PTSD

by EOTWM

Many people think that Tails and I became friends immediately over a course of a day or maybe even two. This, however, is a major misconception. How someone could think that what has happened to my best friend could easily slide by and allow him to trust me in a matter of forty-eight hours is ridicules no matter how much I wished it were like that. Especially with his PTSD.

1. Chapter 1

I own nothing Sonic related and I am not making fun of PTSD.

WARNING: This story slowly becomes darker. Subjects include severe bullying, PTSD, depression, and thoughts of suicide.

Chapter 1

The moon shone bright this night. Its lunar glow casted itself down barley keeping the darkness at bay. The clouds floated in the sky next to the scarcely seen land of Angle Island. The grass covered in thin ice swayed rigidly like it was fighting the cool breeze. The trees swayed side to side lightly sending one leaf falling toward the ground in gentle sways.

The Mystic Ruins were all in its nightly, autumn perfection; all was quiet, all was calm. One hill stood out. Its steep slope made it difficult for climbing, but carved upon it were manmade stairs leading up to a house atop the hill; a dim light illuminating from a window that allowed insight to Sonic the Hedgehog and Tails the Fox's workshop.

Sonic sat backwards in a chair, his blue quills sparkled, the red shoes with a white stroke crossing over it were glimmering, and his white gloves were spotlessly clean. His head rested on his arms upon the backrest as he looked toward the bed. His best friend, and adopted little brother, Miles 'Tails' Prower, was laying asleep under the covers: his golden fur at rest, white muzzle allowing his body to breath, and both tails that had white tips were probably wrapped together under the sheets.

The emerald eyes of Sonic grew brighter as he smiled down upon the sleeping fox. He almost patted Tails on the head, but knew better. Any animal with natural sleep will be startled awake by sudden touch, and in tails case it could do more than startle him. He had learned the hard way to not bother Tails in his sleep long ago. The blue blur, as he was sometimes called by fans, stood and walked off. He stopped at his brother's clock and unplugged it. He knew Tails would be angry once he woke up, but the fox needed his sleep and that alarm clock will still be a nuisance in the future anyways.

Sonic walked out, but not before puffing out a candle and softly closed the door. The hero paused outside to make sure he had not disturbed his buddy's sleep and then walked along the hallway and down the steps to the living room. He sat on the couch and picked up a note book that was set upon the coffee table. He selected his mechanical pencil and after a few clicks from pressing the top for lead he began to write.

Sonic smiled, but his eyes dimed as memory flooded back in his mind, "How I Met My Little Brother Tails."

Sonic nodded at the title and continued on the next page "Many people think that Tails and I became friends immediately over a course of a day or maybe even two. This, however, is a major misconception. How someone could think that what has happened to my best friend could easily slide by and allow him to trust me in a matter of forty-eight hours is ridicules no matter how much I wished it were like that, especially since he was only eight and a half years old at the time. How can someone that young just forget every wrong done to him: the lying, the assaults, mocking, glaring, having to eat out of trash, and all this consisted in the course of one day over the events of an entire year? He even had to take care of himself since he was four. It was of no surprise when I found out his condition. My best friend was going through PTSD."

Sonic paused and looked sadly down at what he put to paper. Tears were at the brink of falling out of his eyes but he pulled himself together by taking a deep breath and continued the autobiography "Some may say 'if Tails had PTSD, how did he ever become your friend?' I'll admit, it wasn't easy, and the reason for him trusting me in a short period of time is laughable if it were not serious. I could not stand the pricking, the attacks, the fact that I KNOW for SURE that he contemplated suicide though he would deny such accusations. I had to help the little guy. The times I got to know him never ceased to reveal amazing things about the young fox.

"The most amazing thing that I found out was the fact that I have heard of Tails before I even met him. I heard of the fox from Cocoa Island who took down the Battle Armada. That was about a week after I defeated Eggman. It was so hard for me to believe that after everything that fox did for that island they still treated him as if he was part of the threat.

"My story starts about six weeks after I heard about the young hero. The hero of Cocoa Island as I like to call him… or her… I didn't know at the time. I was vacationing in a city called Station Square, but as my 'vacations' go it never turns out as a 'vacation' per se. I always get heckled with those who have heard of me and my speed. Some even asked if my speed actually came from my shoes. Heh, that made me laugh. These hecklers however tried their best to be best fans they could. Most would try and give me discounts and others would give me gifts.

"One such present from some 'rabid' fans, as I like to call them, was not bad. They were continually persistent that I try this new plane that came out. It was supposedly the fastest and easiest to fly. I gave them the benefit of the doubt. I mean, come on; how else was I to try to cross the water without having to run through it, having to take a slow boat ride, or take a passenger plane with all eyes staring at me? All of these are not only uncomfortable, but also personally invading with all the fans and rabid ones alike. It probably would have made me laugh if I met a rabbit rabid fan. I pretty sure I actually have one, but come on. A rabbit rabid fan, don't tell me that's not funny; if not puny.

"I know what most of you are thinking. 'Sonic, if you're so fast why don't you just run on the water?' Well… during that period of time… I had a problem with water. I had a deep fear of it that almost makes me paralyzed if I got too close. I know that I have run in it and on some occasions on it, but I was distracted by the fact someone could die if I did not stop Eggman during those brief moments."

The blue hedgehog stopped to disappear and then reappear with a glass of water. He took a sip and set it down and continued with his story "I took the new plane for a joy ride and over the body of water I wished to cross. It wasn't exactly fun, but not totally boring. My only wish was that it could fly faster.

"I am the fastest thing alive and use to having more than eight hundred miles an hour of speed, but this plane was going at least seven hundred. Still fast I know, but I like speed. Speed is a need as I call it. The faster I go the more enjoyable it is. Others could even say it's like a drug to me. I'm addicted to speed. I don't even want to think about what would happen if I lost my special ability.

"I was soon traveling everywhere I could with the vehicle. Stopping robots from time to time, getting food, meeting fans, signing autographs, same old same old. The only thing that was constant in my crazy life was that plane and since my life was just a crazy life I named it after a crazy storm: The Tornado. If you could not tell I was starting to feel… alone. Even with all these fans and 'going to be heroes someday' I was always alone. Every ounce of my body wished for a friend, but I never could trust someone else like that. The only reason they would befriend me was because of my fame not for who I am. Sure there was Amy, but she kind of freaked me out at first. Come on, I just meet the girl and she's already hugging me with smitten looks in her eyes.

"The stop to Cocoa was actually an emergency landing, I had no idea what Island it was, but I was desperate. The plane began to wobble and falter causing a sudden unbalance or even diving down only to glide back up. I would have never admitted it, but that was one of the scariest things I have ever experienced, mainly because water was underneath me. I landed as quickly as I could so I only had time to stop at a beach. It was just in time before the engine roared louder than before and began to go 'BANG, BANG, BANG!' I thought Eggman was attacking me.

"I stopped immediately to check upon the damage. The engine was perfectly fine but there were lose wires and parts. I checked the manual and it mentioned that the wires and parts must be tightened before flight. I literately slapped myself in the forehead, and since I was always alone back then I probably spoke aloud. I was lucky that the wires and parts didn't disconnect in midflight.

"I rewired it and tightened the parts to the best of my ability. To make sure that nothing like that would happen again I tightened them as tight as I could. This was accomplished and I hopped back in, but instead of a perfect hum of the engine the whole front blasted like a missile had struck it. I was surprised the cover wasn't blown off.

"I opened it to find the engine in ruins, but it had one more trick up its sleeve before it died. A nice present that gave me a lovely experience I do not wish to have again."

Sonic's eyes finally dulled and the world around him died away and his flashback ensued.

XXXXX

The sun was out and the blue sky was a dazzling sight for Sonic, he was just about to take flight to go off this island once and for all. He kept coming back to this island, and not because he liked it. For some strange reason he kept on circling and coming back. Not helpful when you want to leave an area with fans who are starting to believe that you like them

The hedgehog jumped into the cockpit and started up the engine. The hero's heart nearly skipped a beat as he heard the fans coming out already. Sonic does like hearty good-byes, but rabid fans and "good-byes" do not make a sweat mix, he speaks from experience; experience from this island.

He hit the gas making it shoot forward. Just as it reached the minimal requirement for lift Sonic pulled up and he was once more in the air. The hedgehog looked back at the island with a cocky smile as the fans came running into the opening. He had gotten away. Now time for self criticizing; he slapped himself on the head "I WENT IN A CIRCLE! AGAIN! How does one travel with this thing?" The hedgehog then looked at the dashboard to see a compass "Oh! Sure! Rub it in my face, Tornado!"

The world hero began his journey once more, and out to the islands of the south… again. So he could explore them and hopefully it's not the same island… again. For once this adventure will not include Eggman, or he hopes it will not.

Sonic breathed out finally relaxing and enjoying his ride. "It's nice not having to fight an egg once in a while. Surprising how strong such a crack up can be."

He then spotted an island off in the distance. The hero's heart swooped in excitement and hurriedly pulled out a map after resting a foot on the controls to remain steady "Soooooooo… what is this little island?..."

Sonic looked over the map and then at the island itself. After a while he looked back at the map "Why can't I understand maps at all?"

"SKWAK!"

"Huh?"

Sonic looked over his map and a bird smacked him in the face. His foot let go of the controls and Sonic began to flail around throwing the map away. The bird soon slid off the hedgehog's face just so he could see the ocean coming right up. Sonic screeched aloud and pulled the controls up as hard as he could. The plane lifted and Sonic pumped a fist in excitement, but the engine suddenly died and he began to fall again "Oh, COME ON! This thing has it out for me!"

The plane suddenly glided back to normal, but it swayed side to side, it was trying to turn itself (Actually Sonic thought it was). The hedgehog was desperate, mainly because he did not want to crash in the water. He aimed the plane toward the island's beach and made it just in time.

He landed nicely and calmly, till it began to stop with a startling occurrence. The engine roared loudly and began to bang like gun fire. The hero yelped, jumped out of the plane, and into a fighting stance "EGGMAN!" he yelled.

The plane finally slid to a stop just as Sonic looked around. There was not anything but trees, sand, and water in sight. He lowered his fists with a bewildered expression and began to chuckle even as his face brightened up in red. He then looked around "I hope no one saw that." He was very paranoid when it came to any strange sounds ever since Eggman made that bridge fall out from under him that had sent the hedgehog under some purple water. Or… he hoped it was water. The hero shivered at the thought and ran over to his plane to look at it.

Nothing seemed damaged. It was still almost completely red except for some minor colors. It had a silver tip and twin propellers. A white stripe sweeps along the side and then swooped down to the bottom and connected to the other line on the other side. It also had on other white stripe that wrapped itself around the tail. The wings were also silver, but there were four: Two like a normal plane, but two more on top of the other pair. The one thing that made Sonic most proud of it was the extra paint the fans made for him. Above the whit line on each side was written "SONIC"; a declaration that told everyone this was his.

Sonic sighed at the sight and ran over to the engine. He opened up the compartment to take a look inside. It all looked fine, besides some wires and parts missing, so it should be capable for flight instead of trying to shoot at him.

Sonic scratched his head "I can only think of two things, Eggman did this, or the pane doesn't like me." He jumped into the cockpit and opened a glove box.

He pulled out the manual and opened to the first page. In big red words it read "MUST TIGHTEN WIRES AND PARTS BEFORE FLIGHT!"

Sonic flung his arm up and unexpectedly slapped his head. At the sudden pain he swung the book at it trying to cover it resulting in slamming the entire book spine into the already stinging forehead.

He dropped the book and began to curse aloud "Stupid, stinkin, lousy, stupid, lousy, running out of things to say, stinkin hand! WHY'D JA HIT ME?" He looked sternly at his hand before picking the manual back up. "I'm lucky that I didn't crash into the ground or… er-hur…" He shuddered "…the water." He grabbed at his throat and rubbed it back and forth.

Sonic flipped to a page to reveal a picture of how the engine was supposed to look. Sonic then leaped out and looked at the engine. He quickly ran back to grab the tool kit mumbling "Why would a company build a plane without tightening the wires and parts before giving it out? Can't they do it themselves?"

He began to work on it, carefully looking at the picture in the handout book. He soon got it back to normal, or what it looked like in the book, and tightened each part as firmly as he could. He rubbed his gloved hands together with a smile and pointed at the tightened pieces "I'd like to see you get loose from that, you inanimate things."

Sonic then jumped back to the side of the cockpit, put away the tools, and started up the engine. It roared loudly at the start up and then began its natural smooth purr. Sonic threw his fists in the air in celebration "YAHOO! It works."

Suddenly the front went "BAAAAAAAM!" Startling the hedgehog into falling off the side and onto his rear.

Smoke and steam sizzled out beneath the cracks that held the hood down. Sonic walked up to it confused "What happened?..." He looked at the manual in his hands "I did exactly what this thing said… was this plane made by Eggman?" He asked aloud in more of a sarcastic way than an actual question he needed to heed.

He glanced over the engine just as it began to sizzle even louder. More curious than cautions, the hero pulled himself closer to the engine taking a closer look "What's that sou-?"

"BOOOM!" It blew in his face.

The blue hero stumbled back coughing harshly in till he tripped over his foot and he now faced the sky. He quickly stood back up and glared at his plane "Why you-!" The hedgehog ran at it and kicked it right below the engine block.

The engine began to rumble again. Sonic tripped backwards and stood back up to dive away from the explosion. As he hit the deck he covered his head and nearly wrapped himself in a ball. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, the hero looked back at the plane. It was just fine.

The hedgehog stood back up and glared daggers at his vehicle "Why you-." It began to sizzle "Fine! Fine! I never liked you in the first place!" The hedgehog threw his arms out in front of him to form an "X".

He looked down at the rest of his body to see he was covered in soot and sand "Gotta wash myself off now thanks to YOU... but how?"

The crash was about fifty feet away from the ocean waves right now and about ten feet away from it was a forest into the island.

He then looked at the ocean, a good source of water, but he then looked at forest. He then looked at the ocean, then the forest. This continued: ocean, forest, ocean, forest, ocean, forest, ocean, forest, ocean, forest, ocean, forest, and ocean. Sonic then shrugged "I guess I'm not."

The blue hero looked over at the waves, its movement, the sounds it made, the memories flooding back. Sonic could not help himself he jumped back and fell down catching himself with one arm while the other clung to his chest as he gasped for air. The fear of the water was too intense; he thought he was underneath it again with no breath. The land that could kill him, the land where his nightmares came from.

The hedgehog knew the only reason he has ever gone in water was to save a person's life, or to fight Eggman. He would avoid it if he could. He pounded a fist into the sand "It's just water. It's just water." Sonic turned around "It's just water. It's just water. It's just-HOLLY TITANIC!"

A wave about fifty-feet tall came burrowing down upon the unexpected hedgehog who noticed it seconds before impact. Sonic screamed as the wave slammed him down and threw him up the beach with it. The wave traveled up and stopped only a few feet away from the plane. As it retreated back Sonic's lifeless body was found ten feet away from where the wave hit him. Sonic raised a finger "Abandon ship, all women, children, and hedgehog's first."

The hedgehog shot up and next to the plane. The water had touched him again. It must be getting close to high tide. Really? He had strangely not noticed.

The hero shook himself violently to be rid of the water drenching his quills. He shivered "That… was the most horrific thing… that has ever happened to me… ever."

He looked about his surroundings, no one else was there. Good. That would be completely embarrassing especially if he had to try and explain himself. Who would believe that the hero of the planet, who has faced the most dangerous things without being the slightly bit intimidated, is terrified of a little thing like water. The most embarrassing fact was when he was once scared of water in a drinking glass. He quickly got rid of that part of it, but the rest of the phobia remained.

Sonic looked over himself, at least he cleaned himself off.

The hedgehog stood high and crossed his arms at the sight of his plane. The propellers suddenly spun and tore off its hinges and came at him.

Sonic almost yelled, but he only dived to the side as one of the blades impaled itself right where he use to be.

He glared at the plane, disappearing and only to reappear with the manual in hand "let's see what the manual says…hmm… Have better luck throwing a fit and shouting at it." He threw the small book into the sand as hard as he could "Okay… WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU? YOU NEARLY KILLED ME! ARE TRYING TO MANGLE ME? ARE YOU TRYING TO HAVE ME KILLED? WELL, YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST MACHINE TO TRY AND DO THAT YOU PILE OF SCRAP!" Sonic rubbed his quills back like he had calmed down and looked to the side "That didn't seem to help." The hedgehog then smiled as he flicked some dirt off his shoulder "Oh wait. Was the Manual being sarcastic there? Aw. That was fun, except the crashing wave part."

The hero began to stretch his legs and arms before blasting off into the forest. He needed to see where he was, but first, some fun. He began to bounce off the trees and running in loops before grabbing a branch flipping him upside-down so he would fly into the air. As he reached the maximum height he could, which was above the tree lines, his body flipped so he was head up. The world around him slowed down immensely as his mind worked faster than any other on the planet. Above the tree line he could see a town ahead which caused him to smile just as the world gradually became faster.

He fell strait down and landed on a leg and knee with a fist striking the bottom. He then tore off toward the town he saw and onto where he could get help and maybe some relaxing vacation time.

The hedgehog screeched to a halt and turned. Was that a scream?

The hero waited a good few seconds and then there was another high pitch shriek. He looked around before running off to find the source. It may be a vacation, but he'll bounce off of rocks and over logs to find trouble.

A group of about twenty people were on their knees and being held captive by five birds with guns. One stepped up and pointed his weapon "Where is the fox?"

Another hedgehog, but brown, spoke up "I don't know. He disappears into the forest and we can never find him."

The bird kicked some dirt "SOMEONE MUST KNOW WHERE HE IS! No one is this good in hiding."

A mouse soon spoke up "He's telling the truth. If we knew he would be toast by now."

Sonic stepped up behind one of the birds and crossed his arms with a cocky grin. The people immediately saw him and were all shocked. One of the birds noticed "What? Finally noticed the trouble you're in?"

"What trouble?"

"YAH!" All five jumped and spun around to face the hedgehog "Who the heck is he?"

Sonic casted a grin and began to do a little dance "Doo da doo da doo doo doo."

"What are ya? Crazy?"

"No, I'm hedgehog."

"Smart guy huh? Where's the fox then?"

"What fox? I just got here. Plane crash."

"Since when? I didn't hear any crash?"

"On the beach about a mile away."

"And yet you just got here?"

"Yah, watch." Sonic blasted away in a blur, took all their guns, and dropped them where he stands. The birds stepped back in shock "What the-!... It's Sonic the hedgehog!"

"Wow, just noticed the trouble you're in? Was the blue hedgehog part totally imperceptible?"

A bird charged with a fist at the ready. Sonic's expression fell to mere disappointment "Seriously? You actually think you can hit me with a fist?" He jumped up and landed on him with one foot. The force of his leg slammed the enemy against the ground hurled the hedgehog into the air at two other aves. The two enemies pulled out their secondary weapons but he flipped in midair and once he was above the two birds he bashed their heads together. The hero then landing in a kneeling pose with his arms stretched out behind him as the two he just bumped heads with, literately, fell unconscious. The last two had pulled out their last guns, aiming them at the blue blur, but this only made Sonic smile.

The shots rang out. Sonic turned and flipped. He was sideways in midair as the bullets passed beneath and above him. The hero could just picture this in his mind making him think how cool he looked in slow motion. He then spun to the side as more bullets came. He jumped up and crashed a fist against one of the assailants causing him to drop the gun. The hero then grabbed it in mid air and threw the weapon at the last one standing. The bird did not even blink as the gun struck him in the face sending him to the ground.

Sonic walked up and looked down at him "I wonder if you could 'face' the fact you lost." The bird lowered his hands from his face, but just as he did Sonic slammed a foot onto his side pinning him. The bird only could grab the hedgehog's leg "Who are you? And what fox are you talking about?"

The bird tried punching his leg, but Sonic only added pressure telling him to stop. The bird finally spoke with pure spite in his voice "I am a soldier of the Battle Bird Armada led by Great Battle Kukku the fifteenth."

Sonic raised a brow "You mean kookoo as in?" Sonic raised a finger and rotated it around his head and whistled.

"How dare you! Kukku the fifteenth is not crazy!"

"I'm not the one who called him kookoo."

"RARRR!"

"Now about this fox…"

"The one who defeated the Battle Armada and the fortress."

"Wait. The fox who saved Cocoa Island?"

"You're ON Cocoa Island Imbecile!"

"Cool." Sonic raised his leg only to swing it back and deliver a quick kick to under the bird's bill, mouth (Whatever), rendering him unconscious along with his fellow soldiers.

Sonic looked at the group that was all huddled down "It's all right. They're all taken care o-."

"It's Sonic the hedgehog!"

"…of." Sonic was soon surrounded by people who were screaming his name and demanding for his autograph.

The hedgehog tensed up as they surrounded him "So much for a relaxing vacation." He thought.

Unbeknownst to him, Sonic was being watched by a figure in the shadows. A fox with blue eyes, golden fur, and the most noticeable is his two tails.