"In other news, Megalo Station has temporarily closed down after a suspected attempt at arson. The perpetrators were believed to..."
The monotone hum of Tails's hover car sang in his ears, drowning out the low voice of the news anchorman over the radio. Around him, the skyline of Grand Metropolis was shrouded in heavy fog, the only hint of the other motorists being their gleaming headlights. Tails sighed, pursing his lips as he coolly swerved around a speeding driver and continued on his way as if nothing happened.
He'd originally planned on going to Megalo Station, where the tubular roads were much more monitored and safer to drive, to buy the parts he needed to properly fix the Tornado rather than just patch her up, but the attack by some apparent delinquents had shut the whole thing down and traffic was at a standstill. Tails couldn't even imagine the whining and complaining he'd be getting from his passenger if they'd been stuck in the station's traffic right now.
The radio switching from the news to a music channel jolted Tails back into awareness, Sonic groaning in the passenger's seat. "Ugh, you're driving so slow."
"Well, Sonic," Tails tutted, swerving around another hover car. "In case you haven't noticed, I can't see. Unless you wanna crash us into the nearest pedestrian," Tails let go of the wheel. "Then be my guest."
"Whoa!" Sonic's reflexes were the only thing that saved them as he reached across Tails to straighten the vehicle and save it from crashing into a light post. "Okay, okay, I get it! Could you maybe not get us or someone else killed while doing it?"
"Uh-huh." Tails chirped, all too pleased with himself.
Despite the heavy fog, the rest of the trip proved to be uneventful as Tails slowed to a stop outside of the shop's building. The building itself, just like every other in the area, was a skyscraper, hundreds of stories in the air at its peak. The building was currently hidden in the clouds, but it meant nothing to Tails at the time as he hopped out of the car, stretching his sore back and staring up at the foggy nothingness around him.
"So this is your backup shop, eh?" Sonic mused, striding past with a curious glint in his eyes.
"Yeah, I know the shopkeeper at Megalo Station's shop a lot better, but I've been here a couple times." Tails explained. "The shop itself is near the top. The...two hundred and eighty-ninth floor, I think? Or was it the two hundred and ninety-eighth? I'll have to check the directory again, I guess."
It turned out to be the two hundred and ninetieth, but Sonic didn't say anything about it as the two stood in comfortable silence, Tails swaying on his toes to the bland elevator music playing in the background. The city slowly sank into the horizon as the elevator rose, the endless fog eventually giving way to sunlight the higher they went. Flying cars were drowned in the mist as Tails tentatively leaned forward, searching for any hint of the streets below and finding nothing but gray. "You know," Tails said mindlessly. "I used to be afraid of heights."
There was a light snort, Tails only now realizing that he was talking out loud. "I never knew that. Really? You?"
"I didn't always know I could fly." Tails argued. "Had to find out the hard way."
The hard way had been a pair of bullies going way too far and pushing him over the edge of a cliff, but Sonic didn't need to know that. The two-tailed fox didn't need his big brother worrying over something that doesn't even bother him anymore. With a curious hum, Tails looked up at Sonic. "Did you always know you were fast?"
Sonic chuckled. "Pretty much. Used to hear all sorts of horror stories about how much of a hassle I was as a hoglet."
"I can't imagine."
"Heh, yeah, I can't, either."
Sunlight gleamed against the window as the elevator slowed to a stop, a loud ding ringing out as the doors slid open with a squeal. Tails was listing possible repairs for the loud elevator door in his head as the two stepped into the mechanics shop, other shoppers quietly strolling around the store. Sky blue eyes lit up at the newer selections along the aisle, tools and machines that made his heart sing, but he shook his head. They didn't exactly have the money to splurge on new equipment that Tails could either do without or make his own of.
"Did you pre-order the parts?"
"Oh, yeah." Tails blushed as Sonic squinted at him, clearly following his line of sight. "Yeah, I just gotta talk to the shopkeeper. It shouldn't take long."
"Thank Chaos. I'm starving."
"Um, e-excuse me?"
The two blinked, turning to find a Mobian dog standing behind them. Down at her feet, another child, his eyes bright with awestruck wonder, held a notepad so tightly that the paper crinkled in his grip. The mother cleared her throat. "I hope we aren't bothering you-"
"Can you sign this?!" The boy suddenly shouted, holding his notepad out expectantly. The mother frowned at the brash display, but deflated in relief as Sonic gave them a blinding grin.
"I guess I'll go get my parts?" Tails asked with a smile, a warmth blossoming in his chest.
"I'll be right behind you, buddy."
Tails's smile grew as he turned to leave, the boy's ecstatic "I wanna be just like you!" not going unnoticed. Tails always felt warm and fuzzy whenever his big brother got the love and praise he deserved for his heroic efforts. Sonic was always weird about it, brushing it off as him just doing what he wanted to rather than acting as some world-renowned hero, but that didn't take from the countless lives that he saved regularly. It didn't take away from the criticisms, either, and though Sonic could always let it slide with no problems, some of the things people said would keep Tails up at night.
Forgive him for being protective in the ways he could, but some of those people reminded Tails way too much of his childhood bullies and the image of Sonic getting treated like that made Tails's toes curl.
"Good morning!" The shopkeeper's voice startled Tails out of his thoughts. He readjusted his glasses, checking over a list. "Er, Miles, is it? I think I remember your face."
"That's me." Tails sighed. "I've shopped here before. I love the quality of your selection! Oh yeah, and you can call me Tails."
"Tails, yes!" the shopkeeper exclaimed. "Yes, yes, you ordered parts for what I'm guessing is a private aircraft of some sort."
"You're right! A biplane."
"Yes, yes, indeed, indeed." the shopkeeper prattled with a smile.
As he disappeared under the counter, rambling about something that Tails felt bad for ignoring, the kit let out a long sigh, a smile on his face as he stared back down the aisle, where Sonic was comforting the overemotional mother. Around the shop, Tails grinned at the sight of more young faces with stars in their eyes as they looked around the store, enamored by the selection in a way that reminded Tails of himself in so many ways.
"Allllllright," the shopkeeper reappeared. "How much were you-"
It started slow.
Several ears perked up at the low rumble. Tails himself could feel the pressure in the air change, his sensitive Mobian ears twitching in response as the wave rippled through the ground. Soft murmurs of concern filled the space as people grew worried, some inching towards escape routes while others were frozen in fear. Meanwhile, the few humans in the store observed the sudden change in social atmosphere with oblivious fascination. Looking behind him, Tails met Sonic's gaze, his carefree smile replaced with a sharp, steely seriousness that only showed itself once in a blue moon.
Tails wouldn't claim to be an expert in seismic phenomena, but he was smart, and he knew plenty about basic P and S waves that ran through the ground when the tectonic plates scraped against each other or subducted. Maybe it wasn't the only possibility, but when the whole store went quiet, the first thought that entered Tails's mind as the low-frequency shock ran under his feet was P wave.
And if there were P waves, there would be S waves, and S waves meant...
It was strange, knowing what was coming and not being able to do a thing about it. It was a voice in the back of the room that snapped him back into reality.
"Are we about to have an earthquake?"
And then it hit.
The jolt would have had Tails toppling over had it not been for the counter, the fox kit clinging to it as the entire building shifted violently to the side. The screaming was immediate, people being thrown to the ground or clinging to whatever purchase they could find as the world tilted dangerously. Merchandise clattered to the floor as it fell from shelves, cluttering the store as the lights flickered wildly.
The heavy fog did nothing to help the unfolding chaos, swaying buildings the only things rising through the clouds. Tails had no visual of the ground, where dozens of people likely were, in harm's way, facing a threat that they couldn't just defeat with brute strength or quick wit.
The building tilted to the other side, and Tails realized two things at once.
One, this was an extremely powerful earthquake. One that had the world shaking so violently that even shelves were tipping over. That meant that it would likely last at least a few minutes and that the damage would be far and wide, especially if this was the epicenter.
Two, this was not an area particularly known for strong earthquakes, only becoming more frequent worldwide since the planet was put back together during the Dark Gaia incident. That meant that the city's infrastructure wasn't built to withstand such events, and thus, the damage was going to be extensive. More apparent, the building they were in could collapse at any moment.
"Tails!"
Tails snapped out of his winding train of thought, eyes meeting emerald green as Sonic lifted the mother from earlier into his arms, her little boy sobbing against her chest. "Grab as many as you can and fly them somewhere safe! I'll use the stair rails to get everyone else out of here!"
"Okay! Check other floors, too!"
Sonic nodded, offering one quick smirk before disappearing in a blueish hue. In a rush, Tails reached for the first people he saw, a group of three teenagers with the fear of death shining in their eyes as they blindly clung to a child for safety. They were heavy altogether, but Tails managed as he made the controlled descent towards the cracking ground.
Mobians capable of flight were already in the air, including the shopkeeper as he held a struggling human woman in his arms. Flying cars began to rise out of the fog as bystanders rushed to escape the danger and pick up whoever they could, some cars so crammed with people that they were nearly falling out. Back in the building, through the windows, Tails would catch glimpses of blue darting through several floors, finding the offices and stores empty or scarcely populated. It would be a blur or a couple of flashes, and then he was gone.
Tails could only thank his lucky stars that it was a holiday, one that he didn't even remember the name of, but one that still called for the closure of most businesses. He'd nearly stayed home today, concerned that the mechanics shops would be closed too. Either way, far less people were out and about than there might have been.
It was just as Tails was dropping the teens off in another packed flying car that a distant roar caught his attention. Far below, the fog started to turn a murky brown as dust swirled into the air like storm clouds. In the distance, he could make out falling buildings, one or two of the tallest crumbling away at the power of the earthquake.
Tails looked back up at their building in terror, swaying side to side like a bobblehead. Mind blank, he raced back towards it, back through the broken windows he'd come from, skidding to a stop through the broken glass littering the floor. He cupped his hands. "Is anybody else here?!" he shouted.
"Tails!"
A weight he didn't know was there lifted off his shoulders as Sonic appeared around the corner. "I think we're clear, but the building's gonna fall! We gotta go!"
"Right!"
Tails wasn't sure who heard it first.
Both of their heads shot up at the sound, a soft whine hidden beneath the creaking and groaning as the building began to give against the tremendous weight of gravity. Sonic reacted first, his eyes locking onto something in the very corner of the store. Tails hadn't even registered what was happening by the time Sonic had moved, and finally, Tails saw it too.
A little girl. A human girl, sobbing as she huddled in the corner of the room, screaming for her mother.
CRACK
Tails felt the world tilt sharply to the side as the top of the building gave way, tipping forwards as the store's furniture slid across the cluttered floor towards the wall. The girl screamed, tears streaming down her face, as Sonic grabbed her arm, eyes wide in what Tails realized was just the slightest hint of panic.
That was when Tails started to be afraid.
His heart leaped into his throat as the momentum sent Sonic crashing through the window, the girl in his arms as he reached wildly for something to cling onto. Tails was already running, his brother's name on the tip of his tongue as the walls became the floor and the building swayed.
Below them was a nearly three hundred story drop.
Despite tunnel vision zeroing in on that window, Tails let his tactical mind run. Flying down would only get him caught in the falling debris plummeting to the ground, and he'd be of no help if he got stuck in that. So, logically, his next step would be to fly up through the windows now above him.
With that in mind, he took off, ignoring the sting of jutting glass scraping against his body as he launched through the sky and arched towards the ground. In the chaos, no one seemed to notice what was happening, distracted by the destruction itself as Tails shot downward.
In the heat of the moment, he almost missed the shock of vibrant blue, sky blue eyes latching onto the figure hanging from an open window on the side of the building that had yet to crumble. The girl in his arm clung to him, crying into his shoulder as Tails quickly zipped over, relief making his stomach do loops and corkscrews.
"Hey, buddy." Sonic chuckled, out of breath. "Used the falling debris to try and leap back into the building. Not my most graceful save, to be honest. Heh."
Tails sighed. "I'm glad you're okay. You scared me!" He turned to the girl, holding his hands out for her and trying his hardest to ignore the blood dripping from where Sonic was gripping the broken window panel. "Are you okay?"
"...Mm-hmm..." the girl nodded between choked gasps. Tails carefully gathered the tiny human into his arms, holding her against his chest.
"You think you could hang onto my foot?" Tails asked Sonic sheepishly.
Sonic snerked, reaching out. "Yeah, I guess I could-"
The window panel snapped.
Sonic gasped in surprise as the panel jerked downward, loud snaps like buttons popping out of a shirt sending flimsy bolts scattering through the air as the panel broke off completely. It only took a second, maybe less, but it felt like slow motion as the blue hedgehog swung his open hand towards Tails's leg, a desperate grab for some kind of leverage before he was met with open air. If Tails wasn't holding a child almost his own size in his arms in that moment, he would have lunged forward himself.
Sonic missed.
It wasn't often that Tails heard Sonic scream. Fear, pain, anger, whatever the reason, it was a rare sound, but still one that could easily keep Tails up at night for weeks after.
This time was no different.
"SONIC!"
There was some part of Tails that remembered the girl in his arms, the one taking up all the space when his big brother was falling to his death, and his train of thought derailed. He didn't dare even think to drop her, her small frame shaking in his arms as his breathing quickened to the point of near-hyperventilating. With no movement in his peripheral, no one else had noticed the commotion, which meant no one else was coming to their rescue. Tails didn't have the time to call for or find help, nor did he have the perfect invention to save the day like Sonic seemed to think he always did.
All he could do was fly.
So he flew.
He darted downward, the girl screaming from the stomach-dropping nosedive as Tails forced his namesakes to whirl so fast that they began to ache. He had no arms to reach out, so his best shot at saving Sonic would be to pass him, fly under and give him something to grab onto. The plan only spurred Tails on, to fly faster, steadier.
Sonic was staring back up at him, quills blowing in the wind as he reached upward in a vain attempt to latch on despite the current distance. Despite the wide-eyed deer-in-the-headlights look, the spark of confidence and hope was as bright as ever, as if he was simply getting bailed out of a bad situation and not depending on Tails's reflexes to keep him alive.
And then the fog overtook them.
Panicked gazes met, realization striking them both simultaneously as the haze still coating the city rose up to meet them. Tails's throat went dry as the splash of cobalt blue against the cityscape vanished into the fog.
"Tails!"
Tails followed after his voice, literally flying blind as the heavy fog closed in on him. He couldn't find it in him to slow down, even as he grew disoriented. Even with gravity helping him, it was like getting lost underwater, losing track of up versus down and right versus left. Tails didn't dare change his directory, searching frantically through the low clouds for any flash of familiar color, as if sight would reappear in a last-minute miracle.
They'd experienced a lot of those, miracles. Every battle seemed to have fate on their side, a wild race towards something greater, and the mere thought of an abrupt end had Tails's heart thundering in his ears. It was almost hilariously cliche, how memories of his big brother's smile were already flashing before his eyes, a mock death knell spitting in his face.
A light post appeared to his right.
Tails yelped, the girl in his arms clinging on so tight that it was nearly choking him. The stop was so sudden that it had Tails's vision going white, the gray haze replaced with a bright hue of nothingness. He tripped over his own feet, his knees giving out as he met the ground unexpectedly, the girl crying out along with him as they fell to the cracked street.
Tails didn't know when the ground had stopped shaking, but between his own gasps for air and the girl's sobs, it was eerily quiet. He didn't know where those who couldn't fly had gone to, but Grand Metropolis, for that lone moment, felt like a ghost town. A soft breeze blew through the city, a haunting howl against the wrecked buildings as the light post that frankly saved their lives flickered out.
He was still hyperventilating, but Tails set the girl down gently, getting up on wobbly legs as he stumbled forward, staring off at the remains of fallen structures and cloudy nothingness. The dust in the air clogged his throat and irritated his eyes, but even then, the sound of his own breathing seemed to reverberate in his head.
"I'll be right behind you, buddy."
"Tails!"
He didn't know if the tears were from the dust or his frayed nerves, but Tails didn't bother to sit down and figure it out. "SONIC!"
His voice echoed through the city, reverberating in his ears as if he was screaming his name on the mountaintops. It reminded him of the nights they'd spent camping in mountains and canyons when he was little, singing songs out of tune and shouting ridiculous conversations to themselves when the echoes were so powerful that their voices would bounce back several times. Sonic had mentioned the idea of a camping trip not too long ago, racing across the land and sleeping under the stars for old times' sake.
Tails had liked the idea, but was so engrossed in his current projects that he'd just had to push it back. Not today. Maybe later. I'm kinda busy. How about next time?
Was there a next time anymore?
"Sonic!" Tails shouted, voice hoarse from the dust. "Sonic! Sonic-!"
He coughed, hacking as the dust cut off his voice. He tried waving it away, even as it floated mindlessly through the fog, turning it a murky brown color as it began to settle. The burning in his eyes had nothing to do with it, though, fat tears rolling down his cheeks as he stared up at what he realized was the wreckage of the top of the building they'd been in. If it was off to the side, then that meant that Tails hadn't flown straight at all.
There hadn't been a chance.
Tails was slow to connect the dots.
The silence grew heavy, sitting on his trembling shoulders as if the entire Egg Fleet had landed on top of him. The weight forced him to his knees, Tails staring at the wreckage with wide, dead eyes. That confident smile was back in his mind's eye, a wide grin as if the weight of the world meant nothing to him. He walked with a spring in his step, a gleam in his eyes as if nothing in the world mattered more than that moment.
He was indomitable, incomprehensible, unstoppable-
A simple fall couldn't-
The genius side of Tails was quick to remind him of the laws of physics, of the effects of gravity, force, meeting immovable objects such as the ground. Less qualified people had survived worse, but it didn't take much to snuff out a blinding light. Even stars died out eventually.
The child side of Tails remembered the gods and monsters that had fallen at his brother's feet, the impossible odds that he had beaten, the promises that he had made.
And Tails, stumbling to his feet and climbing up the wreckage, clung to that childlike wonder.
"I know you're alive." he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. "Please... Please, you're scaring me."
At the top of the rubble, Tails could see the fog ever so slowly starting to clear. He scanned the rubble around him, looking for dashes of color, whether it be familiar blue or soul-crushing red leaking from around the debris.
"Um..."
Tails startled, looking back down at the little girl that they'd saved, now covered in dust and slowly approaching the pile of concrete and glass. She looked up at him with bright eyes, hugging herself as tears continued to fall. "M- Mama says to be polite, so...um...thank you for saving me."
Tails swallowed, forcing a wobbly smile on his face. "I'm glad you're okay." he said.
"Is..." she rocked on her feet. "What about the other guy?"
Tails looked away, forcing down the lump in his throat with steely determination. "He'll be okay."
The girl stared up at him. "Really?"
"Yeah." Tails says, unsure if it was for her or for himself. "Yeah, he will. He's-... He's tough."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
The girl seemed satisfied, but Tails's heart was still hammering against his chest, fresh tears just on the edges of his eyes as he stared off into the slowly unveiling expanse. The more that appeared, the more time that passed, the more that genius Tails wanted to start being realistic.
Child Tails refused to even think about the worst.
And maybe it was because of this blind faith, this hope beyond hope that everything would be okay and his only family hadn't been torn away from him forever, that he started to hear it.
His ears perked, his head snapping up as a familiar voice carried through the murmurs of survivors slowly beginning to appear. Tails scanned the cityscape with disbelieving eyes as that unforgettable sound echoed through the city like a siren's song.
"Tails!"
There.
Tails gasped, his breath hitching and nearly choking him as a figure in blue jogged through the settling dust and lightening fog. His quills were disheveled and his hand was bleeding, but he was otherwise unharmed as his eyes landed on the fox. Instant relief washed over the blue speedster as a grin overtook his muzzle. "Thank Chaos, you're okay. I thought you were gonna torpedo right into the ground-!"
Tails didn't know what possessed him, but before he knew what was happening, he was tripping over concrete and glass in a mad dash into his brother's arms, wailing into his chest as he clung to him like a lifeline. His body shook as Sonic froze in his grip, then tightly wrapped his arms around him. "Shh, hey, bud." he said softly. "We're okay. Just a little frazzled is all."
"I thought-" Tails sobbed. "I thought-!"
"S'okay. I'm right here, little bro. Take all the time you need."
Tails gasped for air as he felt himself slowly lowered to his knees. He didn't dare let go, a part of him terrified that this was all an illusion that his desperate mind had conjured up in the heat of the moment, but Sonic made no comment on it, nor did he make any attempt to pull away. There must have been people beginning to gather, because Sonic was talking to someone besides him, shouting directions and encouragement and other things that Tails just wasn't listening to. All that mattered was the sound of Sonic's voice, no matter what he was saying.
His head nuzzled against Sonic's shoulder, Tails noticed a familiar figure watching them from behind. Realization dawned on him as Silver the Hedgehog waved sheepishly at the two-tailed fox, a nervous smile on his face. Tails swallowed. "Thank you." he called out, though he barely heard it in his own ears over the growing chatter.
Judging by the way Silver's gaze softened as he nodded back, Tails assumed he got the message.
As it turned out, the damage wasn't as extensive as Tails had originally thought.
It had been a medium-sized earthquake in the grand scheme of things. It was just that it occurred near a place that wasn't built to withstand them, leading to taller buildings snapping like twigs and smaller ones folding in on themselves. Despite this, the damage wasn't obscenely horrific, with fatalities low and costs floating around a high amount, but not the most ever recorded in a disaster. For such a rich and high-tech city like Grand Metropolis, this was noteworthy.
The Restoration was quick to lend a hand in searching for survivors and cleaning up debris. Sonic, Amy, and Silver would spend days in Grand Metropolis helping with cleanup efforts before getting any rest and it had Tails worried. Of course, it was hypocritical of him, considering that he'd spent his time fixing the city's power grid and helping update technologies where needed, and Sonic was starting to bug him about sleeping. Not an unusual occurrence, to be fair, but still.
It would be a week after the quake that nearby villages were able to help with the efforts, giving the Restoration some time to relax without the weight of the entire world on their shoulders. Progress was good and it had people hopeful that this wouldn't be a world-ending disaster that would be the end of the city. It also led to new buildings and repairs that meant the city would be better prepared for future disasters. You never knew with a place like Mobius.
A knock on the door pulled Tails out of his thoughts. He flipped off his blowtorch and raised his welding mask as the door to his workshop creaked open, Sonic poking his head in. "Still working." he huffed.
"Did you need something?" Tails asked, knocking his mask back into place and returning to welding.
"Yeah, actually." Sonic swung the door all the way open. "Got a guest over tonight."
The torch turned back off. "A guest?"
"Yeah. Silver's stopping by. Wanted to thank him for the save last week and I was hoping that you'd have dinner with us." Sonic sighed. "You've been holed up in here lately and it'd be nice if you joined us."
Tails hummed. "I mean, I'm almost done with this. Maybe next t-"
Sonic was staring back up at him, quills blowing in the wind as he reached upward in a vain attempt to latch on-
Tails's voice caught in his throat.
He's falling-
"Tails?"
Tails stared at his project for a moment, something he'd been working on for the city. It glistened in the light from the doorway, shadows looming over it as Tails slowly took his welding mask off. "Actually, yeah. I have time."
"Really? Sweet!" Tails felt warm and fuzzy at the joy in Sonic's voice. "Silv is already here, so I'll just start dinner now."
"Chili dogs again?"
"I know how to make other things!" Sonic shouted from the hallway as he walked off, disappearing into the house as Tails set his things aside. Grime and grease coated his gloves and fur, so he'd have to clean up before going to the kitchen, on top of tidying up some things in his workshop. Pieces of metal and bolts were strewn about the floor as Tails gathered his things, finding temporary spots for them, shutting off his computers, and wiping grime off of his work tables. His workshop would always be a mess; Nothing he could do about it when inspiration struck like lightning and he was so focused on his work that his best attempts at staying organized were his tools having designated spots on the floor.
He stared longingly at his latest project, but shook his head, memories of wind whipping past his face and a startled scream making him feel sick to his stomach. Even after everything, after every battle and close call and celebration, Tails had never truly considered how he'd taken his time with his brother for granted. It made him feel nauseous, but he pushed the feelings aside as he switched off the lights and closed the door. The smell of frying bread and melting cheese hit his nose instantly, and Tails's stomach was suddenly rumbling so loud that he was surprised the whole house didn't hear it. He hadn't even realized how hungry he was until now.
A sharp bark of laughter made him smile, Sonic's voice carrying through the house as he rambled about some adventure they'd been on recently to a lone occupant in the kitchen with him, letting him carry on in content silence.
Until-
"Aren't you ever afraid?"
Tails stopped by the doorway. Peering in, Silver was seated at the table, his head resting against his head as he watched the other hedgehog thoughtfully. Sonic hummed. "I mean, sure. Large bodies of water still freak me out, and-"
"No, no, no." Silver interrupted. "I mean, like... Have you ever been afraid of dying?"
Tails felt himself freeze as Sonic paused, turning back to stare at his guest with an odd look. "Weird question."
"I'm serious, though." Silver pushed. "And curious, I guess."
Sonic stared, a brow furrowed as he watched the other. "This got something to do with last week?"
"Ah..." Silver huffed, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Something like that. I was hoping I wouldn't have to explain."
"Well, now you got me curious." Sonic laughed, a hand on his hip. "It's not like almost going splat against the pavement is the worst thing to ever happen to me. I seriously appreciate the help, but I'm sure Tails would have had it-"
"No, he wouldn't have."
Sonic's demeanor was quick to shift, hackles raised with a frown. "Hey, don't doubt my buddy like that-"
"Sonic," Silver stressed, and suddenly, the house felt so much colder. "I'm from the future. He wouldn't have."
It was like all the air got sucked out of the room, Tails staring off at nothing as his cursed analytical mind painted pictures of gore and terror. The fog from that day seemed to loom over him as an implied future suddenly crashed down on top of him.
Silver had come from a future where Sonic had died that day.
It knocked the wind out of him, made his stomach churn and eyes burn with tears. Every time he'd blown off spending time with Sonic flashed before his eyes, every missed opportunity, every time he'd turned him down, every "no".
He'd almost lost him last week.
In another timeline, he did.
A timeline that was supposed to be this one.
"So I died?" Sonic realized, because it didn't take a genius to connect the dots. Silver didn't correct him. "Huh."
"...You don't seem all that freaked out."
"Well, I mean," Sonic shrugged. "It's over now. No point in dwelling on it. Besides, your future's fine now, right?"
"Ah, yeah, about that..." Silver sighed, looking down at the table sheepishly. "There wasn't a bad future, actually."
Sonic blinked. Tails's breath hitched. Silver's shoulders rose. "Yes, there were a lot of problems with Eggman shortly after," Silver explained. "But after he was out of the picture, things were fine for the most part. It's true that it could have been better. A disaster here, crime rates there, but there hadn't been any potentially world-ending events in centuries." Silver looked up, scratching at his muzzle. "Er, at least, none that I know of. I haven't seen him, but I'm pretty sure that Shadow's still around, so that might have something to do with it."
Sonic was oddly quiet, and it had the fur on Tails's neck standing on end. "...And you came to save me anyway?" he questioned. "Even though that could mess up the future?"
"I found out about it while studying up on that timeline's current history." Silver admitted. "I couldn't just sit by and let it happen. I consider you a friend... I had to do something."
The two hedgehogs were quiet for a long time. Tears racing down his face, Tails considered running in and hugging his big brother, but then Sonic was pushing the pan away from the hot stove, lowering the heat before stepping away and taking a seat opposite to Silver. Silver watched as the other folded his hands, suddenly seeming twice his age as he let out a long sigh. "Listen, Silv, I appreciate it, really. I really, really do, but..."
And then Tails's world shattered.
"I am going to die, someday."
He didn't say it with reverence. There was no sadness in his voice, no trepidation or concern. It was like he was commenting on the weather, like he was pointing out an obvious fact to someone who may have missed it. It sounded like how he talked when he was reminding Tails to eat or what time it was.
He said it with nonchalance, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
And something in Tails irreversibly broke.
"It's a fact of life." Sonic continued. "I know it's sad, but there's not much we can do about it, so we might as well just enjoy the time we have, you know? Live in the moment."
Sonic leaned back in his chair, a distant smile on his face. "I'd hate to live forever, to be honest. I can't imagine what it's like for Shadow." He suddenly laughed. "Hey, do me a favor when you get back to the future and give Shads my regards."
Silver nodded numbly. A beat, and then Sonic was leaning forward, a smirk on his face. "So, with that said, no more risking good futures just for me. It's not fair to everyone else who got their happily ever afters. You got it?"
Silver was quiet at first, staring down at his hands with an oddly melancholy expression, but then he looked up, willing himself to meet the other hedgehog's eyes. "Yeah. I... I guess you answered my question."
"Huh?"
"I don't think you are." said Silver. "Afraid of dying, I mean. You... You've thought about this before, haven't you?"
Sonic chuckled. "You start to wonder after a few close shaves." he admitted. "I've gotten used to it by now. If anything, it's always an adventure!"
Silver laughed. "Is that what it is? An adventure? Not being the hero this world needs?"
"Oh, I don't owe the world anything." Sonic waved his hand, rolling his eyes. "I do this hero biz 'cause I want to. I have no obligations to anyone. Just gotta do what I gotta do and that's all."
"Heh. I wish I could think like that."
"Being the hero all the time can take its toll." Sonic warned lightly. "Get out of your head and relax a little, you self-righteous dork."
"Hey!"
Far beyond his limit, Tails didn't know he was moving until he'd long since left, their voices growing distant as the heartbroken kit raced up the stairs and barreled into his bedroom, throwing the door closed with a slam. He didn't care how quiet the house became, nor did he care that he'd completely ditched them when he'd told Sonic he'd join them.
All he could do was sob into his pillow for a life that he couldn't bare to think of losing.
He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he opened his eyes and the sun was setting.
In a daze, Tails rubbed at his crusted eyes, pushing himself out of bed as a commotion entered his awareness. Sleepily, he got out of bed and stepped towards the window, peering outside.
Two hedgehogs stood by the front door, chatting loudly about something that Tails couldn't quite comprehend. Sonic must have said something funny, because Silver was laughing by the time he was turning to leave, his feet rising from the ground as he prepared to take off.
"Oh yeah, and Silv?" he heard Sonic shout. "I was serious about earlier! Tell Shadow I said good luck and take care!"
"You've thought about this before, haven't you?"
And then it all came rushing back.
"So, with that said, no more risking good futures just for me."
"You start to wonder after a few close shaves."
"I am going to die, someday."
Tails clutched at his chest, his heart dropping into his shoes as he stumbled back. The tears came back with force, the little fox collapsing back onto the bed as if the wind had been knocked right out of him. There was a time in his life when he'd believed he'd be alone forever. His parents wanted nothing to do with him and his village either feared or hated him for being different, tormenting him relentlessly over things that he couldn't control. He'd accepted that he wouldn't have friends. He'd accepted that he had no family.
And then Sonic happened.
It was like a cold front roaring through during a summer heatwave, like turning on a military-grade flashlight in a pitch-black cave, like falling into a lake after spending weeks in the desert.
It was like breathing for the first time.
And then so many others came along with him. Amy, Knuckles, Cream, all of these wonderful people would come barreling into his life and things changed so fast that his head was spinning. Suddenly, he had friends.
But first, he had a family.
He had a big brother who took him under his wing, taking him on unforgettable adventures and giving him the love and appreciation that he didn't think he even deserved, let alone would get. Suddenly, he had something, and that something was everything.
And then that something talked about his own inevitable death like it was a weather report.
It wasn't even like it was an insult to Tails, or a threat, or even a warning, because it was true. Unless your name was Shadow the Hedgehog, there was no loophole to escaping death. It came for everybody, no exceptions, no forgiveness. It was a fact of nature that things are born, they live, and they die. All living things have death in common, and the mightiest of prayers won't stop the inevitable.
But there's something about that inevitable loss of a loved one that felt like a punch to the gut.
In the years that Tails had known Sonic, how many times had he told him how much he meant to him? How many times had he told his brother that he loved him? How many times had they spent quality time together, just the two of them, no threats to the world or danger in their midst?
How many times had Sonic pushed the idea of hanging out only for Tails to be too interested in something else to bother even sitting at the dinner table with him?
Maybe next time.
"Yeah. Silver's stopping by. Wanted to thank him for the save last week and I was hoping that you'd have dinner with us."
Tails felt dizzy.
"You've been holed up in here lately and it'd be nice if you joined us."
He'd ditched him today, leaving him in the kitchen to mull over his own mortality all because Tails couldn't handle the foreboding nature of existential concepts.
What if that would have been their last dinner together? What if another earthquake hits, or Eggman attacks, or an eldritch being tries to destroy the world and Silver isn't there to save Sonic when Tails isn't good enough?
It made him want to throw up, the kit curling up on the bed as he fought his own wretched sobbing. His hands shook, and despite himself, he held them together, trying to force them to sit still.
He'd never felt so much like his age as he did in that moment.
And then there was a knock on the door. "Tails? You in there, buddy?"
Tails shot up, eyes wide as he stared in horror at the door. It was childish to feel so embarrassed, but he fought the urge to jump out the window and simply hid under his blanket, curling up into a ball and pressing his head against his pillow. For a time, the only sound he heard was the ticking of his clock.
The doorknob turned. "I'm coming in, alright?"
The door creaked open, but Tails didn't dare look up. The light scent of food made his empty stomach growl, but he refused to budge as he heard footsteps moving around his room. There was the clink of a plate against his nightstand, and then the bed dipped, a hand laying against Tails's side.
"You doing alright?" Sonic questioned. "We missed you at dinner. You're not sick or anything, right?"
Tails couldn't find it in him to speak, scared that a sob would replace his words. The two sat in silence for some time, Tails not even bothering to count the ticks of the clock as time marched on. It wasn't a particularly comfortable silence, but it wasn't a painfully awkward one, either, and Tails was perfectly content to just sit here and wallow in pity with Sonic by his side.
"How much did you hear?"
The question startled him, the memory of carelessly slamming his door floating to the forefront of his mind. Tails might have flushed in embarrassment if he wasn't sniffling so loudly, reaching his hands up to wipe at his eyes.
"Aw, buddy..." The hand squeezed against his side, and Tails dared to look up, his eyes red-rimmed and mouth wobbling. Sonic smiled sadly. "I'm sorry you had to hear all that."
Tails shook his head. "You didn't say anything bad."
"Doesn't make it any easier."
Swallowing heavily, Tails uncurled himself, crawling across the bed to sit by Sonic, pressing against him as his brother's arms tightly wrapped around him. It was warm, and Tails soaked it in as he leaned against Sonic's chest and, for the second time that week, cried like a child.
"I don't want you to die." he hiccuped, clinging to the hedgehog like a lifeline. "Please don't go."
He felt Sonic chuckle more than he heard it, the two sitting in a much more comfortable silence that made Tails feel like nothing could harm him. "I don't plan on going anytime soon." Sonic assured.
Tails sniffled, pulling away to look up at him. "Promise?"
Sonic winked. "On my life."
Tails huffed as Sonic carded his fingers against Tails's scalp. "You gotta promise me too, though." he said. "I don't want you dying on me, either."
"Okay."
It was easy to just agree, to ignore the fact that if Tails had to sacrifice himself for Sonic, he'd do it in a heartbeat, just as he knew Sonic would do for him. He kept his mouth shut though, instead trying his best to smile through the tears as Sonic sat him up, reaching for the plate on the nightstand. "Got some grilled cheese here for you. I know you're hungry."
Tails nodded weakly, taking the plate. "Yeah."
Holding the plate in his hands, Tails stared at it longingly, a thoughtful look in his watery eyes. "Hey, Sonic? Can we eat together at the dinner table?"
Sonic snorted. "Sure, kiddo. I could go for a snack."
Sonic jumped to his feet, stretching his back as Tails stood with him, plate in hand and sandwich smelling heavenly. Staring up at his brother, Tails took a deep breath, "Hey, Sonic?"
"Hmm?"
And promised himself,
"Let's go camping."
To cherish these moments.