Destiny

Chapter 19 : Believe

Believe

Third person P.O.V.

And then....

Then is when they come in. When they step up to the plate.

They are the symbol of what drives him to be who is is today. Not just some random freak consumed by his own negative emotions....

Passion, confidence, bravery, kindness, and all of the goodness that you would imagine to see in a hero.... no one seems to remember that is simply the surface. No one can be without faults, without their own personal darkness and negativity, no matter how how we may try to hide it. Conceal it. Suppress it.

And one day.... One day it will all come to the surface for all to see, no matter what we do. Yes, to see every deep, dark, ugly part of ourselves that we never wanted to acknowledge or accept. The things we bottle inside until the bottle shatters under the pressure...

Sonic bottled everything. He suppressed his own inner darkness and demons to the point his bottle was ready to shatter with the slightest push....

It was honestly a wonder he lasted as long as he had. Sonic always, always helped his friends. Helped the world in so many ways, whether it be saving it from the next villain or simply brightening someone's day. He willingly took this burden onto himself, day after day after day.

And though he was always willing to help others.... he never, ever accepted help for himself. Everyone else, to him, always came first.

But now, he truly, desperately needed the help that he had denied for so long.

And he needed it now.

oOoOo

While Sonic was at war with himself, Shadow was the first to speak up to try and come to his aid. It was time to return the favor they had all long been wanting to repay. The favor Shadow himself had been wanting to repay, for a long, long time now.

He had gone down this path before. It only brought pain, and sorrow, and regret.

It was not a path he wanted anyone else to walk, to experience. It wasn't a path he wanted Sonic to experience. Because in the end, it would only tear his blue counterpart into pieces.

“SONIC!” The ebony hedgie shouted, hoping that it would somehow reach him.

And, by some miracle.... it did.

One of Dark's ears slightly twitched in his direction. Emboldened, he continued, “Don’t you remember what I told you earlier?”

Dark scowled thunderously, the heavy, violent winds harshly battering against them in response. His jaded expression tightened, as if fighting to remember through the mess his mind and memories had become.

Earlier (Ch.16)

Sonic froze in shock as Shadow pulled him into a strong hug that one would give to a brother. His voice was quiet as he spoke words weighted with meaning. Something that Shadow himself must hold dearly... and was now sharing with him.

“Whatever may happen in there, Sonic... Please. Always remember.... You're not alone. Not anymore. And that.... And that love... will always conquer the darkness. It's the light to the shadows, and will guide you through to the other side. No matter how difficult the journey might be to get there.”

Present

Dark's shoulders tremored, his eyes wide as the memory finally cracked through the seething darkness. The harsh, biting winds echoed him, settling little by little.