Ornaments

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters in the story.

Character(s): Tails and Sonic

Tails is not normally one to get sidetracked. Whenever he starts a project, he makes sure to complete a great deal of it before taking a break; whenever he helps a friend, he makes sure that his job is to their liking before calling it a day; whenever he has an obligation, he makes sure to see it through.

Apparently, none of these categories encompassed the activity of putting up a Christmas tree, or – should I say – getting out the ornaments for said Christmas tree. It did the previous years, but not so much this one.

You see, he meant to set this first box down, and then head back upstairs to get another, and so on and so on. He meant to. Didn't exactly happen that way. What actually occurred is . . . well, nothing productive, unless you count taking a trip down memory lane as productive. If that's the case, then Tails is currently being very productive

It all started by picking up a stray ornament that tumbled out of the case as the box hit the floor; that's when this entire operation went awry. That's when Tails couldn't resist the temptation of rummaging through the box in search of years gone by, of days slaved away by both him and his surrogate older brother.

Back when they first met each other, neither had any ornaments to beautify their non-existent Christmas tree with (they still had to purchase the tree). The two of them came to the decision that making their own would be better than decorating the tree with store-bought ones. Although this consensus was reached, neither elaborated why it was as neither really knew the answer; it just felt right.

Now, as he looked at each ornament thoroughly, Tails theorized that it might have the entire thing feel . . . final. Both of them now both had a home to belong in (even if Sonic didn't use it as much), a family to return to, and a place to call their own. Back then, these were huge changes for both of them – real life-changers – not to mention the decision preceding them difficult to make. This place, each other . . . these were their firsts for as long as they could remember. Neither had had a true home before this, or a true family. And now, they did.

So maybe it wasn't so farfetched to think that they each just needed that subtle reminder, a wake-up call to tell them that it was really happening.

Or maybe it was; after all, Sonic and Tails don't seem all that sentimental when you think about it. Or, that's what you would think had you never taken a nice, long look at Tails' room. Just by looking inside the closet, you would find not only a few completely-filled photo albums, but also the blueprints generated by the little, seven-year-old fox that used to be their roommate.

Turning your attention towards at the dresser would lend you a new view of remembrance, a green bauble necklace a good friend of Sonic's once wore being the first thing you notice. Then you get a glance of the assortment of photos piled underneath it, each one taken at various settings in countries such as Holoska, Chun-nan, and Adabat, each shot containing a colorful assembly of individuals. A second later, you notice another photo album on the end of the dresser, this one opened as if waiting to be completed.

After your eyes glaze over those, a shiny knight gauntlet, one that seemed almost worn, but not damaged – as if it was used in many medieval fights, but polished straight after every single one – catches your attention, as well as a gold ring engraved with ancient-like markings – a mystical aura surrounding it, the supernatural presence almost tangible. While these might not mean much to anyone else, they do hold a special place in Sonic and Tails' hearts.

They hold as much a place as the ornaments do; neither Sonic nor Tails can deny that the times while making those were unforgettable. After all, it's hard to forget such joy and laughter, and even harder to forget the feeling of creating of home.

Smokestep: Games Referenced – Sonic Unleashed, Sonic and the Secret Rings, and Sonic and the Black Knight. So there you have it, day eight; we're about a fourth of the way through this story now. Anyhow, hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Make sure to leave your thoughts down in a review; they are a big help to me and I treasure each and every one.

Responses To Reviews:

Twin-books: First of all, I need to say that the voice I imagine you saying "I knew that sentence sounded odd" in is quite hilarious; at least in my mind, it is. But I digress. Secondly, it was my pleasure to change it; it was my original intention to make sure that the sender was clear, that everyone reading knew that it was a random citizen, so I'm glad that I was notified. Thirdly, I don't think this chapter was necessarily as cute, but I hope you still like it.

Christian Ape99: I'm going to assume that you are talking about the ones from Sonic Underground. That considered, possibly, depending if I can come up with a story and make it sound good.

The Dragon Legend: Was my plan all along. Mission accomplished.

ShinyShiny9: Yeah, I wasn't really in the realistic mood while writing; it just sounded good and I rolled with it. It's good to hear that the chapter was still good, as I don't think it was one of my best. I can't wait to hear what you have to say about this one; I think you'll like it more, since it's more character-based.

ABCSonicKirbyWarriors: I'm afraid I don't have the answer to your question. The silver lining here is that you are now here; sooner may be better than later, but late is still better than never. Nevertheless, thank you; I'm usually pretty good at writing unconventional stories, so I suppose that I accomplished that with this story as well. Anyhow, I hope that you'll tell me your thoughts on this chapter also.