Hey everyone! It's time for another update here! I've got a handful of reviews so let's get started!
Obliviblur: Yeah, the chapter was a bit odd, but I'm glad you liked it! We'll have to see just how severe Tails' memory loss is and how his condition improves!
Wedgely: Considering the circumstances, I'd say he is pulling something out of nothing. The group doesn't have anything they would need to properly deal with this so they're improvising with what they do have!
SuperNaturalSonicFan: I'm glad you like it, I wanted to try a different tone from how my stories usually go and it's been turning out great so far!
Sonicfanandotherstuff: He's certain to be confused, especially with what's happened recently!
SuperTailsFan0812: It's certainly not the expected outcome, but he's not dead! So that's always a bonus!
Let's get going!
Waves
Void
"Who are you guys?"
None of the Freedom Fighters knew how much that sentence could hurt right now, especially accompanied with the confused look on the kit's face.
"W- We're your friends Tails." Sonic responded, "Come on, you remember me, right?"
The kit seemed to rack his brain but still came up blank, Sonic didn't need a response, as the stare he was given by the kit answered his question enough. The hedgehog burst into tears and dashed out of the room, leaving a very somber tone in his wake.
"I'll go get him," Sally began, chasing after the hedgehog. Bunnie seemed to be a bit more accepting of what had happened, and began to introduce the remaining team members.
"Tails, this is Rotor, Antoine, and my name's Bunnie. Do you remember any of that?"
"N- No… There's not much there, which is weird because it feels like there should be…"
Rotor mused over his response, trying to come up with his own theory as to what had happened to the fox's memories.
"That's ok," Bunnie continued. "What do you remember?"
"I remember… My name… This room, though I don't know how I got here… And I have some memories of pain, just pain."
"Well, that's a start. I promise, we'll help you get your memories back. Rotor, what you thinking?"
"I've got a theory," The walrus responded. "Mind you I'm not a professional here, but I might know how to fix this. When Tails had his episode just barely, he couldn't breath. That was one thing in particular I noticed, it's possible that the lack of oxygen intake messed with his brain and as a result, skewed his memories."
"What are ya suggesting?"
"I'm saying that the memories are still there, we just need to… Jog his mind a bit."
"You- You're not going to h- hurt me are you?" The kitsune asked, curling up with his namesakes defensively in front of him.
"No, No! Tails it's alright, we're not going to hurt you?"
"T- Then what's with all the b- blood?"
Bunnie mulled the question over in her head, she had to admit, waking up in a room surrounded by blood and people you don't know, all while not understanding how you got there has got to be a bit suspicious. "Here, let me show you."
Before she could do anything however, the kitsune flinched backward. "J- Just stay away!" He responded, flattening his ears to his head.
"Hun, I'm not going to hurt ya. I just want to explain."
The quivering kutsune slowly seemed to relax and eventually allowed Bunnie near him, though he kept a very close eye on her.
Bunnie gently unwrapped the kitsune's chest, exposing his injuries. "We tried to help you, you got hurt, really hurt, and we tried to save your life. We did, but apparently you lost your memories somewhere along there, we'll help you get them back!"
"A- Alright… Where do we start?"
-X-
Sonic meanwhile, was having an emotional breakdown. While normally he was rather good at controlling his emotions, the fact that his little brother didn't even recognize him had broke everything. As he sat in the briefing room, his head in his hands, he became aware of a set of footsteps approaching behind him. "Go away…"
"Sonic," He heard the voice of Sally begin. "I know this has got to be hard on you."
"Hard on me? Tails was my family! Now he doesn't even recognize me! Do you have any idea how much that hurts? The time we had spent together vanished just like that? All because I was stupid and couldn't wait until he was better?"
Sally was somewhat taken aback by the hedgehog's statements. "Sonic, this isn't your fault."
"Yes it is! This is all my fault, I didn't listen to you, I knew I shouldn't have been that rough with him. But I still was, and look where that got me! I lost my brother! I promised that I wouldn't let him get hurt, and I was the one that made this happen! I should never have let him go on his own! I wasn't there for him!"
Sally sat down next to him, placing her arm around his shoulder. The two didn't talk for a while, with the only sound being that of Sonic's quiet sobs. After some time had passed, Sally spoke again. "I can't even imagine what you're going through right now Sonic. I know Tails meant a lot to you, but this isn't your fault. It's because of Robotnik that he's like this. If anything blame him, or blame the rest of us for not being able to help more. But this is anything but your fault, you were just doing what you thought was best for Tails, and I can't blame you for that. He's a tough kid, he'll pull through one way or another."
Sonic's emotions seemed to settle down, and the hedgehog's stern exterior started to come back into place. "Thanks Sal… I really needed that right now."
"I get it, you're just concerned. The rest of us are too Tails means a lot to me as well. He reminds me of myself when I was a kid, before Robotnik that is… I don't think any of us meant to let this happen. But we just have to accept that it did, and make the most of it."
"See Sal, this is why you're in charge." Sonic remarked, a slight smile appearing on his face.
"You good?"
"Yeah."
"Say it."
Sonic rolled his eyes in amusement, "I'm good Sal."
"You ready to head back?"
"I think so."
The two stood up and returned to the infirmary, there they found Bunnie trying her best to talk to an obviously frightened kitsune. The fox flinched backward as the two of the entered the room, and his heart rate noticeably increased. The pulsing noise that accompanied his pulse increasing in speed and intensity.
"Tails, they're friends," Bunnie told him. "They're not going to hurt you."
The kit looked at the two newcomers curiously as Sonic made his way over to the side of the infirmary bed. "We figured out what's up with him?"
"Well, we have a theory." Rotor responded.
"What's that?"
"Now I'm not a professional, so this is just a guess. But when he passed out, Tails was without oxygen for about three minutes. Because of that, his brain wasn't getting enough oxygen and it started to shut off. Now that he can breath however, the effects of that shut down are apparent. I'm hoping his memories are still there in some capacity, maybe we could restore them."
"Any ideas how that would work?" Sally asked.
"Well," Antoine began. "The thought it we would need to jog his memory. Somehow bring up the lost ones."
Sonic contemplated what they were saying, suddenly and idea popped into his head. "How, stable is he?"
"He should be fine. Why?" Bunnie responded.
"Could we unhook him, I've got an idea."
"Are you insane!? Absolutely not!" Rotor replied, anger tinting his voice. "Saying he's stable and fine to get around are two very different things. Having him out of here is a risk I'm not willing to take!"
By now, the kitsune in question was somewhat terrified. Trembling as he hid behind his namesakes. He allowed Bunnie to gently console him as the two continued.
"What do you mean!? He looks healthy! Sure he lost his memories, but the only way they're going to come back is if we let them!"
"And what if it doesn't work!? I'm not a professional on this! It's just what I think could help, there's a chance they'll just come back on their own, have you considered that!?"
"I have Rotor, and there's no reason for us to sit around doing nothing!"
"What if it doesn't work? We have to consider that, if it doesn't work, you'll be risking his life for nothing!"
"I know it'll work Rotor! It… It has to…"
Rotor sighed, "I'm sorry, it's not happening, not anytime soon."
The Freedom Fighters that had assembled almost swore they could have seen the pure contempt in Sonic's eyes as he stormed out of the room.
The walrus sighed after a short silence, "You know I didn't want to do that Sally, right?"
"I do, I agree. Tails isn't going to get better as fast as he can run. I think the best we can hope for now is that he understands that too."
"Even then, I'm still not sure I trust him. You know how Sonic is! He's probably planning to sneak him out of here right now."
"So we don't let him. We'll take night shifts. I'll start, maybe I can get him to remember something while I'm at it."
"You're certainly welcome to try."
Alright everyone, slightly shorter chapter then usual today, but that's because I simply needed it to end off here for a reason! Let me know you thoughts! Until next time!