Author's Notes

Holy blue hedgehogs, Batman! Another update in LESS THAN A MONTH! (readers die of shock) I guess it's because I had much fun writing it. Or maybe it's just because my readers are suddenly getting a lot more violent. XD;; Lots of interesting theories as to what happened to Sonic… legs torn off, legs broken, paralysis, bleeding to death… There are some twisted ppl reading my fics! XD

(remembers that there are also violent ones)

...not that that's a bad thing. o.o

Anyway… there was one vote for Amy and two (or 2.5, CF? XP) for Shadow. So, let's see who was right. :P


Chapter 3
I hate waiting.

You might never guess from my outward composure.

But I hate it just as much as Sonic does.

I'm just able to deal with it better.

Apparently better than that echidna, too…

I suppose I can't blame him. His friend is suffering and there's nothing he can do about it.

Nothing any of us can do about it.

I hate feeling helpless, too.

Part of me wants to run off right now and shred that wretched robot to pieces.

Judging from the sizeable hole in the wall, I imagine Knuckles feels the same way.

But that's not going to help anyone right now. Attacking in blind rage would probably only land more of us in the hospital.

Besides…

I have another task now.

To tell Sonic what he doesn't want to hear and none of us wants to believe.

It's not really something I look forward to…

But it has to be this way.

Tails… he adores Sonic. He's never left his side all this time, despite the efforts of friends and hospital workers alike. His loyalty—to use a crude analogy—is like that of a dog ever-faithful to its master.

It almost sickens me.

Except that I was once like that… a lifetime ago…

But I digress. Tails was devastated enough when the doctors explained Sonic's condition to us. Putting him through that again would be cruel, to say the least.

Amy reacted in much the same way. She may be older than Tails, but she's still very close to Sonic. Giving her this job wouldn't be much better.

Knuckles could probably have handled it. He's not as attached as Tails or Amy, and he's almost as good at controlling his emotions as I am.

Almost.

I half-wonder if he'd start trashing the hospital in frustration, too…

So how did I get stuck with this?

I suppose it's because I can relate to him. I share much more in common with him than anyone else.

And I can understand how hard this will be for him because of that.

Ah, the phone's ringing.

Well… it was. Amy's answered it already. She's been like this the past few days, practically pouncing on the phone with each call.

I have to admit, she has good reflexes.

Knuckles has snapped to attention again from his seat on the sofa. He tries hard to not look worried, but he's just as much on edge as the rest of us.

…Yes, myself included.

But like I said, I'm much better at hiding it.

Agh! What's she screaming about?

"He's awake! He's awake!"

Awake? That got my attention.

Knuckles is already out of his seat and heading toward her. I leave my spot by the window to join them as well.

"We're on our way!" she speaks into the phone at a slightly lower volume before hanging up.

"Sonic's awake?" Knuckles asks, voice betraying his concern.

Amy's beaming. The answer's obvious, but she replies anyway. "Yes! Come on, let's hurry over there!"

Her and Knuckles are halfway to the door already. I clear my throat and hold up a little gem I've held on to. "I think this would be quicker."

Having caught their attention, they turn and come back to me. Amy grabs one of my arms and grins again. "I love you."

I cough. "For your sake, I'll pretend you didn't say that." She merely giggles. How annoying. Knuckles places a hand on my opposite shoulder, grunting slightly. I suppose that's his way of saying "thank you".

No sense in drawing out this warm moment any longer. "Chaos Control!" The room around me disappears in a brilliant green light, which fades seconds later to a hallway within the hospital. I've grown accustomed to this by now, but Knuckles and Amy must be a bit disoriented, as they still haven't let go of me. I encourage them by roughly tugging my arms and stepping away.

This seems to effectively shake them out of their stupor, as Amy immediately makes a beeline for a door down the hall. For a moment it seems like Knuckles is ready to break into a jog after her. But he glances at me and instead chooses a more dignified gait.

He tries. I'll give him that much.

I follow him to Sonic's door. When we enter, I see that Amy's already at his bedside, holding his hand. The door clicks shut behind us, drawing Sonic's attention.

"That was quick." I hold up the Chaos Emerald, feeling somewhat smug. He smiles back. He's well aware of the convenience of Emerald transportation.

"How are you feeling?" Amy asks him, while I move to the wall opposite his bed.

"I'm alright." Hm. He's hiding something.

But I don't need to guess what…

He's really too noble for his own good. Always trying to appear fearless and invincible. It gives them strength. I suppose it gives him strength, too.

Funny how that can all change in a matter of seconds.

How an image, an identity can be shattered in an instant…

"So, someone wanna tell me what happened?"

No one speaks at first.

Because no one wants to answer…

Knuckles breaks the silence. "You don't remember?"

Sonic looks like he's trying to. "Well, I remember being in Eggman's base. You guys were fighting some badniks, and I was…" He trails off and looks as though he's recalling something he'd rather forget.

"You were fighting Metal Sonic." There, he's said it. And now all the pieces begin to fall into place…

"M… Metal…" Yes, Sonic's remembering now. How much, I'm not sure.

But it's enough.

Enough to frighten Tails and Amy as they watch their brave hero crumble before their very eyes.

Enough.

"Tails, Amy, why don't you see if you can find us some drinks?" They both look up at me with near-teary eyes. They look reluctant to leave, but they understand what will happen next.

It's for the best.

Amy takes Tails by the arm and guides him to the door.

I don't think I've ever seen him look so utterly dejected…

The door closes. Sonic looks to me.

It can't be put off any longer…

I walk over to his bedside, briefly considering whether I should sit down or not.

In the chair previously occupied by Tails.

…I think I'll just stand.

"Shadow… what's going on here?" My eyes meet Sonic's.

He's afraid.

Fear… doesn't suit him.

I want to look away, knowing that it will only get worse. But I will myself to keep my eyes locked on his.

Now is not the time for weakness.

I take a deep, quiet breath. "As Knuckles said, you were fighting Metal." I pause for a moment, bracing myself for my next words.

"You lost."

Sonic's mouth opens as though to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead he regains that vacant look of recalling a memory.

And the fear intensifies.

"My… my legs…" His voice is barely a whisper.

I force myself to go on. "He broke both your legs. Nearly shattered the bone and tore a lot of muscle."

He's staring intent and wide-eyed at me, now.

Afraid.

My teeth clench. I… don't want to do this.

I don't want to stare at those eyes anymore.

I don't want to see such a carefree spirit wither away into a lost soul.

So much like me…

But fate is cruel. I understand that as well as anyone.

So I don't look away.

I shed no tears.

"The doctors said…"

And I force myself to speak without wavering.

"…you'll never be able to run again."


Finally! The tragic truth revealed! Am I evil or what? XP Poor Sonikku. And to those who guessed Shadow, give yourself a pat on the back, because I'm too cheap to give you anything! XD;;

I think I did a better job on this chap than the last… too much detail and repetition killed the Tails chap, I think. So I left out a lot of the physical details that were described in the previous chapters (small bits of dialogue, minor actions of other chars, etc.). I think it works for Shadow, since he's more the type to be lost in his own thoughts rather than paying attention to insignificant things around him. :P

I haven't decided yet whether I want to do Amy or Knuckles chapters. If I do, they'll be later on in the story. I am considering doing an Eggman and/or Metal chapter… not sure where I'd fit them in, but I especially think it'd be interesting to see Eggman's reaction to the situation. :grin: The possibilities…

But enough of my rambling. Thanks to all who reviewed, and new reviews are always appreciated! Til the next chap, chao!