A/N: It's been a while, but I'm finally back for another chapter of My Own Worst Enemy. Just a warning, this chapter does involve a serious theme, so please bear in mind and read at your discretion. Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows since I last uploaded, and thank you for your patience.

Also, happy belated 30th to Sonic!

Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure you know what goes here, right?

Chapter 7: The Truth Will Set You Free

~West Side Island

Green was as far as the eye could see. Through the tall trees of the forest, the sun barely peeked through the palm leaves. The shade allowed the inhabitants to cool off from the intense heat. But for Sonic, the blue hedgehog dashed continuously through the blades of grass without stopping for a split second. He didn't even bump into a tree by accident. Even if he was about to literally run into trouble, he relied on his speed and agility to take an unconventional detour in his route. Climbing the trunk with his shoes, Sonic caused a palm tree to lean forward before he jumped off at the last possible second. He was catapulted high into the air with his arms spread out, enjoying the view around him.

Sonic reminisced how carefree and nonchalant he felt during his first time traveling through this locale. Even with his broken plane at the time, he couldn't help but admire the scenery. It was a fantastic perk to go outside and live life to the fullest. Of course, he wasn't going to turn down intense action and some domination against Eggman's Badniks. They were a pain in the rear at times whenever they got in Sonic's way or appeared at the worst timing, but at least the hedgehog had something to do. It was better than spending the day doing mundane activities, like working or sleeping in his house. Sonic always found an excuse to get out there and get his blood pumping.

Then again, he was already out and about for the sole purpose of finding the one he befriended on this island. Minutes felt like seconds to Sonic, but he knew it was taking a very long time to locate his buddy. He eventually exited the outer limits of the forest. Since Sonic was unsuccessful, he thought the city was his next best option. Racing towards the urban area, his pulse thumped faster than ever.

No way he was going to give up looking for Tails again. He was just having a hard time convincing himself that he'll find him sooner than later.

By the time Sonic reached the streets of West Side, he heard the bustling commotion between the Mobians strolling along the sidewalk or traveling in their vehicles while dealing with traffic. The hedgehog also noticed the loud construction sounds around the city.

Sonic closed his eyes, sniffed the fresh air, and sighed deeply with a relaxed grin. "Man, it sure has been a while since I've walked around these parts. A lot has definitely changed the last time I was here."

Indeed. Just like every other zone in the world, Eggman and his army had invaded West Side Island during the Phantom Ruby War. Most of the civilization had dealt with the same fate that Red Gate City suffered. Buildings collapsed, raging fires spread throughout the town, and citizens evacuated for safety. But thanks to Knuckles and the Revengeful Resistance, they had soldiers sent out to the island to recapture their home and prevented Eggman's Badniks from destroying it entirely. Once the world was in rebuild mode, the Mobians on West Side were still recovering from the losses and damage. On the bright side, some businesses were back open, allowing the residents to spend their leisure however they liked.

Every now and then, a few strangers waved or said 'hi' to the cobalt hedgehog. Sonic gladly responded with either a wave of his own, a thumbs-up, or a simple wink. He stopped at one point when a young, gray cub kindly asked for his autograph, holding a pen and a picture of the hero himself. Smiling at the kid, Sonic happily took them out of his hands and scribbled his signature. After handing the items back, the cub thanked him before he rushed over to his parents, jumping with enthusiasm. Sonic chuckled to himself before continuing his search for Tails.

He considered it was wise to not speed around the blocks in case he accidentally caused a mess to the city folk nearby. Not only that, but Sonic also didn't want to initiate a car accident if he got in the way or hopped onto the hood of a taxicab. He wasn't going at a snail's pace for sure, yet he casually ambled until something caught his eye.

"Why, hello there, Sonic!"

The sound of a greeting was loud enough for him to notice. But it wasn't just a random Mobian on the sidewalk. It was the vendor running the local hot dog stand. He was a large, grizzly bear with brown fur. His attire consisted of a green cap and matching apron over his body. Sonic smirked the second he saw him waving.

"Hey, Sam! Long time no see!"

"Great to see you again, too! How's my favorite customer doing on this beautiful day?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story. I don't want to bore you with the details."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Sam waved his hand nonchalantly. "Feel free to chat all you want! Business is pretty steady so far. Well, it technically was. I just went through lunch hour."

"Well, I'm getting kinda hungry right now. How about two chili dogs with extra chili on top?" Sonic asked.

"Two chili dogs, coming right up!" Sam beamed as he picked up a pair of hot, steaming franks with his metal tongs. He placed the hot dogs on some fluffy buns and quickly grabbed his ladle resting in the warm chili. Sam delicately poured it evenly across the meat from one edge of the bun to the other. He repeated the same process with the other hot dog. "Here you go, Sonic," he handed them off.

"Awesome!" He took a large bite out of one chili dog, savoring the juicy, succulent flavors. "Oh, yeah... That's the good stuff."

"Great to hear that, Sonic. Don't worry about paying though. It's on the house."

"Sweet! Thanks, Sam!" the hedgehog gave him a thumbs-up. He continued to devour his quick meal.

"No problem! But if you don't mind me asking, I didn't expect to see you here. What brings you over to West Side?"

Sonic was about to take another enormous bite out of his second chili dog until he was reminded of his main objective. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I've been searching all day for Tails."

Sam became concerned once he heard the last part. "Tails? Your little fox sidekick?"

"Yeah," Sonic nodded. "You wouldn't happen to know where he is, do you?"

Sam frowned, shaking his head. "I'm afraid not. What exactly happened to him?"

"So... I'm not sure if you knew this, but Eggman captured my little buddy for blackmail. He transformed him into Infinite, the jackal who became his ultimate weapon and started the whole revolution on Mobius."

"Oh..." Sam realized. "You know, I did hear rumors about Tails being manipulated under Eggman's control. I just didn't think it went to that extent."

"Yeah. Well, it's all true. Eggman forced Tails to destroy parts of Mobius, most notably Red Gate City. That was where I unknowingly faced him, and I was defeated by him."

"Right. I remember after that, Eggman announced to the entire world about your supposed demise. Another rumor I was unsure if it was true or not. Thank Chaos it was the latter."

"Anyway, it took me so long – over six months, in fact – to discover Infinite was none other than my little buddy. I despised Eggman so much that I was contemplating on finally ending his life." Sonic paused when he noticed the nervous look on Sam's face. "Yeah, I wasn't really thinking straight back then. Eventually, my friends and I of the Revengeful Resistance took charge and overthrew the Eggman Empire. I even had to fight Tails again in his Infinite form. Once we took him down, he reverted to his normal self. Later, he helped us finally finish Eggman and his Ultimate Death Egg Robot at his fortress."

"Gotcha. Good work on defeating Eggman again. Without your hard work, as per usual, the world might've been doomed again."

The Blue Blur did appreciate Sam's comment, but he remained taciturn instead of replying. He bit into his second chili dog before continuing. "Since then, we've been slowly picking up the pieces around Mobius to restore everything to its former glory. But during that period, I discerned how Tails has been very quiet."

"Quiet?"

"As in, he doesn't talk a lot, which is much different to how he is whenever he explains a new invention to me. Tails was always full of energy, but I'm starting to think the war has played a huge mental effect on him."

The vendor was putting two and two together from all the events he was told. "And you're saying that Tails is missing again because... he's afraid?"

Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you could say that. My friends and I wanted to throw him a surprise birthday party since he turned nine not too long ago. But something happened. I don't know what exactly, but Tails snapped. He just ran away from everyone, and I've been looking for him to this moment. Heck, I'm busy eating chili dogs instead of searching for him!"

"Hey, don't take it too hard on yourself, Sonic," Sam held his hands up. "I'm sure you'll find him. And when you do, if you have a heart-to-heart conversation, maybe he'll tell you the truth."

"I mean, it's what I've been trying to do from the get-go. But he keeps running away or hiding secrets from me. I've already told this to my friends. It's just... I'm still at a loss on what to do."

"You know, this reminds me of a similar situation I've dealt with."

"Really?" Sonic looked up to him with a curious glance.

Sam bobbed his head. "Many years ago, before you were even born, I once had this friend of mine named Griz – fittingly named because he was a brown, grizzly bear like me. We were inseparable, kinda like your bond with Tails. Growing up since we were kids, we would be willing to listen to the other if they needed to vent. My buddy and I always stayed honest, at least until something happened."

"What is it?"

"Oh, excuse me one second," Sam apologized as a customer approached his cart. After he finished making a chili dog for them, he returned to his story. "We were about to finish high school. One day, Griz was not acting like himself. He'd always avoid eye contact with me, make up excuses that he had to leave somewhere, or start stammering whenever I meet him in the hallways."

"That sounds like Tails lately."

"Anyway, I was trying to be upfront and direct with Griz, saying how he's been out of character for a while. Eventually, he said he wanted to open up, but he needed some time to regroup. I didn't know what it was about, but it had to be something important, right? So, I respected his decision."

"And then what?" Sonic blinked, feeling apprehensive.

The bear sighed deeply. "He continued to back away from me or remained the same, being all jittery like he had seen a ghost. I've never seen him so nervous, and I still didn't know why. A week had passed by, and I was starting to get impatient. That was when I put my foot down and told him straight up that he needed to admit, or I was going to force the truth out of him."

"So, did he confess?"

A grimace crossed Sam's face. "Yeah. He almost committed suicide."

Sonic paused from his half-eaten chili dog and took three seconds for the last sentence to register in his head. He couldn't feel his muscles move as he remained frozen like a popsicle. His mouth was agape – completely aghast and speechless at the revelation. Out of all things, it was the last thing Sonic expected to hear from Sam.

The only word the hedgehog could utter was, "What?"

Sam reached down below his cart to grab a bottle of water, taking a large sip. He composed himself before talking again. "Believe me, I was as shocked as you are. Griz told me he was facing some personal issues that I won't go into detail about. But he had tried multiple times. Although I didn't have the expertise of a psychiatrist, I wanted to help him in some way. Like we used to do as kids, he'd be completely honest to tell me everything, and I'd be patient to take in his words. It truly broke my heart to learn about the stuff he almost did. After all, I nearly lost my best friend, and it could've occurred if I wasn't determined."

Sonic silently nodded, understanding the situation Sam and his friend were in. The hero shivered for a second. Not even the chili dog clutched in his hand warmed him up.

It was somewhat comparable to how Savage was unable to cope and defend himself during the war. After he blamed himself for Raff's abduction, the teenage wolf went through a cycle of depression and anxiety. He was alone for so long after his parents fell to Eggman's invasion years ago. Savage did his best to conceal his scars once he joined the Resistance, but they eventually found out about his dark past. It seemed implied that suicide was on his mind until he reunited with his younger brother and stepped up to be a valuable member of the team.

For Tails, Sonic couldn't dare to imagine the kitsune going off the deep end, despite the fact it has happened more than a few times. From their very first encounter, during an incident where he was bullied by other Mobians, back at the Central Tower... Tails was usually shy to express his inner thoughts. On the other hand, he wasn't afraid to disclose how much life would've been different if he wasn't around. Sonic loathed the fact Tails regarded his well-being with little to no self-esteem. All he wanted was for his best friend to be candid.

"Eventually," Sam resumed, "Griz and I talked it out for a long time, and we decided to get him some professional assistance. The healing process was drawn out, lasting for several years as we grew into adulthood. It was longer than we both anticipated. But the wounds and struggles he faced had a huge effect on his life, so it's understandable why it takes a ton of time. I stayed close to him as much as I could to support him. Considering it's hard to maintain your friendships after high school, I'm glad I stayed by his side the whole way through. Because right now, he's happily married with two kids."

"Wow. That's incredible," Sonic marveled.

"I know, right? He went from having depressing thoughts to climbing his way out of the hole. With a family to take care of and to be around loved ones, Griz has been living a positive, healthy lifestyle. Plus, I still see him every now and then whenever he stops by for chili dogs. He works down at the local grocery store as a manager. Griz thanks me every once in a while for being there for him. Needless to say, I'm very proud of him, as well as his recovery. And speak of the devil..." Sam grinned.

"Sam! How's it going?" Griz strolled up to his lifelong companion. He had darker brown fur compared to Sam's coat. The bear was also wearing a red polo shirt and a pair of black dress shoes. He and Sam performed their personal handshake followed by a one-arm hug.

"Good to see you again, Griz! You want the works?"

"You betcha!" As Sam was preparing a chili dog, the store manager turned his head and noticed the Blue Blur beside the cart. "Oh! Hello, Sonic!"

"Hi! You must be Griz whom Sam's talking about."

"Oh, he mentioned about me? Sam, you dirty dog..."

"Bro, you know I'm a grizzly bear, right?"

"Of course, Sammy! I'm just messing with you!"

"As per usual," Sam shook his head while chuckling.

"Anyway, it's both a surprise and an honor to see you, Sonic. I heard how you and the Resistance have been working hard to restore Mobius after defeating Eggman. Thanks again for all your efforts."

"You betcha!" Sonic gave Griz a thumbs-up. "But I can't receive all the credit. It was mostly my friends who rescued me first before I went out there and kicked his butt!"

"I sure hope things are going well for you."

"Well, yes and no."

"And what does that supposed to mean?" Griz tilted his head.

"It's a long story. He already explained it to me, but unless he's willing to say it all again, it's probably best not to share," said Sam.

"Ah, personal matters. Don't worry, I totally get it," Griz replied as he gave him the exact change.

"Hey, are you still cool to go to the beach tomorrow in Seaside Hill?"

"Oh, you bet! I'm scheduled off Sunday just for this moment! I gotta get back to work, but thanks again for the lunch! Later, Sam! Good to see you too, Sonic!"

"You got it, pal! See you tomorrow!" the vendor tipped his green hat. Sonic also waved goodbye, expressing a small smile.

"He really seems like a nice, cheerful guy."

"Yeah, Griz is always a delight to talk and hang around with. I'm sure the same goes for you and Tails. I remember when most of the residents here abhorred him and his twin namesakes. But after showing his worth and abilities to fight alongside you, the people regret acting like jerks towards him. I hope you'll find him soon and figure out what's bothering him. Because you never know, you could save a life for the greater good. Actually, you've already saved our lives plenty of times. But for your friend, it's a lot more personal. After everything I mentioned to you, I can easily relate to your dilemma."

Upon arriving at West Side Island, Sonic never anticipated what he experienced. He was focused on a single goal, then he became distracted. Not that it was a bad thing overall. Sonic got his lunch, and he had a serious conversation with someone who went through similar circumstances with their best friend. Taking everything in, Sonic figured that if he could find Tails, he'll be indignant to expel the truth on why he's been distant for the past month. If anything, the hedgehog would get his little buddy back. The worst that could happen was the possibility that Tails might go further than what Griz or Savage endured.

Sonic really wished the latter wouldn't happen at all. He didn't even want it to transpire in Virtual Reality.

Pushing the 'what ifs' aside, he consumed the rest of his other chili dog that had been in his left hand for so long. Surprisingly, the chili was still hot and spicy while the frank was as tender as the first. Smacking his lips, he rubbed his stomach in satisfaction.

"Hey, Sam. Thanks for everything."

"Oh, no problem, Sonic. Glad you liked the chili dogs."

"Well technically, I was referring to your life story between you and Griz. I might copy your actions and be straightforward with Tails if I'm going to know why he's shy around me. But yeah, the chili dogs were delicious! I better be off now. I appreciate it, Sam!" he started running down the sidewalk.

"Hey, good luck out there!" Sam yelled before he went around the corner. He let out a shaky exhale. "The poor kid... I wonder how he's faring."

Meanwhile, Griz was on his way back to the grocery store, finishing the remainder of his succulent chili dog. But as he was about to take a final bite, a streak of blue whipped past him, causing his brown fur to fly in the same direction. The sudden speed caught him off guard as the morsel fell onto the pavement.

"Aw. That's unfortunate..." Griz moaned.

END OF CHAPTER

Unfortunately, I am still not sharing Tails' secrets yet. I have planned to save that for a future upload. Other than that, I hope you enjoyed this one. Sorry it took me nearly four months to get back into it. I was mostly focused on Hotel Horror and my outside life since things got hectic and stressful. I'm doing my best to recover and keep things steady. Until then, I'll see you all next time for Ch. 8 of MOWE. As always, thanks for reading! This is TGN, signing off.