Author's note: It's been a long time since I've uploaded a one-shot or even been active on this website in general. Blame real life, there's been a lot going on which needed my attention. But despite that, I still love writing and reading fanfiction and when Christmas Holiday finally came upon me and gave me some time, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write a Christmas themed story!
This piece was proofread and edited by CloudyCrayon, someone I know dearly - they're not writing fanfiction (yet) but they make amazing art so I'll refer to their Tumblr where you can follow Cloudycrayonsart
Please read the semi-important author's note at the end of the story too - in the meantime though, I hope you enjoy!
Christmas Memories
After Sonic Generations, before Sonic Lost World
"Ready?! One – two – three!"
Consecutive heaving and pulling followed by grunts of muscles being strained after the countdown. Arms shook, beats of sweat fell from brows as they did their best to get it through the door. Yet the branches were too long and full and the doorway too narrow.
"It's no use!" the two tailed fox yelled from inside the home. He stopped pulling and sighed out his frustration as the hedgehogs from the other side let go as well. Tails swiped his gloved hand across his brow as he saw the older hedgehog kick the back of the tree as if he was offended.
"It has to fit," Sonic complained from the open door. A younger voice scoffed from the same area.
"Leave it to you to pick a tree too big to fit through the door," a boyish voice mocked from outside of the house. Tails couldn't keep in the snicker as he watched the older Sonic throw his hands in the air.
"I thought it would fit, okay? It's not like you weren't with me to help pick it out or anything, right?" Sonic asked while the sidekick practically heard the smirk following the statement. The older fox shook his head at their predicament as he stared at the tree comically stuffed between the doorway. The thought of it perhaps fitting through the window was quickly discarded from his mind before he looked to his left.
The younger individual next to him was standing on his toes to try and look past the tree at the hedgehogs. When he concluded he couldn't, he sighed and looked back at the fox taller than him.
Twin tails twirled lazily behind the toddler's back, a pair of white and red sneakers kept his feet dry as well as a pair of gloves adorning his hands. Dark chips of flints were staring back at the older fox. Four years separated the two of them, two mechanical geniuses, one being more experienced than the other. And with one younger incarnation of himself, came another incarnation of someone he knew very well.
"Well, what did you expect me to do?! You're taller than me!" The younger version of Sonic argued back at his older counterpart. Tails rolled his eyes at the ceiling whilst noticing the toddler next to him humming something to himself.
"We could get Knuckles?" The small one suggested carefully, his voice childish and light, something the older had outgrown.
"The last thing we need is Knux to get down here and laugh at us littler' bro," the older Sonic answered, "We can do this alright? Just one more strong pull and we got it!" The older Tails shook his head again as he took hold of a cluster of branches in front of him.
"You keep telling yourself that," he laughed as he looked at the younger fox. The toddler smiled in return from the joke as he took hold of a couple of branches as well, getting ready to pull.
"You guys ready?" The older Sonic asked as Tails put one foot in front of the other.
"We're ready!"
"Alright! One – two – three!" The fox heaved, gritted his teeth, feet pushed into the ground. He could hear the toddler next to him grunting and pulling with all the strength he had. Tails swore he heard the younger Sonic yell something about a spin dash.
A crunch of branches full of needles followed the surprised yelps and bodies stumbling as the tree flew through the door. Two behind appendages swerved and kept the older fox standing long enough for him to stop and look at the tree now occupying their living room.
He exhaled a couple of exhausted breaths as he bent down when he noticed the younger fox had been swallowed by the tree when it had loosened. Moving a cluster of branches aside he saw the toddler shaking his head while crawling out from under the tree.
"You alright little T?" The older asked as the younger made it out, got up and dusted himself off from needles.
"I'm good," he mumbled in response and looked at the tree in the living room.
Tails arched a brow in mild bewilderment. He remembered when he was younger, how excited he was for the tree to finally be inside the house. The grand pine tree that was going to be decorated with lights and colors for the most festive evening of the year. He loved the smell of it, the size of it, and most of all, he loved decorating it. Every year it had been an excited party dancing in his stomach whenever he got to put the star on top of the tree. The simple stare with unenthusiastically waving tails from the younger was odd.
"There!" Tails' thoughts were interrupted from the celebratory exclamation as he stood up again to look at the hedgehogs coming in the door. The older looked like he had just won the Chili Dog Eating Contest for the seventh year in a row as his eyes glinted with excitement.
"I said we were gonna do it!" He elbowed the light blue hedgehog next to him. Shorter quills, red sneakers with a white strip down the middle, white gloves, and black eyes were now staring back at his older incarnation.
"I guess so," he answered more or less, clearly more interested in the tree now laying on their living room floor, "Where's the stand? It can't lay here all day."
The older Tails turned around and scanned the room for the requested item. He saw the tree stand standing in the spot he'd left it before going out to cut down the tree, the exact spot they wanted the tree to be.
"It's already in place," the older fox answered as he turned to his younger self, "How about you and Sonic grab the box with decorations for the tree? Then you can get started right away!" He hoped he would spark some excitement in the toddler. The young Tails merely turned and looked at him. He bit his lip as he nodded.
"Okay," the small one answered with a sigh.
The oddness he'd felt about the younger Tails' behavior earlier now turned into downright worry. Before he had time to address it a light blue streak passed his eyes as eager feet practically teleported up the stairs to the attic.
"C'mon Tails!" The younger Sonic yelled from the second floor as he too knew the toddler was normally excited about this activity.
"Coming," was the passive response as he turned around and spun his behind appendages.
"You ready to get this bad boy standing again?" Tails turned around as he watched Sonic rub his hands together, as if preparing himself for a fight against a group of badniks.
The two instances were similar as the large tree was heavy and tall not unlike a Rexon hiding in the lava pits of Lava Reef zone. Tails' large ears flicked as he heard the younger ones open the hatch to the attic and travel upstairs while he watched the azure blue hedgehog attempt to lift the tree by himself.
"Sonic? Have you noticed anything odd about little me?" The sidekick asked as he approached and grabbed the tree by the top. As he began flying and lifted the tree while Sonic carried the bottom to the best of his ability, they moved toward the tree stand.
"Not really. Why?" Sonic asked regardless of their game of tug of war as the hedgehog placed the trunk into the base. Tails landed and crawled underneath, his tongue sticking out as he began securing the tree to the base.
"I don't know he just seems a bit… occupied or- like he's not in the mood for this," the fox explained whilst feeling the wind of Sonic running back and forth to keep the tree in place, "but he loves Christmas. I love Christmas."
The mere preparations for Christmas Eve made the fox giddy inside and butterflies swarmed around in excited pockets in his stomach. He loved walking around in Station Square and find the perfect gift for everyone, to find the old Christmas decorations from the attic, for the snow to fall and turn the Mystic Ruins into a white blanket. This was the only time of year all of his friends would get together and share stories and tales about their endeavors they had experienced throughout the year. He loved the company, the food, the gifts, the laughs, everything about it was as magical as the Chaos Emeralds themselves.
"I don't know lil' bro. He might just have a bad day. I remember you had those too."
Tails stopped what he was doing to repeat the words in his mind. He snickered as he peered over his shoulder at the dark blue veil. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing. Other than I remember a certain someone gave me a head of lettuce in my stocking last year." The fox chuckled remembering perfectly well the bewildered face painted across Sonic's face. As if someone had called him Maurice.
"That was for getting you back at wrapping my workstation in aluminum foil," Tails defended as he crawled out from under the tree. He sat back on the balls of his heels but quickly concluded the tree was more diagonal than vertical, "A little to the right."
"It was Amy's idea!" Sonic unsuccessfully reasoned as the fox crawled back under. He readjusted the tree as a thought came to mind from the mention of their shared friend.
"Speaking of Amy, when is she coming?"
"She said she would swing by the 23rd to make sure we got all the groceries we need and help us prep some stuff. I don't know how you convinced her to celebrate Christmas at our house again. You know how crazy she gets around this time of year," Sonic answered as Tails crawled out again. He gently shook his head as the tree was apparently more comfortable in its leaned position.
"A bit more to the left," he instructed, as he returned to the base and Sonic continued running around the tree. "She's not crazy Sonic, she just wants to make sure everything is perfect for Christmas Eve. She loves it just as much as I do," Tails said as he once again exited from under the branches. He smiled as he stood when the tree was perfectly standing, putting his hands on his hips, "Actually, did you get her a present yet?"
A gush of wind blew his bangs out of his face and the hedgehog stood next to him. "No, because I don't know what to give her without her reading into it," Sonic answered, as he smiled and crossed his arms over his chest, "I always know what to give me and the two yous."
Tails shrugged from the statement and smiled back at the hedgehog. "Well, they are you and me," the fox rationalized as he looked back at the tree. His stomach was warm with excitement, "I can just feel this is going to be a great Christmas this year."
The tree was perfect, tall, and dark green in color. Some of the branches had broken off but that was alright. It wasn't perfect which was exactly how he liked it. A heavy arm laid across his shoulders, startling him a little.
"Yeah of course! Everyone is coming, even Knux! It's gonna be even better than last year!" Tails smiled as blue eyes met green. The hedgehog's smile was wider as he winked. "I got two lil' bros to celebrate with!"
Suddenly the strong arm tightened, and Tails yelped as his scalp was roughened by a set of knuckles from a nuggie. The fox laughed and wiggled out quickly and elbowed the hedgehog as he rubbed his sore head.
"And yourself," the fox snickered, one which made the hedgehog laugh as well.
"Exactly!" Tails took the courtesy to roll his eyes into the ceiling and shake his head. He opened his mouth to say something else to the hedgehog when a light blue veil travelled down the stairs.
"We found it!" The younger hedgehog enthusiastically informed the room, yet arched a brow at the both of them, "but next time try not to hide it on top of a whole box of CDs. You got too much junk up there."
Tails looked over the younger hedgehog's shoulders as the younger him carried the large box of decorations down the stairs.
"Someday Little Blue*, that whole heap of junk up there is going to be yours," The older hedgehog smiled cheekily. The young hedgehog's face fell flat as he pointed at his older counterpart.
"Remind me to never collect stuff," he exclaimed yet his request fell short from the howls of laughter coming from the dark blue hedgehog.
Tails shook his head as he looked at his younger self standing at the bottom of the stairs, holding the box in his hands. He looked at it with an arched brow as if he was wondering why he was holding it in the first place.
"C'mon little me, the tree isn't going to decorate itself," the older Tails smiled, catching the attention of the younger one. He didn't answer but merely looked back with a blank stare as his tails swirled slower than normally behind him. A sigh then left him as he put the box down.
"I don't want to," he mumbled and looked at his gloves, "You guys can do it."
The statement made all three heads turn to the toddler with mixed expressions of arched brows and open mouths. A beat of silence filled the room monetarily, as all eyes fixated on the elephant in the room.
"Why not? You love decorating the tree," the light blue hedgehog asked, "c'mon, it's gonna be fun, just like last year."
Big brother mode engaged. The hedgehog smiled and moved to throw his arm across the yellow fox's shoulders. Much to the former's surprise, the latter sidestepped the action and looked at Sonic as he shook his head.
"No thanks," he said and only stared at the baffled expression his guardian gave him, "I'm gonna do something in the workshop instead."
"Tails, are you okay?" The young Sonic asked worried as he watched the youngest fox move to the basement door.
"Yes," was the fattest lie of the year. Tails could tell, observing as the youngest behind appendages were dragging on the ground, his ears tipped back. He was upset.
"You sure lil' T? We can wait a little if you're in the mood later," the older hedgehog suggested and watched as the youngest stopped at the top of the stairs to the workshop. He didn't stand there for long. His eyes were small, one hand slightly shaking.
"I won't be," he said lastly, turned and walked down the stairs.
A thickness settled in the air, as two hedgehog heads moved and looked at the older Tails for answers. It had essentially been him who had excluded himself from one of his favorite activities of the year. Yet the older was just as baffled.
Blue eyes looked at the old and worn out carboard box left behind. Scribbled black letters written by eager toddler hands read 'Tree Decorations'. Why it had turned into the most unimportant activity of the year became a worrying thought.
And hour later the box was still left behind at the bottom of the stairs.
That was the last place Tails had seen it since he had then moved into the workshop as well. The younger him had barely noticed him, fully enthralled into a device he had been working on for a couple of months. The older one tried out some questions that yielded no reasonable answer from the toddler. Leaving him be was the best option for now, it seems. Both hedgehogs had decided to run out to do some errands, leaving the foxes alone in the house. One who seemed occupied with their work while the other's mind was whirling like an uncontrollable train.
Trying to guess what was wrong was a more difficult feat than he imagined, considering he was essentially trying to understand why he himself would be upset. Nothing came to mind. The younger Tails had been fine yesterday, and this morning had been ordinary as well – it hadn't been until the two hedgehogs had arrived back with the tree his demeanor had suddenly changed. As if he had remembered he was supposed to be upset about… something.
He decided to give the toddler time to speak when he wanted. Nimble fingers worked around the complicated insides of a cooling unit for the Tornado instead, determined to figure out if this was the culprit to the sudden overheating problem the plane suffered in high altitudes. With his back to the workbench little T was working on, he couldn't see what he was doing and only swirled his ears around to listen if he hummed or mumbled something to himself.
Usually, the two of them worked together and talked each other's tails off into the small hours of the night. Working separately was as wrong as Sonic eating a salad for lunch. Yet the arrangements had been decided by the youngest and therefore the oldest picked up a screwdriver and worked by himself.
When his concentration was broken by a sharp yelp.
"Little T?" Tails called immediately, putting down his tool and swirled around.
The toddler was sitting on one of his swirling chairs while he was sucking on one of his fingers. He took it out and looked at it. The older watched as crimson color quickly dropped from his hand.
"Did you cut yourself?" Tails questioned as he walked over. The youngest hardly had time to protest as he grabbed the bleeding finger. Blood was dripping slowly but from looking at it alone he could tell it wasn't too deep.
"It's not bad," Tails looked at his younger counterpart who had muttered the sentence, his ears tipped back a little.
The older could see the immediate guilt from the tails curling around themselves and the eyes trying to look everywhere else but at him. A glance to his left revealed the item which had caused the accident.
A small utility knife with the tip glinting crimson. The frayed wires splayed on the table revealed the fox had intended to strip the wires. Tails resisted the urge to sigh and instead turned on his heel.
"Wait a second," he asked as opened a small cabinet. He picked out a small alcohol wipe and some bandages. Small accidents like these happened on occasion more so with the toddler than the tween considering their separate experiences with handling tools and welding torches. He kneeled to get in the toddler's eye height and gently grabbed the bleeding finger again.
"This'll sting a bit," the older mumbled as he had unwrapped the alcohol wipe. As he applied the wipe a sharp hiss made Tails look up at his younger counterpart.
His face contorted into pain and the tipped back ears made the older work quicker as he tried to come up with something to talk about to get the little fox's mind off the situation. When he was unwrapping the small roll of bandages, he saw the knife in his peripheral vision again.
"Why did you use the utility knife instead of the stripping pliers?" He asked calmly. Patiently awaiting an answer, he began wrapping the bandages around the small finger, his brow furrowed in concentration.
He briefly looked at his younger counterpart when he stayed silent. The toddler was biting his lip, looking at his other glove laying still in his lap.
"Cause' they're on your worktable," was the mumbled response.
Tails looked up mildly alarmed as he finished. Yet his younger self merely stared at his lap, his ears tipped back and behind appendages still against the chair. He could see the guilt on his face, his eyes a little glossy and a small furrow in his brow.
The older merely looked at him for another second and sighed without being able to stop it when he figured it out. Moving to get the stripping pliers would have initiated a conversation.
"Little T I don't know why you don't want to talk to us, but you can't keep avoiding us all day. If you want to talk then I'm here. But being quiet won't solve anything. And getting hurt doesn't help either," he said harsher than intended. The tone made the younger flinch, the ears tipping back a little more.
Small fingers rubbed the bandaged finger gently, finding it ridiculous to childishly avoid him in the manner he had done. Then he took a couple of mental step backs and reminded himself that he was sitting in front of a toddler.
The toddler version of himself was someone who wasn't sure how to solve conflict without Sonic's help and therefore avoided or defended himself against problems rather than confronted them. The older looked away as guilt filled him.
"Sorry, little me, I didn't mean to yell at you. But I'm just… confused, I think. You're not making a lot of sense right now," he explained to the best of his ability.
His words didn't change the other's demeanor. Rather the fox looked as if he wanted to merch with the chair. Tails sighed, rose to his feet and turned back to his workstation.
"Mechanic*?" The older froze and turned around upon the given nickname. Young Tails was still looking and fiddling with his gloved hands, his behind appendages still against the chair. "Why do you like Christmas so much?"
The older blinked in confusion as he tried to think ahead where the question was going. When he came up with naught, he mentally shrugged and figured the odd questions was at least a start.
"The same reasons why you like it," he smiled as he walked back to the younger. The small fox shook his head.
"No, I mean-," he paused, eyes glued to his hands. Until he sighed and finally looked up at him. "Why do you like it?" He asked, his eyes still glossy.
One of the toddler's tails rested in his lap as one anxious finger began to fiddle with the tail tip. Tails recognized the action as nervousness, as if the younger wasn't sure if he should delve into the topic. Nevertheless, the older smiled.
"Well," Tails started, as he jumped and sat on the workbench. "I like it because I get to see my friends again. I can give them presents I know they're going to love. The good food, the decorations, the hot chocolate. And the snow too." He shrugged to himself with a smile.
"Plus, Sonic is a bit more subdued when it gets colder so he likes to stay at the workshop more. I get to hang out with him more than usual," he explained with a chuckle. He looked at his younger self to see if his response has elicited any other kind of demeanor. Yet, the toddler was still biting his lip, ears turned toward the elder to listen.
"Why do you like it little T?" Young Tails' face turned to look at his older counterpart, as if he hadn't expected the question. He furrowed his brow as if he wasn't satisfied with what he was about to say.
"I'm… I'm not sure," he said, as he turned and looked at his tail again, "I like it because you like it. The stuff that you're saying... is the same reason why I like it."
The older nodded in agreement. "Then what's the issue?" He asked bewildered. Black toddler eyes turned back at him, a pair of eyes starting to fill with a kind of hurt he'd seen before.
"You're not me," he stated matter of factly, "You were once but – not anymore."
His stare was kept, making the older able to see into the depths of his eyes, the soul of someone who he indeed had once been. A toddler, a young fox who had the whole world ahead of him. A world he'd been afraid of.
"The stuff you like. I can't like them yet because I haven't done them yet," Tails elaborated and looked away again.
Older Tails blinked when the intense stare broke off, as if what he'd said was explanation enough. Yet it still didn't make sense – why should he be upset about that fact?
"Okay," he said when nothing better came out of his mouth, "But you're here, with us now. We might share the same things which makes Christmas a great time of year for us. But that doesn't make them any less real for you. We're still the same person."
"That's my point," the younger said sharply.
The younger squeezed his tail hard enough for his own to start prickling. The black eyes returned to his ocean blue. They were glossier than last time.
"When you were younger… when you were me. There weren't a lot of things which made Christmas great," he said. And sighed deep enough for the older to tip his ears back a little.
He knew what he was talking about. His first couple of Christmases hadn't been warm living rooms and comfy blankets and steaming mugs with hot chocolate. It had been biting wind, snow and rain soaking him to the bone, hands and legs shaking, a gaping hole in his stomach. He'd seen the lights from town, yet he had been forced to live in the darkness. He'd seen people running around, laughing, and talking, having wrapped packages in their hands yet all he had was a dusty old cave with his lonely self.
The thoughts alone made a shiver go down his spine as a wave of empathy washed over him toward his younger self. Those memories were clearer in his mind.
The older picked up the toddler and placed him in his lap. He relaxed minutely, he could tell, from the slumping shoulders and the deep sigh. His head leaned against the older's shoulder, the position being familiar from whenever Sonic had done the same thing.
The older Tails took a minute to look at his younger self's eyes as he still saw the enormous amount of hurt in them. The memories which were still there.
"T, where did all of this come from?" He asked still confused. Still wondering why he had taken himself back to a time none of them wanted to remember.
The younger fox bit his lip at the question as the tail he'd been fiddling with curled around himself instead.
"I had a nightmare last night. The same kind you've had before," a wave of understanding overcame the older then. He'd taken himself back to a time he didn't want to remember because he hadn't had a choice. Tails laid an arm across his younger counterpart and gently pushed him closer to himself. It elicited a sniffle.
"I… I don't remember much but I know it was Christmas Eve. And it was cold, and I was freezing a lot," he began explaining as his small body shook a little, "I was looking through a window. And I could see a family. Two moms, a brother, and a sister. They were sitting around a Christmas tree. It was beautiful."
He choked on the last word, his eyes squeezed shut for a moment. Tails let him take his time as he knew exactly how he was feeling.
"But when they saw me, one of the moms opened the window and threw something at me. I ran away," he continued, as his eyes opened again with unshed tears, "I don't remember much else but the cold and the hunger… I -"
"It's okay," the older interrupted, as he began rubbing the younger's arm, "you don't have to say anymore. I know."
Similar nightmares had plagued his younger mind as well. Nightmares of past bullies, cold dark nights, and an endless hunger which was never satisfied. His hurting limbs, his emaciated exterior. There had only been one cure to his dreams.
"Did you tell Sonic about it?" The older asked whilst swallowing a lump in his throat. He looked down at his younger counterpart, yet he was shaking his head.
"He wouldn't understand," he said, and looked up at his older self, "you know he wouldn't."
Tails kept looking at the black chips of flint, the unshed tears in the corner of his eyes. Then it began to make sense.
Sonic knew how to comfort. He knew how to pick him up and hug him until the nightmares weren't as bad anymore or until the storm was gone. He knew how to soothe him and tell him he would always be there for him. But Sonic couldn't understand. He couldn't relate. Tails was the only one who could relate. He knew what his younger self was feeling, he knew what kind of pain he had gone through. What he partially was still going through.
The reluctance to talk to any of them all day had come from a place of unsureness. He hadn't needed reassuring words; he had needed someone to understand. And his older self had been the best option.
"Then what does you liking Christmas have to do with your nightmare?" The older asked to connect the dots. To get to the bottom of it. The question made the toddler's lip wobble, as he closed his eyes.
"Mechanic," he hitched and looked back as teardrops fell from his cheeks, "you've shown me what Christmas is. What it's about, what I'm going to like about it. But all I know is that it's cold and awful. How can I be sure this is going to be my future? What if I don't get to have this? What if I don't get to have a Christmas tree, and presents, and food, and…" he couldn't talk anymore as he was choking on his own words, hitching for a breath.
The older was quick to react as he laid his both arms across his younger counterpart, pushing him gently to his chest, resting his chin on top of the other. He could feel the shaking body, the fingers which painfully curled around his fur as he let out the pain he was feeling.
Tails let him as he swallowed another lump in his throat, knowing well what he was feeling. He shushed him gently, rubbing his back just like how Sonic did, seeing the tears which fell.
As time became nothing, as two foxes of the same person shared memories of a time filled with sorrow, memories which would never become less painful, one could understand more than the other. One knew these memories, these experiences, were only that – experiences. They wouldn't be repeated.
"Little T?" Tails carefully asked after a bit, rubbing his back, "Do you remember the first Christmas you had with Sonic?"
The younger didn't say anything at first. His crying had slowed yet wasn't resolved. After another minute he hiccupped, his breath still shaking as he was trying to control his tears. Nevertheless, he nodded.
"Yes," he said choked, as he leaned back to wipe his muzzle from tears.
"What happened?" The older fox leaned back to look at his younger self's face.
His cheeks, chin, and muzzle were wet from water and salt, his eyes glossy and slightly puffy. Yet his brow was slightly furrowed as he leaned his head back against Tails' chest.
"He… he took me to a diner for breakfast. Then we went out and had a snowball fight. We went to a store, and he gave me some money and told me to find something for him while he found something for me. Then – then we had dinner, and we went out to the square in Metropolis. There were a lot of Christmas lights and a huge tree in the middle. We sat down on a bench, and he gave me a new pair of shoes and I gave him an action figure of himself," he told slowly, hitching for a breath.
The older nodded as he recalled the same thing. The brand-new shoes, red and white, with an intact sole and friction resistant polymer so he could keep up with the fastest thing alive. The beautiful lights which hung from building to building, a choir singing Christmas songs in the corner, a vendor closing for the evening so he could make it home in time to celebrate the evening with his family. He remembered Sonic's smiling face and glinting eyes, for once sitting still and enjoying the moment.
"I remember that too. I don't think he liked our present very much," the older Tails smiled.
Back then Sonic had tried to hide it to the best of his ability yet the irk in his face had been visible for two seconds as the little fox hadn't realized that getting something which looked like oneself was less than comfortable. Below him, the toddler giggled.
"Me neither," he agreed, as he leaned back to clean his face of tears once again. The older was still smiling from the memory, as he had made sure to give Sonic a better gift the year after.
"My point is little me," Tails said as he cleared his throat and leaned back a little to look him in the eye, "I understand what you felt when I was the same age as you. I remember the same things. But – all of that doesn't matter when you get older. Because Sonic will always be there for us. He'll never leave our side and he'll do the best he can for every Christmas Eve. Just like how we tried to do our best for him."
He knew his words didn't remove the pain; they didn't replace the memories which would haunt the younger's mind for longer than he had wanted. Therefore, he shared what had made every Christmas Eve better than the year before. The fact that he had finally had the warmth he had wanted, a filled stomach, someone to talk to.
"How can I be sure Mechanic?" Tails blinked from the question.
He looked down at his young self as another set of tears fell from his face. He opened his mouth despite not knowing what to say. The front door from upstairs clashed open, breaking their eye contact.
"Hey! Anyone home?" That was the younger Sonic yelling. Little Tails whipped his head around at the voice, the older following suit when a light blue veil entered the workshop.
"Eey, someone was home! How-" the little hedgehog had stopped somewhere in the middle of the workshop when he saw the youngest fox's face, "Tails? Are you okay? What's going on?"
Two sets of black eyes then averted to him as the toddler didn't want to elaborate and the older kid was searching for answers for why his younger brother was upset. The tween looked between the both of them as he tried to mentally search for an answer. Then an idea came to mind.
"Sonic," he smiled, as he plopped his younger self back into the swirling chair, "I think little T deserves to open one of the gifts you have for him. You know, the one you came up with by yourself."
Confusion came over the light blue hedgehog, his head tilted a little to the side. Big curious eyes from the younger fox set on his older counterpart as the latter was smiling.
"I'll tell you what's going on. Just go get the present," he ushered, waving a placating hand in his direction. Sonic placed his hands on his hips as if he wanted to ask further questions, his eyes still set on the tears the toddler was trying to wipe away. His face softened and he looked back at the older who was nodding in reassurance.
"Okay. If you say so," he agreed, before he disappeared back up the stairs.
Tails' ears flicked when he could hear two hedgehogs exchanging a few words, a couple of questions, before he looked at his younger self. Sadness had been replaced with confusion, his mouth opening to most likely ask what the older had planned. Then Sonic came back.
The youngest' eyes widened from the small gift in his brother's hands. A gift wrapped in yellow with a large red fabric bow. Sonic gave another glance to the older fox before he handed it to the younger. Tails gingerly took the carefully wrapped present in his hands, looking up for approval firstly, before he gently pulled it apart. The bow fell to the floor and the wrapping paper was slowly pulled apart.
The little fox's eyes grew wide when a small brown box remained in his lap. Carefully, he picked it up and wiggled off the lid. His face lit up, all remnants of tears and sadness disappeared in the same moment.
Inside was a small screwdriver. Carefully, he picked it up and inspected it. The handle was yellow, the metal glinted in the light. The older Tails smiled at the gift, as he nudged his counterpart to gain his attention. When black curious eyes looked at him, one large fox tail slithered around Mechanic's hip as one hand went searching for something inside his fur.
Little T's eyes grew wider when the exact same screwdriver was in his counterpart's hand. A little used and a little scratched but it was the same.
In the same moment, more tears came to the toddler's eyes, as he put the screwdriver on the worktable and lunged himself at Sonic. The hedgehog barely caught the fox in his arms and didn't get the chance to say or ask anything when he began sniffling again.
"Hey, hey – what's this about?" The big brother asked soothingly and began rubbing circles into the toddler's back.
The fox didn't answer, far too busy squeezing the life out of the hedgehog who merely stood and let him. Black worried eyes searched the older of the two for answers. Tails smiled sympathetically.
"The short version: He was afraid to lose you," he explained calmly.
The hedgehog blinked as he tried to put the pieces together. He looked at the two screwdrivers on the table and back at the toddler in his arms. If he had figured out what had happened became his secret as all he did was smile and hug the toddler tighter.
"Aw Tails," he sighed, "you know I would never leave you."
This elicited another bout of happy tears from the younger, a tightening of the hug, a tightening of the promise to stay.
"I know. Thank you, Sonic," Tails said choked and hitched for a breath.
The older watched with a smile, knowing well what his younger self was feeling, what such a hug did for him. Another moment passed before the youngest pulled back a little and cleaned his face off tears and one hedgehog hand came to aid him.
"Well," Sonic smiled, as he moved the fox to rest on his hip, "Are you now ready to go decorate the tree?" His brow was ached as the youngest removed the last tears from his face, black eyes looking back at his brother. He lit up then, eyes wide, mouth agape.
"Yes! You didn't start without me, did you?" He asked suspiciously, arching his own brow in fake mockery. The hedgehog chuckled and winked in response.
"Nope – but if you're not fast enough then I will!" He challenged; his smirk wider than Eggman's mustache.
The comment made the toddler wiggle out of the embrace, stumbling to the floor and ran up the stairs. The light blue hedgehog laughed as he sprinted up as well. The last one to laugh was the oldest fox as he jumped down from the worktable. He picked up his screwdriver and hid it back in his tail before moving up the stairs as well.
As he stood on the upper landing in the kitchen, he looked through the open door to the living room where he saw his younger self pick up the box with decorations to put it closer to the tree. The young Sonic and Tails were arguing which decorations to use as they piled them out on the floor while deciding.
"What kind of wizardry tricks did you do to make him happy again?" Tails turned around to look at the older hedgehog. Sonic walked away from the groceries he had been putting away to stand beside his sidekick, arms crossed over his chest. Green eyes shone with happiness, glinting with pride. Tails smiled.
"I told him you would never leave me," he said. The comment made Sonic curiously look at his little brother, yet the fox was only smiling, his blue eyes wide with joy. The azure hedgehog smiled back and threw his arm over his sidekick's shoulders, a one-armed hug.
"You're right about that bud," he agreed, and squeezed slightly. Tails smile only widened as he looked back at the living room.
He watched as their two younger selves began decorating the tree, various ornaments and lights were put on different branches. Ornaments they – themselves – had bought and made throughout the years they had known one another.
One holiday after the next, one Christmas after the next. Moments they looked forward to spending with one another.
The time for family.
*Note: The nicknames 'Mechanic' and 'Little Blue' was borrowed from the amazing author Hikareh. They've written the most amazing longfic named 'The Genesis of Generation'. Hikareh was the one who inspired me to write and upload fanfiction in the first place. I highly recommend that you go ahead ad check it out, it's a story about the modern and classic versions of Sonic and Tails. It's such an amazing story, you won't regret it!
Author's note: Hello, hi, bonjour, I'm not dead :D - as explained above I've just been busy with some real life stuff, but it's good stuff which has happened. If there's anyone here who's worrying about the progress for WRIIC (World Restored in Imbalanced Chaos) then fear not, I am working on it. I may not write on it every day but be sure that I think about it every single day. I understand if anyone might've been afraid that I've moved on from it but rest assured that is not the case. I promise that if it ever gets on a hiatus, I'll let you know. But I can't see that happening any time soon. Planning, writing, and editing is in progress :)
That's all I wanted to say, other than I hope you all have a very Mery Christmas and a happy New Years! :D