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Published:
2022-08-07
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2022-08-07
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2/2
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Would I Run Off the World Someday?

Summary:

It'd been five long, lifeless, boring years in Camelot. It'd been fun, sure, but Gods did he miss his friends.

His family.

 

Tails.

But finally, he was going home. Where he belonged.

Notes:

Sorry it took so long for me to post another fic, i lost motivation, and my hamster died. Hopefully ill be back in full swing soon!

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Chapter 1: Returning.

Chapter Text

Would I run off the world someday? Nobody knows.

 

Nobody knows.

 

And, I was dancing in the rain,

I felt alive and I can't complain.

 

But no, take me home, take me home...

 

Where I belong....

Five years.

 

He'd spent five years in Camelot.

 

It was nice. Learning things that would've been helpful years ago, when he was on the streets.

On the streets.

Of Mobius.

 

With Tails.

 

Gods, did he miss Tails.

 

He missed everybody, but Tails the most. It felt like his heart was ripping apart whenever he saw the blacksmith in the village. And then there was Lancelot. He liked Lancelot, he really did, but he wasn't Shadow. Shadow was mean, cunning, aloof, teasing. Lancelot was polite, soft, humble, would bend over backwards at Sonic's command. 

He missed his family. He missed Knuckles, he missed Amy. Hell, he even missed Eggman.

He'd do just about anything to risk his life like that again. He enjoyed the life he's lived in this world, not having to drop everything, no matter how important, at the drop of a hat to defeat some madman who wanted to run an amusement park.

But he also enjoyed being free. It was the whole reason he was a hero; to be free. But as King, he wasn't. He always had to be monitored. His every move was watched by guards. 

 

Oh how grateful he was that Lady Nimue had finally found a way to open a portal to send him home.

He loved Camelot. He learned a lot. He got to experience what life would've been like, had he stayed with his biological family in Mobotropolis. 

He was glad he didn't, if he was being honest.

But still, it wasn't who he was. He was Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius, savior of all creatures, big or small.

"My liege, does thou positively need to leave?" Lancelot asked, bowing as Lady Nimue opened to portal.

"I'm afraid so, Lance. But, before I do so..."

 

Sonic took a sparkling crown out of his quills, where he'd ben hiding it, and stepped forward. 

Slowly, he placed it atop Lancelot's head. Upon feeling it, Lancelot gasped and began to protest.

"My liege, I mustn't- I cannot- Sire, Although you are soon to be of absence, the crown still-" 

"I have my crown. This is a copy I had the blacksmith make. I'd give you mine, but my friends are never going to believe me without proof."

"I-"

"I dub thee, Lancelot Du Lac, Knight of the Round Table, King of Camelot. Thou shall protect, serve, and rule over the lands, as far as thee eye can see."

"Stand, my King, and you shall have accepted the role I have bestowed onto you."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lancelot rose, his muzzle bright red. 

"Sire, I-"

"Nuh-uh-uh. I'm not King anymore. You must call me Sonic, now."

"Right. Forgive me, Si- ah, Sonic. I... shall miss you, greatly. I vow to rule over Camelot, in your honor. Farewell, Sonic."

"See'ya, Sire."

And as Lancelot was distracted by the shock of the title, Sonic turned and jumped into the portal, waving to the Lady of the Lake as he did so.

 

And then finally, he was home.

He'd made sure Lady Nimue could send him somewhere familiar.

Thank goodness she could, because Sonic would've fallen flat on his face had Tails not caught him.

Tails.

"Sonic?! What- woah! Chaos... Okay, big guy. What's the matter?"

Tails, who'd been caught completely off guard by a portal in his and Sonic's shared living room, was now being bombarded by an uncharacteristic bear-hug.

"Hey buddy... I've missed thee."

Okay, back up.

Tails was confused.

Sonic had been gone five days. Nobody was really worried, he was prone to fall off the map every once and a while. They all know he'd be back in seconds, if needed. 

But now he'd just stumbled out of a portal, tackled him to the ground with a bear-hug, had an accent, and said the word 'thee.' 

Tails' eyes widened as the pieces of this strange puzzle began to slot together. As the fur on his shoulder began to wet.

"Sonic.. you universe hopped again, didn't you."

"Perhaps... though, it wasn't my fault! I was summoned! I hadn't a choice!"

Tails was getting worried. Sonic still hadn't let go, and he was desperately trying to calm his tears but was failing miserably. 

 

"Okay, Sonic, it's okay. Sit back for me?" Sonic shook his head.

"Please? It's okay, I won't make fun of you." Sonic cracked easier than he should have. When he leaned back, his eyes were flicking around, taking in every feature of Tails he could. 

"Okay... you're acting just a little different than normal. Sonic, this is important. How long has it been since you've last seen me?"

Sonic's ears folded back, like he didn't want to this about it.

"Ah... it's been half a decade. Five years, I would normally say. Why? How long..."

Sonic began to doubt himself when Tails' eyes widened, and a look of shocked sympathy crossed his face.

"Sonic, you've been gone five days."

Sonic froze.

No. That couldn't be true. It'd been years. He knew it had. He'd aged. He was.. he was twenty. He wasn't fifteen anymore. But, as he looked at his body... he looked just the same as he had five years ago. Tails hadn't aged at all. The house looked no different than he remembered.

"Dear Gods, it really only has been days since you last spoke to me..."

Gaia have mercy on Tails' poor soul. He opened his arms to Sonic, like his brother always did during a storm, and Sonic didn't hesitate. They cried together, Sonic because of the relief he felt, having not missed anything, having not left Tails, nor the world, to fend for themselves with no explanation. 

Tails, because he couldn't imagine being summoned against your will, being stuck in a strange world with no way of going home, no friends or family to help you out. 

"Sonic, how are we going to explain this to the others? They're sorta used to the crazy adventures you go on, but still.."

"It will be alright, Tails. I shall explain everything soon enough. Now, if you don't mind, your going to be stuck to me like glue whilst I make a chili dog. I haven't had one in years, much less anything containing tomatoes."

And with that, Sonic lifted Tails onto his shoulders, just like he always had, and made his way to the kitchen. As Sonic prepared the ingredients, Tails began asking the flurry of questions that had been running through his head since Sonic showed up.

"So, if you've been gone for five years, to you at least, why do you still look fifteen?" Tails asked, playing with the currently relaxed quills on his brother's head.

"I'm afraid I have no answer. I certainly aged while I was in Camelot, but I suppose that when I jumped through the portal my body regressed to fit the timeline of this universe."

Tails was short-circuiting. Sonic's accent was strange enough, but he was also using words he'd normally never even think to say. Also, did he say Camelot?

"Camelot? Isn't that.."

"Yes, child. I was King Arthur, you know. Quite a long story. I'll tell you all about it soon enough, alright? Promise."

Tails was getting a headache. 

Sonic finished their food, and they ate, Sonic insisting they sit and they watch some crappy sit-com. 'I haven't seen a TV in years. Please?'

In about an hour, Tails had used his communicator to call most of their close friends to come and hear the story, as Sonic had forgotten how to use his own communicator, and any technology was now difficult for him. 

Sonic wanted to prolong it, but seeing how Eggman hadn't attacked in the time Sonic had been gone meant that they would all be teaming up for a bigger attack soon enough. He'd get strange looks when their friends got a whiff of his accent. He'd have to tell them soon enough anyway.

"Want to tell us why you called us all here, Faker?" Shadow asked, both him and Rouge sitting on the shoulders of Omega. Tails had called Team Dark, plus Knuckles, Amy, and Cream.

"I'd like to know also. The Master Emerald isn't going to guard itself, ya know!" Knuckles said, irritated. 

"Yes, well.. it's rather important, you know." Eyes widened at Sonic's words.

"Mr. Sonic, why are you talking funny? It's like kings who lived in castles in storybooks!" Cream said, on the couch with Cheese in her lap.

"Well, Cream, your not far off. So, about five days ago in this universe, I..."

Sonic went on to explain how he was summoned by a girl who later betrayed him, and his journey to defeat King Arthur and later become him.

Needless to say, almost nobody believed him other than Tails and Cream.

"Hun, it's rather out there. Do you blame us for not believing you?" Rouge said, giving Sonic a pitying smile. 

"Sorry Rouge, but you gotta believe him. I was there when the portal opened. Plus, his accent and his words are different than how he spoke a week ago. It's not even the craziest thing that's happened to him. He turned into a werehog, once."

"I knew it!" Amy screeched, throwing her hands up in the air. 

"We're getting off topic. Sonic, you're going to have to give us just a little bit of proof," Knuckles said. Sonic sighed.

"See, now this is why I told Lancelot I needed this..."

He pulled his original crown out from his quills, and held it out for the others to see. There were gasps from Rouge and Amy, both for different reasons.

"This enough proof for you? Doesn't look like it was made in the twenty first century, now does it?" Sonic asked, raising an eyebrow ridge with an unimpressed look on his face.

"How do we know you didn't just go have it made while you were gone?" Shadow spoke, skeptical. Sonic just sighed.

"He couldn't have. He had no rings. Before he left, he was going to go out for a run after dinner. Granted, he still had two chili dogs with him, but that's not the point. The point is, before he left he transferred all but one of his rings to me."

Shadow seemed to believe it, finally settling back against Omega.

"He's Sonic the Hedgehog, he could've had it made for free, as long as the materials weren't too expensive! I'm sorry, but I'm having a hard time believing this." Knuckles said. Sonic seemed to expect it, though, because he held out the crown once more.

"Omega, can you run an analysis on this crown, please? And then me to prove I'm not lying." He said. Omega scanned it for a moment before speaking.

"SCAN COMPLETE. OBJECT IS SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT GOLD, TWENTY PERCENT SILVER, FIVE PERVENT RUBY. SCANNING MOBIAN FOR HEART RATE...."

Another moment, and Omega spoke again.

"SCAN COMPLETE. STRESS LEVELS ARE LOW, HEART RATE IS NORMAL. BEING: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG SHOWS NO SIGNS OF DECEPTION. ANYLISIS COMPLETE."

Everybody believed him after that. Thank the Gods, Sonic had no other form of proof. He really should've brought some other evidence...

 

Suddenly, explosions were heard from outside the house. They all looked towards the door, then back to Sonic, wanted to see when he'd do. It'd been years, at least to Sonic, since he last fought like this.

Sonic broke into a grin, a giddy laugh escaping him. Before anybody could blink, there was a rush of wind in their fur and the tell-tale sound of a sonic boom in it's wake. They looked to the now wide open door, then back to the spot where the blue hedgehog once stood. After a few seconds, Shadow darted out of the house, the rest of them close behind.

 

After all, it'd been awhile since Eggman last attacked.

Chapter 2: Guilt.

Notes:

im currently writing this seconds after posting the firs chapter. to trick myself into believing its all one part so ill finish it.

 

Wish me luck!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

By the time they got there, half the badniks were already in ruins. Obviously, Sonic had been itching for a fight.


But that's not what Tails in the others were thinking about. 


They were thinking about how he did it.


In front of them, Sonic brandished a long metal pole. Where he'd gotten it from, who knows. He was fast enough to have gotten it from across the world. 

But the way he was using it was... impressive. It was something he couldn't do, a week ago.


He used it as though it was a sword. Rolling, slashing, jabbing, slicing. Movements so fluid it looked as though he'd been doing it for years. Tails realized with a jolt that he probably had. Sonic had told them all about Caliburn, and about how after his adventure, he and Lancelot, who apparently was a Shadow doppelganger, - though his personality was that of an opposite- would have duels near the sacred lake. 

Tails wondered with a pang of dread just how much had changed about Sonic in the time he'd been gone.

The battle was over quickly, with the help of the others, though Sonic didn't seem to mind. Eggman was furious.


"You pesky rodent! You've been gone for days, but the second I show up-"

"It is my job to stop you, after all. I'll never leave the world, or my friends, to fend for themselves under the likes of you, unless I died before you did. Not that I doubt they could handle themselves, but I digress." Sonic said, standing tall, pole held in a way that seemed casual, but would easily become fatal, if he wanted to. Tails could suddenly see Sonic, with a crown and a cape and a sword, ready to defend his kingdom from anybody who dare disturb it. Tails realized Sonic looked healthier then he did before. He no longer looked exhausted. His eyes held the sparkle they did when Sonic was younger, before the weight of the world was on his shoulders. The bags under his eyes were gone, his quills and fur looked soft and shiny. 

He looked happy. Happier than he had in a very long time.


And suddenly Tails realized why.

The fox tuned everyone else out, didn't listen as Eggman demanded to know what about Sonic had changed, and as Sonic fed him a shorter version of the answer. Didn't listen as Eggman finally left, and the rest of their friends slowly retreated to their respectful homes, didn't listen as Sonic promised Shadow to stop by later. He was to busy being drowned in his own thoughts.


Sonic was happier than he had been in years. The last time he'd been this happy, looked this healthy... Tails could barely remember.


And Tails knew why.


When Sonic was gone... he'd been King, sure, but he had guards. He had armies. He could step down at any time. He didn't have the entire world depending on him. Only a single kingdom, a responsibility that could be passed on at any time. There wasn't a constant threat of being ambushed in the middle of the night, there wasn't the worry that some madman might come and destroy anything he wished for his own amusement. Not really. And even if there was, he didn't have to fight if he didn't want to. 

He wasn't forced to be Hero.

On Mobius, he was. On Mobius, he was Sonic the Hedgehog, the Blue Blur, world savior. In Camelot, he was King Sonic, Knight of the Wind.

And that was all.

It was all he ever had to be.

And Tails was so afraid that the only reason he'd come back was because the world needed a hero, and he was the only one willing.

That the only reason he'd come back was because he was Sonic the Hedgehog. 

"Tails?"

The fox was snapped out of his thoughts by a familiar voice, filled with concern. He looked up and saw Sonic, pole still in hand, walking towards him with a worried look on his face. Tails felt guilt threatening to choke him, seeing that face on his brother once again.

You caused him to worry. It hasn't even been a day, and your already back to making him be the hero. At this rate, his eyebags will be back and that spark will be gone by tomorrow. It's all your fault. 

He stopped listening to his brain, instead choosing to focus on his brother.

"Yeah?" He asked. He knew why Sonic had called to him, but he wanted to avoid it. Sonic wasn't having it.

"You seemed rather distracted... Is everything alright? It's not like you to not pay attention in the middle of a battlefield." 

"I- yeah everything's fine, Sonic. I was just... thinking about your sword skills." There. Now he wasn't necessarily lying... 

"I was thinking, I could probably make you one. A sword, I mean." Tails said, and relished it the way Sonic lit up.

"Oh, would you? I wasn't able to bring my sword, though I do miss it. This pole worked well enough, but it'd be easier to have an actual sword, and made by you no less!" Sonic rambled, obviously excited. Tails grinned, trying to ignore the mean things his brain was throwing at him. 

"Yeah, it'll be fun! But you gotta promise to show off a little! I wanna see!" Tails said, playing a little into his brother's ego. It worked, because Sonic promised easily. 

"Alright little buddy. C'mon, lets go home!" Sonic said, before taking off. Slower then how he'd arrived. Tails smiled to himself and took off overhead, excited to start on a sword his brother would love.

"Are you quite sure your alright?" Sonic said. They were in Tails' workshop, he was designing the sword. The whole process would take a few days, but Sonic didn't seem to mind.

In the time he was gone, he'd seemed to have matured a little. He was still impatient, and childish, but less so. He acted older, like he wasn't an actual adult. It pained Tails a little, knowing how much of Sonic's life he technically missed. His body was that of a fifteen year old, yet he himself was twenty. It was strange.

"I'm just... thinking. It's strange, you know? You've been gone for less than a week, but you have a whole other life. One that..."

"That I had to leave behind?"

Tails' head shot up. Sonic's facial expression made him look older. Wiser. Even though he was only mentally twenty, living in that time period must've rubbed off on him in terms of wisdom.

Tails nodded slowly, avoiding eye contact.

"Tails, I hope you know that I didn't enjoy being king." Tails' eyes widened, at that.

"It was fun, sure, but I wasn't free. I was the King of the Wind, but I was not as free as the wind. My every move was supervised by Lancelot. Even when he wasn't around, I was still watched. I was lucky Lancelot could still run like Shadow, or I wouldn't have been able to run all those years."

"But still.. I just- I noticed you look... better. You always look cool, but you're healthier. Happier. You haven't looked like this since... since you were thirteen. But then you left, and you come back, and now I..."

"I'm afraid that it's gonna go back to how it was. That you're gonna go back to given the world everything you have, and the world giving you nothing in return."

"I'm afraid you're going to go back to the world being forced onto your shoulders."

Silence.

Tails couldn't bare to look at Sonic.

"Heh."

Tails lowered his head.

"I'm sorry, Tails. That you have to worry like that, I mean. Back then, or... uh, before I left, I always tried to hide how hard I was pushing myself. How hard it was to put on a smile and pretend for the world. But deep down, I knew you weren't fooled."

"But, in my time in Camelot, I grew older. I realized that it was okay, to be Mobian. To not pretend. To get help, and to encourage others to do the same. I learned to take care of myself. I learned to open up, and not a day went by that I didn't think about how I was gonna bring all this up to you."

"Heh, should've known you'd overthink it." 

And that. That phrase, that single sentence that reminded him so much of the Sonic he knew was still in there somewhere, was what broke him. He rushed into Sonic, who, having expected it, had his arms open and ready.

Tails cried, Sonic cried, but it was all okay.

Sonic had changed. He was older. But it was okay. He was still Sonic. He was still faster than the speed of sound, he was still the savior of the world.

And most of all, he was still Tails' big brother.



Nothing could ever change that.

Notes:

Okay, ive done it! It wouldve taken less time, but ive just gone back to middle school. Wish me luck on that trashfire.

Leave comments!

Notes:

Okay, ive always been super bad at finishing multiple part stories, but I swear ill try this time.

 

Drop some angsty fic ideas?