*Sonic's POV*
It didn't take me long to find a cave up on the side of the mountain where we were. Eggman sure liked to build his bases in the hardest to reach places after all, though it never stopped us.
I went in and sniffed, and finding it nice and empty, I went further in. The cave was a rather long one with a few twists and turns, but eventually came to a dead end. At the very end against the wall I found something curious, a giant pile of hay that stretched from one side of the wall to the other. Another sniff confirmed that whoever had been here before, hadn't been back in years.
Now comes the fun part, I groaned mentally as I walked over and released the tiny, quivering kit onto the makeshift bed. He reacted instantly, flailing and crawling back away from me, burrowing into the large pile until I couldn't see him at all. I would have laughed had the situation not been what it was.
With a kick motion to take off my shoes - which I was always curious about, why did they change form with me?- I crawled up onto the pile and began digging around for my brother. The hay was dry, and to my delight, was warm and soft as I shifted it around before finding him, curled into a tight ball with his tails wrapped around his itty bitty body. "Oh Tails...come here..." I growled softly, as the very last of the negative energy left me in my normal Werehog state once more, giving me the ability to speak again. He flinched back when my large hands settled on him, though I pressed on and scooped him up and settled him instead on my lap.
He quivered and quaked, and I held him tight against my chest all wrapped up in my arms to help warm up his freezing body with my own. I knew that wasn't the reason he was shaking, but it would help a little. He practically disappeared underneath all my fur! It was so cute!
After a few seconds of holding him still, I sighed as I began the next step, urged by my more animalistic instincts now.
His scream nearly deafened me when I leaned down and began to lick him, and he began thrashing so hard that I had to roll and pin him beneath my body and the hay to keep him from hurting himself more! A few warning growls paralyzed him, and my heart broke when I saw the steady stream of tears. "Calm down, lil' bro. Your okay...your safe..." I purred quietly, trying to help him relax a little as I returned to the task at hand.
He tasted like mud, rain, and blood for obvious reasons as I cleaned him up, paying special attention to each and every little cut to make sure it wouldn't get infected later on during the night. Beneath that was a sweet taste of vanilla and something I couldn't place, something specifically and wholly Tails. He began to relax as I cleaned him up, which allowed me to pick him up and set him back on my lap to continue. Every whimper though I met with another growl, as I could see his eyes frantically darting around in the dark cave for a way to escape. He'll learn very soon that escape wasn't an option, not from this cave, and never from me.
*Tails POV*
I could see only slightly in the all encompassing darkness, so I was left only with my sense of smell, touch, and hearing. Sonic's fur was already mostly dry since he ran, and my own fur was getting cleaned by him...my cuts and all subjected to that thick muscle that caressed my tiny body. If I was honest, some primal part deep inside me enjoyed the cleaning, bringing with it a strange sense of peace and connection to the Werehog bathing me. It was overridden by my more logical mind though, as every time I whimpered, he growled. I had to find a way out, and fast! Sure..my big brother seemed to be in control mostly, but after what I witnessed, he could revert to a violent creature in seconds and I would be-and am-easy prey.
I whimpered again when he turned me around, so he could look me in the face as my front was brought against his belly. The rewarding growl made me shiver, and I yelped as that tongue landed against my face, cleaning it from both the muck and my own tears. When I peeked, I could see him focused completely on me, but I could see it was Sonic staring back at me through those shining emerald orbs. At that I could feel my body relax completely, despite my wishes. It was Sonic...not a crazed animal born from his form...it was my big brother...
The growls turned into a soft rumbling that I could only equate to a purr once my body went limp in his grasp, and he finished up the task of cleaning me. I was wet, sticky with saliva now, but I felt cleaner than I did with the muck and grime and blood. If I ever got home I was taking at least a two hour soak though!
I felt him lean back on the strange bedding of thick hay, and I found myself encased in thick fur as I was pulled against his chest, his strong arms wrapping around and securing me to him. It was far warmer...and I was so tired from my ordeal...maybe a quick nap wouldn't hurt...and if I was lucky, I would wake up before him and could escape!
"I know what your thinking little buddy, and I would advise against it." He rumbled from above me as I felt him shift to get comfortable, his voice making his chest vibrate beneath me. I tensed again, scared and he laughed warmly, using one large hand to stroke and pet my head. "Calm down! Yeesh! You act like I'm going to eat you or something!" He said playfully, but got up and made me stare into his shocked and worried eyes when I began to tremble. "Woah...you...really think...Come on Tails! It's still me, not some crazed beast looking for a quick bite! I would never hurt you..."
He sounded so sad and dejected that it brought a fresh onslaught of tears to my cerulean eyes. "I'm...sorry...I'm sorry..." I whimpered, beginning to cry once more like the child I was. He brought me to his chest again, hugging me tightly though not enough to hurt. "Hey...it's okay...I can understand why you'd think that...I must have been pretty terrifying to see, huh? But I was..just so mad at what ol' Eggy did...your my baby brother, Miles. I'm going to make sure it never happens again, ok?" He swore, rubbing my head and back while holding me, rocking back and forth as if I was an infant.
The use of my real name was a bit of a shock to me, but it showed just how deeply Sonic cared and how seriously he was taking that promise. "Don't...be surprised...if I run though.." I admitted shamefully as a few yawns broken my sentence apart. I was painfully tired now, and could feel myself drifting in and out of consciousness. Just because I could now officially confirm that it was my big brother holding me didn't mean I wasn't still terrified of what he was becoming...what he had become.
Last thing I could make out was a deep chuckle, both warm and foreboding as it held a trace of dangerous intent in it. "Then don't be surprised when I catch you.." He growled playfully, but even as I fell totally unconscious...I knew it was a deadly promise. My big brother would always protect me, and would always find me no matter where I was...whether I was running from him or not.
