Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A gentle wind twirled through the open window. Cool. Fresh. Disturbing the sheer curtains, but making barely a sound.

The door was open, too. Held firmly against the wall by a single red shoe as a makeshift doorstop. The wind rolled through the large gap. Making its way unimpeded into the hallway beyond before losing momentum.

Back against the mattress and quills pressed into a pillow, Sonic inhaled the fresh air. It filled his lungs to the brim before releasing an exhale. Each breath was revitalizing. Another breeze brushed across his skin, almost causing him to shiver.

It would have, if not for the ball of warmth and fluff curled into his side. His fingers absentmindedly caressed the furry head of the sleeping fox. Sonic’s little brother unconsciously leaned towards the touch, and sleepily he nestled closer to the hedgehog. Twin tails rested on Sonic’s lap, a comforting presence unlike the blanket he refused to pull over his body.

The two had settled into this arrangement over the past week. As soon as the war was declared over, they were relieved of their duties to the Resistance. The two tried to put up a fight, but their friends insisted. They needed a break from the mayhem, and time to reconnect after everything that happened.

Everything that happened…

Thus began a week of peaceful solitude at Tails’s house. Not without frequent visits from their friends, of course. But tucked out of sight from the public eye. Separated from the restoration efforts that were already underway. Part of Sonic wanted to help to rebuild the world in the wake of the war, but another part knew he wasn’t capable yet. Physically or mentally.

His body was also in the process of being rebuilt. Standing or walking for too long left his legs weak and muscles as sturdy as jelly. Though it’d been his reality for seven months, it was hard to truly comprehend with his newfound clarity. He’d yet to go for a run.

Sonic missed running.

But he’d missed this more.

Snoozing the night away with his little brother. His best friend. His entire world. Together in Tails’s room, with an open window and open door to reassure Sonic that he was no longer imprisoned. Sleeping on top of each other, and spending every waking moment in some sort of physical contact. Another reassurance. That all of this was real. That they weren’t alone anymore.

And Sonic knew Tails needed this too. Just as much as he did.

So with a soft smile, and one final scratch to the fox’s fuzzy head, Sonic closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

The aroma of sizzling bacon and eggs filled the room in spite of the warm breeze drifting through the opened windows. Sonic reclined on the couch, listening to the scratch of a spatula against a pan and Tails’s humming as he cooked. He glanced over the couch, catching sight of Tails scraping a hearty breakfast from the pan to a large plate. 

Sonic couldn’t help the way his heart clenched. Once, Tails’s chest had been level with the stove. Now it was nearly at his waist. The little fox wasn’t so little anymore. Since the first day of the war to this moment, Tails had grown up in more ways than one. Sonic was sad that he’d missed it.

He hated it, actually, but he wasn’t about to voice that.

“Ready for breakfast?” the fox called over his shoulder. His smile beamed at Sonic like his own personal sun.

“I’m always ready,” Sonic grinned. He pressed his palms into the couch cushions and stood. A bit too quickly.

Sonic let out a surprised grunt as his legs shuddered beneath him. His hands launched forward onto the coffee table to steady himself. He winced and forced his legs to cooperate, only standing again when his feet felt solid on the ground.

“Sonic!”

Sonic cringed inwardly. Of course Tails had noticed. The fox rushed to Sonic’s side and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You alright?”

Sonic forced a tight grin. “Yeah. Feet fell asleep, that’s all.”

Tails frowned and placed his hands on his hips. Reminiscent of Amy whenever she was in a scolding mood.

“Sonic.” Tails shook his head. “Come on. What did we talk about?”

Sonic sighed. The ball inside his chest was tight, trying to hold back any signs of pain or discomfort. But he forced it to loosen.

“Yeah, I know.” Sonic straightened, shaking pins and needles from one foot and moving on to the other. “My legs are still giving me issues. I’m sure it’ll work out eventually.”

Tails nodded, his frown softening. “It will. Your muscles just need time to build up again.”

Sonic huffed, but smiled. “I’ve never been the patient type, Tails.”

The fox smirked playfully, grabbing Sonic by the hand. “It’s never too late to learn how. Now come eat. Food is a one-way ticket to rebuilding that muscle.”

“Say no more.”

Sonic allowed Tails to yank him to the kitchen table. The two sat and scarfed down their food like it was their last meal. Sonic recalled their first day back home, when Tails took his first bite of a home-cooked meal and nearly cried. Seven months of rations had taken their toll. It felt good to have proper food again. A proper place to sleep at night. To see sunlight streaming through the window instead of endless darkness.

Endless darkness and prisons and chains and horrible visions of death and decay and hate and hell…

Don’t think about it. Not now.

Their plates were cleared in minutes flat. Tails gathered the plates and cleaned them, ignoring Sonic’s offer of assistance. The fox didn’t allow Sonic to lift a finger in the house, when just a year prior he’d beg Sonic to keep up with chores instead of shirking them in favor of going for a run. The switch-up felt strange, to say the least. But Tails insisted, so Sonic obliged.

He’d give the fox anything he wanted and more after saving his life.

Sacrificing his own life to save Sonic.

They hadn’t talked about it yet. Not in depth, anyway. A few words here and there, but both shied away from the topic as they reacclimated to “normal” life. Perhaps soon they’d revisit it. Perhaps soon, they’d feel ready to revisit everything that happened during that final battle.

“The gang’s coming over for dinner tonight.”

Tails had finished cleaning and sat at the table across from Sonic. The hedgehog nodded and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Are you sure you feel up to it?”

Sonic nodded again, stretching his arms out in front of him and leaning down on the table. “Of course. I’ve seen and talked to everyone since the war ended, you know.”

Tails sighed. “Yeah, but not all at once. This is the first time we’ll all be together since then.”

After the final battle, their ragtag group of friends were pulled this way and that for restoration efforts. Amy and Knuckles would have vanished entirely if not for their insistence on visiting the brothers once in a while. They’d shared a few words with the others too, but they too were whisked away to help rebuild and regather citizens of the continent. Only Sonic and Tails had stayed away from it all. 

“It’ll be nice to hear what they’ve been up to,” said Sonic. “I’m sure they’ve been busy.”

“I’ll say. I always imagined the end of a war to be peaceful and relaxing. Instead it feels busier than the war itself.”

“I’m sure,” Sonic replied with a gloomy laugh.

He hadn’t been a part of the war.

For those seven months, Sonic was either imprisoned or insane. He hadn’t been a soldier, strategist, or mechanic. He hadn’t done anything to help save their world. If anything, he’d been a hindrance. Another obstacle shoved in their way. He curled in on himself, face crumpling at the thought.

“Sonic?”

Tails’s voice snapped him out of his swirling thoughts. His eyes flitted back to the fox, answering his prompt with a “Hmm?”

“You’re doing that thing again.”

Chaos, that fox could read him like a book. Sonic deflated, ears drooping with him.

“I just…wish I was with you guys, you know? Helping. Fighting. Anything but what I was actually doing.”

Tails frowned. His hand reached across the table for Sonic’s. “You were captured, Sonic. And tortured. It wasn’t your fault.”

“I wish I’d fought harder.” Sonic’s brows furrowed. “I wish I’d tried harder to escape or fight the illusions. Maybe if I did, I could have helped, or－”

“You landed the final blow on Infinite,” interrupted Tails. His fingers caressed Sonic’s knuckles. “I think that’s one hell of a contribution.”

“I know I did, but…” Sonic trailed off and sighed. “It just sucks, you know? Knowing you were all out there fighting and risking your lives, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.”

Tails smiled softly. He fully grasped Sonic’s hand now, squeezing tightly.

“You were fighting for us, Sonic.” The fox’s eyes shimmered. “Every day in that prison and outside of it. Every day that you stayed alive despite what you went through, you were fighting for us. And for yourself, too.”

Sonic gazed at Tails, his own eyes shimmering in that same way.

“That’s just as important,” said Tails. “To fight for yourself.”

Sonic smiled, then chuckled.

“I’ll never get used to you sounding like a wise old man, little buddy.”

Tails giggled, his head tilting back as his laughter splashed towards the sky.

“Try to get used to it, big bro. Because I’ve learned a lot during that war, and I want to share it all with you.”

Sonic grinned, and his tensed body finally relaxed.

“You know I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

Dinner time rolled around quicker than either brother expected. Before they knew it, the sun was setting and their front door burst open. A crowd of smiling faces barrelled inside, all aglow. Amy, Knuckles, Rouge and Shadow had carved time from their hectic schedules for their long-awaited reunion. Though only a week had passed, it felt like an eternity.  

Sonic barely had time to stand from his seat when a pink blur crashed into him. Familiar arms wrapped around him, and Sonic wasted no time in embracing back. Pink hair tickled his nose where his chin rested on Amy’s head. He inhaled. It smelled like flowers.

“Miss me or something?” Sonic joked as the two finally pulled back from the hug.

“Oh, you and your sass!” Amy threw her arms in the air－a gesture of exasperation. But her bright smile said something else. “Of course I missed you.”

Sonic lips curled up, soft and gentle. “I missed you too.”

Suddenly, Knuckles was at their sides, pushing past Amy to get to Sonic.

“Come on, Ames,” said the echidna, “at least let me say hi to Sonic before you make out with him.”

Amy’s face burned a firetruck red. “HUH?!”

Sonic, too, was so shocked by Knuckles’s remark that he barely registered the echidna embracing him and patting him twice on the back. He stood as rigid as a statue while Knuckles smirked at him. The echidna walked away as if nothing were amiss, gathering the packaged food he’d brought for the potluck and delivering it to the kitchen.

“Hey, Big Blue!” Rouge sauntered into the room, arms outstretched. “Stop blushing for a second and give me a hug.”

Sonic snapped out of his stupor and gave Amy an awkward smile before turning to welcome the bat. She patted his back, similar to Knuckles, before stepping aside to join him in the kitchen.

Shadow was last to enter, and he extended a hand to shake.

“Good to see you,” said the black and red hedgehog, face set in a neutral expression.

Sonic stared at Shadow’s hand, then snickered. “Ah, come on Shads. Bring it in!”

Sonic pulled Shadow into a strong hug, punching the air from the other hedgehog’s lungs. He pulled back before Shadow could react, standing tall with a proud smirk on his face. Shadow rolled his eyes and huffed, but if Sonic looked closely, there was something akin to a small grin on his face.

“Sonic, can you set the table?” Tails shouted from the other room. Sonic giggled at the sight: Tails attempting to pull a pan of hotdogs off the stovetop before they burned, but distracted by Amy, Knuckles and Rouge giving him hugs and noogies to his skull. “Quit it, you guys!”

Sonic laughed openly. “You got it, buddy!”

Minutes later, the table was set and filled with mouthwatering chili dogs made by Tails, and various side dishes brought by their friends. Sonic could have sobbed at the sight. He didn’t wait for his friends to fill their plates; he stuffed his first chili dog down his throat and nearly melted from the taste. 

“Oh Chaos, Tails.” Sonic’s words came out muffled, speaking with his mouth full. “This is the best chili dog I’ve ever eaten in my life.”

Tails laughed sheepishly, taking a bite of his own food. “It’s the same recipe I used before. But I agree, it tastes that much better after months of cafeteria food.”

Sonic licked his fingers clean, making obnoxious ‘pop’ sounds with his lips. In the corner of his eye, he noticed their friends taking their seats at the table and watching him. Sonic waited for Amy to comment on his gross eating habits, or Knuckles to make fun of him for downing his food so fast…but it never came. Instead, Sonic was met with smiles from all his friends as they watched him eat.

Sonic never got a good look of himself after his rescue from prison. At least, not that he remembered. He imagined a grotesque sight; ribs outlined on his skin, limbs as skinny as twigs, skin practically drooping from his bones. He was working to fix that now. The bottom of his ribcage still stuck abnormally far from his abdomen, but he’d begun to fill out everywhere else. There were times he struggled to finish his meals. After all, his stomach had shrunk after months of near-starvation. But he persisted, forcing as much food into his system as he could each day to regain what he’d lost. Seeing his friends beaming due to his efforts warmed his chest.

The others dug in, too engrossed with their meals at first to start conversation. Side dishes were passed around, utensils clicked together, plates were cleared then refilled. Sonic had more than his fair share of food, but no one objected.

“So how’s the restoration going?” Tails asked, breaking the silence.

Amy swallowed the food she was chewing, and grinned. “Pretty well. We’ve managed to return most refugees to their homes. Most major cities are well on their way to complete reconstruction. Silver’s psychokinesis has been invaluable for those efforts in particular.”

“The Chaotix have been helping to rebuild too.” Knuckles rolled his eyes. “Though they use every opportunity to advertise their detective agency to anyone who will listen. I keep telling them that no one’s looking to spend a dime on private investigations right after a war, but you know them. Chronically broke.”

Everyone laughed, even Sonic. His chuckling felt nice in his chest, warm and golden. It almost felt…alien at first. He hadn’t laughed much in a long, long time.

He gulped, and it caught the attention of Amy.

“Are you feeling alright, Sonic?”

Sonic’s chest tightened as he glanced at Amy’s worried expression.

No one else knew.

No one except for Tails. Only Tails, who’d entered his mind during that final battle and witnessed every bit of darkness he’d buried inside, knew. Knew about the depression he’d kept at bay for years, though unconsciously. Knew about how his smiles, cocky persona, and heroic efforts were masks most of the time. Knew about what he’d almost done in his childhood.

He hadn’t told the others yet.

It was a few nights after that final battle that Tails brought it up. Not in depth, not nearly. Just a simple question.

“Do you want to tell the others?”

He’d shook his head. Said he didn’t feel ready. Said he wanted to wait until more time had passed. Wait until the world was in better shape, when he himself was in better shape. Wait until the wounds weren’t so fresh.

Tails simply nodded, and didn’t push further.

“All good here, Amy,” Sonic said. He mustered a smile. It was a small one. “Just happy to be here with you guys.”

Amy didn’t look convinced. But she, too, didn’t want to ruin the jolly mood. So she nodded, and let it go.

Sonic felt eyes on him. Heavy, scarlet red eyes. He turned, and Shadow was staring. Suspicious, but underneath that was clear concern. It unnerved Sonic, and he felt unsteady, as if he were on a boat floating in rough sea waters. That look…it was knowing.

Sonic didn’t remember the fine details of his time with the Resistance. But that look Shadow was giving him…it made him wonder. Had he said something to Shadow during that time? Done something to cause that suspicion? How much had he revealed, if only accidentally?

Their dinner continued. Tails and Sonic listened as their friends described more of the current restoration efforts, including the establishment of a new World Guard. There was G.U.N, sure, but the Mobians wanted to create a new organization to maintain their world’s newfound peace and protection. It was being led by a canine Mobian and bluebird Mobian, who Sonic learned were monumental in fighting the phantom soldiers during the last battle.

“How long until you all finally get a break from this restoration stuff?” asked Tails. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you all lately.”

“Hopefully soon,” said Rouge. She stretched her arms out and yawned. “This shit’s exhausting. As if the war wasn’t hellish enough.”

“With more Mobians joining the cause, it shouldn’t be much longer,” Amy added. Her plate was clean, and her hands folded on top of the table. “It’s been hard not seeing you guys. I barely even see Knuckles, Shadow or Rouge when I’m working. We’ve all been pulled in so many different directions.”

“It better be soon,” Knuckles said, slamming a fist on the table. “I’ve visited Angel Island once since the war ended. Once! The Master Emerald was all accounted for, but still!”

“Oh, is it now?” Rouge giggled, a mischievous glint in her eye as she glanced at Knuckles. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Knuckels gestured wildly towards the bat. “See?! All the more reason to get this restoration crap over with and get back to my island!”

“Don’t get your pants in a twist, echidna,” Shadow mumbled, rolling his eyes. “Your ‘precious emerald’ will be fine.”

Knuckles raised an eyebrow, genuinely confused. “What pants?”

Amy smacked a hand to her forehead. “I lose brain cells every time you speak, Knuckles.”

“Doesn’t sound healthy,” Knuckles retorted, quirking a brow.

“Oh, Knuckie.” Rouge reached out and patted Knuckles’s shoulder. The echidna somehow turned redder. “You’re a diamond in the rough.”

Tails snorted, shooting the water he’d been sipping across the table. It splashed onto Shadow’s face, and his quills bristled at once. Seeing this only made Tails laugh harder. Sonic cackled, slapping his knees and clutching his stomach.

Shadow’s face was flushed with anger and embarrassment. The others began to laugh too, and Shadow shot sharp looks at all of them.

“Tails,” Shadow said, voice crackling like embers. “Sleep with one eye open tonight.”

Sonic wiped tears from his eyes as he laughed. Chaos, it felt so good to laugh. He’d missed this. He’d missed having all his friends with him. Eating, talking, laughing, being together. He couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Soon enough, the plates were washed and put away. The meager leftovers were boxed up and placed in Tails’s refrigerator. The crew settled in the living room. Sonic sat in the center of the couch, with Tails and Amy at his sides and Knuckles at the end. Rouge and Shadow took up the two armchairs at either end of the room. Tails grabbed the remote, turned on the TV and flipped through the channels until it landed on a comedy movie they all enjoyed.

They sat there for a while, watching the movie and chiming in with comments, quips and jokes. Tails snuggled into Sonic’s side, and the hedgehog wrapped an arm around him, ruffling his furry head. Sonic felt warm, so warm, and so safe with that fox by his side and all their friends around them. It was hard not to settle into that feeling, let it wash over him. The others continued to banter and talk over the movie. Though an eager part of the conversation before, Sonic went silent as his eyelids grew heavy. He hadn’t been particularly active today, and yet he felt so tired. Maybe it was because his body was still recovering. Maybe it was because of how happy he felt, how comfortable. 

Whatever the reason, Sonic could no longer fight it. With his friends surrounding him, his eyes fluttered shut, and he fell into a deep sleep.

For Tails, it was the best night he’d had in a long time.

During the war, he almost convinced himself he’d never have a night like this again. All his friends gathered at his house to eat good food, laugh together, and watch movies. Once upon a time, it was a common occurrence. During the last seven months, it was an impossibility.

Now, it was a welcome return to semi-normalcy. Intermittently during the night, Tails let himself forget that the war ever happened. That anything had changed. That this was his life, and would be forever.

The stinging scar on his chest, however, brought him back to reality during those brief moments.

It was still difficult for him to process that he’d died.

It had been so fast. Taking Sonic with him from his mindscape back into the real world, only to be met with nothingness. No light, no consciousness, nothing to recall. Just…nothing. As if Tails had never even existed. He hadn’t enough capacity to even feel fear, or anything at all. It was bizarre how uncontrollable it was. No ability to resist, or comprehend the need to resist. Just the dissipation of existence.

And what felt like seconds later to him, he was back, laying in the grass with three worried and exhausted hedgehogs hovering above them, a Chaos Emerald in hand. Tails wouldn’t have known anything happened, if not for the deep ache in the center of his chest. The memories rushed back. Thrusting the Phantom Ruby into his own chest. The instantaneous flood of unbearable power. Reaching out to Sonic, diving into his mind, discovering his darkest thoughts and memories. 

Though the ruby was gone, the scar would remain forever. Just like the effects of the war. All these scars would remain forever.

Having a semblance of normalcy was nice, but things had undeniably changed. And Tails didn’t despise that. In fact, he thought the change was good. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t…hard to deal with. The world had been thoroughly shaken, but now its greatest villains were either dead or locked away, ensuring safety and peace for a long while. His brother’s mind had been torn to pieces, but because of that, Sonic was finally able to confide in Tails about his inner darkness. Tails had been challenged in countless ways, but he emerged stronger and confident in himself.

Change wasn’t bad. Just difficult. But they’d faced worse things.

Tails hadn’t realized he’d been wincing while tapping at the scar on his chest until Amy spoke up.

“Is it hurting you still?”

Tails glanced at a concerned Amy. His mind caught up with the present, and he curled into himself slightly.

“A little,” he responded. “Not too bad.”

But Amy was already rifling through her bag, searching. “I meant to give this to you earlier…aha! Here it is.”

She pulled out a small metal tin and handed it to Tails. He opened it, and inside it was filled with a creamy-looking substance that smelled of herbs and medicine.

“It’s a salve I made from my garden,” explained Amy. “It should help with the pain. And it’ll strengthen the scar tissue to prevent the wound from reopening.”

Tails smiled. His body flooded with a comforting warmth. Even after all this time, Amy was still looking after him.

“Thanks,” Tails paused before continuing with a grin, “big sis.”

Amy’s heart visibly swelled, and Tails swore he saw tears gather in her eyes.

“Hey, what about me?!” Knuckles protested. “You call Sonic your brother all the time, apparently you called Shadow your brother, and now Amy gets the sister title? What am I, the family cockroach?”

Tails cackled, then smirked. He took a moment to spread some salve onto his scar before addressing the fuming Knuckles.

“Chill out, big bro. You’ll pop a blood vessel.”

Knuckles opened his mouth to retort. Then closed it. Then huffed.

“Fine. I’ll take it.”

“So who am I in this family tree, hmm?” Rouge piped up, legs propped over the arm of her chair. “I think I’ve earned my spot, don’t you think? Am I your sister too?”

“I guess so,” Tails said, putting a finger to his chin. “I think…you feel like more of an aunt, to me.”

“The rich, jewel-encrusted aunt,” Rouge smiled, thinking to herself. “I like it.”

“As long as those jewels aren’t my jewels,” groaned Knuckles.

“You could buy me a necklace, Knuckie.” Rouge’s smirk widened. “That’ll satiate me enough to not pursue the Master Emerald for…hmm, a month or so.”

“Insufferable! All of you!”

Another round of giggles erupted within the group. Tails, listening, noticed something was off. One person’s laughter was missing. He looked up to where Sonic cuddled into his side, arm still slung over Tails. Sonic was breathing evenly, and his eyes were closed.

“Guys!” Tails hissed. “Quiet down! Sonic’s sleeping!”

Their laughter trailed off, and Amy let out a small ‘oh!’. They all watched for a moment. The gentle rise and fall of Sonic’s chest. The soft, relaxed muscles in his face. The way his body sank into the cushioned surface behind him, at ease. Tails smiled at the sight.

“He’s been sleeping a lot, lately,” said the fox. “It’s gotten better as the week’s passed by. He complains about being tired all the time. I’m sure he’s aching to get moving again. But…whenever he falls asleep, I don’t wake him. He needs it.”

“I can imagine,” replied Knuckles. The silence stretched. Knuckles inhaled. “Has he…told you what happened to him in that prison? I mean, we know he was tortured, but…well, we never knew the details.”

Tails frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t think he’s ready yet. We’ve both been trying to act like everything is normal. I know it’s not the healthiest way to go about this, but I don’t want to push him. He…”

Tails stopped the information from spilling off his tongue. Everything he’d seen in Sonic’s mind when he used the Phantom Ruby. Everything he knew about his big brother.

“He’s been through a lot. I don’t know what happened to him in prison. But I’ve learned other things. Sonic wants to tell you all, too, but he’s not ready. He will, in time.”

Knuckles nodded, not happy but understanding.

“Tails, can I－”

The fox’s head shot up at the sound of Shadow’s voice. The hedgehog looked at him with a strong, almost desperate gaze. He’d cut himself off halfway through his sentence. But Tails nodded to him. Encouraging him to continue.

Shadow gripped the arms of the chair. Claws nearly piercing.

“Can I talk to you? In private.”

The others glanced around at one another, then to Tails. Tails’s eyes locked onto Shadow. An inkling swam in his mind. An inkling of what this was about.

“Yeah.”

They stood, slowly, before Tails gestured Shadow to follow. Tails carefully placed Sonic’s arm, which had been holding his body, onto the couch. Amy slid closer, filling the empty space, while Knuckles sat at his opposite side. Rouge sighed, redirecting her attention to the television screen as Tails led Shadow to his bedroom upstairs.

The door shut with a click. There was only the darkness of Tails’s bedroom, the gentle breeze through the open window, and the two of them standing face-to-face. 

“Shadow?”

“I know.”

Tails blinked. Shadow’s eyes grew sharper and vibrant, as if the world around him was in gray-scale. His jaw was set tight, his muscles tense.

Shadow exhaled. “I know. What you mentioned down there. What you learned about Sonic. Not the details, but…”

Tails’s eyes blew wide open. “You do? How?”

“I didn’t tell you before. I didn’t think I should. And then, the battle happened…” Guilt passed over Shadow’s expression like a wave. “It was a few hours before that. When the rest of you were getting breakfast, and I was alone with Sonic in the room we all shared.”

Tails recalled quite suddenly. The anxiety of the approaching final battle crawling up his spine. Returning to the room and finding Shadow in distress, demanding that they kill Infinite before ‘something’ happened to Sonic. Something felt wrong about Sonic, that’s what Shadow had said. And he’d struggled to elaborate.

“There was this look in his eyes. Something about the way he was acting. It was familiar to me. Because when I was at my lowest, after Maria was killed…I’d experienced those same feelings.”

Tails’s heart sank.

“At first, I couldn’t make myself believe it. I never thought Sonic would…well. I yelled at him, something about how he wasn’t the type to give up, I don’t remember the exact words. You know how silent he was then, so when he suddenly reached out and snatched my wrist…”

Shadow absentmindedly rubbed his right wrist. Tails recognized the motion from the same day Shadow was recalling. His gut twisted in on itself.

“He looked me dead in the eyes. More awake than he’d been in days. And told me that he’d given up a long time ago.”

Such a haunted look saturated the hedgehog’s eyes, as if ghosts themselves resided within.

“Then he went quiet. Eyes glassed over. As if a fucking switch had been flipped. I didn’t know what to do. Or what to say. So when you and Rouge asked, I didn’t say much. But I knew what it was. Fuck, I knew what it was.”

Shadow shook, but not with fear. Something akin to rage, or overwhelming emotion. Not aimed at Tails, not with the desolate expression he gave him. Rage at the world, perhaps?

“Am I right? Tails?” The words were raspy whispers. “Is that what you learned about him?”

The fox was struck speechless for a while. Gutted out and voicebox slashed. Sky blue eyes slid down towards the carpeted floor. Another warm breeze brushed past the pair.

Tails nodded.

Shadow bit his lip, almost drawing blood. He crossed his arms, shoulders tightening close to his frame. He didn’t look surprised. He didn’t look happy.

Then, a whisper again. “What did you see?”

Tails shook his head before dragging a hand through his furry scalp. That familiar panic crept in, and Tails had to remind himself that Sonic was safe, that he was safe, and the war was over. Lest that familiar sensation of imminent danger hover over him once again. 

“I shouldn’t say,” Tails exhaled. “It’s not my story to share. It’s for Sonic to share, when he’s ready.”

“But it’s okay for you to hold onto on your own? For however long it takes for Sonic to share? You just mentioned that you two don’t even talk about it with each other!”

Tails cringed, and his ears pinned back flat onto his head. His scar stung as he unconsciously curled over his own chest. Tears pricked at his eyes, and his heart suddenly felt weighted down by feelings he’d been ignoring.

“I…I…”

Tails couldn’t find a response. Shadow sighed.

“Look, I know you’re trying to do right by Sonic. But you can’t force yourself to bear the weight of everything that just happened by yourself. We just ended a whole war, Tails. That alone is heavy enough, without even touching all of the other crap we dealt with.”

“I don’t mind it, though,” said Tails. He tapped his foot on the carpet, a silent rhythm. “It’s been nice to act normal for the last week. And tonight was the best by far. Hanging out with everyone for dinner and movies. I’ve missed it so much.”

“But that’s exactly it. What you just said.” Shadow pointed a finger at Tails. “‘It’s been nice to act normal’. Act. No matter how we spin it, things are different now, Tails. They’ll never be the same again.”

“I know that!” Tails exclaimed, growing frustrated. “I know they won’t. I see it every day! Sonic can still barely walk for more than ten minutes at a time. He insists on leaving every window and door open, or else he won’t sleep. I have this scar that won’t stop stinging every hour of the day!”

Tails heaved. He waited for Shadow to snap back, to argue, but he didn’t. He just stood, and waited. Tails felt himself deflate like a sad balloon, ears drooping.

“Is it so bad to want to pretend for a little while?”

Shadow sighed, frowning. With a stiff arm, still unused to showing affection, he patted Tails on the head. 

“It’s not. What’s bad is you ignoring everything weighing on your chest. Not just that scar. But the ones inside too. You’ve all been teaching me to talk when there’s something bothering me. Not to hold it in until it explodes.”

Shadow pulled his arm back, and Tails’s ears perked again.

“We’ve all been pretending. By distracting ourselves with restoration efforts or otherwise. Eventually, we all have to come together and talk about all of this. But most of all, you and Sonic need to talk. Open up about everything. Don’t tuck it away for the sake of emulating the old times. This is a new era for all of us. So make something with it.”

Tails didn’t realize the tears had been flowing until he wiped away a decently-sized stream from his face. He realized, even just releasing those tears made his body feel lighter. 

“How do I do that though?” asked Tails. “I don’t want to overwhelm Sonic. He’s been through enough already.”

Shadow thought for a moment. “How about you let me talk to him first?”

Tails tilted his head. “About what, though? And when?”

“I meant to bring this up earlier, but I still need to help him with…what did we decide to call it? Chaos energy therapy?”

“Something like that,” Tails grinned, recalling the conversation.

“Yes. His chaos energy still isn’t stable. I want to start unraveling that tomorrow. And while I’m there, I want to ask him about what you learned. About his…self-esteem.”

Tails nodded to himself, understanding. But that didn’t stop the discomfort from coiling in his belly.

Shadow noticed, and sighed again. “Look, he’s your brother, so I won’t ask anything without your permission.”

“No, you can ask him. I think you’re right about…all this,” said Tails, gesturing with his hands. “We can’t hide from it forever. But promise me that you’ll be gentle with him, okay?”

Shadow snorted, a smirk pulling at his lips. “I can’t promise I’ll be gentle.”

Tails chuckled. “Then promise you won’t be an asshole about it!”

Shadow raised his hands in surrender. “Fine! Fine.”

The room fell silent, except for the whistle of the springtime wind. Tails was amazed once more by how much lighter he felt already.

“I’m glad that I was able to talk to you about it. Even if I’m not sharing the details, I’m glad that someone else knows.” Tails exhaled, wiping another stray tear, then giggled nervously. “I guess it was weighing on me more than I thought.”

“This is why you need to talk about these things, dumbass!” Shadow threw his arms in the air. “Seriously, why am I the emotionally-mature one now? I thought Amy was the psychologist of your little gang.”

“Our little gang,” Tails corrected.

“A gang that I will never forgive myself for getting involved in,” Shadow groaned.

“And trapped in. Forever.”

Tails laughed, but as it peetered out, his smile softened.

“So if you get Sonic to open up, that means I can come to you if I need to talk about this, right? Because you’ll know everything?”

“That’s the idea,” Shadow grinned, nodding. “But most of all, I want you and Sonic to talk. I’ll just be warming him up.”

“I think he wants to,” Tails thought aloud. “It's just hard to break old habits.”

Shadow blew out a breath. “Don’t I know it.”

Another, more comfortable, moment of silence washed over them. Before a yawn escaped Tails, and he stretched his arms over his head.

“How about we go downstairs and rejoin the others? I’m sure you guys want to leave soon, anyway.”

“Yeah, that’s fine by me.” Shadow began following Tails to the door. “Though I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee before leaving－”

A bloodcurdling scream split through the solace like a dagger. 

Both Mobians’ pairs of ears shot up like spines. They exchanged one millisecond-long glance before booking it down the hall and down the stairs, to the source of the scream. The living room.

Tails nearly tumbled down the stairs. Shadow followed in his heels.  Amy, Knuckles and Rouge were already crowded around the couch. All hands were on Sonic, trying to shake him awake.

Sonic, eyes squeezed tight and still unconscious, opened his mouth, releasing another horrific screech. 

A nightmare.

Tails didn’t wait. He raced for Sonic, pushing past his friends until he was in his brother’s lap. He grabbed Sonic’s shoulders and yelled into his face.

“Sonic! Wake up!”

Like the frames of a film strip, they flickered.

Memories.

The prison cell he’d been trapped in for months on end flashed around him. Surrounding him, walls closing in. Chains on every limb fastening him to the back wall. Chaos Repressors numbing his hands and turning his skin to a sheet of ice. Claustrophobia strangled him. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t fight. He was a butterfly with its wings pinned to a corkboard. Never to fly again.

His limbs were littered with wounds. Streaks of red spread across gaping skin. Pus and dark blood oozed from the openings. The marks left behind from those torture sessions; when the Phantom Clones took blades to his skin for hours on end until he couldn’t think beyond the burning, slicing pain.

Memories of being dragged from the cell. Placed in a medbay. Illusions administered in place of anesthesia as Eggman cut rotten flesh from his body and stitched the severed skin together. Searing pain while helpless to fight back. Saved from a slow death by infection only so he could be tormented further. 

The memories of that purgatory flooded Sonic’s mind as he slept. Not like the illusions that used to plague his mind. But the plain old consequences of what he’d endured. Flashbacks and nightmares were not something that could be erased via the shattering of a powerful ruby. It was a natural breed of mental torture that was not so easily defeated.

Sonic screamed as the memory replayed. Screamed as he relived the pain of his ‘surgery’. Screamed as he recalled his time in hell, until there were hands on his shoulders shaking him and voices shouting into his ears.

“Sonic! Wake up!”

Emerald eyes flew open. Sonic inhaled sharply and his body lurched forward. His mind propelled from the arms of his nightmare, and he crash-landed into the waking world. Sensation returned all at once; the couch beneath him, his friends surrounding him, and Tails in his lap, inches from his face. Sonic gasped and coughed, feeling Tails’s arms embracing him as he tried to catch his breath. Gradually, everything slowed down. His heart rate, his breathing, his mind as it raced around with memories of the nightmare in hand. Sonic leaned into Tails’s hold and his muscles finally relaxed. He groaned and pressed a hand to his aching head.

“Ugh…shit. That was…”

He trailed off, unable to find the right word to encapsulate whatever the hell that nightmare was. Hands grasped either side of his face. Tails’s wild eyes met his. The fox looked panicked, and his fingers squeezed his skin tightly.

“Sonic! Are you okay? What happened?!”

It broke Sonic’s heart to see his brother so distressed. It triggered the familiar urge to stuff down his own anguish. His hands automatically reached out to soothe the fox. His mouth forced itself into a tight grin. Unconsciously, the old mask lifted.

“Sorry about that, buddy. Just a nightmare. Everything’s okay.”

Sonic patted Tails’s back. But the fox didn’t look convinced. Not at all. The panic in his eyes remained, and tears pricked their corners. In his peripheral vision, Sonic saw his friends leaning close to him, expressions similar to the fox’s. And in the background was Shadow, arms crossed and face set in an angry appearance.

Angry?

“Are you sure you’re okay? What was that nightmare?” Tails pressed himself even closer to the hedgehog. “Chaos, Sonic. The way you screamed…”

“Hey, it’s okay!” Sonic patted Tails again, realizing the fox had begun to cry. “I-it’s fine, buddy! I don’t even remember the nightmare! Seriously, you don’t have to worry. You don’t have to－”

“Sonic. Cut the bullshit. Right now.”

Sonic’s brows shot up like bullets. His incredulous gaze drifted to Shadow, who fumed with his canines bared. The black and red hedgehog looked pissed. Sonic was utterly dumbfounded. Even his friends stared at Shadow, shocked. Amy and Knuckles stood at the foot of the couch, fully facing the hedgehog. Rouge sat on the arm of the chair, face lifted in curiosity.

“Uh…what?” Sonic asked cautiously.

Tails turned his head toward Shadow. Stray tears moistened his face. “Shadow…”

Shadow turned sharply toward the fox. “No, Tails. What did we just talk about? Not even two minutes ago?”

Tails’s face dropped and his limbs went limp. Sonic’s brow raised once more in confusion. His hands pressed firmly into the fox’s back.

“Tails?”

But Shadow interrupted once more. “Enough of this, Sonic. It’s over. You had your week of normalcy. You had your rest. It’s time to face the music now. You can’t keep pretending that the last seven months didn’t happen. You can’t keep pretending you’re okay. I know you’re…”

Shadow trailed off, then pinched his brow, sighing deeply. His teeth gritted together and he hissed.

“I…have a lot to discuss with you later. But right now, you’re going to cut the crap. You’re going to tell us what the hell that nightmare was. You screamed like you were being murdered, Sonic! And I know you remember it. Don’t try to lie.”

Sonic felt a spike of anger in his chest. “I’m not lying to－”

Shadow threw his arm out. “Stop running away from this, Sonic! Stop running and just tell us what the hell happened to you in that prison!”

Their friends grew more anxious by the second. Amy cut in, voice shaking. “Shadow, calm down! Stop yelling at Sonic, he’s been through enough.”

Knuckles glowered at Shadow. “Raise your voice again, hedgehog, and I’ll－”

“Sonic.”

Tails’s voice, though soft and quiet, stopped his friends’ retaliation in its tracks. Sonic’s attention, too, was captured by the tone of his friend’s voice. Loving but firm. Exhausted, but ready. Commanding without ire behind it. Sonic shivered unconsciously as those serious eyes bore into him.

“Sonic. It’s time.”

Tails frowned, but he was resolute. His hand grasped Sonic’s, holding it close to his heart. Sonic felt his fingers brush the scar on Tails’s chest. Rough, jagged skin brought his mind fully into reality.

“I want nothing more than for everything to be normal again. I wish these past months never happened. But they did. And we have to stop hiding from it, even if it hurts.”

Tears dripped from the fox’s eyes once more. Sonic felt captivated by the gaze and his heart squeezed.

“You don’t have to hide anymore, Sonic. I know you said you’re not ready to talk about all of it. But right now, just take this first step.”

Sonic wanted to hyperventilate. To hide. To run. To grin like nothing was wrong.

Shadow’s gaze bore into him, but it was no longer pure anger. That same haunted concern from before leaked out, twisting Sonic’s stomach to knots. Amy, Knuckles and Rouge too stared with concern. But that concern wasn’t pity or disgust. It carried with it a desire to understand, to help and to comfort.

“He’s right, Sonic,” whispered Amy as she knelt before the couch. “I know we’ve been avoiding it, but we want to talk about what happened to you. You shouldn’t keep it buried inside.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” added Knuckles. “You know we won’t make fun of you or look at you differently. We just want to be there for you.”

“You’re still the same Blue we all know,” said Rouge with a grin. “No matter what.”

Sonic didn’t know when he began to cry. But it was too late to wipe away the fountain of tears. There they were, out in the open for all to see. Raw vulnerability on the surface, burning not unlike his wounds from months prior. Those same wounds that were now white, jagged scars across his arms and legs. Scars that he caught his friends glancing at once in a while, but never asking about.

Tails squeezed his hand, catching Sonic’s attention once more. The fox grinned encouragingly.

“What happened in your nightmare?”

The panic building inside Sonic snapped, but not as an attack. It emerged all at once as a sob. What he didn’t expect was the overwhelming relief that followed, as if he were unloading a weight. That open, unhindered sob revealed his feelings, that singular sound betrayed his pain, and for once, Sonic let it happen. For once, Sonic let his true self unveil. For once, Sonic remembered the pain and acknowledged it, addressed it. His friends surrounded him, and they loved him no matter what.

Sonic breathed in, and out.

“I dreamed about something that happened to me in that prison. S-something really bad.”

Hands were on his shoulders, encouraging him to speak.

“Tell us, Sonic,” said Amy.

Knuckles smiled. “We’re here for you, man.”

Rouge nodded along. “This is what friends are for. We’ll help you through it.”

Even Shadow was at his side now. Eyes soft. Nodding his head. “Don’t hold it in anymore.”

Tails hugged his brother, and Sonic wept from the comforting contact.

“I’ll love you no matter what.”

So Sonic told them.

He told them about how the clones would torture him, beat him up and slice him apart with whatever weapons they had on hand. He told them of the starvation and open wounds on his body. He told them how they became infected and had to be ‘treated’ by Eggman. He told them of his surgery, the lack of pain medication, and the illusion that had been used to paralyze him. He told them how much it hurt, how much it terrified him. How scared and lonely he was every day in that prison.

Sonic told them all about the physical torture he faced in that cell. He didn’t feel ready to talk about the illusions, or the mental anguish he faced long before the war, but it was enough for now. It was a start. It was the beginning of a long, arduous journey that would be so worth it by the end. It was what he needed. It was everything he needed.

Because his friends didn’t judge. They didn’t scoff or look at him as if he were worthless. There were looks of horror, sadness and pain, but they were all born of love. There were so many tears, so many embraces, so many words to comfort and soothe. Every word that left Sonic’s mouth was so hard to form, so hard to release into the open, but the moment it was all over, he was lighter than a cloud. Covered in his own tears and snot, suffocated by the embraces of his friends, but light. Supported. Loved. Not alone.

It hurt so badly, but at the same time it was relief. And Sonic knew now that the hurt would lessen. One day, sharing his darkest moments wouldn’t be so hard. One day, it would be as easy as breathing. One day, he wouldn’t be so afraid of placing his soul in the hands of those around him.

But he realized now that his soul, in the hands of his friends, would be handled with such true love. And that made it worth it. That made it all worth it. He sank into the arms of his friends, feeling warmer than he ever had before. He may stumble, he may trip and fall, but there were people to catch him. To hold him up for as long as he needed. Even if he needed it every day for the rest of his life, those arms would be there.

When Sonic eventually fell asleep again, exhausted by the story he told and tears he shed, there were no nightmares. There was only silence, and peace, and overwhelming safety from the souls around him. The first step had been taken. And though his legs stung from it, his muscles would strengthen. It would all get better, one step at a time.

Sonic awoke the next morning with dried tears on his face and a sleeping fox in his lap.

He felt light. Lighter than he had in a while. As if his system had been full of toxins but now they’d been flushed out. And in a way, that was true. He’d withheld the stories of his time in prison from his friends. And within him, those memories festered without him even realizing it. He’d only recalled a few memories to his friends last night, but that alone was a weight lifted off his chest.

The fox on his lap groaned lightly in his sleep. He shifted a bit, only to nuzzle his forehead into Sonic’s lap and continue snoozing away.

Sonic chuckled to himself and ran a hand through the fur on Tails’s head. 

Despite Tails’s horror and heartbreak while Sonic recounted his memory, the fox also seemed lighter when it was over. When he’d asked Sonic to talk about the memory, he could tell how much the silence and avoidance had weighed on the fox. Sonic couldn’t help a twinge of guilt. If they were all going to heal, all the hurt had to come to the surface, like dead skin that needed to shed. Sonic needed to be an active participant in that.

It would take time, and several sessions of talking through it all. Stories and memories recounted from his perspective and those of his friends. But the first step had been taken, and Sonic was intent on making the rest of the journey.

The others left in the early hours of the morning, with promises that they’d work on disentangling themselves from the bulk of the restoration efforts. They all wanted time off to heal and spend time together. As soon as they tied some loose ends with the other restoration members, they’d be able to make that wish a reality. 

Shadow, before leaving, promised to return later in the afternoon. He had plans to help heal Sonic’s chaos energy. That, too, would take time, but the hedgehog was anxious to get started. Sonic could tell from the look in his eyes that the state of his chaos energy had been a topic of stress for him for a while.

It was just part of the nature of their affinity to chaos energy. Sonic could sense Shadow’s chaos energy if he focused hard enough. And Shadow could sense Sonic’s. Whenever Sonic peered within himself, he could tell his energy was in disarray. Like the ruins of a city after a storm. It needed to be coaxed into stability, one foundation at a time.

Then maybe, just maybe…he’d be able to run again.

The sun peeked through the blinds. Sunrise, just beginning to show its face. Sonic sighed. He wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again. Gently, he moved the fox from his lap and placed him back on the couch. Tails was none the wiser, still fast asleep. Sonic approached the kitchen, intent on being the one to make breakfast this time.

The scent of fresh pancakes eventually woke the fox from slumber. Sonic smiled as Tails groggily stumbled into the kitchen, sniffing the air. Tails blinked and rubbed his eyes, which then gleamed at the sight of the food.

“You made breakfast?” asked Tails as he sat.

Sonic grinned at the fox, who’d begun to fill his plate. “Figured it was about time I did something for you.”

Tails stuffed a forkfull of pancake into his mouth and melted at the taste. Sonic chuckled, a bright and lively sound. Tails’s face suddenly changed as he swallowed, looking up at Sonic hesitantly.

“Are you okay? After everything last night?”

Sonic sighed. Tails looked so worried. He held himself tightly, as if awaiting a strike. Not a physical one, but the emotional stab of Sonic once again pushing the topic away.

Sonic didn’t, this time. He owed it to his brother, and to himself, to embrace honesty.

“For the most part, yeah,” the hedgehog replied. “It was hard to talk about, and that nightmare shook me up. But I’m glad I talked it through with all of you. It really did help.”

Tails blinked in surprise, before a wide smile spread across his face. “Really?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. Then, more seriously, “Are you okay though?”

A few rapid blinks. Tails either hadn’t expected the question, or was having difficulty coming up with an answer. The fox was caught in deep thought for a while.

“In general, not exactly,” said his little brother, placing his fork down. “After last night, I do feel better! I didn’t realize how hard it’s been, not talking about everything. I thought I was happy pretending that everything was normal. But…I haven’t been.”

The fox trailed off and went silent. Sonic fought the squeeze of his heart, instead reaching across the table to take Tails’s hand in his own.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I should have been more attentive to how you were feeling. And more attentive to myself, too. If I’ve learned anything from all of this, it’s that I shouldn’t stuff my feelings down. It just ends up hurting everyone. Guess it just took me a minute to remember that lesson.”

Sonic grinned and Tails giggled.

“I promise I’ll open up more,” said Sonic, squeezing the fox’s hand. “And I promise we can talk. You come to me if something’s bothering you, and I’ll do the same. Even if it’s…hard.”

Tails nodded, gratitude sweeping across his face like ink on paper. “That would be nice.”

The two were silent for a moment, the pancakes momentarily forgotten.

“Maybe it’ll be easier,” Tails piped up suddenly, “after your talk with Shadow today.”

Sonic raised an eyebrow. “Talk? Shadow’s coming over to help me heal my chaos energy. Right?”

“Well, he is. Yes.” The fox’s eyes flitted down to the table. “But last night, he told me he wanted to talk to you as well. Figured I give you a head’s up.”

Sonic thought for a moment, then leaned back in his chair. “Shadow. Wanting to talk to me. About my feelings?” He laughed aloud. “Color me surprised.”

Tails shrugged, but he was smiling as well.

“The hell did you do to him during the war?” Sonic smirked. “I barely recognize the guy now. He’s gone from a broody loner to an emotional dictionary.”

“Eh, it was a lot of stuff,” Tails waved him off. “But I’ll take credit where credit is due.”

In the hours that passed between breakfast and noon, Sonic thought about what Tails had said. Shadow wanted to talk to him. It could be about any number of things, he supposed. He wanted to ask Tails what specifically, but ultimately decided against it. Tails’s face when he’d admitted that at the table…whatever conversation had passed between him and Shadow must have been a heavy one. And a private one. Perhaps whatever distress Tails was facing as a result of it could be relieved if Sonic acquiesced to the talk.

It was only seconds after the sun reached its peak in the sky that a sharp series of knocks sounded from the door.

Sonic and Tails’s ears, from their place on the couch, perked up at the noise. Their eyes met.

“Must be Shadow,” said Sonic.

“I’ll get it,” answered Tails.

He stood and opened the door. Sure enough, it was the Ultimate Lifeform himself, with the green Chaos Emerald clutched in one hand.

“Tails,” greeted Shadow.

“Hey, Shadow,” Tails grinned. “He’s in here.”

Shadow walked in, his eyes immediately finding Sonic. His expression was neutral, but he stared with an intensity Sonic hadn’t expected.

“Right on time, Shadow,” Sonic nodded. He gingerly stood up from the couch, careful with shifting his balance to his feet. “I’m ready when you are.”

Shadow looked the hedgehog up and down. Then glanced towards the window.

“Let’s do this outside. In the field out back.”

Sonic blinked at the shortness of his words. “Sure.”

Shadow faced the fox again. “Tails. Mind staying here? Sonic will need to focus if we are to do this right. And you may distract his already-meager attention span.”

“Ouch. Watch where you aim those venomous words, Shads,” said Sonic with a wink. 

Shadow simply walked back out the front door, not waiting for Sonic to follow. Tails sighed and dragged a hand down his face.

“I’ll just be tidying up here,” said the fox. Then, nervously, “You’ll be okay?”

With a smile, Sonic ruffled the fur on Tails’s head. “I’m sure I will be. And if I’m not, I know I’ve got you to lean on.”

Tails laughed and nodded sheepishly. Without another word, Sonic followed Shadow outside. The other hedgehog was already halfway to the field behind Tails’s house. A soft, green meadow already blooming with tiny, yellow flowers. Sonic trailed Shadow at a leisurely pace, until Shadow finally took a seat in the midst of the field, where the grass was shorter.

“Right here,” said Shadow curtly.

Sonic sighed and nodded. The tense energy radiating from Shadow already permeated the field like smog. “Works for me.”

Sonic sat cross-legged in front of Shadow. The two were face-to-face, with only the gentle wind and the sun above as companions. The house, in the distance, was small and almost blurry. They wouldn’t be overheard.

Shadow held the Chaos Emerald in both palms, resting on his lap. Its vibrant green hue stood out from the grass, but only just.

“From what I understand, you were made to wear the doctor’s contraptions, those Chaos Repressors, for an extended amount of time while in prison. Yes?”

Sonic blew out a breath and brushed his fingers through his quills. The grass tickled his legs, and he picked out a few blades to busy his hands.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Once in a while they’d come off. But for the majority of those six months, they were on.”

Absentmindedly, he rubbed at his bare wrists.

“Sometimes I still feel them. A phantom sensation, I suppose.”

Shadow cringed at the word ‘phantom’. “Not the best word choice.”

Sonic shrugged. “There’s just no pleasing you, Shadow.”

Shadow shrugged as well and didn’t push what could have been the start of a petty argument. Instead, he traced the facets of the emerald with his pointer fingers.

“The repressors buried your energy. Built walls around them and let it fester. You broke those walls when you…transformed. But the energy is still at your core. It’s become accustomed to being there. And it’s still in tatters. So today, we’ll start to rectify that.”

Shadow held out the emerald. The sunlight above made the gem glitter. 

“We’ll both be holding the emerald. It will help to stabilize the flow of your energy, and give it a solid pathway to guide it out. I’ll coach you through what to do. But whatever you do, don’t push too hard. If we don’t do this slowly, you can hurt yourself.”

Sonic let out a short, sharp laugh. “You know ‘slow’ isn’t my thing.”

Shadow eyes flitted sharply towards Sonic. Almost too sharply.

“Well try. The last thing any of us need is you getting hurt again.”

Sonic was taken aback by Shadow’s words. By how…visceral they sounded. The hedgehog could do nothing but blink.

“O…okay.”

Silently, Sonic placed his hands on top of the emerald. Shadow continued to hold it from the bottom, so that together, the two cupped the gem in a steady hold.

“Deep breaths.”

Sonic obeyed. He took a deep inhale, and with it, the pleasant scent of freshly-blooming flowers. Then he exhaled, releasing it back into the world.

“Close your eyes.”

Sonic did. The world became dark, but not entirely. Sunlight still streamed through his eyelids, creating a soft gold hue in his limited vision. 

“Search for your energy. Try to see it. Let it draw your consciousness in.”

Sonic focused. He tried to sense his energy first. There it was, the perception of energy at his core. His mind sank deep into himself, as if his mind and the energy were on the same physical plane. A slow, steady descent, until finally, he was right in front of it.

The energy was not visible in the traditional sense. But his mind could see it. It formed a dense cluster at his center. Like a thorn bush that had grown over and through itself, to the point where it choked its own roots. Under normal conditions, the energy should’ve flowed like a river, not unlike the blood in his veins.

“I see it,” said Sonic. His own voice sounded echoey in this state, and Shadow’s did as well as he spoke up.

“Now look carefully. The cluster of energy should be obvious. But there should be a few loose tendrils extending from it. Like threads sticking out of a ball of yarn. And similarly, they should be easier to pull out.”

Sonic scanned the cluster for what Shadow described. Within a few minutes, he noticed quite a few of these “loose threads”. Extensions of energy that were free of the tangled clusters, save for their end roots. 

“Found a couple,” said Sonic. He approached one of the loose threads, fingers ghosting the edge of it. It felt warm and free, so close to true liberation. It lit a spark of excitement in him.

“Alright, now listen carefully,” continued Shadow, echoing somewhere in the back of Sonic’s mind. “You’re going to choose one of those loose threads. Then focus on your physical connection to the Chaos Emerald. You will build a pathway through it to guide a single thread of energy from the cluster. Allow the emerald to draw out the energy, at a steady pace until it's free from your core and rejoins your normal energy circulation. Remember, you have to start slow－”

Sonic yanked the thread of energy.

He hadn’t been listening to Shadow. The close proximity to that ecstatic freedom sparked that old impulsiveness that was practically carved into his personality. He yanked, and a sharp pain shot from his core through the rest of his body like an electric shock.

“NGH!” Sonic screeched. His body lurched quickly with the pain. Startled, Shadow jumped out of his skin, dropping the emerald in the process.

Sonic heaved to catch his breath. The pain left as quick as it came, but it left him surprised and disoriented after. After a moment, he winced and rubbed his forehead.

“Ah,” Sonic exhaled with a half-laugh. “That didn’t tickle.”

He glanced up, intending to put his hands back on the emerald and try again. But his brain was knocked off its axis by Shadow’s eyes, widened with a touch of fear and gallons upon gallons of rage.

“What the fuck was that?!” The hedgehog bellowed. All sharp teeth were bared and spitting fire at the blue hedgehog. “Did you not listen to a single damn word I said?!”

Stunned, Sonic’s tongue tripped over his words. Shadow was seething and exhaling steam. The hedgehog appeared seconds away from punching Sonic dead in the nose.

“E-excuse me?” Sonic eventually uttered. 

“Unbelievable,” Shadow hissed. Then he stood, quickly. Sonic backed away on instinct, hands and feet pushing against the grass.

“Unbelievable!” Shadow stomped back and forth, crushing flowers under his metal shoes. “Have you learned absolutely nothing from any of this? Or are you hurting yourself on purpose? Is that it?! Are you that much of a moron?!”

“Shadow, Shadow, Shadow!” Sonic shouted, waving his hands in front of him. “Please, I don’t understand－”

When Shadow spun back to snap at him, Sonic didn’t miss the angry tears in his eyes.

“You don’t understand!” 

Like a volcano, the shout was loud and eruptive. Shadow huffed and his outstretched finger gradually lost its fight against gravity, eventually falling at the hedgehog’s side. He stood momentarily, as tense as an arrow loaded in a bowstring. Until all at once, his legs collapsed and he sat defeatedly in the grass.

“You don’t understand.”

Silence pierced the vast meadow. Grass fluttered in the wind, creating waves of green that rolled like an unsettled ocean. The sudden chill sent a shudder up Sonic’s spine. He felt cold all over.

Sonic hated feeling cold.

Sonic got to his knees and carefully shuffled towards the other hedgehog. Shadow had his back turned, knees drawn up and face hidden from view. Sonic took his time approaching, until he sat himself at the hedgehog’s side.

“Shadow?” Sonic nudged.

No response from the hedgehog. Only the quiet huffing of angry breath. And the plop of a single tear that dribbled down the side of Shadow’s jaw, unable to be concealed. 

Sonic didn’t know how to proceed. His fingers clenched and unclenched midair, indecisive about reaching towards Shadow. He decided against it, and clutched one forearm with his hand.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize doing that would startle you. I’m just impatient, you know that.”

Sonic’s attempt at a laugh could barely be considered a sound. Meanwhile, Shadow gritted his teeth in a silent sneer.

Guilt flooded the hedgehog. He’d acted reckless, he knew that. He didn’t want to be like that anymore. Too many past illusions taunted that part of his personality. Shadow, in particular, had been the star of one of them. But Sonic…he just couldn’t help himself. Why couldn’t he help himself?!

Why was he like this, even now?

“I was reckless. Again,” Sonic continued in a small voice. “I know I shouldn’t be. I know all that accomplishes is hurting other people－”

“No! All it’s doing is hurting yourself!”

Shadow’s head twisted sharply towards Sonic. He could barely stifle a gasp. Sonic had never truly seen Shadow cry, not until now. But it wasn’t sadness that seemed to have opened the faucet of Shadow’s eyes. Not even anger, not entirely.

Shadow looked shaken. 

Sonic’s brow furrowed. His eyes flitted up and down, taking in the agitated hedgehog.

“Shadow,” he murmured. “What is this?”

He gestured to all of Shadow. To his shaking form, gritted teeth and flaming eyes.

“What’s really going on?”

Shadow huffed out an irate laugh. A sharp, dangerous smile widened on his face and he shook his head.

“What’s really going on…” he echoed, his tone bitter. “Truly unbelievable. Do I have to fucking spell it out for you?”

Shadow stood again. This time, his form leered over Sonic, blocking the sun. Sonic’s heart skipped and his nerves buzzed.

“I’m tired of beating around the bush.” Shadow’s next words were direct and sure. “Tell me why you are suicidal.”

Sonic…Sonic blinked. Blinked again. A small motion in the freeze frame he’d become. He…his brain struggled to process it. The blunt, unfiltered question shot directly at him like an arrow to a bullseye.

He felt like a butterfly pinned to a wall. He felt like a fileted fish with its guts spilling out. He felt exposed, because somehow Shadow had figured him out. And not only that, he’d outright used the word that both he and Tails had been dancing around this whole time.

Suicidal.

“I…” Sonic swallowed dryly. His tongue felt like leather in his mouth. “I…how…”

Shadow waited, still as a statue, while Sonic stumbled through several more half-spoken words. The hedgehog was resolute and unyielding in presence alone. Sonic knew now that Shadow was going to get an answer out of him. Whether he liked it or not.

“I…” Sonic breathed deeply. “I’m not anymore…not really…how…who told you that I…?”

“No one,” Shadow huffed. He crossed his arms. “No one needed to. You think I don’t know what it looks like?”

Sonic tilted his head. “What it looks like…when would you have－”

Shadow beat him to it. “I had my suspicions. But it didn’t click for me until the morning of the final battle.”

The morning of the final battle. Sonic searched his brain for any memories of that day, before he’d succumbed to his dark form and killed Infinite in battle. It was hazy. The few visuals in his head spiraled, too interspersed with past illusions to be comprehensible. It was strange. He recalled…

Two slices of toast. A vision of himself drowning. Demonic creatures, and Shadow with desperation in his eyes. Fear, and fists thrown between himself and Tails.

Not much else.

“You probably don’t remember.”

Sonic frowned and nodded. “Out of all of them, that’s the day that’s hardest for me to piece together. Must have been really out of it, huh?”

Shadow finally looked away from Sonic, and it didn’t feel deliberate.

“Because that was the day you gave up.”

Sonic’s face dropped.

“We were alone in the room,” Shadow muttered over his shoulder. “You were awake, but hadn’t responded to anyone all day. Not a word, not a scream, nothing. Your body reacted to the fear that was drilled into you, but your soul wasn’t in it.”

Shadow bit his lip.

“I saw the lifeless look in your eyes. I saw the dead weight your body had become. I could see how your soul was slowly moving to join it. It was like looking in a mirror. I never understand all that ‘we look alike’ crap people used to say. But at that moment, I saw an exact copy of myself. How I was…when we first met.”

Shadow steeled himself. Sonic didn’t dare breathe.

“I was suicidal back then, too.”

Sonic’s heart sank like iron in the depths. His hand reached out unconsciously to Shadow, whose arms wound tightly around his chest.

“Shadow…”

“Save it,” Shadow spat at him. He’d turned back, eyes aglow. “You already know how I was. I’d lost Maria. I wanted nothing more than to destroy the world that killed her, and get myself killed in the process. You knew that, I know you did…because you were the one who stopped me.”

Shadow tried to catch his breath. Sonic’s hand dropped and he watched, eyes stinging with unshed tears.

“You didn't give up on me.” Shadow pressed the palm of his hand to his eyes, wincing. “Like an annoying little bug, you flew into my face over and over again until you finally broke me down. Broke me open. Chaos, you were so full of optimism it was sickening."

“So do you understand what it was like?” Shadow’s volume rose again. “To see you like that? To see the life drained out of you, the way you fucking smiled when you grabbed my wrist and told me you gave up a long time ago?!”

A full-body shudder ran through the hedgehog. Sonic couldn’t believe the Shadow he was seeing. Couldn’t believe that however he’d been acting on that day had pierced the hedgehog so deeply, and that he was still feeling the effects of it long after.

“I…I don’t know if I do,” Sonic finally answered, small and almost ashamed.

Shadow shook again, and sighed. “Let me put it into words your dumbass can understand.”

Pointedly ignoring the insult, Sonic watched as Shadow gestured to himself.

“Imagine one day you wake up and see me. Except I’m not at all what you expect. In fact, when you see me, I’m galavanting through this very meadow. Cheerful as all hell. Smiling and skipping and singing about sunshine and rainbows. What’s your reaction to that?”

Sonic only had to picture that image in his mind for half a second before he shuddered. He almost gagged at the idea, tasting bile in his throat.

“Not going to lie, that would disturb me more than anything else ever could.” Sonic brushed down a few quills that stood on end. “Talk about uncanny.”

Shadow huffed. “Well, that’s what it was like.”

Sonic sighed. His open palms laid on his lap, and he looked at them. The same five fingers, the same white gloves. But everything else, everything underneath, was so different.

“I shouldn’t have acted recklessly just now. And I shouldn’t have made light of it afterward.” Sonic’s palms turned over in his lap. “I’m sorry.”

Shadow sighed, stood for a moment longer, then finally sat cross-legged in front of Sonic, just as they were before. Shadow stared at Sonic and did nothing more. He couldn’t help but be drawn back into a memory, long ago when that first illusion plagued his mind.

“During my first few weeks in that prison, Infinite created an illusion that I thought was real.”

The words trembled as they fell from Sonic’s mouth. But Shadow listened, not bristling.

Sonic took a deep breath. “You broke into that prison and saved me from my cell. We had to escape, but robots were everywhere. We eventually got close to an exit, but it was filled with guards. You told me to stay hidden. To wait until they passed by. But I was so desperate for freedom. I couldn’t think. I didn’t think. I just acted. I ran out of the hiding spot. The robots saw me immediately, you ran out to me and I…”

Sonic swallowed. His mouth was dry. His throat was tight. But Shadow nodded. Urging him on.

“I threw you in front of me. Like a shield. Right into the line of fire.”

Sonic winced. He couldn’t look at Shadow, not now.

“You died because of me. Because of my recklessness. That was the point Infinite was trying to make. That my thoughtless actions get everyone else hurt. That illusion, that first illusion has been haunting me ever since. Hurting me. Torturing me. And yet I still－!”

Sonic didn’t know the anger was rising until it breached the surface. His fist slammed down into the dirt, sending blades of grass flying.

“I still do the same damn thing now! I still act without thinking and I still…I still get people hurt.”

Sonic huffed in and out. His other hand squeezed a clutch of grass blades in a death grip. His vision felt fuzzy and his ears burned. Chaos, the illusions were gone, he was supposed to be better now! But the memories and the guilt and the fear just wouldn’t let up. He couldn’t escape from－

Shadow’s hand on his shoulder.

It pulled him back to reality. The steady weight on his shoulder, and then the calm gaze from those scarlet eyes, like the waving embers of a steady flame. The sight blurred once in a while, until Sonic realized it was due to the tears dripping from his own eyes.

“First of all, Sonic, anything that Infinite tried to tell you or tried to convince you of, throw that shit directly out the window, alright? He was a disgusting monster who wanted nothing other than to break your spirit. Despite what you may think, you’ve made it out of that hellhole with your spirit still intact. So don’t let the ghost of him break you now.”

Sonic choked on a small sob, then nodded. Nodded again, to convince himself as well.

“And secondly…” Shadow’s eyes blinked slowly, his face softening. “I won’t lie to you. You do have a problem with recklessness. It’s stupid and it pisses me off. But what you don’t realize is that it hurts you more than anyone else. And I think you know that, deep down. That’s why your body always defaults to thoughtless actions. That desire to erase yourself from this world, it’s been ingrained in you.”

Sonic’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. He’d never thought about it that way. Not even once. Recklessness just felt so natural to him. He’d never considered that it was his own self-hatred, albeit passively, acting for him.

“You still have flaws, Sonic. This is one of them.” Shadow tightened his hold on Sonic’s shoulders, but it was grounding. “And there’s nothing wrong with being flawed. You hate yourself so much for it, but that’s only going to hurt. What I’ve learned is that when I see a flaw in myself, it’s better to recognize it than to despise it. And it’s better to work to fix it then punish myself for it. I tried to destroy the world, now I work to save it. Yes, it was a flaw, but do I hate myself for it? No, because I was in a dark place back then. It was wrong, but I choose now to pursue what’s right, and maybe one day make up for what I’ve done. Besides, kicking your ass back then was fun. I don’t regret it.”

That got a chuckle from Sonic.

“I learned a lot from that experience,” continued Shadow. “Now it’s your turn to learn something from this. You act reckless and you hate yourself for it? First, take the self-hatred out of the equation because that helps no one. Then, trust your friends to help you. Don’t be afraid to lean on others. Listen to what they have to say and work together with them. We can all help to lead you down the best path for you, Sonic. We just want what’s best for you. I think you want that too. You just have to talk and listen. Stop beating yourself up and stop leaping into danger. Slow down a little, even if it ‘pains you’.”

Shadow made quotation marks with his fingers. Sonic laughed again, his chest feeling lighter than before.

“You’re right,” Sonic sighed. “Damn it, you’re right. I hate saying you’re right, but you’re right.”

“Yet you’re saying it a whole fucking lot,” Shadow smirked.

Sonic shoved the other hedgehog. “Shut your mouth before I beat your ass!”

“I’d like to see you try, faker.”

“Nah, you’re the fake hedgehog around here!” Sonic smiled. He softened, his smile warm and grateful. “But you’re a real good friend.”

“Say more of that mushy crap, I dare you. I’ll pin your head on Tails’s front door.”

“Nah, you wouldn’t. You’d miss me too much,” Sonic beamed smugly.

Shadow massaged his temples. “Intolerable.”

Finally, Shadow reached over to where the green chaos emerald was discarded in the grass. He held it in his lap, looking expectantly at Sonic.

“I promised a certain fox that I’d get you back into tip-top shape.” Shadow raised a brow. “So will you listen and cooperate this time, or do I actually have to beat you into a pulp?”

Sonic laughed, which only made Shadow scowl more. At last, he placed his own hands on top of the emerald. The green glow pulsed through the gaps between their fingers, shining and alive.

“Lead the way, slowpoke. We’ll go at your pace this time.”

Tails really needed a freaking project.

After months of nonstop action and feeling like a new battle was always around the corner, the peace and silence felt unnatural. Boring. The fox enjoyed the time he had with his brother, but still. Whenever the day fizzled out into inactivity, or Sonic was napping leaving Tails by his lonesome, his fingers itched for his tools. For something to build. Something to create.

Except, he had no idea what that ‘something’ could be. Usually he was brimming with ideas, but his brain was a touch too occupied to make room for them. He was still processing everything that happened after all. The war. Sonic’s capture and return. Sonic dying, Tails dying. The hardships they still faced afterward.

Following Sonic’s first session with Shadow, the atmosphere had changed. It felt lighter, more open. Sonic shared a little more about his time in prison, and opened the floor to Tails to air his own repressed emotions as well. It was nice to talk to him about it. He’d needed to talk to him about it.

But he still yearned for easier moments, too. Not to use as a mask to cover the heavier moments, but to accompany them. He sat in his workshop for hours at a time, waiting for inspiration to hit. But it never did.

Until a few days later, when Amy and Knuckles came over to visit. The two of them, plus Tails and Sonic enjoyed a lovely picnic together out in the field. The shining sun felt incredible on his fur, even soothing the scar on his chest that had thankfully thickened enough to be less painful. Over sandwiches and cookies, they caught up. 

Sonic shared his slow but steady progress with his chaos energy therapy. In his words, he and Shadow had been able to ‘unravel quite a few stubborn knots’ of energy trapped in his core. Apparently, he was now a quarter of the way to complete recovery － for his chaos energy, at least. They’d all applauded him. Tails had never felt more proud. Sonic flushed at the attention, telling them to ‘cut it out’ and ‘eat your sandwiches before I steal them all!’. But he was smiling nonetheless.

Amy and Knuckles happily reported that they’d almost completely disengaged themselves from restoration efforts. They were still involved to an extent, and planned to return eventually, but for now they wanted to spend more time with friends. Tails beamed at the news, and gleefully jumped into Amy’s arms for a hug.

“So you’ll be able to visit more often?” he asked.

Amy grinned, ruffling his furry head. “Absolutely! The four of us can finally get back together. The original team, reunited!”

“It’s been far too long,” Knuckles agreed. “Even Rouge and Shadow were able to reduce their involvement. Maybe they can join more often too.”

Tails’s smile shone a golden hue.

It was after they broke out the cookies (and after Tails snagged a handful from Sonic before he could steal the whole batch) that Knuckles spoke up.

“Before we semi-retired, the Restoration had one more task that they were unsure how to complete on their own.”

Knuckles’s eyes trailed to Tails, who felt the attention on him.

“They want to seek out old Eggman bases to dismantle them. Now that he’s gone, there’s no reason to allow potentially dangerous constructions to remain standing. But some of those bases are still hidden. They’re having trouble finding them.”

Tails nodded, sensing where this conversation was going.

“I remember Rouge told me about something you made during the war. It’s how you found the Death Egg, right?”

Tails nodded again, enthusiastically. “Yes! An Egg Tech detector. It was able to pinpoint the exact location over any Egg Tech within a certain radius. But it was destroyed…unfortunately.”

Tails made a sour face, recalling a certain jackal that had made a mess of things back then. Luckily, they'd already had all the information they needed at that point, or the loss of the Detector could have been devastating. 

“Would you be able to build a new one?” Knuckles tapped his finger to his chin in thought. “Maybe…a few new ones? It could help the Restoration with their mission. Only if you feel up to it, though. Don’t feel pressured.”

But Tails was already lit up from within from excitement. It burst from him like dynamite, and the echidna nearly jumped out of his skin from the ecstatic squeal Tails emitted.

“Yes, yes! Of course, yes! Knuckles, you have no idea how long I’ve been looking for a project!” Tails hopped to his feet, nearly squashing a cookie underfoot. “If I go any longer without building something I think I might go insane!”

Knuckles waved his hands in front of him, laughing. “Well, now you got one! Calm down, kiddo.”

But for the rest of the picnic, Tails couldn’t completely extinguish the excitement flame rippling within him. 

Later that night, after Amy and Knuckles said their goodbyes, Tails made a beeline for his workshop. He raced around, picking out tools and materials like a kid at a candy store. His original Egg Tech Detector had been amazing, but now he had the chance to make an even greater version without the threat of a war on his back! And this time, he’d have real materials to work with, not the stripped pieces of a car and whatever the surrounding villages had been willing to sell off. His tails involuntarily spun from his excitement, and he continued to tear through his supply with his feet far from the ground.

He hadn’t noticed Sonic leaning on the doorframe, eyes glimmering and mouth curled into an easy grin from watching his enlivened brother flit about the workshop.

“So, you're gonna tell me what this Egg Tech Detector is? Or should I wait until you’re done buzzing around your workshop like a bumblebee?”

Tails laughed, dropping a pile of tools he’d scooped up onto his work table.

“I must have forgotten to tell you the story, Sonic!” Tails exclaimed. “One of my greatest achievements during the war. I had this deal with Shadow and Rouge; we worked together to try to find you. They were stationed out in a desert to find more clues, and Amy and Knuckles at the time weren’t too keen on what we were doing because everyone still thought you were dead, so I stole a car and drove out to the desert and we pitched a tent there for about six weeks to conduct our plan－”

“Woah, woah, slow down!” Sonic’s hands waved frantically in front of him. His eyes were the size of saucers. “Pitched a tent in the desert? For how long?”

Tails only nodded his head, still too inundated with pride and excitement to pay mind to Sonic’s bewilderment. 

“I made a device that could detect Eggman’s technology with whatever I could forage from the car and nearby villages. It took a while but it worked! It tracked the Death Egg as it passed over the planet. We didn’t know where it was at first, but we figured it out after Infinite attacked us and－”

“Infinite attacked you?!”

Sonic’s tone made Tails turn his head toward the hedgehog. But despite the horrified expression, Tails returned it with a small smile.

“He discovered us in the desert. We fought briefly. He even used his illusions on us. But we managed. I pushed forward and fought back. Just like I did when we eventually launched the rescue mission on the Death Egg. I told you, Sonic, I’ve grown a lot since the war started. I…I just wanted to find you. I just wanted to make you proud.”

The fox’s tails drooped suddenly, scraping the ground. Sonic hadn’t responded, and Tails still felt the weight of that shocked expression on his back. A deep part of him that still struggled with insecurity prepared for scolding, or even worse, disappointment. 

“Wow, that’s…” Sonic put a hand to his head and released a shaky breath. “That’s…terrifying. And impressive.”

Tails frowned. Sonic was paler than moonlight, with his mind visibly spinning trying to process this revelation. 

“Is something wrong?” The fox eventually asked, hesitant.

Sonic’s head snapped up, eyes flashing as if he were just lost in thought. “Huh? Oh. Um…yeah that’s…”

Tails narrowed his eyes. “If there’s something wrong, just say it. If you’re disappointed in me…”

Sonic’s eyes widened. “What? No!! No, no, never! Why would I be disappointed?”

“I don’t know, just…” Tails trailed off, staring blankly at his worktable. He let out a huff. “It’s still hard, you know? To not expect disappointment. To think I could be strong enough to fight and change things. I’ve worked so hard to grow, and I know I’ve gotten better. But sometimes it’s hard not to see myself as that scared little fox who cowered and did nothing. The kid who could never fend for himself.”

Sonic approached slowly, his eyes holding warmth in their depths. “Tails, you’re not a disappointment. You’ve never been.”

He placed a hand on Tails’s back, patting it gently. Tails leaned back into the touch, looking at Sonic with a trembling lip.

“Then why did you react like that?” Tails asked, voice nearly silent.

Sonic sighed. “After everything, I’m still your big brother. Knowing you were in danger, face-to-face with Infinite of all people…that scares me. To think about how he could have hurt you. Physically and mentally. Thinking about how I was tortured by him…and how he could have done the same to you. I would never wish that kind of torment on anyone. Especially you.”

Tails swallowed, feeling a lump in his throat.

“My reaction was a knee-jerk one, I admit,” Sonic grinned, “but Tails, I’ve seen how much you’ve grown. It’s incredible. You’re so much more independent, confident and outspoken. You’ve become a leader. Hell, you commandeered the final battle of a war! I’m proud of the new you, Tails, and I see it everyday. Just the spark in your eyes alone speaks volumes on who you are now.” 

Tails sniffled, and his smile beamed like the sun.

“And if you ever have moments of weakness,” Sonic continued, face serious, “Moments where you feel scared, where you freeze up, or can’t do it alone, that’s okay too. That doesn’t mean all your work was for nothing. It doesn’t mean you’ve reverted to who you used to be. We’re all changed now, Tails. For the better. Even if we take steps back, we’re always moving forward. And I’ll always be by your side on this neverending journey.”

Tails couldn’t help himself. He launched forward and squeezed Sonic in a hug. Sonic laughed, but hugged the fox back just as tightly, as if he couldn’t bear to let go.

“That means so much more to me than you will ever know,” Tails whispered.

Sonic only squeezed him tighter, an answer in and of itself. It was several minutes later that Tails recalled something Sonic had said.

“Infinite still scares you, doesn’t he?”

Sonic’s head lifted from Tails’s shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at him. “Well, he did, sure. But he’s dead now. Not like he can threaten us anymore.”

“I know, but…you still feel afraid.”

Sonic’s face fell.

“...yeah. I still feel afraid.”

Tails leaned back from Sonic and gave him a sympathetic nod. Encouraging him to keep talking.

Sonic sighed, then sat himself atop the worktable.

“When I was in that prison,” Sonic began, fiddling with his fingers, “every moment was terror. We’ve been fighting Eggman for as long as I can remember, but I’d never seen him so malicious, or bloodthirsty, or, well, efficient.”

Tails had to giggle at that.

“But it threw me off. It started with the restraints, then the beatings. Eggman tormented me constantly by telling me how close he was to destroying the world…and destroying all of you. I’d never seen him like that. And Infinite…”

Sonic winced.

“I’m not sure how he did it. But using his abilities, he somehow programmed my brain to stay in a constant state of fight-or-flight. It was endless terror. My mind discerned every little thing as a threat to my life. It felt like I’d been scraped down to the bare bones of my brain…like a wild animal. I could only think of survival.”

Tails grabbed hold of Sonic’s trembling hand. This was obviously hard for the hedgehog to talk about. But Sonic smiled gratefully, taking a deep breath before continuing.

“The illusions are gone now, but it’s still hard to let go of that feeling. I was in that state of mind for so long. The source is gone, but it left its impact. I’m still afraid. A lot of the time.”

Tails placed his head on Sonic’s lap. Instinctively, the hedgehog reached down to pet the fuzz between his ears.

“It’s okay to be afraid,” Tails murmured. Then he looked up at Sonic with a grin. “Isn’t that what you just told me?”

Sonic smirked and laughed. “Yeah, it is.” Then, his face deepened into a frown. “But this fear…I don’t want to hold onto it forever. It’s so ingrained in me…it almost feels like a prison itself. I’m sure I’ll never completely get rid of it, but it would be nice if I could get rid of a good chunk of it. Just so I didn’t have to feel this way all the time. I wish there was something I could do.”

Tails furrowed his brow in thought. His eyes flitted about his workshop, trying to think of something. His gaze landed on the pile of materials on the table. All gathered to make Egg Tech detectors.

Eggman…

Tails tapped Sonic’s leg, getting his attention.

“I may have an idea on how to help,” he said. “It may not be comfortable, but exposure therapy never is.”

Sonic raised a brow, a grin crossing his face. “Exposure therapy? What exactly do you have swirling in that genius brain of yours?”

Tails smirked. “During the war, I had to face my issues head on. Battles, plans, missions, you name it. And with each fear I faced, I got more confident. It got easier. So what if you did the same?”

The gears visibly turned in Sonic’s head. Then his eyes lit with realization.

“I think it may be worth it,” Tails said, squeezing Sonic’s hand in his own once again, “if you gave the source of all this fear a visit.”

“And you’re absolutely sure?”

“Yes Knuckles,” Sonic said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. “I’m sure. Now can we get this thing moving?”

The hedgehog and the echidna stood inside one of the shuttles used by the Resistance during the war. The coordinates had already been uploaded. A journey off the continent, a tiny island out in the ocean. Where, unsuspecting, a certain prisoner was serving a life sentence to pay for his crimes.

And Sonic intended to visit him.

Perhaps ‘visit’ was not the right word. Confront, was closer. Facing the focal point of the fear that had embedded itself within him like a parasite. The one that was still alive, anyway.

It was the first hurdle. And from his long history of racing, Sonic knew that clearing the first hurdle was the most difficult part. He could build momentum after that. A rhythm that would send him flying over the consecutive hurdles with greater ease. But he needed to take that first step.

When he and Tails told their friends about his idea, Knuckles had offered to transport Sonic to the secluded prison. Despite his clear hesitance about the idea and how it might affect Sonic’s psyche, he wanted to help. Or perhaps, be present if anything were to go amiss. But as soon as the long shuttle ride ended, and they touched down on solid ground, Sonic stopped Knuckles from approaching the exit.

“I need to do this alone,” Sonic said. Not sharply, but firmly. 

Knuckles looked immediately opposed to the idea. “Are you serious? What if something happens?”

“He’s not breaking out of that prison. You know that.”

“That’s not what I－!” Knuckles bit his tongue and hissed. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. What if you can’t handle it? What if you have a breakdown, or panic?”

Sonic snapped, suddenly defensive. “I’m not going to have a breakdown, Knucks! I’ve fought this guy for years, I’m not going to panic at the sight of him!” 

The shuttle plunged into silence. Sonic heaving, Knuckles tense. But the staredown mellowed quickly as Sonic came back to himself.

“I…shouldn’t have yelled.”

“No, it’s fine. Sonic, I…” Knuckles put a hand to his head. He grit his teeth, as if he had a migraine incoming.

“You don’t know what it was like, seeing you like that.” Knuckles dared a glance at Sonic. “Seeing you jump at every shadow. Scream and kick at us if we got close. Seeing you…practically insane! So can you blame me for being a bit apprehensive about this?!”

Knuckles was shaking. Sonic hadn’t realized yet, but he was shaking too.

“I understand,” replied Sonic. He planted his feet firmly on the ground. “I know that was a lot for you guys to handle. I get…being afraid that I’ll go back to that. But I won’t. And doing this, going to face Eggman on my own…I feel like that’s the only way I’ll never go back to that state of mind again.”

Knuckles bit his lip. Words of opposition practically danced on his tongue, almost visible. But he swallowed them.

“Are you sure?”

Sonic hesitated for a moment. Then nodded.

Knuckles sighed deeply. “Fine. Fine. Just keep your communicator on, okay? Call me if anything happens.”

Sonic glanced at the watch on his wrist. Tails had built it for him during their first week back home, just like their communicators that they used during the war.

“I will.”

A hand clapped onto Sonic’s shoulder. Knuckles stood in front of him with a smile that wasn’t exactly pleased, but was proud.

“Do what you need to do.”

Knuckles took a seat in the shuttle, and Sonic turned, making his way out.

The prison was a small, two-storied stone building. It stood on a small rocky surface atop the island. It could barely be called an island, in Sonic’s opinion. Just a stony outcrop jutting from the ocean. He avoided looking at the dark blue waters at the edge, instead heading straight for the heavy doors of the prison.

A pair of medium-sized robots manned the door. Sonic already knew more robots inhabited the inside of the prison, built by Resistance inventors to tend to Eggman so none of his victims had to see him again. They pulled back at Sonic’s approach, opening the doors for him. One followed him as he stepped inside the thick walls. Instructions had already been sent to the robots from the Restoration base. The robot would guide Sonic to Eggman’s cell, where he’d finally accomplish what he’d set out to do.

Sonic flinched at the loud slam of the heavy doors shutting behind him. But regardless, he moved forward. Wordlessly, the robot guided him through identical, stony halls until they reached a staircase to the second floor. They ascended, the way illuminated by a few small windows barred with iron. Sonic swallowed, touching his chest and feeling his heart racing below.

Face it. Overcome it. Rise.

He climbed to the top, where a long hallway awaited him.

The stretch of stone floors and stone walls. The occupied cell he knew resided at the end of it. It reminded him of the final sprint in a race. A straight shot to the end where victory awaited. Except he’d always loved races. Never before had he felt so anxious to complete one.

But the finish line awaited him. And the speedster was lured forward to where he was always meant to go.

The robot departed from him, its job complete. Sonic walked forward, his steps echoing. His legs had gotten stronger during the past few weeks. No longer did they shake underneath him. He hadn’t fallen or stumbled in several days. Muscles threaded back together, on their way to full recovery. He was getting stronger. He’d keep getting stronger.

Nothing would stop him. Not even fear.

So he pushed past the sweat on his brow, the palpitations in his chest, and the panic so deeply embedded in his brain, and reached the end of the hall, where a long set of iron bars stretched from floor to ceiling. He turned, facing it head on.

It felt like a mirror image of a long ago time.

Once a hedgehog behind bars, wrapped in tight chains, forced to kneel before a sneering villain bent on destroying the world.

Now, the hedgehog outside the bars. And a sullen, defeated man who’d never step outside of them for as long as he would live.

The cell was humble. A bed. A small table with a chair. A tiny shelf with a couple of books. A small, barred window near the ceiling that looked out on the expansive ocean.

And Dr. Eggman, sitting on the mattress. Back hunched, eyes down, one hand in his lap. The other hand, along with its attached arm, limp and necrotic. 

Sonic barely remembered what he’d done to Eggman’s arm. The story had been told to him. But seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

Darkness and death, forever scarring a man who’d sought just that. A fitting, ironic punishment. A predictable end foreshadowed in countless fables and cautionary tales. Something the once-powerful doctor never expected for himself.

A mirror image.

Two individuals scarred by one another.

Sonic only stared at first. Quiet and observing. He’d intended to break the silence. But someone else beat him to it.

“I was wondering when you’d finally show up.”

A defeated, glum tone. Eggman’s mouth barely moved when he spoke, as if it was all he had the energy to do. Sonic stood like a statue. He continued to stare at the man who’d tried to ruin him.

Eggman sighed. He shifted on the mattress, his dead arm remaining limp at his side. 

“You and I always inevitably run into each other. Battle after battle, defeat after defeat. You’re the thorn in my side that I can’t ever get rid of, hmm?”

Sonic didn’t answer.

“Come to gloat? Rub your victory in my face?” Eggman’s head lifted, but he hadn’t yet dared to look at Sonic. “Come to celebrate our flipped roles? I, the prisoner. And you, my warden. We’ve arrived at the beginning once again, old friend.”

Eggman sighed once more. Clenched his working fist.

“I can only assume you’ve come to finish the job yourself.”

And for the first time that day, Sonic felt his fear drop and wash away.

“No.”

Eggman finally looked at him. Eyes sunken, built on dark circular eyebags like they were a foundation. Eyes locked, one pair full of defeat and somber acceptance. The other, finally finding its spark once more.

Eggman could only huff. Almost a laugh. “And why not?”

Sonic crossed his arms. Stared at the pathetic form in front of him.

“Because I’m not you.”

Eggman laughed, tired and dark. “Oh, how predictable you are. Heroes and their unbreakable mercy.”

He spat the word like a curse.

“You’re going to tell me how you’re above matching my heinous deeds. That you won’t enact your revenge because of how good you are. That I’m being left to rot here because of your generous kindness. Don’t waste your breath, hedgehog. I’ve heard it all before. And you’ve got better things to do then preach to me.”

Eggman met his eyes again, this time as if he were daring him to retort. Daring him to confirm or deny.

Sonic didn’t break their charged gaze. Instead, he took one step forward, and wrapped one hand around the iron bar. A familiar texture. 

“You feel trapped.”

Eggman blinked. Sonic’s face was flat, unreadable, as he continued to speak.

“You feel hopeless. You feel angry and upset and worthless. You feel like death would be better than this. I know that, because I was you.”

Sonic’s heart steadied into a solid, beating rhythm.

“I didn’t try to convince anyone to set you free from this place. I allowed them to keep you here. I attacked you and mutilated your arm. I would have killed you, had I been able to maintain that form.”

Sonic smiled, small but almost uncanny.

“I’m just as bad as you. Just as dark. And I have been for a long time.”

Eggman nearly recoiled. His face twisted with confusion.

Sonic’s smile dropped. His face landed at rest, almost content.

“That’s how you see yourself, right? Too terrible for this world. An awful stain. A parasite. Maybe that’s why you took the dark path you did into villainy. Maybe that’s why I almost ended my life many years ago.”

Eggman let out a confused, choked noise. His eyebrows raised, completely perplexed.

“Maybe one day, I won’t see myself as that horrible person anymore. Because I still do. Sometimes. It’s getting easier, with the help I have now.”

Sonic tightened his grip on the iron bar, forcing himself to really feel it.

“Maybe one day I won’t want to kill you. Maybe one day I can really be that ‘merciful hero’ you see me as. Maybe one day I will forgive you. I hope I do.”

Sonic breathed deeply.

“I didn’t come here today for you, Eggman. I came here today because I’m still afraid. After everything you did to me, I still live in fear every minute of every day. And I want to let go of it. And facing you is the first step I need to do it.”

“It’s the first wall I need to break down,” Sonic continued, “so I can break down all the others I’ve built up in my life. Not just the ones I built while in your prison. Every mask, every terrible thought, every self-destructive action. Because everything else I just told you about myself? I want to let go of it too.”

Sonic grabbed another iron bar with his other hand.

“I want you to stay here forever, alive, so I can let go. I want to forgive you one day, so I can let go. I want to love my friends and myself, so I can let go.”

Sonic leaned his head into the iron bars, so as much of his face as possible could poke through.

“I want to let go, so who I am now will be able to grow. Someone new, someone free. Someone loving. And maybe one day, you can do the same, Eggman. But that’s up to you. You’ve got eternity to figure it out.”

Sonic let go of the bars. He backed away from the cell, standing at a comfortable distance. A warm smile settled on his face.

“At least you’ll get your wish,” Sonic laughed. “You’ll never have to see my pesky, annoying face ever again.”

Eggman almost smiled at that.

“I’ve never looked forward to anything more,” said the doctor with a small sneer.

Sonic chuckled, a sound that was dark and bright all in one.

Eggman leaned back onto his bed. His good arm absentmindedly rubbed his necrotic one in thought.

“So, was it worth it? To visit little old me?” Eggman’s face was softer, some sort of complicated fondness toward his greatest enemy. “Were you able to let go of that fear of yours?”

Sonic put a finger to his chin in thought. Tapped his foot. Drew out the silence for a good minute.

“I think it’s a good start,” he finally answered.

Eggman chuckled and looked away. “Well then, things seem to be looking up now aren’t they?”

Maybe Eggman’s tone was sarcastic. Maybe it wasn’t. But Sonic grinned all the same.

“They sure are, Egghead. They sure are.”

And with that, Sonic turned on his heel and walked away. Leaving Eggman behind. Leaving all of his fear and self-hatred behind in that prison cell to one day die alongside him. And when he finally left the building, heading straight for the shuttle with an anxious echidna waiting within, the sun shone brightly. And for the first time in a long time, Sonic really, truly…

…felt the urge to run free.

A couple weeks later, Shadow and Sonic finished their last chaos energy therapy session.

Shadow’s idea had been a complete success. The relief was overwhelming when that last tangled thread finally broke loose. Sonic nearly cried from the warm, free sensation. And if he did shed a tear or two, neither Shadow or Sonic would admit.

Tails had finally finished the Egg Tech detectors and sent them off to the Restoration. From the subsequent reports, they were also a complete success. Every Eggman base had been located and were in the process of being dismantled. Soon enough, not a trace of that doctor would be left on their continent. And the gang of friends couldn’t be happier for it.

Knuckles, Amy, Rouge and Shadow had been able to completely disentangle themselves from the Restoration efforts, at least for now. They were taking a well-earned vacation, and would return when they were ready. Sonic and Tails were welcome to return too, eventually. They would need more time than the others. But that was okay. They were happy to shelve their hero mantles for now. Though they had every intention to reclaim those titles again someday. Being heroes was in their blood, their souls. One day, after they recovered enough, it would be just as joyful and fulfilling of a purpose as it had once been.

But for now, the friends spent every waking moment together. Games and movies. Sleepovers and long talks about everything they went through. Opening up, staying close together. Everything they’d missed for months, for years. 

Today they’d met up for lunch at Tails’s house once again. It was then that Sonic brought up the thought that had been flooding his mind for the past few days.

“I want to try running again.”

The others looked at him with varying expressions. Rouge, Amy and Knuckles with a hint of worry. Tails with the widest, brightest eyes. Shadow, nonchalant as always. The hedgehog hadn’t even glanced up from his cup of coffee.

“You sure you’re ready for that?” Knuckles asked. His body was relaxed and at ease, only the slight bit of apprehension worrying his brow.

“Yeah, didn’t you just finish those therapy sessions the other day?” Rouge piped up, playing with a new pair of diamond earrings she’d ‘bought’ recently. Knuckles noticed and gave her quite the stink eye. She pointedly ignored it.

“Exactly.” Sonic replied. His foot tapped on the floor. “That should mean I’m fully healed and ready to go, in that regard at least.”

Amy, still somewhat tense, turned to Shadow. “Is that so?”

Shadow took another long sip of his coffee, looking bored. After a long pause, he finally answered in a monotone voice.

“Yeah. Should be fine. I don’t see the harm.”

Sonic beamed. And he could’ve sworn he saw Shadow glance at him and grin, before returning to his cup.

“That’s amazing, Sonic!” Tails exclaimed. The little fox bounded up to his brother, giving him a tight hug. “You want to go now? Can I come with you?!”

Sonic laughed, “Course you can, bud! Just like old times.”

“Maybe…before doing that…”

Amy’s soft voice caught Sonic’s attention. She smiled at him, eyes weary but warm. She’d trailed off, as if hesitant to continue.

Sonic replied just as warmly. “What’s up, Ames?”

Amy perked up. “I was thinking, maybe don’t rush into it right away? You’ve only just recovered your strength. I hate to ask you to slow down, but…”

She suddenly clammed up, as if expecting a swift rejection.

But Sonic softened. Took in her words and considered them. Took some slow breaths.

“I understand that, Amy.”

She hadn’t yet looked up.

Sonic winked. “Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to wait another day.”

Amy’s head shot up, shocked.

“Really?”

“Yeah,” he replied. He ruffled the fur on Tails’s head, much to the fox’s chagrin. “Pencil in our run for tomorrow morning then, sounds good?”

Tails huffed and tried to smooth down the mess of fur on his head. “Yeah, yeah…” He plopped onto his seat between Knuckles and Rouge, who both stifled laughs behind their palms.

Sonic had to admit, he felt a little disappointed. That ‘get up and go’ energy was still writhing inside of him. But he’d learned his lesson. Slowing down wasn’t always a bad thing.

“Actually, if you’re up for it…”

Sonic’s ears flitted towards Amy, who’d spoken up again. Her green eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight pouring from a nearby window.

“Perhaps we can do something to practice? Warm you up for that first run tomorrow?”

Sonic, who’d just about gotten lost in those green eyes, almost forgot to answer.

“What is it?”

Amy’s head gestured toward the window－towards the outdoors. “How about we go on a walk? I know a really beautiful place nearby you might like.”

Something warm bloomed inside Sonic’s chest. Something he didn’t feel quite ready to address, not so soon after everything he’d been through…but something he wouldn’t reject either.

“Sounds perfect, Ames.”

They’d left after finishing their lunch. Sonic pointedly ignoring the snickering from Tails and Knuckles, face burning red as he left with Amy at his side. He knew he’d be getting endless teasing from them later. 

Whatever, he thought with a smirk. This is worth the teasing. And I’ll just prank them later as revenge.

Amy led Sonic through the meadow. The sun shone warmly upon them, with a gentle breeze that swept away any overwhelming heat. Flowers of every color bloomed along their path. Sonic found his gaze drawn to the scattered pink roses, so reminiscent of the hedgehog walking beside him.

With every step, Sonic’s legs never faltered. The difference was incredible, if not jarring. Rest and food had done wonders for his body. He’d never felt stronger or more ready to take off at light speed.

But he could wait, though. He could slow down. For his friends. For…

Amy turned and smiled at him. A smile so bright it challenged the sun’s radiant beams.

“You’re going to love this, I know it.”

About two miles into their walk, Amy led him away from the meadow and toward the forest. They began to ascend a hill covered in rocks and trees. As they climbed, Sonic’s legs and lungs burned from the exertion. But it was a delicious burn, one he’d sorely missed. Every effort, every strain, it was all building his body back. Building himself back through every hardship and challenge.

Twenty minutes later, dripping with sweat, they crested the peak.

Amy wiped sweat off her brow and gestured with her arm towards the edge of the summit.

“Take a look!”

And what he saw before him stole Sonic’s breath away.

The world.

The world they’d saved.

From here, it felt like he could see everything. The whole damn continent, if he stretched his imagination. Vibrant expanses of green; fields and forests. Dots of structures; nearby villages and homes with happy civilians rebuilding their lives. Spots of land that were still browned out with dehydration and smog; but with the persistent work of the Restoration and the inhabitants of this world, they’d grow back to their former glory.

Still beautiful. Still healing. Still worthwhile. Still alive.

“It’s…”

Sonic drew in a breath.

“Incredible.”

Amy smiled softly. She shuffled closer to Sonic. “I thought you might say that.”

For a while, the two simply stood together, admiring the world below them. On top of it all, taking it all in. Slowing down, just for this one moment. Remembering what they lost, and how they were getting it all back. Making it better. Making it theirs.

“Why did you take me here?”

Sonic wasn’t sure why he asked. There was something inside his chest bugging him, like an incessant fly with its wings fluttering along his ribcage. But when Amy turned to answer, it looked like she understood.

“Because we did this, Sonic. You, me, all of our friends. We saved something that was meant to be doomed. We’re reclaiming it. Caring for it. For the world we love.”

Her hand brushed his. He took it without hesitation. Amy nearly balked.

“I’m…surprised you took my offer. To come here.”

Her offer. Just her offer. Sonic smiled to himself as he squeezed her hand.

“Yeah. I wasn’t so keen to do anything like this in the past, was I?”

Amy’s eyes sparkled. Her breath hitched.

“I think I get it now, though. After everything,” he said. “To appreciate living. To know what it is to want it. To love it.”

The world before him glowed. Sang. Grew.

“Things are looking up now, after all. I think I am, too. Looking forward, that is.”

Their hands linked, stronger than ever.

“Looking forward to who I can be, in this new life we have.”

Amy’s eyes nearly watered. Her touch felt electric. She was a rose, flowering with brilliant hues, despite the desolate world she’d had to endure for so long. She hung on to her roots, no matter how difficult it was. She cherished every bloom that branched from her. She held them close. She was the radiant star she’d always been.

“So am I, Sonic.” Her small laugh was one of near-disbelief as she squeezed his hand. But not quite.

Something more like joy. Like a star. Like the sun at its peak in the vast sky, full of possibility.

“So am I.”

Tails shared obnoxious giggles with Knuckles as they watched the blue and pink hedgehogs depart for their little walk. As soon as the door closed, they dissolved into fits of laughter. Tails felt as if he’d been slammed into the floor, barely able to breathe from the hysterics. Knuckles wasn’t in any better shape. His face was redder than ever, his laughter loud and unrestrained.

Shadow ignored them, though his ear twitched. Rouge rolled her eyes.

“Boys,” she lamented. She shook her head, clicking her tongue. “Tsk, tsk.”

“Oh, please,” Knuckles finally groaned, settling down from his fit. “I saw you laughing too!”

“Sure you did.” Rouge fiddled with her diamond earrings, a smug expression growing on her face.

“Maybe we should go on a walk too, Knuckie. Could be fun. I also know a nice spot,” she said with a wink.

Knuckles’s hue shifted from red to a bright pink. Tails immediately swallowed his laughter, lest he encourage the ire of the echidna warrior.

“Uh, um…I have to go clean a thing somewhere else!”

He was out like a bolt, practically vanishing from the kitchen to a deeper part of the house.

Tails shared a glance with Rouge, playfully shaking his head.

“Now look what you’ve done.”

Rouge shrugged. She crossed her feet on top of the table, much to Shadow’s annoyance.

“What? It was only an offer. Nothing more. Not sure what got him all flustered.”

“Sureeee.” Tails chuckled and rolled his eyes.

“Can you get your heels away from my coffee?” Shadow grunted.

Rouge stretched out her wings. “Can you get your grumpy face away from mine?”

Shadow muttered under his breath, pulling his cup towards his lips and letting it settle on his lap afterward. Tails snickered, making his way towards the table and sitting down with the rest of Team Dark.

“So how’s life treating you two?” asked the fox, tails swishing behind him.

“Not too bad,” said the bat, leaning back in her chair. “Making some nice purchases, enjoying the outdoor air. Hoping to get another job with G.U.N sometime soon. How about you, kid?”

“A lot better, actually. Sonic’s been opening up more. Things are looking up for the two of us.”

“Sure, great, nice. I asked about you,” said the bat.

“O…oh,” Tails stuttered. He felt his cheeks grow pink as he thought. His fingers absentmindedly traced the scar on his chest.

Rouge noticed, but she kept her mouth shut. Waiting for Tails to answer.

He paused, then let out a nervous laugh.

“Heh. You know…you’d think after a whole war, anything else would be way less scary in comparison. But sometimes…I think back to what happened. The grief, the missions…how I got this scar. And sometimes, it makes it harder to move forward.”

“But you do move forward.”

Tails turned to Shadow. He’d abandoned his cup on the table. Both Rouge and Shadow had their attention on him. But the fox didn’t wilt under it.

“You do move forward regardless, right?”

“Uh…yeah.”

“Then you’re good, kid. You are still who you want to be now.”

Tails blinked. It was as if Shadow stole the worried thoughts straight out of his head and shot them down in a millisecond.

“How did you－”

“Because I know you by now, right?” Shadow interrupted. He sighed. “And…you know us.”

“That’s true,” Rouge chimed. “We’re still a team, no matter what.”

Tails blushed. Warmth unfurled in his chest, and he almost became sheepish.

“Thanks again, you guys,” he murmured, cheeks warm and stretched with his smile. “For everything. For keeping me sane. For helping me grow. For having faith in me.”

Rouge placed a hand on his shoulder, nodding. “Hey, it’s what we do.”

Shadow nodded, that same fond smile that Tails finally had grown used to settling on his face. “You’ve had faith in me too. Least I can do is return the favor.”

“Sure,” Tails chuckled with that same fond smile.

Return the favor, Tails thought. But he knew. They both knew. It meant so much more than that. It reflected in their bright eyes, shining with new life. A forged bond that would never be broken. A faith that withstood every attempt to shake it. A hope that they sought and built each and every day, because they’d taught each other how.

Because if there was hope for a grumpy hedgehog and a little fox like them…for such an unlikely pair of lifelong friends…

There was hope for anything.

The others left by nightfall. The sky was black but clear. And as the sun sank and the colors shifted, stars sparked to life. One by one, until they littered the sky. Taking it over and making it theirs. Crossing lightyears to shine upon those who dwelled below.

It was setting up to be another usual night for the brothers. A couple of hours rotting on the couch watching TV, and falling asleep beside one another either where they sat or eventually stumbling back to the bedroom. Then, a good night’s sleep curled up together with the gentle breeze fluttering through the open window. Before the sun would inevitably rise, and they’d greet a new day.

Tails considered this as he sat on the couch. His eyes drifted toward the window. Opened to the dark night. Moonlight spilling in. Starlight twinkling like a calling.

Sonic sat beside him, close to dozing off. Tails gently nudged him with an elbow. Sonic jolted to full consciousness with a drowsy ‘mmuh?’. Tails giggled to himself, smiling fondly.

“I have an idea,” the fox murmured, nodding towards the window. Towards the dazzling night outside.

Sonic blinked away the foggy arms of sleep. Then, his emerald eyes brightened in realization.

He grinned. “A brilliant idea as always, little bro.”

It was only ten minutes later that they found themselves on top of a small hill within the meadow. The fresh wind lapped at their skin, as if it carried waves of ice that soothed rather than pricked. Though the flowers below were dulled in color under the dark sky, the hedgehog and fox were like stars themselves. Their already bright colors stood out against the night, defiant and shining. Seated beside one another, hands in the grass and leaning back, they stargazed. Quiet, together, free.

It was only interrupted by a very old memory that suddenly sparked in the fox’s mind.

“Hey Sonic?”

Sonic’s eyes slowly drifted away from the sky and towards Tails. He looked content in every sense of the word.

“Yeah?”

The fox’s tails stretched comfortably behind him, flicking up and down. The cool wind brushed his scar, but it didn’t hurt. Quite the opposite, it was soothing.

“Remember the first time we stargazed together like this?”

Sonic tapped his fingers against the ground, trying to recall the memory. His posture straightened as it clicked.

“Oh, yeah!” he exclaimed. “That was so long ago. We’d only been hanging out together for a couple weeks then, right?”

Tails nodded. “Not sure where we’d wandered to by that point. But we were on a hill not that different from this one.”

Sonic chuckled to himself. “I remember…you were pointing at all these clusters of stars in the sky. You were naming every constellation you could see. Dozens of them! Ones I’d never even heard of. At that point, I hadn’t realized I’d picked up some kid genius.”

Tails waved him off, blushing.

“Then you were talking about all this math stuff, calculating how far away the stars were based on ‘brightness’ and ‘lightyears’ or whatever. I’ll be honest, it all went way over my head, but you sounded pretty damn smart.”

Tails laughed brightly. “You said something like that back then, too.”

Tails looked back to the sky. To the many constellations that he could still name off the top of his head.

“...do you remember what you said when I asked if you saw any constellations?”

Sonic’s head tilted. His ear flicked. “...no, can’t say I do. What’d I say?”

Tails shuffled closer to Sonic. He pointed up towards the sky, so that Sonic’s gaze would follow his to the heavens above.

“You said, ‘Nah, I just see a bunch of stars’.”

Sonic laughed. But Tails, he just kept staring up.

“But then you said… You said, ‘And when I look at those stars, I see freedom. And hope. And something worth fighting for.’”

Sonic looked back at Tails. The fox, at the same time, looked at Sonic with a shimmering smile.

“And then. You called me a star.”

Sonic inhaled; a small, shuddering thing full of emotion.

He didn’t waste any time. At the speed of sound, he jumped for his brother and pulled him into his arms.

Tails hugged back just as fiercely. There was something about the embrace, the strong bond between them that even death couldn’t break, the knowledge that their meeting was so improbable and yet what the universe had fated for them all along…that made his heart squeeze and soar.

“I’m so happy that you’re alive, Sonic.”

Tails didn’t realize he was crying. But he was. Rivers of tears made silver with the stars’ reflections.

“I’m happy you’re alive too, little buddy.”

Sonic’s voice cracked; the most vulnerable, purest and real sound that Tails had ever heard fall from his lips.

That inner flame was alive in Tails’s heart. Kindled and burning forever. Strong and fueling his resolve to keep going no matter what. But right now, he let some of that flame travel through their embrace. Metaphorical flames danced along his own body and onto Sonic’s, sharing it. It was their flame. Their strength, their power, their brotherhood. Their hope that whoever they were now and whoever they’d be would hold onto this flame that bound them forever. Never to be alone again. Always found.

“Just keep living, Sonic. For you and for me,” the fox whispered. He tightened his hold on Sonic, as if he never wanted to let go. “I want to keep talking about everything we’ve been through. Your stuff and mine. And we will with time, I’m sure. But just promise me that.”

Tails sniffled a little, but smiled fondly to himself.

“Even if I can stand on my own now. Even if I’m stronger, more independent, and braver than I ever was. I still need my big brother. I don’t think that part of who I am will ever change.”

He heard Sonic’s wet laugh again, and felt that embrace tighten and draw even closer. Their flames interlinked and burned stronger together. Like a sun among a sea of stars.

“Funny you should say that,” murmured the hedgehog, "because that part of who I am never changed, either.”

Sonic backed away from the hug just enough to place his hands on Tails’s shoulders and meet him eye-to-eye.

“I need my little brother. Always. I’ll live for you every day. And one day, I’ll learn to live for myself too. With you by my side, I know I will someday.”

His eyes were fierce and so full of love that it made Tails’s heart grow wings.

“I promise you that I will keep living. I promise you that I will love every breath I take, every new day I see, every new step I take. Because if you’re with me Tails, if ‘my little brother’ is who you are despite everything, that’s the easiest damn promise I’ll ever make in my lifetime.”

“Of course I’m your little brother. That will never change,” Tails said with every scrap of confidence he held within his soul.

Sonic smiled gratefully. “Same here, little bro. Same here.”

They hugged for a long while. To make up for the time they lost. Though it felt like it would never truly be enough, it meant more now than it ever did before. Because it solidified a promise that no power in the universe could ever break. 

And the stars above were their witness. Powerful, ethereal lights creating myriads of shapes and patterns, shining and blinking out of existence as they inevitably burned away. But what they meant to those below would never change. What they were, who they were at their core, would never change. Aflame and aglow. Found and alive.

Two brothers.

Just two brothers.

That’s all they needed to be.

Sonic stretched out with a long yawn, accidentally disturbing the fox sleeping beside him.

“Mm, no…” Tails groaned out sleepily, batting his hand at the hedgehog’s side. “Five more minutes…”

Sonic grinned, mischievously pulling the fox’s leg to drag him out of bed.

“No way!” The hedgehog exclaimed against the fox’ protests. “Did you forget? We’re going on a run today! Unless you really would rather stay in here all day and miss out…”

Sonic smirked when, as expected, Tails jumped to life as if he’d been electrocuted.

“Oh crap, I forgot!” the fox shouted, immediately scrambling from the bed. He nearly tripped over a stray shoe, and would have clipped his chin on the floor had Sonic not caught him in time.

“Woah there!” Sonic grasped Tails’s arm and pulled him up. “You gotta be more careful than that!”

Tails stretched to full height and smirked back at his brother. “Hey, nothing wrong with me needing a helping hand once in a while.”

“Yeah, as long as you’re not trying to give yourself a concussion and give me a heart attack!”

Tails stuck his tongue out at Sonic. Sonic did the same, except he blew raspberries and sent droplets of spit hurdling onto the shrieking, disgusted fox. Tails made fake vomiting noises while Sonic sped-walked out of the room, laughing obnoxiously. 

Sonic smiled as he descended the steps and started making breakfast. Energy raced through his body, every nerve singing with the urge to blast off.

He’d never felt as excited as he had in that moment.

How long had it been since he’d really, truly gone for a run? Six months of imprisonment, about a month of time spent with the Resistance, and maybe a month spent physically recovering and spending time with his friends. Chaos, he remembered a time when going eight hours without running felt like agony. But eight months?!

It had been far too long. But that was changing now. Everything was changing now. And for once, that didn’t scare him. 

It wasn’t long before Tails, his beloved younger brother, came down to eat breakfast with them. And soon, they were joined by their friends, who’d come over to witness Sonic’s first run in forever. Amy, Knuckles, Shadow and Rouge, all gathered together and chatting with the brothers as they digested their meal. Sonic could tell they were happy for him. Perhaps a little nervous about him potentially injuring himself on this first run, but Sonic knew they had nothing to worry about. He had a good feeling about this. Like fiery sunlight that couldn’t be doused by any splash of water or rush of cold air. Freedom was at the tip of his fingers, after so long.

Finally, it was time.

The friends gathered outside. The day was a beautiful one. Bright sunshine, just the perfect amount of cooling wind, green grass fluttering and blooming flowers erupting with their sweet aromas. A wonderful day.

And beyond the house, the meadow, beyond it all, was their world. It called to Sonic, as if urging him to explore, enjoy, run. After all that time spent trapped in a prison cell, inside his own body, his own mind, his own darkness…he wanted to run free. To smile. To love and live.

Tails approached Sonic as he finished his stretches. He’d been extra thorough today with that, and was now checking the buckles on his shoes to make sure they were fastened. 

“Just about ready?” asked the fox, who was also bouncing with anticipation.

“I was born ready,” replied the hedgehog, striking a heroic and cocky pose. “How about yourself, little bro?”

Tails laughed. “Can’t say I was born ready. But I am now. I am now.”

Their friends stood together to the side on Sonic and Tails, who prepared themselves to take off. Amy, Knuckles, Shadow and Rouge all waved, shouting words of encouragement.

“Be careful you two!”

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

“Have fun, boys.”

“Come back in one piece, okay?”

Beside him, the fox twisted his tails like coils, ready to strike and spin like helicopter blades. Sonic bent one knee and extended another leg behind him. His fingertips leaned into the dirt below, holding his starting position. He felt like a rubber band stretched to its limit, ready to snap like a rocket, like a shooting star.

It had been so long, but the instinct was intrinsic within him. One he welcomed happily. Energy rushing through his body. His quills standing on end. Muscles locked and loaded. The thrill of freedom, carried by the wind itself, filling his heart and soul.

Tails glanced at his older brother, smiling like the radiant sun above. “Just try to keep up.”

Sonic laughed and smirked with his entire spirit. “You forget who you’re talking to.”

A countdown sounded between them, silent but known to them both in their blood. At the same time, they braced, readied, and as soon as the countdown hit one…

Sonic ran.

A blast of energy. Wind ripping behind him as his form launched away. A streak of blue, a Blue Blur, disappearing from view and vanishing into the world beyond. Arms splayed out behind him, legs rocketing forward, heart racing with pure joy. Sonic was…Sonic was…

Sonic was running.

Trees raced past as he dodged them expertly, zipping and zig-zagging effortlessly. Weaving through obstacles, jumping over streams and rocks, the ground like air beneath his feet as he soared. His surroundings changed rapidly, from meadow to forest to clearings and all of the wonderful places that were his to dash through. The elation was overpowering. Sonic cried, Sonic laughed, Sonic smiled as his happiness annihilated any thread of darkness that tried to cling to him. 

Euphoria made up his blood, cycling through him as he moved faster and faster and faster. He inhaled speed, exhaled the rush. Became freedom. Became who he always was, who he would be, who he wanted to be. He could be whoever he wanted to be.

Because beside him the whole time…

Flashes of bright, sunny yellow. Soaring through the air, bringing with it golden laughter and a brighter smile. Sometimes behind him, sometimes ahead of him, always by his side. Someone who grounded him and set him free. Someone he’d fight for and live for. Someone he cherished above all else. Someone he’d stick by forever, just as he always had.

Tails and Sonic caught one another’s eyes as they ran and flew. A single glance was all that was needed. They knew each other. They knew who the other was, even if they themselves sometimes felt lost, alone and in the dark. No matter what, they’d find each other. Stretch out a hand, and bring the other soaring towards the sky.

They exchanged smiles that said it all. Sonic and Tails, running together again. Spirits intertwined, hopes growing in tandem, love that overcame any and everything. Brothers; a word that meant more than light and dark, life or death, endings or infinity. 

They looked forward again. And side by side, together…

They ran.