Chapter 38:

Remembering

The plane did not start. Over and over the engines sputtered out, refusing to gyrate. The yellow kitsune banged the HUD of the plane, cursing her luck as quietly as she could. Tails pressed her palms to her tightly shut eyes, growling with frustration. The fox's husband came into the cockpit and set a hand on her shoulder.

"Easy, hon."

Tails sighed. "Sorry, this is just so typical!"

Sonic wanted to agree with the distraught kitsune, but thought better against it. He didn't want to put his head on the chopping block. Tails rolled her head and popped her neck, sighing once more, she stood, and pushed past Sonic. Their child sat in Amy's lap and Alice in Yoshirou's. Her face immediately shot a look of shame. They would be stuck here until she fixed the plane's engines; not a very comforting thought. The blue kitsune, as he held his daughter in his arms, smiled uniquely onto Alice. All that sorrow had been buried with the comfort in his grasp. Tails sighed again, more heavily, she really didn't want to have to break the news.

"Guys-" Tails took a moment to pause and have their attention come to her. "-I don't think we're leaving anytime soon. We have some engine problems."

The vixen's ears dropped to their sides and her shoulders fell slack. Yoshirou stood and went up to her.

"Sis, its okay, we'll be fine. I know my way around here...it was my home after all. You just take your time to do things right and I'll take care of the rest." He assured her.

Alice reached out and grasped the yellow fox's nose. Tails' eyes started crossed down her muzzle at the tiny hand. She quickly relaxed and forced a petty smile. Tails kissed the pink cub's head, then walked from the plane, and sat on a large rock nearby. The environment was soaking in, she could feel it. The forest grabbed her heart and caressed it. This place just felt so right. Her eyes wandered and weaved throughout the trees. Almost as if she could take them in her hands, memories, if even vague, flowed into her mind. The blue sky, the singing of the birds, water running in the nearby stream, luscious, green grass between her toes, the sweet smell of dew drops hanging from the tree leaves, the silent medley of the woods, the sun; golden as her fur, and just as warm. Tails' perceptions became more and more vivid with each passing second. The kitsune shut her eyes and imagined her mother's sweet and soft touch. As a blanket on a couch, the feeling wrapped her instantly. In her minds eye she could see her, Tails was staring up into her mother's face, light fluffy clouds glided slowly over their heads, that same golden, warm sun beating down on her, birds singing their songs. They were walking; to where she could not tell, but the knew they were. Manami's eyes, such a beautiful and vibrant blue.

"Hey mom!" A voice; a child called out.

Her mother stopped and the little yellow fox notice the sky spin slightly. Footsteps could be heard, quick, but steady. Slowing and coming to a halt she heard the child's voice again.

"Would it be alright if I asked you for a loan?" The boy asked.

Tails pushed her head back, wanting to see the boy's face. Her head was kept in place, like her mother's arm was actually keeping her from looking back.

"Kokoro, stop." Manami said.

Tails opened her eyes, she was sitting on the rock again. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. The vixen watched her brother took a place beside her. Her sights shifted to the ground and she sat silently. Yoshirou knelt down beside her and absorbed the silence just as she. The dark clouds overhead were thinning out, leaving behind a fresh, clean aroma in the forest, enough to be defined as pure.

"Yoshirou." Tails said.

"Yes?" He responded quietly.

"What was that loan you were asking mom for?"

Yoshirou gasped breathlessly. "What?"

"It was a sunny day, the sky was blue and only a few clouds were in the sky, mom...she was carrying me somewhere, we heard a child's voice. It was yours, you came up to us and asked mom for a loan. Think you can enlighten me?" The fox explained.

Yoshirou took a deep breath and let it out in a huff. "Candy, I was going to filch some money off of her for candy." He clarified.

The two allowed silence to fall between them once more. Every beat in their hearts beat with the forest, their home. Tails turned her sights to Yoshirou again.

"Brother?"

"Yes, Kokoro?" He said, looking to her.

"If you could take it all back....would you?" Tails asked.

The blue kitsune became silent. That was a question he had asked himself countless times; none of which did he fully think through. If he said yes, then his logic would counter with the idea that it would have ended sooner or later, and to take it back would be pointless, but the yearnings of his heart retaliated. He wished that event had never taken place.

"Kokoro...don't make me answer that question...In fact, don't even ask it again, it hurts to much to think about." He said strongly, but not angry.

"Then what about simply coming back and making this your home again?"

He shook his head. "This may be our home sis, but it is not the home of the ones we love. Under any other circumstances, yes, it would bring me much joy to return to this life; however, I cannot so, no."

Tails looked around the forest again. "It feels so...right here."

"I know, sis, I know."

Yoshirou placed an arm around her back and hugged her close by the shoulders. Tails started to cry into the palms of her hands. It weighed heavy on her heart; all the happiness she was deprived of. Her brother hugged her tightly as she wept, her cries muffled in the thick white fur on his chest.

"I wanted to know them....to love them." She whined.

Yoshirou kissed her head, tears lining the rims of his eyes; although, hung there, they stayed. The grief Yoshirou recently covered had entered the heart of his sister and wounded her just as deep. The yellow kitsune's eyes poured out all her emotion as she hugged her brother closer. The once steady beat in her heart had become heavy enough to sink a ship. A melancholy rested in the forest, sharing the pain of the daughter. Yoshirou couldn't decide which was worse, begin separated from the ones you knew and loved, or living with fact that you have been deprived of love and cannot get it back. Both siblings were led down their own trail, only to meet again...so, were they that different? Was one path more difficult than the other? The blue fox wished to know, but knew he couldn't. The regret of coming back to this place was setting into him. Tails continued to spill the pain of her hemorrhaging heart out. No songs of birds were sung, the sound of rushing water was frozen, and the air wet as tears.

Sonic stepped out from the plane with his son. He was about to call out to Tails, but the sight of her in grief forced the thought out of his head. The blue hedgehog ushered his son back into the plane then crept over to his wife and Yoshirou.

"Why did they have to die?" The yellow kitsune cried.

All of these memories were too much of a burden to bear on a single person's shoulders. Yoshirou thought he would carry them alone for the remainder of his life, but when he and his sister were reunited the burden was shared. The blue fox wanted nothing more than for these tears to fade away in any possible manner. Wishes such as these are very hard to come by, however, and until that stroke of luck comes along, the weight and tears would remain. Eventually Kokoro's tears quelled and she faded into a slumber from exhaustion. Yoshirou, with all carefulness, set he sister down on the cool grass. The fox curled up and wrapped her two, bushy tails around herself. Her brother lay down next to her on his back and let his mind slip into a place of rest.

It was suddenly warm; the sound of fire crackling could be heard. The yellow kitsune rolled onto her back and opened her eyes. Now staring up at a log ceiling, she sat up up and could see a fire dancing in a stone fireplace. A doll passed in front the yellow fox's face, tantalizingly; it was held by a white paw. She reached for it, but was pulled just out of reach. A face leaned down into her view. A child version of Yoshirou was smiling upon her cheerfully.

"Hows my lil' sis?" He said with a babyish and cute tone.

Good, was the word she wanted to say; however, the words came out as a happy squeal. Yoshirou waved the doll before her face again, widening her smile. The blue fox set one of his tails over her face.

"Uh oh, where'd she go?"

The cub pulled the tail from her face and giggled uncontrollably. She ran her fingers through the fur, so soft and furry. Yoshirou, as Kokoro played with his tail, reached his other one around and tickle underneath her nose. She broke into a joyous laughter. She felt herself being lifted from the ground by her waist and placed into the caressing arms of her father. Her heart felt so at ease. Her mother came to stand by Takeshi, her expression was adoring to her.

"Hey, don't hog my sister!" Her bother said playfully.

"Alright, son, calm down."

Tails was transfered to Yoshirou's arms. Staring up into her brother's eyes, tears came to hers, and she nuzzled into Yoshirou's neck to hide it. She had never felt so warm inside. She heard several awes arise from the family...her family.

"Hey, Kokoro, wake up." Sonic's voice came to her ears.

Tails eyes opened slowly, a wave of anger and sorrow flashed through her. It was but a fleeting dream; her blissful desire shattered. The fox rose up angrily and stormed off to the plane, knowing that what they were wanting her to fix. Sonic stood in bewilderment as to why she looked so angry. Yoshirou approached Sonic from behind.

"She's remembering." The blue fox said.

"Remembering what?" Sonic asked.

"She's having dreams of moments from when she and I still had our parents with us. She was only one, but being here is jogging her memory."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"That depends, I'm waiting for her to start swearing at me for having what she didn't, purely out of envy...I wish in so many ways that I could give that back to her, she deserves it."

The blue hedgehog said nothing more. He stood there in the thick forest; completely silent. Yoshirou's words cut deep in his heart. Did Tails have such a strong longing for her family, he asked himself. If she was given the chance, would she sacrifice what Sonic and her had forged? Sonic could now step within the barriers that is his wife's pain.