Chapter Text
A scream ripped from my throat as I swung my tail down, my eyes locked onto the figure and my teeth clenched as everything else slowly began to fade away.
I cannot miss. I need to kill it!
My tail moved impossibly slow. Unable to take it, my eyes went too close as my attack went to find its target. Can I really do it? I ask myself, my mind drifting to thoughts elsewhere. I find myself hesitating, my eyes flying open in a panic as I realise my odds in defeating this thing, severely decreases. Fuck! I got distracted, can I do it? No, get yourself together, Tails. It's what he would do..!
But instead of the blood red eyes in black sclera that I had been expecting, I find myself second guessing. Perhaps it was the grief of losing my friends, or maybe even a trick of the light, but I found myself staring into an emerging, familiar green before skin split beneath the force of my attack. Crack! A spray of warm liquid hit my face as I felt myself go through bone. Wha- What..? According to my calculations, he definitely should've dodged that! My thoughts interrupted as it hit the ground in a wet splat. A sinking feeling hit my stomach, my eyes darting around at the red splatter in front of me.
Was that…?
I…! What have I done…?
Blood.
Oh my Gaia, there’s blood. There’s so much blood… everywhere..!
Eughkk..! Hik… Hik… My vision started to blur and cloud over as I stumbled and fell to the floor; the sharp smell of copper hit my nose and warm droplets fell into the grass. My hands tangled with wilted blades of grass. Grabbing. Clenching. Holding. Onto anything I could, to keep me upright.
Maybe it was easier to pretend that he was gone.
My first friend. My brother.
My throat hurt.
The sound of my grief was ringing in my pinned back ears, I knew no one would come. And maybe it was a mix of all the nerves and frustration, but it took longer for me to calm down than I ever let myself have.
Sniffle, sniffle.. Fists clench at my sides, nails digging into skin as I feel bile rising to my throat. The sinking feeling of nausea settling at the bottom of my stomach while my quick breaths turn into chesty heaving. I should be glad. This monster took my friends from me, took everything from me…! But why don’t I feel like I won? Between half lucid thoughts and delusions, I lift my head to face the motionless, headless figure in front of me.
It's too much. I can’t believe I… to Sonic…
The taste of acid shot up into my mouth. Eugh.. blehh! Cough, cough..! The liquid splattered into the grass beneath me before I could do anything about it. My eyes blurred once again, the sour smell stinging my eyes, alongside other things, but my eyes stayed glued to the ground, to the mess I just made. I tried to recall the breathing techniques Amy had once taught me, my eyes falling shut.
In… count to three, and out… In, count to three… and out…
I swallowed, ignoring the bitter taste in my mouth. I remember bits and pieces of that night. I spent the entire night hidden under a blanket, my ears pinned and my eyes clenched shut; trying to block out the thunder and strikes of lightning. I was panicking so badly that I couldn’t even register what So- …what was being said to me. Amy, she… Wait, Amy!
Struck by the thought that some of my friends could be alive, my ears twitched. Its flat position perking back up. Quickly swiping away the spit collecting at the corner of my mouth, I forced myself to stand, even on trembling legs. I glanced at the body one last time before glancing around the corrupted land once known as Angel Island. Amy is supposed to be with Cream and Sally today! It never mentioned anything about them, maybe…!
My legs found themselves moving before I could even register what was happening. My mind catching up soon after, with my sprint turning into a spin dash.
—---------------------------------------------------
…..
…
Is this it?
I paused, ignoring the growing ache in my legs- begging me to take a break- as I kicked the ground below me. I slumped down onto a nearby stone and glanced down at my trembling hands, a reminder of the tremors that never fully went away, the tips of my gloves now dirty and stained a dark brown. I glanced up, staring at the skyline. A combination of red, orange and yellow illuminating in the dark and reflecting in my eyes. But I couldn’t see it, not really, anyways.
“Guys? Anyone?! If you can hear me, it’s safe now! It’s gone!”
My voice echoed as I yelled, my throat hoarse and my ears pricked up in hopes of capturing the sound of movement around me, my eyes darting between the rubble and the remains of alight houses, the sound of dirt and gravel crunching beneath my feet as I ran further into the settlement.
It was hot, so damn hot.
I quickly swiped the bead of sweat forming on my brow as they scrunched in concentration and frustration. I trekked closer, my legs planting itself into the ground as I faced a typhoon of great heat singeing the white tips of my fur. I stood in the doorway, winding up for an attack. Whack! The door slammed open, my eyes darted around the room and between furniture before settling on the bed in the corner. To the crimson splatter on the sheets, and for a second, I felt myself forgetting the sweltering heat around me as my blood ran cold.
I took slow… steady… steps. My gaze never leaving the bed, I bit back a gag as I peered over the covers. A gaping hole ripped out in the midsection of a mobian; a fleshy lump on the floor, viscera not yet fully dried. It was clear, no matter how desperate I was to save them… they were far too gone.
Dead. Fuck! I was too late.
There was a sinking feeling in my stomach as my eyes lingered on the corpse. The worst part of it all? The mobian’s eyes were firmly shut, their features relaxed. They looked…. peaceful. Undisturbed.
And for a second, I found myself envying them.
The stinging feeling returned to my limbs as the flames fanned even hotter against my skin- the scent of ash and decay creeping up to me. C’mon! I need to look around further, surely someone is alive…! Reminding myself of my motivations, I dashed out, teeth grit as I swore to myself to keep people safe.
Dead... dead again...
Empty.
Dead…
Empty.
Dead.
Dead, dead, dead. Dead…
Fuck!
My ears pinned back against my skull, but it did nothing to muffle the sound of my teeth grinding against each other. Warmth tricked down my palms, my claws pricking through the fabric of my gloves as they clenched shut. Bracing against the dirt floor as my legs gave out- my eyes clasped shut as I fought off the dizziness that had been slowly building in the background. Wheeze… wheeze…
I couldn’t save anyone… Im…!
“chir..p..”
!!
My eyes flew open as I raised my head, my ears immediately perking up, “Hang on! I’m coming!” I jumped to my feet, clearing myself of any sort of brain fog as I recalled the direction of the noise before I ran as fast as I could. Huff, huff. I scoured the edge of the town, met face to face with a smear of blood trailing into the dense flora ahead. The ends of my fur sticking up as the corners of my mouth curl down for a moment, with a hard swallow, I force myself inside.
“...ir..p”
I heard it again, my slow steps turning into steadfast sprint as I finally reached a close in the forest. There it is. The source of the cries I had been hearing.
“Hey, there’s no need to be scared…”
I approached with small, calculated steps. My hands out placatingly, slowly kneeling against the grass besides the small, blue flicky. Its feathers dyed in crimson from a gash on its side, the severity of the wound undetermined at the angle in which it laid. It looked up at me slowly. “...chi..rp..!” Its eyes seemed to light up as it choked out a greeting, seemingly struggling far more than it should to vocalise. With gentle, still trembling hands, I reached out and scooped the small creature into my gloves.
It was warm.
A different kind of heat than the inferno I had just been in. No. It was… comforting. A reminder of the life, and love, inside of its small, frail body. A reminder of the life we had before this. I raised my hands, my head lowering to rest my forehead against its, my eyes fluttering shut.
“It’s going to be okay…”
I whispered. Neither of us particularly believed the words coming out of my mouth, but we didn’t move. We stayed like that for a while.
I lowered the flicky. It didn't seem to have much more energy left, certainly not enough to keep its head up, but its gaze never left my face.
“Chi.rr.p…!”
My eyes widened, …huh..? Did it…? It must’ve been my face. I don’t know what expression I had on my face, but it couldn’t have been a good one if it was calling out to me like this…
“Were you trying to comfort me, little guy…?”
A huff of fond amusement left my lips, but it was far from comical. A small, sad smile stretching across my lips, “I’m okay, I swear. Just… focus on yourself.” My words come out choppy, the smile wobbling subconsciously.
Its mouth goes to open once more. But this time, no sound comes out. Its eyelids fluttering closed and its body going rigid.
…..
…
I really couldn’t save anyone. I really am worthless.
Eughk..!
My body jerks violently as I jolt out of the memory. “Tsk!” I click my teeth, my brows furrowing as I glance away to the right. Turning towards the upturned dirt in fifteen uniform rows- hand carved letters in hastily made wood signs nailed into the ground below, some being longer, or shorter than others. My gaze lingers on the sight a little longer, taking in the appearance of each individual letter of the makeshift signs.
The feeling in my chest seemed to weigh even heavier, taking shorter breaths as something as simple as breathing seemed to require more conscious effort. Goosebumps formed as I wrapped my arms around myself, moving up and down. It's not cold, why am I trembling..? The corners of my lips quirked up into a smile as I huffed a laugh, one of disbelief, before my vision started to blur; a single warm tear managed to escape. A moment passed.
Huff!
I grit my teeth, the shaky smile morphing into one of resentment while I raised my arm and rubbed at my eyes with the back of my hand. Kicking my feet into the dirt and grabbing the shovel by my side, I hoisted myself back up onto my feet.
I can’t stand being here for much longer. “Seriously…” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as I approached the familiar red biplane to my side. I scrunched up my nose in displeasure before walking past, ignoring the scratched out white letters on the side as I took a seat inside the vehicle.
I seriously need to give this thing a paint job…
—--------------------------------------------------
Tap, tap, tap.
My footsteps reverberated against the metal hallway of Eggman’s lair, a place that in the past, I would’ve never once dreamt of casually stepping foot into. A heavy sigh left my lips as I looked around, scraps pieces of metal and electrical hazards scattered throughout the halls- alongside various craters and smears of oil on the floor that I made sure to avoid.
…Hold on…
I stopped in my tracks, eyes glued to the hunk of metal on the floor outside of Eggman’s quarters, bearing an oddly familiar shape. I crouched down, examining the crushed lump of blue metal, ripped wholly from its main body. “Well made, detailed. Eggman must’ve really cherished this robotnik…” I mumbled to myself as I let out a low whistle and glanced up, my brows furrowing in concentration as I made out a trail of destruction and following metal parts, each with that metallic, blue sheen. An obvious sign of a struggle. The intense, stinging smell of stale oil lingered in the hallway, reaching me here despite being further down the hall.
My legs continued to move. The further I wandered down, the more similar lumps of metal I came across. I crouched down once again, flipping over a significantly larger piece. The dimensions lead me to conclude that this is the main body, despite it missing a head. It can only be him. If the damage isn’t too bad, perhaps I could fix him right up! I prod at the circuits, mindful of the exposed wires sticking out of its chest, its intricate programming smashed to pieces- the motherboard ripped out beside us. I shake my head and stand back up.
Metal… I found my thoughts drifting, glancing away. I must be going crazy… What am I doing mourning the enemy? Making Eggman a grave was stupid enough… The corners of my lips curling into a frown.
Hissss….
The sound of metal doors hissed as they opened, revealing Eggman’s lab. It was certainly no cleaner than my workshop. Blueprints scattered across his desk, a library of research papers, textbooks and… romance novels…? …Nevermind. None of my business. Above, held a hologram, half of the screen being security footage- from what I can assume to be surveillance robotniks on the outside. Although, most of the feed seems to be out of service. And the other half, playing a simulation that was paused midway, built on, presumably, the content written on the blueprints. A chair fit for a king framed the room, rolling slowly away as my foot slammed against its side.
I approached the desk, blowing away the thin layer of dust collecting on the surface before I reached for the papers. My eyes darted side to side as I read through his research.
…
It can’t be…?
After much thought, I concluded Eggman hadn’t been the person to summon that demon, yet… how did he know about…?
My hands that usually trembled, held firm. My grip tightening against the pages as my gaze remained hard, skimming over the words, over and over again. “Hypothetically, if this works…” I mumbled under my breath.
Haah..!
A humourless laugh escaped from my lips, reaching up as I ran my hands down the matted fur of my face, stopping just above my muzzle. My eyes wide and the corners of my lips upturned. I stuffed the blueprints under my arm and took a step back, turning my back as I retreated into the hallway.