And as I promised in the last chapter, I managed to whip up a small oneshot starring Sonic and Tails for this update. And I apologize for the lack of update for the last week. The traffic stats of my account seems to have been frozen solid (I believe I was not alone in this), and even though I kept getting new reviews to my story, the graph shows that I have no new views and no visitors to the chapters. Talk about a bummer, really. I sent three mails to the support team, and nothing's changed after eight days, still zero views and zero visitors despite the increase in the number of reviews. That's one of the reasons why I kind of lost inspiration a little, but hey, c'est la vie. Guess I just have to wait for this glitch to sort itself out, I suppose.
Well, in any case, onward to the story. This one's about an ordinary day (off) in the lives of the two favorite brothers. Do enjoy! :)
Sonic & Tails – Going Slow
The inside the house was mostly quiet, unusually so, except for the constant, almost muted noises coming from the television. The voice belonging to the female reporter on the early morning news program droned on and on about something related to G.U.N.'s base recent false alarm, but at the moment, Tails paid it no mind, barely registering what the woman on screen was talking about in his state. The lone twin-tailed fox was at the time seated at his comfy chair, his back tightly pressed against the soft, cotton-like backrest of the seat, his knees tucked and pressed close to his chest, upon which draped his warm namesakes in place of a blanket – a force of habit. His blue eyes were wide open despite the late hours, appearing as though they were entirely resistant to the formidable lull of sleep. Just another night in his insomniac days, he sighed tiredly.
Groggily, the eight-year-old fox picked up the remote and changed the channels into something else, something tranquil and easy enough to ease his mind to rest. So far, hs efforts had been for naught. His mind, though tired, fought against the idea of sleep, and the hands of time continued to tick. His thumb pressed repeatedly on the button, and accordingly, the screen jumped from one channel to another. Programs after programs were shown and skipped in rapid succession.
"Cheesy comedy, no. Racing, no. Procedural crime show, no. Game show, no. Cheap horror, Chaos forbid, no please, just no..." Tails mumbled unconsciously and carried on going through the channels. Even though his eyes stayed glued to the bright screen, which currently served as the only source of light within the living room of his own house situated near within Emerald Town where he was currently spending his days, Tails did not seem to even pay attention. Instead, his hazy eyes seemed to possess a faraway and haunting look, and his vision was not fixed on the present but rather toward the past – something haunting and memorable enough to keep the young inventor's sleep-deprived mind awake at the early hours before sunrise.
"Even after I've personally modified my own TV and have more than five hundred channels worldwide, there's still nothing to see…Man, I sure wish they would show some of those classic oldies we used to have when I was young…er…" Tails sighed and turned to TV off in defeat. "And now I'm talking to myself, which no sane person should or would spend their time and energy indulging in…Tails, zip it…Gosh…What I would do to get a break from the nightmares…" he mumbled before the rest of his sentence was rendered unintelligible by the sudden yawn which forced his mouth to open widely. His body language all hinted toward pure exhaustion, but whenever he lied down, he simply could not bring himself to fall asleep. Instead, he only tossed and turned against his cover, helpless and weary and susceptible to whatever memory-like nightmares his restless mind would call forth. It had been like this for days on end already. Tails, to his annoyance and distaste, had not been able to get a good sleep after his return from his bodiless drifting through ethereal black limbo, as he had aptly described to Sonic after the latter had freed him from the clutches of the Time Eater. The moments his lids closed, various images would mercilessly flash before him, all of which felt too horrifyingly realistic for him to convince himself it was merely a dream wrought by his ever-active mind.
More like a memory, he inwardly contradicted himself and sank even further against his comfy backrest, massaging his throbbing temples gently to chase away the coming of another headache. A nasty, dreadful memory that I don't even remember having in the first place, but why did it feel so, so real? Did I perchance develop amnesia at some point…I don't think so, or at least, I don't thing I did…So then, why do those images continue to appear to me?
Tails closed his eyes momentarily as he remembered a series of seemingly unrelated fragments. A pair of piercing, acidic green eyes that stared at him when his own were closed…A long beam of bright energy shot out from one outstretched clawed hand flared up before him, and then…A pierce through flesh…A body fell to the ground, limp, motionless…dead…
"Sonic!" he cried aloud, opening his eyes with a violent start and almost falling out of his couch as a result. Frantically, Tails' eyes began to look around the house. No eyes watching anyone, no moving shadow, and definitely no dead Sonic in sight.
His heart at last found its rhythm after a few minutes of him staying still and trying to control his breathing. Yet, the images were still so fresh, causing an involuntary shiver to run up and down the child's spine, making his body tremble as though a chilly gust of wind had just blown through and tickled the soft tissue buried underneath his golden fur. With a shake of his head, Tails quickly ridded his head of the unpleasant mental recollection.
"And I thought going to a place near the beach could help me to relax…Joke's on me, I suppose," the fox went on with his monologue before he made to get up from his seat. Groggily, he began to walk toward the kitchen for a light snack.
"If only I were old enough for coffee," he muttered softly to himself as his hands rummaged through the content of his fridge, "At least that can keep me awake when I don't want to fall asleep."
In the end, he settled for some old-fashioned hot coco to soothe his nerves. That had always done the trick before. Already used to making such a treat for himself, Tails' body could practically move on its own without the need for any dictations from his mind, which rather opted for another session of daydream regarding the lighter speckles amidst the clutters of images forever stored away inside his mental album about precious time spent with his friends. At least that put a small smile on his face, which grew wider a tad when he recalled Sonic's birthday not so long ago.
It was great to see everyone again, even Silver and Blaze, who had even gone the extra miles to cross time and space to just so they could be present for the celebration. However, the most surprising thing of all was the sudden but nonetheless welcoming inclusion of the younger version of himself along with the chubbier and more excitable Sonic of his childhood.
"Talk about a blast to the past," he chuckled to himself as he stared into the hot, newly-brewed liquid. And was I really that chatty and pudgy back then? Huh…Spending some time with Sonic sure changed a guy, but for better or worse, that requires further evaluation to ascertain, he mused, chuckling to himself in humor.
Placing his steaming cup against his lips, Tails began to take small sips, letting the warm liquid run down his throat. The warmth that followed immediately was welcoming indeed. Some of his tension was melted away, and his muscles relaxed. A sigh of satisfaction was released afterward.
"That…hit the spot," he muttered and sipped again, lost in his own thoughts. It was the perfect distraction his mind needed at that moment, to steer clear from the nightmare that had been haunting his sleeping moments consistently for the last couple of days.
Tails did not know how long he had been sitting inside his kitchen, but when the bright ray of sunlight bypassed his blinds and hit his eyes, he figured at least two hours had passed since his reverie commenced.
"A new day awaits," he sighed, half in relief for the dissipation of darkness but half in weariness from the consecutive lack of sleep. Being quite a notorious night-owl himself among his friends when it came to losing sleep over work, it was not an unfamiliar feeling for the young inventor, but at least when he had lost sleep in favor of his project, his mind had been occupied. "And if I remember correctly, Sonic is due to come by today for our planned hangout…Great…Just great…Weeks after weeks after weeks of anticipation, and now here I am, tired and restless and looking worse than a beat-up zombie in a cheap production."
Tails washed the emptied cup and turned the lights on, trying his best to appear normal and well, but he was highly doubtful he could keep the ruse up for very long.
After all, Sonic was the one who could read him like an open book. Sigh.
Today's going be a long day, Tails whined mentally before heading back to the living room to wait for his friend's arrival. The clock struck six sharp, and instantly, a knock on the door was heard. The fox cringed, but soon recomposed and steeled himself for the ordeal ahead.
"Well, godspeed, Miles Prower, and hopefully, Sonic won't find out and do something embarrassing to you…again, and you won't have to disappoint him for coming all this way for naught, but I seriously doubt your chances of success," said the fox before he smacked himself in the forehead again, "And first thing first, you seriously need to stop talking to yourself, like now! Oh Chaos help me…my head hurts…" he moaned pitifully, feeling the soothing effect of his coco fading away fast – too fast for his liking.
Not wishing to rudely make his best friend stand alone outside, Tails quickly made his way for the door and opened it. At once, he was greeted by a very cheerful hedgehog who seemed to be too energetic, in his opinion, even at the early hours in the morning.
"Hey there, Tails," he said with a wave of his hand, a friendly smile present on his face. Tails, despite his condition had to smile, tiredly yet genuinely, at the hedgehog.
"Good morning, Sonic," he replied and stood aside for the other to enter. "How are you today?"
"Dashing!" Sonic answered, full of vigor, "And yes, pun totally intended."
Tails instinctively rolled his eyes at that comment, "Of course it was," he mumbled before heading to the kitchen again. "I'm just about to start breakfast now. So come in. Pancakes okay to you?"
"Sure bud. And then, as planned, we are going to have some fun for the rest of the day. Just you and me, just like the good old times."
Tails' smile widened at that thought. It was true what the other had said, and a little bit nostalgic as well. Life had, admittedly, been extremely generous to the young fox and blessed him with numerous friends, each unique in their own special ways, but at times when life grew a bit too hard, he still wished to be granted a return ticket for a joyride back to his childhood, even for a brief moment, and spend some quality time with his first and most loyal friend he had been fortunate enough to meet.
And now, he had that chance – one he had been waiting for weeks on end.
And it definitely sounded like a dream – a wonderful dream come true…if he didn't have that accursed headache which seemed to grow gradually worse with every step he took, of course. Through sheer will and determination alone, Tails ignored the week-old accumulated fatigue as best he could and began working on his pancakes.
Let's hope I can withstand it and somehow enjoy the rest of the day with Sonic. The last thing I want is ruin this chance, he thought with an internal wince as another throb struck him, this one noticeably more vicious than the last ones. His hands moved with practiced precision, and soon, the pancakes were ready to be served. Tails headed over to the fridge to fetch the bottle of orange juice, appearing to be normal and keeping his balance straight as his feet moved along the way.
Breakfast was complete, and now, he could sit down for a while - a fact for which the fox was glad and grateful.
What he did not realize in his weariness, however, was the serene, critical pair of emerald eyes watching his every step and every twitch from the living room, silently taking in and committing to memory each and every move he had made. Inside them, skepticism mixed with concern was seen, yet well concealed for the time being.
Minutes later, Tails called Sonic in and they had their breakfast together in comfortable silence, with a few remarks being made by the hedgehog about how he had missed his best friend's homemade pancakes.
"Why thank you. I've had practice, but this is about the only edible thing I can make, unfortunately," Tails had replied with a small smile.
A few minutes passed, and both plates were cleaned of their contents.
"Now then," the younger of the duo started again after he had put the used plates and glasses in the sink to be washed later, "What do you want to do first for our day off, Sonic? It's your idea of a get-together."
A look of contemplation crossed the hedgehog's face, but his eyes were fixed on Tails. The gaze of his best friend was soft, but it still made him somewhat uncomfortable, feeling as though Sonic could see past whatever ruse he was putting up to mask his growing exhaustion. Forcefully stuffing all the discomforts and tiredness down, Tails gave his best friend his best version of a faked smile – a convincingly legitimate one at that. In a tone laced with playfulness, Tails spoke again in hope of banishing the stillness.
"Not getting any younger here, Sonic," he said, head tiled to one side.
"Alright," the other replied and stood up, stretching his back, "Then let's kick off the day with a bang, old-fashioned style. You, me, race across Emerald Town for a little morning exercise, now! Loser gets to do the dishes tonight. Up for the challenge?"
"Yeah, as much as I'd love to do just that, here's the thing, we just ate, so I've got to decline," Tails answered, pointing out the small flaw with the idea. Also, he was really, really against having to exert himself too much right now, with his headache and weariness getting worse by the minute. He could barely stand straight, and all he desired at the moment was some rest and desperately hoped that his sleep would not be filled with nightmares again. But still, he wished to do something with Sonic…His mind was torn in two conflicting halves, but it was the latter option which appealed to him more.
Looking at Sonic with an exaggerated cringe and sticking his tongue out in disgust, Tails followed up on his previous statement, "It's still too early, and I don't want to start the day on an empty stomach, thank you very much. Once is one time too many already."
"Aw, you're no fun," Sonic joked, teasing.
"Hey, I'm fun. I know fun and I know how to have fun, but at the same time, I'm rational."
"Alright, alright," Sonic waved dismissively before resuming, "Then how about we just stick to walking along the shore then? Doing a great and simple morning exercise at your snail pace, enjoying the beautiful beach shimmering under the early sunlight, taking in the sweet, undefiled air of the morning and relishing the feeling of the cool breeze sweeping all over you. Sounds like a lovely plan for you, little buddy?"
Again, a no would be his preferred answer, but too bad for Tails this time, he had no valid excuse to back up a refusal, lest he would risk Sonic finding out about his tiredness and subsequently ruining the day the both of them had looked forward to for weeks. That was not his plan. So, with strained enthusiasm, he slightly nodded.
"Sounds…inviting, actually," Tails stated.
"Cool! Then let's go."
Sonic then opened the door and, with a playful respectful bow as though he was welcoming a member of a royal family, the hedgehog gestured toward the exit with his open hand, he said to his best friend, "After you, sir Prower."
Tails, despite himself, rolled his eyes again, amused by the older being's unpredictable and, most of the time, completely random antics. "And here I thought you'd finally gotten over your weird and out-of-place obsession with the story of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table."
"Hey! I resent that! That adventure was as real as you and me," replied Sonic, playfully and only a tad defensive, "And let me tell you, it's not every day you get to be a king of an entire kingdom, much less a king of an entire kingdom filled with magical creatures, dragons, magic and demons and swords and…"
"Okay, okay, your majesty," Tails interjected light-heartedly and this time offered his best friend a bow as well, if only to humor the other and his crazy fantasy of grandeurs and adventures. "I do believe, sire, it is best that we be on our way before the light of day is completely swallowed by the glooming descent of foreboding darkness and with it, the appearances of hellish creatures bent on mercilessly gnawing everything on their paths."
"Alright, alright, you little sarcastic furball," Sonic chuckled and stood upright, "Let's just go. I know how you absolutely despise wasting daylight and all that," he added, but still waited by the door, holding it open for his best friend.
"Yeah, you know me all too well, Sonic," Tails commented and smiled before he did as told.
The air outside was refreshing as Sonic had claimed, and in some way, it helped relax his tense muscles a little. They began their walk along the shore nearby, with Tails taking a few steps ahead and Sonic a little distance behind – odd, but Tails had long learned that questioning Sonic would do him no good, for the hedgehog always did things as he pleased, and his pace changed very often, almost whimsically as he noticed, holding no specific patterns to them at all.
The scenery of the ocean afar was mesmerizing indeed – clean, clear and blue. Waves upon waves of the endless oceanic body would, every few seconds, gently crash against the golden shore upon which they were treading, soaking the sun-basked sand and occasionally leaving behind small gifts of the sea with their spirited series of charges and retreats. The faint salty taste of the ocean carried by the tender breezes that blew past his fur was apparent, and greedily, Tails closed his eyes and took deep inhales, feeling the soft caresses of nature trickling his fur and being. Tails let out a long, content sigh.
It was truly a great morning - something both brothers appreciated immensely.
But throughout the entire walk, Sonic's eyes only stopped to study the uncontaminated beauty stretching before for very brief seconds. The rest was spent on watching out for his little buddy ahead, who, in his opinion, was definitely acting off. He had seen Tails exhausted after his projects, but something in his mind – his instincts honed throughout the years perhaps - told him this was different, painfully and obviously different.
Of course, leave it to Tails to think he could fool anyone with his mortifyingly terrible acting skills, Sonic thought inwardly and outwardly shook his head, half in irritation and the other half in a nostalgic sense of fondness. Sorry to crush your dream of being an actor, kid, but like you said, I simply know you too well – all too well.
With his objective set, Sonic picked up the pace and walked alongside the fox seconds later. Wordlessly, he swung an arm over Tails' shoulder and pulled him into a one-sided hug.
"I must admit," he began, "Going slow does have its perks from time to time."
"Of course it does," Tails said, "In the crazy fast-paced lives we're all forced to live nowadays, a small break like this is without doubt a welcoming luxury."
"So, kiddo, been up to anything lately? Any indoor explosions I need to be informed of?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary much," Tails shrugged, "I just spent time working on fixing a couple of things and keeping an ear out for Eggman's activities. You know, same old same old. What about you? Knowing you, I'm sure there will be some entertaining tales for dinner later on."
"Of course! And you know me, I'm here, I'm there, I'm everywhere. I go wherever the wind calls, no destination fixed in mind."
"Yah, I noticed. Did you find anything interesting this time?"
"Hmm, a few small adventures and explorations here and there, and once, I did manage to run into Knuckles a while back at some newly discovered ruins in the East. Fun story, I'll tell you about it later. Basically, it ended with a chest full of treasure and ancient artifacts hitting Davy Jones' locker."
"Huh…Sounds…serious," Tails muttered. "I take it Knuckles didn't take that too well, being all pro treasure hunter and all."
"Trust me, kiddo, he didn't, but it was the only thing we could do back then to avoid having an entire cave collapse on our heads, and let's just say old Knucklehead did not enjoy that idea…like at all. Now that was good old-fashioned adventure."
Tails nodded, knowing that he would have another great tale to listen to. Suddenly, his eyes felt a little heavy. He did not know how much time had passed since their walk began, but it certainly felt like hours already. The tranquility of the early morning, the beautiful scenery of nature which could only be experienced in full with all five senses and the random, idle conversations between himself and Sonic were all working together to put his sleep-deprived mind at ease and gently lull it to rest.
"Hey," Sonic spoke softly, catching his attention. "Wanna sit down for a while? There's a great shade over there." He pointed at a large shadowed area cast by the leaves of a palm tree a little distance ahead.
Tails made no protest, and instead did as told. His mind was hazy but relaxed, his eyelids were heavy, and so was the rest of his body. Twin tails laid flat on the warm sandy earth beneath them, stretched in content. He was sitting underneath the cool shade, listening to the rhythmic crashes of the waves hitting shore. His back was pressed against the palm tree as though it was the most comfortable backrest in the world. Tails' lids fluttered again as his breathing evened. It was then that he felt a hand running through his head, gently sweeping back his three stray bangs and giving his ear a scratch. Another sigh was heard before his eyes slipped closed completely.
"Go to sleep, Tails," he heard Sonic's voice whisper into his ear. The hand patting his head never once slowed down, maintaining his sleep-inducing motions.
"But…" the child mumbled sleepily as his last ounce of consciousness attempted a last-ditch effort to resist the call of slumber, "The day…"
"Rest," Sonic cut in again, his voice soft yet stern, "There'll be plenty of time for our planned hangout later, and most probably an impromptu sleepover, but until then, you should rest, kiddo. You don't have to try to please me by forcing yourself to stay awake in your current state. Heck, even the blind could tell you're dead tired from the way your voice sounds alone."
"…Thanks…" Tails muttered one last time before he was deep asleep, peacefully and dreamless for a change, his head resting against Sonic's shoulder and his tails draping over his drawn out knees. Sonic gazed down at the still fox leaning against him and smiled down at the young genius.
"Kids…" he muttered softly to himself before he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the fresh air mixed with the salty scent of the ocean, and carefully guided Tails' head down on his lap. His effort proved to be a success, and Tails, even his slumber, smiled in content as he curled up where he was lying, his legs almost disappearing into his bushy and fluffy namesakes. That innocent sight brought another smile to the hedgehog's face.
"Like I said earlier," Sonic said quietly, one hand gently rubbing the peacefully sleeping child's head, "Going slow does have its perks from time to time, like for example, getting one really stubborn fox to loosen up and catch a few much-needed Zs."
Then he, too, leaned back comfortably and closed his eyes in great satisfaction, giving in to the tranquility around him and immersing himself in the serene and relaxing tune enchantingly performed by the perfect duet of sand and sea afar.