A/N: Beware, for this fic contains occasional swearing and Edgy Backstories™. There's also a bit of projecting and headcanoning here whoooops.
When I say this is based on Sonic Forces, I mean that it's based on the general premise, as almost nothing was actually known about the game at the time of writing the first chapters. I suppose you could call this an AU. Canon Divergence? Idk. [Insert large list of AO3 tags here.]
He was only six, but he remembered the event as if it were the last thing that had happened to him. Christmas Island had been attacked, the cries of innocents a constant call within his mind. He had done nothing to help or stop it, remaining in the grasp of some monster in a mask as the worst events of his life played out.
He blocked the memory, as always. He hated how it found it's way to his thoughts whenever he sat down for any length of time.
He could feel each wall by only stretching his arms. The cell was dark, without a single pinprick of light to be found. Why had the bad men put him there? He hadn't done anything wrong!
He wished he could leave. He wished he could go out and run five laps around the world. But there were more important things right now, and current situations made the task impossible regardless.
Freedom. Sweet freedom. In that moment, he decided that this was the best feeling of all. No one should have to be constrained or subjected to anything they didn't choose to be. He would make certain that no one did. He would do everything he could to prevent others going through the same thing as him. It was a big commitment for a ten-year-old to make, but he didn't care. Anyone who took away another's freedom was now his enemy.
Remembering that moment was as easy as remembering his birthday. He had made a vow to himself, albeit a difficult one to uphold. Still, he tried to think on current matters instead of what was long past.
He hadn't meant to be gone this long. He hadn't meant to leave the world to this. Below him, the city lay in tatters, a shadow of what it used to be. There was no changing what had happened, but that meant nothing to the fact that he should have paid better attention. Now, the best he could do was find his friends and fix this.
Sonic sat on a bench in the otherwise empty room, attempting to process all that had happened recently. His face was scrunched up in concentration. The room was comfortably large, and it had become a thinking spot for the hedgehog after...well, after everything that had happened. The fact that he needed a thinking spot at all was enough to tell how dire the situation was. He needed to come up with a plan, which he was also largely unfamiliar with. Most of the time he acted on impulse, which he couldn't trust right now. Sure, it had worked fine in the past, but water monsters didn't have an IQ of 300 and control over 99% of the planet. Worse, it was his fault. He had to get the world out of this, and he had to keep his friends safe in the process.
He felt a light tap on his shoulder, and turned to see his younger self looking up at him. Putting a smile on his face, Sonic waved, "Hey there, little guy! What's up?"
His younger self - who they had begun calling "Classic" or "The Smaller One" - looked away, eyes darting in every direction but toward Sonic himself. It was awkward, with neither of them speaking to each other for what seemed like hours. Finally, Classic took a deep breath and asked, "Are...are we alone?" His voice was soft, spoken barely above a whisper.
"Yeah; no else here but us," Sonic said. He was a little surprised hearing Classic speak at all. The little guy hadn't said a single word during their last adventure together. Sonic had never dwelled on the fact much since there were more pressing matters at hand. But now? Now he was beginning to remember why. Of all places, why'd they have to be in the thinking spot?
"I have...a question," Classic continued, voice still barely audible.
"Hit me."
Classic was very hesitant. It made Sonic uneasy. "Are you…," Yikes, was I really like this when I was younger? "Are you sure I'm, well, you? I-I mean, are you really an older version of me?"
Well, that wasn't the question Sonic was expecting, but he could certainly understand the reason. Who Sonic was now was a far cry from how he acted before. If he was in that position, seeing his current self like this, he'd be questioning the truth of it, too. The more he thought about it, the more images from his past appeared in his mind. Highly unwelcome images.
Just like that, Sonic the Hedgehog shattered.
With his thoughts from earlier added to Classic's presence, an outer shell of Sonic's image was broke through. He likely wouldn't have let it happen if any of his friends were in the room as well, but Classic was a past version of himself, if a bit different due to time travel related consequences Sonic didn't care to comprehend. There wasn't really anything to hide.
"Y-yeah," Sonic said, no longer smiling. "Yeah, we're the same guy, trust me." His tone was low, but honest.
In this quiet room, with no good distractions, just looking at Classic was kind of messing Sonic up. Obviously, he had nothing against the guy- again, he was himself, just younger. However, the way Classic looked at him took Sonic back through time, made him feel as if he were looking through a mirror. Despite his attempts, memories from before only grew more vivid in his mind. He felt hands around his neck, keeping him from moving while he watched- It's not real, it's not real! He tried to block everything from his mind like always, but it was a difficult thing when the past was, quite literally, staring him in the face. He took a deep breath, shaking himself free of the memory. Classic looked concerned, sympathy flashing across his eyes. "Did you say something?" Sonic asked, doing his best to appear casual.
Classic hesitated, then shook his head. Sonic wasn't sure he believed him, but he didn't press it. If he was being honest, he kind of wanted to give Classic a hug. Whatever happened to Sonic in the past, it was far more recent to his younger self. He also knew that Classic wouldn't be too accepting of that hug if it were given, so he decided against it.
Well, this was awkward.
"How do you do that?" Classic's voice was stronger now; that was a quicker improvement than Sonic was expecting.
"Do what?" Sonic raised an eye ridge.
Classic made a few almost exasperated gestures to Sonic. "You have...a lot of friends. And you make jokes to lighten the mood. And you're so positive with other people...How do you do that?"
"If I recall, you weren't doing too bad at that yourself before." Sure, he didn't talk, be he looked pretty upbeat during the whole Time Eater incident.
"Pretending," Classic said. "I was pretending. Didn't want to anyone asking questions."
Sonic nodded. "Exactly. Pretending. Acting. Sure, you're not as good as I am at it right now, but you pulled it off."
Classic looked confused again.
Sonic sighed, a dry chuckle escaping his throat. He suddenly felt very vulnerable. He didn't like it when he acted like this, letting out a scrap of the emotion he tried so hard to keep hidden. Yet, the only one around was himself, and he was already lying to him enough. "I've tried to forget what happened to me...What happened to them. To us. I still haven't told anyone, you know. Not even Tails." He didn't want to ramble, but after saying even this much, he found he couldn't stop. After all, how could he be judged by himself? "I've moved ahead. That's kinda my thing, not looking back. Because...because if I get stuck back then, like really stuck, I'm not sure I could get myself back out. And if I'm not in the right state of mind, then there's no telling what'll happen to the world. I can't let myself dwell on the past, so...so instead I put on a smile and pretend it never happened." His words came out without thought at a speed that anyone who wasn't himself would have a hard time keeping up with.
"And that's why I'm always looking for a new adventure," Sonic continued. "Keeps my mind occupied." He was staring at nothing, almost forgetting that Classic was even there. It was surreal, just saying any of this out loud. He laughed to himself. "It's just...so hard sometimes. Because while most of it is actually pretty fun, sometimes things happen on those adventures that remind me of before or are just plain bad, and I have to keep my cool. I guess I've gotten pretty good at it! But. I'm also scared because I think someone's gonna notice, you know?" He made sounds akin to a deranged giggle. "Oh, who am I kidding? I can name at least three people who've probably picked up on it. And one of them I don't exactly trust to keep his mouth shut. For all I know, he's already told everyone he knows. What a chance to one-up the Faker!"
He paused. Yikes, he was starting to sound hysterical, but he couldn't just stop after all he had said. "Faker...you know, I'm starting to think that's not such an inaccurate name for me after all." He started bowing as if a crowd were in front of him. "Hello, folks! My name is Faker the Hedgehog, the best of the best when it comes to lying to his friends and being a generally terrible fucking person!" He felt tears at the corners of his eyes. No. No. He was not going to cry. Sonic the Hedgehog didn't cry.
In a moment, he was on the ground, sobbing into his gloves with shaky breaths.
He felt a hand land softly on his shoulder. Sonic jumped; he had forgotten about the other occupant of the room. Except...Classic was in front of him, hands not touching him. Sonic whirled around, ready to attack whatever had-
It was Tails.
Oh God, it was Tails.
Sonic froze. How much had he heard? He had to recompose himself, but after that vent it felt impossible. No, nothing was impossible. Just...insanely difficult to attempt. He took in a deep breath; now wasn't the time to be looking crazy. How could he have let Tails see him like this? Maybe he had just come in, but he still would have seen him crying and that never happened and he really didn't want to drag his buddy into something unimportant and-
He was sitting on the floor of the small, cramped room. He felt the gaze of both Classic and Tails burning into him.
Amy. Amy was standing in the doorway. She had her hammer out, but wasn't making any move toward Sonic. That in itself would have been enough to expect the world to end in the next second, but piled up on top of everything else? It was surprising that the universe was still in one piece.
Tails felt concerned, worried, confused, determined...it was difficult sorting out all the emotions. Of all the things he's expected to find upon hearing Sonic outside the room, seeing the hedgehog on the ground crying and looking so vulnerable was not one of them. It would never have been one of them. He'd put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture, unsure of what exactly he could do to help. And now? Now his best friend was staring at him like a deer in the headlights, an unfamiliar sight of tear stains coating his face.
Tails had only heard the last few sentences from Sonic, but it was well enough to bring in unsure thoughts and questions. That wasn't important right now. What was important was getting Sonic to calm down. "Sonic?" Tails said his name lightly.
Sonic shuddered. It was clear that he was trying to compose himself, albeit not well. His breathing was too fast, and his mouth was working, likely trying to produce words that wouldn't release. Finally, he spoke, "I-I'm fine."
Well, that was a lie if Tails had ever heard one. "No. No, you're not." Tails sat down next to him. "What happened?" When he didn't receive an answer, he turned his gaze to Classic, who coughed. He didn't say a word either, but that wasn't really a surprise.
"Sonic," Amy started, moving into the room. "Please...just tell us what's wrong. We heard you outside and...and I'm worried for you!" She looked about ready to cry herself.
Sonic stood up, wiping his face. He looked at Tails, then Classic, then Amy. He shook his head and...and he was gone. He'd run off. Tails stared at the door, but decided against going after him.
Amy turned on Classic, a certain glint in her eye that made Tails take an involuntary step back. "Well? Tell us what happened or so help me you will taste my Piko Piko Hammer!" Now Classic looked like he wanted to run out.
"Um, I don't think that'll be necessary," Tails said. Amy faced her hammer towards him now, and Classic shrugged, eyeing the door like it was a paradise. After a quick glance between Amy and the door, he too zoomed out.
"Huh?" Amy blinked, then noticed Classic's absence. "HEY! Get back here! I have questions for you, Mister!" Tails was sure she wouldn't actually use the hammer on the poor hedgehog, but he didn't think it was mutually known. Amy raced out.
Just like that, Tails was the only one left in the room. He let out a sigh as events cleared in his mind. What did Sonic mean when he said he'd lied to his friends? He didn't mean Tails, did he? And if so...what about? By the looks of things, it didn't seem to be something he was proud of, and Tails had faith that whatever it was, he had a good reason for it. Still…the idea of Sonic keeping anything from him was unsettling.
Tails had known Sonic for years, and he couldn't recall a single time where he'd seen him cry. It was unheard of. Tails wasn't even sure he was capable of the act. To find him like this, and on the subject of him lying, meant there was something about Sonic that Tails hadn't picked up on during all their time together. The idea upset him, and left him questioning why he was never told anything. Looking back on it, Tails didn't actually know much about how Sonic was before they met. He knew that he had run into Eggman before, and his birthday, but...that was a disturbing lack of information. And worse, Tails had never questioned it.
You're overthinking this, Tails thought. I'm sure he'll tell me whatever caused him to act out like that after he's had some time to himself.
Gosh, he hoped he was right.
Aaaaaand that's a wrap! When I first posted this, I was really unsure of my own writing ability, but so far the reception has been very positive. That said, please feel free to review and add any constructive criticism. I am always looking to improve my work (And heck, some of you might know the characters a lot better than I do, so do tell if something seems, like, really off?).
I'm not sure how long this will end up being, nor do I know quite what I was thinking when I decided to make my first fanfic here a multi-chapter angst-fest, but hey! Learning experience! Woo-hoo!