Hello again, my friends! Wow, what a ride that last chapter was—I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Now, let's take a breath and dive into a calm after the storm. I proudly present for your reading pleasure: Chapter 8, Without Foundation, Walls Crumble.
The now dim, flickering lights of the Eden Room cast long shadows across the cold, metallic walls. The team, gathered in silence, prepared for exfiltration. Tails stood at the helm, his power armor sleek and imposing, reflecting the eerie glow of the consoles around him. With methodical precision, he deployed a series of nanodrones, which dispersed like dust throughout the underground facility, scanning and collecting data. As he sat, skimming over the archives of precious knowledge that Legion had hidden away from the world, his thoughts remained fixed on the throne behind him, where the Legion once sat in power, a creature now reduced to ruin.
Tails stopped and stepped out of his suit, leaving it connected to the throne as it powered down with a low, resonating hum. His movements were robotic, detached, as though going through the motions. His expression was calm, but there was a storm brewing beneath the surface—something colder, deeper than mere exhaustion.
"Alright, everyone," he began, his voice steady but lacking warmth. "Let's move out. This place is about to be glassed."
Sonic, who had been watching Tails closely, sensed the change. He could feel something in the air, something heavy, something that no victory could lift. He approached his friend carefully, trying to gauge what was going on behind those sharp, focused eyes. "Hey, bud… are you alright?" Sonic's voice carried a concern that hadn't fully surfaced until now.
Tails paused mid-step, turning back to Sonic with a faint, almost distant smile. "I am now," he said with a sigh. "But there's still much to be done."
Something about Tails' response didn't sit right with Sonic. There was no relief, no joy—just a hollow finality, as if he had just flipped a switch. Before Sonic could press further, Tails tapped the side of his comm.
"Elektra, come in. Do you read me?"
A brief silence followed before Elektra's voice crackled over the comms. "Miles? What happened? I lost telemetry from your suit, from Shadow, Alpha Team… Everything's been dark for hours. Now I'm seeing energy readings off the charts. What's going on down there?"
Tails didn't look up. "No time for details, Elektra. I'll brief you later. I've deployed collector bots and connected my suit to the interface. I need you to pull all data from the system and scrub it clean. This is a red-coded instruction."
Elektra's tone shifted immediately. "Understood, Miles. Initiating data pull. Scrub in progress."
As the team made their way out of the Deep Underground Military Base, the tension grew, suffocating the space. Tails spoke again, his voice cutting through the static of the comms. "Elektra, prepare the Supernova cannon. I want this entire facility vaporized."
Sonic flinched at the command, his heart skipping a beat. He'd seen Tails ruthless before, but there was something unsettling about how casually he gave the order.
"Supernova?" Sonic asked, his voice low, eyes widening in disbelief.
Tails barely glanced at him. "This place needs to be erased. Every trace of the Legion… gone."
The team reached the ship, its engines already humming, preparing for liftoff. As they boarded, Tails tapped a few more commands into his gauntlet. "Elektra, activate kill code 11511."
Elektra materialized as a hologram on the deck, her eyes narrowing in confusion. "You've entered a disruptor code for your power armor's arc reactor. Detonation will disperse approximately four gigajoules— or in other terms, roughly one ton of TNT. This would be enough to level this facility and bring it all crumbling down, and potentially wipe out everything within an eighth of a mile radius. Are you sure you want to proceed?"
Tails didn't hesitate. "Proceed."
Elektra raised a brow, her usual sarcasm returning. "Well then, enjoy the fireworks." She winked, her holographic form flickering.
The ship's windows dimmed as the crew took their seats. Tails stood by the observation port, his eyes locked on the facility below. A massive shockwave rippled across the ground, distorting the landscape as the facility collapsed into itself. The blast echoed, sending tremors through the ship's hull.
Sonic stood nearby, watching Tails with growing unease. He swallowed hard, whispering to himself, "Tails… what's happened to you, buddy?"
Tails' gaze didn't waver, his expression unchanging as he watched the destruction he had wrought. There was no satisfaction, no remorse—just emptiness. The fire in his eyes had been replaced with something far colder.
As the shockwave settled, Elektra's voice echoed through the ship. "Supernova cannon is online and locked on target. Your order, Miles?"
Tails gave a brief nod, still staring out the window. "Activate."
The crew tensed as the ship's lights shifted to red. Elektra's voice, now over the PA system, carried a sing-song tone. "Bye-bye, big city."
A blinding beam of energy shot down from the ship, illuminating the sky like a second sun. It struck the ground with devastating precision, the beam leveled anything that remained as well as creating a shockwave that obliterated everything within a mile radius. The landscape at the point of contact turned to a mix of molten metal and glass, a barren wasteland remained where once there had been a ruined city.
Sonic, his fists clenched, turned to Tails. "What… what was that for? We already destroyed the facility, the big baddie's gone Tails!"
Tails didn't look at him, his voice devoid of any feeling. "Gone is good, never come back is better."
Sonic's heart sank. This truly wasn't the Tails he knew. The Tails he grew up with. This was someone else—someone colder, harder. He could barely recognize his friend beneath the mask of calculated destruction.
The rest of the crew began to celebrate quietly, the weight of their victory sinking in. But Tails remained still, his hands resting on the armrests of his chair, his eyes distant.
Elektra reappeared on the holopad. "The war is over, Miles. You've won. Castle Morcia is in ruins, the United Order's leadership is either dead or captured. GUN headquarters has fallen. The Empire reigns supreme."
The cabin erupted in cheers, but Tails sat there, unresponsive, his expression blank. Sonic glanced around the room, confused by the stark contrast between the celebration and the hollow look in his best friend's eyes.
Tails finally spoke, his voice cold and detached. "Good. Now, withdraw all our forces. Leave the regions we liberated to govern themselves. They must be free to choose… to join us or stay in their independence ."
Silence filled the room as the celebration came to an abrupt halt. Tails stood, his movements slow, as though carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Without another word, he left the room, the door hissing shut behind him.
Sonic watched him go, a sinking feeling in his chest. The dam had broken—but what was left of Tails now?
Inside his room, Tails finally allowed himself a moment of reflection. The weight of the so-called victory pressed down on him like a crushing wave, relentless and cold. He stared blankly at the metallic walls, the silence around him deafening. Just minutes ago, those same walls had echoed with the roars of battle and the triumphant cheers of his comrades. Now, they felt like the walls of a prison.
"Let them bury their dead," Tails muttered under his breath, his fists tightening at his sides. "I will not rejoice in the spoils of war. Why would I? It just means more people had to die today... all because some multi-brained, freak cyborg played us like puppets. And I... I let him use me to do it."
His voice trailed off, hollow and bitter, as he let the words hang in the still air. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, he allowed himself to truly feel the guilt of his decisions, the sorrow that had been festering inside him. Leading his people to victory should have felt like a triumph. Instead, it felt like betrayal.
Victory had come at the cost of his soul.
The hiss of the door sliding open interrupted his thoughts. Sonic stood framed in the doorway, his familiar figure somehow foreign in the aftermath of all that had happened.
"Ever heard of knocking?" Tails' voice was sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade. He turned his chair, his eyes cold and unforgiving as they met Sonic's. The casual warmth between them seemed like a distant memory, replaced by something harder, darker.
Sonic strolled in, unfazed. His usual swagger was still there, but the weight in the room tempered it, making it feel almost forced. "Since when do you care if I knock?" Sonic shot back with his usual sarcasm, leaning against the desk. He exhaled, a bit more serious now. "Look, I know some stuff's happened since I've been gone, but I'm back now. We can—"
Tails was on his feet before Sonic could finish, his eyes blazing. "Some stuff's happened?" His voice trembled with anger, a quiet fury that simmered just beneath the surface. "You think you can just waltz back from the dead, come in here and call it 'some stuff'? It was a damn war, Sonic. A war that tore Mobius apart."
His words were sharp, fueled by an anger he had allowed to simmer beneath the surface. Tails took a step toward Sonic, his fists clenched. "Do you know what it's like to watch innocent people used as test subjects for chemical weapons? To see them strung up as warnings on crosses, their dying bodies suffering along our borders? To lose everything—over and over—because… because you weren't here to fight with us?"
Sonic opened his mouth to respond but stopped. For once, he was speechless. The weight of Tails' words hung in the air like a noose tightening around them both.
Tails shook his head, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous whisper. "You really don't get it. You weren't here. You didn't see any of it. You don't get to diminish the past couple of years into "some stuff" Sonic."
The silence that followed was thick with unspoken pain, the tension between them heavy and suffocating. Sonic, usually so quick with a quip or a solution, found himself at a loss. He had never seen Tails like this—so hardened, so angry, so broken.
"I'll... give you some space," Sonic finally muttered, stepping back toward the door. The words were quiet, unsure. He turned and left without another word, the door hissing shut behind him.
As soon as he was alone again, Tails collapsed into his chair, burying his face in his hands. His body trembled, exhaustion and frustration crashing over him in waves. "And now I go off on the one person I've been trying to save all this time," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Desperate to drown out the rising tide of emotions, he turned to Elektra. "Pull up the day's reports," he ordered, his voice rough. He needed something—anything—to distract him from the storm inside.
But then, just as he tried to focus on the reports, Sonic's voice interrupted his thoughts. His head poked back through the doorway, his earlier bravado gone, replaced by a quieter tone.
"Oh, Tails," Sonic said, his voice unexpectedly soft. "Cosmo made it back too... She's waiting for you on Angel Island."
The words slammed into Tails like a tidal wave, freezing him in place. His heart raced, emotions surging up in his chest. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Before he could even form a response, Sonic was gone again, the door sliding shut with a finality that left Tails alone once more, staring at the space where Sonic had stood.
The silence returned, heavier than before.
Sonic walked down the ship's cold corridor, the dim lighting casting long shadows on the metallic walls. The faint echo of his footsteps seemed louder in the quiet. For once, his usual carefree demeanor had faded, replaced by a grim awareness. Everything felt... different. As he approached the command room, he found Shadow sitting at the helm, overlooking the horizon as the could zipped past, he sat calm and composed, his crimson eyes scanning a holographic display.
Sonic stepped inside, his presence heavy, unannounced.
"Update me, Shad," Sonic muttered, sitting across from him, his voice lacking its typical confidence. "What have I missed?" His mind searching for an answer to what has happened to Tails.
Shadow turned his head, briefly locking eyes with Sonic before leaning back in his chair. His posture was measured, his mind clearly calculating where to start. A moment of silence passed before he spoke, his voice low and deliberate.
"Where to start..." Shadow's eyes darkened. "Miles is now the Emperor of the Mobian Empire. It spans half of the globe—except for a few free states that we've liberated from enemy factions."
Sonic's eyes widened slightly, the weight of the title sinking in. "Emperor?" he echoed, the word feeling foreign, heavy. "I heard Manic say that, but I wasnt sure,if it were true or sarcasm… whoa… Tails the Emperor… it's got a nice ring to it."
Shadow nodded, watching for Sonic's reaction. "Yes. And he's not just some figurehead. He's been leading everything—military campaigns, negotiations with neighboring cities, rebuilding efforts. But the war... it changed him, Sonic. He's not the same person you knew."
Sonic felt a tightening in his chest, each word from Shadow like a hammer striking the reality he had been blind to for so long. "And the others?" Sonic's voice wavered slightly, betraying the fear he kept buried.
Shadow's eyes flickered with something unreadable as he continued. "Your brother, Manic, leads a suicide squad of eight. They handle black-ops missions for Miles—missions no one else dares to touch. I've been named General of the Mobian Army. Amy..." He paused, his voice softening ever so slightly, "Amy's been helping your sister, Sonia, on the other side of the globe with relief efforts. Last I heard they had their own uprising… But that was a year ago, and things here have been… busy. We haven't had any contact since."
Sonic's heart sank, the realization of how far things had unraveled in his absence hitting him like a freight train. His family, his friends—they'd been scattered across a war-torn world, each fighting battles he hadn't been there for.
"Knuckles and Tikal have stayed on Angel Island," Shadow continued, bringing Sonic's focus back. "They've been working on Project Chaos—an attempt to bring you and Cosmo back. Seems like they succeeded."
A flicker of hope surged through Sonic at the mention of Cosmo a fleeting thought that maybe she might be the one who could truly reach him, but it was quickly drowned by the weight of everything else. He swallowed hard, nodding for Shadow to continue.
Shadow's gaze narrowed, his voice lowering. "Miles has surrounded himself with a close inner circle—myself, Amanda, Knuckles, his cousin James. We've been advising him, helping to keep the Empire from falling apart." He paused, leaning in, his crimson eyes piercing. "But Sonic... Miles is under immense pressure. He's had to make choices no one should ever have to make. He's not the same kid you remember."
The words hit Sonic harder than he expected, each one deepening the chasm between the Tails he knew and the Tails who now wore the mantle of an empire. "He's carried this on his own, hasn't he?" Sonic asked, his voice quieter, almost hollow.
"Yes," Shadow answered flatly, his tone sharp with truth. "The burden of leadership—it's crushed him, even if he won't admit it. He's not just an inventor or a soldier anymore. He's the emperor. His every decision determines the fate of hundreds of thousands of lives. It's breaking him, slowly. Take today for example, Sonic. He was emotionally overjoyed to see you and be called Tails by you. That did more than you know for him. But then like a switch he turned cold and calculated, making sure to erase Legion and it's from the map completely." Shadow leaned back in his seat once more and let out a slow sigh. "He is on an emotional roller coaster. And I fear he is running out of tracks."
Sonic looked down at his clenched fists. He should've been there. Fighting alongside them. Standing by Tails' side. But he couldnt, he was stuck in an ethereal void while Tails and everyone else faced it all on their own. And now… now he had to face the weight of his own absence, the years he'd missed while Tails had grown harder, colder—sculpted by war.
"You're right," Sonic said finally, a steely determination settling in his chest. "But I'm here now. And I'm not going to let him carry this burden alone anymore."
Shadow nodded, silent but understanding. The road ahead would be anything but easy—whether for Tails, Sonic, or the Empire—but Sonic was resolved. He had missed too much already. He wasn't going to let his friend bear this weight any longer, not if he could help it.
Rising from his seat, Sonic crossed the room where Manic sat, casually tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair. The green-haired hedgehog glanced up, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as Sonic approached.
"Look who finally showed up," Manic teased, leaning back with a cocky grin.
Sonic dropped into the seat next to him, a small, weary smile forming. "Miss me?"
"Not really," Manic joked, though the relief in his eyes was unmistakable. "How was your long nap, bro?"
Sonic chuckled, shaking his head. "You wouldn't believe how boring it was. Just floating in some ethereal space. Nothing but white noise and... well, nothing." He gestured vaguely, searching for the right words. "Honestly, I've had naps that were more exciting."
Manic laughed, the sound a rare, much-needed break from the tension. "Sounds like a real thrill. Meanwhile, down here, we've been running suicide missions and blowing up enemy factions. Alpha Team's been through hell, but we get the job done."
Sonic raised an eyebrow, impressed despite himself. "Sounds like you've been living a real action movie. Anything crazier than sneaking into an enemy base during a sandstorm?"
Manic shrugged, his smirk fading slightly. "We've topped it, believe me… But, not everyone comes back from these missions… This war's changed everything." Manic looked distant for a brief moment. His mind racing back to his fallen friends. He briefly locked eyes with Sonic, his eyes glossing over as he forces a grin.
For a moment, the weight of what Manic said hung between them. Sonic felt that familiar pang of guilt creep up again—the regret for not being there when his friends needed him most. But now, he was back. Now, he could make a difference.
"Well," Sonic said, forcing his own small grin, "at least you've had all the excitement while I was off in that empty void. Pretty sure I lost my mind a couple times in there."
Manic gave Sonic a playful punch on the shoulder, grinning despite the heaviness of the conversation. "Good to have you back, though. Maybe now things will finally feel a little more... normal."
Sonic nodded, though deep down, he wasn't sure what normal meant anymore.
Meanwhile, in the quiet of his quarters,
The silence in Tails' quarters was deafening, heavier now after his outburst. It was a silence that cut deeper than any weapon. The flickering screen in front of him was filled with data streams, mission reports, and casualty numbers—all blurring together into a single, suffocating mass. But even as he tried to bury himself in the routine of his duties, his mind was a battlefield all its own.
"Shall I begin the report summary?" Elektra's calm, professional tone broke through the haze, her holographic form flickering into view beside him.
Tails didn't answer immediately, staring blankly at the cascading numbers. "Miles?" she repeated gently.
For a moment, he considered telling her to stop, to turn off and leave him alone. But the emptiness gnawing at his chest demanded distraction. "Go ahead," he muttered, barely audible.
Elektra began rattling off statistics—troop movement efficiency, remaining ammunition reserves, the repair status of the fleet. Her voice was a constant hum, yet it might as well have been white noise. Tails' thoughts wandered.
He couldn't stop seeing the bodies. The men, women, and civilians caught in the crossfire, their faces flashing in his mind like ghosts. He clenched his fists tighter, his nails biting into his palms as the guilt mounted. They followed me into this war. And now they're gone because of me.
Elektra's voice continued, unaware of the inner turmoil: "Resource redistribution across the northern sectors has been optimized, and Alpha Team's request for additional supplies has been submitted—"
"Stop," Tails said, his voice barely above a whisper.
The AI's voice halted, the room plunging into silence once again. Elektra's form flickered slightly, tilting her head. "Are you okay?"
Tails exhaled sharply, leaning back in his chair, his body heavy with fatigue. "No, Elektra. I'm not."
The admission felt like a release, but it also brought with it a new wave of bitterness. He had spent so much time burying the pain, the guilt, the anger—distracting himself with missions, strategies, and tasks—but it had never been enough. He thought having Sonic back would fill the void, that maybe it would give him some semblance of peace.
But he was wrong. Even after reuniting with Sonic, he felt nothing but the hollow ache of everything he'd lost. Nothing could take back the hell they'd been through. Nothing could undo the blood on his hands.
Elektra paused, her voice softer now. "You don't have to carry it all alone, you know."
Tails shook his head slowly, eyes closed. "You know, everyone has been saying that… But I do, Elektra. I'm the one who made the calls. I'm the one who led them all into this fight. If I don't carry it, if I don't accept blame, who will?"
The silence between them deepened. Elektra, usually filled with her typical snark and sarcasm, was quiet, as though she understood the weight of the moment.
"Miles," she said finally, her voice devoid of her usual teasing, "you're not a machine. You've done things no one else could have, and you've survived. But this—" she gestured around him, indicating the weight he carried, "—this is going to crush you."
Tails laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and devoid of humor. "Maybe it already has."
His eyes fell to the screen, the cascade of reports and data streams continuing to scroll. The victory had been theirs. The war had ended. But it didn't feel like a win—it felt like a betrayal. To his ideals. To the people he'd promised to protect. And to himself.
"I thought getting Sonic back would make things better," Tails said softly, almost as if to himself. "That was my drive in all of this. But now... I'm not sure I even know what better feels like anymore."
Elektra's voice remained soft, steady. "It's okay to feel that way, you know. It's okay not to be okay. But you need to let someone in, Miles. Even if it's just Sonic."
The mention of Sonic brought a pang of guilt back into his chest. His best friend, his brother—the one person who had been by his side for so long—who he had fought so hard to get back. "And what did I do the moment Sonic walked back into my life? I flipped a mental switch and tore into him. I pushed him away."
Tails buried his face in his hands, the weight of everything—every life lost, every battle fought, every decision made—pressing down on him. He had always been the one to stay strong, to take charge when things were falling apart, but right now... he didn't know how much longer he could keep it together.
"I don't know if I can do this anymore," he whispered, the admission raw and painful. "I don't know if I have anything left. Sonic still sees Tails…" Tails turned to look into a floor-length mirror. His eyes searched his reflection. "All I see is war…"
The room seemed to close in around him, the silence suffocating once again. Elektra's hologram remained beside him, flickering softly as though she wanted to help, but knowing there were no easy answers.
For a moment, Tails wished he could go back—to before the war, before the bloodshed. To a time when things were simpler. When he and Sonic could race across the plains, and the only thing he had to worry about was building the next best plane or fixing a broken engine. But that time was gone, buried beneath the rubble of countless battles.
All that remained was the cold, empty present.
Tails moved from his seat and sat on the edge of his cot, from his side table, he retrieved a worn photograph which he held delicately in his hands. It was one of Cosmo smiling warmly at him, a time when things were simpler, brighter. He stared at her face, his vision blurring as tears began to well up.
"I've changed so much..." Tails whispered, his voice breaking. He wiped away a tear, but more followed. "Now I have Sonic back, and I am informed right after chewing him out that Cosmo is back…E… Will she even recognize me? Will she still love me... after everything I've done?"
His grip tightened on the photo as the floodgates opened. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks once more, years of pent-up guilt, grief, and exhaustion all returning as a festering wound. He had fought so hard to survive, to lead justly, to protect what was left of his world, but in doing so, he had become someone else—someone harder, colder. "God, im so tired of crying…"
The thought that Cosmo might not still love him, that she might not even see him as the Tails she once knew, thrashed at him. He wept silently, convulsing as if every part of him was trying to reason both for and against her love for him. the photo blurring in his vision as his bitter tears fell.
The door to Tails' quarters slid open with a quiet hiss, and Sonic stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, shadows creeping across the walls, but it wasn't the darkness that weighed on the air—it was the heaviness of unspoken words, of a fractured bond. Sonic's gaze found Tails almost immediately, sitting on the edge of his bunk, shoulders hunched, clutching an old photograph. The soft sounds of his muffled breaths filled the room, and for the first time in a long time, Sonic felt completely helpless.
Tails was breaking—no, he was broken.
Sonic approached with a gentleness that contrasted his usual whirlwind presence. The cocky grin, the bravado—none of that would help here. He eased himself down beside his friend, the silence between them thick and fragile. He didn't speak at first. There were no quick fixes for this kind of pain, no jokes to brush away the heartache. So, he simply sat there, feeling the rawness of it all, allowing Tails to cry without interruption.
Tails clutched the photo tight in his hands, his gaze locked on the image of what used to be. His chest heaved with the weight of his grief, and after a few moments, he spoke, his voice trembling and hollow.
"I'm sorry, Sonic... I never meant to blame you. I never meant to lose it on you... I—"
Sonic raised his hand, cutting him off. "Tails, stop." His voice was firm, but soft—laced with a kind of understanding that only came from shared history. "I'm the one who should be apologizing."
Tails blinked through his tears, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand but staying silent, his gaze dropping back to the photograph in his hands. His lips trembled, like he was holding back the flood of guilt that had been drowning him for so long.
Sonic sighed, his own heart heavy. "I didn't know, buddy. I didn't know how bad it got... how much you've been carrying on your own."
Tails shook his head, his voice cracking under the weight of his confession. "I had to carry it. Someone had to. You were gone, and everything was falling apart. I... I did what I thought I had to do. But now..." His voice faltered, breaking under the strain. "I don't even know who I am anymore, Sonic. I don't know if Cosmo will even recognize me—if she'll even love me after everything I've done. Im glad this war is over, but now that I can breath, Im finding it hard to do so. It hurts so bad, to feel anything other than anger and bitterness now… its so, foreign to me."
Sonic's chest tightened. This wasn't the same Tails he remembered—the innocent, wide-eyed kid who looked up to him like he hung the stars. This Tails was hardened, scarred by the choices and burdens that had twisted him into something else, something darker. Sonic ran a hand through his quills, exhaling slowly.
"Look, I can't pretend to understand everything you've been through, but what I do know is this—you did what you had to. You fought for Mobius, for Cosmo, for everyone. You fought when no one else could or would. Yeah, maybe you've changed, but that doesn't mean she won't love you anymore."
Tails lifted his gaze to Sonic, his eyes red and swollen, filled with doubt. "How can you be so sure? I've done terrible things, Sonic... I've led armies into battles where people died because of me. I've destroyed entire cities in the name of survival. I've become... someone I hate… Some…thing that I hate… so much…"
The words hung between them like a noose, strangling the air from the room. Sonic's hand found Tails' shoulder, gripping it tightly, trying to anchor him in the storm of self-loathing.
"You became the leader this world needed," Sonic said, his voice steady, yet heavy with emotion. "You made impossible choices because no one else could. And yeah, maybe that's changed you—but it hasn't changed who you are at your core. Cosmo will see that. She'll see the same Tails I do—the one who never stops fighting for the people he loves."
Tails' bottom lip quivered, tears slipping down his cheeks again, though they came slower now. His heart ached with the weight of Sonic's words, wanting so badly to believe them but struggling against the darkness that had settled inside him.
"What if I'm too different?" Tails whispered, barely audible. "What if she can't forgive me for everything I've done?"
Sonic smiled, but it wasn't his usual cocky grin—it was a soft, sad smile, one filled with understanding. "She will. Trust me, Tails. If there's one thing I've learned, it's that love isn't about being perfect. It's about sticking by each other, no matter how much the world tries to tear you apart. Cosmo's always seen the best in you—even when you couldn't see it yourself. It's always been that way."
Tails swallowed hard, his gaze dropping back to the photograph in his trembling hands. His mind replayed all the horrors he'd witnessed, all the lives he'd taken responsibility for, all the innocence he'd lost. But for the first time in a long time, Sonic's words gave him a sliver of hope—a fragile, flickering hope, but hope nonetheless.
"Maybe," Tails murmured, his voice soft and uncertain. "Maybe you're right."
Sonic rose to his feet, extending a hand toward Tails, his blue eyes steady and unwavering. "Come on, buddy. We're in this together. We always have been, and we always will be. Let's get through this—together."
Tails hesitated, staring at Sonic's outstretched hand for a moment. The weight of everything he had been through, everything he had become, pressed down on him. But Sonic was here now, standing by him, offering him the one thing he had been deprived of for so long—support.
Finally, with a shaky breath, Tails reached out and took Sonic's hand. As Sonic pulled him to his feet, Tails felt a glimmer of something he hadn't felt in what seemed like forever: the possibility that maybe, just maybe, things could be okay again.
After several long minutes, Tails and Sonic emerged from Tails' quarters, the change in Tails palpable. His shoulders, once hunched beneath the weight of his burdens, now lifted slightly. There was still a shadow over his heart, but it no longer consumed him. Sonic stayed close, walking in step with him as they headed toward the command table where Shadow, Alpha Team, and the rest of the crew waited. Eyes turned to them as they approached, curiosity mingled with respect.
Tails took a deep breath, stepping into his role as a leader, but the air around him felt lighter. "Alright, everyone," he began, his voice firm, but not without an undercurrent of excitement. "We'll be arriving back at the Citadel in about 20 minutes." He glanced at Sonic, a half-smirk playing at his lips. "Sonic, you're in for a real culture shock when you see what's become of Station Square."
Sonic raised an eyebrow, his usual playfulness sneaking in. "Culture shock? What, did they turn it into a disco? 'Cause I'm all for that."
Tails shook his head, the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth bittersweet. "No... We renamed it after we took it back from the UO. It's our capital now—the heart of the Mobian Empire. I rebuilt it from the ashes, and we surrounded it with a protective ring that defends it from every angle—land, air, and sea."
Sonic's grin faltered, the weight of Tails' words sinking in. "Station Square… I always knew that place had heart. It had to, to survive all this."
Then, like a flash of his old self, Sonic's eyes lit up with a sudden thought. "But hey—Louy's still gotta be on the corner of Plaid and 2nd, right? I could really go for one of his chili dogs."
Tails' chuckle was a hollow echo of old times, the sound of something once comforting now colored with loss. "Louy and his shop didn't make it... but don't worry, we'll rebuild. And I promise, we'll find someone who can make a chili dog that'd make Louy proud."
For a moment, Sonic stood there, his eyes reflecting the loss of something so small yet so significant. It was a reminder that nothing—not even the simplest pleasures—had come out of this war unscathed.
Tails pushed forward, clearing his throat, trying to regain focus. "When we arrive, I want the town hall prepped for a full state of the empire hearing. I'm sure word's already spreading, but I need to make it official—the war is over." His voice carried the weight of those words, as if even he still struggled to believe them fully. "And our people will love to hear we've got a very special guest returning with us. A guest who made the endgame possible."
The crew, Alpha Team, and Shadow all turned their attention to Sonic, and for a brief second, a hush fell over the room. Tails' expression wavered, his usually composed demeanor cracking as reality caught up to him. "If Sonic hadn't come back…" His voice faltered, the edge of emotion threatening to break through. He clenched his fists, jaw tightening as he forced himself to continue. "If he hadn't, we wouldn't be standing here. None of us would."
The silence in the room was deafening, the weight of Tails' statement crushing down on them all. Sonic's gaze softened as he watched his brother wrestle with his emotions, offering a look of silent support. The moment hung heavy, raw and real.
Then, as if pulling himself from the brink, Tails straightened, his eyes sharp again, his voice harder, more resolved. "But why focus on what almost happened? We WON."
The words hit the room like a bolt of lightning, and in an instant, the tension snapped. Cheers erupted around them, soldiers clapping one another on the back, Alpha Team letting loose in their own way, and even Shadow cracked a small smile—though, true to form, he kept it understated.
Sonic's grin returned full force as he surveyed the room, feeling the energy shift from tension to celebration. "Now that's more like it!" he said, his voice cutting through the cheers. "So, who's getting the first round of chili dogs?"
Tails couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head at Sonic's relentless optimism. "Some things never change." He smiled as the ship prepared to dock atop the Citadel, the towering spires of their reclaimed home coming into view.
Later, Tails stood at the grand balcony of the Citadel, overlooking the vast crowd gathered before him. The people of Mobius—both present in the square and watching through holograms across the empire—waited with bated breath. This moment, this declaration, was what they had fought for, bled for, and now, finally, it had arrived.
Tails stepped forward, the gravity of the moment settling on him. He glanced at Sonic standing beside him, the wind catching the edges of his fur, the hero they thought they had lost returned in the flesh. Tails' heart swelled with emotion, but he channeled it into his voice as he addressed the crowd.
"Citizens of the Mobian Empire," he began, his voice steady but brimming with a quiet power, "I stand before you today with news that many of us had only dared to hope for. The war… is over. We have won!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, a roar of victory that echoed through the Citadel and beyond. Tails let the noise wash over him, waiting for the right moment to continue.
"And our victory did not come easily. It was born from sacrifice, from hardship, and from a relentless fight against the darkness that sought to consume us all. But today, I bring you something even more incredible—Sonic the Hedgehog, our hero, is back. And he's the reason we stand here victorious."
Tails gestured to Sonic, who took a step forward. The crowd's cheers grew even louder, some people weeping openly, others jumping in sheer disbelief and joy. Sonic, ever the humble hero, gave a small wave, a grin tugging at his lips as he soaked in the moment.
As the crowd's cheers continued, Tails raised his hands for silence. "This victory belongs to all of us. We fought together, bled together, and now we will continue to rebuild and restore to an even better glory—together. I promise you that the days ahead will be brighter. We have suffered, yes, but from this suffering, we will emerge stronger, more united than ever before."
He paused, letting his words resonate. "Sonic, our friend, and a hero to many, has returned to us at the most crucial time. But this is only the beginning. We have much to rebuild, much to recover. And I know, that through our unified might, we will achieve great things."
Tails turned to Sonic, smiling warmly. "Now, go on. This crowd's been waiting for you, my friend. I think it's time you meet the people who never gave up hope."
Sonic chuckled, giving Tails a grateful nod before stepping down into the crowd, immediately swarmed by people eager to speak to him, to touch him, to confirm for themselves that he was truly alive.
As Sonic blended into the throng, the cheers took on a more curious tone. Whispers of disbelief and awe floated in the air. "Is it really him?" "How did he survive?" Some even joked nervously, wondering aloud if the Emperor had used some kind of cloning technology.
Sonic laughed it all off, responding with his usual charm, and soon he was surrounded by familiar faces—old friends, comrades in arms—each of them eager to welcome him back.
Tails watched from afar, the corner of his mouth lifting in a small, fond smile. His voice, soft and barely audible over the din, spoke up just a bit above a yell to his brother. "Enjoy the moment, Sonic... I've got someone else to see."
Sonic glanced back at him, understanding flashing in his eyes. "Cosmo?"
Tails nodded, his throat tightening, and without another word, he slipped away from the crowd, heading back into the Citadel to prepare for what would come next.
Inside his quarters, Tails stood before the mirror, staring into the eyes of a stranger. The vibrant blue eyes that once gleamed with curiosity and boundless hope were now dulled, weighed down by years of war, loss, and burden. His fur, once meticulously groomed, was disheveled, a reflection of the chaos within. His imperial uniform felt more like a costume, sagging on his frame, as though it belonged to someone else. His shoulders, once proud, now carried an invisible weight that only he could feel.
For the hundredth time, he straightened his collar, but the motion felt foreign. The figure staring back from the mirror wasn't him—at least, not the Tails he used to be. Who am I now? His hands trembled as they dropped to his sides. His gaze drifted to the small bouquet of wildflowers lying on the table. It was a meager offering—one that felt woefully inadequate for the woman he had once loved, the woman who deserved so much more than the shattered soul he had become.
Will she even recognize me?* The thought hit him like a hammer to the chest. His stomach twisted, his heart pounding in a wild, erratic rhythm. Grabbing the flowers, he clutched them so tightly the stems began to crush under his fingers.
"Elektra," he whispered, his voice barely holding together, "prepare the X Tornado."
The flight to Angel Island felt endless. Every passing second gnawed at him, fueling the storm of dread churning in his gut. His breath was shallow, hands clenched so tightly around the X Tornado's controls that his knuckles turned white. His mind spiraled through one scenario after another—each darker, each more unforgiving than the last.
Elektra's voice broke through his panic. "You're going to snap the controls, o mighty Emperor," she teased.
Tails tried to laugh, but the sound that escaped was weak, hollow. "I… I can't do this, Elektra."
There was a pause, and when she spoke again, her tone was softer. "Miles, you've led armies, faced unimaginable horrors. Cosmo scares you? Forget the world for a moment. Forget everyone—those who praise you and those who despise you. Cosmo is the one person who's never stopped believing in you."
His throat tightened. "Elektra... I mean it... I-I don't think I can do this."
"Oh no," she replied mock-seriously, "our Emperor's in full meltdown mode! Hang tight, I'm engaging autopilot."
Tails felt the subtle shift of the controls as Elektra took over. His seat pulled away from the panel, but his chest tightened further, as though the very air was suffocating him. His mind screamed with fear: What if she hates me? What if she can't forgive me?
Suddenly, his stomach churned violently. He lunged for the air sickness bag under the console, retching. Elektra's voice softened even more, her playful tone replaced with concern. "Hey, hey. Breathe, Miles. It's going to be okay."
He wiped his mouth, feeling utterly drained. "I'm a mess…"
"You're not a mess," Elektra said firmly. "You're just… human. Well, you know what I mean."
His voice cracked as he whispered, "What if she can't forgive me? What if I've become someone she can't even stand to look at?"
Elektra paused, her next words tender. "Miles, she's never stopped loving you. You've been through hell, yes, but you're still the same person who fought for a future—for her. Don't forget that. You might've changed, but your heart hasn't."
As Tails stepped off the X Tornado, his legs wobbled beneath him, as if the weight of his past threatened to pull him to the ground. Every step felt heavier than the last, the gravity of the moment pressing on his shoulders. Waiting at the landing site was Knuckles, who stood silently, his tough demeanor softened by the understanding in his eyes.
"She's in the Master Emerald's chamber," Knuckles said quietly, resting a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Take a deep breath. You've both been waiting for this."
Tails nodded, though his heart pounded violently in his chest. His legs felt like they were moving through quicksand, each step slower and heavier than the one before. By the time he reached the chamber entrance, he was trembling, the weight of years of pain, loss, and self-doubt threatening to crush him.
He stepped into the chamber. The soft, ethereal glow of the Master Emerald bathed the room in a warm, calming light. And there, illuminated in its radiance, stood Cosmo.
The sight of her stole his breath. Her green hair flowed gently around her face, just as it had all those years ago, and her eyes sparkled with the same warmth and kindness that had drawn him to her. She stood before him, unchanged by time or the darkness that had consumed his life. She was still her—gentle, pure, unbroken.
But he... he was broken.
The bouquet he had been holding slipped from his fingers, the flowers scattering across the floor. His vision blurred as tears welled up in his eyes, the weight of everything he had endured crashing down on him all at once. His knees gave way, and he fell to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.
"I… I'm so sorry," he choked out, his voice barely a whisper. "I couldn't save you. I failed. I… I became—"
His voice faltered, the words dying in his throat. His entire body trembled as he buried his face in his hands, the fear and shame overwhelming him. "I'm a monster... How could you ever love me after what I've become?"
In that moment, all the years of war and loss, the burdens of leadership and the choices he had made, consumed him. He could feel the darkness he had fought for so long threatening to drag him under once more. But then, through his haze of despair, he heard a soft gasp.
Cosmo ran to him, her tears spilling freely as she dropped to her knees beside him. Without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, holding him as if her love could shield him from the storm inside. Tails froze, unable to comprehend the warmth of her touch, the gentleness of her embrace. He hadn't expected this—not forgiveness, not love. But as she held him, something deep within him, something frozen for so long, began to thaw.
"You're not a monster, Tails," Cosmo whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "You've never been a monster. And you're not a failure."
"But I—" Tails tried to protest, his voice broken.
Cosmo silenced him, cradling his face in her hands, her thumbs gently brushing away the tears that streamed down his cheeks. "No, Tails... You did what you had to do. You fought, not out of hate or cruelty, but because you cared. Because you love. That's who you are. You carry so much, and you always choose to fight for what's right."
Her forehead pressed softly against his, her breath warm and steady against his skin. "You've carried the weight of the world for so long, but you never had to carry it alone. You've always had me. And you always will."
Tails shook his head, his voice a mere whisper. "But I'm not the same... I've done terrible things. I don't even know who I am anymore."
"You are the Tails who loved me so fiercely that you saved me from the Metarex," Cosmo whispered, her voice filled with unwavering strength. "You did what was right, even when it cost you everything. You always make the hard choices, even when they hurt. That's what makes you you. That's what makes you the Tails I love."
She smiled softly, her fingers tracing the contours of his face as if memorizing every line, every scar. "You never gave up, even when you thought you had nothing left to fight for. You fought for what was good, for what was right. That's the Tails I love. And that's the Tails I still love."
Tails' breath caught in his throat. "You… you still love me?"
Cosmo didn't answer with words. Instead, she closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his in a kiss filled with all the love he thought he had lost. It wasn't just a kiss—it was a promise. A promise that no matter how much he had changed, no matter how dark his path had been, her love for him had never wavered. It was as strong and as eternal as the love they had shared all those years ago.
When they finally parted, Tails' tears had slowed, though they still shimmered in his eyes. Cosmo looked at him, her gaze soft but filled with certainty. "My love isn't fragile, Tails. It's not something that time or war can break. You are, and always will be, the one I love. The one I've always loved."
Tails met her gaze, overwhelmed by the depth of her words. His voice trembled, barely audible. "I never stopped loving you, Cosmo... not for a single second."
"And I never stopped loving you," she whispered back, her arms tightening around him as if to prove she would never let him go again.
In that moment, all the pain, all the guilt, all the fear that had weighed on him for so long began to melt away. It didn't disappear entirely, but it no longer controlled him. It no longer defined him. In Cosmo's arms, surrounded by the glow of the Master Emerald, he felt whole.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Tails realized that he was worthy of love—worthy of happiness. The wounds of the past would always be there, but they no longer consumed him. He had been forgiven. And in that forgiveness, he finally found the strength to forgive himself.
In her embrace, with the warmth of her love surrounding him, hope bloomed in Tails' heart once again. After so many years of heartache, he finally understood—he wasn't alone. He never had been.
And for the first time in a long time, he believed that he was deserving of the love that had always been his.
