Chapter Text
LP walked through the thick forest, his sword gently parting the branches with the blunt end.
The forest was familiar to the old hedgehog. One in which he took his son to many times. From when the fox was but a kit, to when the teenage years approached with frightening speed.
Up ahead, he saw the swinging of the playground. Six large tails covering the setting sun.
“Dad.” Tails voice was quiet; though it carried easily through the fake landscape.
“… Tails.” He responded, walking up beside the swings. The light creaking from each back and forth being harsh against his ears.
“Did you like playing with my illusions?”
The question was flat. As if his son already knew the answer he would give. “Can’t say that I did.”
“Yeah. They aren’t any fun at all.” The kitsune looked down. Rocking back and forth on the swing. “I brought them to life but they still didn’t want to play with me.
“Can’t imagine why.” Sonic’s responded. Head slowly following the back and forth of Tails’ movements.
“When I met the other me, he made me play all kinds of games. But they weren’t any fun either.” The boy began, the sky darkening. A cold and harsh breeze cutting through. “He’d strap me down and set fire to me. ‘Tails can you escape from this?’ Yeah. I could.” Heavy rain poured down on the two. A tree wilting and withering away to nothing beside them. “… They weren’t really games you know.. He was taunting me. Turning me into a traumatized child: for fun, he said.”
“He got what he wanted. I got cheated out of my childhood.”
“I know what that’s like.” Sonic glanced softly at his son. The teenager having stopping his movements and only softly rocking now.
Tails looked at him. A frown across his lips. “You do, don’t you?”
Silence. LP couldn’t formulate the words to respond.
“You don’t have to answer. I read your mind.” The fox smiled weakly, “that’s how I knew you weren’t going to use Chrome’s weapon on me.”
The hedgehog laid his sword down, digging into his jacket’s pocket before pulling a small device out. Though he threw it behind him carelessly quickly. “No, I wasn’t.”
“You were going to try talk me into fixing what I’ve changed. Before.. I die.”
“Yes.” “I’m dying very soon, aren’t I dad?” “…Yes. I’m sorry.”
He was. Because he had failed as a mentor. As a Sonic. As a father.
His son, his child, looked up at him. Tears rolling down his cheeks in a steady manner.
“Would you stay with me?” He pleaded, “I’m scared.”
LP moved around him. Sitting on the swing beside the crying kitsune and quietly looking at him. Trauma sniffed- wiping his eyes to try and stop his crying.
The father reached out his hand. And his son took it.
Sonic stayed with Tails until his time came.