It started off like every battle against Eggman. Sonic trashed the evil doctor's base, Eggman tried to destroy them with some new robot, and Sonic swiftly turned it into scrap metal.
Eggman shook his fist from behind the cracked window of his eggmobile, the engine sputtering smoke as it rose to the warehouse ceiling.
"This isn't over, you blue rat!" The cobalt emergency lights flashed over the doctor's face, highlighting his dark glower.
Sonic smirked, standing tall on the heap of twisted metal that had been Eggman's robot. "Are you sure about that, Egghead? Because from where I'm standing it looks like you just lost for the—" He glanced at Tails who grinned, twin tails whirling as he hovered beside him. "How many times have we sent him packing again?"
"Thirty-four," Tails said smugly, and Sonic blinked, surprised by the low number until the fox smirked. "Oh, did you mean for the whole month? I thought you meant how many times we beat him this week."
Tails sent a snide look to the man who was turning red-faced while Sonic chuckled. "Sounds about right." He pointed victoriously at the doctor. "You know, for a genius, you're pretty bad at math if you still think the odds are in your favor."
The fox beamed at the math pun because he'd been the one who told it to the hedgehog, and Sonic's green eyes shot over to him, full of mirth, until Eggman slammed his fists on his control panel.
"I'll show you genius! Behold—" He clicked a red button on his panel and Tails' ears twitched, hearing an electrical hum above them. "This is the end for you, hedgehog!"
Tails looked up, and his mouth dropped at seeing a giant silver laser hanging from the steel rafters. It was pointed at the middle of a metal ring that stretched horizontally from one end of the roof to the other. He'd noticed the strange devices earlier while smashing badniks, but paid them no mind since they seemed inactive. Now though, he pulled out his Miles Electric and started taking the laser's readings.
Eggman laughed, sound echoing up to the ceiling as Sonic eyed the laser warily. Yet soon the hedgehog grinned and cocked an eye at the doctor. "Really? A laser is going to take me out? Talk about a let down," he huffed.
Tails barely heard him as his Miles Electric beeped, a line graph appearing on the screen. His breath hitched, gaze locking on the rapidly fluctuating electromagnetic waves and the laser's energy output levels, which were increasing fast. Wait, not a laser, these readings better matched a—
"This is no ordinary weapon, rodent." Eggman twirled his mustache, sneering. "But if you're so confident, just try to stop it!" He gestured at the laser that was turning a neon blue.
Sonic smirked at the challenge. "Alright, Egghead, but don't blame me if it blows up in your face!"
"Sonic, don't!" Tails reached out right when the teen leapt to spindash the laser.
His hands struck Sonic's chest, the hedgehog's eyes widening while he tumbled back onto the scrap pile and rolled down its side. However, Tails couldn't explain as a deafening boom rang through the warehouse and wind whirled around them.
A strong force pulled at Tails' fur and he quickly looked up. Red and violet matter was spinning between the metal ring, resembling a miniature spiral galaxy while the laser shot a vibrant blue ray into its center. It was a wormhole, and though he was already pushing his tails to go faster, he felt himself steadily being dragged towards the vortex.
"Tails!" Sonic shouted, zipping up the scrap heap and grabbing his hand. His green eyes were vibrant with concern while he strained to haul him down, only for Tails to be pulled a couple inches higher.
"Have a nice trip in space!" Eggman cackled before steering his eggmobile out to the hallway, clearly not wanting to stick around the dangerous vortex.
"You have to close the portal!" Tails shouted over the laser's hum. "Or we'll both be sucked in!"
Sonic's heels started lifting off the ground as Tails was jerked up an inch. "How?" he asked, fighting to keep a hold of him.
Tails thought rapidly before saying, "Let me go and destroy the laser!"
Sonic frowned. "If I let go—"
"I can hold on long enough!" Tails urged, and seeing the protest on Sonic's tongue, added, "The longer you wait, the stronger the portal will get!"
Sonic hesitated, then nodded. "Okay!" He let go, and Tails lurched up a foot towards the portal, but stopped as his tails propelled him downwards. "Just hang in there, buddy!"
The hedgehog sped off in a blur, stopping on the ground, and getting in a running position angled towards the laser.
Tails' eyes squeezed shut and his hands clenched, the fox struggling to maintain his position. His heart was hammering, sweat running down his face while he felt himself moving back more and more. "Hurry!"
Sonic's eyes narrowed and he rolled into a spindash as a strange tingling on Tails' back made his eyes pop open. His head swung around to see the portal four feet behind him, and he screamed while he was sucked in closer. "Sonic!"
A blue blur shot up and smashed through the laser. The metal burst apart, small pieces hitting Tails as the laser's ray cut out. However, the pressure didn't let up, and he looked back to see the portal still open. No…had the portal grown strong enough to maintain stability without a power source?
"Got ya!"
Hands latched onto his, and he saw Sonic standing on the ring around the portal, teeth gritted while he tried reeling him away from the vortex. Tails glanced at his Miles Electric and found the bar graph for the energy readings were dropping, just not fast enough for the vortex to close immediately.
"The portal is breaking down," Tails explained, voice high with fear. "But slowly—"
He was yanked up, and he cried out as everything below his shoulders entered the portal and went numb—were his tails even still spinning?
"How much longer?" Sonic asked through his teeth, glaring at the portal while his arms shook from exertion. "I might pull a muscle if I have to stay like this for too long, and you know I'm a terrible patient," he joked, though he didn't smile.
He was clearly trying to ease the tension, and might have been successful if there wasn't a sudden tug on his neck. Sonic's eyes widened, Tails' hand nearly slipping out of his grip, and the fox tried to speak but—
His head went under the portal and he saw no more.
"Tails!" Sonic felt the fox's hand go limp, and fear lanced through his heart. However, before he could despair, the portal flickered.
The red and violet spiral slowed, its gravitational pull disappearing. Sonic yelped as Tails fell out of the portal, crashing into his arms while they plummeted to the floor. They landed in a rough roll, and Sonic gasped when he collided with the metal pile. Yet the hedgehog recovered quickly and stood.
He glanced up, watching the portal flicker rapidly, and then in a blink, vanish. Sonic sighed in relief, and stared down at Tails as the emergency lights shined over them. "Hey, Tails, you okay?"
The fox didn't respond, his head lolling against Sonic's chest and arms hanging limply. Sonic frowned, and grabbed the kit's shoulder, shaking it. "Hey, this isn't the time for a nap—"
Tails' eyes shot open. Sonic froze, stunned by the terror in the kit's gaze. He opened his mouth to speak when the fear faded from Tails' face, and a scowl replaced it.
"Hedgehog," Tails hissed, more loathing in his voice than Sonic had ever heard. Yet he couldn't react as an elbow smashed into his chest, and he grunted while the fox slipped out of his hold to fly above him.
"Tails?" Sonic whispered, rubbing the sore spot before straightening up with a pinched expression.
However, Tails wasn't looking at him, but was glancing all over the place. Yet he stilled, his blue eyes lighting up when they fell on the back wall. Sonic followed his line of sight to the red Eggman insignia painted there.
His frown deepened. "Buddy," he began tentatively. "You feeling alright?"
Tails still didn't look at him, and the feeling that something was very wrong grew. Had Tails hit his head while in that portal? Eggman did say the vortex led to space, so maybe an asteroid conked him on the head and scrambled his memories.
"I'm not your buddy."
Sonic looked up to find Tails glaring at him. He balked at the sheer hatred on his face, unsure he'd ever seen Tails so angry. Still, shaking off his trepidation, Sonic asked, "What do you mean?" He pointed his hands at himself. "It's me, Sonic—"
"How many times do I have to tell you?" Tails growled, and Sonic's mouth snapped shut. "The only friend of mine is Doctor Robotnik."
Sonic's jaw dropped, shock radiating from his very core because what?
He was too stunned to move as Tails suddenly soared down and punched him square in the face.
To read the full version of this story please go to Archive of Our Own and either look me up by my name there, MoonlitNightin or search for the title fractures between us in the Sonic the Hedgehog section.
Thanks for reading!