Authors notes: Back again with another story, this time with our favourite red Echidna joining in. This story, unlike my other one shots, does have action in it! It's going to be a few chapters, so more than usual. Like usual reviews are most welcome and I hope you enjoy!
This is set a few months after Sonic 3 but before Mania, so Sonic is 12, Knuckles is 13 and Tails is 5.
This story has also been posted on AO3.
TW: Injury and blood.
"Way to go Knuckle head, we're lost…again."
"We wouldn't be lost right now if a certain Hedgehog could keep his mouth shut for longer than five seconds!"
"Sorry I forgot you have a minuscule brain, with that big head of yours it's easy to forget."
"What did you just say?!"
"Opps sorry forgot again, YOU HAVE A TINY BRAIN AND A BIG HEAD! YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
"THATS IT!"
Tails managed to dodge in time out of the way of what he guessed was now a physical fight instead of a verbal one, and he sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time that day, his patience wearing thin. Although only being at the young age of five, an age that usually come with an abnormal amount of energy, he could feel it dripping away during the course of the day, the pair that he was accompanying with seemed to be sucking his lifespan away.
It wasn't a strange occurrence for them to get on each other's nerves, as Sonic liked to tease and Knuckles could never back down, but today was worse than ever before, the Hedgehog and Echidna having been at each other's throat from the moment they started their adventure. Tails tried to be the voice of reason, he really did, reminding the pair why they were here to begin with, but they just either talked over him or continued a few minutes later. Sonic wasn't one for ignoring his best friend, so Tails couldn't help but feel a little hurt when he didn't listen to him.
Tails wasn't too sure why today they both seemed to be more irritable than usual. The day started normally enough, The Hedgehog and Fox hearing a report that Robtnik had been seen in Meta Junglira Zone, apparently having found a Chaos Emerald. They deduced that for Robtnik to be seen out in public but not making a fuss or some grand proclamation that he was going to rule this zone wasn't his usual style and they knew something was up. Having already planned on seeing Knuckles that day anyway, they asked if he could join them, the Guardian being a great help due to his strong connection with the emeralds and can usually find them with ease.
Knuckles, despite being slightly ticked off that they showed up unannounced, thankfully agreed, and the trio decided to head to where the evil Genius was first seen. This was when the Hedgehog and Echidna started to bicker however, resulting in insults and name calling before they arrived at their destination. They would never escalate an argument so quickly as this in the past, so Tails was confused on how it turned so quickly, not really paying attention to their conversation until it was too late. He tried several times to steer the conversation into a more positive one, albeit more trying to be a distraction, but it still always ended up back to arguing.
After a somewhat gruelling two hours of constant bickering and voices of reason during their travel, they arrived at Meta Junglira Zone. Knuckles had taken the lead, proclaiming that he already felt the energy from the chaos emerald. Sonic had groaned something under his breath, the Kit not catching what he said, but the Blue Blur followed suit, for the most part keeping quiet. The Hedgehog still looked somewhat ticked off however which worried Tails. He hated seeing his brother like that and wanted to cheer him up but felt a bit hopeless in what he could do, especially since he didn't know what exactly had upset him.
This wasn't the first time the Fox had seen him be grumpy. He's been like this when he hadn't gotten enough sleep, if he hadn't had a chilli dog for a whole day or if Amy had been a bit too pushy. But those were reasons and situations that Tails understood, he knew how he can help or fix the problem and make his big brother feel slightly better. But right now, he had no idea what even the problem could be.
He settled for just giving him a reassuring smile which Sonic thankfully gave back, although a rather dull smile in comparison to his usual one. Feeling slightly satisfied that he least showed Sonic he cared, the Fox knew it was probably best just to give him his space for now.
For about 30 minutes they trio walked in relative silence, Knuckles feeling fairly confident that he knew which way he was going. At least, until they found the bi-plane that they had parked when they arrived. Tails could feel the anger seep from his best friend, already taking a step back in preparation.
"You've been directing us to go in a circle this whole time?!"
"No, the energy I'm feeling must be directing us this way…"
"Just admit it, you're lost! Can't believe we've been going this slow for nothing!"
"We're not lost, the Chaos energy must be trying to tell us something!"
The arguing from then hasn't stopped, and another 40 minutes later is where they were currently, both having decided a fist match was better than using their mouths.
At this point, Tails' head had been hurting for a while and he started to feel less than great. He didn't know if it was the constant bickering or the fact that he hadn't eaten for a while, but he could feel himself feel worse with every breath. It also didn't help that this was a rather humid day, even more amplified due to the atmosphere in the jungle which most likely didn't help the trio and fuelled their irritability further. Foxes and jungles don't usually mix thanks to fox fur and high temperatures.
It flashed across the Kit's mind that maybe he should voice this to Sonic, but he turned that down as quickly as thought came. In the past, Tails wouldn't have hesitated to speak up about how he was feeling physically, especially since Sonic told him to always let him know if he ever was hurt, tired or even hungry. But recently the young Fox had been keeping things like that to himself more and more. He didn't want to feel that he was slowing down the Hedgehog or that he was weak or needed to be coddled. He'd been with Sonic for over a year now, and he wanted to prove to him that the Hedgehog can rely on him, that he didn't have to slow down just for him. Although Sonic never made him feel like a burden, he couldn't help but feel pangs of guilt when his big brother had to take a break because he was tired or hurt. The Fox had then decided that he'll only speak up if he was truly in danger or on the brink of starvation. He didn't want to be a burden anymore and he will endeavour to only be useful.
Tails shook his head and decided that rather than focus his energy on their fight or his health, he should try and get his two friends to actually focus at the task at end. He had enough of waiting around and wanted to move on with their search of either Chaos Emeralds or perhaps an Robtnik base. Having an actual course of direction would definitely help things move along.
With a slight huff, the Fox whirled his appendages together and flew to the tallest tree around him. He was able to get a pretty good eagle eye on the area, even with the foliage which seemed to cover miles and miles ahead. He placed his hand over his eyes to block out the bright sun, looking for anything out of the ordinary or even just a path they could follow. That's when the Kit noticed something shiny in the distance. Squinting his eyes, he was able to make out a badnik, specifically a Motor Bug, moving into what seemed to be an opening to a cave in the wall. Knowing that Badniks were here, usually meant that the evil genius wasn't too far behind. Happy with his findings, Tails flew down. He usually wasn't one to be impatient, that was usually Sonic's trait. The Fox chuckled, maybe he really was becoming more and more like his older brother.
The Kit's happy mood left as quickly as it came when he landed back down. Blue and red forms were still duelling, neither of them seeming to back down. Sonic suddenly crouched down and swept his legs from under Knuckles, the force of his kick being felt even from where Tails was standing. Unfortunately for the red Echidna, he didn't react in time, and he stumbled backwards, cursing as he landed on his behind.
"You really are getting softer, been slacking on your isl-argh!" Before the Hedgehog could finish his snarky retort, Knuckles had quickly leaned over and grabbed his leg, yanking it hard so he fell on his left side. The guardian smirked as he kneeled over the Hedgehogs form, holding his fist to Sonic's face, smugness radiating from his physique.
"You were saying?"
Sonic grunted as he managed to kick his fist away, palms faced down on the floor as he kicked back up, successfully getting back on his feet.
"I said you've been slacking, Pal."
"Guys, we don't have time for this! Robo-"
"I'll show you slacking, Hedgehog!"
Before either of the two fighting individuals made their move, Tails jumped in between them, his body moving more on command than his brain was able to keep up with, holding both arms out as far as he could.
"ENOUGH!"
Thankfully they both stopped in time, punches held in mid air, both blinking at the two tailed Fox. The Kit sighed, not really thinking that would have worked but he thanked chaos it did. He was rather glad he didn't get hurt in the process, not wanting to know what Sonic's kick or Knuckles' punch would have felt like. Painful would be an understatement.
"A few minutes ago I flew up and saw a badnik go into some sort of cave. If we want to find Robotnik, you two have got to stop arguing. We're supposed to be a team." He said the last sentence more to himself than to the two who were still stopped in mid action, his voice no more than a whisper. Tails lowered his arms and looked between them, a sudden feeling of consciousness sweeping over him.
Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other, both looking a little sheepish as they lowered their fists.
"Aw Tails, I'm sorry Kiddo, you're right."
"Yeah, sorry Tails."
The Fox gave them a small smile and nodded, acknowledging their apologies. He was glad that they were finally listening.
"Which way did you see Robotnik's robots?" Knuckles asked, his expression changing to his usual stoic one.
"Somewhere in that direction, probably take about 10 minutes if we run," Tails answered, pointing his hand to the trajectory of where he saw the cave.
"Sweet, great jo-" Tails didn't hear the rest of what his Brother was going to say when his head suddenly swarmed with pain, feeling like a jackhammer had rammed into his skull. He yelped before he could stop himself, clutching his head on instinct. Before he realised, Sonic was standing in front of him, both hands on his shoulders.
"What's wrong?"
Tails hesitated for a few seconds, before he took his hand back down and forced a smile towards the Hedgehog, trying his hardest to convince that he was perfectly fine. By Sonic's expression, it didn't look like it was working.
"Uh, I'm fine, honest. Its just a bit more hot to then what I'm used to." Tails explained, trying with all his might to keep smiling. His head was still pounding like someone was repeatedly smashing his head against the wall, but he was determined to endure it. Sonic didn't look convinced, his hands still on the Fox's shoulders.
"We can take a break if you need to Kiddo?" Before Sonic even finished his suggestion, Tails was already shaking his head, despite the agony it caused him. That was the last thing he wanted.
"No it's okay, I'm fine. We gotta find Robotnik before it's too late right?" Tails hoped that putting the attention to Robotnik would make the Hedgehog focus on the task at hand. This seemed to do the trick as Sonic gave a small nod, still not looking entirely convinced, but he removed his hands from the Fox.
"Alright, but you tell me if you need a break okay?"
Tails bit his lip. He really doesn't want to lie to his big brother but he didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't be a burden forever. He wouldn't be.
"Yeah, I will." Sonic gave him a thumbs up, then turned to the direction that the fox pointed to earlier. Tails tried to push down the guilt that started to swarm into his chest, knowing now wasn't the time to feel distracted.
"Well then, what are we waiting for! Time to speed keeds!" In a blink of an eye the Hedgehog had sped off, leaving the other two in his dust. Tails heard a growl coming from the guardian, his spiked fist raising in anger.
"CAN YOU EVER JUST WAIT!" The echidna yelled, running after the blue Speedster. Despite not being as fast as Sonic, Knuckles speed was nothing to scoff at, and it only took a few seconds before he was completely out of ear shot.
Tails let out a breath he didn't realise he had been holding, feeling relieved they were finally going to start moving. Despite his body aching for a break, he knew he'd better get a move on in order to keep up with his two friends, he didn't want to keep them waiting. Whirling his tails, the Fox flew, heading into the depths of the jungle.
Another 20 minutes later of strained flying and feelings of over exertion, Tails had arrived to the cave he spotted earlier, with Sonic leaning against the cave wall and Knuckles looking like he just arrived himself. He tried to compose himself before he landed, not wanting to give away the exhaustion he was feeling. His bones were aching now, his head not improving at all and he now had the feeling of nausea settle into his stomach, daring to bring back up the very little breakfast he had this morning. What he would give to be able to fly back to an area that was much cooler, set camp and just go to sleep.
He landed just before the cave entrance, trying to land as gracefully as he could but wobbled, just about catching himself before he fell over. He straightened up, hoping that his friends didn't notice that slight mistake. Sonic was giving him the look he was giving him earlier, the look he always gives when he's worried about him.
"You good bud?"
Yep they noticed. Tails forced a smile yet again, hoping that the more times he does, the more convincing it'll be. He hoped.
"Yeah I'm good."
He still didn't look persuaded, looking like he was going to say something else until Knuckles interrupted him.
"This definitely the cave you saw earlier Tails?"
Thankful for the distraction, the Fox decided to follow suit. "Yep no doubt about it, this is the one."
The cave, despite being a located in the depths of the jungle, had a tall cave opening, one of the biggest Tails had ever seen. Just from the entrance, he could tell from having stayed in his fair share of caves, it wasn't going to be small by any means.
Sonic, still looking unsure, got up from his leaned position and walked over to the entrance.
"Okay let do this."
Walking over to the entrance, the Kit was about to step in when he was pulled back by his arm, making him stumble backwards from the unexpected force back. He turned his head to find Sonic grasping his arm rather tightly.
"Hang on Tails, me and Knux will go first, you cover us behind, okay?"
Taken back by the sudden instruction, Tails turned to the Blue Hedgehog. Although it isn't too unusual for Sonic to be protective, he wasn't usually so outright with it. He must have really worried him, maybe he looked worse then what he thought. The Fox tilted his head, his eyes pleading to the Hedgehog to reconsider his suggestion.
"But…"
He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence when Sonic gave him the 'I'm the older Brother and that's the final say' look. The look that he gives when he is serious and something that isn't to be negotiated. He uses this look when he tells Tails to not go too far ahead, instructs him not to use certain machinery without a chaperone or to go wondering by himself alone, especially after sunset. Tails did the latter once, only because he heard a strange noise near their camp in the middle of the night, and he never heard the end of it, Sonic had watched him like a hawk and grounded him to not use his tools for the rest of the week. He doesn't use this look a lot, but when he does, Tails knew it wasn't to be argued with.
"Okay…"
Sonic smiled and let go of his arm, giving him a thumbs up. He turned back to entrance of the cave, Knuckles already having walked in ahead of them. He jogged on ahead, leaving Tails standing on his own.
The Kit stood there for a few moments, not quite sure how to process what just happened. He knew Sonic didn't mean it meanly or that he was trying to make him feel like he wasn't capable. He knew that the Hedgehog was just looking out for him, always being the one to put himself in danger first over the Fox. But he still couldn't help but feel somewhat…rejected.
'You're always going to be a burden. Won't be long till he's sick of you. If he isn't already.'
That sentence kept repeating in his throbbing head, like an echo in a cave. He was always going to be slowing the people around him down, always going be a hindrance, always causing the people he cares about problems.
'You're always going to be a burden.'
Tails sighed, deciding that he better follow them before they realise he hasn't gone in yet, hindering them yet again. Or maybe Sonic would just want him out here anyway, out of his way.
Shortly after walking in, he caught up to the duo, making sure to keep behind as he was instructed, the last thing he wanted was to upset his older Brother. It was quite the contrast to what the atmosphere was like in here then what it was outside in the jungle. Outside was hot and humid, the jungle loud with sounds from insects, nature and wild animals, the sun bright and powerful even with the foliage obscuring some of its view. In this cave however, it was dark and damp, and although not exactly below temperature, there was a slight chill in the air. The cave around them was silent, the noise of only droplets of water could be heard, creating a somewhat creepy ambience.
They walked in companionable silence for about 10 minutes, the trio walking further in to the depths of the cave. The Kit kept his eye peeled for any badniks, trying to be useful while also distracting his bad headache and intrusive thoughts, his night vision kicked in which helped him greatly.
Suddenly Tails felt a shiver up his spine, the feeling of dread lodging in his gut. Something didn't feel right.
Before he could think on it further, Sonic whistled up ahead, distracting the Fox from his thoughts for now as the sound echoed around them. "Would never have guessed a cave this big would be here."
"That's not surprising, you're not exactly the most observant person."
Sonic stopped walking and turned his head to the Echidna. Oh no, Tails knew where this was going.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly what I said. Are you sure you're not the one with the minuscule brain?"
Sonic scoffed, about to send another retort back when Tails jumped in.
"Guys, come on we're supposed to be looking for motor bugs." He hoped his reasoning would snap them both out of this continuous argument.
"Well we would be if Knuckles wouldn't try and start an argument every five minutes. I get you must be bored on your little island Pal, but there are other ways to have a meaningful conversation."
It didn't.
"I am not bored! I have a sacred duty on my island, a duty that could never be tedious! Something that you would never be able to understand."
"I think I would be able to, it's all you ever talk about. You look at a rock all day, big whoop."
"How dare you-"
Before Knuckles could continue his offended reply, the sound of motors running was heard, the sound vibrations jumping from wall to wall. Before any of them realised, they were surrounded by Motorbugs and Buzzbombers, about 40 altogether , the badniks edging closer in circling the trio.
"What a nice welcome package from Robutnik, definitely gonna enjoy breaking his toys." Sonic announced with a slight glee to his voice, already bouncing on the balls of his feet in preparation.
As if on command, the Buzzbombers started shooting at the Heroes, while the Motorbugs moved towards them. Having plenty of practise in the past, Tails effortlessly dogged out of the way and took to the air, even despite the ever increasing headache. Curling up, he managed to hit three Buzzbombers in a row, and still maintained his pose until he landed back on the floor again. Tails wasted no time to uncurl and kick at the Motorbug that was headed his way, being able to hear them just in time so he could act. His kick landed exactly on the front of the robot where he planned, the Motorbug exploding into pieces. Tails smiled, feeling pleased his rigorous training with Sonic was starting to show.
His smile didn't last long however when a laser beam suddenly entered his peripheral vision, aiming directly at him, he moved out of the way but he was a millisecond too late, the beam grazing his shoulder. A yelp escaped his mouth without his consent, his gloved hand clutching his shoulder instinctively. In a second a blur of blue hit the offending Buzzbomber, shrapnel falling to the ground. The Hedgehog uncurled just before he landed, just a few feet in front of the Fox.
"Are you hurt?!"
His hand was still clutched on his shoulder but he could already feel the prickling heat coming from it. He didn't know how bad it was, but he definitely got burned. With the worried look Sonic was giving him, he didn't know know to respond. There was no faking it this time, no facade he could hide behind.
"Yeah but..."
"Sit this one out Tails, I'll cover you!"
Then he was gone in a flash, leaving Tails in the dust.
'Where I belong.'
It didn't take Sonic and Knuckles long before they destroyed each badnik, shrapnel and smoke lying in their wake.
"You think that's all of them?" Asked Knuckles as he rotated his shoulder. If it was because he was hurt or just stretching, he kept that to himself.
"Knowing Robotnik, more are probably to come." Sonic answered back, kicking a piece of scrap away as he made his way over to the Fox. His hand still on his shoulder, Tails couldn't quite make eye contact with the Hedgehog due to the shame that crept up once more, his eye focusing on the piece of metal in front of him instead. Sonic gently grabbed his arm once he made his way to the Kit, silently asking him to let him take a look and, although begrudgingly, he took his hand off his shoulder.
"We better start moving before a whole swarm of badniks surrounded us again." Noted the Echidna, already having made his way to the next narrow passageway, his back turned away from the duo.
Sonic let out what seemed to be a frustrating sigh as he turned his head over his shoulder.
"Yes okay just give us a minute."
"That's funny, you were so impatient and wearing to go before, did those badniks slow you down?" Although sounding impatient, there was a slight amusement in the Echidnas voice, a way to slightly push at the Hedgehogs buttons.
The Hedgehog let go off Tails' arm, now fully turning to Knuckles' direction. By the expression on his face, he wasn't bantering back.
"Are you serious right now! Tails got hurt and you think now is the time to test me?" Sonic yelled, his voice booming around them, the Fox flinching at the sound of his name endlessly echoing in the clearing.
Knuckles stared back for a few beats, taken back by the Hedgehog's outburst. He looked between the pair, the look on his face of one that Tails has never really seen on him before.
"Wait, Tails got hurt?" The Kit winced at the guardians question, wanting the ground to suck him up right there and then. Sonic didn't seem to hear him as his hands turned to fists.
"Yeah he did, but Chaos forbid we take a breather to check if he's okay cause Knuckles has got places to be!"
"Hey I didn't know he got hurt, I obviously wouldn't have said that if I had known!"
"And you said I wasn't the observe one!"
"I probably would have noticed if I hadn't been the one to take down most of those badniks because you were slacking off!"
This fight was different to the previous ones, the Fox knew for certain. The fights before were more due to a build up of irritation and annoyance, nothing more than childish bickering. This argument was more personal, more emotionally fuelled. Tails racked his brain, pushing past the headache to think of something that could distract-
That feeling. That feeling of dread, that feeling that something really wasn't right returned like someone threw a bucket of stone cold water over his head. This was more intense then before however, something he would never be able to shake off as easily as he did previously.
Ignoring the ongoing argument between his two teammates with his thoughts truly interrupted from his previous train of thought, the kit scanned the room hoping to find something, anything that might be the cause of his paranoia.
He was about to think he'd gone crazy when he spotted it. From the previous narrow tunnel they walked through to get to this clearing, he saw it. Eyes. Not just any eyes, but a pair of glowing red eyes, the only thing that could be spotted from the darkness of the shadows. He couldn't make out who they belonged to, but those cold red eyes seemed to pierce Tails' very soul. Dread seemed to sucker punch him tenfold, his voice refusing to speak no matter how much he wanted to scream, to warn the others of this on looker.
He didn't seem to be staring back at Tails however, he seemed to be staring at-
The eyes moved forward, to fast for the Fox to comprehend what had suddenly moved at a record speed, something that he didn't know could move that fast beside the Blue Hedgehog. His body moved before his brain could even register what was happening, before he could even get an idea of what was making a beeline to his big brother.
Arms extended out as far as he could, Tails pushed Sonic with all the strength he could muster, knowing that whoever the glowing eyes was, they was coming for Sonic. All thoughts had gone out the window and the Fox was acting on instinct alone, knowing he had to get the Hedgehog out of the way as quick as possible. What he didn't take into account however was that he was standing in the exact place that Sonic was standing in only milliseconds before.
Before he could quite comprehend what was happening, a cold hard grip suddenly tightened round his neck, lifting him from the ground. He tried to open his eyes to see who the perpetrator was, when he was suddenly shoved full force into solid rock wall, his head taking the brunt of it.
The air had been taken out what felt like his very soul, everything around him feeling so disoriented he felt like he wasn't in reality anymore. Breath, can't breathe, the feeling round his neck suddenly getting tighter. Something warm trickled down his skull but he couldn't move his arms to feel it, not being able to remove them from the grip restricting his airway. Maybe he was dreaming. Breathe, got to keep breathing. Voices around him but nothing he could decipher. The tightening round his neck was loosening, but he still couldn't move. He really is useless. Breathe, got to breathe, how long has he been suspended in the air for, a few seconds, minutes or even hours? Breath got to-
Suddenly the grip round his neck was gone, Tails finally being able to suck in a huge breath, the relief swarming in his chest, only for it be crushed seconds later as strong grip went around his middle section.
As sudden as it was before, he was moving again, his whole world swirling around him. He didn't know what was happening or where he was going, all he knew was that he was moving. Fast.
"TAILS!"
Sonic…where was he? Why was he calling his name? He sounded concerned, but Tails couldn't pinpoint as to why he would be. Was it because of him? He needed to open his eyes, he needed to reach him.
Something so simple felt like the most gruelling of things, the Fox managed to pry his eyes open, the environment around him going in a blur.
"LET HIM GO!"
Sonics voice again, however this time he sounded much closer, seeming to come from somewhere behind him. Either through sheer luck or through determination, the Kit didn't know, but he managed to somehow shuffle from the strong clutch round his midsection, somewhat awkwardly facing a different direction. He was now able to see Sonic, who was only a few beats behind.
Without even computing what he was doing, Tails reached his arm out, hoping that will somehow reach his speedy friend. The Hedgehog thankfully followed suit, his arm extending out, his palm open and ready to take his own. He's nearly…
He was jolted without his consent, the world seeming to come crashing round him, whether his mind or the cave was responsible in doing so. Before he could asses the situation, a forceful pain collided with head, forcing him to the join the world of slumber.
