If you're reading this as a standalone, a couple of things to know is this is video game Tails, not Tails from Prime. And Blur is Sonic's counterpart in the Boscage Maze who formed a close bond with Tails. Everything else is mostly explained in this chapter, though I still recommend you read Into the Tulgey Wood first, which can be found on my profile. Regardless, have a happy reading!
The light flickered on his Miles Electric and Tails glanced at it right as the path dipped into a distinct slope.
"W-woah!" Tails stumbled forward, but a hand snagged his arm and pulled him back.
Tails righted himself and turned to see Sonic checking him over, a bright light paling his concerned face. "You okay?"
"Yeah," Tails said slowly, squinting at Sonic's eyes. Colors were glittering across his green irises. "Wait, where's that light…?"
Tails turned. His eyes widened, and Sonic gaped while a white glow bleached their fur.
A portal rippled like a small pool at the bottom of the slope, blindingly white with colors sparkling across its surface. Tails' eyes narrowed on the thick tree root steeped into the vortex, following it past Sonic's feet and back towards the hollow's entrance. Was the tree feeding on the portal? Was that why it was so massive?
A chilly wind rushed out of the dimensional hole and Tails shivered as it howled ghoulishly throughout the hollow. However, Sonic set his fists on his sides and beamed.
"This is the right place." He turned to Tails. "And if I understood what that Shadow was saying, this portal is our ticket to Amy."
Tails' brow wrinkled. "When did you meet with—"
"We can't just stand back and do nothing!"
Tails stiffened. "Amy?" he whispered, his ears flicking while her voice echoed through his head.
Sonic frowned. "Uh, no, I met this Shadow in a weird in-between dimensions area—"
"No." Tails shook his head, his gaze imploring. "I heard Amy just now."
Sonic blinked. "You did?"
Tails' brow wrinkled. "You didn't hear her? But I could have sworn—"
"You c-can't be…"
Tails' blood turned to ice at Amy's fearful whisper.
"She's in trouble," he gasped.
Sonic's expression pinched, yet he nodded. "Okay, if you say you can hear Amy, I believe you." Tails looked at him in surprise, but Sonic smiled. "I mean, stranger things have happened—"
The portal flashed to ruby red.
"Liiike that," Sonic said, eyes huge while the dimensional hole crackled with crimson lightning.
Tails' fur fluffed up, the kit sensing something amiss, and he swiftly raised his Electric to analyze the portal.
"Tails!"
The fox looked up right as lightning speared his chest. Tails choked, staggering while a numbness flooded his body. His Miles Electric slipped from his fingers and Sonic quickly reached for him as he fell.
Sonic's hands passed straight through Tails. Shock splayed across both their faces, but then Tails hit the floor and slid.
"No!"
The fox barely heard Sonic as he plunged headfirst into the portal.
Red seared across his retinas. Tails' eyes snapped shut while pressure rammed into his chest. He gasped for air, heart beating a mile a minute. Yet he was paralyzed as the world spun and twisted until like a switch was flipped, the pressure vanished. His eyes snapped open to glimpse a silver-paneled ceiling.
Then he was falling.
Tails crashed onto metal. Sensation rushed back into him while he rolled fast over the bumpy floor, glimpsing a whirl of fluorescent lights between steel. Yet he scrabbled at the ground and his fingers hooked onto an iron bar. He jerked to a stop, concrete scraping against his ear.
"Ow!" He winced, letting go of the bar to grab his throbbing ear.
"Oh, Tails…"
The kit froze at the mournful sigh.
"Amy?"
He looked up. A dark subway tunnel stood high above him. Tails inhaled sharply. A train station? He was home?
Awe spread across Tails' face and he pushed himself onto his hands and knees, eagerly inhaling the sight of an actual building. No overgrown plants, the humidity was gone, and air conditioning was sweeping through his fur. Yes!
Tails went to cheer when someone groaned. He gasped, whirling around. On the tracks, dark gray sneakers stuck out of matching pants and a shirt—a kid?
He clambered to his feet, stumbling a bit as his ankle clanged against the subway tracks. However, the person didn't react to the sound, their head turned away from him and chest not seeming to move. Fear shot through Tails' heart. Were they unconscious? Or worse?
Tails ignored his soreness and jogged to the kid, stopping beside them. "Hey, are you alright?" He peered down worriedly.
Golden ears tipped with two long, orange strands gave him pause. Wait…that kinda looked like…
Tails' gaze dropped to the person's face. His own eyes stared back, half-lidded and dazed.
The air froze in Tails' lungs while his counterpart whispered, "Who…?"
The other fox groaned, his eyes falling shut and face going lax. Yet Tails continued gaping. An alternate version of himself…meaning this wasn't home. So then, where was he?
The ground rumbled. Tails frowned, for a second thinking it was Blur tunneling under the floor. However, the rumbling grew louder and he remembered this wasn't the jungle. This was a subway. And they were on train tracks.
Tails gasped as a yellow beam swung around the corner, speeding towards them. He swiftly grabbed his counterpart around the waist, his tails spinning and lifting them into the air.
His counterpart jerked down. Tails' eyes widened, realizing the other fox was caught on something. A horn blared and Tails' fur stood on end as the rumbling became deafening, the bright beam almost upon them. There was no time!
His tails revved up to top speed and he gritted his teeth, giving his counterpart a mighty tug. The fox popped free. Tails' yell was lost to the wind while they flew back and crashed onto the concrete walkway, the train blazing past.
Tails skidded into the wall, fresh bruises screaming around his already burning wound, yet he quickly sat up and looked at the fox in his lap. No blood or cuts showed through the boy's clothing. Tails' shoulders slumped in relief. That had been too close.
The fox rose in a crouch and went to pick up his counterpart. He froze.
Metal appendages were bound together over his counterpart's back, no flesh tails to be seen. Tails' pupils shrank to pinpricks. Were those…prosthetic tails? What had happened to his real tails!?
The fox shook off his questions. Now wasn't the time. His face hardened with resolve. First, help his counterpart and then get answers.
Tails grabbed the boy's arm, tossed it over his shoulders, and stood, glancing around. A gray and red door rested near the end of the walkway. If it was a maintenance room, it might have a first aid kit.
He walked towards it, wincing when the mechanical tails brushed against his. However, he refused to think about what might have happened to the boy's flesh tails while stopping at the door.
His brow furrowed as he eyed the gray keypad. It looked a lot like the one outside of his workshop.
Tails glanced at the unconscious kit. Was this his lab? That would explain why the fox was by the railroad tracks instead of in the station's lobby…and if the boy was anything like him…
Tails raised his hand over the grease-stained keypad.
1-9-9-2
The door clanked, gears turning inside it. Tails brightened while the door slid apart, peeking in curiously.
Cracked concrete walls, a rust-covered steel floor, and one loose fluorescent light fixture hummed from the ceiling, swaying slightly on the thick wire holding it up.
Tails dimmed, but shuffled inside and continued glancing around as he walked down the sloped floor. There was a higher level cluttered with metal scraps behind a dilapidated yellow ladder. A spray-painted image of a scowling fox wearing a hoodie was hung up over the table in the corner—his counterpart's symbol? Giant rusty pipes were shoved in the back between haphazardly stacked cardboard boxes and gosh, this was less of a lab and more of a hideout.
A turquoise glow caught his attention. He turned. Three large screens were hanging above a table. Tails lit up like the sun. Technology! Sweet, sweet technology!
Tails' namesakes wagged as he hurried to the computer, eager to touch a warm screen after so long without proper tech. Something scraped the floor. He paused and looked down at his counterpart's mechanical tails.
"Oh." Guilt pinched his face because he'd forgotten all about the injured boy. "Sorry."
He raised his head and his gaze sharpened while he scanned the area for a bathroom or cabinet where a first aid kit should be. He didn't see any doors besides the entrance, so maybe he should work with what he had.
Tails gently slid the other fox off himself and onto the cushioned red stool under the screens, leaning him against the table. He pulled back and looked over the kit. His hair was styled up instead of down in a bang like Tails', which surprisingly looked good on him, as well as made it easier to spot the purple bruise by the boy's ear.
He hissed in sympathy. Something had hit his counterpart hard. However, questions could be answered after he helped him.
Tails turned, searching for a fridge that hopefully contained an ice pack. His gaze drifted over to a wall of hanging tools. All the hammers and wrenches were worn and old like everything else in this lab that didn't resemble Tails' workshop, but rather likened—
Eggman's grinning logo flickered against the wall, his mustache glowing neon red. Tails' heart stopped while he gazed at the discarded electronic sign.
"E-Eggman?" he choked out, shock twisting his expression. "He's here?" he whispered.
Questions swarmed his mind so he didn't hear the click behind him. However, the air shifted on his back and he instinctively spun around.
A metal tail seized his throat. Tails gagged, hands reaching up. Yet a second tail snaked around his torso, pinning his arms and trapping his namesakes behind him. The tails yanked him up and he gasped as his own sky blue eyes glared at him.
"Who are you!?" his counterpart snarled with more ferocity than Tails had ever felt, two of his tails poising threateningly beside Tails' head. "What are you doing in my—"
He stopped. Shock splayed across his expression, and Tails knew he'd just noticed their identical faces.
"I'm…from an alternate dimension," Tails said, voice a bit strangled.
The boy jerked back, arm raising defensively. For a second, he stared wide-eyed and fearfully at Tails. Then, his expression shifted. A calculating look came over him while he straightened up and lowered his arm.
Tails flinched as his metal tail shot past his head and grunted when it caught his twin tails, bringing them forward. His counterpart stared at Tails' namesakes, paling. However, Tails inhaled sharply as he noticed the flesh tails dangling beside the other's legs. So he did still have them…
Relief washed over the kit. Yet the feeling shattered when the metal tail suddenly squeezed him and he choked.
"Why did you come here?" his counterpart hissed, expression harsh, and Tails' ears laid flat while the boy's blue eyes burned into his own.
Something cold and sharp lurked in the other's gaze, and Tails inwardly shivered. This boy was dangerous.
Tails gulped and said, "R-reality is falling apart, so these portals have been showing up in my world."
The other kit's expression didn't change and Tails continued, "I got sucked into one and was stuck in this primitive jungle dimension for five weeks, but my brother came for me—"
His counterpart started, eyes widening.
"And we were going to visit another dimension to search for our friends who were also stolen from our world but…" Tails frowned at the floor, tone becoming thoughtful. "The portal suddenly became unstable, I fell into it, and now I'm here."
He looked up imploringly and the other kit was taken aback while Tails said, "I'm sorry for showing up all of the sudden, but I think my friend Amy might be in this dimension. I just need to find her and then I'll figure out a way to send us home—"
"No."
Tails stiffened as the boy glared.
"I can't let you leave."
Tails' mouth dropped. "What? Why?"
"Because you look like me and our DNA is probably identical," the kit snapped, barring his teeth. "Which means if you make any wrong moves, the Council will think you're me and start breathing down my neck."
Tails blinked. "Council?"
"The Chaos Council." His counterpart glowered. "The wonderful dictators of this great city," he said sarcastically.
Tails balked. "Dictators?" He gasped and glanced back at the Eggman sign. Horror twisted his expression. Don't tell him Eggman ruled this place.
"They have eyes and ears everywhere."
The other boy crossed his arms, glaring at the ground while one of his mechanical tails tapped the floor agitatedly. Soon though, he looked up at Tails. Apathy cooled his expression.
"You're a risk I can't afford to let loose."
Fear trickled into Tails' heart. "What do you mean by—ah!"
The metal tail flung him. Tails crashed hard on the ground, the wind knocking out of his chest as he tumbled into a wall. He wheezed, expression screwing up in pain.
A door slid close with a hiss. Tails' eyes popped open to see darkness.
"H-hey!"
He shakily reached out. His palm smacked against cool metal and he pawed at it, pulling himself to his feet. Smooth wood brushed over his ears. He looked up, squinting, and barely made out an empty shelf under a sliver of light peeking through the door. He was in a closet?
Tails paled and whirled towards the doorway.
"Wait!" he called, panic pitching his voice. "You're just leaving me here!? Until what, I starve!?"
His breathing was loud and fast, heartbeat drumming in his ears. However, there was no reply except for rapid tapping on a keyboard.
Tails growled and slammed his fists on the door. Pain lanced through his hands, yet frustration dulled it. Great, just great! He'd lost Sonic, his counterpart was being a jerk, he was trapped in a world under Eggman's control—and he didn't even know if Amy was here!
He sent a vicious kick to the door, but it didn't so much as twitch. In a huff, Tails plopped down and hugged his knees, frustrated tears pricking his eyes.
"I…"
His voice wavered, expression crumbling.
"I want to go home."
He bowed his head, clutching the fur over his chest. Soft petals brushed his fingers. He startled and looked down at the blue flower tucked into his leaf bandage. It stood tall and undamaged despite how many times he'd rolled on it, and something about that dried his tears.
Tails stifled a sob and smiled a watery grin. Somehow, everything was going to be okay.
He exhaled, closed his eyes, and cupped his hands protectively over the flower while leaning against the wall. The exhaustion of his dimensional travel had finally caught up to him, so it wasn't long before his consciousness fluttered away.
The door slid open and light splashed on Tails' face. However, sleep clung to him so he stayed curled on the ground, one tail blanketing his body and the other pillowing his head.
A hand caught his shoulder, shaking him. "Wake up."
Groggily, Tails cracked open his eyes. A blurry shadow stood in the doorway.
"Sonic?" he whispered, voice thick with exhaustion.
A beat of silence. Then a tentative, "Who's Sonic?"
Tails' breath hitched, and quickly recalling where he was, he sat up. His counterpart was standing on his metal legs, three of them poised threateningly over him. His expression was guarded, yet genuine curiosity shone through his gaze.
Tails frowned, realizing Sonic's name was different in this reality.
"My big brother," he said, hoping to clarify.
The boy's forehead creased, and realization slammed into Tails.
"You don't know who he is," Tails whispered, a fist gripping his heart tight while his counterpart looked away, discomforted. "But you should have met years ago!" he said frantically. "Or, haven't you at least heard of him? Blue and peach fur, green eyes, has super speed."
The other fox sent him a flat stare, gaze devoid of recognition. Tails' expression pinched.
"Well, what about Amy? She's a pink hedgehog, wears a red dress, wields a hammer—"
"I don't have friends."
Tails recoiled while the boy got in his face, glowering. "Or family," he spat and pulled away to stare him down coolly. "I take care of myself and need no one."
Tails faltered, his eyes drawing down. "That…sounds lonely."
The boy scoffed, crossing his arms. "I prefer to be alone."
Tails' frown deepened, but the other kit raised his hand and his metal tail dropped a yellow device into his palm. Tails almost thought it was his Miles Electric. However, the device was half its size and shaped like a gun.
The boy pulled the trigger and a hologram projected above his device, casting a blue glow on their faces. Tails' brow rose at the digital blueprints for what appeared to be a laser cannon. However, his gaze stopped on a word scribbled over the top corner—Nine.
Tails glanced at his counterpart's seven mechanical tails and two flesh ones. Nine…that must be his name.
"I went back to where you arrived in this dimension and found traces of residual energy from the portal that brought you here." Tails blinked in surprise as Nine glared at the blueprints. "After analyzing the data, I've designed a portal gun that should be able to send you back to your reality."
He clicked off the hologram and scowled at Tails. "But I'm going to need some supplies."
Tails lit up despite Nine's harsh expression. "You're helping me get home?"
"I'm helping you get out of my life."
Tails flinched while Nine growled, "You're a threat to everything I've built, which is why—"
His mechanical tail lunged at Tails. The fox threw himself back, but wasn't fast enough to dodge. Cold metal clamped around Tails' wrist.
He grunted and grabbed at his arm, looking down. A bulky gray cuff was locked right above his glove.
"You're going to wear that while you help me get supplies from up top." Tails' eyes widened as Nine reached for the silver gear encircling his white glove like a wristband. "And if you try anything or do anything I don't like—"
Nine pushed a button on the gear. Tails screamed as electricity shrieked up from the cuff and stabbed into his veins, searing his bones. The electricity faded and Tails fell against the wall, sucking in a ragged breath while his vision swam and his limbs trembled like jelly.
"And that's the low setting." Nine smirked, tone proud.
Tails tiredly looked up. His face fell.
"Why are you acting like I'm going to hurt you?"
Nine started, eyes growing big.
"Like you have to hurt me before I can hurt you?" Tails pushed himself to his feet and swayed a bit, yet his voice was gentle as he said, "Life hasn't been very kind to you, has it?"
Nine stared. Then his face hardened and he turned, mechanical tails clacking while they quickly carried him to the stool under his screens.
"Life is miserable for everyone in this foul and heartless city," he said, bitterness sharpening his voice as his metal tail picked up a bundle of clothing off the stool.
Nine walked back to him, his tail offering the clothes. "Put these on."
Tails accepted the bundle, eyeing it curiously. Yet he jumped when his leaf bandage suddenly snapped off him and his head jerked down as a mechanical tail nabbed his flower.
"Hey!" Tails' face twisted fearfully and he went to snatch his flower back.
Nine's hand moved to his wrist gear. Tails froze.
"A flower is a dead giveaway you're not from here." Nine glared. "I can't risk the Council finding it on you."
Tails' ears folded back. "I…understand." He wilted. "But can you at least put it in water? It's from…"
"Mine, always mine."
Blur smiled softly at him under the rain.
"Goodbye, Tails."
Tails' head gently pressed on Blur's chest while the hedgehog embraced him.
Tears stung Tails' blue irises and his gaze dropped to the rusty floor. "Someone I might never see again."
He bowed his head, waiting and dreading.
However, Nine sighed. "If it will get you to stop whining."
Tails' head snapped up as his counterpart walked off to the side. A small door slid open behind a furnace-shaped machine and Tails glimpsed a messy bed before Nine disappeared inside. Seconds later, the boy came out, holding the flower in a metal cup sloshing with water.
Tails brightened while the fox dropped off the flower on the table, his namesakes wagging.
"Thanks, Nine."
The kit swiveled towards him, staring owlishly, and Tails' smile widened. "I thought that was your signature on the blueprint." He pointed to himself. "My name's Tails."
Nine frowned, face twitching and Tails' smile dropped, sensing his counterpart's disapproval. However, Nine simply turned to his screens.
"There are some bandages laced with numbing agents in the pants pocket. Use them and get dressed," he ordered.
Tails balked at Nine's harsh tone, but well, he'd be in a bad mood too if he was trapped under Eggman's dictatorship his whole life. So he let it go and unfolded the clothes, holding them up. He blinked at the black t-shirt with a neon blue trim around the sleeve cuffs and the circle of its hood, a silver gear emblazoning its front. Though he cocked his head at the black pants. Had…he ever worn pants?
Tails drew a blank, but shrugged it off and reached into the pants pocket. He quickly pulled out the bandage roll and tore off a strip, carefully wrapping it around his middle. His injury flared as he tightened the bandage. However, Tails gritted his teeth and tied off the strip.
He sighed while a cooling sensation flooded his wound and was putting the roll back in his pocket, but paused. He looked at Nine who was analyzing energy levels on multiple screens.
"Is your head feeling better?"
Nine glanced back, gaze wary. "Don't worry about it."
Concern wrinkled Tails' face. "It looked pretty bad—"
"I'm fine," Nine said tersely, turning to his screens.
Tails bit the inside of his cheek and eyed Nine's head. The lump was hardly noticeable, so he must have iced the swelling. Though, what had knocked him out in the first place?
"Quit staring."
Tails flinched, yet Nine was glaring at Tails' reflection on the screen. He quickly looked away and busied himself with pulling the shirt over his head.
"It's just," Tails wrangled his neck through the collar, "I noticed you don't have your winter coat, so if it isn't freezing outside," he pulled his arms through the sleeves, "Why are we wearing clothes?"
He tugged down his shirt and moved to drag on the pants.
"Eggforcers are more likely to harass you if you're not wearing clothes since it makes us look uncivilized." Nine sneered and Tails' face hardened, as insulted as Nine sounded.
"I see."
Tails slipped his namesakes through the hole in the pants and frowned at how it confined them. These pants must not have been made for a two-tailed person, though overall the clothes were lightweight and breathed well. Still, it was weird having an extra layer on top of his fur when he so rarely wore more than shoes and gloves.
"Here's the rules."
Tails jumped at finding Nine directly in front of him and at eye level, his metal tails bundled behind his back.
"The minute we get up to the city." Nine's gaze sharpened. "You keep close, you keep your head down, you don't talk unless I say you can, and you do everything I say."
Tails' mouth drew to a line. "What if I see Amy?" Nine went to speak, but Tails added, "If she's here and sees us, she'll make a scene if I ignore her."
Nine scowled, but seemed to think about it.
"Fine." Nine crossed his arms. "You can talk to her and tell her I'm planning on sending you back to your dimension." His expression became cold. "But I don't want her anywhere near my lab until I've finished building the portal gun." He eyed Tails. "One annoyance is enough."
Tails wilted. Yet Nine brushed past him and headed to the door.
"Let's get this over with."
Tails hesitated, yet slowly trailed after him. Nine…someone had hurt him. Tails' nose scrunched in discomfort, wanting to ask, but he didn't like people prying into his private life and knew Nine didn't either. So he simply walked up the ramp while Nine clicked the button by the entrance. The door slid open and Nine strode out, not even checking if Tails would follow. However, Tails sped up to keep in step with him, his twin tails curving protectively over Nine's back.
So I am once again having too much fun writing a role-swap with Tails in Sonic Prime 😆
Super thanks to all of you who supported this sequel idea! And to all those reading this as a standalone, I hope you enjoyed it!
Now feel free to comment, theorize, or even share your thoughts about Sonic Prime's latest season down below 😃