Sonic had been so focused on the pain from his injured leg that he almost didn't notice when Tails, his little buddy, fell through the hole in the dome, tails tied up with bola.

"Tails!"

The hedgehog growled and shoved away the robots surrounding him. He could see the kit just barely holding on to the edge with one hand, but he was about to be thrown off by Hypnobot. He dashes over and kicks the robot off the cliff and out of Morristown, God he's going to be feeling that later.

He felt himself grab Tail's hand before he could completely lose his grip on the edge. Pain crashes over Sonic again as a robot stepped on his injured leg. They hang like that for a while, the hedgehog barely able to keep a hold of his brother. The leg pain and gripping onto his friend put a lot of strain on his body.

"Oh no, come on." He gripped him tighter as the fox let out some small whines.

He's relieved as the pressure on his knee disappears, that doesn't last long though as something metal hits him on the back of the head. Suddenly the pressure on his leg is gone and he's relieved.

"Ow!" He closed his eyes in pain. The strain on his body is gone. Wait but that means…he opens his eyes. His hand was empty.

No. No. No.

—————

The kit looked up at his brother. He was browner back then, a lot smaller too maybe around four. "A family is just people who care about each other more than anyone else, right?"

"Right…"

"You're it! You're my mom, you're my dad and you're my picket fence!" Sonic found himself moving away before the fox could hug him.

"Woah, you ain't gonna use the "L" word, are ya?"

Tails blushed, kicking his foot nervously. "Well…"

Sonic picked up the kit and spun him around. "Then I will, 'cause it's a great word. I love you, 'lil bro!" He affectionately grinds his knuckles on the back of the giggling kit's head.

"It's good to be home!"

—————

They'd just finished beating Eggman's robots and the two were taking a while, so they decided to check on their two other teammates. Usually, they'd just let Sonic do his own thing, but he was taking a while, and they were worried. When they found him, Sonic was sitting on the edge of Morristown, staring at his hand.

"Sonic?" She put a hand on his shoulder.

"…He's gone, Amy." She looked to the others who were safe and sound behind her. Who was he talking about?

"What? Who's gone Sonic?"

But he just kept staring at that hand. The only one with him was…

"But…but Tails can fly. He'll be alright." She looked down off the edge expecting to see the fox flying back to them as they spoke.

"His tails-s were tied up."

Oh.

She saw Sonic's chest convulse and an unfamiliar sound came out, he was sobbing. "I was right there; I was too slow. I could have…I should have…" He buried his face in his knees and hugged himself.

Amy stood there bewildered. Not only did she just learn one of her friends was dead, but this was the first time she'd actually seen Sonic cry.

She tried to hug him only for him to pull out of her grip, on his hands and knees, clinging to the edge and looking down where Tails fell.

Then he screamed.

—————

"Hey, Sonic." The kid said, pointing above him. "What are those?"

They had just finished setting up camp on Mount Safety. The hedgehog had been nervous about taking the kit up there because it didn't exactly live up to the name, but Tails had insisted on following his brother everywhere. Now they were lying on their sleeping bags and the peak of the mountain, looking up at the stars.

The hedgehog stifled a laugh, "Those are stars buddy, they're giant balls of fire in the sky."

"Stars?"

"Yep, some people think we go up with the stars when we die."

"Oh…Sonic where do we go when we die?"

Sonic looked at him. "Nobody knows Tails, it's one of the great mysteries of life."

"…Will you miss me when I die, Sonic?"

"Well of course pal, but I'm going before you. I'll make sure of it!" Then he tickled the giggling kit. "Now get some shut-eye, will ya? Big day tomorrow!"

"Okay, Sonic." The fox said turning over and as the hedgehog continued staring at the stars above them. And as he heard the gentle snores of the kit beside him, he knew everything would be alright.

—————

Sonic could see the hole in the ice ahead of him as he sped down to the frozen lake, Hypnobot had made it when he fell, and something he didn't want to look at was right beside the robot. He tried to ignore the creaking and groaning of the ice as he slid across to the opening, leaning down and fishing in the lake until he felt it in his hands. He grabbed onto the furry mass and lifted it out of the water.

He carried it off the ice and laid it down, leaning down and laying his hands over the small chest. Pushing the damp chest up and down to the beat of 'Stayin Alive,' then tilting the snout towards him and blowing hard into his mouth.

It felt like he was doing CPR for hours until someone's hand gripped his shoulder. Amy standing beside him. He clenched his eyes shut.

"Sonic…"

"No, no. I can save him. I have to "

"Sonic, it's too late."

He opened his eyes, and there he was, his brother, someone he'd known and raised and fought alongside for years, cold and lifeless in front of him.

He gently picked him up from the grass and brought the body into his arms, burying his muzzle in the wet chest.

He didn't know how he would go on now, because Amy was right. He wasn't holding Tails anymore; he was holding Tails' body.

—————

He'd first seen it when he was crab hunting on the beach. Sonic stepped over to it carefully, it was a dark brown furry thing, and it was drenched from the ocean. Maybe a fur hat? That would be handy in winter.

The hedgehog was about to poke it with a stick when it moved, he jumped back.

Oh, he realized, it wasn't just moving, it was breathing. It wasn't a hat; it was some sort of poor drowned critter.

He finally worked up the courage to go over closer to it, maybe it needed help?

Sonic grabbed the clump of hair and flipped it over.

Oh no, it wasn't just any hurt creature. It was a mobian. A fox a few years younger than him.

He saw the kit open his eyes and stare and him.

"Well, hello there- OW!" The fox bit him.

He considered leaving right there and then, but he gave the kit another glance. It was a baby, all scared, alone, and unlikely to survive long out here.

The fox started scrambling away from him towards the jungle.

"Hey, hey it's okay 'lil guy. I won't hurt you." Sonic put his hands up reassuringly. "I would never hurt you." It looked back at him confused. The hedgehog reached into his quills and pulled out the bag he kept his lunch in. "Here, you look hungry." The kit immediately ran to the bag and gobbled up the piece of meat Sonic picked out for him. "See you and trust me." He patted the kid on the head a few times and smiled reassuringly. Then took out more pieces of hotdog and slowly fed it to the fox.

After a while of feeding him and trying to get the kit to trust him enough, he gingerly picked the tiny squirming fox up. "We better get ya home to your family pal." The villages nearby had been experiencing a lot of floods lately, maybe in that confusion this little guy got separated from his prickle?

The kit shook his head frantically at that. Desperate not to go back to wherever he was before.

"What? Don't ya have a family?"

The fox shook his head again then covered his eyes with his paws.

"Well, you gotta have someone who cares for ya?"

The kit sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his paws at that.

"Hey, hey that's okay. I don't either. Say how about we get you dried off, you'd like that wouldn't ya?"

The small animal looked up at him with stars in his eyes, then nodded.

"Well then, stick with me, kid. I'll take care of ya." He set the kid down and grabbed him by the hand, leading him away into a better life. And since then, take care of him he did.

—————

His friends were being very supportive of him after what happened. Amy grabbed him by the arm and led him home after the paramedics tore Tails' stiff body from his arms. The four of them made sure he ate, slept, and got out of his hammock at least once every day.

He wished they would just yell at him. Scream. Blame him for what happened. Because it was his fault, he knew it was. No matter how many times they reassured him it wasn't.

Eggman took a break from attacking the village. He even offered to make a Tails clone to replace the young fox. It wouldn't have the kit's memories, but it would look, and act just like him. Sonic declined; he wasn't going to drag some poor unknowing clone into this, especially after failing the real Tails.

"Sonic, come on consider-"

"No Amy, I'm not going." He stood up, fists clenched.

"It will be good for you."

"Don't tell me what's good for me! You weren't there! You weren't the one holding his hand-d." The hedgehog sat down and let out a sob.

She reached out to put a hand on his back. "Sonic-"

He gestured out the door, "Go. Just go."

He wasn't going to that funeral.

—————

Tiny little steps littered around the room as the kit danced across it happily. Exploring every nook and cranny of his brand-new house. Sonic was watching him from where he leaned over the kitchen counter.

"This is all mine, Sonic?"

"Yep, all yours bud. Made it just for you." He leaned down and whispered in the kit's ear. "And you haven't even seen the best part." The hedgehog then picked the kit up into his arms, twirling him around a few times before taking them inside the nearby large building.

"Woah!"

"It's your very own workshop to make anything in the world." He set the fox down so he could get a better look at his new working quarters.

"Thanks, Sonic!" Tails said looking up at his brother with stars in his eyes.

"Told ya I'd take care of ya!" He then rubbed his palm on the back of Tails' head.

"Sure did." The kit returned the gesture by hugging Sonic's leg tight.

The hedgehog responded by tickling the kit under the arms, causing him to fall on the floor laughing.

—————

He stepped into the wooden hut for the first time since Tails passed. The well-furnished one room with a windmill and rectangular windows. The hanging armchair that doubled as a bed had a blanket messily draped over it. A fireplace that hadn't burned for months. Nothing had changed. But it still felt desolate without him.

The hedgehog rubbed his paw along the kitchen counter, not a speck of dust. Sonic snorted, Tails always was a clean freak. He still remembered the chore charts he made for just himself every day.

Sitting on the green couch he could see the Miles Electric on the coffee table ahead of him. They'd been so proud of the kit that day he showed them how he made it, it was like something he'd never seen before.

Then again everything about Tails was extraordinary. The way he learned to fly a plane before he was even five. How he built these amazing contraptions no one else could even dream of. How he was always there for his friends.

He lay down, he wasn't even sure why he wanted to come here, it was like something was calling him, telling him it was waiting to be discovered in here. Maybe whatever it was, it could help him move on after what he'd done.

Wait what was that sticking out under Tails' blanket? He got up and went over to the hanging armchair, lifting the blanket off of it.

There was a card with Tails' messy dyslexic writing over it. Next to a neatly wrapped shoebox.

Dear Sonic,

I made these just for you. I noticed you happen to go through a lot of sneakers, so I invented these. They're hyper friction proofed so no matter how fast you run, they won't run out.

Happy birthday big bro, you are my hero.

-Tails

The shoes fit him perfectly.

—————

They had always known Tails was scared of thunder. He still remembered the first time the kit jumped into his arms during a thunderstorm. No matter how many times he assured the fox it wasn't going to hurt him, Tails wouldn't believe it. Which is why it was hard to just leave his friend alone now that they had different homes.

He found his way to the hut to find the kit cowering under his bed, eyes covered with his paws. Sonic leaned down to look him in the eye.

"Hey, Tails."

The kit wiped his nose on his gloves, relief washing over him as he saw the hedgehog. "I'm sorry you had to come here because of me."

"Hey, hey, it's not like I'm doing anything. Besides," He pulled Tails closer to him. "Now I get to spend more time with my best buddy." The fox smiled back at him, and Sonic rustled his hair.

"Now help me make a pillow fort, won't cha?"

—————

There was a knock at the door. "Sonic? Are you okay in here?" Oh, that's right, he'd forgotten to leave Tails' house. Now Amy was looking for him. He wondered how long it's been.

"Sonic we're all worried about you come out and see us."But he didn't answer the door, just checked to make sure it was locked. He didn't want to see anyone right now. He didn't want to go anywhere. He just wanted to stay here where Tails once was.

"Listen, I found something you might like." Something slid from under the door. "Just try to eat something, for me?"

Once he was sure he left he got up and picked up the object she slid. It was a photo of the five of them when they had just formed the Sonic team, on the back in orange handwriting someone had written:

Dear Amy,

I'm so glad we met you if it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't have settled down here. And it's good to know there are other people on our side. Here's to many good years to come.

PS: If anything ever happens to me, please take care of Sonic.

It was Tails' handwriting.

—————

"Oh, and this is my little brother Tails, Tails this is Amy." The hedgehog pointed behind him at the shy kit who was hiding behind his leg.

She leaned down towards the young fox who backed up instantly, "Well, hello there little guy."

"He's my sidekick," Sonic said proudly, putting his hands on his hips.

"Isn't he a bit young for that?"

"Nah, I was younger than him when I started heroing."

"Still…"

Sonic russled Tails' head. "You aren't that young are ya sport?"

The kit looked up at him with stars in his eyes. "No Sonic, I'm a big kid just like you."

"See?" But Amy still wasn't convinced.

Sonic went on. "Besides he can do so many cool things! Watch this!"

The two then did a Rolling Combo together, digging a hole in the dirt. Tails gets out of it and stumbles over the ground dizzy, Sonic exits the dash smiling with his hands on his hips. Amy is not that impressed.

"Well, that certainly is…something." She started walking away, waving to them. "See ya Sonic. Bye Tails."

"Bye Ames!" Sonic smiled at her.

"Awwww you like like her!" Tails teased. "Sonic and Amy sitting in a tree-"

Sonic put his hand against the kit's mouth shutting him up. "Don't be so immature. 'Lil brothers, am I right?" He said to no one in particular.

—————

Ultimately it was his rival was the one who ended up convincing the blue hedgehog to go to the burial. He came to him one night as Sonic was reading Tails' old diary. It was messy but he could just barely make out most of the words, but it made him feel like Tails was still there with him.

He read page after page about how much the kit admired him and his friends. Paragraphs about how cool Sonic was, wishing his friends were his real family, aspiring to be better for them. God, if only he knew, he was always enough, they were his real family.

"You coming to the burial, faker?" Shadow came into the room interrupting his thoughts. "Or are you going to stay here sitting on your ass?" Sonic shut the book.

"Shut up Shadow, you don't know how this feels." Why would he go to something celebrating the life of someone he killed?

"Don't I?" No, he doesn't. He wasn't the one who killed Maria. "Listen…Sonic." He never called him by his name. "I may not know completely know how you're feeling. But what I do know is this: If you don't show up to your best friend's funeral, you're always going to regret it." And just like that, he left Sonic again, alone.

The ceremony was set on a warm sunny spring day, the sunset around them made the sky a deep orange. Sonic looked up at it and smiled, Tails would have liked this.

He watched as one by one his friends got on the podium and shared stories about the kit. How they all met him. The stuff they invented for them. How he saved them in battle multiple times. And how much they would all miss him. The hedgehog felt the weight of guilt heavy in his chest.

Sonic took a breath when he got up to the podium, he looked around at his friends, about to reveal a lot of things they hadn't heard about before. "Tails and I…we were brothers though we shared no blood. I first found the kid washed up on a beach five years ago, not in good condition. He stayed by my side ever since. I know he looked up to me and was always trying to impress me. And how could you not be impressed? I mean just look at some of the stuff he invented. But most of all he was always trying to make the world a better place for those around him."

"Tails deserved so much better than the way things ended for him. He was my sidekick, my best friend, my brother. And we will never forget him."

As they got ready for the final burial Sonic forced himself to look at the open casket. The kit was so still, almost as if he was just sleeping. If he focused hard enough, he could pretend that was it and his brother would be waking up any second now.

He watched as the coffin was closed again then slowly lowered into the ground, taking him away from them forever. The autopsy said the fox died on impact. But Sonic knew the truth, Tails died the moment he let go of his hand.

Once everyone left, he sat down by the grave and set down a bouquet of daisies. He didn't know what Tails' favorite flower was, but he knew they represented the farewell of a youth taken too soon.

The hedgehog let out a sob. "I'm going to miss you little buddy. I mean…I miss you right now. I always will." He shuffled his feet and leaned his head to the stone wishing it was his brother's furry head instead. "So, so much." Then after a few hours, he found his way back home.

Hedgehog Village was a lot quieter than that. They left everything in Tails' house exactly how it was. Amy got Sonic to go to therapy and the doctor said he was improving and processing his grief well. Eggman's attacks eventually started up again and he didn't feel right about hiring another sidekick, so his team found a way to fight around that. The group still goofed off and hung out like they used to. Everything went back to normal, even with the crucial team member gone.

Visiting the cemetery now and then he left behind mint candy and toy airplanes. Anything to help the kid enjoy his afterlife.

—————

"So, about this job…What're the hour's like?"

The two were in the grass watching the sunset. Sonic put an arm around Tails, relieved the drama from that day was over. They had just saved each other at ice lake; Sonic pulling Tails from his stuck plane and Tails propelling Sonic out of the water when Burnbot melted the ice.

"Well, it's seven days a week. But you get your own plane."

The kit smiled up at him. God, he loved that smile. He'd been wrong to fire the fox. He didn't know what he was thinking. Tails wasn't just his sidekick, but his family, and he wouldn't change that for the world.

—————

Sonic almost fell off the tree branch he was sleeping on as he shot up, almost not remembering going up there to sleep. It was the dead of night; the full moon was hanging ahead of him, right above Tails' house. He knew it was ridiculous, but it couldn't hurt to check, right?

He climbed down and sped to his buddy's place. Gently opening the door so as to not wake his friend, who was safe and sound in his bed.

Sonic let out a sigh of relief and flopped down on the couch. He thinks he'll stay here tonight.