Vibrant Eyes by CG5.
~~~

My brave little soldier.

Be careful.
Where's the fun in that?

Think you can keep up?
If you let me.

A whine and he turned, sweat coating and clinging to his screwed brows.

You're my mum! And my dad. And my picket fence! You're my home!

I was warned about you. You're an unwanted guest on my island.

You can protect me! Let me help, I'll be useful! Why have an adventure if you can't enjoy it with anyone?

No no no...
Why was he thinking about this?

Let me see you, Sonny.

Why did he lie?

At least let me come with you.
Can't do. I just got you back.

Liar liar liar.

You never cease to surprise me, hedgehog. There's definitely more to you than just looking like me.

It was a family tradition, apparently. To lie and deceive and manipulate and take advantage of.

Off trying to play hero?

Do you know what happens when you try to Robotisize something that's already mechanical?

There's no genius without a touch of madness.

As long as I'm around, you'll always be chasing me.

No no no. He was free. Free. He was free!

Run to the end of the world. Live the rest of your days looking over your shoulder.

I ain't done yet.
You were finished the second I stepped foot in Mobotropolis all those years ago.

You've reached your limit.

Chaos, he was most certainly tired.

I'm just too fast to be caught!
Perhaps. But eventually, I can drive you to be just as insane as I am.

There was a time when those words fell on deaf ears. But now?

Fur almost as dark as his rivals. Eyes almost glowing and claws and teeth akin to a beast.

Don't let them hurt your friends. You need me.
Don't let them suffer.

The shadows whispered in the wind. They laughed and belittled and danced and cried.

You say anything and you'll lose everything.

How could he admit he was losing his mind?

So he threw himself into danger with the hope in every atom of his body it would somehow make up for how terrible of a person he was.

In all the years they followed and lurked and teased, they had never managed to touch him.

Until now.

Broken nails and claws crawled up his arms. The murkiest of black vines twisted around his legs and he knew this was what drowning felt like.

But a candle snapped alight ahead and the nightmarish hands stalled- holding him in place.

Disastrous, towering coal spears eternally reached for the sky. Sky? Everything was so dark it was difficult to make out anything concrete. Even the ground didn't seem to be all there.

Wait. Where in Sweet Gaia was he?

"Don't be afraid."

He yellowed. His stomach churned and he froze.

He knew that voice.

"Of you? Never." And the hands slipped away.

"My apologies. I mistook your avoidance of sleep as you avoiding me."

And they pointed and berated and screamed.

He went to cover his ears but found he couldn't even spot his hands.

"What is this?"

Even he seemed confused.

"I wanted to see you. Seems I can't."

"And I you. What's goin' on here?"

"I'm surprised you haven't pieced it together yet."

His fur as dark as Shadow's. Teeth like a beasts and claws staggered. Glowing sclera and twisting bandages.

Oh.

Oh no.

"H-how are you...?"

"Even you can only run for so long."

Anger flared, he (might have) narrowed his eyes and flicked the underside of his nose.

"You can't even touch me."

"Right now, I don't need to."

They circled and danced and laughed. He sunk and dropped and reached. They pointed and cried and blamed.

Why hadn't he saved them?
Why did Eggman Robotisize them? Where was he?

Why did he string his friends along? Lie and manipulate them?
Why wasn't he ever fast enough?

And why, above all, did he kill his father?

Those piercing, monstrous eyes glowered at him all the same.

"NO-!"

And he woke.

He couldn't get a proper breath in when he clumsily rolled away from the tree he'd, apparently, been napping against. Vision blurry and ears flat against his quills, he swiped a shaky, fingerless glove over his soaked head. He choked out a gasp and clenched his chest, brushing against an aged neckerchief.

What was that?
Why couldn't he breathe?

He rolled onto his back and watched the beaming sun. There was a gentle breeze and he tried to focus on the chirping Flickies over the way he couldn't even move. Until large, curious pink eyes met his. Even greater, grey ears flopped down to almost sweep against him.

He could not be having a panic attack in front of a child.

The way his heart thundered and lungs tightened and stomach warped and vision swirled said otherwise.

Chaos, he wished he could just be sick to get it over with.

The young elephant slowly perched at his hyperventilating side and lifted a hand. She smiled before resting it over his and he hated the way her eyes swam with concern.

If Amy Rose or Tails Prower ever found out about this....
(They were already worried).

What scared Sonic the Hedgehog most of all was how his throat began to close up- voice dying with it. The helplessness he became consumed with was enough for tears to settle at the corners of his eyes.

When the girl began utilising sign language, he was even more worried he wasn't that good at hiding it.

-You okay?-

"Y-...."

Good lord, he was pathetic. Still, he tried to smile for her all the same.

She titled her head, puzzled. -What?-

Sonic clutched his chest again- briefly catching a seashell bracelet. Even then, forest green eyes beamed at the back of his mind.

"Fine." He choked out, opting to focus on the memory of a particular laughing pink hedgehog.

The elephant shook her head. -Can't hear you. Deaf-

Ah. The only 'good' thing to come out of his selective mutism was the great amount of sign language he learned. He even taught some to Tails and Amy and Knuckles later on. Still, it was greatly unsettling how it acted up years after it's last occurrence.

Sonic hummed and swiftly kicked his legs under himself to sit criss-crossed. -No problem!-

The elephant beamed, yet it far too quickly died and she pointed to his chest. -That is-

The Blue Blur tightened, but waved it away anyway. -Dreamt about chilli dogs. Got excited-

The girl frowned. -Bad liar-

"I don't...." He scrambled up and planted his hand over dangerously pale emerald eyes, scanning his surroundings.

On the outskirts of a forest, a winding white pebbled path led to a cluster of long, steep roofed (mostly three tiered) buildings. Red, white and green in colour, the village had small farms and a central, miniature bell tower. In other words, Stormtop Village.

Right. He slapped his muzzle to refocus (the elephants eyes widening in response) and turned to the girl with a smile.

The last time he spoke to Rouge, about a week ago, the bat requested he traverse around Mobius to help clear his name. She'd made it very clear she didn't want him stretching himself thin- but Sonic wasn't a very good listener. In the times when Eggman would disappear, the speedster shouldered on helping those he would otherwise have to overlook. Sure, Amy had shared her concern over his lack of rest and meals and whatever else- but this was far more important.

It kept the nightmares and voices at bay anyway.

Until today, at least.

Rogue Badniks weren't much of an issue anymore (Sonic found it unnerving above all else in the way Eggman had somehow, seemingly, vanished without a trace). So, he helped out in other ways he thought of. Like in Stormtop Village- he'd been passing by when a greying orange tiger approached. According to them, their farms lacked sufficient crop due to the quality of soil- courtesy of previous Badnik attacks.

After he'd rushed to the closest city with a list of supplies to nurse the ground, he'd practically collapsed against the tree for a nap. Apparently going a week without 'proper' sleep had a continuous effect on almost every aspect of his life.

-Mister?-

Sonic jittered back to reality and gave a thumbs up. -Thanks for waking me, kiddo-

-Was looking for flowers. Found you tossing and turning-

-Like I said. Chilli dogs. No problem-

-If you say so. Thanks for the help!-

The Blue Blur saluted and readied himself to leave. He was Mobius' fastest hero! He doesn't get panic attacks. He's quick. Strong. Brave. He was Sonic the Hedgehog! And even if the trees warped into piercing spears and shadows stretched, if anyone could handle it, he could!

He'll be fine!

And if he wasn't....

Well, two can keep a secret if one of them is dead, right?