Innocence (Sonadow)

Chapter 1

Tortured, starved, and experimented on daily.

That's the image Sonic was getting as he stared in horror at the black and maroon hedgehog that trembled in the dark.

It was truly an awful sight.

The hedgehog was so thin. His arms and legs were thin and stringy and his ribs showed through his skin. Scars and bruises adorned his whole body, a longer scar just running across his lower abdomen, an obvious sign that Eggman had cut into him. His fur was cover in dirt and grime, a few patches stuck together with dried blood. His eyes were raw and bloodshot from all the crying he must've done, and his voice was dry and crackly, the signs of a sore throat, most likely from the screaming.

The smell of urine and body odor filled the cell, coming from the poor hedgehog who sat in the corner. The sound of rattling chains filled the room whenever he moved. Whimpers and soft cries came from his mouth in fear.

Sonic still remembered clearly what the hedgehog had said to him the moment he opened the door.

You're not the bad man.

“You poor thing.” Sonic whispered softly, trying his best not to startle the already frightened hedgie. It was a failed attempt.

The ebony and maroon hedgehog whimpered as he tried to move further into the corner, his eyes never moving from the stranger in his cell. The poor thing was terrified. What has Eggman done to him?

“Shhh. It's ok. It's ok.” Sonic gently spoke, kneeling down to make himself look smaller and nonthreatening to the other. “I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm here to rescue you.”

“Rescue… me?”

“That's right. My friends and I were originally here for something else, but when we found out he was keeping you here, well I couldn't just leave you.”

“But… why?”

Sonic gently smiled and held out his hand, palm facing up for the hedgehog to take. “Because that's what Freedom Fighters do. Won't you let me save you?”

The hedgehog was about to take his hand, but then he stopped and pulled away. The only person he had ever known since he woke up was the bad man. He didn't know trust and truth. Sonic should've realized that.

“How do I know you're not working for the bad man?”

Sonic growled lowly, making the other hedgehog whimper. At this, he immediately stopped and sighed. “Trust me, I hate that man just as much as you do. I wouldn't work for him even if my life depended on it. What he did to you is wrong, little one. And I promise, the moment I see him again, I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind.”

“... You promise?”

“I promise. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're safe with me.”

The hedgehog seemed to think about this before he finally slowly stood up and took a few shaky steps towards the blue one, his chains dragging behind him. The poor thing was only able to take at least three steps before his weak legs gave out. Sonic quickly rushed forward and caught him, holding him gently. He reached behind his quills and grabbed a brass key, using it to unlock the chains around the captive’s wrists and ankles. Afterwards, Sonic wrapped the hedgehog's arms around his neck and picked him up, the onyx hedgie instinctively wrapping his legs around his torso to keep himself up. Sonic smiled and began to carefully carry him outside of the fortress, where his friends were most likely waiting for him.

“I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, by the way.” He said to the hedgehog in his arms. “What's your name?”

“...Shadow… Shadow the Hedgehog.”