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IV: Future Tails

Sonic waiting with great anticipation as the future version of his best friend opened the back door. He felt his heart hammering in his chest as the door was slowly pulled open and Sonic gasped when Tails finally appeared.

His little brother had certainly gotten taller by a few inches. He didn't seem to have changed much only he appeared more tired looking, but his eyes still lit up when he caught sight of little Sky.

"Sky, oh thank goodness you're alright." Tails said as he reached down to hug the sky blue hedgehog.

"Your mother is worried sick and is out looking everywhere for you. I'm taking you to her right now." Tails said firmly and pulled out of the hug to grab Sky by the arm and began to pull her inside the house.

"No Tails wait." Sky begged and Tails froze at the urgency of her tone.

Tails then looked up and caught sight of Sonic who waved awkwardly at the twin tailed fox.

Tails then unexpectedly reached forward and pulled both of them inside the cottage and locked the door tightly behind them.

"Hello to you too Tails." Sonic huffed as he rubbed his arm in annoyance.

Tails ignored him and glare at Sky.

"Sky, what have you done?" He asked carefully.

Sky cleared her throat awkwardly and played with one of her quills to look as innocent as possible.

"This is Sonic from the past." She said slowly gesturing towards a confused looking Sonic.

Tails sighed and rubbed his chin with one gloved hand.

"I know who it is Sky, my question is what exactly you have done."

Sky gulped and fiddling awkwardly with her hands. "Well, after my father left for battle, I may have sort of run away to help out, but then those shadow demons came after me. Then Shadow appeared and helped me out before giving me his chaos emerald and told me to run and go back home, only I kind of didn't listen and decided to get help from the only other person good enough to help Sonic, but then I got chased again and used chaos control to bring Sonic from the past to the future. Funny story right?"

Tails sighed. "Your dad is going to murder you."

Sky threw herself on her hands and knees in front of him before clasping her hands out in front of her. "I know I did a bad thing, but I just wanted to help. Don't tell my dad if you see him, let me do it, it might soften the blow if it comes from me."

Tails sighed again. "Oh I'm definitely staying out of this one. You're too much like your father for your own good." He said before whispering something in her ear that Sonic couldn't hear. Whatever Tails asked, Sky shook head in reply.

"Don't tell." She whispered back.

Tails seemed to reluctantly nod his head before turning towards Sonic.

"So what do you think of the future so far?" He asked. "Can I get you anything?"

"Seems just dandy." Sonic replied. "And no thanks. Do you know where my future self is? I said I'd help Sky find her dad and save the day."

"No I haven't seen Sonic for weeks now, not since he left to fight. I can't think of where he could've gone." Tails answered sadly as he led them out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"I hope he's ok." Sky mumbled sadly.

"If I know Sonic, I'm sure he's just fine. Right Sonic?" Tails said looking at him.

"This is getting confusing, but yes I'm sure he's – I mean I'm fine uhhh." Sonic rolled his eyes as he thought about how confusing this whole thing was getting.

Sky sighed and leaned against the wall as Tails and Sonic's reassurance didn't seem to have cheered her up.

Tails looked around awkwardly as Sonic made his way over to a wall full of pictures. A few of them he recognised from his past adventures, but there were a lot of new ones. Sonic was particularly interested in the one's he was in and smiled at the all things he was doing the photos. It seemed like he was going to have an action packed future and it didn't look like he was going to change much over the years. He was about to look at the one's on the shelves when Tails and Sky both suddenly gasped and ripped it off the mantel piece.

Sonic turned around to see what the hell they were playing at and saw them both hiding the image behind their back.

"What are you hiding?" Sonic narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Nothing." Sky smiled innocently.

"It's just a really embarrassing picture and I'd rather you not tell my past self about it." Tails explained.

Sonic laughed. "Really Tails, even in the future you're still a bad liar."

Their conversation was interrupted however, when a very small fox toddled into the room.

"Daddy, I thought I heard Sky's voice." The small fox said as he clutched a small teddy bear to his furry chest. "Didn't she move away?"

Sonic looked at the young fox in shock. He was the spitting image of Tails only this fox had brown eyes instead of blue. Daddy? Tails was a dad? This thought made Sonic take a step back as he looked at his friend in a whole new different light.

"Yes Ben, Sky just stopped by for a visit, although she should really go home." Tails explained emphasising the last part towards Sky who just rolled her eyes while still holding the picture behind her back.

Ben smiled up at Sky and grabbed hold of her hand. The boy was so tiny and barely looked over a year old.

"Come on then, Sky." He said. "I need to show you my sticker collection."

"Ummm ok." Sky said as she let the young fox pull her out the door with the picture still hidden in her hands.

Sonic shook his head trying to clear it. "Wow Tails, you're a dad?"

Tails smiled and nodded as he turned back to the photos and Sonic looked with him. Tails reached down and picked up the largest photo on the shelf that had a beautiful gold frame around it. Sonic studied it closely and gasped at what he saw. Tails in a tuxedo with another fox wrapped in his arms wearing a beautiful white wedding dress. They were staring at each other with such adoration and didn't seem to realise they were having their photo taken. Sonic spotted himself next to Tails giving his trademark thumbs up at the camera with a huge cheeky smile on his face. His future self hadn't seemed to have aged a bit except he looked slightly taller and his eyes held more experience. To the side of the girl, the future Cream and Amy stood smiling at the camera, both wearing beautiful yellow dresses. Cream was now a lot taller and looked more mature. Amy was also a little taller and her quills were longer too, now touching her shoulders.

"Mine and Kiko's wedding two years ago." Tails said sadly. "Ben was born a year later."

"She's very pretty." Sonic remarked.

Tails nodded. "Yeah, she was."

Sonic looked at Tails and studied his friend's depressed expression. "Was? I don't understand."

"We were all so happy, but the day the shadow demons were set free, the three of us were out on a walk together as a family. Then Eggman's robots came out of nowhere, fighting off the shadow demons and trying to pull them back into the underworld. One of the giant robots short circuited as the shadow demon corroded the metal and it began falling towards us. I didn't notice and before I knew it Kiko had pushed Ben and I out of the way, but she couldn't get away in time. The robot landed on top of her and crushed her instantly. It all happened so fast." Tails explained as tears formed in his eyes. "If I was just paying more attention, she might not have had to die. She died trying to save me when I should've been the one protecting her."

Sonic could feel himself becoming physically sick. This is what Tails has to endure in the future? The loss of his wife and becoming a single dad to a child who would never know his mother. Why did this have to happen?

"Tails, I don't know what to say." Sonic answered as gently as he could.

"You were the best man at my wedding." Tails chuckled softly as he traced his fingers over the photo.

Sonic didn't say anything as he stared at the photo.

"Ben is all I have left of her now and I'm going to make sure I protect him and not fail him like I failed her." Tails said in a determined voice.

"You didn't fail her." Sonic said looking at back at him. "I'm sure she wouldn't want you to blame yourself for what happened and you should honour her sacrifice and bravery and lead a good life for her."

Tails sighed as he processed Sonic's words. "You said the exact same thing to me at her funeral."

"I guess I don't change much then." Sonic chuckled.

"I wouldn't say that." Tails mumbled.

"Why are you all being so secretive?" Sonic demanded as he collapsed onto the sofa. "I know you and Sky are hiding something from me. Something happens to me in the future and no one seems to want to tell me."

"It's up to your future self whether or not you find out." Tails sighed. "A lot happens between now and when you've come from. We all changed and it would take a long time to explain it all to you."

"I'm sure I can keep up." Sonic urged, resting his arms on his legs and leaning forward in anticipation.

Tails shook his head. "It's nothing to do with me."

Sonic groaned and threw himself back again. "I hate secrets."

They both looked up as Sky walked back into the room.

"He fell asleep so I put him to bed." She stated as she raised an eyebrow at Sonic who was glaring at the wall, but didn't question him. "So you really have no idea where Sonic could be?"

Tails shook his head.

"But do you at least have any information on the shadow creatures? They seem to fear the chaos emeralds." Sky explained.

This seemed to shock Tails. "Really? I can't image why and I don't have any new information on the creatures or how we can defeat them. Rouge however, did manage to find a book on them, but the line cut out before she could tell me what was in it. I just hope she's ok."

Sky sighed. "If they're so scared of the chaos emeralds then maybe it's high time we looked for the other ones."

"Well I know Sonic has one and as for the other ones, I don't know. They all scattered again after Eggman used them to start all this mess."

"Maybe he still has one." Sonic mused wondering what the future Dr Eggman looked like and Sonic sniggered at the thought.

"Perhaps. Maybe Knuckles and Rouge could help. They have a knack for finding them." Tails offered.

Sky nodded and Sonic quickly stood up.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" He yelled in excitement. He couldn't wait to see how Knucklehead was doing after all those years.

"Right." Sky said and walked out of the door.

Sonic was about to follow before he stopped and turned around to look back at Tails.

"What was really on that photo?" He asked with his eyebrow raised suspiciously.

Tails smirked at him. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Now you better get going and good luck."

Sonic sighed knowing he wouldn't get a proper answer out of him and followed Sky out the door.

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