Actions

Work Header

Rating:
Archive Warning:
Category:
Fandom:
Relationships:
Characters:
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:
2022-10-28
Updated:
2023-10-20
Words:
11,752
Chapters:
8/?
Comments:
38
Kudos:
390
Bookmarks:
58
Hits:
4,198

lamp rubbed, writing genie loading

Summary:

Prompts from Tumblr, crossposted here onto A03. Generally Sonic & Tails prompts, many relating to some of my other fics.

Prompts are NOT still open - these came while they were.

Chapter 1: Prompt 1: HQ, High Quality Guilt

Chapter Text

 

Prompt:Starrjoy

 

"The last conversation between Tails and the Resistance members before he went off on his own 👀"

 

 

Knuckles is nursing a sprained shoulder, and the tech Tails had used to reinforce Amy’s hammer is broken. Tails’s hands don’t feel as steady as they usually do as he holds the broken remains. The remains that could have easily been Amy instead. Amy herself is not unscathed – she’s sporting bandages around one knee, and Tails doesn’t dare ask what happened.

They’re back at Resistance HQ, safe and relatively sound. But as they debrief together –talk about the ground they lost, the ramifications that will trickle down because of it – Tails’s ears ring. Knuckles and Amy are far too calm about this. Calm, and tired. Amy leans heavily against her chair. Knuckles lets out the occasional grunt as he shifts his ice pack. After three, nearly four months of this, they look awful.

Tails is not used to heroes who show the strain. 

“You- you should let me make you armor,” Tails blurts.

Amy turns around quickly, on guard every moment after being their most consistent fighter for weeks on end. Knuckles takes longer; languidly, calmly turning his chair to stare him down.

“Armor?” Amy asks, brows furrowing. “Do we really need it? We lost today because we didn’t have enough support, not because we got hit a lot, Tails.” 

Tails can’t help but look down at her knee. Amy’s expression sours. 

“That’s not fair, it was a cheap-shot when we were already retreating,” she says. “Besides, this really is nothing, it’ll heal in a day or two, and I was already planning on taking a few days organizing our supplies and strategizing-”

“Armor would just slow us down,” Knuckles interrupts, before Amy can continue to needlessly defend herself. “It’s not just the amount of support. We’re just not fast enough.” 

“I – I could figure out a way to make it light,” Tails says. “It doesn’t have to slow you down. Maybe you could even go faster if you weren’t afraid of getting hit-?”

“Neither of us are afraid of getting hit,” Knuckles says bluntly. Amy’s cheeks have puffed out in indignation at the very idea. 

Tails knows he’s offended them. And he knows he’s too young, too inexperienced; they think he’s just afraid. That he’s just being a coward. And worse, a coward who wants them to be more cowardly, too- 

“I’m not saying you're afraid, it’s just – you wouldn’t have to be careful. Or as careful. You should still be careful though, it’s just one protective measure, one way to make sure nothing really bad happens, all you'd need is to wear some polysynthetic clothing maybe, I already have designs, the fabric wouldn't be too hot or too difficult to make, I promise, it'll just protect you-” 

It’s Amy who cuts him off before he spirals. “Tails!” She interjects, standing despite her knee injury, arms at her sides. Tails didn’t even notice her move. “We’re not using armor. Okay? Besides, you’re working on more defense weapons anyways, so our field defense is going to be plenty strong. No rush on finishing, I know you’ve been working hard. We can hold out for a little longer.” 

Knuckles frowns. “Some rush,” he says. 

Amy shoots him a death glare. “No. No rush. We’re holding out just fine.” 

Tails has already reached for his tails, hoping for a comfort mechanism. His best, greatest comfort mechanism is gone; this will have to do. The fact that his tails have lost some of their fluff from the constant over-grooming is neither here nor there. 

“I’m working on them,” he says. “But- It would just – if you guys just had a little armor…” 

Amy’s shoulders droop. “We don’t need armor, Tails,” she says, because they all know what their team really needs. There's a different missing piece, but that's something they're not going to get back, not any time soon. She steps forward, only limping a little. But she must see something in Tails’s face, because she frowns, brows pinching together. “...Are you okay? Did something-?” 

Knuckles interrupts. He’s out of his seat, too – leaning his hips against the table for stability, keeping the ice pack on his shoulder. “We’re going to be fine, Tails. I know you’re scared, but trying to overcompensate with the rest of us will only make it worse.” 

“I- I’m not…” 

Knuckles rests a heavy hand on Tails’s shoulder. “It’s not going to bring him back.”

“I know that!” Tails pulls away as roughly as he can, with the world feeling so big and so small at the same time. “The only way to bring him back is to find him, but I need your help-”

Knuckles and Amy give each other a significant look. Tails doesn't know what Amy looks like, but it seems to only steel Knuckles's resolve, because-

“He’s dead, not missing.” 

Tails’s ears ring again. 

He almost misses the way Amy rises from her spot and gets close to Knuckles, reaching for his wrist. “Knuckles- Stop, now isn’t the time.” 

“When will it be?”

“Any day after this,” Amy hisses. “He’s upset-”

“And he won’t stop being upset until he can move on! Pretending Sonic’s still alive isn’t going to help anything!”

Tails doesn’t run. He stands, stock still, despite the floor trying hard to swallow him up. Despite the way Knuckles looks at him, making him want to bury himself alive. 

“He’s dead because he didn’t get out in time,” Knuckles says firmly. He reaches for Tails’s arms, and Tails can’t manage to shake him off. “Slowing us down with armor won't get us out any faster than he did.”

Tails’s shoulders only get more tense. He hasn’t really felt relaxed since - well. Since the last few months. But the urge to throw up is new. 

There’s no mincing Knuckles’s phrasing. All he wants is for Tails to move on. But all it does is spark memories of exactly what those last moments were. Sonic, being kicked between four opponents, with powers that didn’t match what they had historically held. Opponents that were impossible. All their worst nightmares come back to life, and living out their wildest dreams against their rival. Hitting him until he was done for. Until-

All it does is re-confirm Tails’s need to equip his friends with better armor. 

Because it’s not that Sonic wasn’t fast enough. Never that Sonic wasn't fast enough. Imagine – thinking the issue was Sonic's speed. Never.

It’s that other fast opponents got the drop on him. That they ganged up on him, and used their combined strength to beat him to a pulp. Sonic was fast enough to outrun them, he could have left whenever. But he was stubborn enough to take one bad hit and not run away while he still could. And after that first hit, the rest just kept coming.

Armor would have helped. 

“You weren’t there,” Tails says. He's stubborn, too. And he'll stay stubborn – Tails knows exactly who raised him. “You don’t know. You didn’t see it. It would have made a difference.” 

“You don’t know that for sure,” Knuckles says. “Maybe it could’ve helped, or maybe it would’ve made it worse-” 

“Worse?” Tails asks, vision blurring. “How could it have been worse? You’re the one who thinks he’s dead! What’s worse than Sonic dying?”

Knuckles grits his teeth. But he lets go of Tails’s arms, knowing that the little fox hates crying in front of his friends. Knuckles looks like there’s something he still wants to say. There’s significance in the way he stands over Tails, no longer holding him in a bruising grip. Looking like he wants to apologize for it, to protect him. 

Tails realizes what Knuckles believes would’ve been worse than Sonic dying. 

No. It couldn’t be that. Knuckles can’t be grateful that it was Sonic instead of losing both of them. It’s not fair. No one’s allowed to be grateful that Tails escaped, not when the guilt is eating him up from the inside. 

Knuckles needs to blame him. They all need to blame him. 

Amy surprises Tails, though. She stands behind him, hugging him oh so gently from behind. 

It doesn’t help. Tails is way too old for hugs. They don’t make things better anymore. Not like they used to. 

Tails swallows bile. 

He thinks he might have said some of that out loud. They tell him he’s lost his grip these last few months, maybe he has. Maybe he’s talking to himself. Maybe he’s lost it. But he’s certainly not going to find it when everyone else refuses to blame him. 

It has to be Tails’s fault. 

Because- 

Because, if it wasn’t-

Then that means there was really nothing he could’ve done. 

And if there’s nothing he could’ve done, then there's nothing he can do now that it's Knuckles and Amy on the front lines.

He thinks he might still be talking out loud. Amy and Knuckles don't react, so Tails isn't sure. He steadies himself, just enough to speak out loud. Tries very hard to take control of himself again.

“I need,” Tails manages, with a trembling voice, and this time he's sure he's being heard. “I need to make armor for you guys.” 

Tears well up in his eyes, and he tries so, so hard not to let them fall. But he blinks, and instead of blinking them back, they fall in a stream, wetting his fur. He knows Amy and Knuckles share a worried glance over his head. He’s not stupid. But he scrubs at his eyes and hiccups and he doesn’t resist when Amy holds him close and says soft words and presses her cheek against the back of his head.

Knuckles doesn't say a word – must know that this is something he can't help with.

"It's okay," Amy says, as Tails is finally starting to calm. "You can be sad-"

"I need to make armor for you," Tails says again, voice thick. "I need it."

“...Okay,” Amy finally says. And even Tails knows it's just a placating gesture. That they're probably not actually going to wear it. “Do you need us to stay for measurements?” 

Tails shakes his head. “I just need–I need some time to make it.” 

Amy hugs him a little tighter. “Okay,” she says. “Do you want us to go?” 

No, Tails thinks. But they don’t move to go, so he thinks he didn’t say that part out loud. 

He leans against her for a long moment. Eventually, the tears stop. He dries them up with the back of his hand, chest no longer heaving. “Yeah,” he says, now that he’s got control of himself. “You guys can go.” 

“I asked if you wanted us to go. Not if we wanted to.” 

Tails manages a hiccupping laugh. “It’s okay.” 

“Tails-”

“Amy,” Knuckles finally says, cutting in. Tails feels the rush of embarrassment from being protected all at once, now that he remembers Knuckles is here. “He said he wants time.” 

“That doesn’t mean space-”

“Actually,” Tails says. “Time - cant exist without space. So you can’t have one without the other-”

“So let’s give him some time and space,” Knuckles says. He walks closer, putting a hand on Amy’s shoulder. 

Reluctantly, Amy lets go of Tails, though not without giving him one last squeeze. “Come to my room later, okay?” she asks, so, so earnestly. “If you want. I’ll keep it open, just for you.” 

Tails looks up at her. Smiles, and really, genuinely thinks he might feel better if he goes to her tonight, and pours his heart out like she wants him to. Thinks that she’d like to feel like a good big sister, thinks that he might like feeling like a little brother again. 

She’s going to be so upset when I leave tonight, Tails thinks. 

He pulls her into a quick hug, forward facing this time. He gives her a long squeeze, and hopes she won’t be too worried. 

She ruffles the fur at the back of his head. “Hey, if you want to talk now,” she starts, and he almost gives in. “We-”

“No, it’s okay. I’m okay,” Tails says, and quickly pulls back. He smiles up at her, already making a list of the tools he should pack. “I don’t know what came over me. I’m okay. I just need to build something, it’s okay.” 

He knows he’s repeating himself, that he’s overdoing it, overcompensating. It only makes them worry more. But Tails doesn’t quite know how to turn it off – the only alternative is to leave before he can make more of a mess of this. He just hopes they’ll be okay without him. He’s given them all the weapons he can – especially if they’re going to stop him from making the things that would really benefit them in this war.

“If you’re sure,” Knuckles says, because Amy is too indecisive about leaving to say another word.

To Tails’s surprise, Knuckles heaves a quiet sigh and lays a hand on Tails’s head before he goes. Tails thinks he’s lost time for a moment, because one instant, Knuckles is in front of him and so, so blue and warm and affectionate – and the next, he’s fifteen feet away, and Tails is still staring at him as he walks out with Amy in tow.

“Just- don’t overdo it tonight,” Knuckles says, still lingering in the doorway, even after Tails’s head goes cold after the affection has gone.  “Get some rest. I’ll check on you in the morning. I promise.” 

Tails smiles. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll probably sleep in for a while.” 

Knuckles quirks a smile. Amy, lingering even more obviously than Knuckles, doesn’t. 

Still – it’s enough to finally get them out the door. No more lingering in the doorway – no more checking on him. Knuckles is still icing his shoulder, and Amy is still limping down the hall to her room for some much needed rest. Finally, Tails is all alone again. 

Now that the embarrassing part is over, he can start packing. And maybe, when he returns, he'll have redeemed himself enough that they'll forget how much he just fell apart.

Tails still feels the warmth of Amy's hug and the rumpled fur from Knuckles's hair ruffle. He doubts they'll forget.

But he hopes, somehow, that he can get strong enough – that he'll be right enough – that it won't matter anymore. He just can't do it here.

So he packs his rucksack, and finds his way into the starless night.

Chapter 2: Perspective 1: Tails Sinking, Not Swimming

Chapter Text

Perspective Flip: Scrawlers

"It's really hard to pick just one, buuut — perspective flip for the last chapter of Sink or Swim, during the drowning scene/aftermath? :)"

 

 

The world goes white.

Despite Tails's greater sensitivity to (fear of) the lightning, Sonic is pretty sure he registers the lightning a moment even before Tails. His speed has been trained in a lifetime of split-second reactions; the instant something about his environment changes, Sonic knows; Sonic reacts. 

It feels like slow motion, despite the dire circumstance he's about to find himself in. That they're about to find themselves in. Because though Sonic knows Tails can fly in the same instinctual trust that he trusts himself to react in time – 

Sonic also knows that they’re above water, with no land in sight. 

They'll need more than just Tails's flight. Sonic tries to take stock of the materials around them. The rebreathers, the floaties, the pressure-proof jets to the surface. Anything that could be an asset – but Sonic is no planner. Even he only has so much time. 

– The lightning hits. 

The wing of the Tornado snaps off. That's all the time Sonic has before they're rocketed into a tailspin, rolling endlessly in the sky.

Sonic strains against the G-forces, to no avail. He tries to reassure Tails – but he can't. Not like this.

"SONIC!" Tails shouts, and Sonic can barely hear him over the howling wind and the blaring alarms that ring through his ears. "IT WON'T COME OFF!"

Sonic doesn't know what 'it' is. Until he realizes that Tails is not stuck to the roof of the Tornado, not like Sonic is. 

No. Despite never buckling into the Tornado – safer, for their usual exits – Tails has decided to strap himself in. He’s spared the G-forces, but at a terrible cost. Tails can't get out of his seat. Won’t be able to fly out of this crash. 

For a horrible moment, Sonic freezes with panic. But he can’t – not when his little brother is the one in danger. He tries to reach for Tails, tries to grab the seat, the buckle, anything. Sonic isn’t thinking – he only has time to react and to trust that whatever decision he tries, tries to make, will be right. 

In the end, it wouldn’t have mattered if he thought it through or not. He can’t reach Tails. He’s not strong enough to break the G-forces. 

"IT'S GONNA BE FINE!" Sonic shouts, hoping his friend can hear him. Hopes it will be reassuring. "BRACE YOURSELF, OKAY? IT'S GONNA BE A ROUGH LANDING!"

He says it – but the words are stolen by the explosion, confusion, chaos that is impact. 

Sonic's breath is stolen right along with his words; his lungs freeze up as the Tornado makes impact, and Sonic is torn from the Tornado along with the rest of the canopy. The sea flays it open, and Sonic feels the heat of an explosion, only dampened by the seawater and rain around them. For a moment, he has the sensation of weightlessness – painful, compared to the immense pressure of the G-forces. Sonic takes one deep breath, instinctively knowing it will either be the last in a very, very long time – or the last, period.

Now that Sonic is no longer in the protection of the Tornado, he and the rest of the wreckage are at its mercy. It swallows him down, and Sonic’s blue is quickly lost in the thousand other shades of the sea. He’s ragdolled in every direction except up – thrown around by the explosion and the storm. But he knows that he’s sinking – knows it by the weight of his heavy spines, his waterlogged shoes, and lungs that didn’t get nearly enough oxygen before being pulled under. He tries to catalog injuries, tries to figure out if he can use the last of energy for one last breach of the surface. But he’s thrown around so fast that he can’t get a grip on anything. Anything, that is, except a strange pain in his wrist. It feels swollen and tight, not unlike getting his blood pressure drawn. 

Sonic wishes, for a horrible moment, that this was all a dream. That he’s been dragged to a doctor instead, doing something as mind-numbingly banal as having his blood pressure taken. 

The burning in his lungs and the chaos around him tells him otherwise. 

For an instant, he thinks of all the classes Amy not so subtly recommends to him. Yoga, meditation, therapy. Sonic's only ever taken two things away from them: That they want him to feel grounded, and breathe deeply.

They taunt him as he ragdolls through the ocean, lost in a spin-dash he doesn’t control. His resistance doesn’t matter. The sea will take him wherever it pleases– 

And then, all at once, he reaches the surface. 

His wrist. A floatie sits around his wrist. Light enough to propel him through the water, and back to the surface. 

Chaos – Sonic almost wants to laugh. He sucks in breath after breath, coughing and trying to recover from the burn in his chest. Gods. He doesn’t even remember putting it in his glove today – Sonic strongly suspects he didn’t actually put it on – that it was tampered with. But he’ll officially never give Tails shit for messing with his stuff ever again. 

Wait. 

Tails.  

Sonic whips his head back and forth, looking for any trace of the little fox. His breath freezes in his chest. It’s dark, but it’s just bright enough to realize that there is no one on the surface with him. No sign of the Tornado, or Tails, or Knuckles, or anyone. 

Sonic is alone here. 

And suddenly, Sonic remembers that Tails’s seatbelt was stuck. 

And that he’s never once seen Tails pack himself with an emergency floatie. 

No. No, no no no. 

This isn’t happening. He’s not losing his kid brother. Not like this. 

Sonic tries to sink under the surface, but his floatie stops him. 

Sonic pops it – and realizes a bit too late that he won’t have much time to really plan this out. But he doesn’t need a plan – he just needs to find his little brother. 

It might be the very last thing he ever does. But damn it, he’s not letting Tails drown without a fight. He’s not letting his greatest fear take his brother. 

So he takes a very, very deep breath – and dives. 

The ocean is even darker than Sonic remembers. He can’t see a damn thing. But he sinks deeper anyway, even doing his best shot at swimming down so he can sink faster. He’s only got so long before he runs out of air – he just needs to make sure he finds Tails first. They can find something in the wreckage; they always find a miracle when they’re least expecting it. 

But even Sonic will admit it’s looking pretty bleak.

Until- 

Another flash of lightning. 

It’s not much. But it shows him enough. Mainly blue – blue, every inch around him. Sky, sea, indistinguishable. But– there! 

The Tornado. Or, what’s left of her. Sonic grimaces at the sight. He’s never seen her in such rough shape – though admittedly, she’s only about one percent the original plane, at this point. Tails has rebuilt her so often that she’s essentially brand new. 

Brand new, and flayed open all the same. Scrap metal and screws litter the ocean, and Sonic scours every inch for any sign of Tails. There’s so little time with lightning – Sonic’s chest starts to squeeze when he realizes he might have just lost his one chance at finding Tails. 

However, just as he’s about to give up hope, Sonic sees a single spot of yellow – or rather, pale green amongst blue-black depths. 

Tails.

Sonic’s heart almost stops beating. 

He’s out of the Tornado, and about a hundred feet above her, and about two hundred feet from Sonic himself. Meaning he’s gotten himself free without Sonic’s help. Sonic will have to ask how later – for right now, he’s just grateful that Tails isn’t sinking as fast as the rest of the Tornado. But he isn’t swimming up. He’s got cheeks puffed full of air – good. But he’s not using his tools. He’s not using his rebreather. Or any kind of jet to the surface. 

Sonic doesn’t recognize that look of defeat on his face, but he knows what it means. 

Tails doesn’t have a plan. 

Sonic’s heart sinks, right along with the rest of him. He doesn’t swim to Tails, not exactly. But he dives as fast as he can – and miraculously meets him in the middle. Sonic collides with him more than anything, and hugs him tight to keep him from being swept away back into the sea. Sonic presses his cheek against Tails’s, and hopes that it conveys the sorry he can’t spare the breath to say. 

Tails returns the hug tight as he can. 

However – Tails, ever the clever fox, uses the leverage for his own machinations. Sonic frowns a moment, almost signing what he’s doing – before Tails tries to push where Sonic’s failsafes would be. 

Hah. Too late for that. It worked the first time – and if it was still working, Sonic would’ve gladly had them rocket up together. Sonic doesn’t regret diving back for Tails. It’s just – they’ll have to figure out something else now. 

It’ll take a miracle. Sonic squeezes Tails all the tighter. Seven years of adventuring together – they had a good run. And their friends won’t have to wonder about them for long; Knuckles will tell them what happened. It’ll be okay. Others will step up to fight Eggman. Maybe they’ll even win. 

Granted, they won’t have Super Sonic anymore, to come save the day when all is lost – but they at least have Super Shadow- 

Super. 

Chaos Emeralds. 

Sonic feels a sudden tug, deep in the pit of his belly. The same sense that always pulls him right to Chaos Emeralds when he really needs them. When he has to find them before Eggman. 

The same kind of tug that could find a special zone; the same kind of tug that lets him become Super Sonic. 

There’s a Chaos Emerald nearby. One that really wants to be found. 

The wreckage of the Tornado. Of course. Tails has been powering the Tornado with a Chaos Emerald for years now – in his panic, Sonic hadn’t even thought about it. They might have lost this Emerald for years if it hadn’t hadn’t called out ot him just now. Sonic thinks it wants to be saved just as badly as Sonic wants to save Tails.

Fortunately, the emerald is deeper, but within his grasp; all it takes is to sink a little deeper. 

Sonic doesn’t even think – it’s their one chance, there’s no time to second-guess. He pulls Tails with him, down, down, down, until the weight on his chest starts to feel far too tight, and they must be crossing into even deeper pressure. Still, he sinks, grateful for the first time that his quills are so damn heavy in water. Tails is fading fast – might already have gulped down some water. Sonic doesn’t have much time at all, but fortunately for him, it’s almost like the Chaos Emerald is reaching for him, too. 

Sonic closes his fingers around it, and lets out the one breath he’s been saving this whole dive. He doesn’t know if the Chaos Emerald can really hear him, or if it really needs him to say it out loud. But even so, bubbles erupt from his mouth and carry his one last hope. 

Chaos Control. 

There’s another flash of light – lightning of their own, Sonic thinks. Their prayer answered – and a chance at revenge against the storm and the sea. Sonic hugs Tails tight as the white light envelops them both. 

They’re going to be okay.  

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Prompt: studioboner/ReiPinto

"knuckles learns sonic is more competent at living ina jungle than he first imagined"

 

///

 

When Knuckles wakes up, he feels one degree away from being boiled alive. 

It’s an exaggeration, but only barely. The only reason he knows he’s not in a pot being boiled echidna stew is the amount of fluff around him. It can only mean that he’s being cuddled by something soft, with an awful lot of poofy fur. Ugh. Did feral animals find the Master Emerald shrine again? Just because he’s warm does not mean he’s free real estate-! 

Knuckles is about to get up and shoo the animals off when he finally blinks his eyes open and finds his vision full of yellow ears, the color only muted by the darkness around him. 

And realizes, suddenly, that he recognizes this kid. Kid as in kit, kit as in fox kit. What the hell is Tails doing out here, and why are they cuddling, and most importantly, how is Tails so heavy?  

Knuckles clumsily reaches up to shake the kid awake, but his hand gets snatched away before it can connect. 

That only makes him more confused – but less so, when tired green eyes blink down at him, half glowing in the dark.

Sonic holds tightly to Knuckles’s wrist, keeping him from shaking Tails awake. “Wake him up and you lose that hand. We’re sleeping in shifts, and it’s Tails’s turn to sleep,” he says, and Knuckles just stares. “Welcome back to the land of the living, by the way.” 

Knuckles squints up at him. 

Considering the weight on his chest and Sonic’s harsh tone, this feels more like a sleep paralysis demon than his current reality. 

“Why’s it so hot?” Knuckles asks, and it comes out wrong from his mouth, clumsy and dry. 

Sonic frowns at him, brows angling oddly. He reaches for Knuckles’s head, where it feels strangely tender. “Well,” he says, saying nothing about Knuckles’s head, “We’re cuddling for warmth, so I’d actually argue that’s a good thing.” 

“Says you. You’re on the top – meanwhile I’m echidna flambee.” 

“Hi, echidna flambee, I’m Sonic the Hedgehog,” Sonic says. Knuckles groans, even though it hurts his throat. “And FYI, it’s actually pretty chilly up here, you just got lucky to be so insulated with the ground.” 

Knuckles blinks slowly. “Insulated-?”

“We made most of a burrow. It’s a little too airy for my tastes, but there’s three of us, so it had to be pretty big, and I couldn’t totally curl up, so-” 

Knuckles realizes that his head is actually killing him, now that Sonic’s talking. He decides once and for all that he actually hates his friend’s voice and every single pitch he reaches, even at this quiet, nighttime hush. Knuckles squeezes his eyes shut, but it doesn’t block out the sound. 

“Uh,” Sonic says, oblivious. “You okay? Something hurt?” 

Knuckles grunts. Pretends his head doesn’t feel like it’s about to split open. “You two are literally lying on top of me, and Tails’s elbow is digging into my ribs. I wouldn’t call myself hurt. But you’re not exactly comfortable.” 

“Oh, good, I thought something was actually wrong-” 

“I want out from under here.”

Sonic huffs. “In a bit, okay? Tails is still asleep, and I’m on guard. We’ve got to stay warm, but I can try to add another air channel for you to get a bit more of a breeze-”

“Trust me, staying warm isn’t the issue here. Just switch with me if you’re so cold,” Knuckles snaps. “I can be on guard instead.” 

“Uh, no,” Sonic says. “No way.”

“No-?”

“No.” Sonic, grudgingly, takes on a more honest tone. “Listen, okay? You got hurt. You haven’t stayed awake and aware for very long at a time. And if you move, you’re going to wake Tails. I’m doing a good job protecting you guys right now, and I don’t need to sleep yet. So close your eyes, think cool, breezy thoughts, and go back to sleep. Unless something’s bleeding again, you’re just gonna have to deal.” 

Knuckles growls. But Sonic puts a hand over his mouth, glaring at him. 

“Quiet. It’s not Tails’s fault, okay? Don’t wake him. Don’t tell me there’s never been a way-too-hot day in Angel Island that you didn’t just choose to sleep through in the shade,” Sonic says. “So just do that, okay? The dangerous stuff will be gone soon, and then we can try to move again.” 

Knuckles narrows his eyes. Grabs Sonic’s hand almost hard enough to crush it. Sonic doesn’t flinch though. Knuckles grits his teeth, but finally eases up, instead just using his grip to force Sonic’s hand away from his mouth. Then, reluctantly asks, “...What dangerous stuff?”

“We’re in the jungle,” Sonic says. “All the nocturnal stuff out here wants a snack. So the best way we can stay safe is burrowing, and making sure the only airflow is coming from the top.” 

“...And what’s stopping them from finding us and digging us out-?”

“Spikes.” Sonic grins. “Why do you think I’m on top, knucklehead?” 

Knuckles clicks his tongue at the nickname. “Asshole.” 

“Bigger asshole,”  Sonic says. He grins down at Knuckles, meeting purple eyes in the dark. Both sets glow just a little in the limited reflected light, both originating from nocturnal species – though the shine on their eyes is nothing to Tails. Then, finally, Sonic relents. “...If you’re hot, you might just be thirsty. There’s some water in the bag by Tails’s hip.” 

Knuckles nods his head, just a little. Then, awkwardly roots around for it, finally finding a small satchel with some water bottles. 

“Might take some teamwork,” Sonic says. “You up for a challenge? I can help-” 

“Go to hell,” Knuckles says. But when he can’t quite get the cap off with one hand, Sonic holds it steady, and doesn’t even tease him that much – not until Knuckles needs help waterfalling it into his mouth. They manage to avoid Tails’s head, but not much else. 

“Save some for Tails,” Sonic says, when Knuckles doesn’t stop halfway. “We’ll find more fresh water as soon as dawn hits and we can get outta here, but he might get thirsty before that.” 

“And you?” 

“Can’t really drink from this angle,” Sonic says – the only one of them facing downward. He smiles like it’s no big thing. “Relax. I’ve gone wayyy longer without water. I won’t be thirsty for a long while.” 

Knuckles finds that hard to believe – but upon further review, not as hard as he thinks. Sonic very rarely has to drink much water, even after lengthy runs. Huh. The only exceptions are after exploring hot places for too long, but even then, Sonic only looks annoyed – not panting as bad as Tails does, or fanning himself like Amy. Sonic probably makes up for not carrying around water by always having some at meals, Knuckles thinks. 

(And never drinking dehydrants, like coffee – though that’s probably more that Sonic would vibrate out of this plane of existence if he had caffeine.)

“Take it easy on the wilderness-explorer stuff,” Knuckles finally says. “You’ve got nothing to prove. It’s not like you’re feral.” 

Sonic raises a brow. “What, a guy’s gotta be feral to know how to survive out in the elements-? What does that make you, up in your island?” 

Knuckles glowers. “An actual wilderness explorer expert. Unlike you.” 

“Unlike me?” 

“Yeah. You’re such a city boy,” Knuckles says. “A million billboards have your face on them down in Station Square-” 

“I don’t even have a house. And you think I’m a city boy-?” There’s actual offense in his tone – surprised offense, like Knuckles has said something truly off-the-wall. “Wow. Okay. Knuckles, seriously, what did you think, I was just some kid who ran away from home to fight Eggman?” 

Knuckles, admittedly, had never thought about it much. 

“Yeah,” he says. “Sure. Why not. Why wouldn’t you be?” 

Sonic stares at him, expression totally blank. “So I’m just- some guy?” 

“Yeah?” Knuckles shrugs. “Duh. Of course you’re just some guy.” 

For some reason, that phrase seems to break Sonic. He blinks at Knuckles for a very long time – clearly surprised, and a little put off. Then, out of nowhere, he laughs. Then, he punches Knuckles’s shoulder. “Yeah, alright. You got me. I’m just some guy. Ran away from home and never looked back, that’s me.” 

Knuckles gets the feeling that this is somehow untrue. Sonic’s grin tells him enough.

But it also tells him that Sonic doesn’t mind him getting it wrong. 

Knuckles punches his arm right back. “Don’t think you’re special, city boy. The only one with a magical destiny is me. Anything you know about surviving in the wild-”

“Yup. Learned it in a book,” Sonic chirps. 

Knuckles huffs. “You read wilderness survival books?” Because the image of Sonic curled up somewhere with a book is… Not entirely unbelievable, Knuckles realizes. But not one he would’ve immediately associated with Sonic. Which he thinks – maybe that’s the point? 

“Audio books,” Sonic says, not allowing him to confirm that little mental picture. Instead of a stationary, still Sonic – one that no one has ever been able to reconcile with the real deal – it lets him paint a picture of Sonic racing through the world with a story keeping pace with him.  “You know. For when I’m running.” 

Whatever fiction Sonic is building – or not building, because maybe there are grains of truth here, since he’s certainly seen Sonic with headphones in while running – Knuckles decides to feed into it. To believe it until there’s a reason not to. 

Because if there is something bigger at play with Sonic’s history– 

Well. If Sonic wanted anyone to know, he’d have told them. And that’s enough for Knuckles to decide not to pry. 

For the same reason, Knuckles thinks, that Sonic isn’t prying about where Knuckles learned all his wilderness survival skills. Maybe for Sonic, the answer isn’t ‘parents who died when he was young, but still old enough to learn how to keep himself safe.’ But Knuckles doesn’t really need to know the answer. Doesn’t think Sonic wants to share something that might change how others look at him. 

“Like you listen to anything but rock,” Knuckles says. 

Sonic grins. “Sure, sure – but you haven’t lived until you’ve listened to the Chaotix try a podcast.” 

“...What’s a podcast?” 

“Oh, buddy. When we get outta this burrow, just you wait.” Sonic laughs again, then punches his shoulder. “You should go back to sleep though, dawn’s not for another few hours – and if I have to describe the last episode and how Vector tried to explain NFTs to Mighty and Ray, who’ve been off the grid for the last four years–” 

“NFTs?” 

Sonic chokes on a laugh. “–Like I was saying. If I had to explain it, I’d laugh too hard and wake Tails.” 

Tails, for his part, grumpily elbows Sonic in the stomach. 

“Heh. Whoops. Sorry, buddy,” Sonic says, and lightly rubs the little fox’s ears, right in that sweet spot all canines have. “Go back to sleep.” 

“Great, you’re putting him back to sleep,” Knuckles gripes, though not quietly enough to force Tails to wake. “Stop that. We were supposed to switch places if he woke up.”  

“Nope, I told you you’d lose a hand if you woke him.”

“Sounds like your laughter is what woke him. You got any penalties for yourself?” 

“That’s my right as his big brother,” Sonic says, and there’s an unabashedly fond look on his face as he continues putting the little fox back to sleep. “Now both of you, go back to sleep. We’re fine here, it’s just another few hours til dawn.” 

Knuckles grumbles under his breath. But his head still hurts, and it’s hot, but not so unpleasantly hot now that he’s had some cool water – and fine, he’ll admit it. It feels strangely safe to sleep here, underground, with a friend watching over him. He wonders if the Master Emerald feels this safe when he watches over it. 

Wonders for a second how common this was for Sonic and Tails on their adventures. Wonders, just for a moment, if the little fox might have more insight on where Sonic came from, if he’s not a city boy. 

Then he falls asleep, and doesn’t bother with that line of thinking when he wakes up. 

His friends are his friends – what matters more than refilling their water in the morning and finishing their adventure? What matters more than trashing Eggman’s base and high-fiving at the end? 

(Knuckles thinks he might be hanging around Sonic too much with that last one, but he minds a surprisingly little amount.)

Chapter 4: “Do you know how to use a first aid kit?” Tails + classic!Sonic

Summary:

hi! forgot to post this before. crossposted from tumblr from a few days ago when i was still taking new prompt requests. prompt was, "Do you know how to use a first aid kit?" Ended up with Sonic and Tails as the characters, but specifically Classic Sonic.

Chapter Text

Tails is halfway through an errand – dropping off seed packets to Vanilla to repay her for the flowers she donated for Amy’s birthday – when a portal appears out of the sky. 

A blue hedgehog drops out, which is just par for the course. When Tails was younger, he probably would’ve been worried and called out for him. But seeing as this has happened at least once a month for the last several years, Tails no longer wastes the adrenaline. 

Instead, Tails simply reacts. He flies a little faster than usual, and as always, hopes to catch Sonic before he hits the ground. 

(Not that he’s all that worried even if he doesn’t get there in time. Sonic has a tendency to break falls with his face, and it’s never done serious damage before, even falls from space. Tails doubts it’ll start hurting him now.) 

Still, as Sonic falls, Tails can’t help but think it’s odd timing. He wasn’t really expecting Sonic back yet, seeing as he was visiting the Wisps. It doesn’t take that long to travel to and from Planet Wisp, but Sonic was planning on spending at least a few days there. For once, they really weren’t expecting any trouble from Eggman. Though of course, that’s always what Eggman wants them to think, so maybe Tails should’ve known better. 

Either way, Tails will probably get an explanation once his brother has safely touched down. 

…It’s not until Tails actually catches Sonic that he realizes his mistake. 

This, it would appear, isn’t Sonic. Or at least, not his Sonic. 

Tails probably should’ve guessed it, seeing as he came through a portal. Speaking of, he glances up at the portal just in time to see it close, long before Tails ever would’ve been able to fly him back through. 

Then, he glances at the little hedgehog in his arms, and does some basic deductive reasoning to find that there’s no way this version of Sonic is the free spirited nineteen-year-old he knows and loves. 

For one, this Sonic is less than half the size he’s supposed to be – probably closer to a third. If that didn’t give it away, the short quills and round belly do. Even though Tails has seen Sonic’s younger form a few times, he never stops being surprised at just how small he is. Er, was. Seeing him up close, it’s always hard to believe Sonic was fighting Eggman at this age. 

This age being nine, at most. Give or take a few years – Tails was never great at identifying hedgehog growth patterns.  

Deductions made, Tails gently deposits Sonic on the ground in front of him. Thanks to Tails’s latest growth spurt, even at his full height, Sonic could stack three of himself and only just barely make it to Tails’s chin. Sonic doesn’t even seem to realize it’s out of the ordinary. Instead, he just squints up at him, hands on his hips. 

Right. Shorter Mobians hate it when bigger ones don’t respect their stature. Not wanting to be rude, Tails takes a seat in front of him and waves. “Hey there.” 

Sonic – Mini-Sonic, he decides – doesn’t answer. He only looks marginally less suspicious now that Tails is sitting. 

“Don’t worry, we’ll get you home again in no time,” Tails says, trying to sound friendly, remembering just how out-of-sorts Mini-Sonic had been last time he’d been flung into an alternate timeline. “It’s nice to see you again, though! What tossed you through a portal this time?”

Mini-Sonic just frowns at him – like he’s the suspicious one. 

“It’s okay if you’re upset,” Tails says. “I would be too, if I was in your shoes. But you can trust me. As soon as you’re ready, I’ll take you back to my lab and we’ll start working on a portal to get you back home.” 

Somehow, that’s the wrong thing to say. Mini-Sonic’s quills raise defensively, and he takes a pronounced step back. Almost, Tails realizes a beat too late, like he’s about to run off. 

“Wait!” 

On reflex, Tails reaches out and takes his hand. It’s only because Mini-Sonic is so tiny that Tails manages it. Mini-Sonic, try as he might, is just not fast enough to escape Tails’s grasp. Tails counts his lucky stars. He definitely wouldn’t have been up for chasing down a miniature version of his big brother today. 

However… When Tails actually grabs him, Mini-Sonic does not seem thrilled. He doesn’t look scared, exactly – but there’s an annoyance, a wariness, that Tails isn’t used to. He pulls against Tails’s grip to no avail. It’s almost funny how little a difference it makes, how hard Mini-Sonic seems to be pulling and how easy it is to keep him in tow. 

“Just tell me what’s going on, okay?” Tails says, not yet letting go. “I promise I’ll help.”

That’s when Tails remembers – embarrassingly late – that Sonic is years away from being able to talk. And he’s not entirely sure that this Sonic is fluent enough in sign to hold a conversation even if he did have both hands free. 

Not how Tails saw his Monday going, that’s for sure. 

He sighs. It’s bad enough that his Sonic’s somewhere out in space again, nowhere to be seen. 

But the fact that Sonic’s younger self is here probably doesn’t bode well. No offense to the little guy, but he never shows up unless Sonic’s in an awful lot of trouble. 

Still, it’s impossible to be mad at him. Especially since this version might actually be even younger than usual. Sonic’s usual younger self is usually still a couple of years older than Tails – but now that Tails has grown up a little, this one almost seems to have shrunk, even taking into account Tails’s own greater height. Sonic was definitely a bit of a late bloomer as far as hedgehog species go, but this one barely makes it up to Tails’s knees. 

It takes Tails a moment, but he finally realizes that just because he’s met a younger Sonic… doesn’t mean that this younger Sonic has met him. 

It’s entirely possible that this one is from even earlier in the time-stream than the ones he’s met.

Meaning Mini-Sonic probably has no idea who Tails is.  

Tails stares at the little hedgehog in front of him, and realizes he’s way, way out of his depth. 

That’s also when he notices the tiny red spots on Sonic’s socks. Tails frowns, and follows the red up to his spindly little legs, where there’s a purple patch of sticky fur just above his knee. 

“You’re hurt,” Tails says, feeling even guiltier for grabbing him now. “How bad is it?” 

Of course Sonic didn’t want to be manhandled. He never did anyways, but especially not if he was hurt and didn’t recognize Tails. He barely handled manhandling now, as an adult. 

Mini-Sonic still couldn’t talk though, and still showed no sign of recognizing Tails. And as much as Tails would’ve liked to let him go, Mini-Sonic just kept glancing between Tails’s hand and his easiest escape route, meaning that if he gave him even an inch, Mini-Sonic would shoot off, never to be seen again. 

Tails sighs. Time to do this the old fashioned way. 

“Chili dogs first,” he decides, and easily scoops up mini-Sonic – quills digging into his arms and all – “Then a first aid kit. We’ll patch up your leg, and hopefully by then you’ll realize I’m not trying to hurt you, Sonic.” 

Finally, Sonic’s ears prick up. Tails realizes it’s the first time he’s called him by his name. Duh – no wonder Sonic had reacted so poorly. 

“I know your name because I know you,” Tails says, and watches Sonic’s face turn doubtful. “...In the future,” Tails corrects, “Which is where you are. The future.”

(Under his breath, he mutters, “Chaos, how does Silver deal with this?”) 

Sonic’s doubtful frown doesn’t budge. 

Tails wishes he knew how to convince him. 

Still… even if it’s not good that Mini-Sonic doesn’t trust him, Tails can’t help but chuckle at the way distrust looks on his big brother’s tiny face, chubby cheeks and all. 

It helps Tails stay coolheaded, too, as he flies in the direction of the nearest city, hoping he’s got enough cash for some chili dogs. He’s flying a bit higher than he needs – hopefully the height will be enough of a deterrent to keep Mini-Sonic from biting and clawing him until he wriggles away. Truthfully, Tails is just surprised that Sonic hasn’t done so already. He always imagined Sonic would’ve been a bit more of a gremlin as a kid.

It’s weird that he’s so calm. Tails decides maybe it has something to do with the portal he went through, or the fact that he’s injured. 

“Don’t you worry,” Tails says, unable to resist the urge to rub between Sonic’s ears. Huge, shiny black eyes look up at him, clearly unused to the affection, despite how basic it is. “We’re getting you something to eat first, then I’ll fix up your leg. Or – you’ll fix yourself up, if you don’t want me to. Sonic never says much about his early years, but I figure you probably already know how to do it, right? I mean, clearly you have to, no way you got older without ever figuring out how to wash out an injury and patch it up, and…” 

Mini-Sonic tilts his head at him. 

“You know – patching up injuries,” Tails says, and taps the uninjured skin near Sonic’s knee. 

Mini-Sonic, for all that he seems to mostly understand him, just blinks. 

“...Do you know how to use a first aid kit?” 

Mini-Sonic just scrunches his brows at him, and Tails realizes that his Monday has just gotten even longer. Once the normal-age Sonic gets back, he’s going to need to answer a lot of questions… 

But first, he reminds himself with a deep breath, chili dogs. He might know nothing about raising kids, but at least he knows Sonic well enough to have a cheat sheet. Tails has a feeling he’ll need it. 

Chapter 5: "Here, let me carry you." Knuckles + Tails + Sonic

Notes:

again crossposted from tumblr!

Chapter Text

It’s always something with those two, Knuckles thinks when he sees the Tornado touch down, engine smoking, and passengers worse for wear. He shakes his head at them, already telling himself that he really has to draw the line somewhere, that he’s helping no one when he’s constantly bailing these two out of whatever shenanigans they’ve gotten themselves into. 

No way is he intervening. Not even when he sees Sonic – visibly singed, and limping when he hops out of the Tornado. Knuckles is a rock. Wholly unmoved by their plight. 

It lasts for all of three more seconds.

Tails flies out of the Tornado then, looking strained, like the movement is painful. Knuckles has already taken a step closer to investigate. That’s when Tails falls out of the air, leaving Sonic to scramble to catch him. He does, barely, and only by grabbing Tails’s scruff. But the movement unbalances Sonic, and they land in a heap. 

Knuckles sighs. 

It wouldn’t be the worst thing to help him, he begrudgingly admits. As long as they don’t need the Master Emerald.

With that in mind, he shakes his head, already cursing his lack of willpower. But they do seem to need help, even if it’s only a safe place to sleep and heal. As long as they don’t need the Master Emerald, Knuckles supposes he can live with that. 

Sonic and Tails are still in a heap on the ground when Knuckles arrives. He peers down at them, and only Sonic blinks his eyes open to look at him. 

They glare at each other for a moment, each testing the other’s willpower. 

Then, Sonic gently nudges Tails to wake him up. 

Tails yawns and rubs his eyes. “Hm?”

Knuckles waits patiently for the little fox kit to notice him, and prepares himself for the inevitable startling. It passes quickly – to his surprise, Tails seems happy to see him. 

“Hello to you too,” Knuckles says after a beat. “Should I even ask what happened?”

“Robotnik,” Tails says seriously, in that too-old-for-a-little-kid voice of his. Smart, but with childish lilts on many of his words. “Can we stay here for a little while? Sonic got really hurt.” 

Sonic huffs. He gently smacks the back of his hand against Tails’s arm, but Tails just smiles. 

“Please?” Tails adds. “We’ll be good houseguests this time.”

It is definitely not what Sonic was getting at, Knuckles thinks. He can’t even picture Sonic trying to raise Tails to be polite. Whatever polite attitude he has is surely due to whoever raised Tails prior to… however it is they met. 

Knuckles tsks. “It’s fine. As long as Robotnik didn’t follow you, you can stay here. But once you heal up, I want you off my island.” 

Tails looks immediately relieved. “Thank you. Hear that, Sonic? Knuckles let us stay after all!”

Sonic makes a movement with his hands that Knuckles doesn’t catch, but that makes Tails pout. 

“He will too have food,” Tails says. Then, shyly, glances up at Knuckles. “...Right? If we do have to catch it ourselves, that’s okay too of course, I was just, um, wondering.”

Knuckles’s eye twitches. But he keeps his temper in check. For now. “I have soup,” he says flatly. “That should do it for you two until you can forage for yourselves.” 

The promise of food, it seems, finally is enough to rouse them. Sonic slowly gets to his feet, with Tails struggling to help him, and between the two of them, they finally get upright. Tails attempts to help Sonic walk, but Knuckles doesn’t trust the fox kit’s shaky legs as much as Sonic seems to. 

“Stop.” 

Tails and Sonic blink up at him with twin confusion. “What?” Tails asks. 

Knuckles easily pushes between them. Without a word, he slips one of Sonic’s arms around his neck, so he doesn’t have to lean on the kid to walk. 

Truthfully, Knuckles is surprised Sonic is letting him – but even though he must be in pretty rough shape, it has to be a relief not to make the little kid prop him up. Even though Knuckles is deeply skeptical at Sonic’s abilities to shepherd a little kid, it’s clear he cares about him and doesn’t want to burden him. Which is only right, seeing as the kid can’t be more than five. 

Tails, even more than Sonic, looks relieved. “Thanks, Knuckles,” he says. Then, he starts to step forward with shaky legs of his own. 

Knuckles uses his free hand to grab him by the scruff. 

Sonic makes a choked sound and tries to squirm away, but Knuckles doesn’t give him the chance to.

“Here,” Knuckles says mildly, “Let me carry you.” 

It’s not as though he’s giving Tails much of a choice, of course, seeing as Tails is still held up by the scruff. But Knuckles thinks it’s extremely polite of him to at least explain. 

“Are you sure?” Tails finally asks, in a small, uncertain voice. 

Knuckles just grunts. Instead, he answers Tails by scooping him up and resting him on his hip. Tails seems to know what to do from there, saving both him and Knuckles the embarrassment of saying another word about it. Still, his namesake tails swish uncertainly even as he loops his legs around Knuckles’s middle.

“...Thanks,” Tails finally says, voice small as he buries his nose into Knuckles’s white crescent patch. 

“Next time don’t get injured,” Knuckles says flatly. But there’s warmth in his voice despite himself. 

From there, they make a lopsided, limping trio. But even Knuckles can admit to feeling relieved when they all sit down for soup a few minutes later, sitting in the warm glow of the Master Emerald and its shrine. 

Chapter 6: "It's just a headache, I'm fine." Silver + Sonic

Notes:

crossposted to tumblr!

Chapter Text

The day is saved, Sonic’s friends are all safe, Eggman’s retreated, the rubble is being cleared, and the sun is even coming back out. All in all, a 10/10 adventure, if Sonic does say so himself. 

He thinks so, anyways, until he spots Silver slumped over against a chunk of concrete. 

Alarmed, Sonic skids to a stop and whips a u-turn. 

“Silver!” he exclaims, ducking down until he’s in Silver’s field of vision. Or, he would be, if Silver wasn’t squeezing his eyes shut like he’s injured. “What’s wrong, are you hurt? I thought you said you were fine when Amy was taking a head count-” 

“I’m not hurt.” Silver says it like he means it, but he also says it like he’s barely managing to get the words out, so sue him if Sonic doesn’t believe him. “I’m seriously. You can go home, Sonic, I’ll find my own way back.” 

“Sure, but how are you supposed to return to the future if you can’t even sit up straight?”

Silver groans and rubs his head. “Can you quiet down?” 

Sonic’s ears twitch. He hadn’t thought he was being that loud, but he does, at least, honor the request. “Okay,” he says, quieter. He looks around for enemies that might have snuck up on them, but no luck. “...Why are we whispering?” 

Silver groans and rubs his head more vigorously, at his temples. “Why are you saying anything at all?”

It sounds like Silver is just being rude again, at first. But… he’s clearly in pain. Sonic frowns, trying to puzzle it out. He taps his foot, irritated with himself for not automatically knowing the answer. He’s sure he knows the solution to this one, but what…? 

“Do you have a concussion?” Sonic asks, in a very tiny whisper. He’s not really sure how to treat them, seeing as he has an incredibly durable head and so do Knuckles and Amy, and he’s never, ever, ever let anything get close enough to Tails or Cream’s heads to risk finding out if they’re as durable yet. 

“A concussion-?” Silver finally blinks his eyes open to try and peer up at Sonic in pure confusion, but he’s still squinting in the afternoon light. He winces, then squeezes them shut just as fast. “No, it’s not a concussion. It’s just a headache, I’m fine.” 

Oh. 

Well, Sonic thinks, that’s a lot simpler. 

The only person he knows who gets regular headaches is Vanilla – Sonic always figured it was just something people got when they got old. Silver’s younger than he is, but maybe it has something to do with him being from the future. 

Or, he realizes a beat too late, having powers that stem from his mind. Huh. 

Fortunately, Sonic knows just the thing for headaches. “Wait right there,” he says, in that same quiet voice. “I’ll be right back with just the thing.” 

He doesn’t wait for Silver to tell him not to bother – “It’s no use!” is what he thinks he hears as he runs off, but that could just be his mind playing tricks on him. Instead, he pops into the nearest nurse station and grabs what Cream always gets her mom when Vanilla says she has a headache. 

Ice, earmuffs, water, and an eye-mask. Sonic thinks Vanilla often takes some medication, but he’s not sure what type, and also Silver’s got a pretty horrible immune system so he doesn’t want to risk giving him something that’ll make him feel worse on accident. 

When Sonic returns with an armful of supplies, Silver is laying on the concrete. Sonic can’t help but feel guilty if this really is from Silver overusing his powers. 

Every time Silver comes from the future, it’s always to help with a crisis – or to prevent something bad from turning into a crisis. He might have a personality that Sonic can’t quite figure out – maybe it’s as changeable as that timeline of his, who knows – but he’s still dependable in a pinch. 

Sonic just hopes that these will help him feel better. 

Sonic drops into a crouch beside him, then carefully slips on the earmuffs. “For the noise,” he says, still in a quieter voice than before. Silver looks up at him, baffled, but when he winces at the light, Sonic presses the eye-mask into his hands, for Silver to put on himself. 

“Water will help, and the ice will make it feel a little better too. I made sure the ice pack is extra durable so you won’t prick it open,” he adds, noting the way Silver’s front quills stick straight up. “Just try it, alright? I dunno what fancy stuff you use for headaches in the future, but hopefully this is good enough for now.” 

“We- well, it depends on the timeline,” Silver says, reaching for the ice pack first. He lets out a sigh of relief once it hits his head, shoulders immediately losing their tension. “But… in the one I just came from, this is a lot better.” 

Sonic quirks a smile. “Well, I’ll leave you to it, okay? Unless you’d rather I speed you off somewhere a little less, uh…” He gestures vaguely to the rubble around them both. 

Silver waves a hand, then reaches up and ties the eye-mask around his head. “No, this is perfect, I think this rubble is comfier than the concrete bed I was using before… Thanks, Sonic.” 

Sonic grins and shakes his head in bemusement, though Silver can’t see it. “Happy to help. And drink that water!”

“I will, I will.” To prove it, Silver opens the recyclable plastic bottle, and tips it to his mouth. 

Deciding that Silver’s already well on his way to feeling better, Sonic speeds off. And, just for Silver, even chooses not to leave a Sonic boom in his wake until he’s a few miles away. Just to be nice. 

Chapter 7: “Try to eat something.” Amy + Sonic

Notes:

crossposted to tumblr!

Chapter Text

“Try to eat something,” Sonic encourages, and it’s clear from the reassuring look on his face that he’s trying, in his own way, to make her feel better. But the thought of eating right now just sends another wave of anxiety-nausea through Amy. 

“I’d like to see you try to eat something, if you were about to go speak in front of… of…” 

“The whole planet?” Sonic says encouragingly. “You’re right. That’s why I’ve got the best public speaker this side of Mobius to do it instead.”

“Ough.” Amy leans over a potted plant, and Sonic politely looks away as she gags. Maybe he needs to try another strategy here… 

Sonic peels off his gloves then licks his finger and thumb. He fixes up a few of her quills that have been in disarray all day – they’ve been bothering him just to look at, and he’s sure that she doesn’t want to be on TV with her quills out of place. 

“Are you messing them up?” she complains. 

“Would I do that?” Sonic asks, and continues tidying them up until they’re all laying perfectly in place under her headband. Satisfied, he slips his glove back on. Then, he rests a hand on her shoulder. “...Feeling any better?” 

“If I made a joke about faking my death to get out of this,” Amy says, “Would you see that as insensitive?” 

Sonic just snickers. 

Amy groans, then finally gets to her feet. Her knees are still shaking. “Do we even really need to give a speech? You gave one already, didn’t you?” 

“To Tails, another version of me, and that guy who saved me from space jail – by the way, do you like, usually send rookies to bail out your MVP? No offense, and I’m grateful for having someone bust me out, but I kind of was expecting you or Knuckles or Tails-?” 

Amy’s eye twitches.

“Anyways,” Sonic says, and smoothly stands her upright, “It wasn’t a great speech. Because I’m not a speech-maker. You on the other hand – I bet you could make everyone feel safe and hopeful again.” 

“What if I just copy what you said?” 

“Again, the speech I gave, just to me, alternate-version-of-me, Tails, and rookie? Or the one after mini-me went home? Because I’m pretty sure neither of them lasted more than thirty seconds, and I can’t remember any of it.”

“I thought it was fine,” Amy says. “Maybe that should be the time estimate I’m rooting for too, come to think of it…” 

Sonic chuckles and pats her on the back. “Whatever you think is best,” he says. “But I wasn’t kidding about eating something before going up there. You look like you’re about to pass out.” 

Sonic plucks a tiny protein bar from his quills. Amy blinks. 

“Perks of having longer quills – I still can’t believe you keep them so short,” he says, and passes her the bar. “Eat, okay? And drink some water. And remember the most important thing about speech-making!”

Amy nibbles on the bar, unwilling to admit she already feels slightly better. “So you do have actual advice?”

Sonic winks and shoots finger guns at her. “Leave them wanting more.” 

“So I should keep it under thirty seconds.” She sighs, then glances down to the cards she’s meticulously plotted out. Why can’t these be tarot cards instead? She’s much better at reading those. “Oh, man…” 

With that, Sonic starts for the exit, ducking out and only dipping his head inside. “You’re gonna do great,” he says, more kindly this time. “I’ll be in the front row, okay? No matter what happens, I’ll make sure everyone cheers.” 

With that, he closes the door behind him. 

Amy takes a deep breath, then gathers the cards in front of her again. 

Then, shreds all but one and walks to the exit, herself. Short, sweet, and to the point. They have a world to rebuild, after all.

Chapter 8: “Did you hear me?” Tails + Sonic

Notes:

crossposted to tumblr

Chapter Text

Tails has been glued to his communicator for hours now. 

Occasionally, Sonic is sure that he’s taken a break to blink, maybe even to munch on the pile of snacks Sonic left next to him. But other than that, nothing. 

Not that Sonic has been here the whole time, of course. Once he saw that Tails was busy, Sonic went on a quick jog through Emerald Coast to give him some time to finish up whatever genius invention he was cooking up. Oddly enough, no one was around anywhere near Emerald Coast, leaving him with plenty of time to catch up with some of his little animal friends. (They’re doing great, thanks for asking.) Station Square was just as quiet as Emerald Coast, too. A few people were out and about, so Sonic waved at a few people who didn’t seem to notice him. Kids, mainly, and focused pretty intensely on a video game they were playing. There were a few adults, too. Positively glued to their phones, those guys – but these days, it’s par for the course. Sonic usually gets a few of them to look up, though. 

But by now, that was hours and a half-baked adventure ago. Now that Sonic’s back, he’s surprised to find Tails still exactly where he was, which is why he gets a strange prick of worry in his stomach as he thinks back through his trek through Station Square. 

They couldn’t possibly be linked, right? 

But… Tails isn’t even tinkering with something. Seriously, who is this kid, and what’d he do with Sonic’s little bro? 

Sonic perches on the wing of the Tornado, watching and waiting for any sign that Tails has even noticed him. 

Nothing. Not even an ear flick or a tail swish. 

Man. Whatever he’s focused on, it really does have all his attention. 

Enough is enough, Sonic decides – and skillfully hops down until he is instead perched on the coffee table. Toes teetering off the edge, but perfectly balanced. 

To Sonic’s surprise, Tails doesn’t even look up. 

“Earth to Tails,” Sonic says, moving closer. Tails doesn’t blink. 

Sonic’s brows furrow. “Did you hear me?” he asks, stomach starting to sink. “Tails? Hello?” 

He waves a hand in front of Tails’s face. Nothing. 

Man. Or rather… Eggman. 

Sonic sighs at the stupid pun. He blows through his teeth, flexes his fingers, and slowly reaches for the communicator. It’s silly, but he knows how much Tails usually booby traps his gear. Sonic should be bracing himself for military grade spy-work. Actually, maybe it’s not too late to loop in Rouge for this?

No, too late, already committed. Sonic steels himself, then yanks the device out of Tails’s hands. 

Tails pitches forward, eyes rolling up in his head. 

“Okay, worse, that’s definitely worse,” Sonic mutters. He sets the device down without looking at it – Chaos only knows what was on that thing – then sits down with Tails propped up in front of him. “C’mon, buddy, you awake yet?” 

Tails’s ears twitch. 

It’s probably not a good sign that even that is such marked improvement. Still, Sonic lets out a sigh of relief, then scoops him up to hug him to his chest. “You’re gonna be just fine,” he says. “Just wake up, okay? Whatever’s going on, I’m gonna need some backup.” 

That seems to do the trick. 

Tails’s ears prick up, and he cracks one eye open. “Backup?” he says, voice sounding faint and far away. “What for…?” 

Sonic laughs, half anxiety, half relief. He ruffles Tails’s bangs. “I’ll fill you in once you’re all there,” he teases. “For now, just promise me you’ll give screens a break until we figure this out?” 

Tails glances up, where his communicator is sitting on the edge of the table, giving off a strange staticky sound. He looks tempted, suddenly, so Sonic waves a hand in front of his face to keep his attention. 

“Hey!”

Annoyed, Tails just bats his hand away. “Is this just another intervention on screen time?” 

“It is when it’s actual hypnosis.” 

Tails opens his mouth to argue – but closes it just as quick, lips quirking to the side. “...This whole thing better not have messed up my Minecraft session,” he finally grumbles, but doesn’t reach for his communicator again. 

Sonic lets out a sigh of relief – then shakes his head, a nostalgic look on his face. “You know, I think I actually predicted this a couple’a years ago…” 

“No way! You predicted we’d do this naturally, and this is clearly Eggman tech.”

“I dunno…” In a flash, Sonic is upright, grinning with hands crossed behind his quills. “You get the same look on your face when you’re coding for too long.”

Tails scrunches his face up in an adorable pout. 

Sonic just grins and pokes his nose. Then, he offers him a hand up, hoping Tails is feeling well enough to stand and get back out there. “Now c’mon,” he says cheerfully. “You’ve gotta help me prove your theory right.” 

Tails only pouts for a second longer. But as always, he takes Sonic’s hand and pulls himself to his feet. It seems to shake off the last of the communicator’s hook on him, and he physically shakes off the stillness. 

“Okay,” Tails says, looking much more alert already. “You said hypnosis… How serious are we talking?” 

“All of Station Square for the last couple of hours,” Sonic says. “That’s bad, right?”

“Yes, but… you have a communicator of your own. Why weren’t you affected?” 

Sonic rubs the back of his head. He definitely won’t admit that he almost never checks his phone unless someone calls twice. Instead, he glances to the beautiful day still happening outside the lab window. The bright, sunny, windy day he’s still itching to get back to. “If I have to guess,” he says with a playfully heavy tone, “I’ve just touched too much grass today.”

Tails punches his arm, and Sonic thinks he probably deserves it.