Sonic Prime: Being The Villain

Chapter 5: Shadow

(Shadow POV)

I was in disbelief when Rouge told me the entire story. Faker? An enemy? That can't be true. Sonic can't be evil. The one who wouldn't give up on Nine when everyone else, including me, did. The one who always ignored me and constantly teased me.

An enemy?

I tried to picture Sonic trying to kill everyone and destroying everyone and everything in his path but I failed to do so. I couldn't picture Sonic being as evil as Eggman or the Chaos Council at all. If he did he would've had a reason to. I mean Sonic is stupid but not that stupid.

I told Rouge that I would confront Sonic. She was unsure and skeptical, but knew I could easily battle faker if he tried anything, so she let me go. I ran across Green Hills Zone. Eventually, I came across a hedgehog tightly curled in a ball with his eyes closed tightly, as if he was crying. "Are you okay?" I asked softly.

His eyes snapped open instantly, and he jumped up, getting into a fighting stance. "Shadow?!" He asked. His voice was familiar. "Who are you?" I asked unfamiliar with the hedgehog. His quills changed from black to blue and his eyes changed from red to green.

Sonic?

"Sonic?" I repeated aloud. I barely recognized the blue hedgehog. "Is that you?" I asked. "Yes it's me, I'm surprised you didn't recognize me." Sonic said bitterly. "Well, I'm not used to you being like this." I replied. Sonic didn't respond. "I've heard about your betrayal." I added. Sonic glared at me sternly. "Yeah? So what?" Sonic asked.

"I...was shocked." I answered. "I bet you're relieved you don't have to deal with me anymore." He crossed his arms. Does he really think that? "Do you really think that?" I asked. "Of course I do! What, are you worried?!" Sonic answered. "Of course! I'm not that dark, y'know. This isn't you at all, Sonic. Not at all." I responded.

Sonic stayed silent. A bad sign. "We really care about you, and we want you back." I said. I hesitated to say what I wanted to say next, but I knew it was going to be big help in getting Sonic back. I exhaled.

"I care about you more than I did Maria."

Sonic froze. He uncrossed his arms, and looked at me with shock. He knew how much I cared about Maria. If I cared about anyone more than I did Maria, then I really cared about them very much. Our eyes locked. My ruby red eyes, full of sincerity, kindness, and love, met with Sonic's emerald green eyes full of rage, anger, and... is that fear?

Before I could call him out, Sonic interrupted. "M-Me? You...Care? More than...Maria? Me?" Sonic stuttered. I nodded. He glared at me forcefully, and crossed his arms, closing his eyes tightly. "Y-You're lying. You don't care. No one does." Sonic stated, his voice on the verge of trembling. "Of course we do. Though, I can't promise anything about your..." I paused. Talking about his family wouldn't help.

Sonic nodded. "Okay. I understand that." He said. "Will you come back to us...? Please? We truly care about you and want you back." I pleaded. I continued my speech, seizing the only moment I would get when the Blue Idiot wouldn't interrupt me. "You saved everyone in the Shatterverses. You refused to give up on Nine when everyone else, even me, did. You reconciled Thorn and her friends. You refused to let Black Rose's crew die when everyone else wanted to leave them. You're a hero, Sonic, and I...!"

"How do you know about that?"

Sonic blinked curious emerald-green eye(s?) at me. "You weren't there, remember? You were beating up robot mes during that time! How do you know about that?!" Sonic asked. "Rebel told me. You refused to save them, as normal. That's what you do." I said. Sonic glared at me and crossed his arms. He turned back into that black form I saw him in. A bad sign.

"Did," he corrected. "I did do that. Not anymore. I'm tired of risking my life for people who don't even care. Save the multiverse? Unimportant. Save reality itself? Unimportant. No one cares, Shadow. My family don't care, my friends don't care, you don't care, no one cares. Cause NO ONE would want to care for an ugly, stupid, cocky, irritating, annoying, overconfident, arrogant, ignorant, disobedient, egotistical, unimportant, weak, useless, dumb, and dishonest anthropomorphic two-form Hedgehog!"

Sonic looked away from me. I swear I could've saw him wipe his eye(s?). Did he really think that about himself? Did he really think of himself at such a low level? This worried me. "You're not... anything you said you are. Yes, you are egotistical, cocky, arrogant, and overconfident sometimes, but you are NOT anything else you said. You are not ugly, weak, useless, dumb, or dishonest, you're Sonic the Hedgehog. We can help you with whatever you're going through. Just let us." I explained.

Sonic looked at me with cold red eyes. He clenched his fists angrily and charged up chaos energy. For the first time ever, I panicked. "You wouldn't understand! None of you would! YOU never had a family who abused you, Shadow! No one I know did! I thought my family loved me - but they didn't! You won't understand! Ever since they came back, I...!" He didn't finish that part.

"Sonic, they must've had a reason for coming back. If you just ask..." I started. But I got punched in the stomach. "SHUT UP!!! JUST SHUT UP, SHADOW!!" I could hear the pain in his voice. He couldn't take it anymore, and ran away. "Sonic!" I called after him. But he couldn't hear. My ears pinned back as I got up.