Shadow groaned. “Why does the universe hate me?”

“Like what?” Jasper asked.

“I’ve been waiting to do this for a while!” Amy walked to her closet and opened it up, instantly being toppled over by board games. Shadow looked to Sonic, hoping that the other would make up some kind of excuse to leave. Instead the blue hedgehog just shrugged, deflating any of Shadow’s hopes.

Marklin and Jasper just stared at the scene. Amy finally emerged from the pile, holding a box with the Eggman symbol on it.

“Doctor Eggman’s Egg-opoly….” Sonic read aloud. “Since when did Egghead make board games?”

As if on cue, a TV commercial aired about Dr. Eggman’s board games. Sonic simply blinked.

“Okay then….”

“Since when was the TV on?” Marklin asked.

“Plot convenience?” Sonic shrugged.

“Well I guess then let’s play this game?” Jasper squeaked.

“Yeah!” Sonic smiled and looked to Shadow.

Shadow was clearly about to reject it, but one look at Sonic made him sigh, “Fine….”

“So this is couples monopoly basicly?” Marklin sighed.

“It’s Eggopoly, but yes.” Amy nodded, setting the box down on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Monopoly- Egg-opoly can be really dull with only two ‘players’ but you know, if it will help.” Jasper mumbled.

Amy opened the box, setting out the board. She then took out the pieces: a fuzzy puppy (from the game Fuzzy Puppies), an egg carrier, a Sonic head, a can of tomato sauce, a mustache, and evil ham. “Pick your character!” She promptly picked out the fuzzy puppy.

“All of them look stupid.” Shadow rolled his eyes.

“Harsh, Shads.” Sonic said, picking up the one that looked like him with a pout.

Marklin looked at Jasper, who sighed. “Take it.” Jasper growled.

Marklin picked out the evil ham. Amy set up the board and the Egg-benedicts.

“So we roll for whose first?” Jasper asked.

Amy nodded, taking the dice and rolling. She got a six.

Marklin rolled his eyes and rolled a four. Sonic rolled a three.

“Look’s like your first, oh pink one.” Marklin sighed deeply.

Amy smiled and rolled the dice, earning herself a four. She moved her piece, it landing on income tax. She huffed before giving 100 egg-benedicts to the evil overlord (bank).

_____________________

The anarchy was real. Amy had her hammer out, destroying the board game and the table it was on; Sonic was curled up in a ball on the couch, crying, and Shadow was angrily shouting, helping the pink one destroy the board. Marklin was leaned back, smirking and sipping on wine, Jasper was waking from a nap on Marklins shoulder, wiping some drool off his chin.

“FUCK THIS STUPID GAME!” Shadow shouted. Marklin chuckled.

“Don't buy all the railroads the first time around” Marklin said smugly.

“FUCK YOU!” Shadow growled out, beyond furious.

“Why so angry? It's just a game.” Jasper yawned.

“THIS IS NO GAME! THIS IS WAR!” Amy shouted.

“This is why we don't do inside activities.” Sonic groaned, his crying subsiding.

“War is only a game in the grand scheme of things.” Marklin said softly, finishing his glass.

“STOP BEING SO DAMN PHILOSOPHICAL!” Shadow growled.

Sonic sighed. “I just realized that most of the people in my life shout angrily half the time.”

“Tell me about it.” Jasper agreed.

The board and table firmly smashed into dust, the two hedgehogs finally calmed down.

“What are we going to do now?” Marklin asked, now unable to put down his glass.

“Oh, I know the perfect couple building exercise!” Amy smiled excitedly. “The perfect way for everyone to bond is to play Truth or Dare!”

“Where are we, a six year old girl’s sleepover?” Shadow crossed his arms.

“I see no problem with this,” Marklin took another glass of alcoholic grape juice.

“I see a couple problems….” Shadow grumbled.

Sonic simply shrugged. “I guess it's better than Eggopoly.”

“Yeah, not like some of us have shame either.” Jasper stared pointedly at Marklin, Marklin sipped on his alcoholic grape juice.

“Great!” Amy smiled. “Jasper, you go first!”

“Fine, um, Mark tr-”

“Don't call me Mark.”

“Marz, truth or dare.” Jasper snorted.

“Dare…?” Marklin said questioning himself already.

“Uh, do something dumb, that won't get anyone killed?” Jasper mumbled.

“Any suggestions?” Marklin looked at Sonic.

“I donno, why dont’cha just jump off a roof.” Sonic shrugged. Shadow elbowed him. “What? I'm just joking!” Marklin was already standing up, Jasper pulled him down by the sleeve. Marklin rolled his eyes, he picked up the wine bottle and took it down.

“That fine, honey?” Marklin gasped when done.

“Jeez.” Sonic blinked. Jasper rolled his eyes but found it fine enough.

“Now who?” Jasper asked.

“Well, considering Marklin did the dare, it's his turn.” Amy said.

“Sonic, Truth or dare?” Marklin snapped out quickly.

“Eh, dare.” Sonic shrugged, not fully thinking things through.

Marklin smirked. “Go for a swim.”

“Fuck.” Sonic blinked. Shadow smirked at his hypocrite of a boyfriend.

Sonic, his head hung low, sulked outside. Shadow and Amy followed behind. Marklin and Jasper followed as well. Sonic walked to the ocean, emerald eyes, growing more scared by the minute. He looked behind him to see the others waiting. He sighed, accepting his death as he walked into the ocean.

Once he got chest deep, he started freaking out and struggling, trying to run, it not working out. His ears flattened against his skull, as his panic got worse. Shadow acted quickly, running into the water, picking him up, and walking out of the water. Sonic was gripping onto him, shivering in fear and regret.

“That went better than I imagined.” Marklin chirped.

“I'm dead! I swear I'm dead!” Sonic shouted, gripping harder onto Shadow. “I drowned! I can't run!”

“Calm down.” Shadow sighed, petting him to try to calm him down.

“Well, now that that's over, back to the Hut?” Jasper sighed.

The others nodded in agreement, them all returning to Amy’s house.

“I can't feel my legs!” Sonic cried, still not over his trauma.

“Stop being overdramatic.” Shadow rolled his eyes. “It's your turn.”

Sonic slowly calmed down before looking to Amy. “Truth or dare, Amy?”

“Truth.” The pink one said simply.

“HOW THE HELL COULD YOU LET ME DO THAT!” Sonic cried out.

“Sonic, this is an important couple building exercise.” Amy sighed, rubbing her head, a headache starting to form. “It's helping strengthen both your relationship with Shadow and your relationship with Marklin and Jasper.”

“He tried to kill me!” Sonic pointed to Marklin.

“It's harmless fun.”

“I COULD'VE DIED!”

“Deep breaths, Faker.” Shadow grunted, the blue hedgehog still gripping on him for dear life.

“I'm a doctor not like I'm gonna let you die.” Marklin snapped.

“You're not doing CPR or a trach when your drunk.” Jasper commented, Marklin crossed his arms and huffed.

Shadow rolled his eyes, “It’s your turn, Rose.”

Amy straightened her skirt a bit before looking to Jasper, not in the mood to go the obvious route and choose Shadow. “Jasper, truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Jasper sighed, his soul finally ran out, and he accepted his fate.

“What’s your biggest regret in life?” Amy questioned.

“Damn, why not ask about the scar. I guess it might be, opting out of a full transition.” He said, Marklin put a hand on Jasper’s leg, comforting him gently.

“Transition?” Amy tilted her head curiously.

“I’m Trans, how do you think we have full blood kids!” Jasper suddenly hissed.

Amy’s ears went back from the sudden hostility. “I’m sorry that I didn’t understand.”

Jasper took a breath. “No, I’m sorry, it’s nothing I should get angry about.” Jasper took a couple gulps of air, trying to keep his emotions in check. Amy looked down, not sure what to say.

“Honey these are things you can do at any point.” Marklin comforted.

“Not with the kids.” Jasper gulped, “Not now that we have kids.” Jasper took one last gulp of air. “Anyways, um, Shadow? Truth or dare?”

Shadow crossed his arms, replying, “Truth.”

“What's it like being a black hole?” Jasper asked, trying to kill the tension dead.

Shadow’s form instantly slumped, his eyes set boredly on the human. Sonic burst into laughter, finally over the water thing. “Well, Shads, how is it?”

“At least things are attracted to me.” Shadow sneered quickly, his ears flattening and his pupils thinning. Sonic, despite not knowing physics that well, finger gunned, at least knowing something.

“Go eat a banana.” Marklin barked, putting an arm around his husband.

“He does that all the time.” Sonic winked, and Shadow could slowly feel himself dying.

Marklin started to cough as he laughed, Jasper snorted and gulped down his urge to emote. Shadow slowly fell off the couch, muzzle red and quills puffed out in embarrassment.

“Well, good for you two.” Marklin laughed. “It helps things descend slower.”

“Canwegetoffthistopicnow!” Shadow said quickly, covering his face.

“If you want, ask a question.” Jasper snorted.

“Ugh,” Shadow groaned. “Marklin, truth or dare?”

“Truth.” Marklin said quickly.

“Uh, I don’t know, how did you and Jasper meet?” Shadow asked.

“Well, he worked at a dinner me and Dick went to, then one day he came into the emergency room while I was working, and we chatted a bit as I put a few stitches in our nephew's face. The next time me and Dick went into the dinner, he asked me out.” Marklin chirped, He wrapped an arm around Jasper.

“Didn’t I spill a cup of coffee on you on our first date?” Jasper asked.

“You have spilt a lot of coffee everywhere.” Marklin chirped.

“AW THAT’S SO CUTE!” Amy gushed.

“Who’s Dick?” Shadow questioned.

“My boss, my old roommate, and my ex.” Marklin listed.

Shadow simply leaned back, having nothing further to add to the conversation after his question was answered.

“Uh, Amy? Dare or Truth?” Marklin asked.

“Dare.” Amy replied, feeling ready for anything.

“Uh,” Marklin gulped, “Eh, tell us your biggest secret.”

Amy thought for a moment, muzzle slightly dusted pink. “Well, uh…. The charity that I do, the one for the sweaters for penguins… well, they don’t actually need sweaters. I just do the charity because they look cute in them!”

“That is the DUMBEST THING I’ve heard in a long while.” Marklin called out.

“Well, what did you expect!?” Amy growled. “Something predictable like how I still sleep with my Sonic doll!?”

“Wait, what?” Sonic asked.

“You know this!” Amy clenched her fists. Sonic held his hands up as if to calm her down.

“Are we done with this yet?” Jasper asked, starting to get tired of these shenanigans and hijinks.

Amy nodded. “I think this has been a great bonding session for us all!”

“Yeah, definitely.” Marklin sighed.

“Now that I’m sure we’ve lost some readers after this boring 6 year old’s party,” Shadow rolled his eyes, “What do we do to get them back?”

“Go for a walk along the beach that won't end in some impractical hijinks and adventuring?” Marklin suggested.

“Yeah, that sound like we aren’t totally setting up something.” Sonic stood up, stretching. “Let’s do it!”

The group stood and made their way to the beach for some fun, not a totally set up disaster. The sun was setting over the ocean, the reds and oranges projecting on the water.

Sonic smiled. “I’ll always miss Station Square, but I can’t say I hate this place.”

“SONNY BOY!” Uncle Chuck came running as fast as the old hedgehog could manage, the children in tow. “It’s jelly and juice time right on out of here, my time rift sensor just flared up! We gotta swing on out of this place before it-”