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  "description": "@Bl00glasses requested angel Sonic and demon Shadow!\n\nWell, this ended up a lot longer than I intended.\n\nSorry about making Jules and Knux assholes. They kinda had to be for the plot.\n\nGreat, more characters I have to make it up to ^^;",
  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<table style='display: inline-block; vertical-align:bottom;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td style='vertical-align: middle; border: none;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div style='width: 50px; height: 50px; position: relative; margin: 0px auto;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a style='position: relative; border: 0px;' href='https://inkbunny.net/Bl00glasses'><img class='shadowedimage' style='border: 0px;' src='https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/usericons/small/142/142436_Bl00glasses_f2ccc69e-f86c-46b0-9e76-f6afe56ad80c.png' width='50' height='50' alt='Bl00glasses' title='Bl00glasses' /></a>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</div>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td style='vertical-align: bottom; font-size: 10pt;'>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span style='position: relative; top: 2px;'><a href='https://inkbunny.net/Bl00glasses' class='widget_userNameSmall'>Bl00glasses</a></span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t</td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t</tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t</table> requested angel Sonic and demon Shadow!<br /><br />Well, this ended up a lot longer than I intended.<br /><br />Sorry about making Jules and Knux assholes. They kinda had to be for the plot.<br /><br />Great, more characters I have to make it up to ^^;</span>",
  "writing": "“There’s been another raid!”\n\nThe doors to Heaven’s grand palace burst open to reveal a panicking guard. The gathered attendees of the King’s court dropped their glasses in shock and fear at the guard’s announcement.\n\nThe King of Heaven stood from his throne, his pure white wings spreading wide from his back. His emerald eyes scanned the guard, and found what they were looking for.\n\nAmong the white of his feathered wings, flecks of tainted black could be found. The result of a demon’s corruptive touch.\n\nThe angels gathered in the hall cringed away once they, too, spotted the blackened feathers on the guard. The King sighed heavily in regret, before casting his gaze to the corrupted angel.\n\n“I understand. Now, if you could…?”\n\n“I know my duty, my lord Sonic. I will seal myself away in isolation so that this corruption does not touch others.”\n\nThe guard turned on his heel and marched out the way he came, no doubt making for the dungeons to lock himself up along with the rest of the angels that had been touched by demons.\n\nOnly gate guardians so far suffered the strange darkening of their feathered wings. The demons had never made it past the gates. As far as most angels knew, this was because their guardians were such stalwart and fierce defenders. \n\nIn truth, the demons didn’t seem to even be trying to breach the walls of heaven. They only threw themselves at the gate keepers, tainting their feathers by touching them, then fleeing once each of them bore the blackness.\n\nIt had started several months ago, and it was certainly strange behavior for which Sonic had no explanation.\n\nHe also had no explanation for what exactly the white feathers turned black as pitch meant for the affected angels. So far they had seen no side effects, but for all Sonic knew the affected angels could be slowly dying or turning into demons themselves.\n\nThe mystery had driven the King to isolating the corrupted angels in the dungeons, having no choice but to contain the spread of the blackening feathers. Each affected guard had willingly locked themselves up. None but the gate guardians the demons had attacked had since been further affected.\n\nStill, they had no cure and no idea of the potential consequences. Fear was palpable in the air of the Kingdom of Heaven, and its King Sonic had no way of abating it.\n\n***\n\n“Another successful raid, my lord.” Rouge announced to her King, “No casualties.”\n\nShadow, King of Hell, nodded gravely. “Good.”\n\nHe hated it when the raids returned with dead bodies in tow. He felt the weight of each of their deaths press down on his shoulders. The knowledge that he had sent his people to die sickened him.\n\nStill, they had little choice. The angels had driven them to extreme measures. Each raid departed with their heads held high, proud of their cause and ready to die for it. Ready to throw their lives away so that the rest of demon kind could live.\n\nShadow clenched his fist. None of their number should have to risk death for this cause. And it infuriated him that the angels strike them down when the demons never had nor had any intention of taking an angel’s life. \n\nShadow didn’t want a war, but if the angels were so willing to cut down demons for only changing the color of their feathers, perhaps they would be willing to attack them if the raids continued. But his people would die anyway if the raids ended.\n\nA light touch covered his hand, and Shadow looked up at Rouge, who was holding his tightened fist that had begun to bleed without Shadow’s knowledge. He loosened his grip with an exasperated sigh.\n\n“It’s going to work out somehow. You’ll see.”\n\nIf only Shadow had her surety. He publically professed confidence in the plan to his subjects, but privately he agonized over the risk of war with the angels.\n\nBut the raids couldn’t stop. They were necessary for the survival of his species.\n\nAll it took was one touch, and hundreds of his subjects were saved. \n\n***\n\n“We should march into the Kingdom of Hell and attack them before whatever creeping sickness they are causing takes hold of our guardians.” Knuckles pounded a fist into the war table angrily as he spoke, but Sonic waved him away.\n\n“I refuse to start a war before we even understand what is happening. They’ve killed no one, and we don’t know how or why they are turning feathers black.”\n\n“They do nothing but touch our feathers to corrupt them, and then they flee. Surely this darkening is their purpose for attacking. It must have some foul consequence!”\n\n“Hold your tongue, Guard Captain.” Sonic snapped uncharacteristically. The stress of the situation, and doing nothing about it, was getting to him. “I will not start a war over speculation.”\n\n“Then you’ll wait until our forces are crippled to do something?”\n\n“If I must, yes. These raids are strange, I realize, but they may not be malicious. I will not throw our guardians to their deaths, nor slaughter demons over ‘perhaps’ and ‘maybe.’”\n\n“Well, I’m not so willing to throw my people to their deaths, my lord.” Knuckles turned and walked out of the war room.\n\nSonic sunk into his chair and rubbed his forehead. Of course he didn’t want harm to come to the affected guardians, but he couldn’t cause even more death by starting a war. If this was a provocation, then surely the demons had a plan to defeat them. If it wasn’t, they’d be going to war over nothing.\n\nDiplomacy was the method to use in this situation. He needed to speak to the demon’s King.\n\nCenturies before, their species had attempted to make peace, but Sonic hadn’t been a part of those negotiations. Sonic’s father had been King at the time, and had spent his rule preaching about the evils of the demonic race. It had shocked everyone he had spoken to the King of Hell at all. It shocked no one that he had returned with tales of how foul the King was and how unwilling he had been to negotiate.\n\nAfter King Jules had died, hatred for demons continued to fester and poison the angels. Sonic wanted to make another attempt at reconciliation during the centuries of his rule, but his advisors insisted it was pointless since his father had already failed.\n\nSonic had taken their advice and had allowed himself to ignore the demons during his rule. Now, when the demons were provoking a war between their peoples, he would finally make the effort to foster peace.\n\nHe stood from the chair and exited the war room, determination steeling him.\n\n***\n\nThe talks would happen on neutral ground. Mobius, the world between Heaven and Hell that neither angels nor demons had any authority over. King Shadow had agreed to speak to King Sonic, and they met in a place called Mystic Ruins.\n\n“I see Heaven is under new rule.” Shadow observed. “What happened to the esteemed King Jules?”\n\nShadow’s tone indicated he had little respect for Sonic’s father, but Sonic dismissed his biting tone. He wouldn’t ruin relations with the demons because of a sarcastic quip.\n\n“He died of sickness. I am his son, Sonic. I rule Heaven now.” Sonic didn't extend a polite hand for the demon to shake, not wanting to return home corrupted.\n\nSonic examined Shadow, who was obviously doing the same for him. The demon King was handsome, incredibly so, and held his head high and his back straight. His watchful eyes were the color of blood, which should have intimidated Sonic, and instead attracted him inexplicably. \n\nThe feathers of his wings were the darkest of black, and they spread out impressively far. His body was strong and Sonic could see the outline of his muscles through his thin and soft looking fur.\n\n“Well, you asked me here. Speak.” Shadow barked. Sonic gathered himself before talking.\n\n“Why are you attacking the gates and corrupting my guards?” Sonic inquired bluntly. He needed answers to bring back to his people, and he wouldn’t beat around the bush to get them.\n\n“Corrupting? Is that what you think this is? Has your father told you nothing?” Shadow seemed honestly surprised by Sonic’s question, which threw the King of Heaven off quite a bit. The demons' actions were strange to him, yet Shadow seemed to expect him to know his intentions.\n\nAnd what did his father have to do with this?\n\n“You truly know nothing of what your father has done. Unbelievable.” The demon’s voice was incredulous and nearly breathless with shock.\n\n“No, I know nothing of what you are talking about. What is my father’s part in this?” Sonic came here for answers, and now he had only more questions.\n\nShadow’s lips pulled down into a sneer. “Your father put us on the path towards our own demise. He is killing us slowly, and I am trying to save my people.”\n\n“Save them how? Please tell me what my father has done so I can make it right!”\n\nShadow inspected him closely, cautious as to whether he should reveal the truth to the ignorant angel. He shook his head slowly.\n\n“There is no making this right. Your kind hates us. Your people would never allow the concessions that would save us.” Shadow’s eyes revealed a touch of sorrow. “I will say this much. Your blackened feathers are no danger to the angels bearing them or any others. I will save my people.” Shadow’s eyes looked away and the sorrow filled them to the brim as he murmured, “At any cost.”\n\nShadow looked back to Sonic. “You seem reasonable, and earnest. Much more so than your father. I beg you to not start a war over this. We have not killed nor harmed your people. The raids will continue, King Sonic. I will save my people.” \n\nShadow left him with that, disappearing in a flash of light, and Sonic’s head buzzed with confusion.\n\nWhat had his father done to the demons?\n\n***\n\n“How did it go?” Rouge asked Shadow upon his return.\n\n“Better than expected.” He answered his advisor. “The new King seems…kind.”\n\nHe seemed more than kind. Shadow couldn’t shake off the insatiable lust Sonic had invoked in him. The angel was beautiful beyond description, he had no equal among his kind that Shadow had laid eyes on.\n\nHe knew nothing would ever happen between them, but he also knew Sonic would be starring in his fantasies from now on.\n\n“Kind? Is there a chance that-”\n\n“You know better than to ask such a thing. Angels will never have mercy on us.” Shadow sat in his throne, his throne room barren except for himself and the bat.\n\nAll of his subjects were beneath them, in the lower halls, sucking in the life giving energy they’d retrieved from the angel’s feathers. Rouge should have been with them, but she’d wanted to greet Shadow when he returned.\n\nThe King looked to his advisor’s wings with worry. Their feathers were nearly entirely black, and those that weren’t were a dull grey at best.\n\n“Go, Rouge. You need to heal yourself.”\n\nRouge glared at him in frustration. “As if you have the right to lecture me on taking care of myself. Look at your wings, there’s nothing left of them!”\n\nShadow folded his wings behind his back and glared right back at the bat. “I’ve made my decision. I will not take for myself what my people so desperately need.”\n\nRouge knew there was little point in arguing any more. She’d tried to convince her friend and King to save himself as he was saving his people, but he’d stood firm. \n\nShe left the throne room to delve deep into the depths of Hell to avail herself of the stolen life giving energy so precious to them, truly scared that this time it would be last she’d see of Shadow.\n\n***\n\nSonic was greeted with trumpets and a joyful choir as he walked from the gates to the palace. Angels threw flowers at his feet as he passed. The dignitaries filling the palace throne room each seemed to want a personal audience, but Sonic refused them, heading straight to his destination.\n\nKnuckles was already in the war room when the King entered, and he glared at Sonic once he walked through the doors.\n\n“Nice to see you too.” Sonic rolled his eyes at Knuckles’ aggressive attitude.\n\n“Well? Did the King of Hell reveal his plot?” Knuckles snarled.\n\n“No, in fact he revealed the opposite. There is no plot.”\n\n“Of course he would say that, you fool! You cannot believe those filthy creatures!” Knuckles beat the war table again, this time causing a crack to form under his fist.\n\n“Calm down, Guard Captain!” Sonic ordered.\n\n“Calm down? My men are dying and you want me to calm down when I hear you believing their lies?”\n\nSonic was reminded of Shadow’s words. He’d said the demons were dying. Knuckles had also been an advisor to his father during his rule so many centuries previous. Perhaps he knew of what Shadow had spoken of.\n\n“Knuckles, tell me, what occurred when my father went to visit the demons?”\n\n“You know what happened. He tried to speak to their King, but the beast refused to negotiate.”\n\nSonic noticed that Knuckles was suddenly avoiding eye contact, and suspicion rose in his gut. Something was very wrong about this entire situation. Shadow’s words plagued him, and he was becoming desperate for answers.\n\n“Knuckles, what did my father do to the demons?”\n\nKnuckles looked at him nervously before looking away again. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Sonic faced the intruder, a glare on his face.\n\n“Excuse me, this is a private-Blaze?”\n\nBlaze was the dungeon keeper of Heaven, and had been tasked with watching the corrupted angels for any sign of change. She was loyal and proper to a fault, and wouldn’t barge in unless it was important.\n\n“Has something happened?” Knuckles asked her before turning to Sonic, “You see? I told you this would become something more!”\n\n“Let’s hear what she has to say first.” Sonic gestured for Blaze to go ahead.\n\n“My King, circumstances have changed for the angels from the first group of guardians to have their feathers turned black.”\n\n“How so?” Sonic’s gut was twisting nervously. He’d believed Shadow. Had he been deceived as Knuckles had said?\n\n“Their feathers have returned to white.”\n\n***\n\nThe summons came as a surprise to Shadow. He’d expected Sonic to betray him, as his father had, and go to war with the demons, not continue to speak to him. Several days went by with no word of an attack, only for the suspense to end not in battle but in further diplomacy.\n\nPerhaps Shadow should give Sonic a chance to prove he was not the man his father was.\n\nHe accepted the invitation to return to Mobius, but this time Rouge had to come with him. He informed the messenger that he would be bringing an advisor, and the return message told him Sonic would be doing the same.\n\nHeaven’s King likely believed Shadow wanted an advisor so they could engage in more serious talks of peace and felt the need to do the same. Truthfully, Shadow’s condition was degrading quickly and he found himself struggling to walk. Rouge needed to stay at his side to keep him on his feet.\n\nHe hated appearing weak in front of a fellow King, but diplomacy with the angels had become his only hope for his people. He needed to speak to Sonic.\n\nThe King of Heaven’s eyes widened at the sight of the demon, so different from how he had appeared just a few weeks previous. Shadow’s legs shook with every step, and if it weren’t for Rouge’s hands holding him up he would have had to crawl.\n\nKnuckles also seemed shocked at his appearance. Sonic’s doubts about his advisor’s honesty made him question whether the shock came from the King of Hell’s apparent weakness or something else.\n\n“My apologies for my current state. This is my advisor, Rouge.” Shadow introduced, and Sonic returned the favor.\n\nSonic noticed that the bat’s feathery wings weren’t as black as Shadow’s. Many of her feathers were a light grey, giving her wings a speckled appearance.\n\n“This is Knuckles, my advisor.”\n\n“We’ve met before.” Shadow said, and Sonic again found himself confused.\n\n“I attended the previous talks with him at your father’s side.” Knuckles shifted uncomfortably under Sonic’s gaze.\n\n“How come I didn’t know of this?” Sonic snapped.\n\n“Why would you? Why would he ever confess to what he and your father did?” Rouge spoke up, anger in her voice. Knuckles glared at her.\n\n“I am tired of this. Explain to me what is happening!” Sonic patience had disappeared. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything he knew of his father’s actions as King would only fill a thimble, and he was sick of his own ignorance.\n\nAs the weeks had gone by since his last meeting with Shadow, the guards’ wings were returning to pure white. Beginning with the first group attacked, each black feather was fading to grey then to white in the order they’d been corrupted. It seemed all they had needed was time.\n\n“No. You are weak and a fool, and you will undo your father’s work. I can’t let that happen!” Knuckles insisted, and Rouge let go of her King to lunge at him.\n\nKnuckles dodged, cringing fearfully away from the demon’s touch. “No, you will not corrupt me!”\n\n“We’re only trying to live! Why is that so wrong?” Rouge’s voice was quivering in both anger and fear as she shouted desperately.\n\n“I won’t lose him. I won’t.” Rouge turned away from Knuckles in favor of Sonic, and reached for him.\n\n“Don’t!” Shadow cried.\n\nBut Rouge wouldn’t be stopped. She laid a hand on Sonic, and that was all it took. Immediately, Sonic’s feathers began to dull and turn black. Sonic leapt away from her, but the bat smirked as she let him go, her job done.\n\n“What have you done?” Shadow muttered from the ground, his legs having given out from weakness.\n\n“Saving you. Now they have to take action. Their King has fallen prey to the so-called corruption. They’ll do anything to stop this insanity.”\n\n“They’ll only hate us more for this, Rouge!” Shadow’s voice was despair incarnate. “We came here to speak to them, not drive them away.”\n\nSonic looked at his own wings with worry. The guards were recovering, surely he would as well. The black feathers weren’t some sort of sickness or corruption as they had feared, Sonic was positive. But his people would see the blackness and come to fear their own King.\n\nKnuckles certainly seemed to.\n\n“You’ve corrupted our King. Our King!” He growled. “This is unforgiveable. This is an act of [i]war[/i].”\n\nShadow shook his head, “No, that isn’t what we want!”\n\nEven Rouge cringed back. “I only wanted to force your hand to take diplomacy seriously. I didn’t mean to-”\n\n“Rouge. Stop.” Shadow ordered. “They will always hate us. They’ve been looking for an excuse to go to war since King Jules’ actions long ago. This was inevitable.”\n\nSonic shook his head vigorously. “I don’t want war. Diplomacy can still work between us!”\n\n“It will fail when your people scream for blood at the sight of your blackened wings. War will come, whether it be at your order or not. So, I make one last plea for the sake of my people’s survival. War will end in genocide for us, and I hope my death will be enough to appease your people.”\n\n“Shadow, no!” Rouge started, but Shadow silenced her with a shaking raised hand.\n\n“Execute me publically and perhaps war can be avoided. And perhaps my people can be saved with my death in more ways than one.”\n\nShadow turned to Rouge as he struggled to stand and put his hands on her shoulders. “I’m declaring you my heir. Take care of my people for me after I am gone.”\n\n“No…” Rouge’s eyes filled with tears, but the fight had left her. She cried silently as Shadow approached Sonic.\n\n“I put myself at your mercy, so long as a public execution is my fate. I will endure any punishment you wish to inflict beforehand.”\n\nSonic gaped at Hell’s King. He didn’t want any of this, and had no intention of punishing or executing Shadow even if the angels demanded it. But perhaps imprisoning him was the only way he could speak to him.\n\nHe still needed answers, and he still believed there could be peace between angels and demons. He would take Shadow prisoner for now, but he wouldn’t give up on Shadow’s people.\n\n***\n\nA crowd gathered around them upon their return to Heaven, but instead of trumpets and choirs a round of booing and hissing directed at Shadow greeted them.\n\nShadow kept his head high even as he struggled to stay upright. As the gathered angels began to throw food and trash at the demon King, Shadow remained prideful.\n\nInside the palace walls, dignitaries parted as they passed, whispering to one another and glaring at the demon. Even the dungeon provided no relief from the harassment. The guards still lingering there awaiting their white feathers to return banged against the cell doors and screamed obscenities.\n\nShadow was escorted by Knuckles and Sonic to an isolated wing of the dungeon, reserved for long term incarceration. This wing had only one cell, and Shadow walked into it, but the door was left open as Knuckles turned to his King and gestured to the cell.\n\n“If you would step inside, my King.”\n\n“Excuse me?” Sonic asked in shock.\n\n“You have imprisoned every guard that has been corrupted. How can you not do the same for your people?”\n\n“We know this is no longer some disease! It’s a temporary change in color, nothing more! I plan to release the guards as my first act upon returning!”\n\nKnuckles’ face darkened, and he suddenly shoved Sonic forcefully into the cell before locking his King in.\n\n“This corruption has affected you. I will not allow it to spread. I will not let you undo your father’s work.”\n\nSonic beat against the cell bars as Knuckles walked away, shutting the door to the isolated dungeon behind him.\n\nSonic slumped onto the ground while Shadow sat on the bed and looked at him.\n\n“Is he going to order an attack on my people?” Shadow questioned nervously.\n\n“He has no power to. He commands the guards that protect the gate and is my advisor, but he can’t declare war without me. The dignitaries would never follow him, and the bulk of the army would wait for my order. He would muster, at most, some rebels. No one that can do any real damage.”\n\nShadow sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling in silence. Sonic joined him on the bed, sitting next to the demon and was close enough for the feathers of their folded wings to brush against each other.\n\n“What is going on, Shadow?” Sonic asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He was so exhausted by all of this, mentally and physically. Nothing would sate him except for answers.\n\nShadow shut his eyes and began to tell his story.\n\n“When your father came to me centuries ago, he had no intention of making peace with demons. He came to destroy us.\n\n“Once, our wings were as pure white as yours. Our species are very close to one another, more similar than different. The whiteness of our wings represents our life force, and as they turn black we get closer to death.”\n\nSonic looked to Shadow’s wings, black as a starless sky, in worry.\n\n“We both are Kings of our people, and as such we are conduits of our entire species. What affects us, affects our entire race. King Jules knew that if he inflicted a horror upon me, the same would be dealt to my people.\n\n“He summoned me with talks of peace, and I wanted just that. Peace. But he came as a conqueror, not a diplomat. He forced me to…submit to him, and that act damned all demon kind.”\n\nSonic cringed. He didn’t need elaboration on what that meant. How could his father do something so terrible?\n\n“In taking my…pride he also took something vital from me. My life energy. The energy that sustains me and the rest of my people has been channeled away from myself to Jules, to his subjects, and to his line. I am a conduit for the life energy of my people, and that conduction has been corrupted, stolen. Since that day my wings, and the wings of all my species, have been turning from white to black. \n\n“We have been dying these past centuries, and we have been searching for a cure. We found one a few months ago, but it bore great risk to retrieve.”\n\n“The raids?” Sonic muttered. “They began a few months ago.”\n\nShadow nodded, “Yes, angels and demons need the same life energy to survive, and angels have both their own and that which was stolen from us. Taking some life energy from the angels would have no ill effects save some temporary darkening of your feathers. It would be restored with time.\n\n“We are close enough to kin that one touch is all it takes to return what is rightfully ours. One touch, and a sliver of the life energy that was taken away is restored to my kingdom. The raids are sent to touch your gate guardians, and then my people gather around the pool of life deep in the farthest depths of hell to feed on what little we have, just to survive a few more weeks.”\n\nSonic nodded solemnly, and Shadow opened his eyes to look at the King of angels.\n\n“I never knew.” Sonic whispered. “If I had known I would have tried to help you before now. But I will rectify the mistake caused by my ignorance. What can I do to restore you as a conduit for your people’s life energy? How do I make it cease to drain from you into the angels’ coffers?”\n\n“Kill me.” Shadow answered bluntly.\n\n“What?”\n\n“If I were to die, the new Queen, Rouge, would become a new conduit. The flow of energy would be reset and restored. Once I realized what was happening I wished to end my life immediately, but Rouge persuaded me to continue living. I should have died centuries ago, and none of this would have happened.”\n\nShadow buried his face in his hands, but not before Sonic saw the look in his eyes, one of desperation, loneliness, and endless suffering. It pained Sonic to see anyone, including Shadow, his supposed enemy, in such misery.\n\nSonic was only more sure of his decision.\n\n“I won’t allow you to die.” Sonic promised. “You deserve a chance to live and find happiness, same as anyone else. There must be another way.”\n\n“There is, but I refuse to partake in such a thing.”\n\nSonic got up from the bed and kneeled in front of Shadow, something he was taught a King should never do. But if Sonic would kneel before anyone, it would be the noble and respectable Shadow.\n\n“Please tell me. At least give me a chance to hear it and know I did everything I could to save you.”\n\nShadow looked down at Sonic, wretchedness in his face. He sighed in exhaustion, and spoke again.\n\n“If the same act was done in reverse, it would restore to me what was taken. I would be a proper conduit again.”\n\n“The same, in reverse? If I submitted to you, your life energy conduction would be corrected?”\n\nShadow nodded in confirmation. “Rouge wanted me to do the same as your father had done to me, to summon you to diplomatic talks and rape you. But I’d never force such a terrible thing, especially not after I learned the horrors of it personally. I’d never inflict the guilt, the suffering, the humiliation on another. [i]Never[/i].”\n\nSonic’s eyes softened and his lips turned up into a smile.\n\n“There would be no guilt or suffering or humiliation if I want it.”\n\nShadow jerked his head up and stared at Sonic, utterly baffled. Sonic didn’t allow him to begin asking questions, instead he stood and kissed Shadow lightly on the mouth.\n\nShadow returned the kiss tentatively, and Sonic pressed his lips to Shadow’s with greater enthusiasm. He wasn’t lying, Sonic desired Shadow like he’d never desired anyone before. He was the most handsome creature Sonic had ever seen. Anyone with eyes would want him.\n\nThey parted with a sigh, and Shadow inspected him closely.\n\n“Do not do this to yourself out of some sense of responsibility for what your father did. I will not force this on you.”\n\n“You aren’t forcing anything. I want this. I’ll submit to you, Shadow, of my own will. My body is yours to do with as you want.”\n\nShadow sucked in a breath and leaned into another kiss, wrapping his arms around Sonic and turning them so he could lay Sonic down on the bed. He kneeled above him, his hands on either side of Sonic’s head.\n\n“You are so beautiful. I thought as much when we first met.” Shadow murmured, gentleness in his eyes.\n\n“I thought the same of you.” Sonic confessed.\n\n“Please, once more. Tell me this is what you want. I cannot bear the thought of forcing this on you.”\n\nSonic put his hands on Shadow’s cheeks and looked him straight in the eye unwaveringly. “I want this. I want [i]you[/i]. Do what you want with me.”\n\nShadow trailed his hand down Sonic’s body and unbuttoned his royal garb as he went. The finery was tossed to the ground carelessly, along with his trousers to leave him completely exposed.\n\nGarnet eyes roamed his body. Nobody had ever looked at him in such a way, so wrought with pure want. Sonic felt himself hardening from only being looked at with burning desire.\n\nSonic raised his shaking fingers to Shadow’s clothing and did the same for him, stripping his down and tossing the finery to the side without a care for them.\n\nHis body was everything Sonic had imagined it to be. His chest was defined and firm, his abs strong and muscled. Sonic wanted that body over him and inside of him.\n\nThere was nothing forceful about this. Sonic lusted for Shadow, and Shadow lusted for Sonic. Their desires were matched in intensity.\n\nThey kissed again, wanting to taste each other and explore one another’s mouths with their tongues. Sonic ran his hands over Shadow’s chest and stomach, feeling the hard muscle beneath the smooth, dark fur.\n\nShadow groaned into Sonic mouth, then ran his hands alone the bed sheet and found a snag. He tore a strip away from the bed spread.\n\n“What…?” Sonic began to ask, but Shadow put a finger to his lips.\n\nHe flipped Sonic onto his stomach and bound his wrists together, then tied him to the bed frame. Sonic gave him a questioning look over his shoulder.\n\n“You look incredible like this, spread out and bound for my pleasure. Does it please you as well?”\n\nSonic nodded. Something about being made helpless under Shadow’s hand was turning him on even more. He had meant it when he’d said Shadow could do as he pleased with Sonic’s body.\n\nShadow smiled and ran his hands down Sonic’s spine and came to his ass, squeezing and massaging the globes of flesh lovingly. Sonic moaned and pushed into the touch as much as his bondage allowed.\n\nThe demon put his lips to the flesh of Sonic’s ass and bit lightly, making Sonic yelp. A small trickle of blood stained Sonic’s fur from the bite, but such a small wound would heal in moments.\n\nSonic didn’t fully understand why the pain seemed to light his body on fire, making him feel every touch more intensely. He didn’t question it nor fear it though, trusting Shadow to take care of him.\n\nShadow kissed his lower back as a finger slid into his anal passage, which stretched uncomfortably to accommodate him. \n\nSonic whimpered, but Shadow shushed him with loving kisses to his neck, ending the little pecks with another bite, just deep enough for Shadow to taste blood and for Sonic’s body to feel electrified by the pain and pleasure.\n\nAs Sonic reveled in the feelings, Shadow added another finger while Sonic was distracted. He scissored them apart to prepare Sonic for what was to come. Jules had not granted him such care when he had forcefully taken Shadow.\n\nBut those memories had no place here, in bed with Sonic. He banished them to the back of his mind before the pain brought forth despair as it always has these long centuries. Sonic sought to mend that which was broken, and Shadow wouldn’t spoil the angel’s efforts with his own self-hatred. He’d make an effort to heal, as Sonic wanted.\n\nSonic’s body was quivering and shaking with pleasure, and Shadow enjoyed the sight of it. He’d repressed his own desires for so long out of fear, and now every pent up desire he’d ever had was coming to the forefront. He felt mad with lust, he wanted Sonic so badly it hurt.\n\nHe removed his fingers and touched the tip of his hard and weeping cock to Sonic’s ass. \n\n“Ready?” He asked, and Sonic nodded with a wordless moan.\n\nShadow thrust forward, penetrating the tight ring of muscles and pushing slowly into Sonic’s depths. Sonic squirmed at the feeling, but kept silent, enduring the temporary discomfort for the sake of the pleasure yet to come.\n\nShadow fully seated himself inside of Sonic, and his eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. He forced them back open so he could watch Sonic tremble and twitch. He didn’t want to miss anything of Sonic’s reactions, they were so endearing.\n\n“Please, move.” Sonic begged after a time of Shadow keeping still. He appreciated Shadow’s care, but he was feeling impatient and needy. He wanted Shadow to fuck him in earnest.\n\nShadow delivered what Sonic wanted with gusto. He pulled out almost completely before thrusting hard back in. Sonic howled and begged for more in a voice lacking breath, having lost all the air in his lungs with the first thrust into his body.\n\nLights danced in front of Sonic’s eyes as Shadow pounded into him. How could his father have perverted such a beautiful and pleasurable thing?\n\nBut Jules didn’t belong between him and Shadow. Sonic forced thoughts of his father away, which was easy as each thrust wiped his mind clean of anything but the unbelievable ecstasy.\n\nHe pulled at his bonds uselessly. He had no desire to escape, but he needed something to ground him in the wake of the pleasure and slight stinging pain from the bites on his ass and neck. He felt unraveled at the seams, and he was desperate for something to hold on to as his body unwound.\n\nShadow seemed to read his needs and moved one of his hands from Sonic’s hips to his face, stroking his cheek gently.\n\n“It’s alright. You’re safe and well. You’ll always be safe with me, I promise. Calm down.”\n\nSonic was soothed in an instant, Shadow’s confidence and comforting words exactly what he’d needed. Yes, Sonic was safe in Shadow’s hands. Even if he was unwound, Shadow would put him back together.\n\nSonic swore to himself Shadow would be safe with him in return. He would not die, not for his people, not for anyone. He’d live on to find the happiness life had denied him for far too long. Hopefully, he would find that happiness with Sonic at his side. He didn’t want their relationship to end here. Sonic wanted them to thrive together and fall in love. It would be so easy to fall in love with Shadow.\n\nSonic’s body tightened around Shadow’s length as it prepared to come undone. Shadow moaned and fucked him vigorously, making Sonic scream his name and cum hard on the prison bed sheets.\n\nShadow followed soon after and filled Sonic with his seed. Sonic shuddered at the warmth spilling inside of him, the feeling strange and foreign but not unwelcome.\n\nShadow untied Sonic after removing himself from him, who turned onto his back to look at Shadow, then gasped.\n\nHis wings, once completely black and colorless, were gaining color. The black was slowly fading to grey before Sonic’s eyes.\n\n“Your wings…” He started, and Shadow stretched them out to inspect them, his own eyes going as wide as Sonic’s.\n\n“Could it be true?” Shadow gasped, a nervous smile wanting to form on his lips.\n\n“I think it is. You’re a true conduit for your people again. I can’t wait to see your wings turn white, they’ll be so beautiful.”\n\nShadow turned to Sonic and leaned down to kiss him, laughing as he did so. Sonic couldn’t stop his own giggling, and the kiss was a wet and sloppy mess of joyful meeting and parting and meeting again.\n\n“Sonic, I owe you everything. You’ve saved my people.” Tears fell from blood colored eyes, but they were tears of joy rather than of sorrow.\n\n“I’m happy you and your kind will be okay, but I didn’t do it only for them. I wanted this. I want you, and I still want more of you.”\n\nShadow’s smile faded, and his eyes darkened.\n\n“I wish there could be more between us, but you can’t forget. Your people despise my kind, and will still want my blood to be spilled.”\n\nShadow gestured to Sonic’s wings, still spotted with darkness but fading to white.\n\n“I won’t allow it.” Sonic swore, gripping Shadow’s face in his hands. “I am King, my word is law in Heaven. I say you will live.”\n\nShadow didn’t seem to believe him, but fell into Sonic’s arms anyway, holding him tight as they sat in the darkness in silence. Shadow reveled in what he believed to be his first, last, and only moments with Sonic.\n\n***\n\nThey fell asleep in each other’s embrace, but Shadow awoke before Sonic and got up from the bed. An intruder in their cell had woken him from slumber, and he squinted through the darkness to see Knuckles at the cell door.\n\n“It’s time, scum. You’ll be executed to pay for the corruption of our King, or else our people go to war.”\n\n“I’m here of my own will, as you’ll remember. I won’t resist. May I have a moment?”\n\nKnuckles nodded, willing to concede to that much for a dead man. He remembered watching the former King rape the demon, remembered holding his arms down so Jules could…\n\nKnuckles turned away to give Shadow a final moment of privacy.\n\nShadow stood at the bed’s side to look at Sonic for the last time.\n\n“Thank you for all you’ve done, all you’ve tried to build. I trust you’ll keep your people from warring with mine once I’m gone. I wish…”\n\nShadow blinked away his tears and leaned down to kiss Sonic, wanting his last memory to be of Sonic’s lips.\n\n“I would have loved you. I think I already do.”\n\nShadow forced himself to leave Sonic’s side and approach the cell bars.\n\n“I’m ready.”\n\n***\n\nSonic awoke alone and cold, so he rose from bed in a haste to find Shadow. He found nothing but the cell’s walls.\n\n“No! No, I promised I’d save you!” He screeched to no one but himself.\n\nHe wracked his brain for something, anything that could get him out of here and maybe stop the execution before it could happen. For all he knew Shadow was long dead, killed while Sonic slept, but Sonic wouldn’t give up on him until he saw Shadow’s corpse for himself.\n\nHe ran to the cell bars and began crying out with all his strength.\n\n“Blaze? Blaze! Please, tell me you’re here!”\n\n***\n\nShadow stood before the chopping block and listened to Knuckles recite the charges against him. Attempted assassination, he claimed, against their beloved King. He’d done no such thing, but it didn’t matter. Shadow had accepted his death with the surety it would spare his people from war.\n\nHe kneeled at the end of the recitation and bent over to put his head on the block. The angels jeered at him and egged the executioner on as the giant axe was raised above his head and lined up with his neck.\n\nShadow summoned an image of Sonic, beneath him and writhing in pleasure, to let his last thoughts be happy ones. He shut his eyes and waited for his life to end.\n\n“By order of the King, I command you to stop!”\n\nAn audible gasp went through the crowd at their King’s appearance. They had been told he had voluntarily imprisoned himself to protect the populace from corruption, and they hadn’t expected him to attend the execution.\n\nShadow wanted to groan in frustration. Sonic’s idealism was charming, but maddening. Didn’t he understand this was the only option? That there could be no peace between angels and demons without the retribution brought by Shadow’s death?\n\n“The demons have done nothing wrong! This madness ends today!”\n\nSonic pushed the executioner aside and helped Shadow to his feet. The King of demons glared at him.\n\n“What are you doing? I need to do this!”\n\n“And I need to save you. I made you a promise.” Sonic whispered before addressing the crowd.\n\n“Centuries ago my father approached the demons with lies and deceptions about making peace, when he only went to rob the demons of something precious. Their very life!”\n\nA nervous mumble rose in the crowd, confused and subdued.\n\n“These raids have been an effort to save their entire species, and do not harm us angels at all! Their King was ready to die for his kin, in an attempt to make peace with us! Who are we, as a species, to condemn him to die over nothing? Over imagined slights?”\n\nThe mumble rose in pitch, and the confusion faded to give way to despair.\n\n“What have we become?” Someone near enough the front to be heard by the Kings said.\n\n“We have become persecutors. We have become an entire race that finds it easier to accept falsities instead of striving to discover the truth. We have fallen far, my people. But we need not let the mindless hatred continue to poison us. \n\n\"Let us foster a new age where demons and angels can thrive together in harmony. We are better than this,we are better than our hatred!\"\n\nSonic took Shadow’s hand in a show of solidarity and lifted them up so the entire crowd could see their clasped hands. A thunderous cheer went through the crowd.\n\nShadow turned his head to Sonic, gaping in shock. Sonic faced him and smiled, tightening his grip on their raised hands.\n\n***\n\nBells pealed across the depths of Hell, in widespread celebration, and the demons smiled and laughed as they hadn’t in centuries. This was a day of naught but joy.\n\nToday, the angelic and demonic people would be joined in a bond that went beyond political ties. Today, their Kings were to be married.\n\nThe past few years hadn’t been easy, as many angels held onto their preconceptions, and many demons still blamed the angels for their centuries of slowly dying, but most were willing to look past their previous struggles in order to forge a better tomorrow.\n\nTheir immortal lives were too long to spend wallowing in old hatreds.\n\nThe black wings that had once marked the demons as corrupted had returned to white with the restoration of their King as a conduit for life energy to flow through Hell and through its people. It was undeniable that angels and demons were brethren.\n\nThe ceremony would take place in Shadow’s palace as a display of letting go of the past and future cooperation, and many angels ventured to Hell to witness their Kings join together in matrimony.\n\nThe Kings clasped hands in front of an altar as Rouge read the ceremonial words that would bind them together for the rest of their immortal lives. Their pure white wings stretched proudly from their backs.\n\nSonic's own advisor was absent from the proceedings, having been imprisoned for treason against the King. Sonic didn't miss him.\n\nThe spectators teared up as they watched an age of hate and division come to an end. Rouge finished the rites and closed her book.\n\nThe Kings looked lovingly at each other as they bent close and locked lips to seal their commitments to one another. Their wings enfolded them and allowed a modicum of privacy as they kissed.\n\nThe crowd stood and cheered as they walked hand in hand down the aisle. Shadow led Sonic to his private chambers and lifted him into his arms, depositing him gently on the bed and crawling over him.\n\nSonic tsked and reversed their positions with a sly smirk. Shadow tilted his head and grinned up at him.\n\n\"Just lay back and let me do all the work, my King and my husband.\"\n\nShadow watched as Sonic reached behind himself and prepared his passage to receive Shadow's girth. He moaned and rolled his head back as he worked his own ass.\n\n\"I look forward to an eternity of this with you, my love and my King.\" Shadow said, which made Sonic smile at him and laugh lightly.\n\nSonic finished preparing himself and lifted up with his knees, then lowered himself onto Shadow's cock. He slowly took in the thick girth fully, the position allowing for deeper penetration.\n\nShadow guided him with hands on his hips, making sure he went slow so as to prevent as much pain as possible. He squeezed Sonic's hips affectionately, prompting another cute little smile.\n\nSonic began to fuck himself on Shadow's cock, setting the pace and letting Shadow lean back and relax as he was pleasured.\n\nThey made love until Sonic's legs gave out, then Shadow flipped them over and thrust his hips into Sonic's. He came inside of his new husband, and Sonic's fur was stained with his own cum.\n\nShadow pulled out and laid beside his spouse.\n\n“I love you with everything I am.” Shadow declared with an adoring smile. Sonic smiled back with an equal amount of love.\n\n“And I love you, and will keep loving you for the rest of eternity.”",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>&ldquo;There&rsquo;s been another raid!&rdquo;<br /><br />The doors to Heaven&rsquo;s grand palace burst open to reveal a panicking guard. The gathered attendees of the King&rsquo;s court dropped their glasses in shock and fear at the guard&rsquo;s announcement.<br /><br />The King of Heaven stood from his throne, his pure white wings spreading wide from his back. His emerald eyes scanned the guard, and found what they were looking for.<br /><br />Among the white of his feathered wings, flecks of tainted black could be found. The result of a demon&rsquo;s corruptive touch.<br /><br />The angels gathered in the hall cringed away once they, too, spotted the blackened feathers on the guard. The King sighed heavily in regret, before casting his gaze to the corrupted angel.<br /><br />&ldquo;I understand. Now, if you could&hellip;?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I know my duty, my lord Sonic. I will seal myself away in isolation so that this corruption does not touch others.&rdquo;<br /><br />The guard turned on his heel and marched out the way he came, no doubt making for the dungeons to lock himself up along with the rest of the angels that had been touched by demons.<br /><br />Only gate guardians so far suffered the strange darkening of their feathered wings. The demons had never made it past the gates. As far as most angels knew, this was because their guardians were such stalwart and fierce defenders. <br /><br />In truth, the demons didn&rsquo;t seem to even be trying to breach the walls of heaven. They only threw themselves at the gate keepers, tainting their feathers by touching them, then fleeing once each of them bore the blackness.<br /><br />It had started several months ago, and it was certainly strange behavior for which Sonic had no explanation.<br /><br />He also had no explanation for what exactly the white feathers turned black as pitch meant for the affected angels. So far they had seen no side effects, but for all Sonic knew the affected angels could be slowly dying or turning into demons themselves.<br /><br />The mystery had driven the King to isolating the corrupted angels in the dungeons, having no choice but to contain the spread of the blackening feathers. Each affected guard had willingly locked themselves up. None but the gate guardians the demons had attacked had since been further affected.<br /><br />Still, they had no cure and no idea of the potential consequences. Fear was palpable in the air of the Kingdom of Heaven, and its King Sonic had no way of abating it.<br /><br />***<br /><br />&ldquo;Another successful raid, my lord.&rdquo; Rouge announced to her King, &ldquo;No casualties.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow, King of Hell, nodded gravely. &ldquo;Good.&rdquo;<br /><br />He hated it when the raids returned with dead bodies in tow. He felt the weight of each of their deaths press down on his shoulders. The knowledge that he had sent his people to die sickened him.<br /><br />Still, they had little choice. The angels had driven them to extreme measures. Each raid departed with their heads held high, proud of their cause and ready to die for it. Ready to throw their lives away so that the rest of demon kind could live.<br /><br />Shadow clenched his fist. None of their number should have to risk death for this cause. And it infuriated him that the angels strike them down when the demons never had nor had any intention of taking an angel&rsquo;s life. <br /><br />Shadow didn&rsquo;t want a war, but if the angels were so willing to cut down demons for only changing the color of their feathers, perhaps they would be willing to attack them if the raids continued. But his people would die anyway if the raids ended.<br /><br />A light touch covered his hand, and Shadow looked up at Rouge, who was holding his tightened fist that had begun to bleed without Shadow&rsquo;s knowledge. He loosened his grip with an exasperated sigh.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to work out somehow. You&rsquo;ll see.&rdquo;<br /><br />If only Shadow had her surety. He publically professed confidence in the plan to his subjects, but privately he agonized over the risk of war with the angels.<br /><br />But the raids couldn&rsquo;t stop. They were necessary for the survival of his species.<br /><br />All it took was one touch, and hundreds of his subjects were saved. <br /><br />***<br /><br />&ldquo;We should march into the Kingdom of Hell and attack them before whatever creeping sickness they are causing takes hold of our guardians.&rdquo; Knuckles pounded a fist into the war table angrily as he spoke, but Sonic waved him away.<br /><br />&ldquo;I refuse to start a war before we even understand what is happening. They&rsquo;ve killed no one, and we don&rsquo;t know how or why they are turning feathers black.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;They do nothing but touch our feathers to corrupt them, and then they flee. Surely this darkening is their purpose for attacking. It must have some foul consequence!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Hold your tongue, Guard Captain.&rdquo; Sonic snapped uncharacteristically. The stress of the situation, and doing nothing about it, was getting to him. &ldquo;I will not start a war over speculation.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Then you&rsquo;ll wait until our forces are crippled to do something?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;If I must, yes. These raids are strange, I realize, but they may not be malicious. I will not throw our guardians to their deaths, nor slaughter demons over &lsquo;perhaps&rsquo; and &lsquo;maybe.&rsquo;&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, I&rsquo;m not so willing to throw my people to their deaths, my lord.&rdquo; Knuckles turned and walked out of the war room.<br /><br />Sonic sunk into his chair and rubbed his forehead. Of course he didn&rsquo;t want harm to come to the affected guardians, but he couldn&rsquo;t cause even more death by starting a war. If this was a provocation, then surely the demons had a plan to defeat them. If it wasn&rsquo;t, they&rsquo;d be going to war over nothing.<br /><br />Diplomacy was the method to use in this situation. He needed to speak to the demon&rsquo;s King.<br /><br />Centuries before, their species had attempted to make peace, but Sonic hadn&rsquo;t been a part of those negotiations. Sonic&rsquo;s father had been King at the time, and had spent his rule preaching about the evils of the demonic race. It had shocked everyone he had spoken to the King of Hell at all. It shocked no one that he had returned with tales of how foul the King was and how unwilling he had been to negotiate.<br /><br />After King Jules had died, hatred for demons continued to fester and poison the angels. Sonic wanted to make another attempt at reconciliation during the centuries of his rule, but his advisors insisted it was pointless since his father had already failed.<br /><br />Sonic had taken their advice and had allowed himself to ignore the demons during his rule. Now, when the demons were provoking a war between their peoples, he would finally make the effort to foster peace.<br /><br />He stood from the chair and exited the war room, determination steeling him.<br /><br />***<br /><br />The talks would happen on neutral ground. Mobius, the world between Heaven and Hell that neither angels nor demons had any authority over. King Shadow had agreed to speak to King Sonic, and they met in a place called Mystic Ruins.<br /><br />&ldquo;I see Heaven is under new rule.&rdquo; Shadow observed. &ldquo;What happened to the esteemed King Jules?&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow&rsquo;s tone indicated he had little respect for Sonic&rsquo;s father, but Sonic dismissed his biting tone. He wouldn&rsquo;t ruin relations with the demons because of a sarcastic quip.<br /><br />&ldquo;He died of sickness. I am his son, Sonic. I rule Heaven now.&rdquo; Sonic didn&#039;t extend a polite hand for the demon to shake, not wanting to return home corrupted.<br /><br />Sonic examined Shadow, who was obviously doing the same for him. The demon King was handsome, incredibly so, and held his head high and his back straight. His watchful eyes were the color of blood, which should have intimidated Sonic, and instead attracted him inexplicably. <br /><br />The feathers of his wings were the darkest of black, and they spread out impressively far. His body was strong and Sonic could see the outline of his muscles through his thin and soft looking fur.<br /><br />&ldquo;Well, you asked me here. Speak.&rdquo; Shadow barked. Sonic gathered himself before talking.<br /><br />&ldquo;Why are you attacking the gates and corrupting my guards?&rdquo; Sonic inquired bluntly. He needed answers to bring back to his people, and he wouldn&rsquo;t beat around the bush to get them.<br /><br />&ldquo;Corrupting? Is that what you think this is? Has your father told you nothing?&rdquo; Shadow seemed honestly surprised by Sonic&rsquo;s question, which threw the King of Heaven off quite a bit. The demons&#039; actions were strange to him, yet Shadow seemed to expect him to know his intentions.<br /><br />And what did his father have to do with this?<br /><br />&ldquo;You truly know nothing of what your father has done. Unbelievable.&rdquo; The demon&rsquo;s voice was incredulous and nearly breathless with shock.<br /><br />&ldquo;No, I know nothing of what you are talking about. What is my father&rsquo;s part in this?&rdquo; Sonic came here for answers, and now he had only more questions.<br /><br />Shadow&rsquo;s lips pulled down into a sneer. &ldquo;Your father put us on the path towards our own demise. He is killing us slowly, and I am trying to save my people.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Save them how? Please tell me what my father has done so I can make it right!&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow inspected him closely, cautious as to whether he should reveal the truth to the ignorant angel. He shook his head slowly.<br /><br />&ldquo;There is no making this right. Your kind hates us. Your people would never allow the concessions that would save us.&rdquo; Shadow&rsquo;s eyes revealed a touch of sorrow. &ldquo;I will say this much. Your blackened feathers are no danger to the angels bearing them or any others. I will save my people.&rdquo; Shadow&rsquo;s eyes looked away and the sorrow filled them to the brim as he murmured, &ldquo;At any cost.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow looked back to Sonic. &ldquo;You seem reasonable, and earnest. Much more so than your father. I beg you to not start a war over this. We have not killed nor harmed your people. The raids will continue, King Sonic. I will save my people.&rdquo; <br /><br />Shadow left him with that, disappearing in a flash of light, and Sonic&rsquo;s head buzzed with confusion.<br /><br />What had his father done to the demons?<br /><br />***<br /><br />&ldquo;How did it go?&rdquo; Rouge asked Shadow upon his return.<br /><br />&ldquo;Better than expected.&rdquo; He answered his advisor. &ldquo;The new King seems&hellip;kind.&rdquo;<br /><br />He seemed more than kind. Shadow couldn&rsquo;t shake off the insatiable lust Sonic had invoked in him. The angel was beautiful beyond description, he had no equal among his kind that Shadow had laid eyes on.<br /><br />He knew nothing would ever happen between them, but he also knew Sonic would be starring in his fantasies from now on.<br /><br />&ldquo;Kind? Is there a chance that-&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You know better than to ask such a thing. Angels will never have mercy on us.&rdquo; Shadow sat in his throne, his throne room barren except for himself and the bat.<br /><br />All of his subjects were beneath them, in the lower halls, sucking in the life giving energy they&rsquo;d retrieved from the angel&rsquo;s feathers. Rouge should have been with them, but she&rsquo;d wanted to greet Shadow when he returned.<br /><br />The King looked to his advisor&rsquo;s wings with worry. Their feathers were nearly entirely black, and those that weren&rsquo;t were a dull grey at best.<br /><br />&ldquo;Go, Rouge. You need to heal yourself.&rdquo;<br /><br />Rouge glared at him in frustration. &ldquo;As if you have the right to lecture me on taking care of myself. Look at your wings, there&rsquo;s nothing left of them!&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow folded his wings behind his back and glared right back at the bat. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve made my decision. I will not take for myself what my people so desperately need.&rdquo;<br /><br />Rouge knew there was little point in arguing any more. She&rsquo;d tried to convince her friend and King to save himself as he was saving his people, but he&rsquo;d stood firm. <br /><br />She left the throne room to delve deep into the depths of Hell to avail herself of the stolen life giving energy so precious to them, truly scared that this time it would be last she&rsquo;d see of Shadow.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Sonic was greeted with trumpets and a joyful choir as he walked from the gates to the palace. Angels threw flowers at his feet as he passed. The dignitaries filling the palace throne room each seemed to want a personal audience, but Sonic refused them, heading straight to his destination.<br /><br />Knuckles was already in the war room when the King entered, and he glared at Sonic once he walked through the doors.<br /><br />&ldquo;Nice to see you too.&rdquo; Sonic rolled his eyes at Knuckles&rsquo; aggressive attitude.<br /><br />&ldquo;Well? Did the King of Hell reveal his plot?&rdquo; Knuckles snarled.<br /><br />&ldquo;No, in fact he revealed the opposite. There is no plot.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Of course he would say that, you fool! You cannot believe those filthy creatures!&rdquo; Knuckles beat the war table again, this time causing a crack to form under his fist.<br /><br />&ldquo;Calm down, Guard Captain!&rdquo; Sonic ordered.<br /><br />&ldquo;Calm down? My men are dying and you want me to calm down when I hear you believing their lies?&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic was reminded of Shadow&rsquo;s words. He&rsquo;d said the demons were dying. Knuckles had also been an advisor to his father during his rule so many centuries previous. Perhaps he knew of what Shadow had spoken of.<br /><br />&ldquo;Knuckles, tell me, what occurred when my father went to visit the demons?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You know what happened. He tried to speak to their King, but the beast refused to negotiate.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic noticed that Knuckles was suddenly avoiding eye contact, and suspicion rose in his gut. Something was very wrong about this entire situation. Shadow&rsquo;s words plagued him, and he was becoming desperate for answers.<br /><br />&ldquo;Knuckles, what did my father do to the demons?&rdquo;<br /><br />Knuckles looked at him nervously before looking away again. Suddenly, the doors burst open and Sonic faced the intruder, a glare on his face.<br /><br />&ldquo;Excuse me, this is a private-Blaze?&rdquo;<br /><br />Blaze was the dungeon keeper of Heaven, and had been tasked with watching the corrupted angels for any sign of change. She was loyal and proper to a fault, and wouldn&rsquo;t barge in unless it was important.<br /><br />&ldquo;Has something happened?&rdquo; Knuckles asked her before turning to Sonic, &ldquo;You see? I told you this would become something more!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Let&rsquo;s hear what she has to say first.&rdquo; Sonic gestured for Blaze to go ahead.<br /><br />&ldquo;My King, circumstances have changed for the angels from the first group of guardians to have their feathers turned black.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;How so?&rdquo; Sonic&rsquo;s gut was twisting nervously. He&rsquo;d believed Shadow. Had he been deceived as Knuckles had said?<br /><br />&ldquo;Their feathers have returned to white.&rdquo;<br /><br />***<br /><br />The summons came as a surprise to Shadow. He&rsquo;d expected Sonic to betray him, as his father had, and go to war with the demons, not continue to speak to him. Several days went by with no word of an attack, only for the suspense to end not in battle but in further diplomacy.<br /><br />Perhaps Shadow should give Sonic a chance to prove he was not the man his father was.<br /><br />He accepted the invitation to return to Mobius, but this time Rouge had to come with him. He informed the messenger that he would be bringing an advisor, and the return message told him Sonic would be doing the same.<br /><br />Heaven&rsquo;s King likely believed Shadow wanted an advisor so they could engage in more serious talks of peace and felt the need to do the same. Truthfully, Shadow&rsquo;s condition was degrading quickly and he found himself struggling to walk. Rouge needed to stay at his side to keep him on his feet.<br /><br />He hated appearing weak in front of a fellow King, but diplomacy with the angels had become his only hope for his people. He needed to speak to Sonic.<br /><br />The King of Heaven&rsquo;s eyes widened at the sight of the demon, so different from how he had appeared just a few weeks previous. Shadow&rsquo;s legs shook with every step, and if it weren&rsquo;t for Rouge&rsquo;s hands holding him up he would have had to crawl.<br /><br />Knuckles also seemed shocked at his appearance. Sonic&rsquo;s doubts about his advisor&rsquo;s honesty made him question whether the shock came from the King of Hell&rsquo;s apparent weakness or something else.<br /><br />&ldquo;My apologies for my current state. This is my advisor, Rouge.&rdquo; Shadow introduced, and Sonic returned the favor.<br /><br />Sonic noticed that the bat&rsquo;s feathery wings weren&rsquo;t as black as Shadow&rsquo;s. Many of her feathers were a light grey, giving her wings a speckled appearance.<br /><br />&ldquo;This is Knuckles, my advisor.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve met before.&rdquo; Shadow said, and Sonic again found himself confused.<br /><br />&ldquo;I attended the previous talks with him at your father&rsquo;s side.&rdquo; Knuckles shifted uncomfortably under Sonic&rsquo;s gaze.<br /><br />&ldquo;How come I didn&rsquo;t know of this?&rdquo; Sonic snapped.<br /><br />&ldquo;Why would you? Why would he ever confess to what he and your father did?&rdquo; Rouge spoke up, anger in her voice. Knuckles glared at her.<br /><br />&ldquo;I am tired of this. Explain to me what is happening!&rdquo; Sonic patience had disappeared. Nothing made sense anymore. Everything he knew of his father&rsquo;s actions as King would only fill a thimble, and he was sick of his own ignorance.<br /><br />As the weeks had gone by since his last meeting with Shadow, the guards&rsquo; wings were returning to pure white. Beginning with the first group attacked, each black feather was fading to grey then to white in the order they&rsquo;d been corrupted. It seemed all they had needed was time.<br /><br />&ldquo;No. You are weak and a fool, and you will undo your father&rsquo;s work. I can&rsquo;t let that happen!&rdquo; Knuckles insisted, and Rouge let go of her King to lunge at him.<br /><br />Knuckles dodged, cringing fearfully away from the demon&rsquo;s touch. &ldquo;No, you will not corrupt me!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We&rsquo;re only trying to live! Why is that so wrong?&rdquo; Rouge&rsquo;s voice was quivering in both anger and fear as she shouted desperately.<br /><br />&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t lose him. I won&rsquo;t.&rdquo; Rouge turned away from Knuckles in favor of Sonic, and reached for him.<br /><br />&ldquo;Don&rsquo;t!&rdquo; Shadow cried.<br /><br />But Rouge wouldn&rsquo;t be stopped. She laid a hand on Sonic, and that was all it took. Immediately, Sonic&rsquo;s feathers began to dull and turn black. Sonic leapt away from her, but the bat smirked as she let him go, her job done.<br /><br />&ldquo;What have you done?&rdquo; Shadow muttered from the ground, his legs having given out from weakness.<br /><br />&ldquo;Saving you. Now they have to take action. Their King has fallen prey to the so-called corruption. They&rsquo;ll do anything to stop this insanity.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;They&rsquo;ll only hate us more for this, Rouge!&rdquo; Shadow&rsquo;s voice was despair incarnate. &ldquo;We came here to speak to them, not drive them away.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic looked at his own wings with worry. The guards were recovering, surely he would as well. The black feathers weren&rsquo;t some sort of sickness or corruption as they had feared, Sonic was positive. But his people would see the blackness and come to fear their own King.<br /><br />Knuckles certainly seemed to.<br /><br />&ldquo;You&rsquo;ve corrupted our King. Our King!&rdquo; He growled. &ldquo;This is unforgiveable. This is an act of <em>war</em>.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow shook his head, &ldquo;No, that isn&rsquo;t what we want!&rdquo;<br /><br />Even Rouge cringed back. &ldquo;I only wanted to force your hand to take diplomacy seriously. I didn&rsquo;t mean to-&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Rouge. Stop.&rdquo; Shadow ordered. &ldquo;They will always hate us. They&rsquo;ve been looking for an excuse to go to war since King Jules&rsquo; actions long ago. This was inevitable.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic shook his head vigorously. &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t want war. Diplomacy can still work between us!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;It will fail when your people scream for blood at the sight of your blackened wings. War will come, whether it be at your order or not. So, I make one last plea for the sake of my people&rsquo;s survival. War will end in genocide for us, and I hope my death will be enough to appease your people.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Shadow, no!&rdquo; Rouge started, but Shadow silenced her with a shaking raised hand.<br /><br />&ldquo;Execute me publically and perhaps war can be avoided. And perhaps my people can be saved with my death in more ways than one.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow turned to Rouge as he struggled to stand and put his hands on her shoulders. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m declaring you my heir. Take care of my people for me after I am gone.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;No&hellip;&rdquo; Rouge&rsquo;s eyes filled with tears, but the fight had left her. She cried silently as Shadow approached Sonic.<br /><br />&ldquo;I put myself at your mercy, so long as a public execution is my fate. I will endure any punishment you wish to inflict beforehand.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic gaped at Hell&rsquo;s King. He didn&rsquo;t want any of this, and had no intention of punishing or executing Shadow even if the angels demanded it. But perhaps imprisoning him was the only way he could speak to him.<br /><br />He still needed answers, and he still believed there could be peace between angels and demons. He would take Shadow prisoner for now, but he wouldn&rsquo;t give up on Shadow&rsquo;s people.<br /><br />***<br /><br />A crowd gathered around them upon their return to Heaven, but instead of trumpets and choirs a round of booing and hissing directed at Shadow greeted them.<br /><br />Shadow kept his head high even as he struggled to stay upright. As the gathered angels began to throw food and trash at the demon King, Shadow remained prideful.<br /><br />Inside the palace walls, dignitaries parted as they passed, whispering to one another and glaring at the demon. Even the dungeon provided no relief from the harassment. The guards still lingering there awaiting their white feathers to return banged against the cell doors and screamed obscenities.<br /><br />Shadow was escorted by Knuckles and Sonic to an isolated wing of the dungeon, reserved for long term incarceration. This wing had only one cell, and Shadow walked into it, but the door was left open as Knuckles turned to his King and gestured to the cell.<br /><br />&ldquo;If you would step inside, my King.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Excuse me?&rdquo; Sonic asked in shock.<br /><br />&ldquo;You have imprisoned every guard that has been corrupted. How can you not do the same for your people?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We know this is no longer some disease! It&rsquo;s a temporary change in color, nothing more! I plan to release the guards as my first act upon returning!&rdquo;<br /><br />Knuckles&rsquo; face darkened, and he suddenly shoved Sonic forcefully into the cell before locking his King in.<br /><br />&ldquo;This corruption has affected you. I will not allow it to spread. I will not let you undo your father&rsquo;s work.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic beat against the cell bars as Knuckles walked away, shutting the door to the isolated dungeon behind him.<br /><br />Sonic slumped onto the ground while Shadow sat on the bed and looked at him.<br /><br />&ldquo;Is he going to order an attack on my people?&rdquo; Shadow questioned nervously.<br /><br />&ldquo;He has no power to. He commands the guards that protect the gate and is my advisor, but he can&rsquo;t declare war without me. The dignitaries would never follow him, and the bulk of the army would wait for my order. He would muster, at most, some rebels. No one that can do any real damage.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow sighed in relief and leaned back against the wall, staring at the ceiling in silence. Sonic joined him on the bed, sitting next to the demon and was close enough for the feathers of their folded wings to brush against each other.<br /><br />&ldquo;What is going on, Shadow?&rdquo; Sonic asked for what felt like the hundredth time. He was so exhausted by all of this, mentally and physically. Nothing would sate him except for answers.<br /><br />Shadow shut his eyes and began to tell his story.<br /><br />&ldquo;When your father came to me centuries ago, he had no intention of making peace with demons. He came to destroy us.<br /><br />&ldquo;Once, our wings were as pure white as yours. Our species are very close to one another, more similar than different. The whiteness of our wings represents our life force, and as they turn black we get closer to death.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic looked to Shadow&rsquo;s wings, black as a starless sky, in worry.<br /><br />&ldquo;We both are Kings of our people, and as such we are conduits of our entire species. What affects us, affects our entire race. King Jules knew that if he inflicted a horror upon me, the same would be dealt to my people.<br /><br />&ldquo;He summoned me with talks of peace, and I wanted just that. Peace. But he came as a conqueror, not a diplomat. He forced me to&hellip;submit to him, and that act damned all demon kind.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic cringed. He didn&rsquo;t need elaboration on what that meant. How could his father do something so terrible?<br /><br />&ldquo;In taking my&hellip;pride he also took something vital from me. My life energy. The energy that sustains me and the rest of my people has been channeled away from myself to Jules, to his subjects, and to his line. I am a conduit for the life energy of my people, and that conduction has been corrupted, stolen. Since that day my wings, and the wings of all my species, have been turning from white to black. <br /><br />&ldquo;We have been dying these past centuries, and we have been searching for a cure. We found one a few months ago, but it bore great risk to retrieve.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The raids?&rdquo; Sonic muttered. &ldquo;They began a few months ago.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow nodded, &ldquo;Yes, angels and demons need the same life energy to survive, and angels have both their own and that which was stolen from us. Taking some life energy from the angels would have no ill effects save some temporary darkening of your feathers. It would be restored with time.<br /><br />&ldquo;We are close enough to kin that one touch is all it takes to return what is rightfully ours. One touch, and a sliver of the life energy that was taken away is restored to my kingdom. The raids are sent to touch your gate guardians, and then my people gather around the pool of life deep in the farthest depths of hell to feed on what little we have, just to survive a few more weeks.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic nodded solemnly, and Shadow opened his eyes to look at the King of angels.<br /><br />&ldquo;I never knew.&rdquo; Sonic whispered. &ldquo;If I had known I would have tried to help you before now. But I will rectify the mistake caused by my ignorance. What can I do to restore you as a conduit for your people&rsquo;s life energy? How do I make it cease to drain from you into the angels&rsquo; coffers?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;Kill me.&rdquo; Shadow answered bluntly.<br /><br />&ldquo;What?&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;If I were to die, the new Queen, Rouge, would become a new conduit. The flow of energy would be reset and restored. Once I realized what was happening I wished to end my life immediately, but Rouge persuaded me to continue living. I should have died centuries ago, and none of this would have happened.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow buried his face in his hands, but not before Sonic saw the look in his eyes, one of desperation, loneliness, and endless suffering. It pained Sonic to see anyone, including Shadow, his supposed enemy, in such misery.<br /><br />Sonic was only more sure of his decision.<br /><br />&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t allow you to die.&rdquo; Sonic promised. &ldquo;You deserve a chance to live and find happiness, same as anyone else. There must be another way.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;There is, but I refuse to partake in such a thing.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic got up from the bed and kneeled in front of Shadow, something he was taught a King should never do. But if Sonic would kneel before anyone, it would be the noble and respectable Shadow.<br /><br />&ldquo;Please tell me. At least give me a chance to hear it and know I did everything I could to save you.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow looked down at Sonic, wretchedness in his face. He sighed in exhaustion, and spoke again.<br /><br />&ldquo;If the same act was done in reverse, it would restore to me what was taken. I would be a proper conduit again.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;The same, in reverse? If I submitted to you, your life energy conduction would be corrected?&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow nodded in confirmation. &ldquo;Rouge wanted me to do the same as your father had done to me, to summon you to diplomatic talks and rape you. But I&rsquo;d never force such a terrible thing, especially not after I learned the horrors of it personally. I&rsquo;d never inflict the guilt, the suffering, the humiliation on another. <em>Never</em>.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic&rsquo;s eyes softened and his lips turned up into a smile.<br /><br />&ldquo;There would be no guilt or suffering or humiliation if I want it.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow jerked his head up and stared at Sonic, utterly baffled. Sonic didn&rsquo;t allow him to begin asking questions, instead he stood and kissed Shadow lightly on the mouth.<br /><br />Shadow returned the kiss tentatively, and Sonic pressed his lips to Shadow&rsquo;s with greater enthusiasm. He wasn&rsquo;t lying, Sonic desired Shadow like he&rsquo;d never desired anyone before. He was the most handsome creature Sonic had ever seen. Anyone with eyes would want him.<br /><br />They parted with a sigh, and Shadow inspected him closely.<br /><br />&ldquo;Do not do this to yourself out of some sense of responsibility for what your father did. I will not force this on you.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;You aren&rsquo;t forcing anything. I want this. I&rsquo;ll submit to you, Shadow, of my own will. My body is yours to do with as you want.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow sucked in a breath and leaned into another kiss, wrapping his arms around Sonic and turning them so he could lay Sonic down on the bed. He kneeled above him, his hands on either side of Sonic&rsquo;s head.<br /><br />&ldquo;You are so beautiful. I thought as much when we first met.&rdquo; Shadow murmured, gentleness in his eyes.<br /><br />&ldquo;I thought the same of you.&rdquo; Sonic confessed.<br /><br />&ldquo;Please, once more. Tell me this is what you want. I cannot bear the thought of forcing this on you.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic put his hands on Shadow&rsquo;s cheeks and looked him straight in the eye unwaveringly. &ldquo;I want this. I want <em>you</em>. Do what you want with me.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow trailed his hand down Sonic&rsquo;s body and unbuttoned his royal garb as he went. The finery was tossed to the ground carelessly, along with his trousers to leave him completely exposed.<br /><br />Garnet eyes roamed his body. Nobody had ever looked at him in such a way, so wrought with pure want. Sonic felt himself hardening from only being looked at with burning desire.<br /><br />Sonic raised his shaking fingers to Shadow&rsquo;s clothing and did the same for him, stripping his down and tossing the finery to the side without a care for them.<br /><br />His body was everything Sonic had imagined it to be. His chest was defined and firm, his abs strong and muscled. Sonic wanted that body over him and inside of him.<br /><br />There was nothing forceful about this. Sonic lusted for Shadow, and Shadow lusted for Sonic. Their desires were matched in intensity.<br /><br />They kissed again, wanting to taste each other and explore one another&rsquo;s mouths with their tongues. Sonic ran his hands over Shadow&rsquo;s chest and stomach, feeling the hard muscle beneath the smooth, dark fur.<br /><br />Shadow groaned into Sonic mouth, then ran his hands alone the bed sheet and found a snag. He tore a strip away from the bed spread.<br /><br />&ldquo;What&hellip;?&rdquo; Sonic began to ask, but Shadow put a finger to his lips.<br /><br />He flipped Sonic onto his stomach and bound his wrists together, then tied him to the bed frame. Sonic gave him a questioning look over his shoulder.<br /><br />&ldquo;You look incredible like this, spread out and bound for my pleasure. Does it please you as well?&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic nodded. Something about being made helpless under Shadow&rsquo;s hand was turning him on even more. He had meant it when he&rsquo;d said Shadow could do as he pleased with Sonic&rsquo;s body.<br /><br />Shadow smiled and ran his hands down Sonic&rsquo;s spine and came to his ass, squeezing and massaging the globes of flesh lovingly. Sonic moaned and pushed into the touch as much as his bondage allowed.<br /><br />The demon put his lips to the flesh of Sonic&rsquo;s ass and bit lightly, making Sonic yelp. A small trickle of blood stained Sonic&rsquo;s fur from the bite, but such a small wound would heal in moments.<br /><br />Sonic didn&rsquo;t fully understand why the pain seemed to light his body on fire, making him feel every touch more intensely. He didn&rsquo;t question it nor fear it though, trusting Shadow to take care of him.<br /><br />Shadow kissed his lower back as a finger slid into his anal passage, which stretched uncomfortably to accommodate him. <br /><br />Sonic whimpered, but Shadow shushed him with loving kisses to his neck, ending the little pecks with another bite, just deep enough for Shadow to taste blood and for Sonic&rsquo;s body to feel electrified by the pain and pleasure.<br /><br />As Sonic reveled in the feelings, Shadow added another finger while Sonic was distracted. He scissored them apart to prepare Sonic for what was to come. Jules had not granted him such care when he had forcefully taken Shadow.<br /><br />But those memories had no place here, in bed with Sonic. He banished them to the back of his mind before the pain brought forth despair as it always has these long centuries. Sonic sought to mend that which was broken, and Shadow wouldn&rsquo;t spoil the angel&rsquo;s efforts with his own self-hatred. He&rsquo;d make an effort to heal, as Sonic wanted.<br /><br />Sonic&rsquo;s body was quivering and shaking with pleasure, and Shadow enjoyed the sight of it. He&rsquo;d repressed his own desires for so long out of fear, and now every pent up desire he&rsquo;d ever had was coming to the forefront. He felt mad with lust, he wanted Sonic so badly it hurt.<br /><br />He removed his fingers and touched the tip of his hard and weeping cock to Sonic&rsquo;s ass. <br /><br />&ldquo;Ready?&rdquo; He asked, and Sonic nodded with a wordless moan.<br /><br />Shadow thrust forward, penetrating the tight ring of muscles and pushing slowly into Sonic&rsquo;s depths. Sonic squirmed at the feeling, but kept silent, enduring the temporary discomfort for the sake of the pleasure yet to come.<br /><br />Shadow fully seated himself inside of Sonic, and his eyes fluttered shut in pleasure. He forced them back open so he could watch Sonic tremble and twitch. He didn&rsquo;t want to miss anything of Sonic&rsquo;s reactions, they were so endearing.<br /><br />&ldquo;Please, move.&rdquo; Sonic begged after a time of Shadow keeping still. He appreciated Shadow&rsquo;s care, but he was feeling impatient and needy. He wanted Shadow to fuck him in earnest.<br /><br />Shadow delivered what Sonic wanted with gusto. He pulled out almost completely before thrusting hard back in. Sonic howled and begged for more in a voice lacking breath, having lost all the air in his lungs with the first thrust into his body.<br /><br />Lights danced in front of Sonic&rsquo;s eyes as Shadow pounded into him. How could his father have perverted such a beautiful and pleasurable thing?<br /><br />But Jules didn&rsquo;t belong between him and Shadow. Sonic forced thoughts of his father away, which was easy as each thrust wiped his mind clean of anything but the unbelievable ecstasy.<br /><br />He pulled at his bonds uselessly. He had no desire to escape, but he needed something to ground him in the wake of the pleasure and slight stinging pain from the bites on his ass and neck. He felt unraveled at the seams, and he was desperate for something to hold on to as his body unwound.<br /><br />Shadow seemed to read his needs and moved one of his hands from Sonic&rsquo;s hips to his face, stroking his cheek gently.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s alright. You&rsquo;re safe and well. You&rsquo;ll always be safe with me, I promise. Calm down.&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic was soothed in an instant, Shadow&rsquo;s confidence and comforting words exactly what he&rsquo;d needed. Yes, Sonic was safe in Shadow&rsquo;s hands. Even if he was unwound, Shadow would put him back together.<br /><br />Sonic swore to himself Shadow would be safe with him in return. He would not die, not for his people, not for anyone. He&rsquo;d live on to find the happiness life had denied him for far too long. Hopefully, he would find that happiness with Sonic at his side. He didn&rsquo;t want their relationship to end here. Sonic wanted them to thrive together and fall in love. It would be so easy to fall in love with Shadow.<br /><br />Sonic&rsquo;s body tightened around Shadow&rsquo;s length as it prepared to come undone. Shadow moaned and fucked him vigorously, making Sonic scream his name and cum hard on the prison bed sheets.<br /><br />Shadow followed soon after and filled Sonic with his seed. Sonic shuddered at the warmth spilling inside of him, the feeling strange and foreign but not unwelcome.<br /><br />Shadow untied Sonic after removing himself from him, who turned onto his back to look at Shadow, then gasped.<br /><br />His wings, once completely black and colorless, were gaining color. The black was slowly fading to grey before Sonic&rsquo;s eyes.<br /><br />&ldquo;Your wings&hellip;&rdquo; He started, and Shadow stretched them out to inspect them, his own eyes going as wide as Sonic&rsquo;s.<br /><br />&ldquo;Could it be true?&rdquo; Shadow gasped, a nervous smile wanting to form on his lips.<br /><br />&ldquo;I think it is. You&rsquo;re a true conduit for your people again. I can&rsquo;t wait to see your wings turn white, they&rsquo;ll be so beautiful.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow turned to Sonic and leaned down to kiss him, laughing as he did so. Sonic couldn&rsquo;t stop his own giggling, and the kiss was a wet and sloppy mess of joyful meeting and parting and meeting again.<br /><br />&ldquo;Sonic, I owe you everything. You&rsquo;ve saved my people.&rdquo; Tears fell from blood colored eyes, but they were tears of joy rather than of sorrow.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy you and your kind will be okay, but I didn&rsquo;t do it only for them. I wanted this. I want you, and I still want more of you.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow&rsquo;s smile faded, and his eyes darkened.<br /><br />&ldquo;I wish there could be more between us, but you can&rsquo;t forget. Your people despise my kind, and will still want my blood to be spilled.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow gestured to Sonic&rsquo;s wings, still spotted with darkness but fading to white.<br /><br />&ldquo;I won&rsquo;t allow it.&rdquo; Sonic swore, gripping Shadow&rsquo;s face in his hands. &ldquo;I am King, my word is law in Heaven. I say you will live.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow didn&rsquo;t seem to believe him, but fell into Sonic&rsquo;s arms anyway, holding him tight as they sat in the darkness in silence. Shadow reveled in what he believed to be his first, last, and only moments with Sonic.<br /><br />***<br /><br />They fell asleep in each other&rsquo;s embrace, but Shadow awoke before Sonic and got up from the bed. An intruder in their cell had woken him from slumber, and he squinted through the darkness to see Knuckles at the cell door.<br /><br />&ldquo;It&rsquo;s time, scum. You&rsquo;ll be executed to pay for the corruption of our King, or else our people go to war.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m here of my own will, as you&rsquo;ll remember. I won&rsquo;t resist. May I have a moment?&rdquo;<br /><br />Knuckles nodded, willing to concede to that much for a dead man. He remembered watching the former King rape the demon, remembered holding his arms down so Jules could&hellip;<br /><br />Knuckles turned away to give Shadow a final moment of privacy.<br /><br />Shadow stood at the bed&rsquo;s side to look at Sonic for the last time.<br /><br />&ldquo;Thank you for all you&rsquo;ve done, all you&rsquo;ve tried to build. I trust you&rsquo;ll keep your people from warring with mine once I&rsquo;m gone. I wish&hellip;&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow blinked away his tears and leaned down to kiss Sonic, wanting his last memory to be of Sonic&rsquo;s lips.<br /><br />&ldquo;I would have loved you. I think I already do.&rdquo;<br /><br />Shadow forced himself to leave Sonic&rsquo;s side and approach the cell bars.<br /><br />&ldquo;I&rsquo;m ready.&rdquo;<br /><br />***<br /><br />Sonic awoke alone and cold, so he rose from bed in a haste to find Shadow. He found nothing but the cell&rsquo;s walls.<br /><br />&ldquo;No! No, I promised I&rsquo;d save you!&rdquo; He screeched to no one but himself.<br /><br />He wracked his brain for something, anything that could get him out of here and maybe stop the execution before it could happen. For all he knew Shadow was long dead, killed while Sonic slept, but Sonic wouldn&rsquo;t give up on him until he saw Shadow&rsquo;s corpse for himself.<br /><br />He ran to the cell bars and began crying out with all his strength.<br /><br />&ldquo;Blaze? Blaze! Please, tell me you&rsquo;re here!&rdquo;<br /><br />***<br /><br />Shadow stood before the chopping block and listened to Knuckles recite the charges against him. Attempted assassination, he claimed, against their beloved King. He&rsquo;d done no such thing, but it didn&rsquo;t matter. Shadow had accepted his death with the surety it would spare his people from war.<br /><br />He kneeled at the end of the recitation and bent over to put his head on the block. The angels jeered at him and egged the executioner on as the giant axe was raised above his head and lined up with his neck.<br /><br />Shadow summoned an image of Sonic, beneath him and writhing in pleasure, to let his last thoughts be happy ones. He shut his eyes and waited for his life to end.<br /><br />&ldquo;By order of the King, I command you to stop!&rdquo;<br /><br />An audible gasp went through the crowd at their King&rsquo;s appearance. They had been told he had voluntarily imprisoned himself to protect the populace from corruption, and they hadn&rsquo;t expected him to attend the execution.<br /><br />Shadow wanted to groan in frustration. Sonic&rsquo;s idealism was charming, but maddening. Didn&rsquo;t he understand this was the only option? That there could be no peace between angels and demons without the retribution brought by Shadow&rsquo;s death?<br /><br />&ldquo;The demons have done nothing wrong! This madness ends today!&rdquo;<br /><br />Sonic pushed the executioner aside and helped Shadow to his feet. The King of demons glared at him.<br /><br />&ldquo;What are you doing? I need to do this!&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;And I need to save you. I made you a promise.&rdquo; Sonic whispered before addressing the crowd.<br /><br />&ldquo;Centuries ago my father approached the demons with lies and deceptions about making peace, when he only went to rob the demons of something precious. Their very life!&rdquo;<br /><br />A nervous mumble rose in the crowd, confused and subdued.<br /><br />&ldquo;These raids have been an effort to save their entire species, and do not harm us angels at all! Their King was ready to die for his kin, in an attempt to make peace with us! Who are we, as a species, to condemn him to die over nothing? Over imagined slights?&rdquo;<br /><br />The mumble rose in pitch, and the confusion faded to give way to despair.<br /><br />&ldquo;What have we become?&rdquo; Someone near enough the front to be heard by the Kings said.<br /><br />&ldquo;We have become persecutors. We have become an entire race that finds it easier to accept falsities instead of striving to discover the truth. We have fallen far, my people. But we need not let the mindless hatred continue to poison us. <br /><br />&quot;Let us foster a new age where demons and angels can thrive together in harmony. We are better than this,we are better than our hatred!&quot;<br /><br />Sonic took Shadow&rsquo;s hand in a show of solidarity and lifted them up so the entire crowd could see their clasped hands. A thunderous cheer went through the crowd.<br /><br />Shadow turned his head to Sonic, gaping in shock. Sonic faced him and smiled, tightening his grip on their raised hands.<br /><br />***<br /><br />Bells pealed across the depths of Hell, in widespread celebration, and the demons smiled and laughed as they hadn&rsquo;t in centuries. This was a day of naught but joy.<br /><br />Today, the angelic and demonic people would be joined in a bond that went beyond political ties. Today, their Kings were to be married.<br /><br />The past few years hadn&rsquo;t been easy, as many angels held onto their preconceptions, and many demons still blamed the angels for their centuries of slowly dying, but most were willing to look past their previous struggles in order to forge a better tomorrow.<br /><br />Their immortal lives were too long to spend wallowing in old hatreds.<br /><br />The black wings that had once marked the demons as corrupted had returned to white with the restoration of their King as a conduit for life energy to flow through Hell and through its people. It was undeniable that angels and demons were brethren.<br /><br />The ceremony would take place in Shadow&rsquo;s palace as a display of letting go of the past and future cooperation, and many angels ventured to Hell to witness their Kings join together in matrimony.<br /><br />The Kings clasped hands in front of an altar as Rouge read the ceremonial words that would bind them together for the rest of their immortal lives. Their pure white wings stretched proudly from their backs.<br /><br />Sonic&#039;s own advisor was absent from the proceedings, having been imprisoned for treason against the King. Sonic didn&#039;t miss him.<br /><br />The spectators teared up as they watched an age of hate and division come to an end. Rouge finished the rites and closed her book.<br /><br />The Kings looked lovingly at each other as they bent close and locked lips to seal their commitments to one another. Their wings enfolded them and allowed a modicum of privacy as they kissed.<br /><br />The crowd stood and cheered as they walked hand in hand down the aisle. Shadow led Sonic to his private chambers and lifted him into his arms, depositing him gently on the bed and crawling over him.<br /><br />Sonic tsked and reversed their positions with a sly smirk. Shadow tilted his head and grinned up at him.<br /><br />&quot;Just lay back and let me do all the work, my King and my husband.&quot;<br /><br />Shadow watched as Sonic reached behind himself and prepared his passage to receive Shadow&#039;s girth. He moaned and rolled his head back as he worked his own ass.<br /><br />&quot;I look forward to an eternity of this with you, my love and my King.&quot; Shadow said, which made Sonic smile at him and laugh lightly.<br /><br />Sonic finished preparing himself and lifted up with his knees, then lowered himself onto Shadow&#039;s cock. He slowly took in the thick girth fully, the position allowing for deeper penetration.<br /><br />Shadow guided him with hands on his hips, making sure he went slow so as to prevent as much pain as possible. He squeezed Sonic&#039;s hips affectionately, prompting another cute little smile.<br /><br />Sonic began to fuck himself on Shadow&#039;s cock, setting the pace and letting Shadow lean back and relax as he was pleasured.<br /><br />They made love until Sonic&#039;s legs gave out, then Shadow flipped them over and thrust his hips into Sonic&#039;s. He came inside of his new husband, and Sonic&#039;s fur was stained with his own cum.<br /><br />Shadow pulled out and laid beside his spouse.<br /><br />&ldquo;I love you with everything I am.&rdquo; Shadow declared with an adoring smile. Sonic smiled back with an equal amount of love.<br /><br />&ldquo;And I love you, and will keep loving you for the rest of eternity.&rdquo;</span>",
  "pools_count": 1,
  "title": "Corruption",
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