“So, anyway. Back to you. How have you been feeling this morning?”


“Eh, not bad. I’m not completely glowing with joy but not depressed either.”


“Okay, well, I will accept this answer regardless. Tell me how you’ve been doing lately. Have you thought about what I said during our previous session?”


The hedgehog hums with a nod. How could he forget last week’s appointment? The one where he broke down crying from venting too much?


“Yeah.”


“And did you decide what to do on it?”


“Kind of. Like, yes, my experiences may help those who’d like to become part of the Resistance, but would it help me? I’m not so sure.”


Minutes pass and the alarm clock makes a tune, signalling the end of their session. Both of them stood up from their seats in unison.


“I understand things are stressful for you. You can, and will move past this. Give yourself the time and patience you deserve.”


The therapist reminds him, a kind deer mobian who always wore a smile and a smart uniform, making sure it’s a gentle reminder.


Sonic returns the smile, though it wasn’t a huge one. He was still feeling doubtful about this road to recovery of his. What if he couldn’t get through it? What if it’d take years to get over what happened to him? To the others? To the world?


The haunting images of those lifeless bodies remain etched in his mind to this day. Even if it had been two years ago, it felt as if it was only yesterday. How Knuckles managed to move on so quickly bothered the hedgehog so much. He always seemed like he was in control of everything. Literally.


It made Sonic feel envious. Angry. Like, why couldn’t he be the same? Why couldn’t he be as strong as Knuckles could? Knuckles had seen some horrific stuff, didn’t he?


So then why? Why was he suffering so much? When he was the hero? The leader? How could he ever hope to move on from this if he couldn’t be strong like his rival? One of his bestest friends?


Chaos, all of this was giving him a headache. Thank goodness the session had ended for the week. One less thing to think about for the day.


“You take care now, alright?”
The hedgehog nods. “You too. Thank you again for the session. I’ll keep working on myself.”


“Hey, remember to give yourself a break when you can. Recovery is hard and it’s not something that happens over night. Just remember to be kind to yourself, alright? As always; if you have any worries or issues you’d like to talk to me over, feel free to send me an email and we will discuss the matter. Take care now.”


“Bye.”


Sonic leaves the room with a wider smile, not wanting to be rude to the therapist. The fact that she had been so willingly to help him in the first place, had meant a lot to the hedgehog. He never wanted to give her any trouble. It was why he was hesitant to contact her about negative stuff outside the therapy room.


It didn’t take the hedgehog long to walk home from the building he had been at. Once he got in his house, he kicked off his shoes and fell on the sofa, exhaling deeply. He was no closer to finding the answer he had been looking for.


Why him? Why was he the one Eggman and Infinite wanted to torture so much? Why nobody else? Sonic had assumed it was because he was the world's hero, the one everyone looked to whenever something bad rose.


Yet, he wasn’t satisfied with his own answer.


Perhaps he’d never get the answer he wanted. Maybe. Unless he charged to the scientist’s lair right now and demanded it. But then would that be wise? No. Did he actually want to do that? No.


So, he was at a loss. He doubted his friends would know. After all, they hadn’t experienced the six months of hell he endured, but also they were too occupied themselves during the war to even begin why it had been him.


If there was one person he could not stop feeling pity for, it was Cream. What she had seen was nightmarish, given from what she told the group after the war was over. After that, she never spoke of the events again.


Sonic could easily tell then it had bothered her so much. She had become so traumatised, she started having nightmares, flashbacks and separation anxiety. Vanilla had to be nearby, and if Cream was alone for a certain amount of time, she’d go into a panic attack.


Sonic had seen her have one once. It was concerning. He never wanted to see her look so sad again. She never deserved it, she was only a child. No child should ever have to see what she saw.


It was why both the mother and daughter moved home to another town. Their old house had too many bad memories lingering there. It was one of the homes in their town which hadn’t been destroyed from the war.


Just thinking about her made the hedgehog want to go and check on her. She hadn’t been seen alone very much after that. Understandable really. Sonic understood. He felt he’d be the same if he was in her position. It was a good thing that she still had her mother. Vanilla was such a great mother.


He felt envious of Cream. He missed his mum so much.


“Hmm,” he sighed to himself, pushing himself up from the sofa so he was just sitting up. “I wonder how she’s been. I want to go and see her. Besides, it’d do me some good to get out of the house, right?”


He lived alone nowadays. Tails had his own workshop nearby, so he had his own place. Sonic knew Tails could handle himself so he was at ease with Tails having his own house. However, at first he wasn’t. He explained his doubts to Tails, saying how he was frightened about Tails being attacked or something happening to him and then being unable to call for help.


Tails soon managed to persuade him by recalling their adventures together. Sonic had forgotten about those. How he forgotten how Tails took on Eggman all by himself in Station Square, and then again in space. Along with some other times.


And the amount of times he had saved Sonic. Sonic snorted to that fact. He never wanted to admit how he felt weak sometimes, though he was super grateful to Tails always being there for him.


They were true brothers, after all.


No, enough thinking. Enough. He needed to get out of this house. Now. It was beginning to drive him crazy.


He made preparations to go out. First place he wanted to visit; Cream’s.