This fic contains Yaoi/Shounen-Ai (is that right?). If you don't like the stuff don't read it. Don't flame that it's a M/M fic just about the story and how badly I might have changed the characters' personalities. I don't Sonic, Tails, Sally, Maximillian, Geoffrey, Elias, Bunnie, Antoine, or anyone else mentioned below. They belong to Archie Comics and Sega respectively.
As One Ends, Another Begins
Now (although a little late) it begins as it was meant to be. First they must meet and accept each other but that will not be easy.
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Tap, tap, tap, came the soft knocking at the door. Geoffrey didn't notice the soft rapping at the door. He was a little preoccupied at the time. There is a muffled sound coming from the door.
Prince Elias then hears Tails saying something about the King needing him. Being gagged Elias couldn't respond to Tails.
Miles "Tails" Prower slowly opens the door to check if the Prince was asleep. Why did the King send me to have to call the Prince? Why didn't he send Sonic? He was faster and would have called Elias to the meeting already. Peeping through the slit made by the opening of the door, Tails can only see darkness. As his eyes adjust to the darkness of the room Tails hears grunts. Looking to Elias' bed Tails sees two silhouettes.
Opening the door a little more Tails sees the Princes Elias gagged on his own bed. Tails could see no features of the silhouette atop the Prince. Looking into the Princes eyes Tails could tell what was happening right now wasn't something he was enjoying.
Charging through the door Tails rushes the person above the Prince. The person goes flying against the wall with a soft thud. He doesn't twitch but he was still breathing.
"Are you alright, your highness?" Asks a concerned Tails.
Removing the gag from his mouth Elias walks over to the door and checks to see if anyone was in the hallway. Tails, why did it have to be you who charges in on me? Why couldn't it have been anyone else? …Anyone else? Seeing no one in the hallway the Prince silently shuts the door and turns on the light Elias turns to Tails.
Confused, Tails wonders why the Prince did not look shaken but instead looking worried. Tails then turns to the Prince's assailant. Oh my… That's Geoffrey against the wall, but why would he have Elias gagged like he was?
"Oh Tails…you shouldn't have barged in like that." The prince said with a deep blush. Blush?! *gasp* It's not a blush of embarrassment on his face.
"The King had sent me here to fetch you for the meeting," Tails says meekly, "but when I saw you gagged. I-I thought you were in trouble."
Shaking his head Elias says, "No, Tails I wasn't in trouble," Why of all those in the palace, did it have to be you?
"B-but what was St John doing to you?" It then settles on Miles Prower what had been happening. Geoffrey and Elias with each other in the dark…No! Of all the ways of finding out if my hopes were true but I had never, never wanted to find out so harshly that I had no chance.
Elias can tell that Tails had just figured out what was happening and Tails looked shocked and…something else. "Tails, I..." Elias began but before he could say anymore Tails had flown out of the room. "Tails, WAIT! Let me…explain." It was obvious that Tails could no longer hear him.
"Uung" groaned Geoffrey. He shakes his head. "What happened? The last thing I remember is being on you…" he said with a sneer. "Then I was…" Elias didn't listen to the last part.
Seething with anger he says, "Shut. Up. Geoffrey. I want you to leave, now." The last word dipped in the acid of his hatred for Geoffrey, his shame and …his loss. Knowing he deserved Elias threw his anger at the skunk. "Get out now! Get your things and never, ever come to my room again." The last was said with such force that Geoffrey took it like a blow. Skulking out of the room Geoffrey mutters to himself.
Staring out the window Elias whispers to the night, "Tails why? Oh why did you have to find out in such away? I had never, ever meant for this to happen to you." With tears in his eyes Elias puts on his clothes, straightened his face, and went to see what the meeting that had started all this was about. *sigh* Tails if only you knew the truth.
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I can't believe *sniff* how could I have been so stupid. I must have ruined a wonderful evening. *sniff* I had always wanted to know if had I had a chance but I had never wanted my hopes so thoroughly shattered.
"Tails, WAIT!" Elias cried after Tails. He didn't wait he just went faster. Tails starts heading to Knothole Village with tears in his eyes. He knows he can't return to Mobotropolis after what he did. Stupid, Stupid, STUPID! How could I have done this?
The voices, his guides, were for once were silent in Miles' mind. This gave the fox time to think to himself, to organize what had happened just a few minutes past.
Everything had happened so quickly. Geoffrey being flung off Prince Elias. What a way for me to find out about their nightly…foraying. "If only I had thought, *sniff* before I had barged in. Sally had always told me to think before I just react. If only I hadn't barged in *sniff* none of this would be happening. How could I *sniff* do this to Elias? I wish his happiness not his anger. *sob* I wish I could take this night back and stop it from happening!" He wails to the dark sky surrounding him in flight.
After that Tails says nothing more. Nor does he think at all. His mind is in shock. The entire flight from then on is mechanical. Adjusting automatically to the winds. Tails flew into Knothole Village and walked vacantly to the place he had once called home.
The hammock was still slung between the two walls he had put it on before. It was obvious from the swaying that little dust had landed on it. Its swaying moment back and forth isn't affected by Tails' entrance. But he does not notice any of this either.
Unconsciously Tails climbs into the hammock, curled into the fetal position and cried. He cried until his eyes were dry and red. His nose ran but he didn't care. "Why?" was all he asked to the air around him before his exhaustion caught up with him. Flying from Mobotropolis within a night was tiring. Sleep deep but restless settles upon him finally
You never know how much surprises can hurt until it happens to you.
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"So son you finally come," King Maximillian Acorn said from his decorated chair in front of the table. Elias takes all those here with a glance around. To the right of his father Princess Sally Acorn looking as regal as ever. Next to her with the spines and looking impatient is Sonic the Hedgehog. An empty chair followed him, probably for Tails *sigh.* Across of the seat is Bunnie Rabbot looking as perky as ever (even at this late hour).The seat next to her housed Antoine D'Coolette with a snotty look to his face. It looked like he had been interrupted from something he had been enjoying *o.O*. Next to him must have been Elias' seat.
Prince Elias sat himself down genially, without a trace of the emotion from just a few minutes ago. "So what is this meeting about, Father?"
"I will tell you when Tails gets back."
"Tails left suddenly after he came to get me and I think he won't be back for a while. So I suggest we get this meeting started now."
"Did he say where he was going?" Asks a concerned Sally.
"No, he didn't mention to me where he was going."
"That's not like him…" Sonic mumbles to himself. "I'll go find him after the meeting your majesty but like Elias said, I think we should start this meeting."
"Fine. Well I found out that the Floating Island shall be passing over head in a week and I would like to have the royal family and some the Freedom Fighters to come and have a vacation on the isle. That was why I would have liked to Tails here so he could fly to the Island and tell Knuckles that we would like to visit.
"So I ask who would like to go with me to the Floating Island?"
"I would," Sonic says hastily.
"So would I," Sally states sedately with Tails still in her mind.
"Ah would too sugah," Bunnie says sweetly. Years with the King made Bunnie not need to be so formal around him.
"As would I," Antoine adds.
"I would not rather go this time," softly mentions the heir to the throne.
"Why?" "You don't want to go?" "Really? Why not?" The others ask at the same time, all concerned now over the Prince.
When all the chattering stopped Elias said, "I already had plans plus I just don't feel like going." Only half a lie, but one that is needed for me right now.
"I guess if you don't want to son…" says the worried Monarch. "Well this ends the meeting. Sonic, hurry up and find Tails plus tell what we plan to do."
"I'm already there!" Becoming a blur and with a whoosh of air Sonic is out the door and gone. With that the others head to bed never knowing or suspecting with exception to Elias what had happened.
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Why would Tails just take off like that? It isn't like him to disappear without and explanation. Without a word yes, but not without an explanation. What could have happened that would make him take off? Sonic speeds past Geoffrey St. John who doesn't even notice the Hedgehog.
What's wrong with St. John? He didn't even notice me. There was no yell of anger or anything from him. What is happening here?
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The day slowly creeps in on the sleeping fox. He is tossing and turning through his dreams. Although now he cannot break free of his dream, he will soon.
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"How could you barge in on me like that?" Speaks an accusingly angry Prince Elias Acorn.
"I didn't mean to. I had no idea about you and St. John."
"You did know and because of your jealousy, you barged into my room. The meeting you spoke of was just an excuse for you to come to my room."
"The meeting was true and I truly didn't know. I would never have…" Tails says meekly.
"You hit and hurt my love. I hate you. You have caused me a great wrong!" After that Geoffrey St. John emerges.
Together they say, "Tails we hate you with all our hearts. We hate you."
"No. I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to," Tails then breaks down and cries his heart out at the pain he caused.
"We hate you," their voices echoes never leaving Tails, "We hate you."
Crying, Tails mutters, "I didn't mean to. I didn't mean to"
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Sweat and tears come from the scared sleeping fox. He believes that it is all his fault. His guilt and fears rise to the surface in his dreams. He has lost all hope and feels no reason his life should go on but he lives his life anyway.
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"Tails, how could you do this to your Prince?"
"I had never meant to. I wish that I had never assumed he was in trouble."
"If you had only thought about the situation. I thought I taught you not to be impatient. Looks like I was wrong. You just barged in without thinking. I am disappointed in you Miles Prower." States a sedated Princess Sally Acorn. "Why did you barge in on my brother? We all knew. How could you not? You did it on purpose. This was no accident…you did it. You caused all this pain on my brother, on Geoffrey and on all of us." She spreads her arms and the rest of the Freedom Fighters step forth from the shadows. Sonic, Bunnie, Rotor, and Sally all stare angrily at the fox.
"No one. No one but you. Only you could have caused this pain," they say in chorus. "No one but you…no one but you…"
"I didn't know. I had never meant for this to happen I didn't know. I didn't mean for this to happen."
"No one but you…Tails."
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Still asleep Tails continues to mumble under his breath, "I didn't know. I didn't mean for this to happen." He shivers. His fur clings tenuously to his body. His tails are flat and hang without movement from the hammock. His eyes are sunken and his tears have long since dried up. "I didn't know. I didn't mean for this to happen."
He believes he is a traitor, betraying his friends and the Prince. He no longer believes he has friends though in truth he has many.
His exhaustion catches him again and no longer can mumble but lay there in the hammock without moving only dreaming of his guilt and betrayal.
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"Tails, this is all your fault. If it weren't for you, Elias would be happy," a voice echoes from the shadows.
"Only you could have done this," continues the voice. "No one else but you could have done this. You can no longer stay with your 'friends.' I doubt if they would ever call you that. There is no returning to Mobotropolis. There is NOTHING for you there now.
"One thing though. I must congratulate you on how you so effectively destroyed them all. I could never have done that. Hah, hah, hah, haaa."
"No! I could not have destroyed them. No! I couldn't have!" Tails says defensively.
"Oh yesss," the shadow hisses. "You destroyed them all and nothing can be done to change what you did." The shadow states menacingly. "You did perfectly…as I had expected you to." The shadow then gives way off an egg-shaped character with beady eyes and a long orange mustache.
*gasp* "R-R-Robotnik! How could this be, y-y-you're dead!" Tails tries to charge at Robotnik only to find he is trapped. Moving his arms and legs shows that they too are tied against a table. The lights go on and Tails can see that even if he weren't strapped to the table there was still a glass wall between him and Robotnik. Struggling to free himself only rubs the bindings against his arms and legs. Even his tails couldn't be moved.
"Hah, hah, ha, ha, haaa! Don't you think I would learn from my mistakes," he bellows. Then with a flick of a switch the chamber starts filling with a sickening green-brown smoke. Tails tries to hold his breath but the smoke enters him anyway. He gasps in more of the smoke from the pain. The smoke burns his throat, sears his lungs, singes his fur, and scorches his eyes.
He's going to torture me for what I've done to him. And to think I will die alone for the betrayal I have done.
Then with a push of a button, volts of electricity then fire into the chamber. The change caused by the electricity doesn't bother Tails anymore. He simply doesn't care. There was no point in fighting anymore. There was no point in living anymore for Tails. "You deserve this," speaks voices once belonging to friends. "This is what you…" Tails passes out.
He awakens later not feeling any pain. Instinctively he tries moving his arms, they don't respond. Starting to panic Tails tries moving anything but nothing would move. Looking out as if through glass Tails can see Robotnik removing the bindings on his arms, legs, and tails. Seeing this he redoubles his efforts to do anything. Slowly Tails gets up but he hadn't wanted that.
What is happening to me?Robotnik, with a sneer, puts a mirror before Tails' face. Reflecting off the glass was not Tails' normal face but a face of metal glistening in the light.
No! No! Nooo! Tails had been roboticized.~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~o~
POW! Tails falls from the hammock. *pant, pant* It had all been a dream. Then remembering what had happened. How could I have been so stupid? Tails crawls over to a corner. He leans his back against the wall, brings up his knees. After wrapping his arms around his legs, he rocks back and forth, back and forth. His Tails then surround him.
Guilt and fear has Tails in their grasp. I am alone. There is nothing for me. It is over for me. Plus the destruction of my friends is all my fault. Panic soon enters his mind and Tails can no longer think. Crying and depressed Tails repeats with no feeling and no voice that nothing is left for him. No hope makes Tails then feel empty. He has no idea how wrong he really is…
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It has been almost a week and Tails was no where to be found. Sonic the Hedgehog had searched all of the mapped area of Mobius, twice, and still planned to go to the Floating Island, surprising Knuckles when they arrive.
"Sonic you should stop looking for Tails for now," advises Sally.
"No. I… have to find… him." Sonic says slowly. He had been wearing himself thin trying to find Tails.
"Sonic, I order you to stop looking for Tails and get your stuff ready for the vacation now!"
"But… but I… mus-" Slam! Sonic falls heavily to the floor.
"Oh, Sonic. Tails has been one of your oldest friends. This must have been eating you up inside." She leaves Sonic and looks for someone who could help her take Sonic to his room. "Poor, Sonic. Tails where are you?"
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Two days later King Maximillian Acorn, Princess Sally Acorn, Bunnie Rabbot, Antoine D'Coolette, and a reluctant Sonic the Hedgehog heads to the Floating Island.
Prince Elias watches them leave for the Isle. *sigh* "Even if Sonic couldn't find you, Tails, I know I will…somehow." Where could he be?
Let me think, it has to be a place familiar to him, probably a place he called home. Few people must visit this place or else someone would have run into him by now. Someplace filled with memories of happiness… *gasp* "I know where you are Tails and I am going to find you," the Prince whispers to himself.
He then tries to rush out of the room. He doesn't take any supplies knowing that it won't take him long to reach Knothole Village. Although Sonic said he had searched there, I am pretty sure it was in his usual impatient way that he searched. He probably rushed through figuring Tails wouldn't be in such a place. But moving that fast must have made him just miss Tails just barely. I have to go and talk to Tails.
On his way out he sees Geoffrey St John standing at the doorway. "Where do you think you're going, your highness?" Mockingly asks the skunk.
"I told you never to come to my room again…" snarled the Prince. He tries to go around the officer but Geoffrey blocks the way. "Get out of my way."
"Have you forgotten our agreement already? Every other week, I have at you…and with the others gone I won't need to gag you." Sneering the skunk starts walking up to Elias.
"No!"
"Eh?"
"No. This 'agreement' is over. Get out of my way now. I have to leave right away."
"Really? What makes you think you can end our agreement?" Says the skunk.
"As one reason, I never really agreed. As reason two, I have to leave on a matter of great importance now. And as three, I. Have. No. Use. For. You." Each word emphasized pointedly.
At the look of confusion on Geoffrey's face, Elias rushes on past him leaving the palace, then Mobotropolis to Knothole in hopes of finding Tails.
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For the past week he had been busy getting himself food and making sure he stayed clean. Sonic had also almost caught Tails. If it weren't for Sonic's yelling Tails would never dodged him. The hunt was on Tails believed.
He's trying to bring me in. I was right, everybody but me had known about Geoffrey and Elias. Now they are trying to catch me for the traitor I am.
Once again, as had been happening often Tails began crying over his poor, pathetic, hopeless self. Always repeating to himself. It is all because of me that everything's been happening. The memory of that fateful night returns to his mind. Catching the lovers in embrace. Knocking Geoffrey off Prince Elias. Coming to terms about that he admits he enjoyed that part. But that always returned Tails to the fact that they were in each other's embrace.
Enjoying hitting Geoffrey was the true setting for the fox's depression. Tails figures out that he believed he was saving Elias from an assailant. Saving him would finally let him notice Tails. But again. And again. And again. It had all gone wrong. "I had never meant for this to happen. I had never really meant it," he wailed.
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"I had never really meant it," comes a sudden wail that startled the squirrel coming up the beaten path.
I was right; Tails is here and sounding sad indeed. Still cautiously walking through Knothole so as not to alert Tails of his presence. Having a week alone must have him believing that it had been his fault. He couldn't have known about the truth of Geoffrey and I.
Finally Elias reaches the place where all the sobbing sounds are coming from. "Tails…Hello…It's me Elias." The sobbing stops abruptly and Tails charges blindly to the door and escape. The Prince easily stops the charge. Grabbing hold of the fox he carries him to a to a corner and puts him down gently. Tails' eyes are rimmed red and dry. Also they are downcast always avoiding Elias' eyes.
"Tails, Tails. Snap out of it. Come on. Come back to the real world." A little bit of sense returns to the fox's eyes. Tails slowly looks up and sees it is Elias and quickly lowers his head once again.
"Just go. I want to be alone. Go return to Geoffrey and let me be." A shudder rolls down Elias' back. I knew I would hear that name too soon.
"Tails just listen. I dropped Geoffrey." Shock comes over Tails. I knew it. I had destroyed a wonderful relationship. If it weren't for me, they would still be together.
The wrong reaction was on Tails' face. Quickly Elias tries explaining to tails, "Tails, this really wasn't your fault that it is over. I know by the way you acted that night. You were trying to protect me. You saw me gagged and believed I was in trouble, right?"
Tails nods slowly with a sniff. Elias continues, "The relationship between Geoffrey and I was wrong from the beginning. He had come to my room one night and asked. Though I didn't agree, I didn't turn him out. Since I didn't answer he thought I was just being shy." He says a little sadly then adds in an ominous tone, "He never said he loved me; he never was gentle; he never said he enjoyed it, but then again I didn't either. Basically, forcefully embracing himself onto me. Knowing he didn't want me but wanted another just made it all the worse." Saying this brought Elias back to those horrid days of abuse.
*gasp* "Really? It wasn't a great relationship I had destroyed?"
"It wasn't Tails. It had been doomed to begin with. There was no love on either side."
"B-but I f-feel so g-guilty about barging in on you. I know it wasn't very nice." Subserviently states Tails.
"Yes, it wasn't nice but don't feel bad about that. Because of your charging into my room I got rid of Geoffrey. Had it not been for you I would be being abused right as we speak; what you did was great."
Surprised the fox asks, "You mean what I d-did wasn't a bad, but actually a good thing for you?"
"Mm-hmm." With that soft sound the greatest of Tails' burdens of guilt were dispelled. A little fear remained but hope shone brightly in his eyes once again.
To Elias' eyes he could see that true hope and true life return to his friend's eyes. Now if what I saw in his eyes that night a week ago was what I think it was. One week to think it has only been one week since this all started. It seems more like an eternity.
Should I ask him? They both ask themselves. Shyly Tails lifts his eyes to look deeply into Elias'.
"Elias…um…I wanted to know if…if you well… um…" his voice trails off.
Yes. It is true he does like me. "Wanted to know what, Tails?" The Prince asks coyly.
"Well I wanted to know…um…if you *cough* liked me?" Tails meekly asks. There it is finally out in the open. Now I just wait to see if there is anything or nothing for me.
Yes. He finally asked me. *sigh* This is a moment I will always cherish. "Yes, Tails, I do like you and I have for a long time," states the elated Elias.
H-he said yes. Pleasure and happiness swamp Tails. It is too much for him and he soon faints.
"Hmmm, oh Tails if you only know how good you look right now." The Prince repositions Tails' head on his chest and starts stroking Tails' hair.
Right before Tails completely blacks out into a sleep of true happiness he keeps Elias in his mind to cherish forever.
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Together they finally are as they were truly meant to be. Happiness blooms in their future but obstacles must be overcome before then. Hope rests high for both of them but will they survive through it all?
If you read the fic can you send your comments on the pairing, the plot (for now), and whether or not to send if some later chapters. Flames can be sent if you have the time to complain but you were warned that the story might not be good so it is your fault. If any of the points of view are confusing sorry. I try to keep to one character's thoughts except with the two end loves.