Stay up late and we'd talk all night
In a dark room lit by the TV light
Through all the hard times in my life
Those nights kept me alive
-"Those Nights", Skillet
Thanks for the Memories
He opened his eyes, staring at the metal roof above him. Miles Prower reluctantly pulled himself out of bed.
After the Metarex War, he had decided make his home in the Blue Typhoon. Knuckles had gone back to guarding the Master Emerald, and the Chaotix went back to…whatever they did. Amy and Cream had heard the call of the city, moving into Mobotropolis with its towering skyscrapers and flashing lights. And Sonic was pretty much anywhere and everywhere. But Miles had chosen to stay here. This was all he had left. Everyone else had gone out and made new lives for themselves. Sure, they still came together to fend off new threats now and then, but it wasn't a lifestyle anymore.
He went over and checked the calendar. Thursday, November 24th. He decided that he might as well try to find something to be thankful for. It might even put him in a better mood. He sat down on his couch, spacing out as he tried to think of something. God, I just wanna thank you for…for…I don't know? Life? Cause that's going so well. What's happened to me? Life used to be great. Why can't things just go back to the way they were? My friends are gone. And Cosmo..She's…
"Hey, Tails. Don't mind me. I just came to take a look at the-oh." Sonic stopped talking when he noticed that the young fox was crying. "Tails, you okay?"
Miles broke from his trance and looked up at his best friend. "What?" He realized he was crying and wiped the tears away. "Uh, yeah. I'm fine."
"No. No you're not. You need some fresh air. This place isn't good for you. Tell you what. Why don't we go out on a run, just like old times."
"Really?" At this the kitsune perked up. "That'd be awesome."
"Well then let's go!" He ran out of the Typhoon, Miles right on his heels.
They ran first through the grassy plain directly to the South of the Massive space station. Miles could feel the sun beating down on him. It was a beautiful day. Cosmo would have loved it. Stop it! Be thankful that you're even out here! He had to admit, it felt nice, running around with Sonic again. He wished it could last forever.
He didn't have much time to think on the rest of the run. He was too busy making sure he didn't run into any of the trees that mad up the forest they had just entered. He could, however, devote some energy to his disappointment that the canopy above him obscured the light. It almost felt like he was running blind. He was glad when they reached a wide clearing surrounding a lake.
As Miles rested by the lake, he began thinking over his life. What's missing? What did I lose over these past few years? And he thought back. Back before Robotnik had taken over.
Amadeus Prower tried to comfort his crying son. They stood in front of their house, a car that would take him to the airport waiting in the driveway. "But why do you have to go, Dad?"
He sighed. "We've been over this, son. Mobius is at war. I need to go fight for my country."
"But why?"
Amadeus knelt down and wiped his sons tears. "Tails, it may be a hard life, but I have hope for a better future, for Mobius and for you. That hope keeps me going. Do you understand?"
Miles nodded. He embraced his father. "I'll miss you, Dad."
"I'll miss you too, son." Miles watched as his father go into the car and drove off. And he hoped that his father would come home some day.
Back before the Metarex War.
"What's wrong, Sally?"
Sally Acorn looked up. "Hey, Tails. It's nothing."
"So the Acorn family throws a party the day they retake the throne, and you come out here to the balcony all by yourself. It must be quite a view."
"Okay, you caught me."
"So what's bugging you?"
"It's just…I don't know. I guess I'm just worried that someone else will show up and try to take over again."
"Mmm. Well, my dad once said that it was hope that kept him going. Hope for a better future." With that, Tails raised a glass. "A toast: To hope."
"Wait." Sally eyed him suspiciously. "What's in there?"
"Umm…That reminds me. What's the legal drinking age in the new Mobius?"
Sally thought it over for a moment. "Fourteen."
"Oh…Did the coronation ever get postponed-"
"You ran the video, Tails."
"Just a little" he pleaded.
"I don't think so."
"Well in that case." He dumped the contents over the railing."It's nothing."
Back when Cosmo was still alive.
He walked over to where Cosmo was standing on the edge of the bridge, staring out into the vastness of space. He heard her make a choking sound and looked over, surprised to see her crying. "Cosmo, are you okay?"
She gasped and jumped back. "Oh, Tails. I didn't see you there." She began wiping away her tears. "I shouldn't bother you with my problems. I'm sorry."
"I can think of three reasons why your problems are my problems. What's bothering you?"
"Tails, I'm sorry. I've led you all to your death."
Tails was confused. "What-"
"Look!" She pointed out into space. "All of that is Metarex territory! All of it!" It was true. They had recently jumped into the universe the Metarex had made for themselves. "And the stars might as well be their army! You can't win with those odds! You'll all die, and it's all my fault!" She began sobbing violently. "I'm so sorry."
Why did he always get stuck with this job? He was no Captain Comfort. Of course, if anybody else did it, it would create the most awkward and dangerous weapon known to man: the love triangle. So, he just had to suck it up and deal with it. Hey, that reasoning might just be enough to get the others to stop making fun of him! "It's not your fault, Cosmo. Do you think we would have left the universe to its fate? As for winning, we've got God on our side, so I really like our odds."
"Does God even exist in a place like this?" she asked despondently through her tears.
"Of course he does! Any time, any space, God is with us."
That stopped the tears. "Thanks Tails."
Laying in the grass, looking up at the sun, Miles was deep in thought. Why is it that we always believe in a better future, we always enjoy memories, but we always want to escape the present. I guess we just don't realize how good our lives truly are.
"Hey, Tails, we should probably be heading back now" Sonic called out.
"Right behind you." God, this life grows ever darker, but that just makes the past shine brighter. Thanks for the memories.
AN: Thanks for reading. I'll be twice as thankful if you review!
I think it's important that we have a day to just stop and give thanks. Oftentimes. Our lives get so hectic that we don't even think about our blessings. So I guess I'm thankful for Thanksgiving, because the truth is: God does bless us, every one, and He's got feelings, too.
Happy Thanksgiving!
