Not The Same (Sonadow)

18

*Sonic's POV *
Everyone was talking, laughing and eating but I didn't feel like being part of it at all. My brother and sister were even here, bonding with everyone more that I had the entire day we had spent here.

I wonder when it all changed? Was it when my mother wanted me to marry someone? Or when Dark started bothering me more often? I couldn't exactly point when it all went downhill but it was something I should leave behind anyways.

At some point, I realized no one was even looking in my direction so I managed to get away and was now currently walking to see my old home. Tails had warned me not to go back, he said he didn't want me to see the mess but I knew I had to. It felt like something I needed to do to be able to move on.

"Hey Metal." I said once I saw he was waiting for me by some trees. "You saw me leave?" He hadn't been at the picnic but he had been around, he was attached to me I guess.

Metal nodded and now walked beside me. "You know you don't have to follow me." I said a bit louder now. "Metal is with me."

"Were you not listening when they said civilians don't like metal?" Shadow said as he caught up to me.

"Yeah but it's not like I can't take care of myself." I said making Shadow shake his head.

"Where are you even going?" Shadow asked then realized and grabbed my shoulder, chaos controlling us at his house.

"Hey!" I growled at Shadow.

"We told you not to go there." He glared at me.

"You left Metal!" I snapped back when I realized Shadow hadn't brought Metal with us. He didn't really seem to like him very much.

"He can walk." Shadow crossed his arms and sat down on his couch.

"Why did you even bring me here?" I asked confused. "You rarely let anyone in."

"What was just discussed at the picnic, Faker?" Shadow reminded me.

"I know that, but that's just for when." I stopped not realizing what it implied. "I mean I guess." I shrugged and sat beside him. "How come you decide to give everyone else a chance, finally?" I asked.

"Everyone wanted me to." Shadow replied but I knew there was more than that. "After what happened, realizing I won't be alone forever, I guess I can bring myself to get closer to more people now." He confessed.

"Really?" I rested back and closed my eyes. Somehow I felt like there was more to that. "How can you do this?"

"Do what?" I could tell he was looking at me.

"Live everyday like this. Aren't you afraid? Aren't you scared?"

Shadow remained quiet for a while. It wasn't fair for me to ask him all of this, I knew Shadow was barely starting to get used to it himself and he'd been alive longer than I have been. But at this moment, Shadow was the only person in the world who could help me, who could understand me.

"I am." Shadow said with a sigh. "But I guess Rouges been right this whole time. I can't just keep ignoring everyone like they don't mean anything to me. She says for me to enjoy these days while I still have everyone, because one day you'll look back and these memories and regret it if you dont."

"Rouge is very wise." I nodded and opened my eyes to see Shadow looking at me. "She's a good friend. How come you only ever talked to her?"

"You were annoying." He immediately said making me softly laugh.

"But the others?" I asked.

Shadow shrugged. "I don't know. Rouge just understood me and was the only one who had the guts to snap at me."

"Yeah. I guess she has, huh?" I chuckled. "What do you think it's going to happen to us?" I hesitated but I asked anyways.

"I don't know. I guess I don't find you as annoying so I don't mind you being around." He stopped. "I'm not good at this, hedgehog. I don't have the answers you think I have. I don't know what is going to happen or how to help you." He stood up.

*Shadow's POV*
I wanted to help him but I didn't know how.

"Thank you for helping me at the park by the way." He said and I nodded.

I remember when his brother suddenly jumped on him and he reacted by slamming him on the floor. I realized Faker must still have in mind everything that happened to him and probably still didn't trust his friends or everyone else.

"You didn't eat." I pointed out as he rubbed his arm and lowered his ears. "Hedgehog, you're immortal but you still need to eat." I stood up and walked to the kitchen.

"I'm just tired." He said as he followed. "I don't want any of this."

I started taking things out to make something for him but he kept putting them away until I glared at him.

"Then what do you want? You can't do anything to change things now, Faker! You don't think I've tried?" I slammed my hands down on the counter. "Your friends are worried about you, chaos, I myself am worried about you, hedgehog!"

Sonic dropped his ears and took a step back. I growled and grabbed his shoulders. "You need to snap at out of it. You finally have the freedom you wanted, don't you? Then what the hell is wrong now?"

"I don't belong here anymore." He said as he looked back up, our eyes meeting. I looked at him confused at those words. "Shadow, everyone but you is treating me differently." He laughed and shook his head. "Everyone is being too careful around me, I feel excluded, come on, I can't even see my own house? I'm not going to snap back to how I was while working with Eggman. I just want to move on."

I don't know what came over me, but as soon as I heard him say that, I just obliged. I chaos controlled us in front of Sonics old house.

Sonic noticed and turned around, one of my hands was still on his shoulder. It remained there even after he fell to his knees and I had to kneel beside him, squeezing his shoulder as he started silently crying.

His house, once full of light and memories, had barely survived the civilians trying to burn it down. The once strudy walls were now crumbling, with remnants of charred wood and broken bricks scattered around. Part of the roof had collapsed, leaving exposed rafters. Blackened windows frames with now hollow spaces, the air heavy with the scent of ash and decay. It now stood as a haunting reminder of its past and the consequences of Sonics actions.