"Why is he such a dick?" Sonic murmurs, rubbing the back of his quills lightly as he observes the scene before him.
"I don't know, you tell me." Shadow snarks, eyes trained on his book while his legs cross in a comfortable position.
The cobalt hedgehog takes a second look at his demon, a scowl forming on his face. "Are you for real? You're reading at a time like this!?"
"I do have a personal life."
Sonic groans, wiping a hand down his face before looking back at the created fake of him. "Hey, you don't need to punish them... or whatever." He states, stepping forward.
The narrowed eyes of the emperor lock onto him, puffing his chest out before raising his scepter in a pointing fashion. "And you are?" He scans Sonic before a gasp forms in his throat, a hand touching his chest.
'Good, he realizes who I am. I mean, we are the same person.' Sonic sighs, an easy going smile on his face before it turns to shock at the next words out of the king's mouth.
"You were so taken with our majestic form that you recreated your own image to suit us! How wondrous peasant!" The cerulean ruler says, tone heartfelt as he comes over to Sonic. His pupils forming bright green stars at his admiration. "Your efforts do not go unnoticed by our gaze." His hand comes out to shake Sonic's before pulling it back, ears twitching slightly. Listening to something.
Even Sonic had to press his ears to catch what was being said.
"...using us...wanting our glory...can't let him take it...all for us..."
Green eyes try to find the voice, locking on to the bulge on the fake's neck, watching the stars disappear in the other's eyes as he listens.
"...take credit...meant for us..."
Those stars turn into the skulls that Sonic was familiar with, a shudder going down his spine at the memory of what they meant. He backs off, visibly flinching at the sight.
Death was close at hand.
"End him..."
The king takes a swipe at Sonic, a growl forming in his throat. "You only want my crown, my achievements! They are mine! ALL MINE!" He thunders, blindly swinging, that scepter turning into a sword.
"Hey no! I was always like this!" Sonic denies, frightfully dodging the blade and every attack that came at him. "I don't know what that thing told you, but I'm a good guy!"
Shadow clears his throat, raising a brow at his response before gesturing a hand to himself.
The mortal clenches his teeth, waving his hands in the air. "You know what I meant!"
The emperor only seems to get more aggressive with the attention directed at his neck. His quills fluffing out and blackened veins spread across his face and chest, beginning at the disfigurement on his neck. "I'll cut out your tongue!"
The entire throne room started to turn dark with the whirlwind of negative emotions swirling in his fake. Actualizing the real state of the king, what he was truly like, gold turned to rust, beauty turned to rot, crystals to coal. The lighting dimmed, and Sonic swore he could hear a storm outside because there was no light pouring through the windows any longer.
Sonic trips on a furrow on the red carpet behind him from the latest dodge, causing him to trip back and land on his back, his hands grasp the robe of the king, effortlessly pulling it free from the other.
His time began to slow down as he watched helplessly as the enraged, deformed mirror started a swing downward towards him.
In the next moment, the king is pushed away by the radiant glow he could recognize as his ex-girlfriend, and Sonic is pulled up by another person.
'She saved me?'
His eyes land on the exposed neck of the fallen blue male, seeing the crazed ugly conjoined head resting at the back of the king. It pulsed as the veins stretch from the center of his head, splintering like spider webs. The only had one yellow eye with black sclera that darted to him and for once, he could hear exactly what it was saying as he pulled away.
"KILL HIM, HE'LL TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM US! WE ARE THE ONLY ONES DESERVING OF PRAISE!" It screeches at him, drool spitting from its fangs, making the mortal's spines reflexively fluff in fright. A disgusting, piteous being if it wasn't promising murder to him.
"Please my lord, you must move, or you'll get killed." A voice calls to him, as pairs of hands drag him away from the throne room, the disturbing boil with features and the deranged king it was attached too.
"W-what?" He stutters, still not understanding as he watches the dark stones of corridors race him by until he meets the soft jade eyes of one of his rescuers.
"You dethroned our last king, we now praise you wondrous being." The female answers, a smile on her face but it didn't reach her eyes.
He could tell.
He could tell what color her eyes were. He could see some of her.
But the words she used, it didn't settle quite right. 'But I did stop him, right? Shouldn't I get praised for that?' His feet finally touch solid, nonmoving ground and he observes the two that brought him, to what he could only assume be the lowest, filthiest room he'd ever seen.
"Where are we? This place is disgusting." Sonic scowls, hands moving to his hips before looking down at his hand.
He held the robe of the king securely in his grasp. 'What? I can't let go.' He shakes his hand, trying to force the fingers to unclench to let go of the fabric.
"This is our room our supreme hero." Tails answers, the two immediately flop to the ground to bow in shame. "We are sorry that this doesn't suit your radiance!" He whimpers, shaking lightly. "Punish us however you like, we are here only to progress you further."
A disgusted shiver leaves Sonic. "He hurt you?" He winds up hissing in a whisper, a saddened crease forming as he kneels down before grasping the fox's shoulders. Verde eyes do not miss the flinch that courses through the young kit, but he doesn't stop his contact.
Sonic pulls Tails into a hug, tightly holding him to his chest as bites his lip. His muzzle rests on his shoulder, so the wide blue eyes of his friend, victim miss the tears brimming at the corners of his own.
"Even here I continue to hurt you. Why do I.." He cuts off his whispers, voice cracking and he could not let himself break in front of them. His pride could not stand the vulnerability.
And yet, it was broken when the fox returned his hug, hands running over his back in a soothing gesture. "Hey, you're supposed to be comforting me." The kit murmurs in his lowered ears.
Sonic had heard those words before, ceasing his tears, his sniffles, his trembling in a moment. A fake couldn't know them, right? "Tails?"
Couldn't help the cliffhanger, but what do you think-real or fake Tails? Make sure you review, drop a suggestion at me or just announce that you like this. Everything helps me continue this story.
