A/N: Thank you so much, You can run but you can't hide, Trauts, Wolfkitteh, and WolfKitty! (lol aww your usernames! :P) Yes I do love this story quite a bit, and nowadays I’m just thankful if people even glance at my stuff, so really thanks you guys for your kind words. :D I’ve taken your advice too Trauts, hehehe~

Anyways AHH I’m sorry it took so long—one month! Unacceptable! *sobs and bows* Haha, it’s only the second chapter but man was it really giving me issues. o.O I might come back and edit it later. Yay for editing systems!

Okies, chappy two~

acceleration +2: To Breathe

Ah, to feel the grass crunch beneath his feet and a soft breeze ghost his cheek...!

He inhaled deeply, enjoying the peace the open garden brought to him, especially since he knew it was going to be interrupted at any moment.

He closed his eyes. ‘Three... two... one...’

“SONIIIIIIIC!”

This time the hedgehog was prepared when a squishy white ball tackled him to the floor. He laughed from the phoenix wings tickling his snout before lifting the chao from his chest, dangling her in the air. “Hey~! That’s my name, don’t wear it out!”

“I missed you so much!” Kaiba was basically sputtering and sobbing over Sonic’s arrival. She was so happy; mixed emotions came over her and couldn’t decide if she wanted to squeal or cry, so it seemed like she was doing both.

And Sonic couldn’t help but laugh at his chao, she looked silly. But boy, was he glad to see her! “I missed you too, little buddy,” he wiped the tears from her eyes. “But yanno what? I’ve got great news!”

“R... really? What is it?”

“Dry your tears kid, this is pretty big.”

The white chao hastily did so, clearing her throat and taking a deep breath. “Okay, okay. I’m ready.”

Sonic grinned a gigantic grin. He stayed like that for a few seconds.

Eventually Kaiba smacked him. “What is it!?”

“I went pro!”

“You went — WHAT?!”

“Pro!”

“... Fessional?”

“... Wha?”

“PROFESSIONAL!?”

“Oh! YEAH!”

“OHMYGOSHI’MSOPROUDOFYOU!” she squealed and stuck to his face. “I knew it! I knew you could do it! Yaaaay!”

“SHHHHHHH!”

Both turned to look at the voice. There standing a few feet away was the same lady from three weeks ago, glaring her threatening glare. Around her were a couple of sleeping chao.

“... Why do I always come here when it’s nap time.”

“Because you have great timing, that’s why.” Kaiba took Sonic’s hand and pulled him in the direction of the entrance. “C’mon, let’s go outside. I wanna hear all about the tournament!”

x – x – x

Across the street was a park for play and relaxation where residents would often take their children. Since it was directly across the chao garden facility, many owners did the same for their chao as well.

And there sitting on one of the swings was Kaiba, swinging up and down gleefully. Beside her Sonic was swinging as well, maybe not as energetically since he was describing his experience in Canada. “... And yeah, that other guy was there too, the silver one? But I don’t know, I wasn’t too worried about him. Probably cuz he was entered into a different division and he refuses all offers anyway.”

“Oah, that kid,” Kaiba laughed as she remembered one of their previous conversations about the hedgehog’s skating life. “As he’s known to the rest of you guys, it’s ‘The dude that always says no!’”

“Sheesh, whatta weird guy,” Sonic sighed. “I don't understand how he can turn down all those promoters that come up to him. Doesn’t he know how many other skaters would beg to be signed as much as he’s been asked?”

“... Wow, it’s that much?”

“Yeah.” He laughed a little. “Well, whatever. Guess some people prefer paying for all their gear. Cuz for sure he likes the sport enough... or maybe he doesn't want the attention.”

“Ooh, maybe he’s hiding something!”

“... Maybe.”

A pause.

"But anyway!” The blue hedgehog kicked at a random pinecone that the wind blew in front of him. “So even though I was up against some pretty tough dudes in my division I managed to nab first place. After the ceremony people from Sega Company came up to me, we talked, and bada-bing bada-boom I have a meeting this weekend to talk about a video shoot next month!”

“Uwahh, so cool!” Kaiba squealed and danced around in her seat, Sonic grinning as he saw her excitement. “Did I mention how proud I am of you? Haha, I feel like a mom excited that her son got into college or something!”

“Sounds like it,” he laughed back. Sonic rolled his shoulders back a little, taking a deep breath before exhaling loudly. “Well, phew! My story’s finally done. How ‘bout you, how’d you do during my three-week absence?”

“Ehh... it was okay.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah—oh wait!” she flailed her arms wildly. Sweatdropping, Sonic took that as his cue and held a hand out, catching the swing and stopping it from... well, swinging. Although chaos had the ability to keep their momentum moving, their feet were still too short to touch the ground. “I remember something!”

Sonic pressed his ears forward.

“There was this guy who took care of me.”

“... Oh really?” Eyebrows raised in interest.

“Yup~ o’course, during the first few days it was boring and kinda lonely. I guess he noticed and came over. Then I told him my owner was on a trip collecting maple syrup all over Canada so he was nice and kept me company.”

“Maple syrup huh,” Sonic laughed, but his eyes softened as he listened to Kaiba tell her story. The fact that somebody actually noticed and did that for her warmed his heart. Looked like there were still random good people on the planet.

Maybe if someone reached out to him earlier he wouldn’t have been caught up with those punks in middle school. But then again, he wouldn’t have met Knuckles and Tails...

“Guess some things are meant to be,” he murmured to himself.

Kaiba nodded, despite the fact she wasn’t aware of what Sonic was distractedly thinking about. She smacked his knee to get his attention again. “So yeah, the guy. And he had his own chao too and they’d visit me every couple of days to check up and play.”

“Aw,” a large grin from the hedgehog. “He sounds like a nice guy.”

“Yeah, he was! Though it was kinda funny when I first saw him, cuz he's like one of those people... scary-lookin', yanno?”

“Well, never judge a book by its cover, that’s what I always say!” Sonic jumped off his swing and held out his arms. Kaiba leaped into them happily. “Anyway it’s getting cold out here, we should head back inside. You need to train anyway for your tournament next week!”

“Ah, right, the race...”

The two had entered the building again and were making their way to the garden where Kaiba usually stayed.

“And oh yeah, one more thing,” Sonic shook the chao in his arms to get her attention. “If you ever see that guy again you gotta tell me, okay? I owe him for takin' care of my little girl!”

A large smile and a nod. “Definitely!”

x – x – x


A week later...


x – x – x

Shining lights, the sound of a roaring crowd and the aura of competition in the air. It was invigorating and Sonic was very familiar with the feeling, but this time he wasn’t the one in the spotlight. He looked down at the track, proudly watching a white hero chao doing some warm-ups with a bunch of other racers.

“Looks like competing is in the family.”

Sonic turned around. Walking towards him was the owner of the obnoxious voice, Knuckles, and following closely were Tails and Amy.

“SONIC~!” Amy squealed, glomping the hedgehog in greeting. “How’s Kaiba? Didja train her well for this day?”

“Of course I did! Now, erm, can you... breathing space...? My lungs...”

“Oops, my bad! (release)”

“Jeez woman, you need to learn how to control your strength!”

“Aw but I can’t help it! You’re so huggable!”

Knuckles stuck his face between the two. “Uh, yeah, excuse me lovebirds. The race is gonna start in five minutes.”

“I’ll find us seats!” Tails called, disappearing in the mess of people already on the bleachers.

The three watched him walk off before Sonic turned back to Knuckles. “Anyways. Okay, so first of all stop calling us that cuz that was years ago, and second damn right competition is in the family! Kai’s gonna win today, just like she did last time!” He turned to the sky and laughed a victorious cackle.

Knuckles stared at him for a moment before looking at Amy's reaction. She just gave him a sheepish smile. “Yeah Knux, stop bringing it up.”

“Heh, sorry. I guess it’s bad enough Sonic can’t get any girls nowadays.”

The pink hedgehog looked over at Sonic who was grinning widely at the track.

Nope, not paying attention to them at all. She tilted her head. “Really? Good looking guy like him ain’t popular with the ladies anymore?”

“Well he would be if you didn’t still act like his girlfriend...”

“What! I do not!”

“Riiight...”

Amy suddenly latched onto his arm, squealing in glee and squeezing his biceps. “Ohh Knuckles, you’re so macho! Such nice arm muscles! I loooove you!”

“AHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!” The red echidna started flailing wildly. He noticed the girls that were eyeing him previously had suddenly looked away, turned off by the “fact” that he was taken. “Nooo... Amy get OFF! My image, woman! THINK OF MY IMAGE!”

“Would you two get over here already!?” Tails popped up out of nowhere and grabbed one of Knuckles’ dreads, hauling him off. A content Amy giggled as she followed.

Meanwhile Sonic grinned as he just watched. “Losers...” he had to murmur (lovingly) under his breath. Then he turned back to the track and cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify. “Go for it, Kai! Kick butt out there!”

Kaiba nodded back at him, pumping her fist in the air determinedly. Sonic grinned in approval.

But the sound of distant cheering caught his attention. He looked to his right – in another section of the stadium another chao had won her own race. Reporters flocked all around and Sonic veered his attention to one of the TV screens on their side to listen to the live feedback.

“So how’s it feel to win the challenging Amethyst race?!”

“Really awesome! Actually this my first one... so I’m glad I won it!”

“Did you hear that, ladies and gentleman!? Apparently this race was this fiery little chao’s first – and a victorious one, at that! Let’s applaud the youngster!”

Cue the cheering.

The blue hedgehog had to sweatdrop to himself. Good thing Kaiba decided to do the Peridot race instead of the Amethyst one... After a few more questions the red chao’s interview ended and she looked around a little. Suddenly she perked up, waving her arms in a certain direction.

And Sonic watched as from that direction approached a black hedgehog.

Streaks of blood red lined black limbs and slightly upturned quills. A patch of white fur sat on his upper chest, and striking red eyes that currently glinted in pride for his chao also held a side of... refinement.

It was an odd contrast to what looked to be a trouble-making, even devilish façade... but Sonic couldn’t keep his eyes away. He watched as the hedgehog lifted the red chao into dark arms; every movement was strong and confident, achieved in perfect elegance; such was the way he held himself up.

Then Sonic froze as the ruby eyes looked in his direction. It held him to the spot, immobilized him; but perhaps the hedgehog was looking at something above his head because he turned just as quickly back to his chao.

‘Whoa.’ Sonic put a hand to his chest, thinking it'd somehow calm his heart after feeling it jump a bit. ‘... That was scary.’

He smirked in amusement. The guy had such an aura...

Everything about the black hedgehog screamed danger. Though at the same time, his air of class was unmistakable.

And to see somebody like that with a chao nuzzling his face... a lopsided grin appeared on the blue hedgehog's mouth.

But he couldn’t keep his eyes away.

“Sonic... uh, Sonic...”

Finally realizing he was holding his breath, Sonic snapped out of his trance and turned to the voice he barely heard calling. “What?” He eyed Tails who was giving him a weird look. “Uh... you said something?”

“Yes,” Tails gestured at Amy and Knuckles a little ways off. “Kaiba’s race starts in ten minutes, c’mon before we miss it.”

“Kaiba’s race...?”

Sonic furrowed his eyebrows. For some reason he couldn’t remember anything. Where was he again?

He glanced again at the dark hedgehog who was now walking out of the arena with his chao. “Kaiba’s race...—ah! Yeah, of course! Yeah, let’s get going...” he turned and walked off.

Tails just followed, raising an eyebrow. “Erm... is something up?”

“Up? Naw buddy, it’s all good – hurry up before we miss it!”

The fox sweatdropped as he grabbed Sonic’s arm and pulled him in the correct direction. “Yeah yeah, that’s what I said...”

x – x – x

The race was close, but after an intense battle through a large pool, an intelligence test, tree-shaking and rock-climbing, the victor had emerged: Kaiba! Needless to say Sonic and company were rejoicing madly in the stands and, still cheering, swept the chao into their arms when they met her down in the track. Cameras soon surrounded the chao and her proud owner, asking questions about the race. Sonic just smiled as he put Kaiba down to be level with the chao reporters... this scene reminded him of a similar one earlier.

The next day the two were at it again in the garden, recalling the events from the day before. This time the blue hedgehog had made sure it wasn’t naptime so they wouldn’t bother any of the other chaos.

“So didja see the way that gray chao and I battled up the climbing wall?!” Kaiba cackled, using wild arm gestures and sound effects to animate her conversation. She managed to catch the jellyball Sonic threw at her. “We were neck-in-neck, head-to-head! But then he started getting the upper hand, when CRACK! The rock in his foot gave way! I took that as my chance Sonic, so I passed him but then GASP! He caught my foot! But thankfully I managed to shake him off and ZOOM, finish the course one second before he did!”

Sonic laughed. Gasp? “Yeah he was pretty impressive, but he didn’t match you at all in the running department! Ya totally owned him there!”

“Thank goodness, since he was a monster at everything else.”

“I toldja~! Who knew you’d win? Who knew?”

“You knew!” She squealed and, still holding the ball, jumped into his arms. “Thanks so much for believing in me!”

“Don’t mention it,” he grinned and gave her a loving noogie on the head. “I gotta admit though, there was some pretty tough competition at that tournament. And not just in the Peridot race you were in.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” Sonic sat down right where he stood. Kaiba settled for swaying side to side in front of him just because she felt energetic. “You should’ve seen it; over at the Amethyst track, there was this red chao. Popped up out of nowhere apparently, ran her first race and won. And uh, I thought it was a little funny, cuz her owner looked so intimidating, yanno? Stoic and cold.” He laughed as he remembered, the same lopsided smile creeping its way onto tan cheeks. “Someone like that taking care of a chao...”

Meanwhile Kaiba just watched Sonic’s expression carefully. She smiled and tapped his knee. “Like you say, never judge a book by its cover.”

He looked up, grinning widely. “Hehe, that’s right.”

“By the way... can you tell me what kinda red chao?”

“Hmm... she was a normal type dark chao, tiger ears, limbs and tail and with animal wings... I can’t remember what kinda wings though...” He had to scratch the back of his ears sheepishly. After all, it wasn’t really her he was focusing on during that moment...

“Maybe dragon wings?”

“Ohh yeah, dragon wings! How’d ya guess?”

“Just a hunch.”

Kaiba giggled and pointed to the entrance. The hedgehog blinked, turning around. Indeed at the other side of the garden was the entrance, where a red dark chao with the exact same characteristics he just described was bouncing happily into the garden.

Sonic gasped and pointed. “Hey, that’s her!”

A few seconds passed and a black and red hedgehog followed her in.

Green irises grew to the size of saucers upon seeing him. That unmistakable aura, the confident stature, and those eyes which left such an impression...! “What the... what’s he—”

“Heeey, and that’s him! The guy that took care of me while you were gone!”

Sonic had to double take.

Make that triple.

Or, err, quadruple.

“Wait—WHAT?!”

“The guy, the guy! That’s him!” Kaiba squealed happily, suddenly grabbing Sonic’s hand. And pulling.

All of a sudden it felt as if the hedgehog’s lunch almost lurched out of his mouth. He could feel his blood racing through his body, and his chest started beating. Wildly. Like what he felt earlier at the stands, but multiplied by... a kajillion, maybe?

Sonic clutched his chest in surprise. What was happening!? Was he having a heart attack!? “No way!!” he sobbed. “I can’t have a heart attack! I’m only twenty—” the second digit of his age was drowned out as a random chao beside him started wailing.

An attendant came by and carried the chao elsewhere. Kaiba then gave Sonic a weird look. “What??”

“Uh... what?”

“You’re acting funny, Sonic. Come on, let’s go!” she yanked his hand again.

"What for!?”

“Hello, don’t you remember? You said that you wanted to thank the guy that looked after me. He’s here, now’s your chance!”

“Darn it Kaiba! Stop pulling me!”

“You know, I understand why you’re nervous,” the hero chao sighed after a moment. “I know he looks scary. But he’s not all that bad!”

... Nervous?

Oh, so was that what was going on in his body?

But Sonic just threw his head back and cackled, looking another direction. “Nervous?! Hah! Ahahaha!! You’re a riot, kid—Sonic the Hedgehog never gets nervous!” Though he had to resist the urge to punch his own stomach after feeling it doing a couple more unnecessary back flips. What the hell was going on in there, a circus!?

“Then... explain the stuttering, why your face looks like a tomato, why I could feel your pulse in your wrist when I was pulling it, and—”

“Look Kai, it’s common knowledge that he should know I’m thankful. So there’s no need to bother the dude, okay?”

“Hm~m, that wasn’t what you said earlier...”

Green eyes stared down at large, black ones.

Challenging.

Daring.

Then Kaiba turned and ran.

“What the—WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?”

Kaiba turned around. “I have to say hi to Aki, at least!”

Sonic stared. Aki? Ah, that must be the name of the red chao.

But his eyes widened. He could imagine it now...

After greeting Aki, Kaiba turned to the black hedgehog. “Hiya! Nice to see you again! By the way, that’s my owner.” She turned and pointed to a blue hedgehog across the garden, awkwardly sitting by himself. “Yeah, he wanted to thank you for taking care of me but I don’t know, now he’s just acting funny. And his face is red. And he doesn’t wanna come over, I think maybe he’s just shy”—

“Dammit—WAIT UP!” Sonic’s eye twitched as he scrambled to his feet, catching his chao and scooping her into his arms.

“Teehee, I knew you’d see it my way.” Kaiba cackled, playfully knocking the side of Sonic’s head.

The hedgehog just twitched.

‘You evil, evil little thing. Knux should stop visiting so much...’

And so after a bit more bickering the two strolled over.

Both the black hedgehog and the red chao had their backs to them. The furry had one knee down as his eyes skimmed the surface of the pool while the chao was sitting on the edge, feet kicking happily as she tested out the water.

“Aki!”

The red chao ‘hm?’-ed in question, squeaking as Kaiba glomped her from behind. She glanced over her shoulder and gasped as she realized who it was. “Whoa, Kaiba?! Yay~!” Aki laughed back. The two chao linked hands and jumped up and down, laughing in happiness at their reunion. “Gosh, long time no see!”

“It’s only been a week, silly!”

“Uwah but it feels longer!”

“I know huh!”

“I’m so happy to see you!”

“Me too!!”

The two jumped around some more. Then Kaiba then went over to the dark hedgehog, hugging his leg. He chuckled lightly in response and patted her head in greeting. Kaiba giggled. “And you too, of course! Actually, I brought somebody to meet you guys...” Kaiba let go and used her arm to gesture behind them.

Both Aki and the dark hedgehog turned, seeing an awkwardly-smiling Sonic since he didn’t know how else to put his face. Though he almost froze over again when his own emerald eyes made contact with ruby...

Kaiba giggled as she gestured at him. “That's my daddy.”

Aki made an ‘o’ shape with her mouth before smiling up at Sonic in fascination. The dark hedgehog chose that instant to stand up, coming closer.

And actually, now that the guy was literally in front of him, the blue one noticed how the other hedgehog topped him in height by just a little bit... maybe an inch or two.

Sonic gave a mental sigh. Might as well...

“H... hey there,” he started. “So, I’ve heard a lot about you from Kaiba. I’m Sonic...” He extended his other hand in greeting. “It’s great to finally meet ya.”

A sheepish grin.

Returned by a dashing smile.

And the two chaos watched and giggled in the background as the hedgehogs shook hands.

“Likewise. My name is Shadow.”

A/N: *EXPLODES*
Ohoho! “It’s great to finally meet ya” INDEED! Woo Shadow's heeere!! *does a dance* Phew, took him a while. Sorta. R+R? :3