Brother of Mine
This chapter took a lot longer to make than I thought it would, and it's a hell lot longer too. That being said, I did have a lot of fun writing it. Sorry for the long chapter length! Thank you to all those who read/review/favorite/follow this story! It means a lot to me!
Disclaimer: Never owned Sonic the Hedgehog, probably never will.
Chapter 9: The Bestest Friend
Sonic was about as sharp as a marble when it came to understanding feelings, and he knew that. All his life whenever he felt down he would go on a run and simply forget all his problems. Now, however, he was faced with something he very well couldn't run from. One that was proving to be far more challenging than he originally anticipated, and yet, somehow he was putting up with it.
Children.
"There's nothing wrong Sonic." Tails stated blandly with a half-smile, his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets as he strode wearily alongside his best friend.
"Alright, if there's nothing wrong then why are you acting so weird?" Sonic queried once again in impatience. His face muscles felt like they were about to fall off from his constant frowning, which, if he was brutally honest, had never felt this sore in his entire life.
"What do you mean weird? I'm perfectly fine."
"You're hiding something from me Tails, and I need to know what it is." Sonic urged, feeling his patience growing thinner with every answer. He really should have kept his friends, or at least had someone to talk to, to learn how to fix situations like these. "I want to help you Tails, but I can't if you don't trust me enough to tell me what's wrong."
Tails heaved a long sigh. "I get it Sonic, and I do trust you, but there's really nothing wrong with me."
Sonic held a hand up to message his temple in frustration. Ever since the two left the pizza shop, very few words were spoken between them which was mostly at fault to the twin tailed fox walking along beside him. Whenever he made an attempt at conversation, Tails would either give the shortest response possible, or not reply at all. To say Sonic was reaching his limit with the kid would be a massive understatement.
Breathing out a heavy sigh, he continued, "I don't wanna have to yell at you again Tails."
"Then don't."
Sonic subconsciously felt his eye begin to twitch again at the fox's seemingly impassive attitude towards the situation. "Tails please, something's bothering you and I need to know what it is!" He pushed on, unknowingly pressing his shoes down harder while he walked.
"Nothing's bothering me Sonic."
The sound of his red-white sneakers squelching in the compact snow suddenly came to a halt. Sonic watched as Tails continued walking ahead for a few steps before he too stopped and slowly turned around to face the blue hedgehog, curiously looking at him with his eyelids half open.
"Don't lie to me Tails." Sonic said authoritatively, furrowing his brows at the motionless kitsune. "I've noticed how you've been acting for the past few days, so I know you're not happy, but I just want to know why."
Tails lifted an eyebrow at the statement. "What makes you think I'm unhappy?" He asked while walking back to the hedgehog.
"Well for starters, you barely smile anymore. Most of the time you're either zoning out or thinking about something with this tired look on your face, and you don't even talk as much as you did a few days ago! You never even look me in the eyes when I'm talking to you." Sonic continued, crossing his arms in an attempt to show his frustration. "I don't know bout you, but those are some pretty good clues if you ask me."
His emerald eyes stared rigidly at his best friend's slumped head, waiting for him to fess up and just admit that something was wrong. A few silent moments passed before Tails tilted his head up and opened his mouth to speak.
"…and that's why you think I'm sad?" He asked in a hushed voice.
"Well, yeah." Sonic replied as if it were obvious, though honestly, he just hoped Tails didn't throw out another dead end answer.
But the little fox only let out his own sigh before looking at the hedgehog with a downcast smile. "Sonic, I don't know how else to tell you this so you'll believe me, but I'm not sad."
And, there it was, again.
"Ughh, but Tails!" Sonic groaned. "All the things you've been doing, like dragging your feet when you walk, and staring at nothing for no reason, that must mean something is up, right?" Sonic said in a way that made it sound more like a statement rather than a question without a hint of uncertainty. His eyes stared down into Tails' sky blue ones, desperately searching for any indication but found none.
Tails shook his head, as if he knew what Sonic was trying to do. "I know you probably won't believe me when I say it, but right now, I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time." The little fox muttered with a small smile, pulling his hands out of his pockets and scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"But the things you've been doing, they're-"
"I know," The little fox interrupted with a little nod. "But, sometimes what you see…isn't actually what's true. I know I might not show it all the time, but I really am happy that you decided to let me live with you."
"But that's the thing Tails, I know you're grateful, but I just want to know if you're happy and okay right now." Sonic said almost pleadingly, wondering why little kids were so difficult to understand. It's not like he would hurt Tails if he found out that the kitsune was doing something wrong, he just wanted to help him.
"I'm fine Sonic," Tails replied without missing a beat. "Besides, why wouldn't I be? I have the bestest friend in the world with me." He finished with a happy grin.
"Hmp," Sonic grumbled, the kitsune's cheery remark finally causing most of his determination to crumble. "I'm gonna find out what's bothering you, whether you want me to or not." He stated firmly while placing a hand on his hip. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure how he was going to go about doing that just yet.
"Hau-t'here's nothin' bothering me Sonic…I told that you already, so please stop…hau-worrying about me," Tails said, exhaling while biting his lip and holding a hand up to his mouth.
"Yeah yeah whatever you say…" Sonic murmured after rolling his eyes. "Let's just get back home; it's startin to get cold out here."
And, as Sonic predicted beforehand, the remainder of their walk back to his house had been purely uneventful. He knew that Tails wasn't much of a talker to begin with, but this really was starting to get ridiculous. With each passing day he noticed the kitsune seemed to be speaking less and less which was definitely not a good sign, especially in four year old kids that were normally known throughout Mobius to be infinitely tireless.
But then again, Tails was anything but a normal four year old kid.
Upon arriving at the small two story building, the little fox had immediately climbed up on the couch in exhaustion. Not surprising to the speedster hedgehog, considering the cub's small stature and the fact that they've been walking almost constantly throughout the day, so he decided to let the kid rest a bit.
That wasn't to say he wouldn't ask about it though.
Taking a seat beside the half-awake kitsune, Sonic took another chance at getting Tails to slip up and reveal what was truly bothering him.
"You seem pretty tired, are ya sure ya got enough sleep last night?" Sonic asked nonchalantly as to not arouse suspicion.
"I already told you Sonic, it's probably just the dirt from fixing up your things." Tails replied without even moving a muscle to look at the hedgehog. "And nothing's keeping me from sleeping at night either."
Annnd…he was already caught. He didn't say anything about the dark circles under the kitsune's eyes yet Tails somehow knew that's what he was going to say next. It always bemused Sonic whenever the four year old did that, as if the cub knew what he was going to do before he even did it.
Sonic sighed and simply leaned back on the couch, not finding any reason to continue on with that conversation. It annoyed him how Tails always managed to find an infallible excuse out of everything that Sonic asked him, including why the black circles under his eyes had (strangely) reappeared a few days ago.
Though he still didn't know why the markings returned, they did however wash away every time Tails took a bath. This combined with the fact that from time to time he gave the cub some small scaled machinery (usually a remote, a monitor, a speaker, or something of the sort) to play and entertain himself with, lead to Tails' main excuse for the black circles under his eyes. Part of him didn't want to believe the simple excuse given, but part of him wanted to trust the cub at the same time. The kitsune went through a lot in the past already, and Sonic didn't feel it necessary to build onto those memories.
But right now it seemed like their relationship was at an uncomfortable standstill. If he didn't know any better, he would think that Tails was starting to lose interest in him. He hated how distant they became over the past several days. Before that, they would talk all day about whatever random things that popped into their minds, but now it was just…eh. He was supposed to be Tails' new caretaker yet they acted as if they were measly acquaintances in a college dorm room. But none of it was his fault was it? It was Tails that was acting weird so suddenly, and Sonic couldn't think of anything he had done to cause the fox cub to behave that way.
An abrupt poke to his shoulder brought him back to reality, as he quickly sat back up and noticed Tails on all fours, looking at him curiously with an outstretched finger. Sonic lifted an eyebrow, readjusting his position to be one of more comfort before asking, "What is it bud?"
"Sonic look! There's somethin weird goin on with the TV." Tails responded surprisingly zestfully as he sat back down and pointed towards the television in the corner that Sonic hadn't even realized had been turned on.
A news headline stood out vibrantly on the bottom of the screen as a camera panned across a certain image that made Sonic's blood run cold.
"-an attack currently taking place led by none other than Dr. Robotnik. There have been no reported fatalities as of yet, however many have been injured. GUN has responded and have begun to mobilize their forc-"
Sonic silently cursed under his breath so as to not be loud enough for Tails to hear it. His eyes stared vividly at the bottom of the screen, recognizing the name of the city as soon as it flashed across the footer.
"Hey Tails…" He began, remembering the rules he laid out. "I got a few errands to run and cause I can't leave you alone in the house anymore, you're gonna have to spend a little time at the daycare back in the city." He finished quickly, hoping the little kitsune didn't have an irrational fear of daycares as well.
Tails whirled his head around, his outstretched arm hanging in mid motion as he looked at Sonic in a mixture of surprise and dread.
"Sonic please! I promise I won't do anything bad!" He begged while leaning forward. In just a second Tails had transformed from a quiet, timid fox to an anxious and eccentric child.
"No can do Tails, still can't trust ya, remember?" Sonic shook his head solemnly and stood up.
"Then just take me with you!"
Sonic felt his heart twist upon seeing the distressed look on Tails' face but managed to steel his resolve and brush past it. "Well," he began, tilting an eyebrow at potential opportunity, "if you tell me what's wrong then I might reconsider."
"But there's nothing wrong!" Tails blurted out.
"Then I can't take you." Sonic promptly finished.
"But…but," The cub looked up at him with big blue eyes as he stood up on the couch. "But you're my best friend!"
Sonic looked questionably at the fox's sudden interest in him when a minute ago they barely looked at each other. "Tails please, it'll only be for a few hours. It's just that I gotta go do something and you can't come with me."
"But I don't wanna go there! I wanna stay with you!" With an unexpected jump, Tails lunged off the couch and clung onto the blue hedgehog, hugging him with all his might…which wasn't much to begin with as he began to lose grip and fall down.
Sonic recovered from the initial surprise and quickly but gently lifted the two tailed cub into his arms. "Sorry Tails, you don't really have a choice this time. I promise I won't take long."
In a blur the duo raced out of the house and disappeared into the forest, the cries of a twin tailed fox trailing wretchedly behind them.
"…is this punishment for not talking as much?" Tails muttered dejectedly while staring plainly off to the side.
"No, it's to keep you safe while I'm gone."
"…but I'll be safer with you." Though truthfully, a nagging feeling told him that that wasn't entirely the case.
"Tails, please, you have to trust me on this one," His best friend stated with a hint of…frustration? Perhaps, but it was hard for him to discern, after all, he wasn't as adept to that 'emotion' as much as other's. "Alright, found where the daycare is." He heard before the scenery around them practically morphed into a swirl of blurs that shot past his face at the speed of sound.
Not a second later, everything resumed definite form…well, other than his vision that is.
"Ughh…" Tails groaned once more feeling like the world was on the very center of a spin top. His body and eyesight spiraled erratically (the fact that he couldn't see very well due to sleeplessness didn't help at all) as he pushed himself out of the hedgehog's grasp and collapsed onto the snow-covered asphalt. "…please… warn me next time you-blugh-…do that…" He gasped while holding a hand to his mouth and stomach.
"Ehm…sorry, I guess, but I needed to hurry up." Sonic replied in…agitation? "Besides, you seemed to be fine after last time." He leant down and helped the nauseas fox to his feet.
"…yeah but there weren't nearly as many-blugrh-…turns...to do in the forest." Tails mumbled shakily. He definitely did not have the energy for this right now.
"That's…actually true. Here, let's get you inside so you can sit down." He heard Sonic say before helping him walk into the daycare centre.
The door squeaked noisily as it opened prompting him to hold a hand up to his ear to shield out the irritating sound. Through blurred eyes and dimmed lights, he could faintly see the brown blob of a desk directly in front of him and the large…creature that sat behind it.
"Hello dearies, what can I do for you today?" The creature spoke with a kind, soft voice leading Tails to the conclusion that it was most definitely feminine.
"Hey, uh, I was wondering if I could leave my buddy Tails here for a bit while I go and do somethin?" Sonic spoke quickly as if he really had to pee but the bathroom was clogged. Wait, what kind of comparison was that?
"Yes, of course. I'll just need a name and method of payment dearie." Aside from being female, there wasn't much else he could tell about her, including what kind of Mobian she was.
"Sonic the Hedgehog and I'll pay with mobiums, oh yeah, how much will that be?"
"What was your name sweetie?" Tails was forced to cover his ears to drown out the lady's raised voice. He absolutely didn't have enough energy for this. "You'll have to speak up, I don't hear as well as I used to." Well, at least it muffled the volume to an adequate level.
"You don't know me?" Sonic asked, sounding a little surprised. "Ah well, anyway, the name's Sonic the Hedgehog."
Huh, Sonic never told him his full name before. Hedgehog huh? What a weird last name. It almost made him proud to have the last name Prower.
"Hey Tails," He blinked. Sonic was looking down at him curiously. Tails quickly lowered his hands from their protective positioning so he could hear the blue hedgehog. "It's time for me to go."
He sighed and flattened his ears, having already accepted that this would happen. Besides, running away didn't seem like a very appealing option anymore, considering how much his lunch wanted to come bursting out like an overflown water slide.
Tails let out a slight huff. "…okay, you can go…I guess…just, come back quick okay? I wanna stay with you…" He said in a barely audible voice.
He heard Sonic take a deep breath before he felt a hand ruffle through his wind-frayed hair. "Don't worry lil' buddy, I'll always come back."
And with a sudden jet of air accompanied by a squeaking door, he had left.
"You have a very nice friend," The lady spoke after a moment. "…or, is it, adopted father? Son? Brother? Oh rats! I forgot to ask for his relationship with you." The temporary-caretaker lightly hit her fist against the desk in what appeared to be frustration. "You don't mind telling me, do you?"
He stood silent, not exactly comfortable with the prospect of being left alone with a complete and utter stranger.
"Come on honey, don't be shy. I just need to know what he is to you."
More silence.
"...sweetie, you can trust me, it's not like I can use it for anything, I just need to fill it in for the records."
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.
Tails shivered at the memory. How many times had he heard it? And how many of his words had been used against him? Oh right, all of them. Might as well remain silent then, if it wasn't Sonic then he wasn't talking.
"Not much of a talker are you little one? That's fine; I'll just ask him when he returns. You can run along into the other rooms and go play now, just remember to ask me if you need anything."
The feminine creature lounged back in her chair, if the loud, annoying creek gave any indication. The house settled until it was quiet and seemed to emanate a low droning sound, one that originated deeper within the walls making him wonder just how big this place really was.
His ear twitched as they picked up on a fairly distinct noise. Kids, other kids. Oh great, he'd forgotten about the worst part of day cares, having to share everything with the other children. The kids that were just a bit older than him yet still seemed to speak baby language and run around for no reason at all. He himself had outgrown that lifestyle a long time ago.
Turning towards the source, Tails spotted an open door on the left wall. Quickly making up his mind that he did not want to go that way, he turned around and spotted another open door on the right wall. Making sure that there were no sounds coming from that way, Tails peered into the entrance and found a sizable looking hallway that continued on after a bend.
Not wanting to stay with the strange daycare lady either, Tails slowly shuffled through the damp corridor. He had to admit the peace and quiet did feel nice, oh yeah, and not having to look behind his back every three seconds for bullies. But he couldn't help but feel like something was missing.
And then he remembered. Sonic wasn't here to enjoy it with him.
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, Tails let out a gaping yawn and rubbed his eyes tiredly. It wasn't that he disliked Sonic, it was just that he didn't get any sleep at all for the past however-so-many days. He couldn't even yawn in front of his best friend because truthfully, Tails was beginning to running out of excuses to give and if Sonic found out what he's been doing, ohhh boy, he couldn't even imagine what would happen. Best case scenario would be being abandoned somewhat near the city so he could still scavenge some food. Worst case? Hopefully that wouldn't happen.
Strangely enough, the idea that Sonic was temporarily gone sort of relieved him in a strange way. He didn't feel happy, but then again he didn't feel as sad as he knew he should've been. Actually to be honest, he didn't really feel anything right now.
A few minutes of wandering the facility later, he found himself sitting on a soft carpet in an empty children's playroom. Some kindergarten toys were strewn around him in a messy fashion, consisting of ABC blocks, dolls, action figures, and a toy hammer that he was currently spinning pointlessly in his hands.
This is so boring… He thought while staring at the twirling hammer, wondering if kids his age were supposed to find it entertaining. The action did manage to stir a fidgety feeling within him, but that went by unnoticed due to his prevalent feeling of exhaustion.
He stood and turned on the TV in the far corner that he didn't notice was there previously. The screen lit up and as expected, displayed a children's cartoon show. A quick retouching (although hindered by the fact that he couldn't focus very well) that no other four year old could possible hope to comprehend gave him access to the 'off-limits' channels, one of which piqued his interest.
"-In Robotnik's 97th attack this year. Wait! What's that?! A blue blur?! Ladies and gentlemen! Sonic the hedgehog has just arrived on scene and has instantly taken down Robotnik's carrier! With Mobius' new national hero on their side, the city may still have a fighting chance yet!"
Well that was news. Since when was Sonic "Mobius' national hero"? Although it did explain why some people treated him differently (in a good way) than anyone else that he's seen so far, and why Sonic had to leave him here so suddenly.
"The Badniks are dropping like swatted flies to the national hero as…Oh…what's this?! GUN has come to aid Sonic in this massive battle against Robotnik! With the two forces working together, Robotnik is being driven back and out of the city! This certainly is a-"
Tails squealed as a pair of hands suddenly latched onto his tails. Turning, he saw a sizable bear cub with a firm grasp on each of the yellow appendages, looking at them in wonder.
"Whoaah, you have two tails!" The cub childishly stated in amazement.
Tails quickly yanked the furry extremities back behind him, much to the child's dismay and disappointment.
"Wha, what you do that for?" The bear eagerly reached over to grab them again but Tails backed away, a scowl on his face while he eyed the cub cautiously.
Why do kids talk like that?! Tails wondered in regards to the presumably five year old brown bear. An inward feeling told him that now would be a good time to book it.
"You know how to talk?" Each syllable was pronounced just so irritably high pitched that the little fox questioned how anyone could ever stand it. Tails plugged his ears and bolted out the door faster than the brown bear could ask another question, and ran down the hallway until he could no longer hear the cub's loud yells.
If that had happened a few years ago, Tails would have been absolutely ecstatic at the prospect of having a brand new friend. Now however, he couldn't wait to get out of this annoying place.
Sonic please, come back quickly, he wished, suddenly feeling a desire to be with him again, despite knowing that the hedgehog wouldn't be back for several hours.
So for the next hour, Tails wandered through the empty halls, hiding behind a corner whenever he heard someone coming and never once talking to anyone. Even though he had nobody to talk to, the little kitsune didn't feel particularly sad and simply chalked that up to the fact that he'd been alone for pretty much his whole life anyway.
More like just being dead tired.
Tails groaned as the being he dubbed 'The Voice' protruded through his thoughts again for the millionth time that day, all of which he ignored up to this point.
What do you want now?
What I've always wanted Tails, for you to go to sleep.
But I can't go to sleep; I need to be away from Sonic first.
…do you even realize what you just said?
But I didn't say anything.
…
Tails suddenly widened his eyes in realization.
Wait! I am away from Sonic!
…no kidding.
A gush of excitement coursed through the young kitsune as a smile lit up his normally dreary face.
That means I can go to sleep! Yess! Now I just need to find somewhere to lie down.
Turning another corner in the hallway, Tails found a door that was not locked like the other ones. Slowly pushing the crack until the door swung open wide enough to fit his head in, he then peered into the large room.
To his disappointment, it was not empty as he had hoped. A few small heads turned in his direction but only caught sight of the shutting door.
Tails rubbed his eyes again as the door closed shut, the thought of a long nap unknowingly starting to overpower his already frugal senses. Another yawn escaped his small mouth.
Turning to look around again, his eyes settled onto the doorway at the very end of the hallway. By now he felt like he shouldn't even be able to move, much less walk, but nevertheless, his legs found the strength to carry him to what he hoped to be his napping place for the next several hours.
JMWIFOR'S GIO5FT, he read off the plaque near the top of the door. His eyes squinted to try and make out more letters but his blurred vision combined with the fact that he was trying to read from directly below the letters meant no success. If anything, trying to read the letters made him feel even more tired.
Deciding that he'd rather sleep now and read later, Tails performed a little hop and with his bodyweight, pulled down on the metal doorknob. To his delight, the door pushed open with little effort.
Inside the room was completely and absolutely dark, but what does that matter if he was going to sleep anyway? Slowly, he pushed the door back until it was almost-but-not-completely shut so as to let a little light into the room, opting not to lock himself in complete darkness.
And before he could even wrap himself in the comfortable embrace of his tails, he had already fallen asleep.
Aw man, it's already night. Sonic thought while running back to Station Square. I hope Tails is still okay, knowing him, but it is kinda weird how he didn't argue more…
It had been a few hours since he left the little kit in the daycare centre while he ran off to fight Robotnik again. Thankfully no one had been killed or captured during the attack, thanks to the blue blur himself whoarrived just in the nick of time when one of the transporter ships Robotnik used to store civilians had taken off. With a bit of quick thinking he managed to stop the ship in record time and freed the nearly-enslaved Mobians.
But even with the help of GUN the battle had dragged on for several hours. A few new bots proved to be a bit more challenging than the usual but were nowhere near the strength of the now out of commission Gamma. In the end, Sonic received only a few cuts and scrapes, mainly due to the fact that he didn't rest for the entire fiasco and the sheer number of robots Robotnik sent out for this one attack.
Guess I'm not losing my touch after all! Sonic thought in relief, recounting the battle at West Side Island that not only damaged his pride but his confidence as well. He did say he was workin' on somethin big though, so Robotnik'll probably lie low for now which gives me more time to spend with Tails!
Speaking of the little fox, Sonic could only wonder what he was up to right now. Was he playing with the other kids? Highly unlikely considering all that he's been through but there were a lot of children so it could be possible. The day care lady seemed pretty nice; so perhaps he was spending some time with her. Or he could be alone, which was evidently the most expected scenario.
Whatever Sonic was expecting however, it definitely did not include this.
Immediately after he made it into the city, something was wrong. An odd feeling gripped at his heart, similar to what he felt when Tails was upset, but this time there was no definite cause, or at least, not one he could tell right off the bat.
And then he spotted it. The lightless sky made it difficult to differentiate from black clouds, but there was no doubt about it. A thin trail of smoke crossed the sky, bellowing up in the direction of a certain crèche.
Sonic unconsciously began to run faster as an anxious feeling stirred within him. Not a minute later he arrived at the nursery, his heart skipping a beat as he skid to a complete stop, too stunned to move as he watched numerous firefighters battling against a raging inferno that consumed the building in blistering flames.
"What happened?! Where…?!" He stuttered out before a section of the house blasted forward in a booming explosion, forcing everyone present to cover their faces. Fear for the little twin tailed fox replaced all rational thoughts at the moment, and he found that each breath was harder to take in than the last.
The roar of flames and jets of water made it hard to hear anything beyond his hysteric breathing. An onlooker noticed his presence, having heard his previous question and shifted closer.
"A f-fire broke out bout an hour ago…don't know if everyone made it out, b-but those who did were sent to the hospital." The reply was shaky and uncertain which only rendered the hedgehog that much more fearful. "I pray that everyone's all right…"
Sonic grit his teeth and tore his eyes away from the anguished scene, then bolted down the street in a blaze of speed, arriving at the hospital a moment later. He frantically looked around, begging to spot the little cub but found nothing. He quickly asked the receptionist for the floor number before sprinting up the stairwell and bursting through the door onto the fourth floor.
The only sound he heard was the repeated thuds of his shoes while he ran. The colorless double doors flung open and he found himself inside a lobby room with very few occupants. His gaze leapt erratically from person to person until finally, it landed on a lonely yellow fox sitting in the corner.
"Tails!" The cub's head perked up before it was buried in a mound of blue fur. Relief washed over him as Sonic pulled the little fox into a tight embrace, an action that was instantly reciprocated by its recipient. With a sigh, he heaved, "You have no idea how worried I was about you."
Sonic loosened his grip on the twin tailed fox, allowing Tails to sit back down on the chair. Taking a seat beside the younger child, Sonic looked over the few bandages wrapped around the fox's limbs and the bits of charred fur that surrounded them.
"You okay Tails?" He asked grimly.
"…I'm fine." Tails bit his lip and looked up to the hero with big blue eyes. "Sonic…" He began falteringly, "I'm sorry."
Sonic looked at the fox in confusion. "You have nothing to apologize for lil' buddy." He reassured. "You didn't do anything wrong."
But Tails only shut his eyes and continued to bite his lip in regret. "I'm sorry…I've been so mean to you for the past few days." He explained.
"Mean? You've never been mean to me Tails," Sonic responded with a solemn expression, albeit, surprised by how much emotion Tails was showing. "Sure you haven't been talking as much lately, but that's not being mean."
"But…it's not right…" Tails sniffed and held a hand up to his downcast eyes, and it was then that Sonic realized that the cub was crying.
"Tails…awh, c'mere." He gently lifted the kitsune onto his lap and wiped away the rivulets of tears on the fox's muzzle. "I'm not mad at you lil' buddy, honest." He said.
"I-it-it doesn't matter!" Tails choked out through heavy sobs. "I-I ignored you! You've only been nice to me and I've just been ignoring that!" His body quaked as he buried his head in the hedgehog's shoulder.
"Shhh, it's okay," Sonic assured soothingly while rubbing the back of the kitsune's head. And though he hated when he saw Tails crying like this, he would be lying if he said he wasn't relieved that the little fox was finally showing some emotions after seemingly locking them away. "As long as you promise not to do it again, I forgive you."
"I-I p-p-prom-mise…" Tails muttered and with another sniff managed to stifle his cries. "I promise…I'll never do that ever again!" He restated more firmly.
"Good, now wipe away those tears," Sonic gave the fox a light grin while he dried the remaining droplets from the corners of his eyes. "I could never be mad at you, and you don't have to be sad Tails, you have the bestest friend in the world with you, remember?"
Tails let out a slight giggle at the hedgehog's familiar choice of words. "Yeah, I do don't I?"
"Yup, and so do I." Sonic sighed as the worst of his worries slowly filtered out of his system and leaned back on the chair, still holding the little fox in his arms. Finally getting a chance to rest after a long day, he shut his eyes and softly stroked Tails' head. Both were just happy to be back in each other's presence.
"Hey Sonic…" Tails began after a few silent minutes.
"Yeah buddy?" Sonic responded.
"Were you…were you really worried about me?"
Sonic opened his eyes to find sky blue ones staring incredulously into his own. "Y'know…when I found out about what happened, the first thing I thought of was to run in and try and find you." He said with a small smile, much to the cub's stunned surprise. "But then I heard that some people made it out and were sent here, which is how I found you here, sitting alone."
"You would go into a burning house…for me?" Tails asked in shock.
Sonic nodded in response and suddenly felt the fox's head snuggle into his chest.
"Hey there, no need to cry again," Sonic softly comforted the cub, only to be surprised when Tails lifted his head and looked at him with an unwavering smile.
"I'm not crying," Tails said before looking away in embarrassment, the smile still plastered over his face, "I'm just…really happy that I met you, Sonic."
"Aw well, I'm happy I met you too," Sonic replied and scratched behind the fox's ear earning him a delightful squeal. Tails giggled childishly to the touch, a sound that Sonic had missed dearly over the past couple days.
"So, what were ya doing here? I thought you'd want to go home after what happened." Sonic asked after a few moments of tranquil silence.
"The doctor said I'm not allowed to leave until someone came to get me." Tails replied before he remembered something, "Oh yeah, the caretaker lady wanted to talk to you when you got here." He said, recalling the message one of the nurses had given to him.
"Oh, well, better not keep her waiting then." He gently lowered to fox onto the ground before standing up himself. "C'mon Tails."
A nearby doctor, who also recognized Sonic, gave them the room location and number which they managed to find with ease. The two silently opened the door and walked through. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the large gray body lying on the sole bed in the room, which did not make any movement to indicate that she heard the two friends enter. A doctor stood nearby writing on a clipboard, pausing when he noticed the two new arrivals, and then promptly gesturing for the duo to continue on before returning to his work.
Though he was quite short, Tails managed to discern the fact that the caretaker was actually a female bear, who then turned her head towards them after a brief moment.
"Are you alright?" She asked in a kind, motherly type voice. Tails froze, having not been expecting to be the center of attention so suddenly, and opted to timidly nod his head in place of speaking. "That's good," she said before shifting her gaze up and towards the blue hedgehog at the fox's side, "Sonic."
Sonic walked forward and stopped a few feet from the bed. "Miss," he began in a respectful tone that Tails never recalled hearing before. "Did everyone make it out?"
Tails inwardly let out a tiny grin. No matter how many times he saw it, he was always amazed by how much Sonic cared about other people. No wonder Mobius hailed him as their national hero, the selfless blue hedgehog, saving the innocent and fighting against evildoers. How had he not heard of him before?
"Yes, thankfully, everyone managed to make it out," She continued with a wary look.
Sonic sighed in relief, the news that nobody had died alleviating the remaining stress he felt. "I want to thank you," He said with a gratified smile, "for making sure Tails got out in time."
"I wouldn't ever leave a child in a burning building," She responded faithfully, "even if I were to die; I had to make sure he made it out."
Tails' breath hitched at the sudden declaration. His mouth fell agape as he immediately began replaying what the caretaker said, not quite believing if he heard her correctly. Sonic looked back at him with a trusting smile and a thumbs up, as if to tell him that his views on other people were wrong after all. But despite that, he still couldn't find the confidence to believe it was real.
"But I must ask you something," She continued, drawing back the attention of the hedgehog.
"Sure, anything," Sonic replied with a cheery grin.
Her face seemed to visibly darken to the young kitsune but Sonic didn't notice.
"What did you do to him?" In an instant her tone shifted from devoted caretaker to one of harsh accusation, much to Sonic's bewilderment.
"What do you mean?" Sonic asked after overcoming his surprise, his grin wavering a bit in the process.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about hedgehog!" She continued, her voice rising in anger, "What did you do to him?" She asked again, pointing at Tails much to the duo's confusion.
"Watch your tone Miss," The nearby doctor interrupted sharply, "That's Sonic the Hedgehog you're talking to!"
"I don't care who he is!" She seethed in outright fury. "What he's done to that child is unforgivable!"
"Sorry, but I still don't understand what it is that I've done wrong?" Sonic looked more confused than ever as he shuffled back a few steps until he was back beside the little fox. The doctor, foreseeing where this was going, quickly left the room.
"Do you force him to do things he doesn't want?" She asked strictly.
Sonic widened his eyes at the proclamation. "I would never do that!" He instinctively stated while narrowing his eyes, "Why would you even think I would?"
"Do you even know how he acts without you around?" Sonic curiously shook his head, preferring to let her speak. She sighed, suppressing her anger before she spoke, "…I've never seen anything like it, he was always alone, not once did he talk me or any of the other kids."
Sonic didn't find that to be quite a surprise, knowing how the fox was like. "I watched him while he walked through the hallways by himself. I kept thinking, maybe he was trying to find a specific room or that he was trying to find out where the other kids were…but he never stopped." She muttered, a faint sob escaping her as she spoke much to their surprise.
"And then…he started hiding whenever someone walked by…" Tails stood stunned; he didn't even realize she had been watching over him. "…He looked so lost…always staring at the ground. I sent a cub in to try and help make him happy, but he only ran away as soon as they met…I didn't know what to do…I've never seen a child so sad or so scared before."
Tails looked away from Sonic's surprised gaze, knowing that what the caretaker was saying was true but being too afraid to admit it.
"I wanted to talk to him but a situation came up and I had to take care of it. When I came back…he was gone. I searched every hiding place in all the rooms as much as I could, but I couldn't find him…and then, a few hours later, out of nowhere, there was a fire…" She trailed off and wiped her eyes, "…I searched through the fire for him, and found him inside the janitor's closet. At first I assumed the worst, but then I realized he was unconscious." She finished.
She leaned her head back down on the pillow and let out a saddened sigh. "I've never seen a child so neglected before. I thought he might've just been sad that you were gone, but now that you're here, I can see that that's not the case, is it?" And though she was facing away from him, Tails knew he was the one the question was directed towards.
"…How could you let that happen?" She asked, her voice was laced with spite. "He's just a child! He doesn't deserve to feel that sad!"
Sonic, who had been listening intently, didn't take the fact that he was being accused again very well but managed to subdue it. "He doesn't really like talking to people other than me," He began, though he was beginning to believe that some of what she said was true.
"How much have you been neglecting him?!" She rhetorically asked. "I know what children look like when they're sad or lonely! Even now when I look at him, I can see, he tries to hide it but it's there!" She stated much to their shock. "Now tell me…why do you force him to hide it?...Why do you force him to be so alone when you can see how hurt he is?"
Sonic steadied his breathing and looked down at the little kitsune in concern. "Is that true Tails?" He asked, wishing now more than ever that he understood emotions as well, "Do you really feel like you're alone?"
Tails looked away from his best friend and bit his lip, not being able to bear the worried expressions any longer. The actions however only lead to Sonic believing that it was true.
"Tails…tell me it's not true!" Sonic pleaded but Tails remained unmoving.
What have I done? Sonic questioned himself, his vision becoming a swirl of yellow-fur. I was the only one he could count on and I messed that up! GAH why didn't I do anything to help?! All this time I thought something was wrong and I never did more than argue with him about it for a bit? What kind of best friend am I?!
"You're no hero…hedgehog." Her voice protruded through his already frenzied thoughts, "If you were, you would never have let him end up like this…"
Sonic grit his teeth as the thought of neglecting Tails for so long overcame him. …she's right, he thought, being a hero isn't just about saving people from Robotnik! Damnit! How did I let this drag on for so long?!
"He will be in much better hands with somebody else, seeing as you can't bother to properly take care of him."
His heart skipped a beat. Somebody else? But…he's my best friend…my first best friend in years… Sonic clutched his head in his hands and shut his eyes as a whole new feeling enveloped him. …But do I even deserve to be his best friend anymore? I don't want to lose him but…
"You're no hero with what you've done."
A sudden pang of guilt welled up within the distressed hedgehog, his already erratic thoughts spun wildly out of his control until all he heard were the bitter remarks of his mistakes. Each thought ate away more and more at his confidence as his mind became filled with doubts.
I'm only eleven years old! What was I thinking?!Of course I can't take care of a kid properly!
And just when he was about to accept the fact that he wasn't the correct person for Tails to live with, a different sound suddenly swept through his senses and quickly silenced all his considerations and judgments.
Sonic opened an eye and realized that the sound wasn't coming from his mind, but from something close by. His ears perked up at the strange sound in recognition. It was laughter.
Fully opening both eyes, Sonic turned to see Tails, joyously grinning in unrestrained laughter, much to both his and the caretaker's blatant confusion.
"Sweetie? What's the matter?" Sonic heard her ask in uncertainty.
Tails lifted a hand to wipe away a tear that formed from laughing so much, surprising both of them.
"Ohohohoo…that's funny," Tails chuckled with a grin while clutching his stomach. "You actually think I'm like this because of him?" He said, tilting his eyebrows in disbelief and pointing at Sonic. "Ohoho…that is too funny!"
Sonic stared at the young kitsune in shock and perplexity. He wanted to say something, to ask Tails what the hell was going on, but the fox's very malevolent voice caused him to freeze up.
"What do you mean?" The caretaker asked, equally as confused as the hedgehog.
"You don't honestly think I'm like this because of him do you?" Tails asked with a sly grin. "We only just met a few days ago," He said, narrowing his eyes.
The caretaker looked into Tails' eyes to try and find the locked away sadness she saw moments ago, but to her surprise, it wasn't there.
"You say you saw it?" Tails asked giddily. "All that sadness and loneliness? Pfft, that's a joke."
Tails?
"I was never sad! That was all just an act!" He exclaimed with a sneer. "And you fell for it!" He said with a chuckle.
"But…what, why?" The old caretaker trailed off at a loss for words.
"It's so much fun, that's why!" Tails pointed his index finger sharply at her and continued, "When sappy old people like you treat me with respect, I get all the free food I want, all the toys, the clothes, everything! All I have to do is put a frown on my face and I can get anything I want!"
Tails…what are you doing? Stop!
"Oh yeah, by the way, I didn't talk to those kids cause I hate them! All of the kids are older than me but still talk like babies! They're all smelly, rude, annoying, loud, and dumb!" He shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Heh, I don't get why everyone likes them, I mean what's the big deal? They can't do anything, they take up space, and they cost a lot of money! It's part of the reason I started the fire in the first place."
No! What? Why would you?!
"…hehe, woops, I said that out loud didn't I? Ah well, it's not like you're gonna arrest a kid, 'specially not if I act sad again. But yup, I started the fire. I wanted to create somethin to, say…help control the children. Ended up falling asleep while I was preparing it and I dropped the lighter, unfortunately it didn't go as planned, but oh well, what can ya do?"
Tails!
"I really wish Sonic would've helped me do it, he's a lot smarter at it than I am. But he's too busy playing Mr. Hero that he can't even be bothered to join me! You were right when you said he doesn't properly take care of me. All he does every day is nag me when I try and have fun and sometimes he even stops me from doing it! What kind of caretaker doesn't let their kid have any fun?"
What the hell?! Tails stop!
"You should lighten up Sonic, or should I say, Mr. Hero Pants, and stop trying to turn me into you. I don't wanna go off saving cities all day, or save people from getting killed. All that stuff is boooringggg! Why should I care if someone is trying to take over the world? 'Specially if it's this Robotnik guy, I dunno why you keep stopping him, 'maybe it's cause you're too nice for your own good. Ya know, you might've adopted me cause you're nice, so I guess that's one of the good things about you, if only a little. After all, how else would I take advantage of you if you left me?"
Tails-
"I guess your useless kindness had a use after all! But still, I sure wish you'd stop leaving me with random strangers and just let me stay home when you go off to save the world or whatever, but I know you're too soft to do that. You know, I-"
"ENOUGH!"
Both fox and hedgehog stopped mid-thought and looked up to the caretaker as she visibly shook with rage.
"…get out of my sight…"
Sonic stood frozen at the amount of hatred in the old lady's voice. He couldn't move. A sound prompted him to turn his head to the side just in time to see Tails push open the door, a small smile etched on his face as he walked out. The door clicked back in place, leaving the two the sole occupants in the room.
"…I'm sorry…" He heard her mumble quietly. "…I misjudged you, Sonic."
Sonic's breath hitched in his throat as the realization of what Tails was trying to do rammed into him full force.
"…It must be difficult, living with him." She continued softly, "…perhaps you truly are a hero after all."
Sonic snapped himself out of his shock and stared wide eyed at the olden caretaker as she lay back on the bed and began to rest. Without another thought, he raced out the door scanning frantically for the little yellow kitsune. Using his speed, he raced through every floor of the hospital before ending at the front entrance, no fox in sight.
Bursting out into the dead of the night, Sonic was immediately stung by the cold winter night air. He quickly scanned the nearby sidewalks but was once again met with nothing.
Not wasting another moment, Sonic sprinted up and down the barren streets nearest to the hospital, desperately trying to find the cub but to no avail. Damnit! Where is he?! He anxiously wondered.
His search ended with him in the frozen park where he spotted a little tuft of yellow fur sitting motionlessly on a bench.
As Sonic slowly approached from behind, he saw that Tails was staring grimly up at the sky, gazing at the moon with a longing expression.
"Tails," Sonic began while taking a seat beside the expressionless kitsune. His breath caught in his throat and for the first time in ages, he didn't know what to say. "…you…" He trailed off. His mind raced through thousands of questions that he desperately wanted to ask the little fox, making it impossible to focus on just one.
Tails sighed and continued gazing up at the lonesome moon in thought. "…I didn't mean some of the things I said, if that's what you're thinking."
"But…why? I mean, why did you say all those things?" Sonic asked, dearly wanting Tails to talk to him rather than shut him out.
"…you're a hero Sonic, that's what they all say right?"
"Yes but so what if one person doesn't think I'm a hero? ...a hero's just a title Tails, and nothing more than that." Sonic affirmed. "Besides…I'm no hero after what I did to you."
"No, Sonic, you're a hero, a real hero," Tails said with a shake of his head, finally looking at his best friend with a tiny smile. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you what was bothering me, but that's my fault, not yours. So please, don't believe what she said about you, no matter what you'll always be a hero cause that's just who you are. You're a hero, and you deserve to be respected and loved," His gaze dropped a little, too ashamed to look the hedgehog in the eye. "…and if I can help make other people see you as a hero, then I'll gladly do it."
"But, Tails…" He eyed the kitsune with sympathy, and was amazed by just how much the cub truly cared about him. "…that was just one person…I…I don't care if they hate me…but now she hates you…you deserve to be loved too."
Tails shook his head and propelled his fists up. "You don't see the difference one person makes Sonic…and I'm not a hero like you are! You're Sonic the Hedgehog! Everyone knows who you are! And I thought that if anybody deserves to be respected and loved, then it's you! The greatest hero on all of Mobius!" He exclaimed with heightened fervour. "You're the nicest, bestest, and most caring person I've ever met, and if I could do anything to pay it back to you then I will!"
He sighed and ran a hand over his eye. "...you adopted me to give me a better life, not so I could mess up yours…"
Sonic shuffled closer to the little fox and wrapped a comforting arm around his shoulder. "Tails...you won't mess up my life, not ever, cause that's something you would never do. But if something like that happens again, please, don't lie and make people hate you, even if it is for me."
"It's fine, really it is...my life's already messed up anyways, and I'd rather them hate me for being a spoiled brat than hate you for doing what you love..."
Sonic felt his heart heave at the words no four year old should have to say.
"Tails…c'mere kid," He gently placed the little fox on his lap and enveloped him in a great big hug. "What am I gonna do with you...?" He sighed.
Tails exhaled contently in the warming embrace as Sonic soothingly rubbed the back of his head. "Just, promise me one thing for now, okay Tails?" Sonic began and leaned back on the bench.
"Mmh? What is it Sonic?"
"Never lie to me like that," He spoke with a hurt voice, "…I swear…if I didn't know you then, I would've believed everything you said, word for word." He shivered, remembering the cruel and convincing way the kitsune spoke. "….it was actually pretty scary how real you sounded. You almost made me think you actually did start the fire."
Tails let out a little giggle at the hedgehog's comment.
"I'm being serious Tails." Sonic reaffirmed.
"Oh, right," Tails let out a longing breathe, "…well, I've had a lot of practice, lying like that. And one of the reasons it sounded so real was because I wasn't lying to you, I was lying to her." He stated.
Sonic pulled back a bit from the hug and sat the kid down on his lap so he could look at him. "Oh, really?" He asked in genuine surprise. "What's so special about me?"
Tails shifted his eyes away from the hedgehog uncomfortably. "Well...ya see, I find it really hard to lie to you for some reason, it just makes me feel...weird, inside. And cause of that, I don't lie to you very much."
"But you still do it sometimes, don't you." Sonic said, implying all the times Tails said he was fine.
Tails winced as the touchy subject was brought back up. "…yeah, I do." He murmured and took a deep breath. "…look…I know what you're thinking about right now, but…I can't tell you about it, not yet anyway."
"Why not?" Sonic asked dejectedly, as if the little cub still didn't trust him.
"Sonic I…want to tell you, really, I do…but I'm just not ready yet." Tails said. Upon seeing Sonic's downcast features, he quickly added, "It's not because I don't trust you Sonic, because I do, more than anyone else…"
"Then why won't you tell me?" Sonic placed his hands on the cub's shoulders and softened his gaze. "If it's big enough to make you feel like you're alone, then I need to know what it is so I can help you. I care about you more than you realize Tails."
The glum fox sunk his head down further in guilt. "I know and I promise I will tell you Sonic, just not right now…give me three weeks and I promise I'll tell you what's wrong."
Sonic lifted an eyebrow and then extended a hand out to the fox. Tails looked at the outstretched pinkie in confusion before Sonic spoke, "Pinkie promise?"
A small grin made its way onto his face as Tails copied the gesture and accepted. "Pinkie promise."
"I'm trusting you Tails," Sonic stated seriously.
"I know...and i won't break my promise," Tails said reminiscently. His eyes turned back to the snowy white wonderland around them as he asked, "Can we go home now Sonic?"
"Sure thing bud," Sonic gently lowered Tails to the ground before getting up and stretching his arms and legs. "I'm exhausted after everything today."
"Me too," Tails replied, walking side by side with his best friend again. "I'm sorry I lied to you Sonic, I should've at least told you something was wrong." He said after a few silent minutes.
When Tails didn't receive a reply, he turned to look at the blue hedgehog only to have his vision suddenly obscured and feel a freezing sensation on his muzzle.
"H-Hey! What was that for?" Tails asked childishly while wiping the snowball off his face.
"For lying to me," Sonic replied, grinning mischievously, "and this one's for not telling me you were sad!"
Another snowball impacted his face with a dull thud. Sonic stared as Tails shook the excess snow off before proceeding to pout cutely.
"T-t-that…" Sonic stuttered, his mind pretty much shutting down from the flat out adorable sight. He was suddenly knocked back into his senses by the freezing touch of a snowball before he heard the kitsune giggling wildly at what he presumed was his face.
"So that's how you wanna play…" Sonic muttered with a devilish grin. Tails immediately stopped laughing and stared, wide eyed at the malevolent glint in the hedgehog's eyes. So he did what he did best. High tail it out of there!
"You're not gettin away that easy Tails!" Sonic yelled out after the cheerfully smirking kitsune.
Their cries and laughter could be heard throughout the entire city as the two bestest friends playfully pelted snowballs at each other, all the while running back to their home in the Mystic Ruins.