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Alright. Seems like as good a spot as any, keed." Sonic announced as he plopped himself down in the grass and leaned against a rock behind him.
He and his new buddy had been scouring the blue peaks of Hill Top Zone for a full day now, looking for signs of Robotnik, a chaos emerald, both, whichever came first.
He yawned, long and wide.
It was getting late, and the shadows of the mountains were growing longer. He would usually have the energy to keep going for at least another hour or two, but the trip through the city the last two days had taken its toll.
They had just left the glitz and glamour of the famous “Casino Night Zone” yesterday. And after 2 days of searching for ol’ Robuttnik, they finally found him and chased him out of town, into the mountains.
Casino Night was different than any city Sonic had been in before. (Not to say he'd seen many besides Starlight) But there was no nature, no quiet, and absolutely zero sleep.
Thinking back on it, he couldn't remember being able to get more than an hour of shut-eye at any time during their whole stay.
Between the flashing neon, and the ridiculous noises of the hundreds of slot machines on every corner, sleep was almost impossible. That, and the only decent places they could find to camp, was on the hard concrete roof tops of skyscrapers.
His new traveling companion didn't seem to be having a great time in the city.
Sonic had already caught on to the underlying nervousness in everything that the fox did, but the constant stimulation of the city seemed to put him on a whole other level of ‘on edge'.
He only spoke when it had been absolutely necessary, and his movements were quick, efficient and reserved.
Sonic was more than happy to skip town.
Now, here they were: Smack dab in the middle of West Side Island's beautiful blue-hued mountains.
A young, two-tailed fox jogged up and sat his backpack down several feet away from Sonic, but was quickly captivated by the view in front of them.
"Wow! I've never seen a sunset like this before. I mean, just... this view is incredible,"
The fox stared at the pink and purple streaks in the sky in awe, and it was unclear if he even knew that both of his tails were wagging behind him.
Sonic let go of a bit of tension in his body that he was unaware he was even carrying.
It was good to see his traveling buddy back to his old self again.
Sonic smiled. He'd only known Miles (or Tails, as he preferred to call him) for about a week or two now, but his abounding curiosity never failed to make Sonic smile.
He had been secretly unsure if bringing the kid along would be such a good idea. Tails seemed like a great dude, obviously, but the hedgehog was more of a lone wolf kind of guy. Someone tagging along (especially a little kid) would definitely slow him down.
But now, as much as he hated to say it, he wasn't sure he minded the slower pace. The kid in front of him was, honestly, great company.
Sonic felt that strange warmth nestling itself in his chest again. It was a feeling that he's noticed cropping up now and again, ever since he met the fox cub. It was a new feeling, but it
wasn't unwelcome.
It was... pretty cool... having a friend.
Tails was rambling again.
This time he was rattling off an endless stream of facts about how light hit the atmosphere or something, and how that somehow made the sky so colorful during a sunset.
"-and the size of the dust particles in the air is why the sky is pink right now! I knew that the sky could be pink, but I've never seen such an extreme example," Tails turned to face Sonic,
beaming. “It's so cool!”
“Dang! You're like an encyclopedia, dude!” Sonic grinned. “Where'd you learn all this stuff?”
Tails's demeanor shifted so quickly it almost gave Sonic chills.
Tails's tails stopped swaying and quickly twisted around each other in a spiral, giving the illusion of a single tail. His pupils shrank and the entire rest of his body went still as his smile disappeared.
Sonic could actually feel himself tense up from the sudden shift.
What happened? He hadn't said anything insensitive, right? He did tend to have a problem with that, actually. It was probably why he hadn't made many friends… until Tails, that is.
Sonic rushed to rewind back to what exactly just came out of his mouth, but to his confusion, everything seemed to check out.
Tails seemed to snap out of it enough to finally answer the question.
“Oh, um… places, yah know.” The fox shifted uncomfortably and suddenly found the ground very interesting to look at.
“Yeah?” Sonic kept his expression carefully uninvested as he picked at his teeth with his pinky finger, “like where?”
Tails looked ready to bolt at any second. Sonic hoped he hadn't pushed him too far, but he just couldn't possibly understand why this would be a sore spot for the boy. He could understand why he was protective of his tails, and how he got cagey when Sonic had asked about his parents, or even how he didn't like talking about Emerald Hill. But this? It didn't make any sense.
Sonic stole a half glance at Tails, who still looked like a cornered animal. Oh well, it didn't really matter.
“You don't have to tell me if you don't want, keed. S'cool!”
Tails's eyes finally looked back at the hedgehog. A stunned look replaced the fear on his face, and he seemed to relax a little.
“Oh…”
He stood there for a minute, like he wasn't sure what to do, but he settled on turning his head back toward the sunset.
It worried Sonic, just how long it took for Tails to absorb the fact that Sonic wasn't going to press him for information. He couldn't help but look at the boys namesakes, still spiraled around each other. At least they weren't as tightly wound now.
Sonic could see that Tails's hackles were still raised –his body still in fight or flight mode. Sonic was surprised at the sudden anger that he found welling up inside him. It wasn't directed at the kit, of course! But after a quick think, he figured out the source
Tails wasn't born like this. He was born with the extra tail, obviously, but nobody was born this skittish, ready to bite something or flee at the drop of a hat. (or question, in this case.)
He thought back to the outskirts of that village, where he'd first met the baby fox. Some jerk kids, about Sonic's age, were in the middle of beating the fox up. They pulled on his tails, called him names Sonic wished he could forget, and were kicking him, hard. Tails looked like he'd simply stopped resisting by the time Sonic got close enough to chase his tormentors away.
It was like he was used to it.
Sonic had tried not to think too much about it, but he'd started to wonder if it wasn't just the occasional bullies picking on him, or his deadbeat parents that had abandoned him. He wondered if that whole, worthless village was in on it.
After a good minute of staring at the colors on the horizon, Tails finally crept back over to his backpack, and went to sit crisscross in the grass about a yard from Sonic.
Sonic couldn't stand the awkward silence anymore. He wasn't usually one for forced small talk, but he really wanted to move on from the last interaction.
Before Sonic could open his mouth, though-
“It's, I-” Tails picked blades of grass from the earth in front of him as he gathered his words.
“I used to go to the library a lot, ok?” Tails spat out quickly. He jerked his legs up, and swiftly hid his head between his knees. He tensed, like he expected to be hit for admitting such a heinous crime.
Sonic studied the five year old in confusion, trying to figure out what he was missing.
“Riiiiiiggghhhtt…. Yeah, sorry bud. I don't get it…”
Tails jerked his head back up at the hedgehog and voice raised as his expression tightened with frustration.
“I went to the library, Alright!?” he barked back.
“Yeah, yeah. I get that. But so what? Going to the library's not a crime or anything,” Sonic offered, still feeling dangerously out of the loop.
Tails just buried his face in his knees again and whined.
Sonic's patience was starting to wear a little thin. What on earth could he be not getting here? Despite the growing frustration, he took a breath, and made sure his voice came out as calm and soothing as it could.
“Bud?”
Tails didn't move, but his ear betrayed him as it threw itself in the direction of Sonic's voice.
“Bud… talk to me, wouldja?” He scooted a little closer and Tails flinched. Sonic's instinct was to put a hand on the fox's shoulder, but for once in his life, he second-guessed himself enough to realise that any physical contact would probably make things worse. “I promise I'm not gonna hurt you, ok? I'm not mad either. But I am a little confused at why you think I would be.”
Tails didn't say anything for a moment, nor did he move. But Sonic saw his muscles relax slightly, no longer awaiting impact. It was a good start.
“They don't… They don't let freaks in the library.” Tails's tone was hushed and wobbly, and he kept his face between his knees. But he spoke like it was an obvious rule that everyone knew. Maybe everyone that Tails used to know, did know it.
Despite his best efforts, Sonic's face twisted into a deep scowl. Only for a moment, though, before he regained composure. Thankfully Tails still wasn't looking his way then.
Sonic's prior suspicions had suddenly been proved true, though. That whole, stupid, good-for-nothing, loser village was bent on tormenting this kid. And for what!? Cause he was born with an extra tail?
It took everything Sonic had not to blow up right there. He had to keep cool if he wanted to calm his friend back down.
“Hey, look at me dude,” Tails opened his shimmering eyes and cautiously turned his head, “you are not a freak. And anyone who says so is going to have me to answer for.
He caught a glimmer of hope in the fox's eyes, but it was snatched away just as quickly as it arrived.
“I am a freak,” he growled, burying his face again, “we both know it. So… stop lying… please.”
His words held a bitter finality, and Sonic like a punch in the face.
Sonic could feel his quills raise. Whether it was protectively, or just out of anger, he couldn't tell.
He really couldn't with this kid. He was just trying to help him, and Tails was calling him a liar!?
His instincts told him to bite back, defend himself, to say something mean and sarcastic. Sonic wouldn't ever lie about something like this! He wanted to tell Tails to snap out of it, to get ahold of himself!
But something held him back.
He watched the trembling figure beside him, and his heart softened. Tails wasn't trying to hurt him. Everyone had told him his whole life that he was a freak, that he didn't belong. Of course Sonic's reassurance hadn't made a dent.
The hedgehog's quills smoothed back out and he let out a sigh. He turned his attention back to the cotton candy colored horizon that started this whole thing.
After a moment, a light bulb flicked on in his skull.
Oh, you clever hedgehog. Man, Im good!
Sonic folded his hands behind his head and flopped down on the grass behind him. “Guess that makes me a freak too, then.”
Tails snapped up like he had just been slapped. “What!? N-no! You're awesome!!! How could you be- no you aren't!? You're the coolest guy, like… EVER!!!” His eyes were wide as he desperately tried to refute Sonic's absurd claim. The young fox looked at Sonic like he'd just said the Earth was shaped like a giant chili dog!
“Nope, bud. ‘Fraid it's true,” Sonic casually replied with his eyes closed, “I'm just a good for nothing freakazoid. That's all there is to it!”
Tails was getting desperate now. “Geh, buh- geh… eh, whuh!!?”
Sonic held back the grin that threatened to emerge. He had the kit right where he wanted him.
A simple, dumbfounded how? was all Tails finally settled on.
Sonic gave a dry chuckle. “Dude, how many hedgehogs do you know that can run at mach 40!?”
“Yeah, but-" Tails began weakly.
“No, no man,” Sonic waved his hand flippantly. “If just having an extra tail gets you a ticket to freak town, I guess I'd basically be the mayor!”
Tails stamped the ground with his foot causing Sonic to jump a little; he must not have seen the boy stand up.
“NO! YOU'RE NOT A FREAK!” He growled. The corners of the kid's eyes were getting dangerously wet. “STOP, S-STop s-saying that.”
The blue hedgehog stared at him for a bit as he took it all in. He meant to snap Tails out of it; maybe lure him into learning a life lesson. Had he messed it up?
Maybe he could still salvage this. Be cool hedgehog, be cool. he thought to himself.
Sonic stood up and put a hand on Tails's shoulder and gave him a warm smile.
“You're right, bud. I'm not a freak, even though I could run from here to the Gobi desert and back before night time! So you, and your super cool extra tail, definitely don't qualify either. K?”
Tails kept his head hung, staring at Sonic's worn out sneakers.
Sonic kept his smile up though, careful not to let the pup see him waver.
The hedgehog put a finger under Tails's chin and gently lifted his head back up. As Sonic expected, tears were now flowing down the fox's face in a steady, quiet stream.
Sonic's face straightened into a serious look.
“Look at me bud, you aren't a freak, got it? I don't care what any of those jerks back in loserville told you, you are not a freak.
So long as you stick with me, kid, you can go whatever library that brain of yours wants to go, or anywhere else. And anyone, anyone, who calls you names like that, isn't worth the dust that they're gonna eat when we speed away.” The corner of Sonic's mouth curled into his signature sly grin again. “Sound like a plan, keed?”
Tails didn't reply, but his wobbly pupils grew wider and his brows pinched. His mouth stayed shut, save for the corners that opened into tear-drop shapes, exposing his clenched teeth.
“nghyyyyeeeEEEEHHHHhhh…”
Tails finally broke, grabbing Sonic in a tight hug as he sobbed, almost knocking him over. “Th-thank-k y–youou-, th-h-thnk yy-” he cried into his friend's chest.
Sonic's eyes widened for a moment. But he slowly reciprocated as he put his arms around Tails's shoulders. “Hey, hey, it's all good, you're good, bud,” he gently assured him.
After a moment of this, Tails broke away and stood back. He sniffled hard, trying to reign it all in. He clutched his arm, and his eyes returned to the ground, looking a little embarrassed about his vulnerable outburst.
Sonic would be lying if he said he didn't wish Tails would have let it last a little longer, but he let him go.
The little genius shuffled nervously. “I'm sorry I yelled at you. I didn't mean to.”
Sonic quickly reapplied his ‘unbothered face’ and shrugged. “Hmm, guess I don't remember that. I think you're imagining things, keed!” He said, ruffling the fur on the boy's head.
“He-Hey!” Tails giggled involuntarily, much to Sonic's relief.
“Well now that we've got that straightened out, I'm STARVIIING!!! I've been itching to try out that new gas stove thingy you picked up in the city!”
Tails smiled, and his body finally appeared to relax a bit again. “Oh yeah, sure!” he said before scampering back to his backpack.
Sonic didn't know he was carrying any, but he felt the tension in his own body release too. He guessed that he was just relieved he was able to get through to the kid. He proudly watched as Tails took out each part of the portable camping stove and put it together without any help from the instructions.
From now on, no-one was ever going to pick on his little buddy and get away with it; he was going to make sure of it. Tails had dealt with more than enough jerk-wads in Emerald Hill, so any more that came along would have to go through him first.
This whole ‘having friends' thing was getting kinda complicated, but as they cooked chili dogs on the camp stove and Sonic dramatically told stories about his first encounters with Dr. Robotnik, causing Tails to double over laughing, he was pretty sure it was gonna be worth it.