*Shadow's POV*
"It's been 3 days, you have to eat something." The fox said to Sonic, ever since I found him at G.U.N. he had been here at the fox's lab but we kept chains on him so he wouldn't leave.

It was a bit cruel after everything he went through but it was the only thing we could do to make sure he wouldn't escape. I was currently staying at Miles' house too since I was hiding out here. Which meant that I was aware of everything that was going on with Sonic.

"It's no use. He won't even look at me." The fox said to me as he put the plate down on a table beside Sonic. The chains were long enough for Sonic to walk a few feet around the bed but not long enough for him to reach anything that would help him escape.

"Call it a night?" Rouge asked and he nodded. We turned off the lights and went to the living room, saying bye to Rouge.

"I don't know what else to do. He hasn't said anything since he came back. His wounds are all healed and his wrist as well but he still looks... broken." The fox sighed and rubbed his face.

I can't believe this 19 year old was the one who always made sure Sonic was always healed and working on everything and now he was the one with a lot on his shoulders. I stayed quiet and watched as he walked to the room then decided to finally say something.

"Don't turn like him." I said making him turn to look at me confused.

"What?" He tilted his head slightly. 

"Don't be like him. Let the others help you as well." I could tell what I said really took him off guard and it was what he needed to hear because his smile faded as he slowly agreed with me.

"Thank you." He turned back and went into his room.

I pinched the bridge of my nose feeling annoyed and even disgusted with myself for even talking this was to someone but I was trying to be better. I was trying to change. It may take a while but I hope I can make Maria proud.

I decided since I wasn't tired to go check on Sonic. To my surprise, he was sitting at the edge of the bed, he hadn't moved at all the past 3 days, he just laid on his side looking away from everyone and now, there he was, sitting up. He looked at me when I walked into the lab but immediately looked back down.

"Y-" He started but his voice broke instantly and then started coughing. He held his hand up to his throat and coughed a bit more then took in a deep breathe. "You've saved me twice." He said, his voice low and barely audible but I could manage to understand. 

"Yeah." I said as I walked closer and sat down on the office chair, getting a bit closer to him. I simply looked at him as he looked down at the floor.

"How do you live like this?" He asked, still not looking up.

"I'm not going to talk to a wall, Faker. Look at me while you talk." I said a bit sternly. Not the way I should have acted but I was really trying my best.

He remained quiet for a bit but gave in and looked up, making eye contact as he asked me the same question again.

"Why do you think I don't make any friends?" I asked him back. "Everyone and everything around you will someday be gone and there's nothing you can do about it." I started, I knew I was probably making things worse by being honest but he needed to know the truth.

"Wow. Not even going to sugarcoat it?" I heard a small chuckle as he wiped some tears. I shook my head in response.

"You have to get used to the way I am and the same goes for me with you." I said as I crossed my arms and rested back on the chair. "We are the ones who will remain after everyone else leaves us."

"There has to be a way to reverse this. Would those cuffs have worked on me if you hadn't taken them off?" He asked making me angry, I couldn't help but growl but immediately stopped once I saw his ears go down again. He meant it, he didn't want to be here.

I rubbed my face and shook my head. "It doesn't work that way. I tried that a long time ago." I confessed. I could relate to the way he felt, the only difference was that he was losing more than I was. "There's no way to reverse this, this is who you are now. You've got to learn to accept it and move on."

"I don't want this!" He raised his voice as he sobbed. "I don't want this at all, I just want to- to-" He stopped and looked down again. "I am tired, Shadow." I let him talk. "I am tired of everything."

*Sonic's POV *
"I am tired of everything. How can I live the rest of my life like this? Tell me! How can I continue moving on after what I did? Some people died because of me! The civilians hate me now! The team must surely hate me too! You've always hated me and I'm sure I didn't make things better after fighting with you!" I sobbed.

I wasn't looking at Shadow anymore as I raised my voice and continued talking. I couldn't help it, there was a lot of things that were left unsaid before I snapped.

Now that I look back at it, I wonder if I snapped because I felt this bad or if Dark did indeed have something to do with it. Whatever the answer to that question was, it was still my fault, I was the one who gave up. I was the one who let Dark hurt others, I was the one who told Eggman how our team worked so he could get rid of some civilians that got in the way of his plans. I did all that, without Darks presence. It was my fault some people died, my hands had their blood on them and I couldn't do anything about it.

"Nothing will ever be the same. No one will ever trust me again. The team will never rely on me ever again. My mother will now have to depend on my siblings and they're going to be the ones who get everything instead of me, I tried to keep everyone safe and away from all the harm that I was being put through, physically and mentally. I am tired, Shadow." I sobbed again, the tears kept coming and threatened to never stop.

I don't know why I felt like I could rant to Shadow, of all mobians, Shadow. Maybe it was because I knew Shadow and I will always be stuck with each other. Maybe because I felt like he could understand. Or because I felt like he wouldn't care at all that I was suffering.

"I always made sure everyone was okay, EVERYONE. Do you know how it feels when you can't even get out of the house without someone stopping you and saying they feel safe because you are the only one who is able to save their world? You know how heavy that is to have on your shoulders? How heavy it is to carry the idea that someday I'll also have to be king and get married to someone I don't love for the sake of the kingdom? To have your whole life planned out by someone when ive never in my life experience freedom of my own?"

I couldn't stop crying or ranting. I looked up at Shadow, he was still staring at me, his expression blank as he let me continue.

"Do you know how heavy and exhausting it is to NEVER fully heal? To always be in pain because someone is always constantly attacking? I sleep and I get attacked, I eat and I get attacked. I don't remember the last time I slept for over 3 hours! I have to constantly wake up and move to a different location then go back to sleep before I get attacked! I don't remember the last time I ate a meal without being interrupted by Eggman or Metal or Scourge or Fleetway or you!" I knew calling him out on this was a bit unfair but at this point everything in my life was so I didn't care.

"Do you know just how exhausting it is to always have something happening around you when all you want to do is rest? I get dragged to different dimensions! Save someone else's planet! Save someone else's future! I get dragged outside of this darn planet and I. Still. Can't. Catch. A. Freaking. Break!" I punched the bed frame as I finally stood up. "My wounds never heal before I get another, do you know how painful at that is? To have broken bones and still be attacked the day after? When will it be enough? When will I have a break? When will I have someone who protects ME just as much as I protect the others?!" I panted heavily as I finally finished spilling out everything.

Shadow stood up without anything to say and walked closer to me. My ears were pinned down already from all the crying and watching him get closer scared me but at this point Shadow couldn't do anything else that could break me even more.

At least that's what I thought.

Because my legs gave out and the crying continued even worse than before when Shadow got closer and wrapped his arms tightly around me, hugging me.