I'm Here, My Love
Guess it's kinda songfic-ish. I dunno, nobody seemed to care before…
I don't wanna live in yesterday
Cross my heart until I die
Don't wanna know just what tomorrow may bring
Because today has just begun
No matter whatever else I've done
I'm here for you
Sonic woke up. "Where am I?" He was looking at the world as if through a translucent white curtain, or if there was a film over his eyes. His tan belly had turned snow white, and he was outside. But the wind that blew, stirring the trees, did not stir his fur or his quills. He also realized his shoes had a silvery lining, that in fact his whole body did! "Where am I?" He repeated. "Why aren't I hurt? Why doesn't the wind touch me? Why am I awake?"
"You are awake because Inferna saved you."
Sonic started. The voice sounded like an older version of Tails…Sonic slowly turned around and saw an older golden fox with two tails that he could see clearly, as though this white film could not touch him. Come to think of it, he could see himself clearly, too. "Who are you?" He asked. The twin-tailed fox looked familiar…was that a crown on his head?
"I am Amadeus Prower, Tails' father." The fox answered. "And you are Sonic the Hedgehog, my son's dear lover."
"You don't mind?"
"Not at all. I only want the best for my son, and that has always been you."
"Oh. Where are we?" Sonic looked around him.
"We are on the same planet you were when alive."
"Are we ghosts?"
Amadeus chuckled. "In a sense, yes. I am here," he gestured over the land before them, "because I loved this land too much in death to leave it. You are here because you loved Tails too much to leave him."
"You said Inferna saved me."
"That was only partially true. She healed your wounds and helped Tails bring you back to the castle." Amadeus stuck out his arm, and suddenly, they were close to the hospital on the ground floor of the castle. Through the window, Sonic could see his lifeless body lying in a bed, and Tails stroking his knuckles. Sonic could almost feel it, and his heart ached all the more for the fox he could no longer kiss.
"Fear not." Amadeus spoke softly. "There you are. And once Tails knows you are here, he can bring you back with a kiss."
"Where are you?" Sonic asked, looking up at the standing fox.
Amadeus pointed behind him, towards the tree Sonic had woken up at. "My body has been buried for many years. I cannot return to the real world. Your body is still intact, however. You can."
"You said I need to prove I'm here." Sonic stared back at his love, observing him kiss down his chest. He could almost feel the kisses against his spiritual body. "How do I do that?"
"Young animals can sense spirits." Amadeus moved his head towards a young horse, playing in the fields. It had a black hide and a pale blue mane and tail.
"Radovan…and Seine…" Sonic whispered.
"Yes. They produced a single child. I believe her name is Sonite."
"After me?" Sonic guessed.
"That is what I'm told."
"By who?"
Amadeus chuckled. "Radovan, of course. He built a strong bond with you, so he will able to see you in death."
"Will he be able to speak with me?" Sonic waited for an answer, but when he didn't get one, he looked around…and found himself alone. "Amadeus?" He asked.
The tree's branches moved welcomingly, as if to say: "Go ahead. Make yourself known."
Sonic nodded definitively, arising and jumping out of the tree. "Okay." He said. "I will."
I'm here for you
So now I sit here and I wonder
What ever happened to my friends?
Too many bought a one way ticket
But I'll be with you 'til the end
"Master Tails?"
Tails picked his head off Sonic's chest. It had been three miserable days. Tails would only take a meager meal of bread and water once a day, too miserable to join Inferna in the dining hall. He had promised the body of Sonic that he would stay with him forever, and if that mean staying in this room, then he would.
But, a stable boy had encouraged his eyes to alight on something other than Sonic's lifeless body. "Yes?"
"It's Sonite, sir. She appears to be playing with…something. Oh, just come and take a look!" The boy seemed pretty excited.
Tails arose mournfully and followed the boy outside. What he found surprised him.
Sonite was playing with a red sneaker. And not just any red sneaker.
One with a white strap and a golden buckle.
"Bbbbut…" Tails stammered. "That's not possible! No one stole his shoes!" And then, it occurred to him, as a wind that only seemed to affect Sonite blew through her mane and she whinnied in delight, prancing after a wind that was faintly blue…and he heard that musical laughter that seemed so far off and yet so near by…
Sonic was still with him, if not in body, then in spirit.
I don't wanna live in yesterday
Cross my heart until I die
Don't wanna know just what tomorrow may bring
Because today has just begun
Tails felt tears of joy welling up in his eyes. The stable boy had left, so only Tails, Sonite, and Sonic remained.
Sonic stopped playing with Sonite and began to stroke her neck and run his fingers through her mane. Through the veil that separated the living from the restless spirits, he could see Tails. And he had more love than ever for the young fox. "Tails." He breathed.
"TailstailstailsTa-AILS!Tailstailstailstailssss" The echo on the wind swirled about him, brushing his large ears and tickling his fur and stirring his tails. The young fox squealed. Sonic was alive!
"Sonic!" Tails cried into the wind. "I love you!"
"IloveyouiloveyyouiloveyouILOVEYOU!" The same whispers came back to Sonic, and he felt greatly relieved.
Tails did indeed love him, as he had hoped. It really had been just a misunderstanding. Radovan was right all along.
Sonic skipped jovially away to send a message to Tails in the best way possible.
Sonite whinnied and followed something. The red shoe she'd been playing with dematerialized like a hollow structure made of dried sand in the wind. Tails, eager, followed her.
The young horse had stopped at the entrance to the small kitchen, neighing loudly. Tails entered the kitchen, only to see writing carved upon the wall directly facing the door.
It was written in the fleeting script Sonic was best known for, two words, but all Tails needed.
Kiss me.
Tails ran.
You're my religion, you're my reason to live
You are the heaven in my hell
We've been together for a long long time
And I just can't live without you
No matter what you do, I'm here for you
Sonic was very, very tired. Spiritual interaction with the living takes a lot of spiritual energy, and Sonic did not have a lot of that left. He needed to rest, to sleep, but he wouldn't. Not yet. No matter how tired his spirit might be when he came back, nothing would stop him from being with Tails right here, right now. Not tire, not Sonite, not Radovan, not Amadeus…nothing.
Sonic had also come to realize that the ache he'd felt the first day (and the ache he felt when he was around Tails) was spiritual hunger. Amadeus had told him that spiritual hunger was usually for feelings. Sonic had a spiritual hunger for love…and not just anyone's love.
Tails burst through the door. Sonic was ready, waiting for him. Tails could feel his presence in the room. "I'm ready." He whispered, approaching the bed.
"I'mreadyi'mreadyi'mreadyi'mreadyI'MREADY!" Sonic's head ached with longing. He was ready, too.
Tails' lips closed over Sonic's.
Sonic felt himself being pulled, being drawn to his mortal body. He let go of all restraint and his spirit flew home. Sonic's body jumped…and began to breathe. Tails hugged and hugged the body.
Meanwhile, Sonic's spirit, too tired to move, simply slept in his own bed, safe and sound…and home.
No matter whatever else I've done
I'm here for you
Lyrics: Here for You by Ozzy Osbourne