The one who stayed //Sonadow//

Chapter fifteen.

The light that gleams is not the light of the sun, no it's the light of fluorescent bulbs. I looked around and tried to gain some sense as to where I was, my eyes still blurred with a restless sleep. A small ticking to my left, a low hum behind me, a water drip against the metal bottom of a sink to my right, then a voice, overlaid with static, spoke over me.

"Shadow the Hedgehog," the male voice started, "I see that you are awake. How do you feel?"

I frowned and narrowed my eyes at the ceiling. "Where am I?" I hissed, my body numb. The male voice laughed. "Answer the question, your life may very well depend on it."

This time I laughed. Was this man serious? Did he not know who I was? "You fool," I tutted, "who do you think you are? Threatening me? You wish for a death sentence?"

"I would hold your tongue, after all you're with G.U.N and playing nice will save you from complete and utter shut down. Now, answer the question; how do you feel?"

I grimaced and held back an insult at the back of my throat, however, I still don't know why I bother. After losing Sonic like I had, why should I care to fight? It's not like I have anything waiting for me if I escape. I've made no friends, no family, and the only one I had just decided to leave without telling me why. So, why should I bother to put up a fight?

"I feel numb." I admitted, my eyes grazing the ceiling and taking in the detail of pure white. "I see, that's good then." The man mumbled, though, his words were hardly audible over the static.

"Now, you will be put through a test. You will not need to move, only observe and speak if you feel the need to." He told me as the buzz behind me got louder and what I was laying against started to move, the room coming into view as I was forced into a sitting position.

I looked around quickly, taking in every last detail I could. In the left corner of the room was, what I assumed to likely be, a one-way window. I could see myself tied against an elongated chair, my arms, legs, waist, and head restrained with metal clasps. I gulped and looked in front of me. A table with hospital equipment around it; needles, scalpels, syringes, heart meter, pills, IV drip, and more metal clasps on the metal bed. To my right was a wall covered in pictures. Pictures of me; x-rays, brain scans.

I kept my composer, as perusal, and listened to what else the man with static had to say.

"You will be subjected to a test completely influenced by your mind. Please, do keep it appropriate." He told me, the room going silent except for the water drip. I blinked rapidly.

VIRTUAL REALITY MIND-SCAPE ACTIVATED.

My eyes suddenly trained on something other than the lab, the outside world a welcoming change. However, even though I knew that this was fake, the breeze, the rain, the cold was all too real. I looked around, my eyes scanning the tree's and the wild life.

As I turned to my left, my heart wanted to stop at the sight. Before me, in all his glory, was Sonic. His bright azure quills, inquisitive emerald eyes, his peach lips turned up in a smirk, his hands on his hips, and inclined leg as he tapped his foot was all there. All of Sonic was right there, in front of me, just a bit out of reach.

"S-Sonic." I pushed out, my eyes wide as I took him all in. I almost felt selfish for staring at him like I was some hungry animal, lustful and ready to pounce. Sonic's smirk widened.

"Look at you, you look so ready for me to tell you all that's on my mind. You expect me to tell you why I left, why I left all of our memories, smiles and laughs behind to rot in the past." He chuckled a bit, a cocky, yet melancholy chuckle.

"I think I deserve that much." I stated, my voice lacking all venom, "I deserve to know why you did this to us. Why you want to leave it all behind and ignore my very existence."

"Oh Shadow," he shook his head, "isn't it obvious enough? I avoided you all night before walking out. Can't you see that I cannot have you ruining everything that I've built. You know me; I live two lives and you and I lived in harmony in one of them, and yet, you crossed the line and tried to be in both. I told you I want to keep my lives separate!"

I growled at his stupidity. "You are pathetic to keep two lives like you do! You hurt people like that! You hurt people who love and care for you! You hurt me!"

"Shadow the Hedgehog? The ultimate life form? Hurt? That's laughable! I thought you had no feelings, and yet here you are, claiming that your hurt."

He didn't stop there.

"You're pathetic. Why did I even waste my time with you?"

His insults got worse.

"You never did anything for me. It was just excuse after excuse. I did everything for you and you couldn't even return the favor."

His words tore me apart.

"I'm done with you! You are a horrible person!"

He spoke the truth, didn't he?

"I'm never coming back to you; my life is so much better without you! I am free without a faker like you! A pathetic soul with dark secrets! I will find someone so much better, and I will never, ever, think back at the person who couldn't do anything right!"

I looked down at my lap, my mind shattering and the world around me cracking as I was breaking down. Sonic then went silent, his breathing heavy as he stopped yelling the truth in my ears.

"I'm sorry..." I whispered, "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything right by you...I'm sorry you have to act so perfect. I'm sorry you have to push people away to keep you're two lives and legacy from being tarnished. I'm sorry that you have to leave me behind, someone who loves you, just so you can live in the false sense of happiness. I'm sorry for you, I really am. You will end up being alone one day with how you think you have to be perfect, you won't have anyone left. No one will respect you. I'm sorry."

Sonic then shattered, the whole world around him turning to ash and the lab was now around me once more.

VIRTUAL REALITY MIND-SCAPE ENDED.

I had no idea what came out of my mouth, but it didn't make me feel any better, and yet, I found some truth behind it.

Sonic the Hedgehog strove to be perfect, nothing could break that. He could truly be selfish just to keep from failing. He would blame others to strive away from guilt. That hero that everyone looked up to had the worlds darkest secrets and I was the only one who knew.

Those words, I was now broken with what I just spilled onto the floor. I could no longer hold myself high. I opened my mouth, said the blunt truth, and I still hurt from it because I know that Sonic is still out there. He's still out there, living his life with the thought that this was all my fault. He is still out there claiming he is free while I'm here, breaking at the seams from my own mind.

I'm still here in this lab and I don't want to escape. I deserve this.

-

Comment of the week; ThisGirlWritez

Ok you know what..THIS STORY IS BEYOND PERFECT! I hope you recover soon and I actually know your friend but I hope you get better.