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Sonic was running through the woods, as he usually did, when he noticed a 
hunched over black form that made him stop dead in his tracks. "Shads?" He 
stopped just in time to hear Shadow have a small coughing fit. When Sonic came 
over to see what was wrong, he was surprised to see... flower petals? "Is 
something wrong?"

Shadow looked over to see Sonic, and smirked. "You could say that, yeah." His 
smirk was cut short by him turning back to the bush and having another coughing 
fit.

Sonic blinked. "Here. Let's go see Tails and figure out what's wrong."

Surprisingly, Shadow didn't complain. They ran, side by side, to Tails' place, 
only stopping occasionally for Shadow to have another coughing fit.

---

"And when I walked over to his side, I saw flower petals! ***Flower petals!*** 
What could possibly make him cough up flower petals?!"

Sonic was really concerned, and Shadow pulled the trash can closer to him to 
cough up more flower petals, as if to demonstrate for Tails.

The fox was lost in thought. There was only one disease that could possibly 
cause this... but it was supposed to be a myth! It happening once, to him, was 
one thing, but happening again? To one of his friends? Tails shook his head; 
he'd need more proof. "You seem awfully concerned-"

Luckily for Tails, he didn't need to prompt Sonic further. "Of course I'm 
worried, Tails! He's coughing up flower petals! Something has to be wrong with 
him!"

At this, Shadow coughed up more flower petals.

Sonic stopped to look at Shadow with more concern (prompting more flower petals 
to be coughed up) before returning his gaze to Tails. "See?! Something's wrong, 
and I don't know what it is."

Tails smirked. He knew very well what this was, since he had had a minor run-in 
with it before he confessed his feelings to Cream. "I think I know what it is."

Sonic's eyes flew open. "Well? What is it?" When Tails didn't immediately start 
explaining, Sonic took the opportunity to get up and shake him. "Tell me! What 
is it?!"

Shadow promptly coughed up even more flower petals, causing Sonic to stop 
shaking Tails and return to the black hedgehog's side (prompting even more 
petals to be coughed up).

Tails smiled. "It's called Hanahaki disease."

Sonic looked at Tails quizzically. "Hana-what now?"

Tails turned to a bookshelf behind him, picking a book carefully and opening it 
to the H section, quickly finding the definition he was looking for. "Hanahaki 
disease. *If somebody is suffering from one-sided or unrequited love, they 
cough up flower petals.*" He suddenly looked at Shadow grimly. "*If it 
continues for too long, the afflicted will die.*"

Sonic was even more concerned for Shadow now. "They'll die?!" Shadow, for his 
part, simply coughed up more flower petals.

Tails suddenly looked extra concerned, rushing over to the trash can. Sure 
enough, the flower petals were big. "Yes, and, judging by the size of the 
petals, Shadow doesn't have much time. Luckily, there is a way to cure it."

Sonic quickly asked the follow-up question Tails was probably waiting for. 
"There is?"

Tails smiled wistfully, returning his gaze to the book. "There is." He finally 
found the section in the book. "*If the one the afflicted loves returns those 
feelings genuinely, the afflicted will be cured.*"

Sonic hopped up quickly. "So then we need to figure out who it is and get them 
to love him back!" Shadow coughed up more flower petals, causing Sonic to turn 
his attention to Shadow. "So, Shads, who's the lucky lady? Or guy. I won't 
assume."

Shadow simply blushed, turning away and coughing even more flower petals into 
the trash can.

Sonic looked to Tails. "How much longer do you think he has?"

Tails went over to the trash can and pulled out the least mucus-y flower petal, 
shaking it off and putting a ruler to it. Comparing the measurement to a chart 
in the book, Tails shook his head. "A few days. A week, at most. Then, the 
flower petals will be too big for him to cough out, and he'll drown in them."

"That's horrible!" Sonic immediately rushed back over to Shadow's side. "C'mon, 
Shads, tell me who it is! I promise I won't tease you for it."

At this, Shadow simply coughed up more flower petals. He wanted nothing more 
than to tell Sonic, but how would Sonic handle knowing that his rival had a 
crush on him?

Luckily for Shadow, his coughing up flower petals gave him an excuse to not 
talk. Tails seemed to take the hint, as he put the book down. "Sonic, give him 
a second. He'll need to stop coughing up flower petals before he can talk, let 
alone before he can say anything about his love."

Shadow silently thanked the fox as he continued to cough up flower petals.

---



Sonic sighed. The whole past week had been spent trying to get Shadow to open 
up, but Sonic had failed. Nothing he could do would get Shadow to admit who he 
was crushing on, and any attempt to was met by Shadow coughing up a bunch of 
flower petals.

Tails knew who it was (he happened to skip over the part about the effects 
intensifying when your crush showed you affection when reading the passage to 
Sonic, not to mention Shadow had privately confided in him), but he didn't say 
anything out of respect for Shadow's privacy. That being said, he had told 
Shadow to try his hardest to tell Sonic in some way. But that, too, had failed.

Now, Shadow lied on the couch, his head turned to the side so he could cough 
the last few petals out of his mouth. He was in a sorry state, needless to say.

Sonic stood over him, almost... crying? "Shadow, please, who is it? Maybe we 
can save you."

Shadow physically couldn't talk anymore, and he was too weak to sign to Sonic. 
He wanted nothing more than to point to himself, point to Sonic, and then make 
a heart symbol with his hands (the universal sign language for "I love you"), 
but he could barely muster the strength to point at himself, let alone raise 
his hand to point to Sonic.

Tails just looked at Sonic grimly. "I'm afraid it's too late. Say your 
goodbyes, he'll be dead soon." The fox wasn't too happy about this turn of 
events, as was evidenced by his flat, sad tone.

Shadow's eyes glazed over, and Sonic couldn't take it anymore. He held Shadow 
in a close embrace. "No! Shadow! Don't go!" He held Shadow even closer. 
"Please... I didn't know, but after this week, I realized something... *I love 
you.*"

At first, nothing seemed to happen. Sonic held Shadow's body close, sad to not 
hear a heartbeat. He continued crying, holding Shadow closely as Tails looked 
on in horror. *If only Sonic had said that 5 minutes ago, he might have saved 
Shadow...*

Sonic eventually decided to set down the body, since there was no sense in 
continuing to hold the body when he couldn't even hear Shadow's heartbeat...

Wait. What was that?

He held Shadow's torso up to his ear. *Lub-dub, lub-dub.* It was faint, but a 
heartbeat nonetheless. Shadow was alive! "You're alive..."

Tails was shocked. "He's alive?!"

Sonic looked up at Tails cheerfully. "He's alive!"

---



Shadow woke up in what seemed to be a makeshift hospital bed. He groaned, 
holding the side of his head, and rolling over.

Sonic was sitting in the chair in the corner. Oh, if only Shadow had told the 
blue speedster he was in love with him...

Wait. Sonic was here.

Sonic was here! Shadow wasn't dead!

Sonic woke up, seemingly shaking the grogginess from his head, when he saw 
crimson eyes staring back at him. "You're okay!" He ran over to Shadow and 
hugged him.

Wait. Shadow wasn't coughing up flower petals anymore. That must mean...

"I love you, Shads."

Holy chaos. He wasn't expecting to hear those words from Sonic. Not that they 
hurt. "I love you too, faker."

Meanwhile, Tails watched from afar.

Another case, cured.