Loveless

by MintCrossing

Loveless Syndrome has a variety of effects on both the person suffering from it and those around them. For Lucario, the love of his life, Sonic, is an LS sufferer. Being there is the only thing he can do. Yet, forces within the Mansion and outside it are threatening both him and Sonic's lives and soon life as they know it is turned upside down. Is tragedy the only ending possible?

1. Sleep Seizures

The plan was to finish "SSB Memories" and then do a sequel titled "Making Memories". However, due to writer's block and a long list of useless excuses, I'm rewriting the whole thing and merging the two stories together, simply calling it "Loveless" just like the condition Sonic has (and like the anime which was a total mind fuck of its own…). Like I said, Sonic still has LS but what it was in the old story no longer applies as I tweaked it a bit. How people found out about it is a whole different tale than in the old version. As such, this story will contain the same dark content than to the original but does delve deeper into LS and its effects. The honorific "chan" means cute in an affectionate and intimate way. It's also used in terms of friends. "Kun" (or "ku") is a similar word.

Warning! This is a SonicXLucario yaoi story and starts off as such. Don't like, don't read. Don't flame me due to the pairing! I ship it and that is all there is to it! Also this story contains the following elements: depression, suicidal attempts/thoughts/references, alcohol and drug references and usage, mpreg, blood/gore, character death (le gasp!) and quite a few hospital scenes as well as other dark topics. You'll see why.

Anyway, long author's note is long. Let's begin! I will avoid ANs when possible.

This story is told in Lucario's POV. Sometimes it may shift to Sonic's but that is rare.

XO

Chapter 1: Sleep Seizures

I'm woken by an ear-splitting scream that jolts me awake. I can feel my heart quicken. There's only one person in the room apart from me, so it's obvious who the scream was from, and that in itself makes me panic. I reach over to turn on the lamp next to me, momentarily blinding me with its rich golden glow but I see a shuddering shape underneath the duvet, more screams coming as he squirms and kicks, almost as he trying to wrestle something off him. I reach over to see what is wrong.

"S-Sonikku…?!" I stutter, stroking his back. The person next to me if you are still clueless is Sonic, and it's obvious something's really wrong. My voice startles him as he screams all over again, curling himself further in a tight ball, quills flexed outwards as I feel them from out of the covers. Hedgehogs do that when they are scared. It's a defensive measure. "Hey-hey-hey! It's OK." I stroke his back, avoiding his quills which slowly sink limp as he slightly calms down even though he is shaking and whimpering still. "It's OK, it's OK. I'm here." I pull back the duvet to reveal his head. His eyes are still closed. He suddenly and sharply jolts, his arm flying into my face as tears stream down his pale face. "Sonikku…? Wake up, it's OK! You're having a nightmare!" I shake him, trying to make him snap out of it. Eventually, his green eyes shoot open, wild and frightened as he lashes out, screaming again. I tightly wrap my furry arms around him and pull him in towards me, stroking the back of his head while gently shushing him so he feels more at ease. His body's extremely rigid and tense. "Shush now…"

"Lu-chan…?" His voice is hoarse from all the screaming as he sleepily looks up at me, confusion apparent in his emerald irises. They're misted over and slightly out of focus, but I put that down to the confusion and the fear. He's still shaking, even more now.

"Right here." I answer, smiling, only for him to latch onto me. I can feel he wants to cry but is holding it all back. "Hey, it's alright. Let it all out." He processes this for a second before sobbing into my fur, harsh whines and cries echoing in our bedroom. I tightly embrace him, burying my head in his quills that fall limply down his back. "You're safe." This alone makes the sobs whittle down to sniffs. He lets go, sitting across from me with little eye contact. "You feeling a bit better now?" He shakes his head. "Do you…want to talk about it?" Sonic's had nightmares before. The best option is to pretend it's no big deal, just a hiccup, something so insignificant it required just some small talk. Anything more and he bottles it up, escapes with the information, locks me out. He hates admitting anything is wrong, so he's more open about things when they're treated like nothing. He still shakes his head though. He's still extremely tense, eyes still glazed with a fearful gleam. An idea suddenly forms. "Hey, how about we go get some hot chocolate? That should calm you down a little." He looks at me weirdly, almost as if I'd uttered some swear word in front of him but he relaxes a little, limbs loosening as he just shrugs.

"O-OK…" I get up myself, grab his dressing gown and I wrap it around him. His eyes are fixed to the floor. Whatever dream he had, it's really scared him. Often it's about little things that would affect day-to-day life…losing his friends, drowning, losing his powers…but whatever it was this time it was a different topic, something new that has his nerves shot. There's always a first time for everything.

"A hot drink will do us both some good." He shrugs again at this. I help him to his feet as we exit the bedroom and head down the long marbled stairway that leads to the Mansion's ground floor. As we enter the kitchen, which is massive, someone is already there. Bronze tousled hair, albino wings, white pyjamas… Pit. "Hey, Pit."

"You two are up late." He smiles, stating the obvious. He's not dumb or anything, but he comes across as slightly thick. He quickly notices Sonic's scared state and he looks almost frightened himself. "Is he OK?!"

"He had a pretty bad dream." I assure, reaching into a cupboard to grab the tub of chocolate powder. "It's nothing to worry about."

"Yikes…I had a similar thing. Nasty thing, nightmares." He shudders. "Want some hot milk?" He has some milk heating up. Convenient.

"Hot chocolate was our plan." I spoon some powder into two mugs. "What sort of dream did you have?" I kind of want to know.

"Mainly about the time Lady Palutena was possessed by the Chaos Kin. Made me literally scream." His voice is quiet and I know why. The time he fought Palutena was the scariest thing he's ever done. I can understand the fear that would come with reliving something that frightening.

"Similar situation, though he won't tell me." I don't look up at him. I don't really get why he won't tell me. Usually he's quite open about things like this, and it only usually takes a bit of a cuddle to get truth from him…so why not now? It makes zero sense.

"He'll be alright, won't you…?" He trails off, looking behind us, only to freeze. "U-Uh…Lucario?"

"What?"

"Where'd he go?" I look where he is looking. Sonic's gone. I glance around the room. There's no sign of him.

"Uh-oh…!" Panic sets in. Whenever Sonic runs off, there's always a nagging feeling that something's really wrong. I best explain quickly. Sonic isn't like normal Mobians his age. He suffers from a condition called Loveless Syndrome, which limits his emotions and sometimes induces psychotic episodes where his personality rapidly changes and he suffers paranoia, hallucinations and other symptoms of psychosis. Not anything that would hurt anyone, unless he goes into a defensive state but he will sometimes try and harm himself, almost like trying to commit suicide, though it depends on what triggers the episode. Thinking about it, the lack of speech he had and the fact he's taking not a lot of interest in anything makes me hope he's not about to have an episode. Fear can bring it on, sometimes sadness or even loneliness. During an episode, he'll scream for ages while lashing out, detached from anything around him. It only lasts about 5 minutes and he rarely remembers what happened during them but it's a scary thing to witness, believe you me. "Sonikku, where are you!?" I yell, running from room to room, searching for any sign of the blue hedgehog. As I take a moment to catch my breath, something reaches my ears. Screams. In Sonic's tone. From the library. "SONIKKU!" I push the door open with all my might, only to freeze when I see what is in front of me. "O-Oh god…" I rush over. Sonic's on the floor, eyes wide open. His entire body is harshly jolting, choked gargles coming from his throat as well as the occasional scream, which are weaker than before. He's having some sort of fit. I grab a cushion and I quickly place under his head as it comes down so it doesn't crack on the hard wood floor. "Pit, get Dr. Mario. Now!"

"R-Right, on it!" I hear Pit's voice. I can barely look at Sonic like this. I kneel by him but not too near so his seizing limbs don't hit me.

"It's OK, it's OK…help's coming…it's going to be OK…oh God, please be OK…" I'm starting to cry. Is he going to die or something…!? My thoughts are racing so fast I can't grab onto any of them so I sit still, shushing Sonic to the best of my ability. I don't think he can hear me. His eyes are glazed as they don't seem to be focusing on anything and are beginning to roll back into their sockets. Nightmarish image right there.

"Coming!" Pit's voice finally returns as he and Dr. Mario enter the room. Both faces drain to a paper white. Dr. Mario jolts into action and pulls a small syringe out of his medical bag.

"Lord almighty…move away from him, Lu." I do as I'm told despite my instincts telling me to yell at him in refusal, though I know better than to challenge the doctor's orders. He obviously knows what's wrong so I decide to let him do his work. He injects the syringe into Sonic's arm. The jolting slows and finally stops, eyes flickering closed. The doctor sighs a breath of relief. "There. He's more comfortable now."

"W-What was wrong with him!?" Pit demands, panicked as hell. Same goes for me as well. He stole the words straight from my mouth. "T-T-That wasn't normal!"

"I think it was a sleep seizure." Dr. Mario instantly explains. I was right. He was having a fit. "It's a very rare symptom of Stage 2 LS." Loveless Syndrome comes in 4 stages, each increasing in severity. Lucky for Sonic and us, he's only a Stage 2, meaning the medication he takes to lessen the intensity of his psychotic episodes actually does its work. It doesn't work for Stages 3 and 4. "It usually only happens following a disturbed REM cycle, usually during a nightmare or scary dream that causes panic attacks or detachment from reality because of fear. He'll come around in a few hours." That's a relief.

"So…he's OK?" I ask, holding my breath. A smile crosses the doctor's face as he confidently nods.

"Yes, but we best keep an eye on him as sometimes several sleep seizures chain together. Another one could start at any time. I've only sedated him." As he says this, his smile fades.

"They're dangerous, aren't they? Sleep seizures or whatever they're called." Pit guesses.

"Only if not managed correctly." He refutes. "The sedative I gave him should prevent further seizures, but I can't guarantee that." He gestures to me and I carefully scoop Sonic into my arms, supporting his neck and head while making sure he isn't in any pain. He's fully limp. The action of picking him up brings only a slurred groan as his head lolls forward. I follow Dr. Mario and Pit to the infirmary and I gently place Sonic on one of the beds, earning in another soft but cute moan. He twitches slightly but he stays asleep. "I'll keep an eye on him." The doctor nods. "Pit, you go back to bed. Lu, you can use the guest room next-door. I'm guessing you will want to stay close to him." Pit nods and leaves the room. I nod as well.

"I do and that's fine." I lean over Sonic and I kiss him on the forehead, receiving another moan. "You wake up soon, OK? I'll be here if you need me." With a final glance and a small smile crossing my face, I head into the guest room next to the infirmary.

XO

Sunlight is what wakes me up. It's blinding despite the blinds being down. Guess I didn't turn them the right way. I check the time. 8:45am.

"Morning already…?" I mumble to myself, yawning and stretching before swinging out. It takes a few good moments to remember where I am and why I was in somewhere other than my bedroom. I quickly do remember. I rush into the infirmary. Sonic's still asleep, slightly on his side, a smile plastered onto his muzzle that makes me blush. His ears have bent down and he's gently snoring. God, he looks so cute. I sit by him and nuzzle him gently so I don't wake him up. "You must have had good dreams." I kiss his forehead again. He mumbles something but it's just him making noises in his sleep. For him, that is perfectly normal.

"No trouble all night." Dr. Mario reports, standing at some counter while packing away some spare bundles of bandages. I can't work out how he operates with that little sleep but hey, he's a doctor so maybe he's used to it. He chuckles. "He's really sweet really. I have no idea why my cousin hates him so much."

"Well, you know what they're like. It's Mario, isn't it? He and Sonic loathe each other. You know how they are."

"I know all too well." He sighs, only for the sound of moaning to interrupt our conversation. Sonic's starting to toss and turn, eyes beginning to flicker as he starting to wake up. We're at his side instantly, with me holding his hand and the doc checking everything's OK. "Hey, Sonic, it's alright. Just lie still for a few seconds for me, OK?" A moan is the response we get, though it's the equivalent of an "OK".

"You alright, Sonikku?" I ask, stroking his quills in an affectionate way.

"U-Uh-huh…" He groans, eventually yawning. His eyes flicker open. They take a few seconds to focus and they rest on me, lighting up as he blinks. "…D-Did I miss anything?" All I do is hug him, carefully of course, as he nuzzles in the cream fur that lines my chest.

"Careful with him, Lu. He injured his arm." The doc warns. I haven't touched his arm but I notice Sonic's right arm is limp by his side.

"S-Sorry."

"My arm?" Sonic looks at it in curiosity. There's no evident wound, so he's not fully convinced. He moves it quickly because he can't see anything, earning in an anguished yell. I'm quick to comfort him. A symptom of LS is high sensitivity to pain. A simple knock to anyone else is like getting punched to him, so his bad arm was extremely painful.

"Sssh…just breathe. It's just a sprain." I explain, shushing him down as he breathes heavily to get rid of the painful spell.

"I…I don't remember doing anything to it…" He recounts, face screwing up in thought. "Last thing I remember was you talking to Pit but I felt cold so I went to the library to warm up since the fire was on still but I blacked out…" He suddenly shudders.

"You suffered a sleep seizure." Sonic looks at the doctor in confusion. "That's how you hurt your arm."

"Sleep seizure?" He sounds panicked.

"It's a rare LS symptom." I briefly enclose. Sonic prefers to not know details unless it's vital, so the fact I only say that much is enough to make him nod in understanding.

"O-Oh…I get it. So…was it really bad Doc?"

"It was pretty violent but you'll be OK. I recommend you spent today recovering. I've asked Master Hand to cancel your brawls until your arm fully heals and you're in proper brawling shape. That might be a few days at most."

"I'm OK with that." He suddenly looks at me and I can see shame written all over his face. He rests his head on my shoulder. "S-Sorry about last night, Lu-chan…" His voice is barely a whisper.

"You have no reason to apologise. Everyone has bad dreams and the seizure wasn't your fault." I say, which makes him laugh. He knows. I hug him while avoiding his arm. He hugs back with his left arm only, keeping his right one limp by his side like before. It's obvious it still hurts but not as much as before.

"Hey, cousin." Just great. The door opens and in comes the jerk himself, Mario. He's Dr. Mario's cousin. Their mothers were apparently twins, hence how they look so alike. He sees Sonic and hate springs into his azure eyes. "Great, what's this idiot doing here?"

"Lay off, Mar. Leave him alone!" I snarl, using my body as a shield between Mario and Sonic.

"Picky, I barely said anything!" He argues, arms up in defense. Sonic's always a little scared around Mario. Because of that fear and because he can't fight back because of his arm, he barely thinks his next line through and only copies what I said.

"L-Lu-chan's right, Mario. Leave me alone." Mario blinks before laughing nastily, making Sonic whimper, making him protect him more.

"Heh, what a weak comeback. I don't need to be here." He leaves, and everyone in the room relaxes slightly.

"W-What a creep." I couldn't agree more with Sonic's description.

"Too right. What is his problem!?" I only get a resigned shrug as if to say "I don't know". Dr. Mario decides to change the subject. Good call.

"Shall I go get us some breakfast?"

"Go on then. Just some toast please." Sonic nods.

"Muesli for me, thanks." I politely answer. The doctor nods as he notes these down mentally.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." He leaves the room. There's a bit of silence before my mouth works before my brain.

"I hate to ask…but…that nightmare you had last night…" Sonic looks at me, slightly alarmed. "…was it really that terrifying?"

"You'd hate me if I told you. It was all nonsense." He's almost laughing it off but I can tell he's faking it. I can tell when Sonic fakes his emotions. He's not particularly skilled at it. His wavering quiet voice and the lack of eye contact are straight giveaways.

"Nightmares always mean something. Why would I hate you? You know you can trust me. You can tell me anything you want to. Pinkie promise I won't say a word to anyone." I can't really do it because I have paws, not hands. I'm playing by his rules. If we do a pinkie promise, he's more comfortable because he knows I never break a promise. He suddenly breaks down into sobs. "Come here, you." I cuddle him tight. He mumbles something and I only just catch it, but it's enough for me to choke on thin air.

"…I-I dreamt that you died."

"What?" That's the only word that escapes my mouth as my body goes numb. He starts explaining.

"W-We had had an argument and I wanted to be alone…b-but I felt lonely and tried to find you…but I saw someone like myself, covered in blood, overlooking your dead body…o-one day I know I'm gonna lose it, go on a murderous rampage like other LS sufferers…I just want you to hate me…" So that's it. He's scared of himself, of his condition, of the sheer fact that it is possible for him to suddenly go psychotic 24/7. It's extremely rare for Stage 2 but there is a very small chance, and that alone is eating him up.

"W-Why do you want me to hate you? You know I could never do that." I try hugging him but he pushes me off, even though he's using his bad arm. Pain flashes in his eyes but he must have adrenaline rushing through him in his fearful outburst as there's no scream, no yell of agony like there was before.

"Then learn." His voice has gone dark and it's almost a snarl. His eyes also darken and they glare at me like daggers. It makes me shake. What sort of dream puts that amount of distrust in one's eyes? I mean, he's as innocent as they come, so laid-back and someone who goes with the flow…for him to get like this…it's not making any sense. "If you don't get close to me, nothing bad will happen. That way, when the inevitable happens, you'll live…" I can't stand it anymore. I bundle him into my arms, preventing him from wiggling out because I have more strength than him. He's built like a wild cat, lithe and stream-lined while running but lacking in the strength factor.

"You're not going to go insane, you hear me? I know LS sufferers can easily mentally snap but you're on medication for it, remember? That helps you. It's rarely diagnosed but we caught it before it could do anything to you. You're scared that will still happen and you want me to hate you so I wouldn't get in your way if that happened, right?" He stops struggling and slightly nods at my deduction. "That's never going to happen. I can never hate you, no matter how much you want me to. I love you, Sonikku…and I always will, no matter what." There's a brief silence as he stares up at me, eyes welling up. On cue, he latches onto me in tears, letting all his anguish and fear out in a flood of heartbroken tears. All I can do is bear the weight of his fear. "Shush…it's alright…don't hold any of it back…just let it all out…"

"Uh…" It's the doctor, holding a breakfast bowl and a plate, standing in the doorway with a look of embarrassment on his face. "…am I interrupting something?"

"Just give us a few minutes."

"Alright." He leaves the bowl and plate on a table and exits the room. I look back at Sonic, who is finally managing to calm himself down. His face is scarlet, his breathing ragged and deep. He's furiously wiping his eyes.

"I'm never gonna hate you, OK?" I repeat, mainly so I know he's got the message before leaning in for a kiss. He kisses back. As he repel, I make my snout nuzzle against his tiny nose. It slightly tickles. "I love you Sonikku."

"I know…and I love you too Lu-chan…" He finally smiles though his eyes once again tell me it's fake and forced. "I…I-I guess I'm still scared of myself…even though deep down I know it won't happen…"

"No matter what happens, I will always protect you. I won't let anyone or anything harm you, not even yourself." I take him by the shoulders as he relaxes, limbs going fully lax as he breathes deeply to get a grip on his shot nerves. "Feel better now that you've told me this?" He nods at this.

"A bit better, yea'. Thanks for understanding."

"Don't I always, you little pincushion?" He laughs at this, a genuine laugh. He leans in for another kiss. He just wants affection. I'm willing to give it. After all, he has been through some traumatizing stuff in the last 12 hours.

"Does that make up for it?" He asks in his usual cocky way, flicking my canine-like ears in a silly childish way. I only laugh, ruffling the fur around his head.

"Yes, it does." I remember something. "Hey, doc, you can come back in now."

"Sorry about coming in without knocking. Don't worry, I didn't hear what your conversation was about." That's a relief. I would have felt really awkward if he somehow had eavesdropped through the infirmary's wooden door. He gives the toast plate to Sonic. "I wasn't sure what you wanted on your toast Sonic so I brought a variety of things."

"Thanks Doc." He chooses a small pot of jam and munches his breakfast happily, his appetite having not waned from what has happened, which usually happens. Whenever he gets upset, his appetite usually suffers as well. Obviously that doesn't happen all the time. Dr. Mario watches him and chuckles lightly.

"He's certainly perked up nicely, hasn't he?" He comments, earning an eager grin from Sonic.

"Yeah, he has. I'm glad." A sudden scream makes both of us jump. "Whoa, whoa!" Sonic's face is deathly pale, agony apparent in his eyes that have suddenly glazed over slightly. His fur is on end. The adrenaline rush is over and now all the agony from moving his arm around is all flooding back. His plate crashes to the floor, shattering into small shards. I've got him in my arms, hoping my comfort takes his mind off the pain. "I've got you. Is it your arm?" He nods, fright in his eyes. He's scared. He's not sure on what's going on and I understand that.

"Let me check it real quick…" Dr. Mario grabs a small machine, a mini x-ray scanner is what he calls it, and scans Sonic's right arm. The skin's botchy and is slightly swollen to the touch. His face goes grey as he checks the images and he bites his lip. Not a good sign.

"What? Is he alright!?"

"His arm's fractured…t-that didn't come up last night…" The fact he stuttered is enough to get panic flowing but for Sonic's sake I try to keep it under wraps.

"Maybe it was only tiny and has cracked more from him moving?" It's the only thing that springs to mind.

"It's possible…best hook him up to some morphine. It'll calm him down." He grabs a small IV and hooks it up to a metal pole. A white wire is hanging from it. "I'm sorry Sonic but this is going to hurt quite a bit." He slowly and gently injects the IV into his arm, earning a scream and a panic-filled wiggle for his trouble. I'm forced to restrain him until he calms down. "There we go. It should kick in soon."

"I-It hurts…" Sonic's voice is broken as he sobs. He's hyperventilating from both the pain and the fear of what is wrong with him. It's just so unnatural; it makes me want to cry too. "I-I-It h-hurts so much…" I stroke his good arm. He's still in my arms. In fact, I really don't want to let him go.

"Doc!?" It's a female voice, one that makes my own fur stand up. It's Zelda. She is one of the few in the Mansion who Sonic trusts 100%, mainly because the two have a mother-son relationship. Sonic's true parents died when he was only 8 and he was a nervous wreck when he joined Brawl back in 2008. Zelda was so kind to him like a mother. Even after his diagnosis, which initially made many people wary and even scared of him, Zelda never judged and continued being there for him.

"Great…" She bursts in, her brown hair behind her, panic written in her cyan eyes.

"Doc! W-What…?" She sees Sonic in my arms and her panic intensifies. "I-Is he alright!?"

"He will be once the painkiller kicks in." I answer her. I notice Sonic's whimpers becoming quieter, eyes flickering closed as his panicked breathing from before evens out and becomes deep and slow. At first, I panic but then I realize it's because the morphine is finally doing its job. The poor thing's falling asleep. "Speak of the devil." I gently release him from my grip and I gently lower him down onto his back, tucking the thin infirmary sheets around his half-asleep form. "It's alright, Sonikku. The morphine's taking away the pain. You'll feel a bit woozy while it's doing its magic, OK?" He sleepily nods before drifting off, a small smile stuck on his face.

"What happened? Was it Mario again?" Zelda's tone is quiet but sharp. Dr. Mario shakes his head.

"No, luckily my cousin had no role in Sonic's fracture."

"Fracture!? H-How did he do that!? Playing rough with the Pokemon again?"

"Last night, he suffered a sleep seizure after a nightmare and that caused a slight fracture which only magnified because the x-ray didn't show it up. He'll be alright." I explain. I'm talking too loud as Sonic suddenly lets out a half-pained moan. I just shush him until he falls silent again.

"What's a…sleep seizure…?

"It's a rare symptom of Stage 2 LS." The doctor briefly encloses. Like Sonic, Zelda prefers not knowing the nitty-gritty details unless the situation demanded it.

"And it only shows up now!?"

"Like I said, rare." He quickly checks Sonic over, confidently nodding as he finishes. "All vitals are stable. We should just leave him to sleep."

"Giuseppe!?" It's a name I don't recognise, not until the doctor deeply blushes and looks away.

"Giuseppe…? Seriously Doc, THAT'S your real name…?" It's almost funny but he gives me a dark look that stops me poking any fun at his name.

"It's not a name I'm proud of y'know." The door opens and Master Hand, in his illusional human form, comes in. While in this form, he's a very tall human with jet black hair, pale skin and bright caramel-brown eyes.

"Room's certainly crowded in here. How is he?" He's keeping his voice low as he sees Sonic's sleeping form. We're all whispering now.

"Fracture to his right arm from the seizure last night. He'll be fine after some sleep."

"I see." He looks at me. "It's probably best if we leave the doctor to do his job, Lucario. We'll come back in a little bit." At first, I'm taken aback. I don't want to leave his side but, knowing it might take a while for him to wake up, I reluctantly agree.

"…OK…" I exit the room with him and Zelda. He then pats my shoulder as I glance at the two from the infirmary's massive window.

"I know you're worried about him, Lu. We all are. Just give it some time. I'm sure he'll be right as rain soon enough. He has a gift of rebounding quickly from these types of things."

"If that is meant to be some joke, I don't find it particularly funny." Something comes to mind. "Oh, and Master Hand? I don't want Mario going anywhere near Sonic while he's in this condition. Remember what happened last time?"

Last time…that wasn't pretty. Sonic had gotten badly injured during an "illegal" (a term MH uses) brawl against Bowser a few years ago now. He was unconscious for a few days. Mario had gotten angry at the fact Bowser had been defeated by Sonic due to Mario's view that he was superior. He had attacked him in the infirmary. I managed to defend him. Luckily, the only injuries Sonic sustained from Mario was a dislocated shoulder and bruised muscles but that's one of the major reasons why Sonic does show some fear towards the idiotic plumber and it's one of the reasons Mario is one of the few Smashers I hate with a burning passion.

"I am aware. Don't worry, I will prevent him from coming anywhere near the infirmary for the time being." He leaves then.

"You holding up OK, Lu?" Zelda asks.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? You're shaking." Am I? I look at my hands. She's right. I am.

"Sorry…I'm just a bit on edge. So much has happened in the last 12 hours or so…"

"Understandable. You need a distraction. Me and Link are playing video games with Ness and Lucas. Want to join us?"

"I…I need to be here Zel…sorry."

"You worry too much about him, Lu. He'll be fine. Pretty soon, your fur will turn grey."

"And why can't I worry!?" It's rare for me to shout so it takes Zelda aback. "He's vulnerable, Zel, you know that! How can I NOT worry about him!?" It's then I realize what I've done. I cup my mouth. Oh God, did I really yell like that!?

"I know that…I'm sorry. I wasn't being serious. I didn't think…I'm so sorry…" She ashamed…but so am I. That was so unlike me.

"No, I'm sorry. You were just trying to lighten the mood. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that." Zelda gently smiles though. She's good at forgiving people.

"You…don't have to come with us. I won't force you to do something you don't want to do."

"It'll be a while until he wakes up…so I guess a few rounds won't hurt…" Zelda smiles at this and links her arms around my left one.

"See? Nothing to worry about. Dr. Mario will tell us if anything changes, which I doubt will happen. Besides, I don't think Sonic will want you worrying yourself to death over him." I look away from her, mentally deciding if I really want to do this. Eventually, I decide playing video games is better than sitting around for what might be hours.

"True…oh, go on then."

"Alright! Come on!" She starts dragging me off to the game room before she stops, a playful look crossing her eyes. "Just wondering, Dr. Mario's real name…we're telling everyone are we?"

"Definitely not." I refute. I'm not embarrassing him. However, Zelda laughs at this, obviously having only joked about revealing Dr. Mario's real name. I blink at her before laughing as well. I can't help it. She pulls me into the game room and closes the door, both of us in stitches.