First thing: Yes, we purposefully did not leave any comments last chapter. It was very difficult for me to do, because I loved all of the reviews, but we thought it was a fun way to… well, torture y'all a little more than usual. I think Halo may be rubbing off on me… Sorry.

Second thing, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year (albeit late).

So I am going to try and answer all the reviews. Or at least part of them.

CHAPTER-BEFORE-LAST'S REVIEWS:

SharpDragonKlaw: Get used to the feeling of excitement and dread. It comes up a lot.

StarlightSparks: Glad we could help out! Power outages are not fun. At all. It gets cold and there is no good food to have (of course I like tuna fish sandwiches, but they get old after a little while). Plus it is boring. ...You eat tuna fish sandwiches during blackouts?... Heck, you EAT TUNA FISH? What's wrong with tuna fish? I like those sandwiches, but blackouts sorta have made them less appetizing to me…. Better question: why are we talking about this?

IcyPinkFlower: LOL. My parents do that too. I'm shocked they haven't sent me to a counselor. Yet. Oh, cliffhangers are evil. But they are also my friends. (; Sorry.

MeowthKitty: *cackling laughter* Oh my goodness, where did that come from? Halo! I think I'm becoming you! Knock it off!

MelGamingPlays: Not next week. Sorry. Breaks are apparently not a good time for Halo and I to type or something.

Quantum27: *Robot voice* Tension building up… reaching dangerously high levels…

Shapeshifter 27: I don't watch that show. Never really been into the whole, undead phase. I like kid shows, for some reason… Although Psych is awesome and I'll watch Doctor Who every once in awhile. Dang.

ultimateCCC: That is one way of putting it.

NeckBreak: Aw, thanks. No, Rin doesn't really like magic. That may be explored later… but maybe not.

Megaman07: Gosh darn it, why? Because why not? And I suppose that scrap did get real.

juancastri111: Hello old friend! How was your trip? It sounds like a lot of fun. Yeah… Sonic is a jerk and I don't think he is completely excused for his crap, but hey. Storytelling. And hey, I love Tails too (honestly, I am so mad at SEGA for what they've done to him in the most recent games. GIVE THE KID SOME FIGHT IN HIM HONESTLY SEGA IT ISN'T THAT HARD.) Hope you arrive home safely and hope to hear from you soon. Enjoy the rest of your trip (unless it is already over by the time you read this… oh, well. It is the thought that counts).

Autumn: Cliffhanger is the most popular word in these reviews. It makes me laugh.

Guest #1: LOL.

Zosonils: LOL. That was funny. Sorry. Sonic didn't get a hug. Nor will he get one for… a really, really, really long time. IF he gets one. Running out of noodles is no laughing matter. Noodles are important for delicious Alfredo and Mac'n'Cheese (but yeah. I don't think I'd cry over it unless I was also really tired). I forgot about the Game Night chapter. Okay, so I didn't forget about it, but… ya know.

Faso: Aw, thanks. Reviews make me smile and knowing I'm doing something right (or wrong, as the case may be. Of course flaming doesn't help anyone so constructive criticism is my favorite form of criticism). Knights of the Old Republic? Ugh! I need to play that. I have heard wonderful things about it and haven't been able to try it out. Yet. I'll get there. Rewriting the prequels? Good luck. Try and improve them! (I… don't… like… AotC… Ugh… Why…?) Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like it. I also love how Rin is on the list. I mean, she's not even cannon. I didn't even think people liked her that much. Late Merry Christmas! I also enjoyed The Last Jedi (and I agree. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. Quit whining everyone.), but I would have to say my favorite is Return of the Jedi. And favorite game? Um… Either Star Wars Unleashed or The Clone Wars games (what? I'm not a huge gamer). But I do love what I have been able to play of Battlefront (not the new ones, haven't had the chance to try them, but the old ones).

Guest #2: Both stories? Holy Chaos… I am so glad you liked them. Hope you continue to like them.

HOLY CHAOS WE ARE HALFWAY THERE. My fingers hurt….

LAST CHAPTER'S REVIEWS:

IcyPinkFlower: Yay! Killing cliffhangers! Shadow's fine… for now. The GUN hospitals know what they're doing. Dark is terrifying. And Tails needs a hug.

Shapeshifter 14: Shadow knows everything. And I mean, everything. But no one else does (well, except for Halo and me. We know even more).

Autumn: We are now going to come down from the intensity just a little.

ultimateCCC: Shadow, meet Dark. He's your doom. Pikachu!

MeowthKitty: Intensity levels will now drop. For this chapter, at least.

SharpDragonKlaw: Yes. Yes they are.

Megaman07: Um… *looks at Dark* Halo can hug him. I'm staying on the opposite side of the world.

MelGamingPlays: This chapter was almost done after the last one was posted so I can happily say, "Quick update succeeded!"

StarlightSparks: Dark will come forward into the light! …..At some point or another. Happy New Year to you too!

Faso: My Mum doesn't read any of the stuff I post. And the action scenes… oh gosh, I just- ugh… I'm working on my own original works and will hopefully publish it someday! And when I do, if you come across it, you will probably figure it out (if it is a certain book series…) Halo likes Gravity Falls too, so I'm going to go hide while she has a little freak out from pure joy.

Guest: Alright, deep breath in… and then out… Don't die on us over here. You have a life to live and enjoy! And I don't think I want 'accidentally killed someone via hyperventilating' on my resume…

Hawkfeather: Yep! Everyone take cover! Depends on your definition of 'okay'. My definition: no. They are not going to be okay. Not for a long time… (*due to Havoc hacking into our story and attempting to change dialogue and insert weirdness that did not help the story in anyway, shape, or form, he has been banned from accessing this story in anyway, shape, and form… like that'll stop him*)

Okay, NOW we can start. Onward!

Sonia's POV:

I was still in shock.

How could Maurice- how could my brother- do something like this? It shouldn't even have been a possibility! I knew something was wrong; something had to be wrong.

But what?

I was sitting in Tails' cluttered living room, hardly aware of my surroundings. From what I had heard, Tails hadn't left his room in days; not for food, not for water, and certainly not to see anyone. Amy and Knuckles had been staying over with him since we had been forced away from the GUN hospital almost a week ago. Manic and I had parked the van at the end of the street; I guess none of us felt like being alone would do any good.

Manic was watching TV in the other room, but based on his lack of commentary, he wasn't really paying attention; With how absentminded everyone else had been lately, I couldn't say I blamed him.

Suddenly, the loneliness of it all started to bother me. I wanted to talk to someone- maybe Knuckles?... But he was out somewhere, and I had no clue when he'd be back. Tails wasn't speaking to anyone, and Amy… I didn't really know her that well. I wasn't even sure if she liked me.

I'd go talk with Manic. The noise from the TV was starting to drive me crazy anyway.

Slowly, I got up and trudged towards the kitchen, knowing that the other room was through there. The kitchen wasn't exactly the cleanest of spaces, with dishes piled up in the sink and a strange smell coming from the fridge, but it didn't matter to me as much as it normally would have. It just didn't seem important, not compared to everything else that had been going down.

Suddenly, another person burst in through the other door, nearly ramming into me. I stepped aside just in time, narrowly avoiding Amy spilling hot tea over me. I guess my powers were running a little slower than usual.

"Oh my Chaos, I'm so sorry!" cried Amy. "You startled me!" She snatched up a cloth from the counter and began to wipe up the tea off the floor.

"Sorry." I gave a shy smile before bending down to help clean up. "Who was the tea for?"

Amy looked up before speaking, a little hesitant at first. "Well… It was for Tails, but he wouldn't talk to me anyway. He wouldn't even open the door."

"How… how is he doing?"

She sighed. "As well as anyone expects." We finished mopping up the tea and I picked up the tea kettle to take to the sink. Amy followed me over, snatching the kettle out of my hand and starting to scrub it. I hesitated for a moment before grabbing a plate and helping her. Cleaning up this kitchen was as good an activity as any.

Amy was silent for a moment before hesitantly asking, "Do you know about… y'know."

"Know what?"

"Sonic adopting Tails," Amy finished. Her eyes widened and she quickly clarified, "As a brother, I mean! Not like a… a kid, or anything, that would be so weird-"

I almost laughed. "I know what you mean. Yeah, I know. What about it?"

"Well," Amy began, "Is it… weird?"

I thought about it for a moment before answering. "Kind of. I mean, it's always been the two of- three of us. I never thought I'd have another… brother." I cringed at that thought, "Ugh, why couldn't I have a sister for once in my life."

Amy chuckled softly, "Try being an only child."

"I did. Wasn't really my thing." I smiled, "Uncle Chuck usually pretended I didn't exist."

"Oh, I am so jealous!" Amy grabbed a towel and began to dry the dishes I had already cleaned. "My parents practically lived to control my every move. School, extracurriculars, what I wore, what I read… well, you get the idea." She shrugged, "Don't get me wrong. I love them and all but…"

"It's your life?" I frowned as an especially filthy dish was pulled up from the bottom of the sink.

"Exactly." Amy put away two plates in a cupboard before returning to the sink. We worked in silence for a moment.

"Can you… can you tell me about Maurice?" I asked, a little timid. "I mean, Sonic."

Amy frowned at the question. "He's your brother, isn't he?"

"Well, yes, but-" I put a cup down in front of her to dry. "I haven't seen him since I was six and the only thing I really know about him is that he's fast, the hero of Mobius, and is currently… MIA."

Amy thought about it for a moment. "I see your point." She finished up her final dishes before asking her next question. "What do you want to know?"

"Um…" I hadn't really thought about it until now. "What is he like… personality wise?"

Amy answered slowly. "Well… he's nice. Really nice. He'll do literally anything to keep his friends safe. And I mean anything. He once dove into the ocean to save my life, even when he couldn't swim. That was a bad day..."

"Well at least that hasn't changed." I smiled before motioning at Amy to continue.

"He's really brave. He won't back down for anything, ever. Super competitive type, y'know? And really fun, even in the middle of battles. But he isn't afraid of hard work either. When it comes down to it, he'll work hard if we need him to. Otherwise, he's a total free spirit." At this point, Amy was grinning dreamily and staring off into space, hardly noticing that she had been drying the same dish for five minutes.

Suddenly, her expression slid off and she grew quiet. "But… I don't know," she said sadly. "I kind of always guessed that he was hiding some other part of himself from us. He never showed it that often, but sometimes on holidays or game nights or when we were all together, he'd get quiet. Like it was the last day of his life or something." Amy frowned, "He likes to live in the moment when he can. Yeah, he loves his speed and he's not always around, but he really cares about us. He wouldn't stick around if he didn't."

She fell silent and we both continued working at the dish pile for a few minutes, each wrapped up in our own thoughts and memories.

"Were you…" I began slowly, "Did you… I mean, it isn't my business or anything but were you… and my brother… like, friends, or…?

Amy blushed bright red, "We… we were just friends. I mean, yeah, we went on one or two dates, but Sonic is pretty free-willed. And he was never really into the whole dating thing."

"But you like him." I scrubbed at a pan, "Right?"

Amy was now blushing furiously as she dried a plate and I hid a smile. "Well, um… I notice you and Knuckles are getting along again!"

I almost rolled my eyes, but decided to let it go. Honestly, I was just curious. I hadn't seen Maurice in over eleven years. I had no right to tell him who he could and couldn't date. "I suppose so, but he's, uh… 'dating' Rouge, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure she hates my guts."

Amy patted my arm gently, "She does. Don't take this the wrong way, but Rouge has kind of had a thing for Knuckles since they first met. She's liked him since day one, but Knuckles is well, Knuckles. I was actually really surprised when I found out he had a girlfriend at all. Just… take it easy on her. She never mentions it, but I know that the kinds of guys who pay her any real attention are…"

"My brother?"

Amy laughed, "Yeah, that's the nice way of saying it. How did that happen anyway?"

I shrugged, "I think Manic tried to steal from her awhile back and she beat him to a pulp. He thought it was hot or something."

"Sounds like Rouge." Amy frowned, "I feel like it's more than that though."

"Probably." I placed another bowl in front of her growing pile of wet dishes, "But Manic doesn't tell me everything. And honestly, I really don't want to know everything, especially the parts about his… criminal tendencies."

"Well, there's one thing the two have in common." Amy threw a handful of silverware in a drawer. "I can't trust that girl within fifty feet of my jewelry box, although, I probably don't have anything she would even want. My GUN salary couldn't even begin to cover her type of obsession."

"Manic hates jewels." I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand. How many dishes could two boys dirty anway?

"Really? Why?"

"Something to do with Chaos Emeralds. He gets all antsy whenever I bring it up," My grip on a glass tightened slightly, and I had to stop myself from shattering it. "Can't say I blame him."

Amy looked surprised. "Why's that?"

I threw the sponge in the sink, more than a little angry. "I don't know how or why, but I have a feeling that this situation with Sonic and Shadow is partially my fault." I growled, "I wanted to take that blasted emerald out of the cave and Manic said he had a bad feeling about it and I didn't listen. Now that," I banged my fist against the counter, "-blasted emerald has done something to Maurice. I just know it!"

Amy waited patiently for me to calm down, slowly drying a plate. Then she replied to my concerns, "You can't blame yourself. Sonic wouldn't let you. The thing is, we don't know what's going on right now and playing the blame game isn't going to help anyone. All of us are feeling guilty." She put the last dish away, turning to face me, her expression stoic. "For now, let's figure out the real problem and fix that. Okay?"

I felt some of the tension drain out of my body. "... Alright."

We stayed quiet for a second before Amy put on a forced smile, "Alright. It's been three days since anyone has had a proper meal. Want to help make some waffles?"

I managed to smile back, but only barely. "I would love to."

XXX

Manic's POV:

You what gets on my nerves? Reality TV.

There is no story. The characters are your average set of greedy schmucks that represent the worst that society has to offer. Excuse me if I don't find the prospect of Betty and Jeremy's secret relationship particularly riveting.

The channel shifted to some annoying gum commercial, and I didn't bother to suppress my groan. This stunk.

I needed something new. And I mean new. Sonia and Amy had been chatting in the kitchen for the past half an hour, and it had gotten boring eavesdropping on them after a while. Knuckles and Rouge were out doing Chaos knows what, and there was no way I was going to visit Captain Comatose. Maurice was probably possessed, so that left-

-Tails.

How was I supposed to deal with that kid? He had literally barricaded himself in his room since we got here and hadn't said a word to anyone since. I had passed by his room a couple times, and all I could hear from inside was him blasting emo music at top volume. I hadn't known he was into those sort of bands, but I guess everyone listens to that stuff when they're depressed.

Well, it was a challenge at any rate. And any challenge was better than another twelve episodes of The Real Housewives of Central City.

But how to approach him?

I began to flip through the channels when I found the opening theme for Space Truck. Turns out, there was a channel who was doing a day-long marathon of reruns from the original show, before the nauseatingly terrible reboot. Sweet.

And I knew just who to watch it with.

I jumped to my feet and sprinted up the stairs, trying to remember which door belonged to Tails.. I decided to try all of them. The first one was a bathroom- which, heads up, was disgusting- and the second was an empty room with a bed and lamp. Guest room? Probably. The next room was a complete mess, the floor covered in travel pamphlets and old socks. There was an unmade, bright red racecar bed in the corner and I thought I saw the remains of an old chili dog hidden in the clutter, but decided not to investigate any further. The next door was locked.

Found him.

I cleared my throat, a little louder than usual. "Hey… Miles."

The loud, angst-ridden music switched off; I heard a small thump or something from inside the room. The kid was probably confused on why I was standing outside his door. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I was doing either. This was one of those times when I just had to wing it. "Um…" I started awkwardly, "I was, uh, wondering if you wanted to come out and watch some Space Truck with me. There's a marathon on TV."

For a moment, there was silence. Cue the angsty music turning back on.

Okay… I thought to myself, leaning against the door. So that was bust. Maybe if I grab the TV and bring it upstairs, sneak it through the window on the back wall and plug it in without the kid noticing, then set up the cable- oh, Chaos, what am I saying?

I knelt down by the locked door handle and picked it in about ten seconds. Tails looked very surprised when I suddenly kicked open the door and burst into his room. Then he looked angry. "Leave."

"Hey! You just talked!" I grinned. "That's an improvement!"

"Go away." Tails glared before turning up his speakers and pulling a blanket over his head.

"Two words!" I marched over to the bed and tugged at the sheet; he held on tight. "Now how about a complete sentence?"

"Go away or I'll kill you."

"Perfect!" I motioned to absolutely no one, pretending for a minute that I was some kind of game show announcer. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I do believe we've had a breakthrough!"

I pried his fingers from the blanket and yanked it off, tossing it to the floor. Tails looked very annoyed, "How many times do I need to tell you? Get out and leave me alone!"

"Ding, ding, ding! Congratulations! The patient has successfully asked a question! With so much progress in one day, I do believe we have a prodigy on our hands!"

Tails raised an eyebrow, looking indignant. "Are you mocking me?"

"Yes."

"Well, quit it."

I folded my arms stubbornly, refusing to budge. "Look kid, you've been hiding up here listening to angry music for way too long. This ain't healthy. Time to come out and interact with living things."

Tails groaned and hid his face in his pillow. "For the last time, get out."

"Say 'please'."

"...Please get out."

"Sure, since you asked so nicely. Oh yeah, an' you're coming too."

Tails raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm not."

"I never said you had a choice," I sprang forward and grabbed the kid, swinging him over my shoulder and making a beeline for the door.

"PUT ME DOWN!" he shouted, pounding furiously against my back.

"Eh…" I pretended to think about it, "No."

Tails began to kick and scream as I dragged him out the room. His tails flicked my face in protest; the thing is, though, over the years I'd built up an immunity to little discomforts, and having a bunch of hair in your face wasn't the worst thing ever. I marched down the stairs with the kid slung over my shoulder, ignoring the looks I got from Amy and Sonia when I passed the kitchen. Neither of them protested, so I assumed they were cool with it.

I threw Tails on the couch and stood over him, arms crossed. "Don't even think about running. I ain't no Sonic, but my legs are still way longer than yours."

Tails glared daggers, but didn't move. "I hate you."

"Thanks!" I plopped down next to him and grabbed the remote. "You're not so great yourself."

Tails stared incredulously at me for a moment, then scowled. "Are you always like this?"

"Pretty much."

"Wow. You need a hobby."

"Oh, I have lots! Picking pockets, annoying Sonia, breaking twelve year olds out of their crippling depression-"

"You need a hobby."

"I collect action figures and comics."

"... I suppose that works." Tails grumbled as I turned up the volume slightly. He didn't seem to enjoy the episode at all, completely ignoring it and choosing to insult me instead. I could dig it.

"Are you always this stubborn?" I asked.

"Are you always this invasive?" he fired back.

"Why, yes. I take pride in it. Thank you ever so much for noticing."

"Oh right. Silly me," he said in a mock-apologetic voice. "I forgot: The freak can read minds."

I snorted; honestly, I'd been called so much worse. "I'm the freak? Dude, you're a fox and you can fly."

"I happen to like my tails, thank you very much." he said indignantly, crossing his arms.

"What? I wasn't talking about the tails. I was talking about the plane. 'Course, now that you bring it up, what's up with them anyway?"

"Genetic mutation. Or are those words too big for you?"

"Genetic Mutation. Noun. A permanent alteration in the DNA sequence of a gene that differs from what is found in the majority of other beings, ranging in size from a single base pair to a large segment of a chromosome that includes multiple genes." I said, my smile never leaving my face. "I get around."

Tails rolled his eyes. "Okay, so you know two things: Space Truck and the dictionary."

"And you know two things: moping and complaining."

I could practically see the steam coming from his ears. "At least I'm not a thief for a living."

"At least I don't keep secret Mina Mongoose merch in my closet."

I had to stop myself from falling over laughing when I saw how red his face got. Like it was my fault he left his closet door wide open. "I… I don't… you… Shut up!" he said, flustered.

Wow. If that was his best comeback, then we had a real problem on our hands.

"Hey, come on! That the best you got?" I asked, grinning. "You've gotta have something better than that."

Tails looked confused. "Than… what?"

I rolled my eyes. " 'Shut up'? That's it? Come on, I just mocked you for your creepy obsession with a girly pop idol. Get mad! Hit me with your best shot!"

"...Shut up!"

I groaned. "Okay. Let's start over. I'm gonna tease you about something stupid and you're gonna shoot back with something witty. Oh, yeah, and I've been meaning to ask you- how exactly does one join The Lollipop Guild?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Nothing. Just curious why your birth certificate says you're twelve when clearly you're about seven."

For a second, I thought Tails was gonna try to hit me. "I'm. Twelve." he said through gritted teeth.

"Coulda fooled me," I smirked. "Bet it's annoying still being stuck in grade school, isn't it, kiddo?"

"I'll have you know that I've scored better on the national tests than most high schoolers!" Tails' voice was steadily rising; I believe I hit a nerve. "Unlike someone here who can't even add!"

"Hey, now you're getting it!" I replied, grinning. "But how 'bout stepping up your game a little?"

"What is the matter with you?"

"You want a list?"

"Arrgh!" he groaned, facepalming. "That's it. I'm done. Thanks for nothing, idiot," Tails got to his feet and made a beeline for the stairs.

I grabbed his arm and yanked him back on the couch, holding him firm. "You're welcome!"

Tails looked like he was about ready to explode. "Let me go, now!"

"So you can sulk in your room for another week? Yeah, that ain't happening, bud. This is for your own good."

"My own good? That's a laugh coming from you!" Tails sprung to his feet and stood stiff and rigid. "Everything was great until you decided to show up! You and your stupid sister-"

"You don't get to call her that." I was dead serious. I can take an insult, but nobody- and I mean nobody- disses my sister. No one but me, anyway.

"-barged into my life and completely derailed it! I was happy with Maurice, and everything was just fine until you two showed up and wrecked everything I've ever cared about!"

"Woah, kid, time out," I interrupted. "I don't know what exactly is going on around here, but it looks like the problem with Maurice started way before me and Sonia ever showed up. We ain't the reason he went haywire."

"I- That's not the point!" he sputtered.

"Then what is the point?" I asked, my tone hard. "Seriously. I'm curious. It wasn't my fault or Sonia's that Maurice went off the deep end, so why in the name of Captain Kinner do you hate us so much?"

Tails froze. "I…" started, sounding unsure. "I don't hate you."

"But you did forget that you're talking to a mind reader, apparently. Plus, you're a terrible liar. So spill." I retorted. Tails went silent.

Lately I'd been trying to steer clear of using my abilities, mostly because every time I tried, it made my injured hand start to burn. Don't ask me why, I had no clue. But I had the impression that Tails wasn't exactly in the mood to open up, so I'd have to help him a little. I closed my eyes for a moment and focused hard, choosing to ignore the prickling sensation in my hand.

"You're mad at Sonic for never telling you about us," I began slowly. Tails looked up, surprised. "You don't think it's fair that he knew your whole life story and told you next to nothing about his." I gave him a smile, "Well, I'd get mad too. How come he never told you?"

"...I don't know," Tails said, so quietly I almost couldn't hear him. At least he wasn't angry anymore.

I decided to keep going. "You know that Sonic thought we were dead, and you understand what it feels like to lose family. But you feel… you feel like you're some kinda... replacement. For me and Sonia. Aw, man… That's just tearing you apart, ain't it?" Slowly, he nodded his head, biting his lower lip.

"Do you.." started Tails, refusing to look at me. "I mean… since you came here, do you ever… y'know… feel like I replaced you?...And Sonia?" For the first time, I struggled to find the words.

"I… I dunno. Ain't really thought about it," I said quietly. "I don't think I feel replaced. I mean, kinda, I guess, but technically I've been dead to him for over a decade. Besides, you're closer to him than I ever got to be."

Tails buried his face in his hands. "That's just it, I don't even know if I knew him that well! If he's hidden something this big from me… what else is he hiding? Was everything he told me a lie? I don't even know who he is anymore!"

I didn't respond immediately. "What's his favorite food?"

"Um… chilidogs."

"Favorite color?"

"Red."

"Favorite movie?"

"Why are you asking me this?"

"Because I don't know any of that. You do." I said, suddenly feeling a little sad. "The only thing I know is his full name. Maurice Ogilvie Hedgehog."

"...What?"

"Kidding! His middle name is Julian, after our dad." I shrugged, "Anyway, the point is, you know more about him than I can ever hope to learn. He might not have told you everything, but what he did, it's true. And before you start-" I said, cutting him off as he opened his mouth to speak. "Take it from a guy who's tried, there is no way he could've kept up such a complicated lie for so long. He's probably dropped most of the lies by now, if there were ever any to begin with. From what I can tell, the only thing he never mentioned was… well, me. And Sonia. Like, come on, he had to have mentioned his parents at some point."

Tails frowned and thought for a moment, "I think… I remember him mentioning them once… but it was a passing comment along the lines of, 'My parents never took me to movie theaters' or something like that."

"Ha! Darn right they never took us to movie theaters. We lived so far out in the boonies that none of us even knew what a movie was."

Tails gave me a strange look. I decided to change the subject. "So, do you like this episode? Because Lieutenant Spark is the absolute worst in this one." He seemed a little put off by me switching gears so suddenly, but shrugged in response anyway.

I figured we'd had enough soul searching for one day, so I turned up the volume of the TV and starting making commentary on it, like I would when I'd watch something with Sonia. Tails stayed consistently silent for the first few episodes, but once or twice I was able to make him at least smile, and I think he almost laughed at one point. At one point Sonia walked in with a plate of waffles for the two of us. She didn't say anything, but did raise an eyebrow in my direction. I shrugged in reply.

Around episode fourteen, I had gotten Tails to join me in mocking the redshirts and egging on the heroes on their mission to save the galaxy. It was around then that the marathon was coming to an end and the channel announced its next event, a series of reruns of All My Grandchildren, which would be playing right after this episode. Gag me.

"So," I leaned back slightly in the couch, stretching out. "How long have you known Sonic?"

Tails tensed up slightly, glaring at me accusingly.

I shrugged, "Hey, just making conversation. I mean, you didn't meet each other by getting zapped by a teleporter, right?" I motioned at the TV, where the hot new cadet was meeting the Commander by that exact situation.

Tails relaxed slightly, hugging his knees into his chest. "Well…" He hesitated, "Sonic… I don't know where he came from, but a few years ago he showed up in the town where I was living, and he… he saved me from some guys who were trying to beat me up."

"Woah, woah, woah!" I interrupted. "That's gonna need an explanation too, bud." Tails looked at me like I was the biggest idiot on the planet, then pointed to his tails.

"Oh." I said simply. "Um… continue."

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, we split ways for a little while, but he found me-" Tails cut himself off. "-We found… each other. And became friends. It was an interesting day."

I smelled a rat. I had the feeling I'd regret this later, but I once again penetrated his mind. I'd seen my fair share of cheesy friendship movies, and the only thing I ever got out of them was that they were laughably unrealistic- Tails's explanation fit perfectly with the genre. There had to be more to this story than just them meeting by chance.

Images poured into my mind one after the other, short clips of speech haphazardly strung together. It was obviously from a couple years ago; Tails only looked about five or six. Usually when memories are this old, they get garbled in translation, or some bits are missing entirely. Not this one, though- this was still in perfect focus.

Bridges. I was seeing bridges. The kinds with roaring rivers and sharp rocks at the bottom, and no cops nearby to stop jumpers from offing themselves. Hol-ee moly. The more I saw, the more a single thought ran through my head: this kid needed a therapist. Like, bad.

Also, side note: I wanted to find his father and throw him off the nearest cliff into an ocean of piranhas. An ocean that is made of lava. And bear traps.

I turned to Tails, trying to find the right words, but nothing came to mind. Nothing sane, anyway; my entire arm felt like it was on fire at this point and all that was running through my mind were several colorful phrases that Sonia told me I'm not allowed to say in front of anyone under eighteen. Thankfully, Tails didn't seem to notice my agony and kept on talking.

"We stayed together for a little while, but then…" He trailed off for a second. "Stuff happened, and we kinda ditched each other. I got captured by Robotnik and he made me build this stupid robot for him, but Sonic saved me and a few months later we got recruited by GUN. We've been brothers ever since." He said it with a smile, but I could easily sense what was going on under the surface, even without reading him.

I didn't answer for a moment, trying to organize my thoughts, which is a lot harder than it sounds. "Tails…" I started slowly, "I… I'm glad Sonic found you." He looked surprised; I kept going.

"You seem like a good kid and… hey, between you and me," I looked around and lowered my voice to put on a show of secret. "I never did like being the youngest."

Tails perked up, his eyes bright and almost hopeful. "So… you're okay with me?"

"Uh, why wouldn't I be? I mean, come on, you're into Space Truck. That alone puts you in my good book." I hesitated for only a second before slinging my arm around the kid, giving him a playful shove. "And hey, we both just lost a bro, but…" I smiled down at him, gently, "We gained one too, y'know?"

Tails face blushed slightly and his eyes began to blink rapidly. He cleared his throat and looked up to the TV just to see the theme song of All My Grandchildren pop on. The remote seemed to just appear in his hand the the screen turned off. "Ugh, I hate that show."

"Tell me about it," I said with a groan. Tails stood up and stretched his arms, yawning loudly.

"Well… I should go to bed."

"What time is- holy toledo!" I stared at the blinking digits that read 1:30 AM. Tails laughed, and I suddenly realized that this was the first I had seen him smile, really smile. "G'night, Manic."

" 'Night, Tails. Oh yeah, if you don't come out of your room tomorrow, I'll drag you out myself." Tails didn't answer but nodded, a small smile on his face. He turned and walked upstairs and out of sight.

I didn't feel much like moving; after who knows how many hours of uninterrupted Space Truck and unofficial therapy sessions, it wasn't surprising that I felt exhausted. I grabbed a throw pillow and set it over my face, ready to drift off to dreamland-

A large thud sounded from the kitchen, followed by a loud snort.

"Rouge! Be quiet!"

"Hey, I ain't the one who rammed into the countertop, sweetheart."

Ugh… I did not want to hear Rouge flirting with her wannabe boy toy. Maybe I could slip out the back door-

"Hand it over." Knuckles voice was hard and uncompromising.

I heard Rouge groan and something rustle. "Oh, come on, Red. The other's are missing-"

"Which is why I need that emerald. Now."

Rouge must have handed over the gem because Knuckles voice seemed much less tense the next time he spoke, "Are you sure you don't have the others?"

"Ugh, for the last time, Red, I don't know where they are! I'm still trying to figure out how you lost seven emeralds."

"I didn't lose them!" Knuckles shouted. Rouge hushed him loudly. Knuckles repeated in a softer voice, "I didn't lose them. They just… moved."

"Sounds like losing them to me."

"Rouge, I swear-"

"Alright, alright, whatever. I'm going to bed." Rouge sounded almost… sad. I heard her footsteps retret up the stairs. I waited for Knuckles to walk back down a hall and into a guest bedroom on the first floor before letting myself breathe again.

Apparently, the Chaos Emeralds were missing and Rouge didn't take them. Personally, I felt that was an improvement to our situation, but I was a little biased. Maybe it wasn't good? A thought popped into my head. If the emeralds were gone, did that mean-

I jumped to my feet and ran out the back door and into Tail's shop. I climbed up on a worktable, then hoisted myself up onto one of the beams that ran across the ceiling. The ceiling itself was probably twenty feet tall, but the beams made it easy for me to climb. When I got to the top, I scooted forward until I came close enough to the wall to pry off a panel.

Well, where else would I hide a gem from Rouge?

I groped around the inside of the hole, but felt nothing. A bubble of panic rose up in my chest; No way. I know I left it here. I had made sure that nobody else knew where it was! This wasn't possible!

Okay, Manic. Breathe. Think, think… I'd have to tell Sonia about this. Or Knuckles. Or both... Someone.

Suddenly, my right arm flared with a searing pain, and I almost slipped off my perch. Stupid burn.

I was too tired to get back to the van, instead opting to crash on the couch. Might as well. I had already spent the entire day on it, what more was a few hours?

Hey, another character chapter! You know what that means!

Actually…. What does that mean? You know what, forget that statement. Hope you enjoyed.

Review about Manic and Tails interactions! And what you would think of an Amy and Sonia friendship?