Sonic was out running, just like any other day. As he zoomed by, almost entirely unnoticed, he savored the warmth of the sunlight, the smell of the greenery, the feeling of the wind blowing through his quills. He never got tired of this feeling, and he smiled as he took it all in, like he always did.

That changed, however, when he noticed something unfamiliar to him. He had zoomed past the woods near his home many times before, and sometimes ventured into it just to check it out. But the pathway he stood before now looked completely new to him. Unlike the rest of the woods' tame collection of maples and willows, this lone path was teeming with tangled vines, a moist undergrowth, and a steamy, low-leveled fog. It looked more like a jungle than woods.

Sonic peered into the pathway, mildly curious. He had no idea how this got here, or what mysteries lie within it, but he had to admit, he was eager to see what was inside.

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to check it out." he said to himself. "Sure hope it's not dangerous."

Sonic took one step inside and was immidiately hit with hot, muggy air, a sharp contrast to the pleasant warmth and cooling winds outside. The moment he was fully inside, the vines shifted and formed a tight wall over the entrance behind him, cutting him off from the outside world. Sonic trekked through a lush jungle that seemed to expand the deeper he went in. He looked around at the now unfamiliar plant life, the still waters in the streams, the wide abundance of flowers whose fragrances only added to the heaviness in the air. All the while, he wondered how this pathway, seemingly a door to another world, suddenly appeared before him.

He stopped in his tracks as a thought ocurred to him. What if he was in another world? What if he'd been lured into some kind of trap? The thought made him panic, and he was about to turn and run back to the entrance when he suddenly heard something. A loud hissing sound, very close by. He slowly backed up against a tree, not noticing the snakes creeping up behind him, fangs bared.

Sonic cried out in pain as they bit into him-two on his arms, one on his leg, their fangs piercing his skin like razor blades. Their piercing yellow eyes and bright green scales made them look almost alien. Sonic flung them away and took off running, but then he suddenly felt light-headed and dizzy. He noticed something crawling along his arms and leg-veiny purple tendrills, coming from the bite marks. The snakes were poisonous, and he'd been infected.

He struggled to keep going, but the effects from the venom were kicking in fast. The color drained from his face, his vision blurred, and his lungs felt like they were being constricted. He fought against it for as long as he could-which wasn't very long at all-before he collapsed. The hot, humid air made the suffocating tightness in his lungs worse. Each breath sent a searing pain through his chest, and somewhere in his foggy mind, he wondered if he was going to die.

Before blacking out, he noticed a large, dark figure enter his field of vision.

===

Sonic groaned as he woke up. His head was still sluggish and his body still felt heavy, but his lungs felt much better. He opened his eyes, and his vision slowly settled back into focus. He was in an exquisite bedroom, filled with luxurious furniture and heirlooms, laying in a rounded bed beneath a soft, silky comforter. Crimson curtains were drawn over the ornate windows, giving the room a reddish tint.

"Oh, you're awake." a deep, but gentle voice said. Sonic's face had been slowly regaining its color while he was out, but now it completely flushed pink when he saw the voice's owner. The most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on. A hedgehog with black fur streaked with red and red eyes, only his lower body was that of a snake, a long, scaly black tail with uniform patterns of red.

A naga, Sonic thought. He'd heard about the half-snake beings, but he didn't think they actually exsisted. And yet, here one stood before him, and a strikingly gorgeous specimen, at that.

The naga gently wiped Sonic's face with a damp cloth, and the blue hedgehog felt his heart skip a beat at his close proximity. "Are you alright? How do you feel?" the naga asked.

Sonic wobbled a bit as the naga helped him sit up. "Kinda rocky, but much better than earlier." he replied. "Thanks for helping me, uh..."

"Shadow, and you're welcome." the naga replied.

"Shadow." Sonic echoed the name dreamily. "That's a nice name for someone as beau-" He caught himself and shook his head as he realized he was saying his thoughts out loud. "Uh, I mean, I-I'm Sonic." he said with a nervous laugh.

"You don't look like you're from around here." Shadow said. "Were you, by chance, lured into a pathway resembling a jungle?"

"Huh? You knew about that?" Sonic asked.

"I was out observing the wildlife when I heard your scream of pain. I found you just in time to see you collapse, and when I saw the bite marks on your arms and leg, I immidiately brought you in for treatment." Sonic glanced at the bandages covering his limbs where he'd been bitten. "I recognized those marks-they were likely from our smaller, non-civilized relatives. They hide out in the jungle and create pathways to the outer world, where they await prey. That's why we-I mean, nagas like myself-steer clear of the deeper parts of the jungle as much as possible."

"I see." Sonic looked around the bedroom. "Where, exactly, is here? Have I been taken somewhere far away? Is this another world entirely?"

"No, our territory exists on the same plane as yours." Shadow explained. "We just live far from those not of our kind, because we're afraid that they'll judge us harshly for our appearances." He looked away. "To be honest, Sonic, even though I live among nagas like myself, I'm not exaclty social. In fact, for most of my life, I've been all alone. When I brought you to my home for treatment, I saw this as a chance to finally have someone around, to put an end to my loneliness. But...if you really don't want to stay, then I'll help you return home."

Sonic remained silent for a moment as he processed his thoughts. Am I really gonna tell him how I feel? he thought to himself. He was hesitant at first, thinking it was too out of the blue, but he took Shadow's hands, resolving to be honest about his feelings.

"Shadow, we just met, so I understand if this'll sound strange. But I do want to stay with you, and it's because..." The blush returned to his cheeks as he admitted, "you're the most beautiful being I've ever seen, and...I think I might be in love with you."

Shadow blushed a little bit himself, flattered, and smiled fondly. "Well, in that case," He climbed onto the bed and pulled Sonic closer, "perhaps I can help you confirm that love."

Happily complying, Sonic wrapped his arms around Shadow and kissed him. As they kissed, Shadow's naga tail slowly coiled around Sonic's body. Sonic moaned, from both the passionate pleasure of their kissing and enjoyment of feeling the smooth, glossy scales wrapped around him.

As they added their tongues to the mix, Sonic could feel his sexual drive rising. Shadow felt something moving at the base of his tail, and he pulled back to see that Sonic was slowly erecting. With a grin, he tenderly curled his tail's tip around the member, coiling and uncoiling as he massaged it into hardening further. Sonic was reaching a state of pure bliss now, the feeling of Shadow's scales on his manhood stoking his libido even more.

Within minutes, Sonic was fully hard. Shadow leaned down and began sucking on his manhood, and Sonic was instantly moaning, louder than before. The naga's warm mouth closed around his member, his reptilian tongue circling it as he sucked-the hedgehog had never felt this much pleasure before. He started to moan Shadow's name, growing louder and more intense as his climax approached.

"Ah...oh...oh, Sh-Shadow...Shadow...!"

The hedgehog's member throbbed rapidly in the naga's mouth-he wasn't far from releasing now. Shadow increased the speed and intensity of his sucking, and within seconds, Sonic poured his seed into his mouth with one last moan of pleasure. Shadow swallowed it before pulling back and licking the stray drops of white on his lips. He brought Sonic in for another kiss, and the hedgehog could taste traces of his semen in Shadow's mouth.

"Oh, Shadow, there's no doubt in my mind or heart now." Sonic said longingly. "I love you, and I want you."

"I love you, too, Sonic." Shadow returned. "I want to make love to you, to claim you as my mate."

"Do it, Shadow." Sonic almost pleaded. "Make me yours."

Shadow turned Sonic around so he was laying on all fours. He inserted the tip of his tail into the hedgehog's mouth, and Sonic moaned against it as he felt his lover rimming him. His reptilian tongue flicked across Sonic's tailhole, loosening him up for the penetration. The hedgehog sucked on Shadow's tail like he did for his member, the glossy scales sliding back and forth effortlessly across his tongue.

Once Sonic was good and prepped, Shadow rolled him onto his back and spread his legs apart. He pushed and strained until his own manhood, even bigger than Sonic's, grew from the base of his tail. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Sonic nodded without hesitation, and the moment Shadow started to push inside him, he let out a loud moan that was both pleasure and pain. He'd never felt something like this before, and while it felt amazing, it was also uncomfortable and a little rough. At the same time, Shadow could feel the tightness of Sonic's entrance, and he wondered if he'd never done it before.

Inch by inch, Shadow managed to fit his entire manhood inside Sonic's tailhole. Sonic panted heavily, waiting for the pain to pass, but also trying to keep himself grounded in reality through all the pleasure he felt. Once the pain was gone, Sonic wrapped his arms around his lover's shoulders and nodded, telling him he could start moving.

Shadow's thrusts began slow and careful. Even with the prepping, the inside of Sonic's entrance seemed to squeeze down on Shadow's member. It was a bit rough and hindered his movements a little, but such a close pressence from his lover also felt wonderful. As for Sonic, even though Shadow was being as gentle as he could, having such a large member inside of him felt quite uncomfortable. But gradually, the pain started to give way to enjoyment, his soft grunts of discomfort becoming moans of pleasure.

"Ah...ah...hah...oh...Sh-Shadow..." Sonic wrapped his legs around Shadow's waist, and the naga lifted his soon-to-be mate up and thrusted deeper into him, coaxing yet another pleasured moan from the hedgehog. "Oooohhh...oh, Shadow...ah...f-faster...harder..."

Shadow complied, thrusting faster and harder into Sonic. The hedgehog was almost in pure ecstacy-the pain was non-existant now, with only strong pleasure and passionate love in its place. Shadow turned Sonic so he was facing backwards, coiling him and thrusting even deeper than before. The naga was very much enjoying the sensation of mating as well, refusing to hold back now, going as fast and hard as he could.

"Ngn...augh...hah...S-Sonic...!" Shadow moaned.

"Sh-Shadow..." Sonic returned. "I...mmm...I l-love y-you...I love you...I love you...!"

"I'm...ngn...I'm g-going to-!"

The two of them loudly moaned in unison as Shadow released his seed inside Sonic, officially marking him as he mate. The naga pulled out of the hedgehog, a thick trail of semen pouring from his tailhole, as they both panted heavily, coming down from the pleasure of their intercourse. Shadow laid down with Sonic, who was still wrapped up in his tail, and they lovingly looked each other in their weary eyes.

"I love you, Shadow." Sonic said. "I want to stay with you forever. I know that now."

"You're my mate now, Sonic." Shadow said. "I love you, too, and I'll always love and cherish you." He smiled. "And this is just the beginning. Our children will arrive soon, and we'll become a family."

Sonic stopped short, not quite believing what he just heard. "Wait, what?"

"We, nagas, have an unusual reproduction process." Shadow explained. "Males release both semen and eggs into our partners, which are instantly fertalized. Both males and females can carry naga eggs, even those who aren't nagas." He rubbed Sonic's stomach. "You're pregnant, Sonic. You're carrying our babies."

Sonic remained still and unblinking for a moment, not knowing how to react, before laughing under his breath. "Even after everything that's happened today, this is the last thing I expected." he said, then smiled lovingly. "But I'm more than happy to carry our babies, my beautiful one."

"Naga eggs grow quickly." Shadow said. "The little ones will be here before we know it." He nuzzled Sonic, tickling him with his tail. "Looks like finding you in the jungle was a real stroke of luck, my beloved."

Sonic giggled. "I'd say so, too." he said before cuddling up next to his mate and drifting off to sleep. Still wrapped in his tail like a sweet embrace.

===

Sonic lay curled up next to Shadow as they sat in the latter's rose garden, watching the night sky. It had been almost a month since the hedgehog arrived in the naga's territory, and while it was quite different from his old home, he had settled into it quite nicely. He still missed it sometimes, but he was content to stay with his beloved partner.

Shadow rubbed his hand along Sonic's now visibly swollen belly with a smile-the eggs had grown quite rapidly, as he explained, and they would surely be delivered any day now. The couple shared a quick kiss before resuming their star gazing. At first, it seemed the night would be uneventful. But right as Shadow was about to suggest they head inside to bed, Sonic shifted uncomfortably, clutching his belly.

"What wrong?" Shadow asked.

"The eggs...th-they're moving around." Shadow could see movement in Sonic's belly as the eggs shifted underneath. "Ngn...it's starting to h-hurt."

"You're about to lay the eggs." Shadow quickly positioned himself behind Sonic, allowing his mate to lay back against him for support. The hedgehog spread his legs before the makeshift bed Shadow made with his tail. "Just push them out, but don't strain too hard." the naga instructed.

Sonic took a few shaky breaths and bore down, gripping Shadow's hand tightly. He gasped in pain as he felt his entrance crowning, opening up for the approaching eggs. He could feel the first egg poking out, stretching his tailhole out farther and quite painfully. Sonic kept pushing, making sure to breathe, until the egg slipped out into Shadow's waiting cradle, a stream of amniotic fluid following behind it.

Sonic repeated the process a few more times, each one being a little easier than the last. By the time the final egg was ready to come out, the hedgehog was tired, panting, and sweating, but he layed the last egg with almost no effort. "Okay, I...I think that's...all of them." he said wearily.

In total, Sonic had layed seven eggs. Shadow held four of them in his arms, while Sonic held the other three, and they both eyed them lovingly, the little shells containing their children. "Good job, my sweet." the naga said, giving Sonic a kiss on his cheek, and another on his lips.

Later, Sonic lay sleeping in their bed, getting some well-deserved rest. Shadow watched over the eggs in the pen he'd built for them, laid out with a soft blanket to keep them warm. He gently stroked them with a fond smile, eagerly awaiting the moment they would hatch, when he and Sonic would finally get to meet their babies.

===

Sonic stirred in his sleep as he heard a cracking sound. He dazedly looked around in confusion, then sat up as it came again. He looked at the eggs in the pen, and could see cracks forming across one of them, soon followed by the others.

"Shadow, wake up." Sonic said, shaking his partner awake. The naga had fallen asleep a few hours ago, but once he heard the eggs hatching, he was wide awake, and instantly at the pen with his lover. They watched in anticipation as the eggshells continued to crack and break apart, until the one closest to them shattered, revealing a hedgehog naga hatchling that made the cutest little whining sounds.

The other hatchlings followed suit, and soon, the happy couple held seven healthy little ones in their arms. Four boys and three girls, each coming in various shades of blue and black, some with streaks of red. Sonic could feel himself tearing up as he cradled his babies, given the moment that any mother would hope for.

He and his lover shared a long, passionate kiss, filled with all the gratitude they had for finding each other that day, before discussing what to name their babies.