The Hedgehog From Another Timeline

Elderich stood at the edge of the Resistance base, watching as the others strategized their next moves. He had no interest in waiting. His instincts screamed at him to act-to fight. Without a word, he turned and skated off, his movements fluid and precise, the cold mist from his ice abilities leaving faint trails in his wake.

The battlefield called to him.

As he weaved through the war-torn landscape, outposts under siege came into view. Eggman's mechanical forces swarmed the area, their metallic bodies reflecting the burning sky. Resistance soldiers were holding their ground, but they were struggling.

Elderich didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, slamming into a row of Eggman's robots, ice forming around his arms as he struck. With swift movements, he weaved through enemy fire, dodging with unnatural reflexes. He skated low, using the momentum to deliver a devastating spin kick, shattering a group of bots with sheer force.

More of them rushed him.

He responded with a cold fury. A wave of ice erupted from his hands, freezing the machines in place before he shattered them with a single strike. His control over his abilities was growing, and he was beginning to understand the full extent of what he could do.

The battle was relentless, but he was relentless too.

Then, something-or rather, someone-caught his attention.

A blur of black and red dashed past him, moving with an eerie familiarity. It was fast, controlled, precise. And it skated just like he did.

Elderich stopped mid-motion, his breath hitching as he turned sharply. His glowing blue eyes locked onto the figure, watching as it tore through Eggman's forces with ruthless efficiency. Gunfire and explosions filled the air, but the way this fighter moved was unmistakable.

Shadow.



His mind flashed back to his own timeline-the Shadow he had known. The one who had been a mentor, a rival, a symbol of strength in a broken world. But this Shadow was different. The aura, the posture, the sheer presence-it wasn't the same.

This Shadow didn't know him.

Elderich clenched his fists. This wasn't the time for hesitation.

He moved.

Their paths collided in the chaos, the two of them skating through the battlefield, their movements both contrasting and mirroring one another. Elderich fought with calculated aggression, utilizing ice-infused strikes and unpredictable speed. Shadow fought with perfected technique, every move refined through years of experience.

And then, there was her.

Rouge the Bat.



Elderich barely had time to process the moment, but when he saw her, something within him shifted. Her presence was captivating-an effortless combination of beauty, confidence, and power. She moved with an elegance that was almost hypnotic, her kicks and strikes precise as she dismantled enemy forces with ease.

For the first time since arriving in this world, Elderich felt something other than the drive to fight. His heart pounded-not from battle, but from something else entirely.

Rouge landed gracefully after delivering a devastating spin-kick to an Egg Pawn, then turned her gaze toward Elderich. She raised a brow, clearly intrigued by the new face.

Rouge: "Well, well," she mused, placing a hand on her hip. "You're not one of ours. And yet, you fight like you belong."

Elderich, usually composed, found himself at a loss for words. For the first time in his life, battle wasn't the only thing on his mind.