Chapter 2: Rift
A month later, Tails was released from the hospital. The two brothers arrived in their shared home late at night.
"Welcome home, bud. Bet you missed it a lot," said Sonic as he opens the door to let his little buddy go in first.
"I sure did. Thanks again for accompanying me this entire time," said Tails. Upon hearing those words, Sonic became reminded of something important.
"Oh… right. About that… can we, uhh… talk for a moment?"
"Umm… sure, I guess," said Tails as they both take a seat in the living room sofa. "So… what's the matter?"
"Okay, first of all, I just wanna say that… you've been a really great partner, Tails. Really. All those times we've spent together… they've been really… umm, what's the word… priceless, y'know?" Sonic said as he tries his best to come up with words of appreciation; something which he isn't exactly good at.
"O… kay. Thanks, I suppose? What's with the sudden-" Tails abruptly stops, the realization dawning upon him as to why Sonic would say these expressions out of the blue. "W-wait, no, are you…?"
"Tails, I'm…" Sonic lets out a sigh as he crosses his arms and puts on a concerned look before finishing his difficult sentence. "I'm putting you off the team."
"I knew you were going to say that. Is it because of what happened?"
"Exactly. I've been thinking about it for a long, long time. I didn't want to break it to you while you were still there, so… here we are. Anyway, listen. Do you know how terrible I felt just watching you lie in that hospital bed, almost lifeless? For an entire month?"
"Oh, come now. It's only happened once. I'll do better next time, I promise," reassured Tails, only to be denied by his protective older brother.
"No way. There won't be a next time. I don't want this "next time" to end up the exact same way, or worse," a statement to which Tails took offense.
"Give me a break! You're acting as if I'll definitely screw up again! Do you not trust me or what?"
"W-what? What are you talking about? I… uhh…" Sonic stammered and briefly looked down away from Tails, finding it difficult to express his honest thoughts without offending Tails. But the young kitsune sees through him.
"So you don't trust me after all! Why is that, huh!? Do you know how hard I've tried to get to your level? To one day be as strong and dependable as you? Do you have any idea!?" Tails confronted Sonic.
"Well, umm… look, on the bright side, you'll finally get your well-deserved break from all of this. You won't have to worry about a thing anymore!" Sonic said as he tries to shift the focus of the conversation away, only to make things worse.
"A… break? Why would I want that!? I don't see this as a burden or a chore, I see this as my responsibility too! In fact, ever since I met you, all I ever wanted was to be just like you, a hero in my own right! And now you won't even let me!? Look, back to the last question: why can't you trust me? Do you think I'm… weak? That I'm unreliable? Is that it?" Tails began to interrogate Sonic.
"H-huh? Weak? N-no… I'd never-" Sonic stammered and looked down once again and is soon cut off by Tails who backs him into a figurative corner.
"Sonic! Look at me! Do you think I'm weak!?" Eventually, Sonic gives up trying to sugarcoat things and delivers his point straightforward.
"Okay, fine! You are! I don't think you're up for the kind of dangers I have to face! And what happened before proves that!" Upon hearing those words, Tails began to stand up and raised his voice even more, terribly disappointed at Sonic's view of him and his decision.
"Oh, now you're saying that!? Just now!? After all these years I've spent fighting by your side!? What else do I need to do to prove that I'm capable, huh!?" Then Sonic began to stand up and raise his voice as well, carried away by Tails' angry tone.
"YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO PROVE! You're done, Tails! I don't need your help anymore!"
Tails gasped and was taken back at Sonic's last remarks. His voice begins to soften as tears start to appear in the corner of his eyes.
"…oh. S-so, you don't… n-need me, then?" Tails asked as he angrily looked away from Sonic who kneeled down in front of him and placed his hand on Tails' shoulder, trying to comfort him. Sonic then lets out another sigh.
"Look, this has to be done, alright? I'm sorry. It's for the best." But as Sonic said that, Tails began to violently brush off Sonic's hand from his shoulder.
"AS IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S BEST!" Tails yelled as he makes a run for his (and Sonic's room) upstairs, covering his watery eyes with his elbows.
"Tails! Wait!" Sonic said as he caught up to him, but was too late as Tails had already locked the door. Sonic then knocked on the door, begging Tails to open it and allow him to redeem himself.
"Tails! Bro, come on! Open up! I'm sorry, okay? Don't take it too personally!" Then, a muffled, weeping voice responded from behind the door.
"How could I not!? You just said that I'm weak, that you don't trust me, and that you don't need me anymore!" Tails said in between his sniffles as he buries his face into his pillow, causing it to absorb his tears.
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"Yeah, sure! You keep saying that to yourself!"
"Tails, bud, please! I said I'm sorry!"
"No, you're not! Leave me alone! You're not my buddy and I hate you!"
Upon hearing those 3 words, Sonic's heart shatters as if a spear was driven through it. He gives up on trying to convince Tails, heads downstairs as he hangs his head in shame and defeat, and begins to contemplate on the sofa while resting his cheeks on his palms, looking down disappointingly at the carpet. He sighs again at his self-perceived incompetence.
"Great. I messed up, just like how I messed up that last time," Sonic thought to himself, referring to that dreaded day he witnessed his younger brother nearly killed.
It was beginning to turn late. As time passes, Sonic fell asleep on the sofa while Tails slept alone in the bedroom after spending a good amount of time crying and wetting his pillow and bedsheet.
The next morning, Sonic wakes up to the smell of breakfast being made by Tails. He then walks to the kitchen to see what's cooking. Tails apparently had just finished cooking and is now sitting at the dining table, eating his breakfast.
"Morning, Tails. You're up pretty early. Whatcha havin' there?" asked Sonic as he tried to avoid going over yesterday's events but unaware that it's already 10 AM.
No response, only the sound of cutlery scraping against the plate. Sonic then walks over to the table to see over Tails' shoulder.
"Mmm… pancakes, huh? What's the occasion?" By then, Sonic noticed that there's only one plate of pancakes on the dining table. "So… where's mine?"
"Make it yourself," replied Tails in a monotone voice, without looking away from his plate.
"Aww come on, you know I'm terrible at cooking…"
Tails then suddenly smacks the dining table with both his fists, creating a loud noise that briefly shocked Sonic. He then stood up from his chair and turned around to confront Sonic about yesterday's events.
"Oh, so now you need me again, huh!? After you threw me away like some sort of trash last night and now this!?"
"Aww boy, here we go again," Sonic thought. Even after trying not to bring it up in hope that this entire ordeal would be over and everyone would put it behind them, Tails brought it up anyway. Sonic lets out a sigh before resting his palm on his face in frustration.
"Really? Are we seriously gonna start arguing over pancakes? I literally just woke up, please don't start."
"What the- are you stupid or something!? It's about what you said last night! And what does waking up have to do with any of this!? Stop acting like you're the one in the right here, because you're not, okay!?"
"Tails… I'm seriously not in the mood for this."
"I don't care! In fact, let's change the subject here: let's talk about you. What is wrong with you!? Are you worried that one day I'm going to surpass you and you become irrelevant!? Is that it!? Is that why you always keep me down by… teasing me every time I actually try and calling me names!?"
"What the- what are you talking about!? I'm worried about being replaced!? That's ridiculous! And when have I ever called you names!?"
"Don't act dumb! Pixel brain, nerd, shrimp, shorty, and the list goes on! When did you forget!?"
"Dude, I don't mean that in, like, an offensive way! That's just how I treat everyone! It's how I make friends, they're just jokes!"
"Well I don't find them very amusing! If anything, it just makes you look like a selfish jerk!"
At this point, Sonic has had enough of Tails' stubbornness. He is not about to take kindly to Tails denouncing him as a "jerk."
"What did you just call me?" Sonic raised his voice.
"You heard me! In fact, you don't just look like one, you are one! Just a jerk who only cares about himself and never about anybody else, not even his own closest friend!" Tails said, approaching Sonic in what is turning into a faceoff.
"Oh, is that what you think!? The reason I made that decision was so that I can protect you! So that you can be safe! Now tell me, how is that selfish!?"
"That's just how you see it! What you really did yesterday was casting me aside as if I was some sort of insignificant, unwanted burden!"
"STOP TWISTING IT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!" Sonic practically yelled in front of Tails' face.
"I SHOULD BE THE ONE SAYING THAT TO YOU!" Tails yelled back, causing Sonic to back off for a moment. "You know what? If you can just treat me like trash, then I should be able to do the same to you. If you don't need me, then I don't need you either. So pack your bags and get out of my house!" Tails said as he pointed towards the house's front door.
"Whoa, whoa. You're kicking me out!?"
"Did I stutter? I said get out. You're not welcome here anymore."
"No. I'm not leaving," said Sonic, arms crossed in defiance.
"Leave. Right. Now," threatened Tails.
"How about you make me then, hot shot!?" Sonic challenged Tails, shoving him away from his face.
And then, without warning nor hesitation, Tails threw a straight punch onto Sonic's nose, forcing him to take a step back as he painfully holds his nose with both hands. He winced for a moment and when he opened his eyes, Sonic noticed that his gloves are stained with blood dripping from his nose.
"There! That enough for you, huh!? Or you still need more convincing!?" Tails said, prompting a growl from Sonic as one of his fists trembled with rage.
"Grr… YOU LITTLE PUNK!"
Sonic then furiously grabs Tails' neck, slams him against the fridge, and holds his other fist up, preparing to return the favor. But after a few seconds, nothing happens. Tails remains cornered against the fridge and Sonic still has a hold on Tails' neck and his other fist still in the air, seemingly hesitant to deliver the blow that he thinks Tails very much deserves. Sonic's expression of fury slowly turns to an uncertain one. Whilst still within Sonic's chokehold, Tails taunts Sonic to carry on with it, albeit in a raspy voice.
"What's the holdup? Come on, you bully! Hit me! I can take it!"
Sonic then remembered that this was the way Metal Sonic had nearly ended Tails in that incident, and immediately decides to let go of Tails' neck.
"I… I can't do it. That would just ruin the point of all of this. Fine, I'll pack my stuff and leave."
Sonic then left the kitchen to find some tissue, roll it, and place it gently into his nose to deal with the bleeding. He then heads upstairs to fill his backpack with his spare shoes, socks, gloves, his personal hygiene equipment, and leaves Tails' house without a word.
"Well this is just great. Where the hell am I gonna go now? I guess I should ask Amy for help," thought Sonic as he reluctantly walked away from what was once his humble abode.