A Sonic Short story again. :) Just something that came to my mind.

Don't mind the mistakes ;)
Have fun :D

Best medicine

Glittering sparks stretched over the dark blue sky and just the moon was able to decrease their magic with its light. A faint air draft littered over the hills and the leaves of nearby trees rustled quietly in its rhythm.

It was pleasantly calm. Almost spooky. Not even the sea wanted to participate in the nightly background noise.

Just the angry snort of one at this night time still awake mobian, broke now and then through the silence.

"I knew I would find you here." The voice sounded abnormal loud in his ears and got the blue hedgehog to look up.

"Tails? Why aren't you sleeping yet?" he asked, as the fox sat down beside him. His usually bright golden fur was suddenly of a dark gray. Only his light blue eyes shone as bright as the stars.

"Because I rather wanted to mope with you in the middle of the night, big bro." The well-known mocking undertone let the mouth corners of the older one twitching noticeable.

"It is always a pleasure to speak with you" he said and harvested a quiet giggling. But just one moment later the voice of his friend sounded serious again.

"Come one, Sonic. What's the matter? Why are you so upset?"

With a fast movement the hedgehog lilted backwards until his quills were pressed against the tiles of the roof. This way the sky above him seemed to be even more endless.

"You saw it…" Sonic grunted and crossed his arms under his head. He didn't want to speak about it and especially not with Tails. But he guessed his little brother wouldn't accept that.

"Sonic… That wasn't your fault! You did just what you thought was the right thing to do. And besides, you rescued dozens of innocents today." He listened to these words, but he didn't want to understand them. What he had done was too bad. By a hair he had hurt the people that mean more to him than anything else. Or even worse…

"That excuses nothing. I couldn't control myself. I let myself be provoked." The pictures blazed again in his mind's eye. Blood seeped into the ground, screams, hung in the air, the salty smell of tears. All that sent chills down his spine. He did something unforgivable.

"But nothing bad happened! You were just… angry. Eggman is really good in talking rubbish, you know that!" The fox giggled. "His saying about the toaster was really good, indeed." Sonic moaned.

"Tails. I wasn't simply "angry". I gave in to my dark side and nearly hurt innocents! And who knows what could have happened if all of you weren't there! Just because I heard your voices I was able to come back! I nearly ruined everything."

Again they both went silent. The gaze of the two friends was fixed at the sky. Anew the leaves of the trees rustled gently in the wind.

The silence between them wasn't unpleasant. Tails was giving him the time he needed to think about it. He knew, what happened inside the hedgehog. But still Sonic noticed how the mood suddenly changed. And not because of him.

"So, then at the moment you're feeling as useless as I always do, aren't you?"

The blue one almost agreed, when he suddenly realized the meaning of these words.

"What?" He looked at his little brother, who was still sitting beside him, gazing at the stars. The moonlight lighted his face, so that Sonic got a little chance to interpret it. But against the mood of his last sentence, even a smile was on his lips. Although it wasn't a happy one. Tails shrugged his shoulders.

"Well… You know. Feeling useless. Being a drag to everybody, that does everything wrong and is constantly getting into danger, just to be rescued later. The usual, you know. That is what I'm always thinking."

Sonic was speechless. Was that really what his friend thought about himself? Was that the reason he was that quiet before a fight with Eggman? The hedgehog always assumed that he was just preparing for the upcoming. He never thought Tails saw himself as a failure.

"Tails. That's not true and you know it!" What could he say? What would be able to convince his little brother, that this absolutely wasn't how Sonic saw him? How could he say how much he appreciates his help?

"No, I don't know it. You develop unsuspected powers during a fight and you are brave and agile. No robot ever has a chance against you. I however…" His facial expression didn't change in spite of it all. The strange smile lay still on his lips, but his eyes appeared unusual dull and empty. From the outside he seemed to be calm, but inward it tore himself apart. And that let the blue ones heart cramp.

"I'm just standing uselessly in the second row and everything I can do, is talking big to tease Eggman. During a fight man to man I would fail miserably." Sonic wanted to say something, but the words stuck in his throat. Tails however, seemed not to pay attention to his brother at all. He shrugged his shoulders. "Well. At least I'm trying. And if I can damage one of his inventions or crack a password every now and then and be a little help, I should consider myself as happy. "

Sonic got up. His hands rested on the cold roof tiles, feeling the rough surface through his gloves. His gaze still lay on his friends face, who continued to look dreamily into the sky.

"Tails, I…" the hedgehog started, but stopped himself from saying more, as he noticed, that he didn't know what to respond thereupon. This negative mindset surprised him.

"It's okay, Sonic." For the first time since they sat together this evening, blue eyes met green ones. Sonic jerked almost unnoticeable, as he saw the sparkle in them, which suddenly dispel everything negative. "That is who I am. A wimp at fighting, but on the other hand an annoying smartass. That is nothing bad." Tails smiled, while his opposite looked puzzled. "The contrary is the case. It is in fact something good. Because after all it was exactly this freak, with all his quirks, that you made to your brother. That is, who I am, and I'm more than happy about it. So why should I change myself?"

The wind was blowing over them, while Tails waited - fully amused - for a reaction of his big brother. He didn't miss how Sonics jaw dropped at the word "freak". His speech hit the bullseye.

"I don't know what you want to do now, …" the fox continued, "but I'm going to sleep now. It's almost dawn." A last big smile, before he started to stand up, but a strong jolt at his wrist stopped him, and forced him to sit down again. Quizzically he tilted his head.

Sonic was still out of things and shook his head violently to come to his senses again.

"Not so fast, kiddo" he uttered arduously, when the shock fell off of him. "You can't talk big like that and simply walk away!" Tails smirked.

"Oh, I can't?" The teasing undertone couldn't be overheard.

"No, definitely not. Could you please tell me what that was meant to be just now?" The fox shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, it was meant to be a cheerful speech, so I would say…" Sonic interrupted him.

"Were you really serious? That you think you're weak and useless and you think of yourself as a freak?" He can't possibly be serious! But his upset words seemed not to ruffle his little brother.

"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't have said it." He said it so lightly as if they were speaking about the weather.

"Tails, you aren't a freak!" Sonic declared forcefully and was still bewildered about the way his little friend felt. "You are a really kind and loving person and surely not a freak! You do things I never even dreamed of! You don't need to fight just to help! Without you I would surely be a goner long ago! Everyone needs help sometimes, but this isn't a reason to be ashamed! You've a power inside of you that saved innocent people from certain death more than once! And even if you do make mistakes sometimes, it doesn't mean you should stop trying it after all!"

Sonic was breathing heavily after his long speech and had to recover himself first. His heart was pounding fast, as the feelings inside of him went berserk. Anxiously he looked at his brother, but to his surprise the smile in his face only went wider.

"Ditto!" Tails laughed happily and pulled his wrist from Sonics grip. "You should listen to yourself more often, big bro." With a smooth movement the orange fox stood up and stretched his tired bones.

It took Sonic awhile to understand. Fully amazed he opened his eyes wide. Tails was right. His own speech assorted perfectly to his instantaneous situation. The kid was amazing. Now a smile appeared on Sonics face as well.

"You little… You provoked me to let me taste my own bitter medicine. Really clever."

Bewildered he shook his head, as the ringing laughter of his brother sounded.

"Sometimes one's own medicine is the best."

Too fast for Tails to notice the blue one jumped to his feet and in the next moment the fox already dangled helplessly over his shoulder. Immediately the kit started to protest.

"Ah, Sonic! Let me down! That's not fair!"

"And your move was fair? Forget it, lil bro. Nobody messes with Sonic the hedgehog and gets away with it so easily!"

"No, no, no!" Tails complained while Sonic jumped soft-footed off the roof and went over to the front door. He could guess what Sonic was going to do. The laughter already stuck in his throat. "Mercy! Please no tickling!"
"No mercy, kiddo." Sonic chuckled. "It's going to be nasty. Better prepare yourself!"

Soon the warm darkness of their home swallowed them. In this remaining night they would both sleeping well. They could feel it. A quiet "Thanks, lil bro" floated through the room, as both, completely exhausted and still with a smile on their faces, snuggled close to each other, before they closed their eyes.

It was the first time in ages that Sonic couldn't think of his powers as creepy. The contrary is the case. Just because of them he was able to protect those that mean more to him than the world.

Those, who are worth going to his very limit. And beyond.