RAIN SONG: The End of Innocence
By UntoldCatamount
Sonic the Hedgehog and all characters copyright © 1989-2007 Sega of America. Based on the cartoon Sonic the Hedgehog, copyright © 1993-94 DiC Entertainment. Rain Song and the Rain Song Universe copyright © 2006-2007 Adam Hardin (a.k.a. UntoldCatamount).
All rights reserved.
This work is a work of fiction.
Note from the Author:
Hello once again fanfiction readers! I decided to take a small break from writing a chapter in my Final Fantasy VII Rain Song story Rain Song II: Every Time it Rains to bring you this little installment one-shot between two of my wife's favorite characters, Sally and Tails. She adores Tails and the affection Sally gives him as she plays the role of a mother, protector, and caregiver. She also loves Bunny ("She's just so cute! I love how her ear flops over!") and her voice actor's "authentic" Southern accent that we folks from North Carolina appreciate.
Sonic will not be immune from the Rain Song universe—in fact, he'll be getting his taste of misery once Rain Song III: The Angels' Cry is finished (which may be awhile). We'll have to wait and see.
Don't forget to check out my profile and some of my other works. If you're a Final Fantasy VII buff, check out RS 2. If you like Teen Titans, read the first Rain Song. I'll try to pump out some more Sonic fics in due time. But for now, enjoy this one!
--UC
It started with a question…
"Aunt Sally?" Tails asked, looking up from his cushioned resting spot from under the covers. He seemed a little unsure whether he wanted to continue his inquiry or not.
Sally, her piercing blue eyes always portraying the warmth and affection that had comforted the eight year-old fox for so long, responded, "What is it, sweetie?"
Tails mulled the idea over in his head. The adults had a saying… damn, what was it? Oh, it was, "Don't ask if you're afraid of the answer." For eight years old, life seemed pretty open and shut. While still ripe with youth, Tails was by no means stupid: reading people had become a new fascination of the child. He could hear the changes of pitch in people's voice when they tried to "sugarcoat"—a word he learned meant to sweeten something verbally bitter—answers in order to seemingly pacify Tails' seeking. Or, they would play him off. Bunnie, for example, would always reply with, "Aw, sugar, y'all don't need to be worryin' about none of that now. Y'all are jus' a youngin' anyways."
Age be damned, Tails would think. I just want a straight answer, that's all.
Fuck it: maybe she'll be straight with me.
He asked meekly, "Will I ever see my parents again…? Now that Robotnick's gone…"
Sally quickly searched her mind for the best possible answer. Tails hadn't asked about his parents in a long time.
"Well, honey, I…" she trailed off inadvertently. "We'll find them and change them back."
"But you always say that," Tails protested. His voice began to rise, "How do you know that you will? How do you know you can even change them back?"
"Now, Tails, we're doing the best we can. All of Robotnick's equipment is obliterated or damaged beyond repair. We have nothing to compare it to when trying to decipher the roboticizing process."
"Then why does everyone have to talk down to me?!"
Tails was on the verge of sobbing now.
"Why can't they just say that my parents are never going to be found and that I'm never going to see them again?! Why?!"
He screamed at the top of his lungs, "WHY?! DAMMIT WHY?!"
"Tails!" Sally yelled, trying to snap some reality back into the child. "Its okay sweetie, calm down…"
"I can't calm down!" Tails countered. "I'm eight years old and, and… I want my mommy!"
He broke down into a sobbing fit. Sally put her arms around the shaking two-tailed fox and cradled him, whispering coos into his pointed furry ears.
"We'll find them," she said softly. "I promise you we will, Miles."
Tails pushed the princess back off of him with what force an eight year-old could muster.
"Lies!" he shouted. "You don't know! You're too busy trying to free your own goddamn father from that fucking VOID!"
Sally stood outside of herself as she saw her hand rear back and slap Tails across the face with enough velocity that it knocked him sideways. Tails was planted facedown into the crevice between his bed and the wall. Sally was dazed, unsure of what just happened. Eight year-old boys were not supposed to be this questioning, nor this well versed on such adult language. More so, children were not meant to be so uncertain and so knowledgeable about the world's many shortcomings.
Maybe they were wrong to judge Tails as some naïve kid.
"Oh… shit…" Sally whispered. "Tails?! Tails?! Are you okay?! Oh, gosh, sweetie… I'm sorry…"
She gently lifted him back into an upright position. Blood ran from his swollen black nostrils. Tears stained his fur and dripped onto the sheets. Tails was shaken to the point that his voice trembled with great fear as he said, "G… get away from me…"
"Tails, please," Sally pleaded.
"N-no!" he shouted. "Get the hell away from me!"
Tails kicked at Sally in an effort to distance away from her. He reached for the window sill. He had to get away from her.
Sally tried once more, frantically grabbing for Tails' legs, "Wait! Don't go…!"
Tails lifted his body off of the bed using the window sill. With his back to it, he brought his legs up and thrust them into the pursuant Sally's chest. The squirrel princess fell backwards onto the nightstand beside Tails' bed, causing it to collapse and taking the wall lamp down with her. Sparks flew from the exposed socket as glass and wood shattered under Sally's weight. Tails flipped backwards out of the window into the night air.
He hit the ground running as he heard Sally's groan-filled calling. He paid no heed to her as he turned and ran towards the lake. The tears blinded him in his attempt to navigate between the huts. They all hated him, Tails said to himself. Every single one of them. Always chastising him for "being in the way" when he was yards away. Always telling him that they couldn't play with him. Always patronizing him like he was some idiot kid.
Yeah, he was an idiot kid. And the only person who even came close to fitting the role of Mother in his life hated him the most it seemed. That chord Tails struck must've been the straw that broke the camel's back. God only knew how much Sonic must've hated him; always pretending to be "best buds" in order to appease the princess.
"Fuck them all," Tails said to himself as he pushed past the trees. The lake where the power ring generator was…
This was where it was going to end. He was never going to find his parents. He had thought about it long at hard prior to this night: he weighed his options about staying with the Freedom Fighters. The war was over—Robotnick was gone—and now all that was left was to rebuild Mobotropolis and forget about what was. This included forgetting about the people lost to Robotnick's experiments.
Namely, Tails' parents.
Everyone at least had some sort of memory of what their parents were like. But, now… even if he did get his parents back, would they even acknowledge him? No, no they wouldn't. They would all be like the Sallies, the Sonics… all look down upon him, deem his existence as some sort of justification to make themselves feel better as they tried to fill a surrogate role. Tails had nobody in the world left. He thought he did, but that was just damn foolish.
He chastised himself for allowing his childish tendencies to overcome him. Blinded by faith that somebody loved him. How stupid.
Tails slipped over the log that he often found himself sitting at, watching the stars dance across the surface. Every twelve hours a power ring would make its ascent; usually he was there to catch it. This time, though, there would be no ascension: just a descent.
A descent of one brown fox.
This wasn't an impromptu decision. It was rationally thought out… in a matter of mere seconds. Once the votes were in, the conclusions made, the costs weighted… it was time to save everyone the trouble. With no family, no love, there was nothing left. Tails was not old enough or able enough to fend for himself out there. There was no use in becoming a burden anymore.
He collapsed to his knees and crawled towards the cold water. This was going to be it.
Until…
He heard Sally's footsteps quickly approaching. Tails tried to jump for the water but was held back as she grabbed his ankle.
He cried, "Let go of me…!"
"No!" Sally cried back. "Tails…!"
With what little strength he had, Tails tried to wrestle free to no avail. Sally was too strong. She gently dragged him back up the shoreline.
No strength left to fight.
Peachy, Tails thought.
Sally reclined against the log and pulled the fox to her side. She wept as she spoke.
"Tails," she said, shaking. "What… what… God… don't tell me you were going to kill yourself?!"
"There's nothing left, Sally," Tails sighed, wiping at his own emotions. "My parents are as good as dead."
"No… honey, no… don't ever say that…"
"Why? It's true, isn't it? You adults constantly say all these nice things or just play it down. They're dead. They're dead! Sally, they're dead…!"
Sally wrapped her arms around him and began to rock. Tails was limp in her arms as he rested against her chest. Regardless of his current feeling towards her, Sally's grasp was utmost comforting. This was different than the usual motions of affection she showed. This was…
Through her cries, Sally said, "I… I just wanted…"
Tails was silent.
"I just wanted you… to be mine…"
What…? Be hers…?
Tails didn't move from his spot. His body was too drained.
He asked, slightly muffled, "What do you mean… Sally…?"
Sally gently pushed him back so that they could see each other eye to eye. Her once vibrant blue eyes were now shaken and gripped with fear. They were anxious and bloodshot.
"Tails," she began; her voice a little coarse. "I… I love you like… my own son. My only son. I'm not even at the right age to be considered fit for any sort of parenting, yet… with you… I feel like I'm actually doing something right."
Tails shook his head, saying, "Then why, Sally…? Why doesn't everyone just admit it…? They're gone…"
"Because, honey… you never know. They could very well be alive. Never give up hope."
Out of the blue, Tails asked, "Do you want them to be alive…?"
Sally was a little awestruck. "Huh?" she asked. "Why would you ask such a thing?"
"If you love me like the way you do… you want me to be yours."
She was silent.
Finally, "I can't answer that, dear. There's no right answer."
"Why?" asked Tails.
Sally brushed some of his fur. "Because," she whispered. "Anything I would say would be a lie. Tails, I'm sorry that… we've not been direct with you. You are so young, yet…"
She wiped away some of the blood from his nose.
"How long have you felt like this?" Sally asked.
"I lost track," Tails replied. "Sally… I just want people to tell me the truth. They all expect me to tell the truth. How come they aren't bound by the same rules as me?"
"I guess you've got a point; I suppose we don't know how you'd react if we told you things that we felt you wouldn't understand."
"Do you understand it?"
"No," Sally said. "And I probably never will. But, Tails… you can't always have such a firm grasp on what you want to believe is true. Always leave room for some doubt. Things are always changing, especially the status of your parents."
"I just want to see them… to actually see who they are," Tails sighed. "But I guess I never will."
Sally stroked him some more, saying, "That very well could be true, honey. But remember: if nothing else, you've got me, right? And don't forget about the rest of the Freedom Fighters."
Tails let out another depressed sigh. "Are you sure they like me?" he asked.
"They love you. I love you. A lot. More than words could describe. You are one of the reasons I fought so hard so you could have a future. I love you, Tails; I think of myself as a mother to you."
Tails gave a small nod.
Sally continued, "I'm also… sorry for smacking you earlier."
She gave a long kiss to the side of Tails' face where she hit him. It still hurt immensely, but, at least the kiss made it feel a little bit better.
"Let's talk about this in the morning," Sally said. "It's way past your bedtime. Promise me that you won't dwell on any of this anymore tonight and get some sleep? Tails?"
The child was asleep in Sally's arms. Sally gave a relaxed sigh and cradled him some more. Whatever went through his head was pretty serious, she thought. What would drive an eight year-old to commit suicide? Everybody's different, Sally, she said to herself on the inside. Losing both of your parents before you can even register a memory of them. Being raised at first by complete strangers that have other priorities than to fill so many roles in a child's life. Maybe everyone at Knothole was wrong to take Tails' perception of life for granted. Then again, most of them were just past their adolescence stages themselves. Sonic seemed to be stuck in it. It had been a struggle for the past eight years trying to provide a stable environment to raise Tails.
Tonight, though, was the end of innocence. Everyone was wrong. Tails was not some dumb kid. He was a growing, maturing individual who was a lot deeper than his age allowed him to be on the outside. Sally gave Tails the "funny kiss" while he slept before slowly rising with him in her arms. As they walked back to the tiny hut where Tails spent many nights alone without the comfort or security of an enclosed bedroom, Sally thought about the future.
Tails would grow up soon before her eyes. What kind of adult would he be? Would he be… no, he wouldn't… would he? Sally shook her head. Her Tails would be a caring, compassionate individual. He just needed a mother to help nurture him.
Tails needed her more than ever.
She placed him under the covers before sliding under next to him. Tomorrow was going to be a long day as everyone was going to be briefed.
Although it was a bit evil, Sally did hope that they never found Tails' parents. As her eyelids fell heavy, she heard Tails' quiet mumbling.
He snuggled up to Sally and said, "I… love you… Mom."
Sally smiled and kissed his forehead before falling asleep herself.