Emerald Canyon — Rebel Camp Alpha

An old-fashioned radio sits on Sonic's desk. As a funky tune fades out, an announcer's voice begins, "You're listening to EGG1 Radio, your number one destination for all of the Empire's favorite hits. EGG1 Radio would like to remind you that it is currently 10:45 AM, and you know what that means! It's time to bow down and pay your respects to our glorious ruler, Emperor Eggman. Remember, any citizens caught failing to pay their respects will be sentenced to 10 to 15 years in a labor camp. Have a wonderful day, and remember, praise Eggman!"

Sonic shakes his head slowly. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

Knuckles, leaning against the tent wall, laughs. "I never said it'd be pleasant. But you'd be surprised how much information we got out of this old radio back in the Resistance days."

"Information like what?"

"Like everything. Reports on the news could give us ideas of how things are looking on the battlefield, or where robots are being deployed, or what people are doing to fight back. Not to mention, it was our only way to talk to each other at a distance before Tails invented those Chaos Communicators."

"If we're looking for news and communication, why are we listening to a music channel?"

As a new tune begins to play, Knuckles starts nodding his head along. "Maybe I just like Eggman's style."

Sonic rolls his eyes with an exaggerated groan of disgust. But then he raises an eyebrow and puts a hand up to his chin as he reconsiders the value of the tune.

Just as Knuckles closes his eyes and begins focusing on the music, it starts to be drowned out by a growing amount of static. The sound of the static seems to fluctuate between two distinguishable sounds. Knuckles opens his eyes to complain, "Hey, what gives?"

Sonic leans in closer to listen. "It sounds like…it could be some sort of code. I'm hearing two different kinds of static, would that be morse code?"

Knuckles shakes his head. "No, it couldn't be. We used plenty of morse code in the resistance, a signal should be either short or long. These are the same length, it's the pitch that's going up and down." Knuckles listens more closely for another moment. "It's repeating. If we assume the lower pitch is meant to be a dot and the higher pitch is a dash, I could probably try to translate it, if you give me a minute."

"Let me save you the trouble." Sonic reaches over to the side of the desk to pick up his small handheld computer. "TAL, translate this radio signal from morse code, and display on screen."

The screen lights up with a response. Working…

After a few moments, letters begin to appear on the screen one by one.

LXLQFHLZL—

Sonic taps on the screen to stop the process. "Something tells me that isn't right."

"It's probably just interference from one of Eggman's nearby factories or something. Or maybe Eggman's just found a way to keep us off these things. This radio's technically illegal, you know. He wants to spy on you with a built in mic and camera, so you can't have a radio that wasn't built by Eggman Industries. Punishable by 10 to 15 years in a labor camp." He chuckles a bit. "Better hope we don't get caught, or Eggman might add more to our three dozen life sentences."

Sonic doesn't appear to be listening. He stares down at TAL with a perplexed look on his face. "The signal is…either high or low. What if it's…binary?"

"Binary? Like computer code? Ones and zeroes? Can it be used like that?"

"I don't know. Let's find out. TAL, translate from binary and display."

Working… Using standard character encoding format.

Once again, letters begin to fill out across the screen.

IM LOOKING FOR THE…

Sonic and Knuckles look up to each other with elation.

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 2, Episode 10

Miles Apart

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

The complete message has appeared on the screen.

IM LOOKING FOR THE OMELETTE MAKERS.

Knuckles nods slowly. "Omelettes. Well. …That was a letdown. Whatever this message is, I guess it's not meant for us. Some kind of black market brunch place in town, maybe?"

"Hold on, let's think about this for a second. What does an omelette maker do?"

"They…make omelettes?"

"Besides that."

"I…don't follow."

"Come on, work with me here, Knuckles. What do you need to make an omelette?"

"Uhh…cheese?"

"Well, yes, that's very important, but think simpler. You need eggs. This guy is looking for the people who crack eggs. Who fight Eggman. He's looking for us."

"That sounds like a pretty big stretch to me… He's already using this obscure code, why not just say what he means at this point?"

"Hijacking a radio signal gets him thrown in jail, if it gets found out that this is a code coming from a person, even if it translates to random nonsense. Communicating with terrorists gets him executed. Would you take that risk if you could avoid it?"

"I guess not… But what can we do about it?"

"We should respond."

"That sounds like a bad idea."

"Suppose I'm wrong, and it turns out this guy is actually illegally looking for a good brunch. What's he gonna do, report us to the police? On the other hand, he could be in serious trouble, and we might be the only ones who can help him." Sonic looks over to the radio, realizing that the signal has stopped, and normal music has resumed. "That's our window, I'm doing it now." He clears his throat. "TAL, prepare to encode and transmit a message along the same frequency." A keyboard appears on the screen, and he begins to type.

WE MAY BE WHO YOU ARE LOOKING FOR.

Sonic presses the button, and immediately, the encoded message can be heard through their own radio. After a few moments, it ends.

Sonic and Knuckles both watch the radio with bated breath. Then a brief code begins to play back. TAL automatically translates.

REPEAT.

Sonic nods. "Looks like we've got ourselves a conversation."

WE MAY BE THE ONES.

Knuckles frowns. "I'm still not sure about this…"

A reply comes.

HOW MANY EGGS?

Sonic looks up at Knuckles smugly. "See? He's focusing on the eggs, just like I said."

"I mean, he could be talking about actual eggs."

Sonic shakes his head as he turns back to the conversation, considering his next reply.

ONLY ONE EGG THAT MATTERS. NOT CRACKED YET.

They wait for a reply.

THEN YOU ARE THE ONES. HELP NEEDED.

"Can I call 'em or what?"

Knuckles stresses, "He could need help with his omelette recipe."

Sonic ignores him.

WHAT CAN WE DO?

MISSING PERSON. YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE HE IS.

Knuckles gives, "Okay, you got me. It's serious. But who could he be talking about? I don't know of anyone who's gone missing recently. Oh, except for Vector. Still haven't heard from him."

Sonic looks back to the screen. "Let's ask." Before Sonic gets the chance to, the rest of the message comes in.

ITS MY SON. HIS NAME IS MILES.

Sonic and Knuckles both look up with shock, shouting at once, "Tails!?"

—–—

September 22nd, 4 B.E. — Six years ago

Soon before the events of Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Good afternoon, Tails. Your last sign-on was 2 days ago at 4:13 PM. How was your morning?

A drop of liquid splashes down onto the small square computer screen. Six-year-old Tails wipes the tear away frustratedly, proceeding to wipe the rest away from his eyes with a sniffle. He answers the text out loud, "Pretty lousy, actually. But it's nice that someone cares." He stares down at the blinking cursor on TAL's screen, as if expecting it to continue the conversation on its own. After a moment, it does.

Please let me know if you need anything.

This time, Tails responds by pulling up a digital keyboard and entering a question. How long could I survive out here on my own?

A response comes back after only a moment.

Natural resources in the area surrounding your current GPS location are sufficient to sustain 1 person indefinitely. Did I answer your question?

Tails smiles. "Perfectly." He looks up for the first time. His feet dangle many stories above the emerald grass of the canyon floor below. He sits at the mouth of a small cave high up on the canyon wall, completely inaccessible to someone who couldn't fly. "This was always my favorite spot. And I have my Animal Friends. It won't be so bad out here."

Is there anything else I can help you with?

Tails smiles again. "I'll let you know." He types in another command. GOODNIGHT.

Goodnight, Tails. See you tomorrow.

Tails looks back out, up at the blue sky above. A soft tweet announces the arrival of a small Flicky that flutters down from above. Tails holds out his hand, and the bird settles down right onto it, offering him a chirp in greeting.

"Well hey there, friend."

The Flicky tweets a happy response.

"I hope you don't mind hanging out with me. I might be here a while."

The Flicky turns around, looking up at the sky. After a moment, it takes off.

Tails watches it fly away into the sky with a smile on his face. "Things are gonna be brighter from now on. I know it." He strains his eyes as he notices something up there in the air. "Huh?"

High above, a striking red biplane stutters through the sky, trailing smoke from its engine as it goes.

Tails cries with concern, "Watch out! You're gonna crash! Ahh!" The plane dips down out of sight beyond the canyon walls. "Oh no! What if he needs my help?" Tails jumps down from his perch, spinning his tails to flutter down to the ground below. He looks off in the direction the plane fell. But his expression quickly begins to lose its confidence. "Oh, who am I kidding? Why would anyone want my help? I shouldn't let anyone know I'm out here, anyways. Let the adults handle it." He turns in the opposite direction, and begins to walk off somberly. "I'm better off on my own."

He steps slowly through the canyon, keeping his eyes locked on the ground.

Suddenly, a blurred figure rushes past him, nearly knocking him off his feet. "Whoa!" Tails watches as the blue blur races onwards down the canyon. "Was that the same guy? At that speed…" He glances back in the other direction for a moment, but quickly makes a decision. He runs after the blur. "I can't believe he's this fast. I wonder who he is…"

Slowly, Tails begins to catch up to the blue hedgehog running in front of him. "Why am I following him? Didn't I just say…?" He closes his eyes and shakes his head. When he opens them again, he realizes that the hedgehog has stopped. Tails darts behind the nearest tree.

The young hedgehog turns and directs his emerald green eyes right at that tree. "Are you following me, kid?"

Tails cautiously peeks his head out from his impromptu hiding spot. But he can't seem to get any words out.

The hedgehog throws his hands up in an emphatic shrug. "Oh well. Do what you want." He turns back in the direction he was headed, and takes off at a speed higher than ever before.

"Hey, wait!" Tails chases after him. He puts effort into spinning his tails behind him, propelling himself forward and lifting his feet from the ground, but even at his limit, the hedgehog disappears into the distance.

—–—

Daily log, June 20th, 1 A.E. This is Tails reporting.

It's been six months since I broke my leg, but it's healed up just fine, hasn't bothered me since March. Yet I still haven't once left the camp since it happened. I think I'm going a little stir crazy. It's not like I'm running out of things to do anytime soon, but I used to go out on missions. Sonic hasn't approved me for anything, not even supply runs.

It's obvious what's happening. He's trying to protect me. He thinks I'm a target for Metal Sonic, which is ridiculous. No one's heard from Metal Sonic since those rumors we heard about Genocide City back in January. If you ask me, Eggman probably caught him and scrapped him for parts. I don't know why else he'd disappear for so long. Not with how set he was on accomplishing his goals.

Anyways, I'm not worried. But Sonic is. Just 'cause I got hurt on one mission, he's trying to keep me locked up. As if he hasn't taken his fair share of beatings out there, it's never stopped him from going back out again. He used to depend on me. But now he doesn't trust me. It really bites, you know?

I'm thirteen years old now. I wish he'd stop treating me like a kid.

—–—

Bright sunlight filters through the trees in the forested area of the canyon, causing bright shafts of light to contrast against the darker shadows. Birds chirp and other animals scuttle and chitter over the sound of flowing water nearby.

The calm is broken as a blurred figure streaks by, tearing through the air at blistering speed. Tails smirks as he leans down on his hovering Extreme Gear, gaining even more speed. For just a moment, he closes his eyes, letting the wind whip through his fur.

"Tails, what're you doing!?"

"Gah!" Tails throws his board to the side, braking to a halt just a short distance before Sonic, who stands with his arms crossed. Tails hops off the board and lifts it up under his arm. "Sonic, you surprised me. I was just getting some morning practice in. I have a pretty busy day after this."

Sonic raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Practice? What for?"

"For next time we go on a mission together, of course." He lifts up the board to make a point. "Next time, I'll be able to keep up with you, even at top speed. For the first time ever, I won't be holding you back at all, it'll be great!"

Sonic shakes his head disapprovingly. "Tails, you shouldn't be riding that thing in your condition. Do you have any idea how dangerous they are? You could break your leg all over again."

"Gee, you must've forgotten to mention that part when we joined the Grand Prix together. Several times."

"You don't have to get sarcastic with me, Tails. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"Sonic, there's no reason to worry about this anymore. You saw the last X-ray Charmy took, didn't you? There's no sign of damage. My 'condition' is fine."

"You were the one who told me that your break was as bad as it gets, that it could be up to a year before you could walk normally again."

"Well then I guess I heal pretty fast, because it's fine."

Sonic closes his eyes and sighs for a moment. "Look, I came out here with some good news, this wasn't supposed to turn into an argument."

"What sort of news?"

"It's a surprise. You'll have to come with me."

"A surprise? Sonic, it's your Birthday coming up this week, mine's not till November."

"Not that kind of surprise. Come on, I'll show ya."

"Well if it's nothing important, then can it wait? I was supposed to go meet Charmy to—"

"It's important. Trust me."

"Well…if you say so." The two of them turn to walk together back through the canyon.

—–—

"So what's this all about, anyways?"

Sonic holds the tent flap open for Tails. "How many times do I have to tell you it's a surprise? You wouldn't believe me if I told you, anyways."

Knuckles skips the greeting. "Uh, Sonic, I'm thinking maybe we shouldn't—"

Sonic interrupts, "What's the matter? You got it all set up, didn't you?"

"Yes, but…have you considered—"

"If it's ready, then hand it over to Tails. He's waited long enough."

"Well… Okay…" Knuckles hesitantly holds TAL out to Tails. "Someone has a message for you."

This confuses Tails more than ever as he takes the device. "Who could possibly…?" He trails off as he sets his eyes on the message written on the screen.

Miles,

I know you probably don't want to hear from me right now. I know you probably never wanted to hear from me again. But as much as I want you to be happy, I couldn't stay away any longer. I needed to know that my son was safe. Maybe it's too little, too late, but I want you to know that I'm not asking a single thing of you. You've done wonderful things, and I'm proud of you. What I did back then, I did because I cared about you. But the truth is, after all I thought I was doing to help you, now I'm the one who needs the help of you and your friends. It was my choice that drove us apart, and I've lived with that since the day I last saw you. I'm not asking you to forgive me. I'm not even asking you to tolerate me. But there are a lot of important things I'd like to talk to you about. I hope we'll see you soon.

Love,

Dad

Tails stares down at the machine with a distant expression on his face.

"Hey…Tails? You alright, buddy?"

With a long, slow movement, Tails sets the device down onto the desk, not quite containing the trembling of his arm. "I…I've gotta go." He turns and practically runs out through the exit, mumbling something about "work to do" as he goes.

Sonic reaches after him, "Tails, w—…?" He glances back at Knuckles.

Knuckles gives him a cocky shrug in return. "I tried to warn you."

"What did the message even…?" Sonic picks up TAL and quickly reads it over for himself. "'Drove us apart?' Did something happen between them?"

"You've known him for, what, six years? And he never mentioned his family to you once? Maybe that should've been a warning sign."

"Yeah, but… I thought we…" He shakes his head in confusion. Then he looks back down at the screen. After a moment of thought, he swipes up a keyboard and begins to type a new message.

He read it.

A response comes after only a moment.

Did he say anything?

He…

Sonic stops to contemplate before finishing.

He said he didn't have the time to answer right now. He wanted to get his work for the day done first. He's a big help to us around here.

The next response takes considerably longer.

I'm glad to hear that his talents are appreciated. Let me know if he says anything else.

Knuckles comments, "Now he'll be expecting a response by the end of the day."

Sonic nods slowly. "He'll get one. I just…have to convince Tails to write it, first.

—–—

"Alright, Charmy. Tell me what…this bone is called." Tails points to a spot on his own body.

Charmy enthusiastically responds, "Humerus!"

"What about this muscle?"

"Latissimus dorsi!"

"This blood vessel?"

"Brachial artery!"

"This region of the brain?"

"Parietal lobe!"

Tails smirks as he changes things up. "What does it process?"

"Language and sensory information!"

"Your patient is experiencing chronic pain extending radially outward from the thoracic vertebrae in addition to inflammation of the trapezius. What's your diagnosis?"

"That's an easy one! It's…uhh… Uhhhhhhh…wait, don't tell me, I know this one."

Tails laughs. "Charmy, I'm getting the pattern by now. If you knew it, you'd have said it already. I didn't expect you to know it, anyways. You've got your facts down, but we still need to work on making sense of them. And that's fine. The amount of progress you've made the last few months has been practically miraculous. I think that means it's time to move on to something a little more interesting."

"Oooh, like what? Are we gonna do surgery?"

"Almost. I don't suppose you've ever dissected a frog?"

Charmy's expression suddenly turns fearful. "We're not gonna hurt Froggy, are we?"

"What? No, I meant a dead frog."

"How is that better? What's Big gonna think?"

"Come to think of it, maybe a cat would be more informative…"

"I'm suddenly questioning my life choices…"

Tails can't contain his laughter. "It's fine, I was just messing with you. We'll start with a frog. One you haven't met before. Just, uh…maybe don't tell Big about it."

Charmy starts to laugh along as well. "Yeah, okay. I bet this'll be fun."

"Just make sure you study up. We'll treat this like an exam."

"You don't have to worry about me. I can't thank you enough for helping me through all this, Tails. I'd be totally lost without someone here to mentor me."

"Hey, give yourself some credit. All I've done is point you in a direction, you've gotten here pretty much on your own. In fact, at this rate, I won't be able to help you much at all by the end of the year. You'll be at the level of medical school, maybe higher. It's really amazing."

"Aw, shucks. I just wish Vector was here to hear that. He'd probably owe Espio even more money."

"Yeah…I've been meaning to ask you about that. How are you feeling?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean…you know, with Vector gone, and you two being so close… Are you worried?"

"Nah. Vector's always been there to take care of me, but I'm old enough to take care of myself now, and I'm happy that he's out there getting stuff done. He promised he'd be fine, and he's never lied to me before."

Tails has begun to stare off into the distance. "But…what if he did?"

"Huh?"

Tails shakes himself back into reality. "Oh, uh, nevermind. Forget I said anything. So, same time tomorrow?"

Charmy nods. "You bet."

"Alright, I'll see you then." Tails moves to exit.

Sonic waits for him outside, looking up as he notices him. "Hey, Tails. Can we talk?"

Tails walks right on past him, avoiding eye contact. "Uh, now's not really a good time. I promised Omega I'd take a look at his new laser targeting system, he says it's been malfunctioning."

"Tails, wait." Sonic walks briskly to catch up. "You, uh…you ran out on us pretty quickly back there."

"Yeah. Busy day."

"No, I meant… I was just thinking…maybe…you want to respond? To the message?"

"It's fine, I didn't have anything to say anyways."

"They're in danger, Tails."

Tails suddenly stops in place.

"Oh, so you do care?"

Tails rolls his eyes and resumes his walk.

"Tails, this is serious!"

"I'm sure it is. Why else would he want to see a freak like me?"

This time, it's Sonic who stops in place. "Tails…"

Tails keeps on moving. "You want a response? Tell him I fully support giving him any help he thinks he needs, as long as I'm left out of it." He turns and disappears into one of the canyon's caves.

—–—

Six years ago

Young Tails shuffles towards the beach with a somber expression returned to his face. "What was I thinking? That was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. What would I have even said to him? 'I saw your plane crash and I thought you looked cool'? He would've thought I was crazier than he already did… Why can't I have just looked cool like he did?"

Tails looks up as he nears the ocean. "No way!" Parked on the sand in front of him is a propellered biplane with a striking red coat of paint. "That's the same plane from before!" Tails runs up for a closer look. He runs his hand across a sharp, stylish streak of white paint on the side. "This might just be the coolest plane I've ever seen." He ducks down to take a look underneath. "It doesn't look damaged too bad…I guess that means he landed it alright. So he must be a pretty great pilot." He glances back over his shoulder for a few moments. "He probably went out looking for someone to help him fix his engine trouble…" He looks over to the engine at the front of the plane. "…But if it were already fixed by the time he got back here…"

Tails wanders over to the front of the plane, and takes a peek behind the propeller. "Well, no wonder he couldn't keep this thing in the air. It's connected all wrong!" He puts a hand up to his chin for a moment. "I'd need some tools to fix this. Maybe he has some in the back compartment I can take." He walks around to the other side of the plane.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to take things that don't belong to you?"

Tails stops halfway to his destination, startled at seeing the hedgehog relaxing on the wing of the plane for the first time. "Uh, I-I—… I didn't—… I mean… How did you get here so fast?"

"That really surprises you? What I was wondering is how you took so long. I thought you were pretty fast."

"Not as fast as you…"

"That's nothing to be ashamed of, kid. No one's as fast as me. But you came the closest I've ever seen."

"Really?"

"Really. Now, were you planning on running off with my tools, or is there something else you want?"

"What? No, I wasn't—… It's just that…sometimes, when I see a machine, I just can't help myself. I saw that your plane wasn't working right, so I thought I might be able to fix it. I really like to build and fix things, and I'm good at it, too."

"That so? You know a lot about planes?"

"Oh, yeah, lots! My…umm…I mean… I used to know someone who was a pilot. He taught me all about planes, he even taught me how to fly! He had a plane just like this one, I've been fixing it up for about as long as I can remember."

The hedgehog rubs a finger across the bottom of his nose. "Well, in that case…I've been having a little trouble with the landing gear, too, if you wouldn't mind taking a look at that once you're done with the engine."

Tails' face lights up. "You mean it?"

"Hey, you're the one offering to do free labor here."

"You don't have to ask me twice." Tails proceeds around the wing of the plane to the back of the fuselage, where he easily pulls open a small panel, revealing a compartment with a pile of various tools inside. He picks out what he needs, and closes it back up, restoring the hole that was made in the patterned paint job. Tails puts his hand against the restored word transcribed in paint. "Is this her name? 'Sonic'?"

The hedgehog opens his eyes for the first time, raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Her?"

"Yeah. All vehicles are hers. Didn't you know that?"

The hedgehog returns to his reclined position. "Eh, I don't really know much about planes. Barely taught myself to fly this one. Anyways, the answer to your question is no. That would be my name. She's the Tornado."

As Tails walks back past the wing, he responds, "Well, it's really great to meet you, Sonic." He stops to take another look into the engine, and gets to work. "And you too, Tornado."

"You got a name, kid?"

"Well… Umm…"

"Pretty sure that was a yes or no question."

"Promise not to tell anyone?"

"Uhh…sure?"

"It's Miles. Miles Prower."

Sonic lifts himself up to look over and raise an eyebrow again. "Miles Perhour?"

Tails groans. "I know, I hate it. I like it better when people call me Tails."

"Not a problem with me, Tails."

"R-…really? You mean you don't…think I'm…?"

"Think you're what?"

"I mean…you still haven't asked about my…" Tails self-consciously glances at the two swishing tails behind him.

"Why? Were you planning on asking about my quills?"

"Your…quills?"

"Don't be ashamed of what you got, Tails. You sure wouldn't have been able to keep up with me without them."

Tails continues his work with a proud smile on his face. "So where're you from, Sonic?"

"Oh, a little island south of here, no place special. I flew out lookin' for new places to explore, and…these emerald hills were to first thing to catch my eye."

"Did you leave your family behind?"

The question seems to take Sonic by surprise, as he pauses for quite a few moments before answering. "That's not really worth talking about. But what about you? You're awfully young to be wandering around out here on your own."

"That's…not really worth talking about."

"Fair enough."

Tails goes back to work silently. "… …Hey…Sonic?"

"What?"

"Would you… … … Well, I mean… … … I don't really have a lot of…"

"Get on with it already."

Tails bites his lip for a moment. Then he takes a step back from the plane. "Engine's all fixed. You should be fine to—"

"Look out!"

A flash sparkles in the nearby hills, followed by a large explosion sending a great pillar of fire rising up. Small rocks and splinters from trees come raining down. Tails is blown from his feet by the shockwave, forced under the plane as he struggles to get a look at what's happening. The hills are burning. Already, there are robots gathered around the crater, digging through the disturbed earth. He looks up to his side. "What's going on!?"

Sonic already stands there in front of Tails, protecting his face against the last of the debris as he scowls out at the machines working on the blazing hills. "That blasted Robotnik. He's at it again." Without another moment's hesitation, Sonic rushes forward, kicking up sand behind him.

Seized by a sudden anxiety, Tails scrambles back to his feet, chasing after Sonic. "Hey, wait! Wait, I'm coming with you!"

Sonic glances back over his shoulder for a moment. He slows down just enough for Tails to catch up. Together, they race towards the center of Robotnik's drilling operation.

—–—

Present day

"Why do I rust away in this rocky prison while there are Eggman robots to obliterate all around the world?"

Tails kneels down to work in the cavity in Omega's arm revealed by an open panel. "Getting poetic, are we, Omega?"

"I should have been assigned to the Shadow Android mission. But I was ordered to remain here. Sonic is an unreliable leader. My abilities are wasted."

"Believe me, I know how you feel. But after what happened with Metal Sonic, I don't think Sonic trusts you anymore."

"I could not waste the opportunity to face my rival."

"Your rival who tore out your innards and left the rest of you behind on a whim?"

"Your joke is not appreciated."

Tails nods. "I respect the honesty." He stands up and takes a step back. "Try it now."

Omega lifts his arm, and a weapon rises out from the inside. A bright red laser beam fires out from it, striking a spot on the stone wall and being held there with precise stability. Omega stops firing and lowers his arm. "Accuracy has been improved by ninety-three point six percent. Your jokes are bad, but your efficiency is high."

"I do what I can. Anything else I can help you with?"

"Affirmative. Fuel reserves for my outdoor charging unit have lowered to seven point one percent. All fuel will soon be consumed."

"Well that's not good, it's your only way to recharge right now. I think Cream and Amy have been handling supply runs lately, I'll pass the message along to them. We've been having trouble getting our hands on much of anything lately, but they'll be happy to see what they can do, at least. In the meantime, do your best to conserve power, so there's still some left in case of emergency."

"That is unacceptable. I must be prepared to face my rival at any moment."

Shadow's voice responds, "Are you really still going on about that, Omega?" Shadow walks in from the entrance of the cave. "One humiliating defeat wasn't enough for you?"

With a smile, Tails greets, "Hey, Shadow."

Omega objects, "Next time, I will be prepared."

Shadow ignores him, addressing Tails instead. "Have some time to talk?"

"Uhh…yeah, I guess I have a little time right now." Tails looks back at Omega. "Maybe I can build you a solar powered generator, I'll get to work on that when I get the chance." He waves farewell as Shadow leads him back outside.

Omega's head turns back to face the wall. "The meatbags do not understand."

—–—

"Man, it feels like forever since last time we talked like this. I've been wanting to ask you…how you're doing. I know that whole android business must've been pretty unsettling."

Shadow nods slowly as they walk through the forested area of the canyon. "It was. But…it also gave me some clarity. Reminded me that I'm not alone. Apparently I need that once in a while."

"Well, I'm always here if you need to talk."

"I'm always laying my problems on you. You're always trying to fix everyone else's problems, that's why just about everyone here has come to depend on you. But you can't keep ignoring your own problems."

Tails stops as his demeanor suddenly changes. "You talked to Sonic, didn't you?"

"Yes. But I wouldn't have had to. It's easy to tell that you're avoiding something."

"You of all people should understand. I just want to leave the past behind. This isn't something I want to talk about, so just leave me alone."

"That's exactly the attitude that's gotten me into trouble time and time again. It was a couple years ago now that Sonic taught me an important lesson. Moving on from the past doesn't mean ignoring it and pretending like it never happened. It means accepting it as a part of who you are, and acknowledging that the future can be different. Otherwise you'll be stuck, getting hurt the same way over and over again. I don't know what your father did to make you so upset, but take it from someone whose father tried to destroy this planet. Hating him now for something he did years ago isn't going to do anyone any good. It's just going to make you feel more hateful."

Tails looks away from him. "It's not about what he did. It's about who he is."

"How would you know who he is? You've gone half your life without once seeing him."

"Because he… He…"

"Whatever he did, I'm sure it's terrible. I'm sure he deserves all of the hatred you feel for him. But that's not the point. He's reached out his hand in the hopes of reconciling with you. As your father, as the person who hurt you, you don't owe him anything. But as a person…don't you owe him at least a little bit of compassion? Maybe he's changed. You were the one who told me once that anyone, and I mean anyone, has the ability to change."

"I don't think he has."

"Maybe it isn't likely. But you can't know that without talking to him. Look, if Professor Gerald gave me a phone call tomorrow and asked to talk, I'd jump at the chance to hear what he has to say. Maybe he did try to destroy the whole planet, I still don't really understand the whole story. But I'd take the chance to ask. And who knows? Maybe he could convince me that it wasn't his fault. That he had a good reason. I certainly want to think that he did. But hating him for what I know, ignoring his words, would accomplish nothing."

"It…it isn't that simple. What if it wasn't Professor Gerald? What if it was Black Doom calling you up and asking for your help? You'd have to ignore him, right?"

"Oh, if Black Doom asked for my help, I'd let him die for sure." Shadow pauses for a moment in contemplation. "But…that doesn't mean I wouldn't talk to him. At the very least, I'd have a few choice words I'd enjoy sending his way. And I don't think it would hurt me, getting that off my chest. If I can admit that…can't you spare your own father at least a few words? If not for his sake, then for yours? So you can let go of all this hatred you have built up?"

"I…I don't think I can do it…"

Shadow places a hand on Tails' shoulder, forcing him to look up with surprise. "I'll go with you. But only if you're willing. I think you should do this, but…if that's not what you want…I'd support that choice as well."

Tails can't help but smile again. "You're a good friend, Shadow. Please, stay with me."

Shadow nods. "I'll be right beside you."

—–—

Tails sits down at Sonic's desk, and stares down at TAL's screen. "So it's…already set to transmit?"

Sonic nods. "He's waiting on the other side. Said he didn't want to miss a second if you changed your mind about talking."

Tails nods slowly, and looks back down to the screen. He raises his arms as if to begin typing, but shakes his head and lowers them again. "I don't know what to say."

Knuckles suggests, "Wouldn't hurt to start with 'hello'."

Tails seems to be further disgruntled. "Would you…? I mean…" He sighs and looks down again.

Shadow somehow manages to translate, "He wants the two of you to leave."

Sonic is taken aback. "What?"

"He doesn't want to feel pressured."

Tails continues to stare downwards. "I'm sorry…but would you mind?"

"Uhh…" Sonic looks to Knuckles with confusion. "No, that's…that's fine, I guess. We'll be right outside if you need us." They exit the tent quietly.

Tails takes another breath as he turns his attention back to the screen.

Shadow encourages, "Remember, you can leave whenever you want. You're doing this for you. No one else."

Tails nods, finally appearing to prepare himself. He begins to type.

Hi, Dad. It's me.

"No, no, that's wrong." He erases it and starts over.

Greetings, Mr. Prower. This is Tails.

He shakes his head with a groan, and tries again.

Hello, Father.

Not giving himself any time to second-guess it again, he sends the message immediately. He glances up at Shadow. Shadow gives him a nod of encouragement. He looks back to the screen. But there's still no response. "D-did I do something wrong? Did I not send it right? Maybe the message was—" A response appears on the screen.

I

"I? Or is that a one? Or maybe an 'L'?" His questions are answered as a group of messages arrive in quick succession.

sorry

/hartime typing,

Can;t seebstraight.

There's a longer delay before the next message arrives.

How are you, Miles?

Tails doesn't need much time to consider his response.

I go by Tails.

Of course. How could I forget? I'm so happy to hear from you.

Why did you contact us?

They didn't tell you? We're in danger. I didn't know who else could help.

What kind of danger?

Danger from the Empire. Surveillance on our home has gone up drastically. We were in the system under false names, but I think they figured out our connection to you. We could be arrested at any time.

Tails shows a moment of surprise. Another message quickly follows.

It's not your fault. It was never your fault. I just want to make sure they can't use us to hurt you.

Don't worry about me. How is Mother?

She doesn't know that I've been doing this. Couldn't risk it. She's had plenty to keep her busy recently. We can talk more about it tonight. She'll be so happy to see you. Heartbroken when you left.

Tails' eyes begin to fill with emotion. He hesitates before writing his next message.

Why did you wait until today? You've known where I was.

There is a long pause before the next message comes.

I've always done what I thought was best for you.

Tails stands suddenly enough to knock over the chair he'd been sitting in. Supporting himself with his hands on the table, he whispers through choked breath, "I knew you'd never change." Without another word, he leaves the tent as fast as he can go.

Shadow looks down at the screen, as the remaining set of messages appear one by one.

I've been wrong before, but this time I know I was right.

Sonic has been a better mentor to you than I can ever hope to be.

I would never take that away from you.

I've probably upset you.

I'm sorry.

I'll see you tonight.

Outside, Sonic and Knuckles appear to be arguing. Sonic presses, "Can't you just talk to him?"

Knuckles objects, "Sonic, you know Tails and I have never been all that close. Besides, my parents succumbed to a virus before I ever met them, there's nothing I can say to Tails that would help him right now. You, on the other hand…"

"Me? I've already tried to talk to him, he doesn't want to hear from me."

"He doesn't want to hear from someone telling him what to do. What he needs to hear from right now is his brother, someone who's gone through the same things he has."

"What are you talking about? I haven't—"

"Sonic. I've known you almost as long as you've known Tails. And you've never once talked about your own family. I have a pretty good idea of what that means. I don't need to hear it from you, but Tails does."

Sonic goes silent for quite some time. "…You're right. He does."

Shadow interrupts, "No, he doesn't."

Sonic looks up with surprise. "Shadow? What happened in there? Tails came running out nearly in tears, he wouldn't—"

"Tails made his decision. And as his friend, you need to respect that." He adds with a threatening tone, "You don't have the right to decide the course of his life."

Sonic steps right up into Shadow's face, countering with equal force, "Tails isn't just my friend, he's my brother. And I'm not letting him make a bad choice if it might hurt him in the end, so you can just back off."

Shadow is surprised enough by the confrontation that Sonic is able to push right past him, marching onwards to Tails' tent.

Knuckles encourages, "You don't have to worry. Sonic isn't going to force Tails to do anything. But this is a talk they've needed to have for a long time."

Shadow watches the outside of Tails' tent with concern. "You'd better be right."

—–—

Six years ago — Several days later…

"Sonic, where are we going!?" As Tails and Sonic race backwards through the emerald hills, a dark shadow looms above them.

Sonic glares up at the great winged fortress that blocks out the sun, rocketing ever higher into the air. "We're too late to stop the death Egg from launching, but Robotnik is still in that battleship! If we can catch up, we can hitch a ride with him and take it down from the inside!"

"But how are we going to get up there!?"

Sonic skids to a stop as they reach the edge of the coastline, where the Tornado waits just as they left it. "We have a plane, don't we?"

Tails halts himself just behind. "Sonic, the Tornado's not a combat plane! That thing up there is a flying fortress, we won't be able to get anywhere close!"

"You said you can fly, right?"

"Yeah?"

Given his answer, Sonic leaps onto the wing of the plane. "Then you handle the plane, and I'll handle the combat."

"But…"

"Tails, do you trust me?"

Tails answers without hesitation, "Yes, of course."

"Well I trust you, too. So there's no reason to waste time waiting around here."

With renewed resolve, Tails gives a confident nod.

Moments later, the plane takes off.

—–—

Sonic lands in a crouch back on the wing of the plane as a flaming wreck of a robot falls out of the sky behind him, the Cucky trapped inside fluttering the other way.

Tails cheers, "We're almost there!" The winged fortress looms close in front of them, with no more robots left in their way.

Sonic throws him a thumbs-up. "Told ya you could trust me."

Tails points ahead with concern. "We're not there yet!"

Panels all around the fleeing battleship open up as large canons emerge from inside, all pointed at the Tornado. At once, they open fire.

Tails yanks on the control yoke of the plane, throwing them into a barrel roll to avoid the first wave of fire. Sonic ducks down and grips onto the wing for stability as he is thrown around in circles. After a moment, he relaxes as the plane stabilizes. "Nice flying."

The next laser blast passes right beneath Sonic, shredding the wing under his feet. He leaps for safety at the last moment, finding solid ground on the hull of the winged fortress. He turns over the edge and throws out his hand. "Tails, grab my—…"

Already, the plane has been sent into a tailspin, far too low for Tails to ever make it back up. As the Tornado sinks below the layer of clouds beneath, Tails can be heard crying, "Sonic!"

Sonic breathes out in horror, "Tails…" A teardrop forms in his eye. "No…"

—–—

Present day

Tails sits at the workbench in his tent, his face buried in the fluffy tails he holds wrapped around himself. Several tools and mechanical parts have fallen onto the floor.

"Hey, buddy."

Tails remains still as Sonic takes a seat on the cot behind him.

"So what happened?"

Tails slowly lifts himself up a small amount, still keeping his head hanging low. "He hasn't changed."

"Tails…I know we agreed a long time ago…that some things aren't worth talking about. But…I don't think that's true anymore. I want to help you, Tails. But I can't do that if I don't know what happened. What did your father do to you?"

Tails shakes his head, burying his face back into his arms.

Sonic takes a long breath "Tails…I want to tell you something…that I've never told anyone before. Maybe…not even myself. But I trust you. And I think you should hear it."

Tails doesn't stir.

"My parents… … … My parents abandoned me."

Tails looks all the way back with a shocked and confused expression, as if to ask if it's true.

Sonic nods. "It's true. I don't know when. I don't why. I wasn't old enough to remember, let alone to ask. But because of them…I grew up alone. And you know what? I hate them for it. So I've gone my entire life…pretending like it never happened. But it did."

"Sonic, I…I didn't know."

"Of course you didn't. No one does. But you know what else? Even though I feel…nothing but anger for them…if I got the chance to talk to them, just once…I wouldn't hesitate. I'd have to ask them why."

"Sonic…" Tails slowly turns away. "…it's not the same. I already asked him why. And he said the same thing he always does."

"What did he say?"

Tails goes silent once again, this time staring at the wall in front of him.

"Tails…"

"It was the night before we met," Tails instantly responds.

Sonic goes silent as he realizes what's happening.

"I'd had a bad day at school. Yes, I used to go to school. The other kids were cruel. They looked at my tails like…like I had a second head or something. They thought it was disgusting. They called me a freak. They called me a lot of things. I was smarter than them, so they wanted any excuse they could get to knock me down. I asked so many times to be taken out of school, but all Mom ever said is that I just needed to make some friends. That's the only reason they had me going to school at all, when I could've taught harder classes than those at six years old. They just wanted me to be like a normal kid. They wanted that more than they wanted me as I was. It was late that night…and I heard my parents arguing. They didn't know I was listening. And he said…" Tails starts to choke up. "He said…"

"What did he say?"

"He said…" Tails takes another breath to steady himself. "He said…that he'd already talked to the surgeon. That the procedure wouldn't hurt. That once the bandage came off…I'd finally be a normal kid. Mom wasn't sure. So he told her… 'We have to face facts. Our son is a freak and it's time we did something about it.' And she agreed. So I ran. I ran away to the only safe place I knew. And the next morning…I met you."

"Tails, that's…that's awful. I'm so sorry."

"I was just a little kid. I was trying to prove a point. They must've heard me slam the door on my way out, they knew I was gone from the first minute. But then, years went by. I was in the news. I was on TV. And in all that time…never once did they reach out to me. Until today. I guess I always took that as proof that I made the right choice. That they didn't want me anyways. But for some reason, I was compelled to ask him why. And he said the same thing he always does. It's what was best for me. Always, it's what's best for me when he tries to ruin my life."

"Well he was right, wasn't he?"

"What!? How could you say that!?"

"Just this time, I mean. Think about it. What would've happened if he'd gone after you? If he forced you to go home? You'd be stuck somewhere you were unhappy. And I would've lost my little bro. Him letting you go, letting you live your own life even though that isn't what you thought you wanted when you left…didn't that turn out to be best for you? If he was able to realize that much…maybe he changed a bit after all."

Tails appears to contemplate that for quite some time. "In his letter… In our conversation… He never once apologized. For anything."

"The way I see it…being a father sounds a lot like leading a team. The only way to know what's best for the people you're responsible for…is to see into the future. Without being able to do that…all you can do is hope that you're guessing it right. And you'll mess up, sometimes. Maybe really bad. But all you can do to make up for that is to get the next one right. Maybe that was just his way of apologizing."

Tails thinks for a while longer. "What he thought was best for me… He thought that I'd be happier if he could stop the other kids from laughing at me. He really did do it for me, didn't he?" He shakes his head slowly. "'I'm so stupid…"

"No, Tails, you're not stupid. He betrayed you in the worst possible way. But, yes, his heart was in the right place when he did it. Whether or not you forgive him for that…that's your choice."

Tails goes silent again.

"It's…getting late. Knuckles and I are leaving at dusk to get them and escort them back here. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but…Team Sonic won't be complete without you." Sonic starts to stand up.

Tails hastily stands up to stop him. "Sonic…?"

"Yeah, buddy?"

"My life…before I met you…and my life after… It's like two different lives. If my parents come back…we'll still be brothers, won't we?"

"Are you kidding? You and me are sticking together for life, and no one else is ever going to change that."

Tears begin to well up on Tails' eyes. He leaps into Sonic's arms, and they share an embrace.

"Nothing's coming between us. Not ever." As they part, Sonic encourages, "I'll tell you what. Do you know what day it is tomorrow?"

"Uhh… No, what?"

"It's the first day of summer. And I was thinking…maybe third time's the charm. So tomorrow, you and me are taking a break from the world to hang out on the beach, for real this time. No matter what else happens."

"What about my parents?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't planning on inviting them."

Tails smiles, wiping away the last of his tears. "Just you and me. That sounds perfect."

Sonic nods. "Then it's a promise. So…anyways…Knuckles and I will be waiting outside. We leave at dusk, with or without you."

"You don't have to wait on my account. I've already decided. I'm coming."

—–—

Later that night…

"Is this the place?" Sonic points down from the crest of a grassy hill to a modest rural home with a large detached garage constructed to its side. The home appears to be on the farthest outskirts of Westside Village, as other buildings and roads appear in greater density just beyond.

Tails steps up behind Sonic, looking down for himself. "Yeah. That's where I used to live."

"Are you sure you're ready for this? You can wait up here, if you want."

Tails stares down at his house, emotion already welling up in his eyes. "No, no. I'm going."

Knuckles encourages, "We should keep moving. Don't want anyone to—" A sudden blast cuts him off.

Through Tails' tear-filled eyes, his home can be seen erupting in a fiery explosion. His knees collapse from under him, and he drops to the ground.

Sonic watches in horror. "Oh, Lords, no…"

Knuckles growls, "Come on, they might still be in there! We have to— Wait, what's that!?"

A silhouetted figure appears in the flames, stepping slowly towards them.

Tails looks up hopefully.

A mechanical leg steps out onto the grass, still glowing red hot. Metal Sonic's piercing red eyes stare right up at them from below.

"No, no, no!" Sonic's feet peel out along the ground as he revs up to his maximum speed. "Get Tails out of here, now!" Not giving Knuckles a single moment to object, he takes off.

Metal Sonic rockets forward to meet him.

Two speeding faces collide in a flash. Sonic still pushing against the ground, Metal Sonic still rocketing in the air, the two at full force push one another to a standstill. Sonic shows nothing but fury as he pushes his feet to move faster and faster. Metal Sonic lets out a low mechanical chuckle. "I'm ready now."

In a sudden change, all of their force is redirected upwards, and both are sent flying into the air. Sonic kicks off against Metal Sonic in the air, flinging himself backwards and letting him land on the hill behind him. But Metal Sonic catches up instantly, grabbing Sonic by the throat and dragging him across the ground with rocketing force until they both come to a stop.

"What's the matter, Sonic? No jokes? No insults? Where's your team spirit?"

With restricted breath, Sonic spits back, "He was your friend, too. So why? Tell me, why would you do that to him!?"

"I owe you no such explanation. You are nothing but a speck of dust to me. In fact, I care nothing for what happens to you. I have another target. Step aside now, and I will let you be."

"You stay away from Tails!" Sonic gets a grip on Metal Sonic from underneath and spins, whipping him into the ground again and again before launching him away. Metal Sonic crashes into the ground, and instantly Sonic dashes into him in a ball, knocking away his support. Metal Sonic tries to get back up, but Sonic flies back in for another attack with blinding speed, knocking him back down. Sonic mercilessly strikes over and over again, gaining speed each time, never allowing Metal Sonic the chance to move.

And yet, with one swift movement, Metal Sonic raises just a hand, catching Sonic's fist and stopping him dead. "Are you quite finished?" With a quick twist of the arm, Sonic is sent flying to the ground, letting out a cry of pain. But Metal Sonic doesn't relent. His grip on Sonic's hand tightens.

Sonic's scream fails to drown out the sickening crunch that ensues.

Metal Sonic finally drops his hold. "So much for our rematch. You aren't fighting at your full strength. Your emotions slow your judgement."

Sonic struggles back to his feet, holding one hand limp at his side. "You're one to talk… … …motivated by nothing but hate. You may have been me… … …once. But all I see now… … …is the monster you've transformed yourself into." Sonic suddenly leaps forward, ramming into Metal Sonic with his shoulder.

Metal Sonic is knocked back only a step, and he retaliates with a kick that sends Sonic flying. "You don't know me at all." He steps forward to the spot where Sonic landed. He watches as Sonic struggles to stand once again. But this time, Sonic falls. "But I will make you understand."

Sonic's hand shakily reaches out, as if to claw his way along the ground.

Metal Sonic steps on it, pinning it to the ground. "The boy was supposed to be the first. But you'll do just as well."

—–—

Six years ago

Sonic races through the only corridor available to him as nonstop explosions chain through the Death Egg just a moment behind. An opening lies just ahead. Sonic leaps out into the stratosphere without hesitation.

One final blast takes out the Death Egg for good, sending its flaming wreck plummeting down in another direction.

Sonic closes his eyes as the ground steadily approaches him from below, feeling the wind between his quills. "We did it, Tails. We stopped him. Just like you wanted…"

On the ground far below, the animals look up in wonder at the blinding explosion that lights up the sky. Tails, too, looks up from the wrench in his hand. "Sonic… No…" Seized by a sudden determination, he throws himself into the cockpit of the newly-repaired plane, and ignites the engine.

A Flicky flutters up to the wing of the plane, singing a questioning tweet.

Tails returns a confident thumbs-up. "Don't you worry. Sonic's still up there, and he needs my help." He pulls a lever to get the plane moving along the ground. "I know he is."

The plane lifts off from the ground, and Flicky follows right behind.

As Sonic falls ever closer to the ground, a spot of red catches his eye. "It can't be…"

"Sooooniiiiiic!" Tails waves his hand excitedly as he catches sight of the falling hedgehog.

Sonic's face lights up. "Tails!" He points his body downwards to fall even faster, until he lands perfectly on the wing of the Tornado. "I can't believe you're okay!"

Tails gives him a thumbs-up. "Well, you're not the only one who can handle a crash landing."

An entire flock of flying Animal Friends tweet and caw their celebratory cheers as they follow behind the plane.

Sonic looks to Tails with regret on his face. "Tails…I'm so sorry that I put you in danger like that. I'm never letting anything like that happen to you again."

Tails looks up from his controls with an amused expression on his face. "Sonic, you said you trusted me, didn't you? I know you want to protect me, but if I'm staying out of danger, then how am I ever going to protect you?"

As Sonic ponders this, he looks down to the ground he was falling towards just a short moment ago. A smirk appears on his face. "Alright, Tails. You can be like my little brother. I'm going to protect you, but from now on, I'm counting on you to do the same for me. How does that sound?"

A beaming smile lights up Tails' face. "It's a promise."

—–—

Present day — The following evening…

As the sun sinks down over the wide open ocean, Tails stands firmly in the sand, watching the familiar shoreline that stretches off into the distance.

The sound of a slow, deliberate pair of footsteps crunches through the sand behind him. Tails doesn't bother turning to see who it is. At that pace, it couldn't possibly be Sonic.

"We searched the area." Shadow stops a fair distance behind Tails. "We didn't have much time before the police showed up, but…we didn't find anyone in the time we had. Alive or…otherwise."

Tails keeps his focus locked completely ahead.

"It's possible that your parents made it out. If so, they've likely gone into hiding. They would know it isn't safe to reveal themselves again."

"Were you able to find out what happened to Sonic?"

"Like I said, we…didn't find anyone. But we did find this." Shadow holds up a small green Emerald shard. "Sonic…most likely left it for us to find, suspecting that he would be captured by the enemy."

"I'm sure it was just in case."

Shadow looks awkwardly to the ground. After a moment, he changes the subject. "There was a meeting. We wanted your opinion as well, but…everyone else agreed."

"I know. But I had to stay out here."

"We're leaving, Tails. Packing up camp. Leaving no trace behind. Knuckles said that…" Shadow pauses as he considers his next words carefully. "…that Metal Sonic's target…may have been chosen based on their proximity to us, possibly just to draw out Sonic. We don't want to risk something like that happening again. We need to disappear, find a new base and keep it hidden this time. We can't put anyone else in danger."

Tails shakes his head slowly. "I can't leave yet. Sonic's gonna be here any minute, he won't know where to find us if we leave."

"Tails…I don't think Sonic is coming."

"You're wrong. He promised we'd be together on this beach today." He finally turns his head to look to Shadow for the first time, holding back tears in his eyes. "Sonic's never broken a promise to me before."

"I know this is important to you, but…you should start packing your things while there's still some light left."

"Just give it a few more minutes. Sonic will be here. He can pack everything up in a second."

Shadow lets out a long sigh, not pressing the matter further. "If you want…I can stay with you. Until… Until Sonic gets back."

"…You promise?"

Shadow nods. "I do."

The expression on Tails' face lightens just a bit, and together, they stare out at the shoreline.

The bright orange light illuminating the sky slowly begins to fade to darkness. The sun slips below the horizon, leaving the night behind. The beach remains empty from one side to the other.

Tails collapses into Shadow's arms. Shadow holds him there, letting the boy cry against his chest.

To be continued…