Isolation

Isolated

          Quickly paced, frustrated footsteps echoed within the dark cavern. A thin figure, the reputable hedgehog Sonic hopelessly lost within the system of caves. Earlier he had been traveling with the rest of the freedom fighters only to be completely separated. He had wandered too far off, his energetic personality to be his downfall. He had managed to grab a flashlight. However, it was only time until the battery drained completely. The dim light exposed the long tunnel awaiting him. It almost seemed senseless, as if he was venturing even deeper. He was utterly lost. However, the hedgehog's ego refused to let up; he was determined to free himself.
...

They had heard of Robotnik's doings underground and decided it would be best to investigate. It had gone awry when the curious hero had heard a noise that none of the others had. Alone, he went ahead when the floor below him suddenly collapsed.
"Damn!!"
The fall had been painful, but he managed to avoid more injuries spinning away. It was nothing serious he noticed, nothing that would inherently hinder his abilities. Sonic processed what had happened, the cave was clearly faulty and he should have been more attentive.
He felt relieved nobody else fell as well, but he had to return to them as soon as possible.
"There's not much I can do now, I'll have to walk back. Somehow..."
Sonic recovered quickly and continued on, considering his harsh environment as he went along. It was pitch black, no other forms of light. He realized at one point he had been holding a flashlight and went back to search for it. The scraped up hedgehog felt around the ground until he came upon the tool. Hoping it would work, he hastily turned it on.
"Phew, that'll be a big help. Times like this make me wish I had night vision or something."
...

Hours passed by, Sonic grew tired with no results. The tunnels seem endless, all strikingly similar. Stalactite on the ceilings, constantly dripping. He slowly became irritated at the repeating noise.
"Stupid caves, driving me insane. I've only been down here for some time, and I feel like I'm losing it already. I'd almost prefer being with Amy, well I'm certainly reaching that point."
Having lost his head in thought, the exhausted hedgehog tripped over a few rocks. Exasperated, he kicked them hard.
"Dumb, dumb, dumb..."
He wished he could roll away but being afraid of the weak cave to completely give out, it seemed unwise. He was very cautious about his environment, knowing all the dangers that could possibly be within it. Curiously, he hadn't encountered any enemies yet. Nothing, just an absolute emptiness. The lonely adventurer practically desperate for any form of contact. He reluctantly decides to take a small break, leaning against the jagged walls for support. He closed his eyes, thinking.
"What now...? I ain't gonna rot in here, that's for sure. There has to be a way out, I know it. I wonder what Tails and the others are doing..."
Sonic sat down on the cool ground, he shivered involuntarily from the steady drop in temperature. Hugging his sore knees, he laid his head between his arms. Quills pressed against the wall. Deprived of all of his resources, he began to struggle. The hedgehog's stomach rumbled loudly, he groaned.
"I forgot, I haven't eaten in a while. Nothing I can do about that either unless I want a dirt sandwich with extra dust on the side."
He frowned, perhaps it would be a sensible idea to rest. It would be hazardous however to let his guard down in an unsafe area. A light nap wouldn't hurt, it would regain his energy. That would certainly help. He turns off the flashlight to conserve energy. Sonic curls up on the rough terrain, bumping his head slightly on a boulder. Annoyed he mumbles, as he rapidly drifts asleep.
....

"Huh? Where am I...?"
Sonic looked around, confused and unnerved. It's dark, almost completely obscured. His vision a bit hazy, and body inexplicably weak. It felt wrong. Wrong. Ominous hissing surrounded him. The air is static and sharp. Sonic backed away slowly, his instincts urged him to run and run but he can't. He felt trapped. The hissing grew louder. The atmosphere struck his skin; it stung.
"What..."
His gut hurt like he'd been stabbed. He fell on his knees, surprised. Sonic's eyes began to water from the pain, and he looked up to see a gold, yellow figure. Red gleaming, bloodthirsty eyes return his gaze. He notices the cruel and sadistic grin. Fangs glisten despite the faint lights. The creature slowly yet confidently approached the blue hedgehog. Chaos energy swirled around him, spiking up quite high. The mysterious being kneeled down. Dread filled the hero's chest. It spoke contemptuously to him.
"Hello, Sonic..."
...

Sonic sat up immediately gasping for breath. His breathing erratic and heart thumping rapidly. He grasped his chest as he looked around frantically for signs of his terrible curse. Only silence greeted him, his ears continued to ring from the appalling voice.
"I thought Ebony used her magic to seal that demon thing away... He's supposed to be gone, forever. How did he...?"
The troubled hedgehog shuddered, he assumed that the powerful monster had been banished inside of him. He wanted to shake it off as just a horrid nightmare but couldn't help the fear rising in his throat. He knew it was something more. Sonic knew the dangers of ignorance. He couldn't help himself, of course; he did his best. Sometimes it was easier just to let his problems disappear, but they never truly did. Occasionally, there would be strangled whispers encouraging him to be destructive. Sonic would never trust them; he would forcefully push the foolish thoughts away. He'd merely dismissed them. The hedgehog never confided his deep secrets to anyone either. It's not that he was distrustful, but would rather not burden everyone. He was a strong individual, a savior to most. Sonic had saved the world countless times so why couldn't he handle his own problems? He pondered what the others would think of it. He knew Tails would care but it wasn't up to his best friend to handle his own devils. Sonic knew better, he knew that would be extremely selfish. The hedgehog held his head distressed. He absolutely needed to escape. He didn't want to here anymore especially now that there was unwelcome company.

"I need to make some kind of a plan, something."

Writers note : This is my first story so please be patient with me. I really enjoyed writing this but I realize it's rather short. It's an introduction if some sort.