Rotted wood fell easily at his attack, splintering upon impact as Sonic steps into the desolate throne room. Inside was the Emperor Sonic, worse looking than before. His pupils had turned to red skulls, whites turning black, but they lacked the angry he once had, now it was only dull and blank in expression. The black spidery veins traveled all along his body like an illness, rooted from the growth on his neck where they were the darkest.
The conjoined head attached at his neck was now spread farther along his shoulder, taking up the whole portion on that side of his neck. It was taking over, gaining control of the body it inhabited. The Sonic was just a corpse being dragged along for the ride, twitching and half slumped in his standing position.
"So, you've come back to die, yes?" The voice was said by both, the azure male more hushed with his parasite in control. That beady eye glares at Sonic, sharp teeth settling into a scowl.
"I don't think so." Sonic says with confidence, clenching his hands around the hilt of his weapon. "I need to get rid of you, you're a disgrace to me and everyone I know." He states, ears curling back.
The enemy didn't enjoy that, hands trembling before spiked gold scepters launch out the palms of the hedgehog's hands with splatters of blood, announced by the cries of pain from him. Though the head did not falter, only seeming to get more agitated with how Sonic was existing.
With how sickly the hedgehog attachment looked Sonic felt like he'd be slower.
He was not, he was still Sonic.
And being Sonic, his speed granted him the ability to quickly force a frontal attack, one that Sonic must lean back to catch with his own blade, the growth hissing in frustration.
But something happened at the clash of their wills, something that resonated until it hit Sonic with an auditory thump in his chest that echoed in his head. There's a flash behind his eyes where a scene plays.
A young him, child him going up to an older female hedgehog as she puts her earrings using a tall mirror.
"Mommy, look what I did!" He cries, holding up a first-place ribbon from the sports day they had. Large and flamboyant with golden script announcing to all who saw it, who was the winner. The mother glances quickly before taking a second look, surprise and pride on her face.
She turns toward the young Sonic, who held the prize happily in his hands. "Oh my, you did so wonderful." She states, kneels to grab the prize. "I bet no one could beat you, could they? Because you re my special boy." She coos, rubbing his cheek gently before scratching his ear.
The blue boy giggles lightly, puffing out his chest. "Yup!" He agrees. "I'm the best!"
"You certainly are. And you will always be the best, right?" His mother questions, a smile on her face. "Mommy loves when you're the best Sonic."
Her voice echoes as the scene fades out, leading the male back to his present condition and slightly out of breath from his experience. Time had not passed, and he was still blocking his puppetted double.
'I understand why you wanted me to do this now, Tails.' Sonic narrows his eyes before forcing the double back, clicking the button on the hilt to begin the self-heating process on his blade.
The emperor stumbles away, head tilted back unnaturally, but snaps forward to stare dully at Sonic. "I'll kill you and be the best." He murmurs, parasite shouting the words with fervor. The spiked scepters morph, turning to golden blades spidered with black ink, it still was connected by blood and bone from his hands.
His legs slack, tilting his body forward before his brain catches up with it for another assault on the mortal.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
Sonic's body moves on its own, dodging the double swing before blocking the attack on the left by both blades wanting to do a sweep and cut him in half. That thump happens again, a flash and another scene plays. He allows himself to settle in it easier than before.
"Let s all clap for Sonic, he did a great job playing as Romeo in the play!" The teacher hums, already clapping her hands. The class follows suit, a glowing Sonic in the middle next to the teacher. He smiles brightly, emerald eyes moving to see the crowd around him. Even the parents that were waiting behind the children were clapping, laughing lightly.
His mother was standing off to the side, dressed to the absolute best that made the other parents pale in comparison. She wore a dress that looked made to go to a dinner with a world leader, not a children's play. Other parents were either in knock-off fashion icons or had just gotten off work and unable to change.
"Of course, he did well, he's my child." The child could hear his mother say, that tone present in her voice that he couldn't quite understand, but watching the faces of the others, they weren't happy. But it made his mom happy, so he was happy.
And everyone was looking at him, clapping at something he did, so it couldn't be bad.
Sonic gasps, pushing back the puppet while darting back himself, a light sheen of sweat on his muzzle from the mental links he was having during this fight. The strain of bouncing from passenger to driver of his body.
And it still didn't feel like he was entirely there, or perhaps too much there. Thoughts, suggestions, commands that he wasn't issuing.
'DO IT, slice him. DRAIN THE BLOOD FROM HIS BODY.' It sounded like him, whispering in the back of his head, both it was like yelling from far away. 'Fight him, cut him, STAB HIM. He looked at you funny, END HIM.'
With a shake of his head, he focuses on the opponent, that voice fading, but never leaving. Swearing, threatening, dropping the most disturbing suggestions of torture for the pitiful excuse of flesh in front of the mortal.
'He is pitiful. No one should be a leech's body bag.' Sonic murmurs as he slowly circling the staggered homunculus.
Said being proceeds to instigate yet another flurry of swings, all of which are easily maneuvered from because of his aggression and lack of planning. Emerald narrow on the controlling lump before thrusting the heated blade towards it. 'Might as well lance a boil.' He smirks, then gritting his teeth as the parasite acts in self-preservation, pulling up one of his own weapons to block.
But just barely.
Sparks fly from the crash of metal, the heat doing its job and beginning to melt the edges of gold as Sonic watches another jump begin.
He could feel that familiar pound in his chest as he comes to a stop on the track. Once again, winning by a long shot, the uproar of the crowds watching them race, centered on him. Those squeals from high school girls, rowdy cheers from his male friends and classmates alike. His girlfriend bragging on his accomplishments and the pouts of the girls around her, wanting his attention like she had.
And yet Sonic realized, his ex looked different.
No, was different.
It wasn't the glowing bright aura from the mystery woman that showed up before in his last memories, or the one he met in the emperor's palace. He could see her jade eyes now, but these were once again faded from vision.
The aura was a fuzzy dark that jumped and jittered its form, instead the golden misty consistence of the other. He had two girls before?
'Why is this coming back to me now? That I had someone before the one I broke up with?' He questions, watching as he goes over to be photographed, roses, trophy, even stuff to be commemorated in the paper for his record-breaking speed win.
He could see that stupid self-center smirk on his face, making him cringe before blinking back at that thought. 'Where did that come from? Is Shadow rubbing off on me?' The hedgehog suppresses a shiver at the idea that Shadow was in fact, rubbing off on him.
But it was also just him, disliking the attention that he was receiving. There was too much. He could even see his mother coming over and playing the role of a supporting parent. Smiles, laughing, and praises feeding the pride that she had instilled in her son.
Was it always like this? The woman was paying more attention to the cameras and the interviewers than her son, telling them how parenting him the way she had led to his success and that it was no wonder he happened to do.
'I remember. Mom's an old actress, she always craves to be the best and have the best.' Sonic sighs, lowering his eyelids in disappointment. 'Never could just be happy with her kid, had to push him psychologically until he started gaining attention from something good.' He grumbles, eyes looking elsewhere from his gratitude seeking mother, catching that glow in the stands where classmates were seated.
'I knew her here, too right?' Green eyes darting back to the dark fog that was his girlfriend and then back at the jade-eyed female. 'But she's not mine, she just goes to my high school.' He was confused, she was high in the concrete stands, where no one wanted to be normally, seated next to a happy couple. They didn't go the school, he could at least make that out.
Outcast.
That one word came to mind. What else could it be, she's sitting next to people that didn't even go to the school, away-no-forced from the rest of her classes in the worse spots imaginable for viewing any games. Sonic squints his eyes, detailing that her clothes weren't the fashionable sort, they were older, hand-me-downs.
Gotta hate high school, pick on the less fortunate just because that's what is normal. It was deplorable in his eyes now, and he felt horrible at the thought of him doing it, but he couldn't remember if he did.
'What?' The glow seemed to change with his way of thinking, but he found himself fading from the memory before he could see the newest color.
"NO! Come back!" The blue male shouts, blinking again to realize he was still in his fight. There was no crowd, no girlfriend, no attention whore mother, and no mysterious girl.
He grits his teeth, stumbling at the loss of focus allowing the Pride to hit him back against the wall with pented-up fury. A yelp escapes him at the contact before he falls to the ground.
"Lost in your head peasant? You should know better than to take your eyes off me!" The cyst shrieks unpleasantly, using his speed to rush forward and start a downward slash that has Sonic rolling off to the side to avoid the close shave.
'I need to get back there.' Sonic scowls, pushing off the ground and landing a two-footed kick to his Pride's side, earning him another screech.
He swipes his blade to both of his sides once on his feet again, to show his seriousness in this fight. "I'm not done yet, you ugly pimple!"
Goodness, another chapter done already. I couldn't help myself but upload this earlier than I previously wanted. Usually I wait until I've finished other stories, but couldn't help it. Also I drew something for this story, I highly recommend viewing it with the link below, I worked really hard on it and it's part of the reason why this chapter is out now.
kuronekogrimm/art/Make-me-Better-Than-Before-sketch-769934663