wouldn't be long before it would start crowning, probably only a couple more pushes at this point. It was almost over now, he could do this.
Taking a deep breath and holding it, Shadow pushes again. Tears spilling down his cheeks as he bared his teeth, a low growl that grew into a pained shout tearing out of his mouth when a burning sensation pulsed across his groin as he felt himself spreading open around his hoglet's emerging head. He wished that Sonic could be here with him to experience the birth of their baby together, that the blue hedgehog was here by his side to comfort him and support him. To whisper words of encouragement into his ear and hold his hand while he pushed, to smile at him and tell him that he was doing a good job and that everything would be okay. But Sonic wasn't here, he was missing. He was trapped somewhere and Shadow had been too helpless to go looking for him for months, what if Sonic thought that everyone had forgotten about him and that nobody was coming to find him? What if he thought Shadow and their child were dead? No. Sonic wouldn't give up on him that easily. He knew that Sonic believed in him just as much as he believed in Sonic. They would find each other again just like they always have, they would be a family together. They might even have more kids someday. The thought gave Shadow a sense of renewed strength, once this was all over and his body had enough time to recover he would find Sonic and he would bring him home where he belonged. Once he was back in top condition again Eggman and Infinite would pay for keeping Sonic away from him and their baby, he would make sure that they would live just long enough to regret it.
The feeling of wet fur pressing into the palm of his hand brought Shadow's focus back to delivering his baby, a small smile crosses his face as he gently strokes the top of his hoglet's head. They were almost here. In a matter of as little as a few minutes he would be holding them in his arms, he was about to be a dad. He gasps and lets out a soft yelp when a contraction hits and the pressure between his legs intensifies more than he thought possible, time to push again. Shadow takes a moment to catch his breath before holding onto his legs just behind his knees and pulling them back until he could feel them nearly touching his cheeks, that shift in position nudged the hoglet's head out a bit more so he bared down against the pressure until he felt relief along with a sudden gush of fluid that soaked his fur and the blankets beneath him. His baby's head was out. He was really doing it "O-Oh...holy crap..." He mumbles in awe when he realizes what he had just felt happening. Shadow brings his trembling hands down to gently cradle his baby's head, his fingers lightly petting their tiny ears. They felt so small against his fingertips.
The hardest part was over, he could do this. All he had left was to get the shoulders out and this whole ordeal would finally be over, then he could finally hold his baby and get some rest before beginning his search for his partner. Then he would be able to see that his hoglet was okay, not being able to contact them through the hivemind made him nervous. He hadn't realized how used to it he had become, his baby's presence had been comforting during the past six lonely months. Although he would miss having this unique kind of closeness, actually being able to hold them in his arms and seeing them with his own eyes would be extremely relieving. A particularly strong contraction urges Shadow to push, putting all of his strength into his efforts this time to try and free his hoglet's shoulders so he could safely pull them out. He lets out a grunt as he continues to push, the sound quickly escalating into a scream as he manages to pull his little hoglet out and flops back against the bean bag chair with the baby held securely to his heaving chest. The hedgehog groans softly and opens his eyes to look at his child, only seeing a fuzzy white blob through his blurred vision. He could faintly hear them crying but everything around him sounded muffled, like he was underwater. The edges of his sight grew darker as he caught a brief glimpse of familiar golden light quickly heading towards the ARK, a weak smile crosses his face and a sense of warmth fills his chest before he loses consciousness.
Red eyes slowly flutter open as Shadow lets out an exhausted groan and turns his head to bury his face in the bean bag chair, only to find a tan and blue furred chest instead. A low purring filled his ears as a pair of warm arms carefully hold him close and that voice he missed so much whispers loving praises to him, leaving the darker hedgehog in tears when the realization of who was holding him finally sunk in "I-It's really you...I knew you weren't dead, I knew you wouldn't leave us without putting up a fight. I-I wanted to look for you but I couldn't put our baby in danger, I had to protect them first. I needed t-to make sure they would be safe" Shadow sobs softly as he rests his head on Sonic's shoulder, the brave face he had been putting up for months finally crumbling away. He was too exhausted to keep it up any longer, now that Sonic was here he didn't have to anymore.
"I know, it's okay. I know, Shads. I'm sorry for being gone for so long, I tried coming back to you sooner. I'm so sorry that you had to go through everything without me, it must have been so scary for you" Sonic hugs Shadow close and peppers his face with gentle kisses, being careful not to crowd their newborn that slept peacefully on Shadow's chest "You're so strong, Shadow. I am so unbelievably proud of you, you did an amazing job bringing our little boy into the world. I'm so sorry that you had to do it on your own, I promise that I'm not going to leave either of you like that ever again" The blue hedgehog swears as he wipes away Shadow's tears with his ungloved fingers, leading the darker hedgehog to notice his partner's discarded gloves in a small pile along with various bloody blankets and a pair of scissors. Sonic must have cleaned him and the baby up after he had passed out. The mention of their new hoglet made Shadow's gaze shift down to the tiny ball of fluff that was snuggled into his chest fur, the newborn's white baby fuzz nearly blending in against it if it weren't for his little tan muzzle and inner ears. He was so small. He was...
"He's perfect..." Shadow whispers softly, a loving grin spreading across his face as he rests a hand on the baby's back. The little hoglet squirms and lets out a small squeak that made Shadow's heart melt, how did something so tiny and precious wreak so much havoc on his body for the past seven months? They had felt so strong whenever they had kicked or stretched their limbs while he was carrying them but now they looked so small and fragile in his arms "Heh...seven months inside my body giving me a hard time and he comes out looking like you, the universe must enjoy mocking me" Shadow chuckles, giving his partner a playful smirk before letting out a soft yawn and resting his head on the other hedgehog's chest. Sonic laughs and reaches over to pick up one of the few remaining clean blankets off the floor to drape it over his partner and their newborn, still holding them both close. Shadow's eyes slowly start to droop shut as he struggles to fight his body's demands for sleep, a fight which he was quickly losing "Damn your stupid strong genes, hedgehog" The dark hedgehog mumbles as his eyes finally slip shut against his will and he quickly drifts off to sleep in Sonic's arms, their son held protectively to his chest. Sonic only smiles fondly as he watches over his new family, looks like he wouldn't be moving until Rouge and Amy arrived to take them back down to the planet's surface. Back home.
"Goodnight, Shads. Sleep well, you've more than earned it"
