Chapter 9

Hospitalized Shadows

The green light faded and the blue flames disappeared with it. Amy, Tails and Knuckles uncovered their eyes. They looked around the small area they were in and saw the trees that had been on fire weren't anymore. Everything looked normal again, except for the burnt trees. Amy, then, looked at Shadow and saw him lying on the ground.

"Shadow!" she exclaimed, in a panic.

Amy bent down beside him. The black hedgehog was covered with burns and cuts and was unconscious. Tails and Knuckles looked down at him too.

"He was probably the reason for that green light," Tails said.

"He sacrificed himself to save us," Amy said, tears in her eyes.

Tails checked Shadow's pulse and sighed in relief.

"He's still alive. We just gotta get him to a hospital and fast," Tails told his friends.

Amy looked at Tails with a worried and scared expression.

"But what about Sonic?" she asked. "He's not himself. He must be really sick."

Knuckles shook his head.

"It's his anger. It's created a separate form from the Sonic we know. It's made out of all his rage that he's blocked away from us and others … and I guess … he couldn't keep it there for much longer," Knuckles explained.

"We'll worry about that later. Right now, Shadow needs help!" Tails said.

Knuckles walked up beside the fox and picked Shadow up. He threw the black hedgehog over his shoulder and started walking back to the city. Amy was in thought during that time.

I sure hope Sonic is still under that … evil smile, Amy thought.

xxxxx

An hour had passed since they arrived at the hospital and Amy, Tails and Knuckles were waiting for the doctor. The nurses had taken care of Knuckles' wounds from his own fight with Sonic. Soon, the doctor came out of the room Shadow was inside and they all stood up.

"You got him here just in time. He's completely drained of his Chaos energy, but we let him continue holding his Chaos Emerald so he can recharge. But he will have to stay here for a while," the doctor explained.

The three nodded and left, although they were hoping Shadow got better soon, they knew that recharging that much Chaos energy wouldn't take just one night. They walked down the street of Westopolis and turned a corner to see Sonic standing above a dead police officer. Amy, Knuckles and Tails gasped.

The police officer wore normal policemen clothes and a pair of black shades was lying beside the body. The police officer had a very thin neck, which meant Sonic must've strangled him to death. Sonic heard them gasp and turned his head, slightly. He smiled when he saw them, his sharp fangs showing as he smiled. He turned completely around and grinned evilly at them.

"Well, if it isn't my old friends. How ya doing? Bad. How about Shadow? I saw the green blast and at first thought it was you being encased by the fire, but then I finally figured out it was actually Shadow's Chaos powers," Sonic explained.

Knuckles took a protective stance in front of Amy and Tails, but Tails ran from behind Knuckles and up to Sonic. Tears were running down his furry cheeks.

"TAILS!" Knuckles and Amy called out to him.

Tails stopped in front of Sonic. He looked up at him, tears still streaming from his eyes.

"Sonic! Please! Stop This! I Don't Want You To Do This!" Tails shouted at the dark furred hedgehog.

Sonic glared at Tails in anger and picked him up by his neck. Tails started struggling in Sonic's grip. Sonic smirked at the struggling fox in his grip.

"It's Always About You, Isn't It? You Always Think What Is Best For Me When It's Not What I Want!" Sonic shouted in anger.

Sonic tightened his grip on Tails' neck.

"Sonic … please …" Tails wheezed.

"NO! I Have Had Enough! You Didn't Come Visit Me In Jail! I Was Rotting In There! My Soul Was Diminishing, Because Of You! Now You Will Know How I Felt When You Left Me There! Left Me For Dead!" Sonic shouted, but growled the last two sentences.

Tails grabbed Sonic wrists, trying to pry them from his neck.

"Sonic, please … it was for … you … that we did that … and we … couldn't make it…" Tails explained in gasps.

Sonic growled and tightened his grip even more. Tails took in a deep breath before his oxygen was cut off. Amy gasped and grabbed Knuckles' arm.

"Do Something Before He Kills Tails!" Amy screamed at him.

Sonic looked at them and then back at Tails.

"You Have Been In My Way For Too Long! Always Following Me!" Sonic shouted. "Well, No More."

Sonic's aura flared and his pupils disappeared. He had kept his pupils while he talked to the fox.

"Sonic, please … I followed you, because you wanted me too. I wanted … to go on those adventures with you," Tails cried, while trying to get air. "Y … You're my brother, Sonic."

Sonic's pupil-less eyes widened and just as Tails was about to lose consciousness from loss of air, he let go. Tails fell to the ground, clutching his neck and looked up at Sonic. The darkened hedgehog was glaring down at him, emerald eyes in sight, breathing heavily. He turned and ran off.

"SONIC! WAIT!" Tails shouted with a choked voice.

But Sonic didn't come back, he had already ran around the corner. Away from his friends. Away from his brother. Tails.