The Light In The Dark

Tossing and Turning

No POV:

Sonic opened his tired eyes slowly, feeling his eyes becoming heavy. His breathing was slow and cold like a nice winter breeze. Sitting up, he looked around. He was in a completely white room. Confused by this, he got up and wandered a bit. Only seeing white. Like he was in some sort of cube. All of a sudden, the room slowly became dark, and gravity started to let go as Sonic floated. His mind looped while trying to figure out what was going on.

Sonic: "Eggman, if this is another one of your stupid tricks... now is not the time to be playing with me!"

As he said that, he heard a whisper. Floating higher and high till he hits the ceiling of the cube. He groaned and held his head in his paw. Opening his eyes as he then saw someone... someone who looked like Tails. When looking at this weird anomaly, Sonic shook his head.

Sonic: "No... no, no, no! This can't be real! Tails is dead, who... what..."

The gravity shot back to normal as Sonic started to fall. He yelled and groaned as he hit the hard ground. His collision with the ground echoed like an empty library. Gritting his teeth as he sat up. Seeming to try and cope with this fantasy or dream he was having. Trying to wake up, but nothing seemed to work. As he sat there, he fiddled with his fingers to slowly relax himself. Standing up and focusing on his paws. He then heard two footsteps behind him. He froze, and his breathing hitched.

Tails: "What's wrong, big brother? Afraid to accept I'm still here?"

Sonic felt his eyes water, turning around and seeing what seemed to be like Tails. But yet, looking at the figure... it didn't look like him. Tails' eyes were a putrid black. His usual orange fur was now a saturated brown. His mouth was almost nothing but a void. As he looked down, his stomach turned. Feeling like he was going to throw up. Tails had a gaping hole in his stomach, seeing the blood drip as his intestines hung and drooped in their place. Sonic put a paw over his mouth and gagged. Feeling himself getting nauseous. Stumbling backward and falling down.

Sonic: "N-No... You're not him! You can't be... h-he... he's..."

Tails: "Dead? Buried? Yeah... I know because I can feel the dirt moving around in my stomach."

Sonic went silent, his paws becoming shaky as he felt just heart sink. He spoke, his voice becoming one of guilt and shame.

Sonic: "Tails... I-I never meant for this to happen. I should have paid attention, I'm sorry... I-"

He was then cut off by the feral poltergeist.

Tails: "You did this to yourself. You didn't pay attention and look where it got you, I'm dead because of your arrogance. Your stupid feelings towards that damn alien ruined something that could never be fixed. You're no hero, and to think I ever called you my brother! When I died... I watched as you and Ophelian fought... I even talked to you."

Sonic's eyes widened as his heart stopped beating for a moment.

Sonic: "You... you were that voice, the one who took control and almost killed him?!"

Tails laughed like a maniac for a few moments as his nonexistent eye twitched.

Tail: "You kidding?! Hell yea, that was me! I wanted him gone... for what he did to me. And for how he played you like a fool. But no! You came back and didn't land at least one last hit on him! You let him go! Now he is running about and maybe even becoming more powerful! You let him talk down to you. You let him kill me! It's all your fault, Sonic!"

Sonic felt his tears drip down his face, feeling his body trembling with rage and guilt all due to his own actions. He then felt Tails gripping at his throat and pinning him to the ground. Sonic gasped and tried pulling the dead foxling off of him as he screamed.

Sonic: "L-Let ne go! Tails, please!"

Tails: "You killed me! You left me to rot. You will never be my older brother ever again!"

That's when Sonic woke up. He gaspeed and sat up. His breathing ragged as his tears were already dripping down his face. He looked at his paws as he hid his face in them. Leaning over and curling up. You could just barely hear the small whimpers coming from his room. The thoughts swarming his mind.

Sonic POV:

'Was that all just my thoughts overwhelming me? Or was that actually him?! What the hell is going on? Am I really that much of a failure... am I really... n-never going to b-be accepted as his older brother...?' I could feel my body quivering on the bedsheets. My head hurt, like weight was being pushed down on it. I started to claw at my head, pulling at my fur and quills. Hearing whispers, as well as a increasing loud ringing sound appeared.

Sonic: "Shut... shut up. Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"

The noises and ringing in my ears started to get louder. I hated this, I just wanted to go back and fix everything. I made such a big mistake, it's all because of me that he is dead. 'Why didn't I move?! Why did I just kill the bastard when I had the chance?! I'm so fucking weak... I'm so sorry, Tails. I should have done it... I should have never let him go.'

No POV:

Sonic felt his stomach turn, feeling his throat tighten up. He got up from his bed and ran out of his room. Bolting to the bathroom, not even closing the door. Gripping at the toilet as he threw up and cried. His stomach felt like it was being rearranged. Knuckles woke up to the sound of Sonic's weeping. It was around four in the morning.

Knuckles: "Big blue, what's going..."

He paused as he ran over to Sonic and knelt down next to him. Rubbing the poor blue blur's ebony quills as well as fur. Sonic felt like he was going to black out. Knuckles could see that Tails' death was taking a huge toll on him. Sonic cried with his head hanging over the toilet. Sonic then mumbled, spit dripping down his muzzle.

Sonic: "Knux... was I really a bad brother?"

Knuckles felt his heart break to the question. Rubbing Sonic's back, trying to comfort the little guy.

Knuckles: "Sonic, I think you were a great older brother. You did what you could. You made a mistake... and yes, it sucks. But you need to give yourself more grace than you're giving yourself."

Sonic shook his head and slammed his fist off the toilet seat, almost cracking it.

Sonic: "No! It was my fault his death came upon him so soon. He was just a kid, Knux! Just a fucking kid... this is all my fault, I should have moved... none of this would have happened."

Knuckles sighed as he watch the young hedgehog throw up and cry. Sonic was such an emotional mess. Thinking back on Tails' death as well as his other friend who has passed on. The guilt weighs him down like a two ton truck. He got exhausted as he slowly fell asleep, his head resting on the toilet seat. Knuckles sighed as he picked up the shaky hedgehog and took him back to his room. Laying him down to where his quills don't get caught on the bedsheets. Knuckles rubbed his head for a bit, feeling hurt by how dragged down Sonic was. He then looked over and saw some scars on Sonic's wrist. His eyes tear up a bit as he took a deep breath. Moving his claw over to Sonic's wrist and rubbing the scars with such a gentle touch. He then whispered, feeling his voice becoming shaky.

Knuckles: "... I'm s-so sorry you resulted to this. You're just a kid... this isn't fair to you. I'm so sorry, Sonic. I'll make sure to take care of you... I'll make sure to keep you safe. On my life. Sleep well, Big Blue."

Knuckles rubbed Sonic's head a bit before leaving the poor guy alone in his room. Knuckles closed the door behind him before he went to the bathroom and cleaned the toilet. Walking over to his own room and laying down on the bed. Breathing slowly, trying to take in the fact he witnessed the poor boy with new scars. Closing his eyes as his mind goes blank.

To Be Continued.  .  .