"Sonic's new life" - part 6

Two and a half months passed.
Sonic was rounder than ever. His stomach grew pretty much during those two months. Some new ailments appeared for example his aching back. Adding up to it throwing up and fainting. Sonic felt worse and slept really long in the day. He was tired and dejected.

That morning Shadow entered the bathroom to find Sonic sitting on the floor vomiting in the toilet.

"Sonic you okay?"

When he finished he tried to stand without much success. Shadow helped him to stand up. After washing his mouth Sonic said in a weak tone:

"Don't worry… Everything is fine…"

"I don't think so. You're barely able to stand properly. You're really weak." Said Shadow in concerned voice.

"Ught… It's normal… I'm standing up in the night too…"

"We have to tell about this to Eggman."

"Okay… By the way… Can you make me some tea?.."

"Sure" said black hedgy while laying Sonic on the bed.

"Thanks Shadow…"

"No problem. Lay and rest. I'll be right back."

""

Five minutes later Shadow came back with a mug of tea and Eggman threading hard on hog's heels.

"I heard from Shadow that you feel worse Sonic. What's the matter?"

"Uh… I've got backaches and started to throw up again…I feel weak…"

"Maybe you need some vitamins?"

"I don't know… But I think it has to be that way… It's a weight of a baby on me…"

"Maybe." Shadow sat Sonic up and handed the mug to him.

"Thankies Shadow…"

"No prob."

"Anyway… Sonic, you feel any other changes ?"asked Eggman.

"No… Baby is kicking as usual…I didn't notice anything weird…"

"Good."

Shadow rubbed Blue Boy's arm for comfort. After a few good swallows of the warm liquid Sonic felt a little better.

"Sigh… There's no a better thing that a mug of good tea…" he sighed. He lent himself onto Shadow. Black hedgehog's closeness was really helpful for his ailments. He was thankful for the support from him.

"I think you two need to be alone for a while. Sonic needs sleep and you Shadow should stay with him. I'm going back to my work."

"Right." Said Shadow. Eggman exited the room. Shadow slipped onto the bed and lent Sonic on his front. Then he placed a hand on his rather big belly. Blue hedgy looked at his partner with a small smile.

"Thank you Shadow… For being here…"

"No problem Sonic."

Sonic snuggled into Shadow slowly falling asleep.

"Sleep tight Hedgehog…" whispered Shadow to his ear while stroking his cheek with free hand. Another one still on blue hog's belly. After a few minutes he fell asleep too.

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When Black hedgy woke up he realized that Sonic wasn't with him. In panic he started to search for the blue hedgehog.

"God, If he fainted somewhere? Or worse, hurt himself???" he thought. He found him in the kitchen while eating some pudding.

"Hiya Shad. You woke up."

"Sonic ! Why didn't you wake me up??? You know how worried I was ??? pant"
"smile"

Sonic stood up and walked to panting Shadow. He hugged him in a warm embrace.

"Thank for your care. It's nice."

"Don't do anything like this again Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Yeah, yeah… Calm down. Anyway, wanna some pudding?"

"pout Yes"

"Good boy. Sit down."

Shadow did as he was told while Sonic prepared a bowl of said pudding for his buddy.

"You'll give a heart attack someday, you know that?"

"Nah… Your imagination is running out of reality. You think I would consciously do anything that would harm baby in any way?"

"Hm… Rather no…"

"You know that it's like a precious to me, so why would I?"

"I don't know… I think I'm starting to be two careful…"

"Exactly."

For a longer moment the ate in silence. Shadow had a bit of pudding on his cheek. Seeing that Sonic get a grip on a handkerchief.

"Eh Shadow… You're such a big baby sometimes…"

"Wha-?"

Blue hedgy wiped the pudding away from the other's cheek after lifting his face a little. Ebony hedgehog blinked in astonishment. Sonic smiled at the reaction of his friend. When Shadow shook it off said:

"You noticed how motherly you became?"

"It might be mother instinct."

"Probably. It takes control over you. Hehehe…"

"So what? Is that something wrong?"

"No…?"

"Right. So why are you looking for a fight?"

"I.. I only said that-" he cuts because Sonic placed a finger on his lips silencing him.

"End of the topic. Finish that pudding or it will be cold."

"Okay…"

Blue hedgy touched his nose with a smile. Then he washed his bowl. After this he sat back next to Shadow. He stretched a little with a yawn.

"You're really comfortable, you know? Good sleep I had."

"rising an eyebrow" Aha…"

"smile When I woke up I couldn't get out of your grasp. You didn't allow me to go anywhere. I had to poke you to the sides to make you let go of me."

"rolls eyes So what?"

"Honestly, it's really nice when someone cares for you that much. When he hugs you and protects you… While thinking about this… Not so long ago it was me who protected people. How funny."

"Yeah… You stayed with your enemy and became friend with him. Am I correct?"

"In ridiculous sense, yes, you're right. I have to say that if Eggman wants, he can be a very good buddy."

"I support you here. He may be weird sometimes but in the end he's a nice man."

"A agree. There were several times that I wanted to cut his head off, but I in the end I hadn't done that. You know that when I once talked with Becoe and Decoe they told me something interesting. When you were fighting that Eggman's robot… E-99 I think it was… He was afraid that you might really die. He didn't want to kill you. The same about the Metarex. Lots of his doings meant to protect you and your friends from that walking piece of junk."

"Wow… That sounds nice when thinking about the fact how many times I destroyed his creations. Theirs pieces would fill a few junkyards."

"Heh… He's just a kind-hearted pensioner, who wants some attention…"

"Well… On the beginning he seemed somehow dangerous, but when the time passed I got used to him and his machines… And he couldn't surprise me with anything. Well.. Except the moment when he joined Metarex. That was something unexpected and new… "

"Pff… You can like him aside from that. I found him even funny sometimes. Building this robots with such a heart… Decoe, Becoe and Bokkun were his first and last creations which survived you."

"True. I don't know why but I find those three as a real people sometimes. Bokkun is like a little kid by soul, Decoe and Becoe are… his peers which accompany him at the good and bad times."

"Right… Something is in it… You know what? I've got an idea. Let's go and see what is he doing, ne?"

"Why not? I'm living here for like almost 6 months and I haven't talked to him since then… :/ "

The two hedgehogs walked down the hall to Eggman's laboratory. After entering they were just astonished a little when finding Eggy sleeping peacefully on the desk. Near him was a cup from his morning coffee. Also on the desk were scattered all around tons of rolled papers, probably the projects for his next machines. All over the room were lots of said papers. On the shelves, in boxes and some even piled in the corner. There were some weird looking machines too.

Suddenly Sonic spotted a shelve filled with familiar looking CD boxes. He walked closer to that shelve and took one box out. He froze while having twisted feeling in his stomach. On the cover, in a crooked letters was writing 'Metal Sonic'. Before his eyes appeared a vision of the hedgehog-robot half drown in the lava.

'There is only one Sonic…' those were the last word of the robot before melting in the lava. For a long moment he was facing the CD box frozen. Shadow approached him.

"What's wrong Sonic? Huh?" he noticed small drops of tears forming in his eyes. He took a look at the CD in his hand.

" "Metal Sonic"? What is it all about ? I don't get it."

"Shadow.. Long time ago… When my adventure as an Eggman's enemy started… And Tails was like 5 years old… Eggman made his greatest robot… The robot was hedgehog-shaped… Had same abilities as me… That machine was even thinking like me… Like my copy… No… Like my clone…

"Eh? Thinking like you?"

"Uh-huh… Yes… He was like a twin of me… But aside from being like me in every point… There was one difference… He was made… Just to kill me…"

"Wha-?"

"But… When we were fighting our final battle "the last standing survives…"… Something weird happened… When I was unable to help my friend in danger… He helped them… Just before falling into the lava…" Tears slipped down his cheeks. All the memories was passing before his eyes like a film. After a moment he continued "I jumped into the crater to help him… But Knuckles appeared and held me in his grip… But even that wouldn't stop me… I stretched my hand to him… So he could grab it… But… He tossed it aside…" He cut once again. Another tears slipped then falling to the ground. "He… He said something that I would never forget…"

"What, what did he said?..." Asked Shadow.

"He said… That… 'There is only…One…Sonic…' Then… He… He… Died…" He ended. His hands were shaking. Shadow gave him a warm hug for comfort.

"Calm down… It's past… Forget about it…"

"He-he was like a-a brother to me…" He sobbed in Shadow's arms hugging him in return. He felt like a little kid afraid of the storm. But he didn't care at the time. Te cuddled to Shadow more. Suddenly the box slipped from his fingers landing on the floor with a loud sound. Eggman snapped from his slumber.

"Wha- What's going on there?..." he asked with sleepy voice. He turned to the hedgehogs. "What are you doing here? And why Sonic is crying?"

Shadow let go of his blue friend and picked up the CD from the floor.

"Because of this." He simply said. Eggman stood up and took the box from Shadow.

" 'Metal Sonic'?" he read aloud looking at the sobbing hedgehog. Shadow tried to quiet him even a little but without much success. Eggman sighed.

"Sonic… Let it go… It was only a stupid piece of metal…" he said softly.

"But that 'piece of metal' was designed to be me… Yours first robot with feelings… Like mines…"

"Sigh… Let's forget about the past, Sonic… It happened long ago…"

"Eggman… That robot… Sonic said that… Wait… That robot said that 'There is only one Sonic' before "dieing"." Said Shadow while patting crying blue blur on the arm.

"He said that?"

Sonic nodded facing Shadow's chest.

"Yes… Before melting in that lava… I wanted to safe him… Be he didn't let me to it… He didn't want to… "Life"…"

Eggman was taken back a little because of that fact. He looked at the CD in his hand. Then he walked to the giant computer in the corner and injected the disc into it. On the screen appeared lots of lines. Sonic approached with Shadow to have a closer look. The blue one began to calm down.

"Huh?" Eggman was astonished because on the screen appeared tons of "0"s and "1"s. He studied them with a concentration painted on his face.

"That's weird… It's writing that… it's a virus-like program but… It was created by Metal!"

"What? How's that even possible? He wrote himself a virus?"

"Looks like it. The most shocking fact is that he made that while… Bing under construction!"

"No way Eggman. It's impossible."

"I don't know… Wait a minute… That processor I installed in him… Was a prototype of the ones I installed into Decoe, Becoe and Bokkun… But it's not going to explain… Hm…"

"Eggman, it seems to me that you gave him too much A.I. " said Shadow.

"No, that's not it…"

"Eh?"

"Metal added those lines after the processor being injected. I can tell from this that after analyzing gathered information on it he created new commands and added them to the original recipe. But what for?" he explained while looking at the said lines.

"So… What the virus says? I mean… What does it… Well… include?"

"Hm… I'll try to say it in a simply way. Ehem… Metal thought at the start that there will be the final battle thing. You know… That 'life – death' kind of battle. Ehem… He added the command that when that moment will come he will decline all another commands like 'kill Sonic' etcetera, etcetera… And make another one using gathered information about Sonic and his actions, thinking and such things. It seems that he made the decision to let himself die."

"It may explain that thing…" murmured Shadow thinking that over.

"Well… When I'm thinking about it right now… I would done the same thing…. If I was him…"

"Really?" asked astonished Eggy.

"Yeah…" Sonic nodded. " I know that It might sound weird and all… But…"

"Heh, not a problem. Don't think too much Sonic because it may cause a headache for you" said Shadow while smiling.

"Humpf! pout"

"Hey, Calm down Sonic. Shadow it talking bullshit. Anyway, Metal seemed to me being to much like you. When I first turned him on he said "Where is my chilidog?..." Before working properly."

"Wow… That's interesting Eggman. Your own robots are surprising you?"

"Nah, you know how it is… And it happened to me more than once…"

Sonic smiled wiping the rest of tears away.

"Eggman… Can you?... Can I… Borrow this?"

"Sure thing. You can have it." He said before handing the disc back to him.

"Thanks Eggman…"

"No problem Sonic."

Blue hedgehog smiled wider with happiness in his emerald pools.

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TBC....