It was nighttime.
Dirt sprayed over Tails' head.
"Tails?"
The fox slit his eyes open. He seemed to convulse with shivers.
Sonic crouched over him, his green eyes bright. "Here, Tails. I found a healing ring—it took way too long—I looked an' looked an' looked—I tried to get back as soon as I could—"
Tails wheezed and opened his mouth. Only a small, cracked sound came out.
Sonic pushed the ring under his tongue. At first, Tails jerked. But then his body began to relax. He closed his eyes.
With a lunge, Sonic wrapped his arms around Tails and pulled the fox into a hug. He held onto him as if he'd never let go. "You're gonna be okay, Tails. I'll find more rings."
"S-Sonic…go…away…" Tails murmured. He shook his head, and made a feeble attempt to push free.
"Cut that out!" Sonic snapped. "Are you kidding me?" His voice sounded tight and his words cracked. "I'm not going to lose you too. Not on my life. I know bad when I see bad, and you're bad. I'm-" he stopped, sucking in his breath.
Tails fisted his hands.
Sonic hissed out, his voice a whisper. "I let this happen to you. I'm sorry, Tails."
"Sonic, I-" Tails mumbled.
Sonic's eyes flashed and he lurched closer. "And another thing, Tails—I don't want you to call yourself a screw up mutate ever again, you hear me? Sure, idiot people have called you worthless-because you are a mutate-because you are small and you do fall on your face and trip on your tails and you hurt faster than other people do." Sonic clapped his fist against Tails' good shoulder. "But I know you've got more heart and grit and guts than people twice your size because you try, and that's what I want on my team-not some half-hearted jock that can pull off perfect stunts, but who I can't trust with my life. You're my friend." Sonic finished. "I'm gonna fight this thing, but I'm not gonna do it without you. We know how we work. We've come through everything together, and we're gonna finish that way, hear?"
Tails' eyes burned. With denial. With hope.
He held onto Sonic tighter.
"I had no choice about being Ringweilder. You've got no choice about being my sidekick. Got it?" Sonic said.
"Got it, Sonic," Tails whispered, his voice softer. His eyes smiled. "…Thank you."
Sonic rubbed Tails' good shoulder. "Hang in there for me, bro."
In the dark, Sonic carried Tails beneath a rock outcropping. The blue hedgehog leaned against the rock wall, his arms propped behind his head and his ankles crossed. He fidgeted, trying to stay awake…he couldn't doze off with combots after them, not after he'd just been such a jerk to Tails.
The silence hurt. While he'd been looking for the ring, Sonic had focused so hard on his search that it hadn't bothered him too much. The only thing that had mattered was getting back to Tails.
But now, alone and trying to stay still and just waiting, he found himself gritting his teeth and clenching and re-clenching his fists.
He'd thought he'd end up watching Tails die next. But he hadn't thought it would be like this.
The ring had to work.
He winced, curling up a little.
Sonic had never been good at going without food and sleep for a day, let alone two days. Relief from the silence was too great a temptation. The hedgehog drifted off and slept like a rock, curled up in the outcropping entrance, his hands clenched tight.
Author's Note: Apologies for the late posting! I have a new full time job and it really threw my schedule out of whack, but now I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Thank for the new favorites and follows, guys! And thanks to my faithful long-time readers as well!
~To Infinity and Beyond
