Innocence (Sonadow)

Chapter 6

The night was peaceful. Amy and Knuckles had went home hours ago, allowing Sonic and Tails to head to bed. Everyone was sleeping soundly and peacefully… except for their newest addition, who was currently suffering a horrible nightmare.

Shadow opened his eyes to see that he was all alone, stranded in the middle of darkness. He looked around, trying to find out where he might be or if any of his new friends were around.

“Hello?!” He called into the darkness as he began walking. Nobody answered him. “Hello?! Is anybody here?!”

“Shadow.”

Shadow heard his name being whispered all around him. He spun around, trying to see who was calling his name, but he couldn't see anybody. The poor hedgehog was starting to get scared.

“Who's there?!”

Suddenly, four figures began to emerge from the darkness. It was his new friends! Sonic was in the lead of them.

“Oh, Sonic!” Shadow cried in relief, running up to the blue hedgehog and falling into his arms in a tight hug. “I was so scared. I thought I was alone again.”

“Shadow.” Sonic whispered into his ear. Shadow's ear twitched when he did that and he smiled, until the blue one started hugging him too hard.

“Sonic.” He squeaked. “You're… hugging me… too tight.”

His savior didn't stop and continued to squeeze him. Shadow started getting scared again. He didn't understand why Sonic was hugging so tight. Was he afraid to lose him? Shadow started to feel out of breath. He couldn't breathe, Sonic was squeezing so tight.

“Sonic… please let go.” Shadow gave a soft sob and began trying to release himself from the azure one's grasp.

“Shadow.” Sonic held on fast, causing Shadow to struggle even more. “You're weak.”

At this, Shadow immediately stopped struggling, looking up in shock.

“What?” He whimpered.

“You're weak. Useless. A disgrace to all hedgehog kind. I wish I had never found you. I wish I never rescued you. I wish you would just drop dead!”

“... You don't mean that.” Shadow sobbed. “You can't mean that.”

“Oh, but I can, and I do.” Sonic sneered, gripping onto the poor ebony's arms, his claws digging into his skin.

Shadow yelped in pain and stared at his “savior” in horror. He started crying and lost control of his bladder once more, the urine flowing down his legs and pooling underneath his feet. Sonic and his friends hissed at the sight.

“Eggman was right.” He hissed. “You're just a big baby. The world would be better off without you.”

Suddenly, a giant abyss opened up behind the black and red hedgehog. Shadow stared at it in horror and began struggling.

“NO! NO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS! YOU PROMISED! YOU PROMISED!”

“Promises can be broken, hedgehog.” Sonic hissed before leaning in close to Shadow's ear. “Just like you broke your promise to Maria.”

Shadow froze upon that name. Why did it sound so familiar? And what was his promise to her? The poor hedgehog didn't get a chance to think on that, because on that moment, Sonic pushed him into the abyss.

“NOOOOO!” Shadow screamed as he fell. He looked back up at the people who were supposed to be his friends. The same people who rescued him and cared for him just hours before. He was horrified to see them leaving him behind, not even bothering to watch him fall.

“DON'T LEAVE ME!” He cried, tears streaming down his face as he continued to fall.

Eventually, his fall came to a stop. He opened his eyes and he gasped in horror.

He was in a padded cell. He could hear screams all around him. He tried to move, but soon realized that he couldn't. He looked down and whimpered and cried as he tried to pull the straightjacket off, but it wouldn't budge.

As the darkness started to come for him again, Shadow wet himself again and opened his mouth to scream… only to realize that no sound would come out.