Tails didn't know what was going on. Last night, he'd been having the time of his life. Now, out of nowhere, that nightmare came barreling into his brain and began to live there rent free. That was all it was: a nightmare. He remembered Sonic telling him what Rotor told Sonic what Sally had told Rotor about those kinds of dreams. They were warnings. Sally's reassurance this morning had helped him forget about it: she would never hurt him, she loved him. But the way Sonic had spoken to him at the Ring Pool and ran out on him when he'd asked that question…

It was at that point the cub decided that he'd have to come clean about what his mind had shown him. If Sally knew, things would be fine. What if he was still dreaming and Sonic's attitude was proof of…

"Well, hi, there, Sugah-Fox!"

Tails's head jerked up. There was Bunnie waving as she walked over to him. Perhaps he wasn't in his nightmare after all. Two out of three wasn't bad. If his mother and his sister still liked him, then what had got into his brother?

"'Lo, Bunnie," he replied: if he tried to hide his pensiveness, he'd be too late. Then again, nothing got past his cyborg sister.

"Why, Tails, y'look lower than a snake's belly, what's goin' on?"

"Do I?" Tails knew this was a stupid question but perhaps it might distract Bunnie. No such luck. "Well, sugah, if y'all were standin' where I was, you'd see you looked like ya found some broccoli 'n' lost a chilli dog," the rabbit went on. "But then again, yuh'd not see yerself, would ya?"

The two-tailed fox mulled his possibilities over: he could tell Bunnie the same lie he told Sally, or he could tell Bunnie what he really dreamed about and listen to what she had to say. Sally may be his mother, but Bunnie was his sister. There were certain things he felt more comfortable telling Bunnie than Sally. Besides, Sally was probably stressed out already.

"Well…" he now realised that he was being a tattletale. "Sonic said somethin' to me earlier…"

"Oh?" Bunnie raised a quizzical eyebrow, sitting down beside him. "Has he been makin' fun 'o' yer yodelin' an' our dance?" It wasn't like Sonic and Tails to argue. They were practically inseparable, and Sonic was never genuinely malicious when it came to his teasing. So why was Tails looking so downcast?

"Something happened today," Tails continued. "I saw Sonic near the Ring Pool. He was waitin' for a Power Ring, and he was really cranky, and he snapped at me lotsa times…" As he spoke, the cub realized just how childish he must sound for a 13 year old. "I…I asked him a question and he just took the Power Ring an' ran off!"

The half-robot rabbit twirled a whisker with an organic finger. What would Sonic want with a Power Ring? He hadn't needed one for over a year.

"Maybe," she mused. "Maybe ol' Sugah-Hog is bored without Humpty-Dumpty's evil twin t'kick around!"

"W-well, if he's bored, that doesn't mean he should take it out on me!" her little brother pouted.

"Ah ain't justifyin' that," Bunnie quickly added. "Ah ain't standin' fer ma little bro gettin' bullied, even if the guy doin' it is Sonic!"

Tails realized he'd put his foot in it. "Oh, no, no, Bunnie, it's okay, I'm a big boy, I can take it!" he protested lamely. Was Sonic really a bully? No, he was just moody, everyone got moody…

"Nuh-uh, sugah, ah ain't havin' ma kid brother gettin' mistreated!" Now the notion was in her head, Bunnie wouldn't rest until justice was served. "Ah know Sonic's plum sick 'o' sittin' around instead 'o' playin' wit' Robotnik's tin soldiers, but that's no excuse t'be lashin' out at ma foxy bro!"

Said foxy bro winced. He could see it all now: Bunnie marching up to Sonic, taking him to a courthouse and publicly declaring that the Fastest Thing Alive was guilty. Guilty of the crime of being a grumpy old meanie to poor little Tails.

"Bunnie! Tails!" Rotor ran to them as fast as his blubbery legs could carry him…which wasn't very fast at all. "Sally wants everyone to gather in the square! C'mon!"

"What does Sally-Girl want, Rote?" Bunnie asked with a raised eyebrow. "I dunno," came the flustered reply, "but she wants everyone there for an announcement! Hurry up!"

The pair watched the anxious walrus waddle away. "Well, whatever's goin' on," The lapine belle commented, helping Tails up, "we're gonna wanna hear it. It'll be a Freedom Builder business!"

The vulpine forgot to feel sorry for himself, not to mention forgetting his nervousness about his impending embarrassment. He took Bunnie's arm as she offered it to him, and they hurried to the site of the gathering.

Sonic and Sally stood outside the latter's hut, watching the congregation grow and grow. To everyone there, villagers , freedom fighters or leaders, there seemed to be something different about the couple. They were always close, but they seemed practically undetachable today.

Tails, Bunnie, Rotor and Antoine stood at the front, and the eyes of both hedgehog and chipmunk lit up. One thing was for certain: it didn't matter how many people assembled, they weren't starting anything until their four dear friends and family members were present.

Tails noticed that Sonic in particular had improved in mood. Maybe if he got to him before Bunnie, he could spare a lot of embarrassment…

The princess palmed for silence, and as if by magic, everyone went quiet.

"People of Mobius," she began. "As you know, in a few day's time, work on restoring our capital will get underway. But there has been a new development which I wish to make you all aware of". A curious murmuring rumbled amongst the assembled Mobians.

"It concerns myself and a certain Sonic Hedgehog," Sally continued, and the voices died away. "As you all know, due to his, shall we say, lack of subtlety, Sonic and I have been very close during our time fighting Robotnik…"

"Didn't notice, did you?" Rotor murmured to Tails from the corner of his mouth, before Bunnie shushed him with a mischievous smile.

"There's no sugarcoating what I am going to say. When we have completed eradicating that awful man and his legacy from the face of Mobius, then it is only logical that I return to Castle Acorn and assume the authority and responsibilities that used to be undertaken by my father. I'll openly admit that this scares me, perhaps even more than leading the Knothole Freedom Fighters ever did" Sally continued. "I had the support of my friends who without them, the doctor's disposal would have been impossible. And Sonic helped me most of all. It is my absolute pleasure to inform all of you that I am no longer afraid of assuming the throne…"

To the bafflement of Tails, Rotor and Antoine, Bunnie gave an audible gasp and covered her mouth. Sonic's grin intensified. He knew exactly what was going to happen next. "…Because a few moments ago, Sonic gave me an offer…" the chipmunk presented the Power Ring and held it aloft. "…And I said yes!"

Bunnie gave a squeal of delight and jumped into the air for joy. "Great job, Sonny-Boy!" Uncle Chuck chimed in, flashing his nephew a thumbs up. Everyone else looked somewhat puzzled. Sonic theatrically rolled his eyes. "We're gettin' married, ya doofuses!"

A moment's silence, and then the Great Forest seemed to tremble with the absolute ear-splitting mass of cheers from every animal in the community.

Rotor had two fingers in his mouth and was whistling shrilly in exultation. Antoine was applauding politely. Bunnie jumped up and down, whooping and hollering like a rabbit kitten. Tails flew above everyone's heads, punching the air.

Sonic blew kisses at the ecstatic crowd, bowing gracefully too. Tails was overjoyed: Sonic was no longer mad at him. Sally was getting married! It was just like the stories she used to tell him at bedtime. About how the princess in the tale and her true love had a great big wedding and they all lived happily ever after. Now it was happening to his mom!

Then, it happened. The image of Sally wearing a crown and looking down at him with icy disdain hit his brain with the force of a meteor. She would resume her duties as royalty after her city was restored. She would have Sonic by her side. They were probably planning on starting a family.

What good was a surrogate son when you could have your own children? His nightmare wasn't the dark side of his imagination now. It was real. He felt sick. He felt faint… "I gotta get outta here," he said aloud. Luckily, the uproar was so loud and the attention aimed at Sonic and Sally, nobody saw him lift into the air or heard his resolution. Or did they?

"Wha-? Tails? Sugah-Fox, where y'goin'?!"

Sally held Sonic's arm and joined him in waving to her people. Loathe though she was to admit it, she could now understand why her spiky fiancé enjoyed this sort of attention. "My fiancé!" her mind kept screaming. "Who'd have thought I'd be marrying Sonic Hedgehog? Me!"

Everything was alright again. Absolutely nothing could take the wind out of her sails. It was just like one of those endings from the many storybooks she would read to Tails…

And then it happened. The moment her surrogate son hovered into her mind, her tail began to tingle and twitch.

Not again…

What was going on? Tails was perfectly safe, he was at the front of the throng. Or at least he had been. The princess's euphoria began to slowly escape like air from a balloon whose nozzle had been undone. Her eyes scanned the scene as fast as her future husband could run. Where had Tails gone? He'd been there a minute ago. Why was Bunnie no longer cheering but pushing through the crowd? Thinking quickly, she palmed for silence once more and everyone stopped to look at her.

"That's all I have to say for now," she announced, her sight flickering from the many pairs of eyes upon her to Bunnie frantically trying to get her attention. "I shall notify all of you when a date has been decided for the wedding!"

"Yeah, you guys, now SCRAM!" Sonic added with a cheeky grin, also aware of Bunnie's sudden distress.

"Sally-Girl, Sugah-Hog, somethin's got into Tails!" Bunnie explained before the citizens had even dispersed, just as Sally demanded "Is Tails okay?" There was a moment's pause but both squirrel and rabbit quickly got over the coincidence.

Sonic on the other hand, raised a nonplussed eyebrow. "Uh, is this a girl thing?"

"One minute, the lil' darlin' was as happy as all 'o' us! Congratulations, by the way," Bunnie added. "Then straight outta nowhere, he up 'n' flies outta here as if there's a fire drill!"

"Since when did Tails have two personalities?" Sonic blatantly replied. Sally nudged him in the ribs, while Bunnie gave him a surprisingly cold stare.

"Ah've been meanin' t'have a word with y'all 'bout Tails, hedgehog!" she stated, as if Sonic had just committed cold-blooded murder.

"Bunnie? What…?" Halfway through her question, Sally's train of thought was halted by her twitching, tingling tail. It couldn't be, though. Sonic had told her that Tails was okay. He wouldn't lie to…

And then she realised. The last time Sonic had reassured her about her cub's wellbeing was when he'd inadvertently discovered Tails could fly.

"Sonic, what have you done?!"

"Hey, why's everyone acting like I committed murder over here?" Sonic peeped worriedly. "We're not on a train, you know!"

"Ah'll tell y'all what he's done, Sally-Girl!" Bunnie accused, ignoring his indignant protest. "This mornin', the little cub wanted t'talk t'his big bro, an' Sonic treated him like he was somethin' unpleasant stuck t' the bottom of his shoe!"

"Say what?!" Sonic yelped in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sally on the other hand gave him such a look that, if she had snakes for hair, would turn anyone to stone.

"All poor lil' Tails wanted was t'spend time with the one he looked up to, 'n' all he did was snap at the poor cub an' leave him in the dust when he tried to ask a question!" Bunnie condemned. "The little darlin' told me himself!"

The blue streak was at a complete loss for words. Usually, he loved being the center of attention, but the way Bunnie and his chipmunk fiancé were looking at him made him yearn for Robotnik. Where had the rabbit got all these allegations from? He would never treat his foxy bro that way: never! I mean, yeah, he'd kind of been preoccupied with getting Sally's engagement ring and Tails had been pestering but…but…

"Yeah…" he admitted, feeling hot all over. "I…I kinda mighta said somethin'…"

"Sonic Hedgehog, how could you?!" Sally demanded. "He's only a cub, you should know better!" Knowing full well that Tails had had a nightmare, she'd had a gut feeling that her son would have felt more comfortable talking about it to Sonic.

"Sal, he ain't a cub, he's 13 years old!" the hedgehog snapped back, already regretting what he was about to say. "He oughta be able ta take it!"

"That doesn't excuse talking to him like that!" she replied. "He looks up to you! He's your younger brother!"

"How'd ya know what I said?" he questioned, well aware of how abrupt he'd been but also feeling Sal was blowing it out of proportion.

"That doesn't matter! What matters is that you upset him and he's run away!" Sally folded his arms. "We need to go find him, right now!"

"He went thataway, Sally-Girl!" Bunnie didn't need telling twice, she was already hurrying off in the direction she was pointing.

"C'mon!" Sally followed her. "You ought to be able to catch up with him, Sonic!"

Chastened, Sonic awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "Sal?" he inquired like a naughty kid. "Does this mean the engagement's off?"

"No!" she called back, still running after Bunnie.

Sonic wiped his brow and breathed a sigh of relief. "Does this mean we had our first fight as husband and wife?"

"Sonic!"

"Alright, I'm comin', take a chill pill!" With a sonic boom, the fastest thing alive was overtaking his friends on their search for the wayward kit.

The sky was changing from denim blue to saturated orange as the sun began to sink below the horizon. The Great Forest was quiet, save for the breeze wafting through the emerald green leaves which were housed on every tree.

One particular tree, specifically the Great Oak, had something no other plant had to offer: a second sound.

A slow, creaking groaned out from the frayed ropes that held up the swing which hung from the lowest branch. It was beginning to irritate the fox cub who was hidden behind the drooping canopy of a willow tree.

Tails sat in one of its branches, his namesakes wrapped around himself as he sat in a fetal position. He needed to be alone. He wasn't running away. He needed to be alone and think. Think about how Sonic had talked to him at the Ring Pool. How Sally was going to marry Sonic and they were going to leave him behind…

The fox felt his eyes burning with tears which were pushing against the interior dam and swallowed the cold lump in his throat. He was 13 years old. Practically a grown up. Grown ups didn't cry.

He needed to be alone. He may as well get plenty of practice now for the inevitable. He'd picked the perfect place to lay low. Then, once he'd finished contemplating, he would come home and nobody would be the wiser. Nobody noticed him leave. They'd all been too excited.

Even in the unlikely event they went to look for him, they'd never find him here. True, they'd found him on top of the Great Oak. And under his bed. And in Bunnie's wardrobe. And in Rotor's workshop. And under the bridge at the Great River. But this time, they'd never find him. If he wasn't so upset, he'd give himself a doctorate like Uncle Chuck.

Yes, he was near the Great Oak, but nobody had ever thought to look in the willow tree adjacent to it!

"What I need to do is stop thinking about what just happened," he told himself "and start thinking about happy times when Robotnik was around…" the moment the big rotten egg bounced into his brain, he stopped dead. Did he seriously associate Robotnik with happy times?

"No! Robotnik was a jerk!" He almost snapped out loud. Several other Mobians would have used a stronger term. The dictator was off the face of Mobius and that was all the better. He'd ruined lives, made innocents lose their homes, friends and family. For all the kit knew, Robotnik was at fault for him not knowing his own parents.

Yet, despite this, Tails didn't mind not knowing his mother and father. I mean, yeah, he missed them now and then. But he'd never had to live a life where he had to fend for himself. He'd always had his mom… Sally…

Peering through the branches, he gave his swing a glance, and his mind flew back to a simpler time when it seemed like Buttnik never existed…

The cub was young, perhaps 6 years of age or maybe younger. Sitting atop his new swing which his big sister had made for him, just for him, in woodshop class. It was something else! Up he went, he was flying! Then, down he came. Darn, he'd do it next time. Oh, wait! Wait, he was flying again! Awww, no, he wasn't.

"Higher, Aunt Sally! Higher!"

The princess had just turned 13: to everyone else living in Knothole, though, she was already a fully grown adult. Ever since she had found the fox as a baby, she had taken it upon herself to take care of him.

"You're going high enough, sweetie!" she called cheerfully, holding out her hands expectedly and giving her charge a push every time he swung back to her.

"But I wanna go even higher!" he protested with a squeal. "I wanna be a cloud like Edward Bear!"

Sally chuckled. Perhaps she shouldn't have read him that story. It gave him funny ideas. For instance, he had come up to her the following morning, struggling to blow up a balloon. When she'd blown it up for him, as big as big, he'd been ecstatic: he could use it to fly.

The chipmunk had found this so adorable, she hadn't the heart to tell the boy that a balloon filled with her breath wouldn't get him airborne. She could have watched him running around, his fist clamped tightly to the balloon's string, all day.

"Aunt Sally!" his indignant squeak broke her reverie. "This swing's broked! I'm not flyin' no more!"

"Sorry, Tails," she laughed. "Now, hold on tight!" In response, the cub gripped the ropes. Sally knew his tongue was sticking out just like it always did when he was concentrating.

"4…"

"Yes…"

"3…"

"Yes…"

"2…"

"Yes!"

"1!" Sally gave a mighty push! Tails flew forwards, a few inches higher than before!

"I did it, Aunt Sally! I'm flyyyyiiiinnng…awwww!" the kit moaned as he came back down.

"Better luck next time, honey!" she giggled, rubbing her fingers through his head fur. "Now, come on, it's nearly dinner time!"

"No, no, no!" he protested. "One more swing! I'll fly this time, I know I will!"

"Not with yer Aunt Sal, ya won't!" The chipmunk jumped, and the fox's despondency gave way to joy as Sonic zipped up next to him.

"Sonic!"

"Heya, Big Guy!" the hedgehog smirked. "Is Sal keepin' ya grounded again?"

"Yep, she sure is!" Tails pouted. "I just know I can fly, but she won't let me!"

"Well, I'll let ya!" The Hedgehog ignored the princess as her eyes flashed in warning. "Whatcha need is a super-strong shove!"

Before she could stop him, he'd run ten miles away in a heartbeat. "Honey, get off the swing!" she panicked. "He's gonna do something…"

She was cut off by a sonic boom.

"HEEEEERRRREEEE IIIII COOOOOOOOOMMMMEEE!"

Sally was about to rush forward, pluck her nephew off the swing and run out of the way, but Tails wouldn't budge. He gripped the ropes with eager hands.

A blue blur swept through the forest, sucking up a few bushes in its hurricane like prop wash.

"SONIC, NOOOOOOO!"

The streak reached out two gloved hands and gave the excited cub a mighty shove!

The chipmunk watched in abject horror as her fox spun around, going upside down several times as the swing wound itself around the branch it was tied to.

"Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" she heard him whoop, as if he was practicing to be a fire engine.

He was having the time of his life, but the horrified princess began to feel strange. The more she watched Tails spinning upside down, the more her tail began to twitch. What was going on? It was a perfectly warm day so she wasn't cold. But that didn't matter. What did was that the fox was in danger.

"Lookin' good, Big Guy!" Sonic zipped back up to them, flashing the golden brown blur a thumbs up.

"Now look what you've done, speed freak!" she growled at the cobalt rodent. "He could get hurt! Stop him!"

Sonic rolled his eyes as if she was the mean old bad guy who was spoiling his fun. The next second, he sped up to the spinning fox and, judging his moment, seized the rope as Tails came back down.

The swing came to an abrupt halt, Tails slumping and crumpling in the middle of it. His eyes spun dizzily. "WooooOOOoooooww!"

"See, Sal?" the hedgehog grinned. "He's fine!"

As if fate had decided to intervene, as it was in a contradictory mood, Tails fell forwards and landed in a heap on the ground.

Sally's heart nearly stopped. "OH, HONEY!"

Sonic lost his smile just as his brother fell. His cool demeanour was replaced by a cold sweat upon noticing that Tails didn't get up instantly.

Sally ran up to Tails's side, flashing the sheepish Sonic daggers from her eyes as she did so. "Miles, are you alright?" she demanded, squatting next to him, the tingling sensation in her own tail getting stronger.

Cautiously, the kit lifted his head. "I…I'm okay!" he replied, his smile a little too forced. "I-It wasn't Sonic's f-fault!" His knee hurt…it hurt so much…but he couldn't get upset, not in front of Sonic. Owww! Tears, stay where you are, you're a big boy, you're a big…

"No-ho-hooooo!" he wailed. "Muh-My knee huuuurrrrts!"

Sonic felt a huge pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach. He didn't mean to make the kid cry, he was just helping him have fun. Sally shot him a withering glare before turning back to comfort Tails.

"There, there, my little cloud," she cooed. "I'm right here. I will never leave you alone, sad and hurt."

The little fox tried to wrap his two tails around himself. "My leg! My leg's gonna fall off, Aunt Sally!" he sniffled. "I love my leg, I don't wanna lose it!"

Suddenly, he felt something else wrap around him: two soft warm arms, which lifted him up off the ground and pressed him gently against a soft, warm body. The teenage chipmunk cuddled the kit like a teddy bear, her cheek nuzzling his own tear stained muzzle.

Closing her eyes, Sally began to hum an old song she'd learned from her father. Somehow or other, the pain in Tails's knee seemed to be going away. His sniffles changed to sniffs, until they were completely gone. As she rocked her little boy, the princess noticed that the tingling in her appendage was slowly ebbing away the more she comforted him.

Although the hedgehog found such behavior mondo uncool, he couldn't help but be moved by the display. He'd learned so much about his playmate since she found Tails. For example, he had no idea she could sing or hum. This always made him feel funny inside. On the other hand, he felt a huge amount of relief that she'd managed to comfort his bro.

"Uh, Sal…"

"Ssh!" her warmth went cold as she looked at him.

"Sal," he whispered. "Umm…could we keep this quiet? I'm already in Rosie's bad books for not washin' up and…" he trailed off at the chipmunk's expression. "N-Never mind!"

Sally turned her attention back to the calmed and sleepy cub. With a benevolent smile, she kissed both his cheeks, then his nose and finally, because it hurt so much, his grazed knee. This action instantly rewarded her with that precious little giggle she loved so much.

Tails shook his head to clear it. Rosie, rest her soul, had found out about his leg nearly "falling off". He had assured Sonic until he was blue in the face (like his brother's fur) that he hadn't tattled on him. He'd never do that. Sonic could be a doofus, but he was never a jerk on purpose. Whatever had been going on with Sonic at the Ring Pool, he hadn't meant to talk to Tails the way he did.

"I'll be sure to say goodbye later," the kit said to himself, deciding there was no time like the present to start getting used to his own company.

Sally had searched every place that Tails had ever hidden: under his bed, in Bunnie's wardrobe, in Rotor's workshop and under the bridge at the Great River. It was when it dawned on her that the kit would likely find sanctuary somewhere high up. This was why her feet were taking her to the Great Oak.

Her tail had been tingling, and it was getting dark. Perhaps if she found him, the sense would go away. It seemed to intensify as she reached the base of the tree. "Tails!" she called out into the branches. "Honey! Cloud!"

There was no sign of a pair of bushy tails, nor a response. The chipmunk closed her eyes. The strong twitch in her own appendage had given her a theory: perhaps the sensation wasn't just for warning her that Tails was in trouble. Maybe it was a son detector: after all, that was how she and the others had found him following the wind cannon incident.

She looked around at the surrounding foliage, almost feeling her tail vibrate like a metal detector as her eyes fell upon bushes, shrubs and trees. The twitching was piqued at the sight of a nearby willow tree.

"I wonder…"

Crossing to the tree, Sally parted the drooping willow leaves like a pair of curtains, sticking her head through them simultaneously. Her face then smooshed against a familiar foxy snout, their two black noses practically stuck together.

"Sally?" the little fox seemed surprised as opposed to relieved that she'd found him. Sally drew back, looking him all over as if she was seeing him for the first time. "Oh. Hello, Sally" he repeated, trying to look casual.

Relief washed over the princess like a warm shower on a winter day. "Tails!" She started hugging her favorite cub, crying with tears filling up her eyes. "My Little Rain Cloud!"

"Wha-What's wrong?" the kit was completely nonplussed by her weeping reaction. "Why're you crying?"

"I was afraid I'd never see my own son again!" She peeped emotionally, climbing onto the branch next to him.

"M-Me?" Tails hoped he hadn't sounded so hopeful. After all, he had to be all mature and accept that Sally was moving on. "Well, you'll uh….you'll have your own kids after you marry Sonic, won't ya?"

Sally stopped crying. She stared at her two-tailed cub with those sockets utterly wet from her sobbing. "Was...was that why you ran away?" she asked gently. "You thought that... once we had kids, we would never need you anymore?" She waited for Tails to answer, noting he had a guilty blush on his furry face.

"I…I didn't run away. I just needed some time alone. To think" he replied after a few moments of quiet. What he couldn't understand was why Sally was so upset. As a matter of fact, there had been times where she'd reacted like this in the past. Maybe, as Sonic would have put it, it was a girl thing.

"Oh, Tails…" His motherly figure sniffed, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We've been together since you were born! We're a family! We would never cast you aside like an old shoe once we had kids of our own! I don't know anyone else who would have a two-tailed son who is daring, devoted, and as downright adorable as you are. Not to mention being honest to someone you deeply trust."

Tails looked away. He still felt down, but her words were making him feel all funny inside. Like a toasty warm blanket on a winter's day.

"And if anyone tries to hurt you, they will have to go through me!" Sally continued. "Why, I would even show Sonic a thing or two if he dares think of treating you like dirt! I don't even think he'd be the kind of guy to do it, but Bunnie said you told her about him being a complete jerk to you."

The fox cringed. This was why she was all worked up? Because he'd not kept his mouth shut and made everyone think that he was a fragile little flower? Now Tails didn't just feel worried for the future, but guilty because his actions had ruined the chipmunk's big day. Not to mention getting Sonic in trouble for no reason.

"L-Look, Sally, I'm grateful you'd go to such lengths, but Sonic didn't do anything wrong. He was just being himself. I didn't mean to mess up your big announcement. Congratulations, by the way"

"You haven't messed up anything, honey," she reassured him. "Sonic says he's sorry for upsetting you. He didn't know you'd had a nightmare and he's got a chili dog dinner to make it up to you"

Tails couldn't understand his emotions. Here Sally was telling him that she loved him more than life itself, completely contradicting his nightmare, yet he felt even worse. He felt like a silly little boy who depended on his mommy to fight his battles for him.

"There's going to be a lot of changes in the coming months," the chipmunk held his shoulders. "And Sonic learning to think before he speaks will be one of them!"

Tails faked a smile. The mention of changes and Sonic suddenly made him feel worse. Sally had plans for her future hedgehog husband…but not for him. Maybe his dream was partially true. She would still love him, but she'd still move on. It was there and then that he made a decision. He would start to plan his own path.

"How are you feeling now, sweetie?" his mother asked, looking him in the eyes. Tails paused, considering the right thing to say. "I-I'm okay," he replied at last. "But are you okay?"

Taken aback by this question, Sally paused for a moment and realized just how she'd reacted, going slightly red in the face. Admittedly, this wasn't the first time she'd worn her heart out on her sleeve over her boy. "Cloud, I'm alright as long as you are," she told him lovingly, "now let's head for home. I want you and my dearest friends to be the first ones to know our wedding plans!"

Despite his mood, Tails couldn't help himself. "Will it be like the ones in the stories you told me?"

Sally smiled warmly. "Oh, yes, honey. And you'll have a big role in it, I can promise you that…"

As they walked back to Knothole, Tails made a silent vow. If his time with Sonic and Sally came to an end with a royal wedding, much like the storybooks, then he would make sure he'd cherish the final moments with them both. For now, it was time to broaden his outlook and find something for himself before they all said goodbye.

Sally held Tails by the paw and gave him a smile and a gentle squeeze when he looked up at her. Everything seemed to be okay. Her tail wasn't twitching or tingling. But through her tears, she had noticed one significant difference in the fox. He'd referred to her as Sally. Not Aunt Sally. Not Mom. But Sally. He'd never referred to her in such a formal way before. It was as if something had changed between last night's party and right now.

Sally began to suspect that the teenager's dream had had nothing to do with Robotnik.

Whatever's got into you, Miles, tell me the truth…