Story Tale

Chapter 6

That encounter, only hours ago, continuously replayed in his mind and he relived it over and over while eyeing every last detail and feeling. Trying to remember how he ended up here in his old bedroom back in his original world.

Except Sonic doesn't remember when his hands began to shake and his body trembled while he cried. The blue hedgehog cannot recall that moment he felt Rouge's hand reach out to comfort him, he can only remember what happened after. Of how he flinched back from her touch. That touch that burned him with fear. His heart sank heavily in his chest, his stomach lurched, and his scattered memories decidedly clicked into place.

He may not recall parts of earlier and while he may remember the reactions to pieces - it is nothing compared to the aftermath.

Sonic became inconsolable to soothing words or consoling touches from Rouge. Nothing she said could get through to Sonic. The blue hero cried - weeping in anguish for Camelot, for the knights, for his love.

The despondency that followed after had terrified Rouge. Sonic did not hear a single word she said, trapped in his memories of the recent events with a glazed, tormented look in his eyes. Dark circles painted beneath his dull green eyes and Sonic remained limp and layed in silent despair.

As a result, Shadow never came back into the room, either because Rouge told him so, or that Shadow guessed that his presence only hurt Sonic more. Not that it was wrong of the ebony hedgehog to stay away...Sonic confused him for Lance, he had called to Shadow endearingly and held the elder's hand unaware of the bitter truth.

Sonic...his fingers grip the edges of his blanket, rubbing the fabric between his fingers because reality became distant to him. No matter how much he breathed in the air, or physically prodded or brushed at his surroundings, and focused heavily onto the details and sights of his room in his vision - Sonic could not grasp within his mind that this is the present reality. That he is home.

They don't understand. He knows they don't. Even if they did understand would they still trust and love Sonic despite of his actions?

"Is he still...?"

"Yes."

"It's been a whole day. Everybody is getting worried and I don't know what to say to them."

He can hear them calling his name in their voices and then growing silent from his mute responses. All to aware of their eyes overlooking his form and Sonic instinctively curls tighter into a ball hoping that he can be left alone. From his worried friends, his haunting thoughts, frazzled memories, and his pain...

Even for only a moment...

This day had been coming and he knew that from the beginning. He made it clear to Lancelot, to Merlina, Gawain, Percival, and Caliburn- Caliburn was in his possession when he fell through worlds. How could that be? Is it even possible for them to come too? It could be...since Sonic did live in theirs...though Merlina had to seal Sonic in to stay because he couldn't stay unless strong spells were cast.

...Either good news or bad will come from Caliburn and Sonic doesn't know whether to be joyous, if he could even feel happiness without the guilt accompanying it. For now Sonic stops that train of thought and decides to concentrate on what Rouge and Knuckles were saying.

From sharp glances he can see their appearance - identical to their counterparts in every cursed way. Though Sonic knows they could never replace them and vice versa.

He lies on his side and faces the wall, ignoring the ache of his body and the ache in his heart, because he cannot bear to look at any of his friends. Each fleeting glimpse only pulled Sonic into another depressive episode. One of the few he's already had since he awoke into another world with (some) of his conscious mind intact. Seeing...seeing Shadow tore Sonic apart from within.