Sonic helplessly watched as his little brother ran upstairs, angry footsteps pounding through the upstairs hallway. A loud slam from one of the bedroom doors made him flinch, a pang of guilt wringing his chest.
He didn't think he'd ever be able to forget the hurt and betrayal that had shattered Tails' wide blue eyes.
"I didn't mean to make him upset," Knuckles mumbled from next to him and Sonic had to resist the urge to bristle.
Knuckles was his friend too, as clueless as he could be sometimes. And Sonic knew that the knucklehead really meant well.
He's just really bad at pulling that off.
He thought.
Sighing, Sonic turned towards the red echidna, crossing his arms expectantly.
"Well, it happened. Now, can you please explain what's going on? At least fill me in on why you thought coming in here and dropping that info-missile would be a good idea."
Knuckles tensed.
"I just thought you both would want to know. And- ya know- I've always been a 'rip the bandaid off' kind of guy."
"Yeah well- this is kinda a big bandaid, Knux." Sonic's foot began tapping. "You don't think for something this big you shoulda- I don't know- taken it slow?"
Knuckles snorted, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Funny to hear that coming from you of all people."
"Hey, just because I run fast on the track doesn't mean I blow past everything else in life."
"What, and I do?!"
Sonic's hands went up with a sigh of exasperation.
"You know that's not what I meant-!
Knuckles didn't look up at him, allowing for Sonic to take a long breath.
"Look." The hedgehog stepped forward, laying a hand on the echidna's shoulder. His tone softened, "I know you meant well. But, man, you just turned our little buddy's world upside down."
Violet eyes emotionlessly studied the floor.
"He's still just a kid, Knuckles. And half of his life's been spent trying to fit in. Now suddenly you come in claiming that he's not even Mobian?" Sonic shrugged. "I don't know, but maybe this conversation could have used a little more planning? And discretion?"
The echidna ceded with a heavy sigh, stepping back and collapsing into the couch while rubbing his forehead.
"I get it. And you're right. It probably would've been better if it weren't so fast. But I have no idea how I would've been able to break that kind of news easily anyway."
Sonic relaxed.
"S'okay."
They waited in the beats of silence that followed, giving Sonic time to think.
And he didn't particularly like it.
His brow creased and Knuckles looked up at him curiously.
"What?"
Sonic didn't answer immediately. Instead he took a seat next to Knuckles on the sofa, expression still thoughtful.
"Are... Are you sure you're right?"
Knuckles raised a brow.
"About?"
Sonic rolled his eyes, waving a hand out.
"All this Kitsune business. You really think he's one of 'em.?"
Knuckles shrugged, frowning.
"It's just what the Master Emerald told me. And it's not like it doesn't make sense..."
Sonic didn't answer.
Knuckles continued, "I mean, you've felt him too right? There's always been this... this-"
"A light." Sonic finished, exhaling. A small smile flickered across his muzzle as nostalgia deepened his gaze. "Like a little spark in a world of embers."
"Uh... Yeah..." Knuckles scratched his chin, watching the hedgehog with a calculating gaze, "Something like that."
Sonic shook his head. That distant look in his eyes disappeared as they veered up to the floor above the staircase.
"I need to go talk to him."
Knuckles' expression fell. "Yeah. And I think I do too..."
Sonic stood and turned his head to look down at Knuckles incredulously.
Knuckles waved a hand.
"No, not more of this. I need to- apologize. And- I'll ask him if he wants to know more first."
Sonic frowned.
"There's more.?"
Knuckles shrugged, "Being Kitsune comes with a pretty hefty dose of powers."
"Okay... Just-" Sonic walked over to the staircase, ascending the steps with ease- "Let me talk to him alone first. And let's just avoid the whole topic as much as possible for a while. 'Kay?"
Knuckles leaned back into the couch cushions.
"Alright."
And with that, Sonic had disappeared up the stairs.
~•~•~•~
It took a good couple hours before Tails had finally come around. Knuckles once again apologized to the kit for his brashness, and the two older Mobians decided to comfort the fox by allowing him to pick a movie for the three to watch downstairs.
The rest of the evening went by arguably smoothly. Knuckles had popped popcorn and provided some mints from the secret stash in one of the kitchen cupboards, which Sonic had graciously revealed to him.
The hedgehog himself, however, never left the fox cub's side. Carrying him down the steps in his arms, like he used to do when they were younger, only slowing to pull out a blanket from the hall closet. With as much tender care as a mother for her newborn, Sonic settled them down onto the couch, wrapping both himself and the young fox in the soft blanket.
Though, admittedly, said fox probably had more of the blanket than the blue hedgehog.
Even so, Tails never deviated from the tight hold on his brother. Always leaning on him in some way or another.
Sonic allowed it. Absorbing the weight and warmth of Tails' small body pressing against him. Trying his very best to fight against the waves of insecurity and distress with comfort.
Knuckles wordlessly took the open spot next to them, setting the snacks on the coffee table and starting the movie.
Believe it or not, Tails did begin to feel a bit better. The hole in his heart hadn't completely gone. But simply being with his brother and friend, watching this movie like everything was normal, did help ease the shock and pain of the day.
He even found himself smiling when Sonic commented on some outrageously unrealistic detail in the movie.
He nudged closer to the hedgehog, closing his eyes and drinking in the blue speedster's constantly radiating energy. He felt Sonic's arm drape over his and a profound sense of security filled his heart with peace.
Mystical being or not, he knew, with all of his heart, that this was where he'd always belong.
~•~•~•~
The hot afternoon sun beat down on the sand-blown turf, searingly hot as it peered down at the black speck racing through its domain.
Tails found himself sweating under the sun's burning glare, a sheen of sweat dampening the fur under his leather uniform. A thick cloud of dust billowed up behind him, the roar of his hover-cycle's engine breaking the otherwise deathly silence.
He'd long ago left the city limits, and now, miles of desert wasteland stretched before him. Scarlet boulders, which had once been beautiful natural formations, lay in rubbled heaps. Scattered between these boulders were the remnants of a metal army, their twisted limbs reaching from the depths of the wasteland like black claws reaching for the dull blue sky above, speckled and overgrown by dry, sparse shrubbery.
Years of wind-blown sand had covered most of these ancient relics, burying them deeper within the folds of time until even this last remnant was forgotten.
Did anyone remember what had happened in history anymore?
Tails' eyes scanned the horizons through his protective helmet, specialized with a net-screen displayed on the visor. He couldn't help but marvel at how much time had changed things. It felt like only a few years ago when seventy percent of Mobius was still green and alive.
Now though, it was nothing but ruin. The world crumbling and drying all on its own, with only a few remnants of fertile land where most fruits and plants were grown, shipped and sold worldwide.
It truly was a marvel. And, as he'd grown accustomed to his long life on the world, he'd come to accept that change was inevitable.
Change, he'd learned, was something that was best taken in stride and with little resistance. But the young kit inside him, the one who'd known and grown up with green hills, babbling streams, and lush magical islands, grieved for the past. For the rich and beautiful things that had been, and might never be again.
And it's all because of you.
He winced, shaking his head and the thought with it.
That was all conjecture and theory. There was no real evidence that his planet's struggle was because of him. And since he'd resolved to keep this troubling thought to himself, he never sought the opportunity to actually research a definite answer. Mostly because if the others ever found out they'd probably insist he stop and try to convince him as best they could that it wasn't his fault.
A twisted shard of metal stuck up from the ground and Tails had to swerve sharply in order to avoid it.
"Maybe I should just focus on getting back home in one piece," he muttered to himself.
It was a pretty far drive after all.
He'd left early morning, and already the sun had crossed halfway through her charted path.
He glanced at a map on the upper right portion of his net-screen, calculating how far he'd traveled. According to the map he was making good time and, if he kept up his pace, would make it home just before dark. Which was good.
Staying out in the wastelands after dark would be asking for trouble.
Focusing back on the 'road' he hugged his body closer to the hover-cycle's frame and twisted the throttle, shooting off in a could of dust and sand.
No harm in picking up the pace right?
~•~•~•~
The sun was just beginning to hide itself behind the horizon when Tails finally reached the first familiar landmark that would direct him home. Dead End Ravine.
It wasn't a creative name, but the long, black scar in the earth's surface was certainly deserving of it. At least- for anyone who didn't know it's little secret.
Tails let off the throttle, urging the engine's high octave whine to deepen into a growl. Slowing down by a few MPH and turning right, he sped directly alongside the ravine edge.
Looking down into the pitch dark abyss would most likely send him careening into the ravine's hungry clutches, so his eyes stayed locked ahead. Waiting for the next landmark.
There- the rock formation that looked oddly like a bird.
The hover-bike's engine pitched at another hard right turn, Tails circled the rock formation to face back towards the ravine. Without batting an eye he shot straight towards the ravine's ledge. The hover bike obediently carried him over the edge, but luckily for the machine, Tails knew exactly what he was doing.
Yanking the handlebar hard to the left, Tails twisted himself around and the hover bike lurched to follow its new course. For half a second they were in free fall, then, with a rocky jolt, the hoverbike found ground and stabilized itself. It wobbled precariously but Tails was able to keep it balanced, as well as keep himself from actually plummeting into the depths of the ravine below.
Not that I couldn't just fly myself out.
His thumb flicked to a switch on the right handle and the hover bike's headlight flashed to life, illuminating the steep path carved into the ravine's side.
Tails' jaw clenched. This part was always his least favorite.
The path was narrow, with a jagged wall to his left, and a straight drop to destruction on his right. And then there were the turns.
He pumped the brakes, easing up even more on the throttle and letting gravity do its job. The engine slowed to a gentle purr, the sound was Tails' only comfort when he spotted the first turn. A 180 degree turn that stood steeper than the rest of the path, which would allow him to continue alongside the ravine's wall.
His grip tightened on the bike's handles, pumping the brakes to slow himself enough to not wipe out.
The turn drew closer, glaringly obvious in the hover bike's harsh light.
Closer... closer... now-!
Tails yanked the handle bars right, keeping his weight even and ignoring the stomach flip he got from the sharp drop to the next portion of pathway.
He didn't dare relax. This ravine was treacherous. And even though he, himself, would be able to traverse it easily, he didn't want to sacrifice his tech.
Seven sharp turns later and he finally reached the bottom of Dead End Ravine.
Here he could begin to relax, easing to a steady pace of 50 mph. Jagged rock formations jutted up from the bumpy crevice floor, looking like the broken pillars of a forgotten world. In some way, they were.
The air was wet and cold. A bitter breeze somehow made its way down to him, sharpening the wind already kicked up by his hover bike. As the light from the sun continued to fade, Tails found himself plunged further and further into darkness. Eventually, the only light in the cavern came from the glaring yellow headlight of his bike, and the only sign that the sun hadn't completely set yet was the gash of wispy blue stretched in the black sky above him.
But when even that last bit of daylight abandoned the sky, and distant stars flickered into existence, something extraordinary happened.
All along the ravine walls, shimmering fluorescent blue sprang to life, bathing the polished pathway in welcoming light. Tails watched as flowers and thick-leaved ivy opened as if it were growing right before his very eyes.
Rich green and blue light carved intricate lines into the leaves and stems of the ivy, while the centers of their flowers glowed brilliantly in violet, yellow, red and even turquoise. Some flowers shook off their bioluminescent particles, sending them floating eerily in the still ravine air.
Besides the enchanting fauna exploding to life all around Tails, there were also rich blue crystals embedded into the ravine walls. The crystals were scattered throughout the nooks and crannies of the rough canyon rock, casting pulsing blue light over the narrow pathway. They speckled the pitch black stone, trailing about thirty feet up, well above the fauna's reach, and and stretched back along the trail as far as the eyes could see. Glowing even where the plant life dwindled and grew scarce.
Tails admired his surroundings with fond familiarity. The origins of the plant life and glowing crystals was still unknown to him, though he had a couple running theories. The crystals had first begun to show themselves around 100 years ago, and where they went, the mystical plant life followed. The vines and flowers had grown astoundingly quick, but why they would only grow where the crystals would appear was yet another mystery to Tails.
As he sped by the enchanting light show, he marveled that such a fantastical place was unknown to the world above the ravine. Part of him felt sorrow for it, knowing how much joy and awe a sight like this would inspire in the stifled hearts of this broken world. But the rest of him thanked Chaos no one had ever thought to traverse into a treacherous ravine to see what they might find.
Treasure hunters, incapable scientists, and big-shot organizations would make quick work of this natural phenomenon. Not to mention that it would be far from ideal for a bunch of humans and mobians to be poking their noses where the lair was supposed to stay hidden.
Then again, with an impressive drop of five and a half miles, it didn't surprise Tails at all that no one had yet discovered this natural phenomenon. At those daunting depths, it was safe to say that any passerby who happened to be daring or stupid enough to near the edge of the ravine would still see no sign of the rich glow below. Which was a great relief since the lair had literally ended up in the very center of the growing fauna and mysterious crystals.
Speaking of which...
The glowing crystals and multicolored fauna became tightly packed, almost completely blanketing the rough walls. Including the one in front of him. Thick-leaved vines draped down from an overpass, creating a thick, hanging wall of soft color.
He slowed the hover-bike to a crawl, the engine happy for a break, and ducked close to the body of the bike as he pushed through the thick foliage. Leaves brushed against his helmet and leather coat, flickering brightly at the contact as if they were happy to see him.
Past the foliage, nestled into a wall of rock, was a large bay door.
Tails relaxed.
Finally home.
His right thumb flicked over a small switch, and the bay door obediently crept open, sliding up into the stone above. As the door opened, Tails pushed the hover-bike forward into the garage. Not a single light inside the cavernous space was on, leaving him in darkness, with only a light glow streaming in from outside and a harsh beam from the front of the hover bike.
Parking it in the center, he flipped the switch once more and the door groaned as it slid closer to the ground. Tails removed his helmet while he waited, golden-orange bangs instantly fell over his eyes and he blew at them to put them back in place. He watched the gap of gentle light grow thinner and thinner. At the last moment a playful breeze whistled through the gap, swirling around Tails' bangs, tossing them about.
A strange sort of melancholy overtook him at the breeze's playful touch. Once again his mind found itself wandering back to times of his youth. Back when his friends would gather round him, laughing and talking, and that same playful breeze would kick up. A telltale sign that a certain blue hedgehog had shown up for the party.
Things were so much simpler then.
The bay door hit the ground with a creaking rattle, cutting off any flowing air from outside.
Tails sighed, sorry to have the little breeze go.
But any melancholy and grief quickly passed, when bright yellow garage lights turned on and a cheery voice sounded from behind him.
"Hey, Tails! What took ya so long?"