Work Text:
Inspired by...
Art by Poison
The morning mist clung gently to the petals of roses — some red, some purple — shimmering as the first rays of light cut through the forest canopy. Unlike the dense jungle that was Deep Woods, or the frozen oaks of Shrouded Forest, this place was just perfect.
The breeze, chill but not cold. The view, one of, if not the best sunrise this place had to offer. And the field of roses was the cherry on top.
Sonic the Hedgehog was, right now, very happy.
He had every reason to be. Not only does he live for places and views like these, he also lives for adventure — like the one he just had, saving Camelot from Merlina’s vision of an eternal kingdom. Now he just needs to kick back and relax, while Merlina finishes reverse engineering the spell that brought him here, so she can take him home.
It’s how Sonic found himself in the Castle Garden. For the first time in a long time, alone. He does not mind it one bit.
His partnered blade, Caliburn, with whom Sonic had connected in a way he never thought he would, was already gone. With Sonic going home, the duo of sword and master decided to say their farewells in private, the blade going off to his resting stone, should he be needed to train another knave or name another king. Sonic maybe wouldn’t mind staying a bit longer. Take in the sights he hadn’t gotten to yet, and help more in the reconstruction of the villages destroyed by the Knights of the Underworld.
But all things come to an end. Isn’t that what he just preached?
From the edge of his vision, the figure of Lancelot approaches the hedgehog. A sign that he is needed in the castle. Likely to go back home. He decides to say nothing while the dark knight approaches. Sonic is, as always, fascinated by how a hedgehog can be his rival’s identical twin in appearance, but so different in everything else it barely looks like the counterpart.
Maybe it’s because Sonic focuses on the differences, instead of the similarities.
Which he needs to do.
This is Sir Lancelot du Lac. Not Shadow. Of the Order of the Round Table. Knight of the Lake. He’s not Shadow.
“Sire.” Lancelot, stoic as ever, does not comment on his king staring at him. “It is time.” It’s all he says.
“Uhm, yeah. We should go. Well, I should go. You can stay, or like, do knight things.”
“My current duty is to escort you to the sorcerer’s study. You have only been in the throne room, so you won’t know the way.”
“I could ask! Or, well, run fast enough I’d arrive even if I took all the wrong turns-”
“Do you not… want my company, sire?”
“What- no!” Sonic stops in his tracks, realizing he was overspeaking again and likely just hurt the knight’s feelings. “No, no! I just don’t want to be a bother, that’s all! Sorry.” He straightens his quills with his hand while laughing awkwardly. “I really didn’t mean to upset ya.”
“All is good, sire. I just wanted confirmation.”
“Yeah, can we let go of the ‘sire’? I really am no king.”
Lancelot tries to say something, but stops himself.
“...sorry. It’s the way I am accustomed. Some things run by instinct, still.”
“It’s alright. No issue, really. And I am sorry for being so eager to leave. I do have family and friends on the other side. They’re probably worried, if I just poofed out of nowhere.”
Once again, Lancelot takes a while to find the right words to say.
“If I may ask… which is he?”
“Hm?” Sonic cocks his head, confused.
“You said we look like people you know. In your world. My counterpart, which is he? Friend or family?”
“Oooooh. Hm. I’d say ‘friend’. He’d probably say something else.” Sonic kicks the dirt under him with his foot.
“Now I am the one who is confused.”
“Well, Shadow is…”
Sonic looks away, appreciating the sunrise.
“Shadow is, in many ways, just like you. Fierce, protective, loyal to the ones he cares about. But more often than not, he let these good things blind him to people who are just trying to help. So our friendship is kinda complicated. He doesn’t like me too much. But he at least respects my willpower and speed.”
“I see. He’s a fool, then.” Lancelot said, simply, with a curt nod.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far-” Sonic starts, turning back to Lancelot to see the knight already shaking his head.
“I was once like that too, si- Sonic.” The hedgehog corrects himself. “Too prideful, too arrogant. I wasn’t just the best knight of the land, I made sure everyone knew it, too.”
“Oh… what happened?”
“...King Arthur. Even if not the real one, Merlina’s illusion was powerful enough to make me realize I was headed down a dark path. So I pledged myself to him, to try and stop him, too. Of course, you know how that ends.”
“Hm. And what happens now? What will you do if he’s gone and you need a new king? Are you going to follow them, too?”
“No… no. I will make my own way, I think. It’s new and unsure, but it’s also time for a change. And heaven knows when the next king will come around. If Camelot is to fall, it’s time for the Order of the Round Table to find something else.”
“I really wish there was something that could be done, y’know. I’m used to facing impossible odds to save my dimension from people trying to enslave everyone, or gods that try to destroy it. But a kingdom at its ruin? I gotta let nature run its course.”
“Yes, you do. Which is something I find admirable, Knight of the Wind.”
“Eh, that title really stuck, uh?” Sonic scratches his face, looking away.
“I think everyone will still be thinking about you for a long time.” Lancelot turns, his mind lost in thought.
“Well, that’s an image.” Sonic chuckles again.
“Sire… if I may?”
“I said ‘no sire’. But uhm, sure. What is it?”
Lancelot approaches Sonic, and kneels in front of the azure hedgehog.
“Hey, I said to cut that out-!” Sonic rushes to lift Lancelot back up, but before he could, the knight holds his hand, making him stop.
“I no longer have a king to vow to. A knight like this is not worth his armor. But I can pledge myself to you. Not from what I’ve seen of your rule, but because of the way you can lead. Wherever the wind takes you, I will be by your side in spirit, if you’ll have me as your knight.”
“Lance… I dunno. I really don’t like ruling over someone like that.”
“You won’t need to worry about it. …please. For me.”
“...well, when you put it like that, it’s a bad move for me to recuse it.” Sonic sighs. “Alright, alright. You can be my knight.”
Lancelot then kisses Sonic’s hand. This sends Sonic’s blood to his face, his cheeks and ears blushing red. He didn’t even blink. He might have not breathed.
"Whoa - uh, hey, you don’t have to do all that." He rubs the back of his neck. “Just don’t expect the me in your head to act all kingly, alright? You do what you want.”
“That’s fair.” Lancelot gets up. “I do believe they might soon send people to look for us.”
Sonic blinks twice in confusion, before realizing what the knight meant. “Oh, yeah. Yeah. Lead the way.”
The wind carried whispers of magic through the world - stories of kings and knights, of roses and vows.
And in the garden of roses, where red met violet in gentle bloom, the earth remembered the moment a knight knelt not for his king.
But for the Knight of the Wind.
Which inspired...
Art by Segafan_13