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Miles Prower, at about two years old, was abandoned by his parents. At first horrified by his second tail, his advanced intelligence for his age caused his parents to resent him, and so decided that abandoning him in the forest and changing their identities was the best course of action. Miles, having learned how to fly by using his two tails, used his skills to steal food for himself over the next few years and educated himself at the local library. It was during this time that he acquired the nickname “Tails,” which he wore like a badge of honor. There, he learned how to repair electronics, and started scrounging for discarded electronics in the garbage to repair and sell. He was about five years old at this point, demonstrating both his incredible intellect and incredible willpower to survive in a world so hostile to orphans and outcasts.
It was around this time that the name “Sonic the Hedgehog” became known far and wide. He had defeated the evil Dr Eggman, who had been using woodland creatures as a power source for his robotic creations. Ultimately, his goal was to take over the world and reshape it into his image. Luckily, Sonic had managed to defeat him with only his speed. His quickness set him apart from other hedgehogs, Tails noted, much like how his tails set him apart from other foxes. He had been able to make himself into a hero; perhaps, if Tails could meet him, he, too, could be a hero. So, Tails decided to do some research. An internet search here and there, and he was able to figure out that Sonic was going to be in town for a meet and greet of sorts. Tails had a chance to meet his new idol.
Unfortunately, the meet and greet was being done to raise money for charity, so each ticket cost a large amount of money. Money that Tails didn’t have. He considered trying to steal to get the cash, but decided against it; perhaps stealing was okay if it was done to survive, but something like that would be wrong. Such was the child’s moralizing. Instead, Tails waited outside the venue in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his hero. He waited hours, along with other fans of the hedgehog, only to be greeted by a blue blur as Sonic left the premises. But while others simply left, disappointed, Tails was determined to meet him. So he ran. He ran as fast as he could, and still couldn’t catch up with him. That was when he had an idea; much like how a motor boat used a propeller to create momentum in water, he could use his tails to increase his own speed on land. With that, he was able to catch up to his idol fairly quickly.
“Whoa,” Sonic said, “I’ve never seen running like that before.”
“Thanks,” Tails replied. “I’m a huge fan.”
“Oh yeah?” Sonic said as he slowed down. “I always have time for a fan.”
“I’m just so excited to meet you! I’ve never seen anyone like you before! I mean, I’ve seen hedgehogs, but like… you’re so fast! Faster than anyone could ever be! Just like me!”
“Heh, proud of your speed, huh?”
“Huh? Oh, that’s not what I mean. I mean, look-” Tails said, pulling his tails in front of him. “You’re… a freak. Like me. And I mean… if you could do heroic things and be loved by everyone… maybe I can too.”
“Hey, you’re not a freak. Everyone’s different, and that’s okay. But… what do you mean, loved by everyone? There are people who love you, right?”
“Uhm… well… not really. I’ve been on my own since I can remember. I barely even know my real name.”
“You mean… you don’t have any parents?”
“Nu uh. I think maybe I had some once, but they’ve been gone for a long time. I don’t remember anything about them.”
“What’s your name?”
“Miles. Miles Prower. But I like Tails better.”
“I think both fit you just fine, but I’ll call you Tails if you prefer. So, Tails, do you have a place to sleep tonight?”
“Uh huh. There’s a grate over by the bakery that has hot air blowing out of it, so I always stay there. Sometimes there’s dogs, though.”
“Well, I think I can do better than that. Do you want to stay with me, instead?”
“R-really? You’d do that?”
“Of course! I can’t let my number one fan sleep on the street, now can I?”
That was the start of their familial relationship. Sonic held out hope that Tails had simply been separated from his family, that his family was still looking for him, so he reached out to Mobian police officers to help him investigate. What they found was a case of extreme child neglect in the form of Mr. and Mrs. Prower, living under the assumed name of Jackson, who had willfully abandoned the boy due to religious superstition. They were more than willing to sign over parental rights to the hedgehog. Sonic didn’t tell the boy about it, thinking that it would be better for him if he didn’t find out until he was older. So he kept living with Tails, and raising him himself.
He didn’t feel like he could call Tails his son, though. Not for a lack of paternal affection. He loved the boy as his own. No, it was because he was worried Tails wouldn’t like it. The boy was fairly aloof; he trusted Sonic, it’s true, but he kept him at arm’s length. Almost as though he was afraid that if he didn’t, he’d become disappointed. Sonic wanted to let the boy know that he would always be welcome in his home, but he didn’t know how to show him. The parenting books he bought didn’t help; they talked about morning sickness, changing diapers, and the life of a house with a new baby. He probably could have found better ones, but technology was never his strong suit so buying the first book that came up after searching “parenting” on mobazon was the best he could think of, and he couldn’t ASK his more technology literate protege to help him buy a book about how Sonic should be raising him. That would just be awkward. So, things continued like this, with Sonic trying to be let in to Tails’ space, and Tails seemed open on the outside, but still seemed pensive on the inside. Until Eggman Returned.
He didn’t want Tails to fight by his side. He told him to stay home; that it was too dangerous. But, Tails persisted, and Sonic decided if Tails was going to fight regardless, then he at least wanted Tails to be where he could protect him. Tails was good, though. Very good. Sure, Sonic had taught him self defense, but the way the kid moved and took out robots belied his age and training. He was fighting on par with Sonic when Sonic was about twice his age. And his engineering skill… when they found out that Eggman had a floating base, Tails managed to fix a beat up biplane and not only make it fly, but fly better than any jet he had seen. And without once taking a flight class, he flew it like he was an aerialist flying for longer than Tails had been alive. He knew his boy was impressive, but he didn’t know HOW impressive until they took down Eggman together. And once the final curtain was pulled on Eggman’s second attempt at world conquest, something amazing happened.
“We did it, Dad!” Tails shouted at Sonic as they escaped the exploding fortress base.
“What did you say?”
“Wha-! S-sorry, I didn’t mean t-”
“Tails, if you want to call me Dad, I would be honored. You’re the most important person in my life, and I promise you I will always take care of you. You’re like a son to me, and the only reason I haven’t said that before is because I was worried you wouldn’t like it.”
“R-really? Y…you’re okay with me calling you… Dad?”
“Tails, I want to legally adopt you. Would you like that?”
Tails began to tear up, his voice choking up with emotion as he said, “I would love that.”
And so, the two became more expressive with each other. Sonic encouraged Tails to tell him when he needed things, and Sonic became more attentive to Tails’ emotional needs. When Tails was getting frustrated by something, Sonic would offer him physical affection and positive affirmations, and when Tails had lightning induced nightmares, he would come to Sonic for comfort. They became more comfortable with each other, and Tails called Sonic Dad, Father, Daddy, etc with regularity.
And then, Eggman returned, but this time with a strange ally. A red echidna with large spikes on his knuckles, he would chuckle as he send Sonic and Tails down all kinds of traps. But Tails noticed something. He seemed to hesitate when it came to him; Knuckles was more than fine with hurting Sonic, it seemed, but didn’t want to hurt Tails. Tails noticed something else, as well. Sonic seemed… interested, somehow, in the red echidna. He would almost smile when he saw him. He made a mental note of it to mention to Sonic at some point. And so, as they pursued Eggman and kept encountering Knuckles, Sonic and Tails had a moment to themselves, and Tails decided he would use it wisely.
“Hey Dad?”
“Yeah, big guy?”
“Do you like Knuckles?”
“W-what are you talking about?! That guy’s our enemy! He’s tried to hurt you like, five times!”
“I don’t think he wanted to. He had this pained expression when he saw me, like he was expecting you to be alone and hurting me hurt him, somehow.”
“Hmm. Maybe. But still, whether he wanted to or not, he still has to answer for what he did!”
“I don’t mind if you like him, Dad.”
“Tails, sweetheart, I’m telling you, I don’t like-” before he could finish, Knuckles showed up. No smiles, no chuckles, just him by himself.
“I don’t want to involve your child any further,” he started. “He has nothing to do with this. And for his sake, I ask you once; return what you stole, and I will spare you. Refuse, and your fate is sealed.”
“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about. Return what?” Sonic said.
“So, feigning ignorance is your response? I offer you mercy and you spit in my face? Fine. If I have to beat the master emerald out of you, I will.”
“Dad didn’t take your emerald, Mr. Knuckles.”
“I know for a fact your father did, young man. Eggman showed me a video proving it. Don’t worry; I won’t hold you accountable for his actions. I’ll make sure if anything happens to your father as a result of his punishment, I’ll find someone to take care of you.”
“Awfully kind of you to offer, but I think I’m gonna keep on taking care of my Tails. If you want a fight, I’ll give you one,” Sonic shouted.
And so they fought. It was a fairly even fight, one that involved jump kicks, punches, and spin dashes, but finally Sonic managed to triumph over Knuckles.
“Mr. Knuckles, please, listen to us; Eggman has been using you.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Eggman’s been using the chaos emeralds to power his machines; if this master emerald you talked about is anything like them, I’m sure Eggman stole it for the same reason,” Tails said.
“But.. the video…”
“Eggman could have fabricated it in so many different ways! He’s made robot replicas of Sonic, for one. He could have easily edited footage to make it look like Sonic stole it. Okay, so there’s two ways he could have faked it, but he could have done it easily!” Tails said.
“Look, I’ve never even heard of a master emerald before, but I take it it’s important to you. So how about you and I team up and take out Eggman together, and if you don’t find the emerald there, you can keep beating me up” Sonic said.
“Hmm… Alright. We’ll work together.” Knuckles said.
“Yay, Dad, he’s not evil after all!”
“Whoa there bud, I know where you’re going with that, and I’m gonna ask you to keep a lid on it!”
“Yes, sir.”
And so, together, the three of them managed to defeat Dr. Eggman and his moon-like satellite, Death Egg. Knuckles found the master emerald in the ship, and after apologizing to Sonic for his mistake, began to leave.
“Wait, Mr. Knuckles, before you go, is it okay if we visit you? From time to time?” Tails said, trying his best to look as wide-eyed and adorable as possible.
“Hmm. Alright. I live on Angel Island, if you guys want to come visit. I’d appreciate it, actually. It’s pretty lonely, guarding this emerald by myself. I could use the company.”
“Hee hee hee,” Tails giggled, looking in Sonic’s direction. Sonic just sighed before saying his goodbyes to Knuckles.
Tails regretted his actions fairly quickly. It’s not that he didn’t want Sonic to meet someone; he did. He was glad that his newfound father had found someone he liked. He just didn’t like being alone. Sonic would go out, usually in the early evening after having dinner with Tails, and be out late. “Be in bed by nine,” he would say, “I’ll be back in time to get you ready for school.” A kiss on the forehead goodbye, and Tails was alone. Again.
He didn’t want to tell Sonic. He was so happy, and Tails didn’t want to ruin that for him. But he missed him. It was stupid, he thought. So Sonic wasn’t there at night to tuck him in. He was nearly ten years old; he wasn’t a baby, and besides, before he started living with Sonic no one had ever done that for him. He hated it, though. How much he missed him when he was gone. The fear that he wouldn’t see him again. That he’d wake up to an empty house, and be all alone again. He knew it was irrational. He’d read enough about psychology to know it was just his old trauma causing him anxiety. But no matter what he did, he couldn’t rationalize himself out of it.
“Hey Tails,” Sonic said, “I managed to convince Knuckles to leave his emerald for a night and come here. Are you okay if he comes over?”
“Of course, that’d be great,” Tails said. He was worried he was a little too quick to respond because Sonic gave him a concerned look.
“I’m fine!”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive!”
“Okay…”
School that day went fine. He and his friend Charmy hung out with the new kid, Silver, and agreed to hang out next weekend. But tonight, Knuckles was coming over.
“Hey, bud, how was school?”
“Fine. Is it okay if Charmy and this new kid come over next weekend?”
“Of course, your friends are always welcome”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You remember Knuckles is coming tonight, right?”
“Yeah, Dad. Can’t wait.” And it was true. Sonic would be staying home with him tonight, and that meant bedtime stories and being tucked in and goodnight kisses. He wasn’t a baby, Tails thought, he just liked ritual, and when Sonic visited Knuckles, the ritual was disrupted. That was all. He wasn’t afraid that Sonic would leave him, because he knew Sonic loved him and would never do that to him. It was just ritual.
That night, Knuckles had a wrapped present.
“It’s for you,” he said to Tails. Tails opened it, and found a book on mechanical engineering that looked really interesting.
“Oh wow, thanks Mr. Knuckles!”
“No problem. Sonic was telling me how you liked mechanics and engineering, so I talked to a librarian on Angel Island about what sort of book would be good. It’s uh… a good book, right?” Knuckles asked, suddenly becoming nervous.
Tails laughed a little. “It’s a great book, Mr. Knuckles. Thank you.”
Knuckles exhaled in relief. Sonic elbowed him in the ribs a bit. “Asking a librarian for help finding a book, wish I was smart enough to think of that.”
Tails expected Sonic and Knuckles to go upstairs and spend some time alone together, like grown ups seemed to enjoy doing, but instead they all started playing games together. First was a board game, which Tails managed to win. Then they started playing poker, and after Tails won a few hands of that Knuckles asked him for help. Sonic jokingly protested, but Tails agreed to help Knuckles. By the end of the evening, Tails was sitting on Knuckles’ lap and telling him what cards to pick. Finally, after what seemed like hours of playing, it was time for Tails to go to bed. Sonic picked him up, like he used to do when Tails was younger, and rather than protest Tails just clung close to him, missing the affection from the previous weeks. Knuckles remained downstairs.
“Listen, Tails, I know you’ve been a bit bummed about me not being here. I understand, you get a bit of separation anxiety when you’re alone in this house by yourself.”
“N-no, it’s just… ritual.”
“Shh, it’s okay. It doesn’t make you childish or a baby or anything. You had a rough life before I met you, and it makes me happy that you feel so safe and loved that my absence is so painful. But I don’t want to hurt you, ever, even unintentionally”
“Don’t leave Knuckles! I don’t want you to leave him for me, just cause I don’t like being alone!”
“I know, so I asked Knuckles if he’d be willing to move that emerald of his in with us. He agreed, so now we’re asking you; would it be okay if Knuckles moved in with us?”
Tails felt overwhelmed; first, he felt lonely, and now, he was going to have TWO dads in this house with him.
“Yes, of course, he’s really nice.”
“Heh, I’m glad. I think he’s nice too. Now, you said something about ritual, earlier, and it wouldn’t be a bedtime ritual without a bedtime story. Why don’t you brush your teeth while I find something for us to read.”
And so, Sonic and Knuckles continued their relationship, while showing Tails how much they both loved and cared for him. And, with time, there was a wedding with Tails as best man. But that is a story for another time.