"Can't catch me freaky hedgie!" An eight year old Shadow taunted his five year old adopted sibling as he ran through the house. " Can too!" The azure infant retorted as he hobbled behind him on his specially designed custom made crutches made to allow him the opportunity to walk.

" No you can't weirdo!" The young ebony replied as he continued to taunt the young blue cripple and jumped on top of the couch in the living room so Sonic would have more difficulty reaching him. " Yes I can!" Sonic whined as he still tried to catch up to him.

"Na- Uh not with those silly sticks on your arms and those braces on your legs , you'll never catch me robo-legs!" " Yes I will!" Sonic argued, angered by his brother's constant teasing and meddling about his state.

" I bet you couldn't even take one step without those things on to keep your legs straight spaghetti legs!" Shadow said smugly from his sitting position on the back of the couch, as he folded his arms over his chest and closed his eyes turning his back towards his brother.

"Bet I can!" Sonic retorted as he sat down on the floor and started unbuckling his braces and crutches from his body and threw them across the room. Shadow's ear flicked at hearing the loud crash of metal on their hard wood floor and turned his head slightly and opened one eye to see what was up.

What Shadow saw made him gasp and caused his crimson eyes to widen in shock and fear as he saw Sonic on his hands and knees attempting to stand.

" No Sonic wait I was just kidding don't do it! Mom said you're not supposed to walk without your crutches and braces!" He said in panic and jumped down from the couch and quickly ran over to Sonic quickly grabbing his things and trying to convince the azure cripple to put them back on.

"No!" Sonic yelled pushing Shadow to side from the now kneeling position he was on, refusing the aids that he was forced to wear all of his life. " You bet that I wouldn't be able to walk and I'm going to prove you wrong!" He said as he leaned against the arm of the couch for support and pushed heavily against the floor till he was standing.

His legs shook and his knees wobbled as he leant against the couch for a few minutes then pushed himself off with all the strength he had. He was barely in the standing position for three seconds before his legs buckled out from underneath him and he fell face first onto the floor with a loud thud and a painful yelp of pain.

Shadow cringed at hearing and seeing it and quickly bolted over with Sonic's equipment to offer some sort of aid to him. " Ouch! Sonic that looked like it hurt are you alright buddy? Here I brought your crutches and stuff." He said as he set them down next to him.

At that very moment though Maria was just walking into the house, returning from a small grocery shopping trip to purchase food for her two growing hedgies.

" Boys I'm home and I brought...Oh my goodness Sonic!" Maria shrieked as she dropped the groceries and ran over to Sonic's side dropping down on her knees and helping Sonic into a sitting position. " Sonic, sweetheart are you alright?" She asked while leaning his back against the couch and brushing a few of his quills covering his eyes out of his face.

" Yes mommy I'm fine." Sonic said as he pushed her hand away a bit and looked down. " I'm glad sweetie but what were you thinking?! You know that you're not aloud to walk without your equipment honey!" She said worry still very apparent in her crystal blue eyes.

" I know Mama but I just wanted to see if I could do it. All the other kids my age can do it but I can't mommy. I don't want to be made fun of anymore mommy. I don't want to be called names like freak, and weirdo, and robo-legs mommy it hurts my feelings and makes me feel bad." He says as his emerald orbs started to fill up with tears and he sniffled softly.

Shadow watched from behind Maria, running the back of his neck with guilt covered all over his face. He knew he was the main cause for Sonic's depression and him not feeling like he fit in and he still continued to chose to do nothing about it.

Sonic sighed as he buckled the braces back onto his legs and stood up, with the help of Maria, and started making his way to his room. " Oh Sonic where are you going? It's almost dinner time and I'm making chilidogs your favorite!" Maria said trying to be as convincing as possible to the young blue child.

" No thank you mommy freaks like me don't deserve to eat I'm just going to bed." he said softly as he took his first step up the stairs struggling a bit but managed then took another.

Shadow's ears were folded all the way to the back of his head as he watched his adopted brother struggle up the large fleet of stairs. On normal nights Sonic would usually let Shadow give him a piggy back ride up the stairs but now because of Shadow's little stunt the hedgehog won't even look in the same direction of his ebony step brother.

Shadow looked up at Maria, sadness and guiltiness still stuck on his face but the only response he got from her in return was a shake of her head and a sigh of disappointment as she walked to the kitchen with the groceries she previously dropped.

An hour of silent eating and guilty and stern glancing at one another was the only thing that occurred at the dinner table for that period of time.

During their meal Shadow couldn't stop glancing over at the empty chair usually occupied by the form of his azure brother, while Maria was dishing our very hard and cold stares of silent disapproval at her son, knowing what he done and how contributed to Sonic's emotional state.

*************************

Another thirty minutes of silent eating passed before I finally built up the courage to go and apologize to Sonic for what I did to him.

I growled to myself to build up some confidence as I pushed on the edge of the table, making my chair slide out from underneath and stood up and left the kitchen.

I walked quickly and lightly up the stairs and stopped once I reached Sonic's door and knocked softly.

I waited.

After a good ten minute wait I knocked again, this time harder in case he didn't hear me the first time.

No answer.

I sighed and leaned my forehead against the door as I pretty much begged for him to let me in, " Come on Sonic open up. I'm sorry I really am! I didn't mean what I called you I was just messing around... Sonic?... Sonic did you hear me?" I said as I placed an ear on the door and listened carefully.

Still no answer.

" Sonic the hedgehog if you don't answer this door right now I'm going to break it!" I yelled as I slammed a tiny fist onto it making it open slightly.

I tilted my head in confusion at this and pushed the door opened more and poked my head in, " Sonic? You in here little bro?" I asked as I stepped into the dark room and turned on the light.

My eyes widened in fear and I gasped feeling even more guilty at what I saw. My brother was gone. The only thing that ever shown he was there was a note written in his sloppy handwriting.

DeAr MoM AnD SHaDow,
I hAv tOoKen A BuNChaeS oF tHouGht And RaN AWay. I DoN't waNt 2 B a Buden Or MAd Fun Ov aNyMOre I Left. I LUv YoU gUyS EVN if U DonT LuV mE. DOnT LOok 4 Me BCUz I wiLl already B FaR Far Away.

LUv,
SOnIC

I fell down to my knees after reading that letter. I crumpled it up in my fists as small tears rolled down my cheeks and fell onto the paper smearing some of the letters on the paper.

Sonic was gone and it was all my fault.