Peaches shivered as she watched Sonic duck into a running position, competing in a race against Shadow. Tails, Amy, Knuckles, Cyrus, Manic, and Sonia came to cheer Sonic on. And then, fast as lightning, both boys took off.
"Well, he does look healthier." Knuckles commented. "What'd he do, Tails? Nutrisystem?"
Peaches ignored the two as Sonic and Shadow crossed the finish line, Sonic faster by a few seconds. Shadow was panting hard as he came to a halt and Sonic stretched, cracking his knuckles.
"What took you so long, Faker?" Sonic arrogantly asked the ebony hedgehog.
"How did you get so fast?" Shadow asked, straightening up as he tried to show superiority. "I could barely keep up with you. You've improved. Shadow could see that everything he had just said was only feeding Sonic's ego. Shadow rolled his crimson eyes as Sonic pridefully combed back his quills. Tails and the others went to congratulate Sonic on his victory while Peaches hung back with Shadow.
"Is it just me or does he seem. . .thinner?" Shadow gently whispered to her.
"I see it too." She replied. Peaches could see a small dip below Sonic's sternum that continued in a straight line. He had definitely lost the slight pudge he'd had at the waist. This worried her. As his eating increased, his weight continued to drop. Peaches walked over to him and gave him a kiss. "Well done, Hero." Sonic smiled and pulled her close.
"Thanks." He said. "Hey guys. Let's go get a pizza or something, I'm starving!" He turned to Shadow. "Care to join us, Ultimate Lightshow?"
Shadow was shocked by the offer. Although he expected that from him, it was still shocking to Shadow. He sheepishly blushed and adverted his gaze. "You don't mind?"
"Of course not. Let's go!" Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand carelessly and walked alongside the rest of his friends, all of them singing We Got The Beat by the Go-Go's.
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Sonic let the door swing shut behind him as he led Shadow to the table they always sat at.
"Man," Sonic was saying, "the pizza here is the best! You gotta try their meat lover's special!" Sonic's tail was wagging like a love struck pup's. The waitress came and took their order. The group started talking, but Sonic wasn't paying attention; he was day dreaming about pizza. Sonic heard a low growl sound and snapped to attention.
"What was that?!" He asked, alarmed. All of his friends' faces were beet red. "Okay," he began, narrowing his eyes, "which one of you did that?" They all looked at each other.
"Uh, Sonic. That was you." Peaches said.
Sonic scoffed at her remark. "Was not." His stomach then growled. "Oh, I guess it was me." His friends laughed as his face turned red. Now, he felt really stupid.
"Hey," Peaches said to him, "don't feel bad. It's cute." Sonic only blushed more. His stomach growled again, making Peaches giggle. Sonic rubbed his belly, trying to get the noisy organ to calm down. But the moment he heard a soft laugh beside him, he knew she'd seen him.
"DON'T LOOK!" Sonic yelled. His voice rang across the pizzeria, every head turning toward his voice. Even the cook behind the counter looked at the blue hedgehog with confusion. Sonic bolted out the doors, more humiliated than he had ever felt.
Sonic ran into an alley and flung himself against the wall at the end. He raised his hand to his cheek, only to realize he was crying. Sonic tried to wipe the tears away only to find more waiting. He felt so humiliated that it made him want to do nothing but curl up and cry until it forced him to sleep.
Sonic slid down the cold brick wall and into the darkness where he wouldn't be seen. He sat there for quite a long time, closing his eyes, trying to remember. It wasn't until something soft rubbed against his leg that Sonic opened his eyes again.
"Man, I must have dozed off. . ." Sonic looked to his feet, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Before him sat a small black kitten, which mewed at him and crawled into his lap. The kitten mewed, rubbing its head against Sonic's chest.
"Hey, little buddy," Sonic softly said. "What's your name?"
"Rocky." The cat replied. "Yours?"
"Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."
"What'cha doing in this alley?" Rocky asked, stretching out his back and front legs, making Sonic wince as his claws kneaded the hedgehog's thigh.
"I could ask you the same." Sonic replied. Rocky stretched his hind legs before settling back down and giving his answer.
"I'm an alley cat. What else am I to do?"
Sonic frowned and picked up Rocky. "Now way. A kitten living on the street? Not happening. My girlfriend's probably going to kill me, but you're coming home with me."
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Sonic opened the door to the house and set Rocky down. The house was dark and eerily quiet.
"It's been a while since I've had the house to myself." Sonic thought aloud. Sonic smiled and melted into the recliner. "I do wonder where Peach is though?" Sonic looked at Rocky. Then, he remembered what had happened at the pizzeria. Just thinking about those delicious circles made Sonic's tummy rumble.
"That's right. . ." He mused, absently rubbing his stomach. "I didn't even get a bite." He looked down at his belly. "You must be pretty pissed at me right now, huh?" His stomach growled. Sonic sighed as he got up. "All right. I'll get something to eat." He opened the pantry and pulled out a package of pasta.
"Hmm. Seems expendable."
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Peaches opened the door to find Sonic asleep in the recliner.
So, this is where he went? And to think we spent hours searching!
She walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Sonic made a muffled groan before he opened his emerald eyes.
"Babe?" Sonic mumbled. She nodded. "What are you doing here?"
"I live here, silly."
"Oh, yeah." Sonic rubbed his eyes. "Where's everyone else?"
"They'll be along later. Did you eat?"
"Yeah. Not anything fancy. Just some ramen."
Peaches looked in the trash and could clearly see the box.
"You ate the whole box, huh?" She playfully asked.
"Yeah," Sonic replied flatly. Peaches knew something was weighing on him, but before she could address it, Sonic snapped upright in his chair. "I just remembered!"
"What?" Peaches asked, worried.
"I found a kitten in an alleyway. I hope you don't mind that I brought him home. His name is Rocky."
Peaches smiled tenderly as the kitten jumped up on the counter and mewed. She scratched Rocky's soft ears. She then went back to Sonic.
"I think it's time to get you in bed."
Sonic allowed Peaches to lead him to the room. He swallowed his pills and crawled in bed. Maybe, if he had another meal before sleeping, he could sleep easier.
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Sonic stood on the scale and read his weight.
43 lbs.
"Weird." Sonic thought aloud. "I can eat all I want, and still loose the weight." He sighed as his stomach growled. "Only problem is, I'm always hungry." Sonic was growing quite tiresome of his hunger. It still woke him up at night and all he really wanted was to actually sleep for once in months! He rubbed his belly and looked at himself in the mirror.
"Gotta say, I do look healthier." Sonic admired himself in the mirror before haring a voice.
"Having fun?"
Sonic turned to see Peaches giving him a sexy smirk. He blushed, embarrassed. She came over to him and hugged him gently like she was afraid of breaking him. Sonic bit her neck, savoring the taste. It was so appetizing. Sonic licked the spot and then bit it again, harder this time. Peaches yelped and pulled back before Sonic could draw blood.
"Did I bite too hard?" Sonic asked innocently. Peaches rubbed her neck and replied, "Yeah. A little." Sonic whined as his tummy growled loudly. Peaches slowly reached down and patted his belly, surprised he didn't try to stop her. Either he was too busy whining to notice, or he didn't care.
"I'll go make breakfast." Peaches said.
Sonic was out of his mind frustrated. He wanted the pangs of hunger and the noise to stop! He had so many thoughts bouncing around in his head that it actually hurt him! He cried out in pain, begging his thoughts to stop, now that he was hearing voices. Peaches ran up to the bathroom, but she couldn't get him to calm down. Sonic had started bawling and her just clung to her like a child until he fainted. His faint scared her, but she was relieved that -- at least for a while -- things would be quiet.
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Sonic slowly came to, but what he saw was something he wished he could forget. Deep blood red eyes, like those of an insect stared at him. A hooded cloak, reaching to the thing's ankles, long, skeletal limbs, and a scythe. It's arm lifted, the fingers curled until one was left pointing, and poking his tummy. A voice so horrifying, boomed yet shrieked. "You shall die!"
Sonic screamed and bolted up in bed. He looked around, realizing he was in his room. Was that a dream? Sonic could still feel the sharp sting from the thing he had seen, jabbing its bony finger into his stomach. He heard a click and turned to the door to see Peaches peeking in.
"Are you all right?" She asked. Sonic nodded.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Sonic's words didn't ease her. In fact, they worried her more.
"How much did you weigh today?" She asked, sitting on the edge of his bed. As she waited for his answer, Rocky crawled onto the bed and sat beside her. Sonic sighed and replied, "43 pounds." Peaches' eyes shot open.
"43 pounds?!"
Sonic began to curl in on himself. He didn't like it when she raised her voice, especially when she was worried. Peaches saw his reaction and composed herself.
"I'm sorry, Sonic. I'm just worried."
Sonic sighed. "I told you not to." Sonic's tummy growled loudly. He sighed again. How long was this going to continue? He just wanted things to go back to normal, well aware that his wish wouldn't come true anytime soon. On the other hand, Peaches was only more concerned. She needed to know what was happening to her boyfriend. And she knew exactly who could help her find out.
