Chapter 23 - [ Her Conflicts ]

[ A/N : 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚜 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎, 𝚙𝚑𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚗𝚓𝚞𝚛𝚢, 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜. ]

𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗖𝗔'𝗦 𝗣𝗢𝗩

Never in a million lifetimes did I think I would wake up inside a glass chamber again.

And definitely not in Eggman's lair.

I jerked forward instinctively—only to be yanked back as cold metal bit into my wrists. "Why am I here?! Let me out! Wait—"

My head snapped to the side.

"Sonic?!" My voice cracked. "What are you doing here?!"

"What do you mean 'what am I doing here'?!" Sonic shot back, kicking uselessly at the air. "I didn't exactly walk in!"

Before I could respond, a familiar, smug voice cut through the tension.

"Now..." Scourge drawled. "Let's begin."

My chest tightened. This was a disaster.

Eggman set his... milkshake(?) aside and turned toward the control panel, fingers hovering over the buttons.

"No—wait!" I shouted.

But he pulled the lever.

The sound—

That sharp metallic clunk—

My vision blurred.

The chamber.

The lever.

The metal bar.

The machine.

No!

No—no, no—!

The nightmare came rushing back.

The chamber vibrated violently. Pain exploded behind my eyes as the machine began draining my energy. It felt like something was clawing through my skull, tearing at every nerve.

"AAH—!" I screamed, my voice breaking.

Electric sparks crawled across my quills, crawling, biting. My thoughts shattered, splintering into fragments.

I couldn't breathe.

I forced myself to turn my head and saw Sonic!

He was already unconscious!

"No…!" My voice barely escaped my throat. "S-someone… please.. Please, stop…!"

Then— the machine suddenly shut down.

I sucked in a sharp breath and snapped my head toward Sonic. "Sonic! Sonic, open your eyes! Look at me— SONIC, COME ON!"

He didn't move! My heart dropped.

"…Sonic?" I called weakly again.

"Why'd you stop?" Scourge snapped, glaring at Eggman.

Eggman adjusted his goggles. "Because they were about to collapse. Besides, I've already extracted enough energy to power up my entire lair and robot army." He waved a hand dismissively. "She's remarkably powerful. That other blue pest too."

My stomach twisted.

So that was it.

We were just batteries.

Scourge's gaze slid back to me, a slow, unsettling smirk spreading across his face.

"Oh, I know," he said calmly. "Now increase the level."

Orbot and Cubot stiffened, shaking their heads.

"No," Eggman said sharply. "That could kill them."

"Do it," Scourge growled.

"No."

Scourge's smile vanished into a scowl. "Fine! I'll do it myself."

He shoved Eggman aside and slammed the controls to full output—

"Scourge—don't!" Eggman shouted but—

Pain unlike anything I'd ever felt tore through me.

This wasn't draining—

This was destruction—!

My scream ripped out of me as my body arched violently against the glass. "PROFESSOR!! STOP!!"

Faces flashed before my eyes—

The Professor.

Veronica.

And even that madman Ray's smirk!

My head felt like it was splitting apart.

I couldn't feel my body anymore.

Blood red tears streamed down my face as my fur began to fade, losing its color. Electricity engulfed me completely, snapping wildly around the chamber. The machine started screaming— alarms blaring as sparks burst from the controls.

My vision flared blue. I could hear faint screams from Dr. Eggman.

Then—

The chamber exploded.

I hit the floor hard, the world reduced to smoke, static, and ringing silence.

My body trembled uncontrollably. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.

Everyone was frozen in shock.

Everyone—except Scourge.

He approached slowly and crouched beside me.

"Oh, look at you." he murmured. "Didn't think I'd ever see you cry again."

He suddenly grabbed my shirt and threw me into the wall.

I gasped, barely managing to stay upright, my entire body shaking.

"Serves you right," he said with a smirk.

"That's enough!" Eggman shouted. "The deal is over! Get out—NOW!"

Scourge chuckled. "Yes, I'm leaving…" He said while his eyes locked onto mine

"And I am taking Sonica with me."

My eyes widened. "No.."

Eggman stiffened, but Orbot and Cubot silently shook their heads.

Scourge straightened, lifting me with ease. I struggled—but my strength was gone.

I was weak, useless and god knows what not.

"No.." I whispered and looked over at Sonic. He was unconscious, covered in dust and smoke. Even his fur was— pale.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I yelled, "You better let him go, Dr. Eggman!"

I hated how my voice cracked.

"Shh.. Go to sleep, it's okay." He cooed with a stupid smirk and then— I felt a sharp sting in my neck.

Turns out Scourge had stolen one of Dr.Eggman's syringes. I clenched my fists while sniffling and punched him weakly before my world went blank.

ꪑꫀꪖꪀ᭙ꫝ𝓲ꪶꫀ. . .

𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗟 𝗣𝗢𝗩

— ᗩT - Tᕼᗴ - ᗰᗴᕼ - ᗷᑌᖇᘜᗴᖇ —

"I wonder what taking them so long." Tails spoke before taking another bite of his burger.

"Hope things turned out well." Amy murmured, tossing a french fry into her mouth.

"Oh, they're fine! Probably out there, kissing or being all lovey-dovey!" said Sticks, tearing her burger into two.

Shadow rolled his eyes. He was getting impatient. He didn't find it necessary to inform the others before teleporting to the forest.

"Oh? Where'd he go?" Knuckles asked while scratching his head.

. . .

Shadow looked around the green area, calling for his sister. "Sonica?"

He called a few more times, walking around the forest, teleporting here and there.

"Sonica?"

He found nothing— except more trees, bushes and other animals hiding in the bushes.

"Where the hell did that blue hedgehog take her?" Shadow growled and looked around one more time, a chaos emerald ready in his hand to teleport.

And then— he noticed something.

It was easy to miss at first.

Something slender rested on the forest ground, stretched between shadow and soil, its surface smooth enough to catch the light but not enough to reflect it fully. The hue was vivid yet restrained, deepened by the dim canopy above—green, but not the gentle green of leaves or moss. This green felt deliberate. It carried a quiet sharpness, like motion frozen mid-thought.

Its edges were clean, tapering with a natural precision that no branch or blade of grass could mimic. Moist earth clung lightly to one end, while the rest remained untouched, as if the forest itself had hesitated to claim it. No cracks. No burn marks. No signs of decay. Just a flawless curve, resting in silence.

The air around it seemed to hold its breath.

It wasn't debris.

It wasn't part of the forest.

It was...

A 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹.

A sharp, green quill.

. . .

Shadow picked the quill in confusion and a few steps ahead, he found an empty syringe. He immediately teleported back to Meh-Burger, holding the quill out for everyone to see.

"They are in trouble."

— ᗩT - ᗪᖇ. ᗴᘜᘜᗰᗩᑎ'Տ - ᒪᗩIᖇ—

"EGGMAN—!"

They were about to break the door or the wall to make an entrance. But they didn't need to.

Dr. Eggman's lair was a mess.

"What on earth happened here...?"

Shadow ran into the destroyed building and then he found —not one— but a lot of blue quills shattered across the floor and some in the dustpan which Cubot was carrying alongside a broom.

Then Dr. Eggman walked him, caressing his moustache and humming to himself until he noticed the bunch of colourful heroes.

"Ugh. She's not here. That green hedgehog pest took her away after making my lair explode!" He grumbled, gesturing around the dusty lab.

"What green hedgehog?! I mean, who?!" Shadow asked, grabbing Dr. Eggman by his collar.

The others got in a fighting stance, just in case. "And what did you do to her?!"

Their eyes suddenly darted to the corner of the lab where a low, pained groan was heard. Everyone —except Shadow— gasped as they immediately ran to none other than Sonic.

"Sonic! What happened to you?!"

"You look pale! You're shaking!"

"WHAT THE HELL EGGMAN DO?!"

Amy and Tails helped Sonic rise to his feet. He rubbed his face and head, groaning in pain, still unable to make coherent words.

"I didn't do anything!" Dr. Eggman yelled, stomping his foot. "And I don't know who that green pineapple was! He was such an insolent brat!"

"Who is this damn green hedgehog?!"

"Scourge—" Orbot answered with a raised finger before animatically speaking, "He was Sonica's friend and now enemy. He took her away a while ago."

"But where?!" Amy asked, hammer raised.

Knuckles carefully picked Sonic in his arms.

"W-We don't know where Scourge took her! We swear!" Cubot yelled while both the bots hid behind Dr.Eggman's legs.

"We will deal with you later, Eggman!" Sticks narrowed her eyes, tracing two fingers from her gaze to his. Then she followed the rest outside.

"Isn't there a way to track her?" asked Amy to Tails who shook his head and replied:

"No, I could track her through her communicator but her communicator's been broken since weeks!"

"There must be other way to find her.." Shadow thought to himself and looked around.

They first took Sonic to the hospital. Shadow accompanied in the hope of getting any information from the last person to interact with Sonica, i.e Sonic.

But Sonic didn't seem to open his eyes. His body still limp. The only good progress was seen in his breathing.

"Take care of him. I'll go look for her." Shadow impatiently spoke and turned away but Tails stopped him and held out a device—

"Wait! Take this with you! It's a communicator! We will inform you and vice versa!"

Shadow, reluctant at first but still impatient, grabbed the device and teleported back to the forest.

. . .

"Sonic, please be okay.." Amy prayed, sitting beside the bed, hands clasped together.

Tails and Knuckles shared concerned looks while Sticks placed a hand on Amy's shoulder.

. . .

"Where can she be? Where can she be?" Shadow thought to himself, pacing around the forest.

Then— he came across a destroyed scene : Broken trees and crushed bushes. Accompanied by a few blue and green quills.

ꪑꫀꪖꪀ᭙ꫝ𝓲ꪶꫀ. . .

— ՏOᗰᗴᗯᕼᗴᖇᗴ - Iᑎ - Tᕼᗴ - IՏᒪᗩᑎᗪ —

Sonica, still unconscious, was tied to a tree— tight enough to bite into her flesh and loose enough to let her breathe. Her ears were flat on her head. Her wrists were tied behind her and her ankles were tied together as well. She hadn't regained her energy yet.

Scourge rested on a nearby log, a dagger in hand, wiping the sharp blade with a worn out cloth.

"You haven't changed much, Bluebell..." He spoke, knowing she wasn't listening.

"And yet, you have got weaker." He rose to his feet and walked over to Sonica, slowly making a cut across her cheek with the dagger. "Really weak.. and pathetic. Karma, is it?"

But then he stabbed her in the abdomen, without a look of regret. "Look how miserable you are. But you will be all fine after 24 hours."

Then he realized, she was actually conscious. Her eyes barely fluttered, pain rushing through every part of her body. Tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Oh. Did the pain wake you?" He smirked and pulled the dagger out, watching her intake a sharp breath and shiver.

"Why.. are you doing this? After all these years?" She whispered, her body trembling. Blood started to drip from her lips.

Her words hit him like a jolt of disbelief and surprise, "You are really asking me that?"

And for a moment, the memories came crashing back:

—Their first encounter.

—The little hedgehog she once was, laughing and running by his side, hands sticky with chocolate buns.

—Their childhood games, their secret hideaways, the promises they'd whispered to each other in the quiet of the woods.

—And the day she left, forcing him to hate her, leaving him with only anger, confusion, and a void that shaped him.

- - 𝙁 𝙇 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃 𝘽 𝘼 𝘾 𝙆 - -

Sonica was still just a little hedgehog, lost and alone, still grieving from the loss of her Veronica and Professor. Even though it had been a year and a half, she still couldn't find much hope. Scourge happened to her first peer.

The day he saw her; she was asleep on a park bench, her tiny body curled up, ears flat against her head, eyes closed but heavy with unspoken pain. Despite her attempts to stay away, he didn't budge. He noticed her loneliness, the careful way she tried to survive each day, and he was determined to help her.

They were both homeless, both alone, and yet somehow, they found each other. The first bond had been fragile—a stolen cookie he offered her one cold evening. Hunger has a strange way of forming friendships.

He remembered the day he saw her running, her speed a blur as pebbles were thrown at her by cruel children and even some accusing adults. She had fled to the edge of the lake, trembling, tears streaming down her glowing fur. He approached slowly, careful not to startle her, and though she tried to stay away at first, she eventually allowed him near. That was the day they introduced themselves properly, exchanging names, and forming a bond that would later grow over the next FOUR years.

Scourge brought her food whenever he could, taught her how to steal carefully, and together they explored the city like it was theirs. When it rained, they hid under trees. When it was sunny, they ran freely, their laughter mingling with the wind. Sonica eventually opened up to him about the Professor, Veronica, and her powers. He never judged her and he never left. He wanted to be there for her.

They even stole books for her sake because he didn't like her admiring the privileged kids. They built a treehouse on their favorite tree, a private fortress of friendship and memories. When memories of Veronica brought her to tears, the weather used to darken and storms would follow, but he stayed, letting her cry, holding her when the winds grew too strong.

But then, gradually, she began to change. Arrogance crept into her voice. She ignored him, lashed out over trivial things, and the warmth that had defined their bond seemed to vanish. Arguments erupted over minor disagreements, growing into chaos that neither could control.

Then came her birthday. Scourge had been excited, hoping to make the day special, but nothing could prepare him for what came next.

In a flash of uncontrolled power, she lashed out, her hand glowing dangerously red as fireballs rained down. Their treehouse burned before his eyes. He tried to calm her, but the fire kept coming, striking him over and over. He defended himself as best he could, but one flare left a searing scar across his chest.

Instead of helping, she stood before him, eyes cold but her voice was colder: "You were never anything special. Just convenient. Now that I am better, you are nothing to me. I don't need you anymore, so get out of my life. If you had died like them, I wouldn't have cared either."

The words echoed in his mind long after she disappeared from sight, shattering his heart, leaving him alone in the wreckage of their friendship and the charred remains of their treehouse.

- - 𝙀𝙣𝙙 𝙊𝙛 𝙁 𝙇 𝘼 𝙎 𝙃 𝘽 𝘼 𝘾 𝙆 - -

"You have no idea how much that hurt!" He stabbed the dagger into the tree, the blade shaking while he gritted his teeth. "I hated you for years for what you did and then... And then I couldn't stop thinking about WHY you did that, Sonica! After everything I did!"

He leaned closer, eyes burning. "You wouldn't have cared if I died, huh?! Were you really just selfish from the start?"

She stared at his fierce eyes before lowering her gaze, breath shaky.

"Answer me, Sonica!" He growled, grabbing her by the shoulders. "Weren't we best friends?!"

She groaned through the pain and looked to the aside as she spoke, voice hoarse. "I... know we were best friends. But I—I had my reasons. And you know what kept ringing in my head even when we were happy together?"

Scourge scoffed, but allowed her to continue.

"The thought that wouldn't leave me was : "𝘐𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮, 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮." So I tried tried to leave quietly but you followed me around! And I lied that I could control my powers!"

She tried to raise her voice, only for it to break, leaving her gasping. "Hell— I couldn't even stop the smallest of flames once I started!"

Scourge's ears folded back as he stared at her, shock flickering for just a second before he stepped away abruptly. "You are lying again! I can't believe you. You are a traitor!"

"Well you wanted answers and I am giving you—" She choked, panting. "It's.. not up to me if you believe me or not. But it's the truth. People started hating you because of me, calling you things I wish I had never heard. I hated it so damn much— You didn't deserve a life of hatred because of me!" Tears threatened to spill. "That's why I wanted to leave. And.. it took me years to figure out what was best for you."

She hissed, closing her eyes with a frown, teeth gritted. "But you just 𝘩𝘢𝘥 to be the bestest, stubborn friend I could ever have... So I saw no other option than to make you hate me, Scourge. That way, you and I would be far apart..."

Scourge dropped the dagger and gripped his quills, fists shaking. Then he lunged, grabbing her collar. "No! You are lying! Do you have any idea how stupid this sounds?! Making me hate you so you could leave?! It's like you wanted to get rid of me!"

"Yes—I, I wanted to get rid of you. Because I didn't think I could handle seeing your blood too in my hands." She whispered, turning her head away, her head growing dizzy. "To me, hurting your feelings and our friendship will always be better than getting you killed because of me."