Chapter Text
Chapter 12
“Sonic, my boy. Tails is a spirit, too.” Eggman revealed, face sober as he leaned forward against his desk.
‘…what?’ Sonic signed, shock riddling his expression. He looked like he’d been struck, eyes focused on nothing as his hands curled close to his chest.
It couldn’t be true, right? His brother, a spirit? No. Tails would have told him! Sonic refused to believe that the kit would keep something like this from him, refused to believe Tails would leave him with this aching void of loneliness at the thought of being the only one of his kind, especially if a simple sentence would pull him out of his chasm of misery.
No, Tails was much too kind for that. So it had to be a lie, right? Some kind of twisted joke.
“Sonic, the kit can fly , for gods’ sake! You’ve seen how he runs too, yes? Pushed by the wind?” Robotnik asked, confused on how his boy had missed the signs. Surely the hoglet should have known, right? He himself was a spirit, after all!
Then his coherency shifted to theoretical rambles, seemingly oblivious to the hoglet’s internal plight as he prattled on. “I’m not quite sure the exact kind of spirit he is, as I’ve done well to avoid pushing him about it until they’re comfortable enough to tell me, but I suspect it’s something to do with weather, if not the wind itself. The boy certainly has a way with it! Using wind to blow over small parts that I need, and even little tools, it’s brilliant! Admittedly, Tails is still young, so his gift needs more fine tuning, but practice and age will hone those skills, I’m sure.”
The more the doctor spoke, the more sense he made. Pieces to a puzzle Sonic hadn’t known he’d had slowly clicked together to reveal a picture he didn’t know how to handle. His brother was like him, a spirit. More importantly, though, he’d hidden it from him. Tails had let the hoglet convince himself he was alone in the world, and for what?
As the doctor continued to babble, saying something about a small mishap with Tails’ powers-something about throwing a screw?-Sonic tuned him out. A tidal wave of emotions swept through him, threatening to swallow him whole and drag him out to sea.
Part of it, deep down, must have been joy. Finally, he wouldn’t have to feel so alone! The hoglet had someone who would understand, even if not completely.
Another, larger part, however, quickly overshadowed it. Grief, betrayal, maybe even anger, swallowed down any joy he felt in a whirlpool of darker emotions, sinking it down to the depths of his mind while harsher thoughts invaded the forefront.
On one hand, the hoglet felt angry with himself. How could he have been so stupid! Sonic should have seen this from the very beginning, no one would have been able to keep up with him if not another spirit. How had he not seen the signs? Or, even worse, had he subconsciously ignored them in his desperation for companionship?
On the other side of the coin, betrayal set in like a poison, leaking doubt into his mind. Why hadn’t Tails told him? Had he not trusted the hoglet enough? Did their time together, their adventures, Sonic’s avid defense of the kit from those who’d wished him harm, mean nothing?
Mind a whirlwind of emotion, Sonic stumbled off to his room, mumbling something about needing a moment to Eggman as he made his escape. Perhaps, had he paid attention, he’d have seen the concern painting the doctor's face. As it was, though, he remained oblivious.
Feet scraped the floor as he trudged to his room, his emotions a heavy weight on his small frame. Once inside, he locked the main door to his room and, after hesitating just a moment, closed and locked the door between his and Tails’ room.
Right now, Sonic didn’t want to see his brother, didn’t know if he could handle the kits wide doe-eyes peering up at him with unfiltered brotherly affection. Not while knowing the secret Tails had kept from him. So he locked the door before making his way to his bed. There he lay, burrowed under dozens of blankets, basking in his misery and grief like a lizard in the sun.
For days he laid there, refusing to eat or sleep, only leaving for water and the restroom. Sonic refused to sign, or even see his family, avoiding them like the plague as betrayal and grief rubbed his chest raw, like a cough he couldn’t quite get rid of.
At one point, half-delirious from lack of sleep, the hoglet made up his mind. As he laid in bed, quills splayed across the sheets as he stared blankly at the ceiling, Sonic knew what he needed to do. He’d confront Tails about his secret, knowing that if he didn’t his thoughts would become his undoing.
It was a sunny day when Sonic finally arose, ironic considering the somber atmosphere of the house. His feelings seemed to have poisoned the area, layering everything in a thick grime of negativity. Good, part of him thought. Why should he be the only one suffering for their secret?
Sonic made his way over to Tails, who had been reading on his own in the living room. He’d likely been taking a break from Robotnik and his pet project, but the hoglet couldn’t find it in himself to care. The boy wanted answers, and he wanted them now. Or maybe he just wanted a fight. In his exhaustion, he wasn’t truly sure.
Briskly, Sonic waved his hands towards the boy to grab his attention before signing, ‘we need to talk.’
Tails jolted in place, having not noticed the other walk in, too consumed by his reading. Upon seeing his brother up and about for the first time in days, the boy lit up like a kid at Christmas, quickly shutting his book and setting it aside.
“Sonic! You’re up! Sure, we can talk, whatever you’d like!” Insisted the six year old, giving his brother his full attention.
Tails could see something weighed on his brother. Eggman hadn’t told the youngest what had transpired, keen on shielding the kit from worry, but the end result stood firmly in front of him nevertheless.
Sonic was skinnier than he should be. Not nearly to the extent they’d both been when they first arrived, but still enough to be concerning. Dark bags hugged the hoglet’s eyes, which were tinted red, possibly from tears? The elders quills were also a mess, strewn about chaotically around the pink boys head, some broken and many not having been preened in days.
Sonic eyed his brother in turn. Many things he’d have noted as red flags in the younger boy went unnoticed, like his picked-raw tail and twitching ears.
Instead, the hoglet only noticed small bits of body language. Head tilted to the side curiously, hands sat comfortably in his lap, the boy looked at ease.
Perhaps, if the hoglet were in a better headspace, he’d have found the behavior comforting, if not patently cute. As he was, though, sleep deprived and stewed in grief, he could only feel irritated.
‘So you’re a spirit, huh?’ Sonic signed bluntly, mood evident in his face.
Tails wilted a little, nodding his head as he glanced at his lap, hands tugging at his tail fur, further irritating the raw skin. “Y-yeah, I am. I’d meant to tell you-“
‘So why didn’t you?’ The hedgehog interrupted, face morphing into barely restrained anger. ‘You let me think I was all alone, that nobody like me existed, and for what? Did you not trust me?’
“N-no!” Tails insisted, shaking his head violently as if to rid them both of Sonic’s very words. “Of course I trusted you, I just-“
‘Just what?’ Sonic signed, once again interrupting him. Tails looked hurt for a moment, if not mildly frustrated at the continued interruption, but the hedgehog couldn’t bring himself to care.
Anger took hold of his hands as he continued spewing vitriol. ‘Didn’t want to admit what you were? Or maybe you heard what the villagers said about me and agreed. That’s it, right? You wouldn’t want to admit to being just like the mischievous, trouble-making brat spirit that ruined people’s lives? Wouldn’t want people to think you kidnapped their kids, ruined their food, and stole like that good-for-nothing hedgehog, is that it?’
Tears welled up in his brother's eyes as he trembled. Sonic’s words hurt, both because they reminded the kit of his village, and because he could see the pain they caused his brother.
The hedgehog looked angrier than he’d ever seen, and, despite knowing Sonic would never hurt him, he was frightened. His brother held a wild fury in him that seemed moments from breaking loose, with quills perked up and jaw clenched tight as he stared firmly down at the fox.
Had his head not been firmly attached, Sonic was sure it would’ve flown off with how hard Tails shook it. Quickly, the boy stood, as if to physically hold his ground against the hedgehog's tirade.
“It’s not like that and you know it! You know I think those villagers were idiots, and you know I think the world of you!” Tails all but shouted as he stamped his foot on the ground. He couldn’t understand, why was his brother acting like this?
Tails’ shouts seemed to have caught the attention of Eggman, who’d rushed into the room. The man was coated in metal shavings, gloves charred and face a picture of concern. Just great, another thing Sonic had to deal with.
“Boys? What’s going on, why are we shouting?” Eggman questioned, looking back and forth between the two spirits.
“Sonic’s mad I didn’t tell him about me being a spirit, and now he’s being a jerk about it!” Tails yelled, voice cracking in distress.
‘Tattletail!’ Sonic signed, irritation growing like a thorny vine in his mind.
The doctor looked concerned, distress evident on his face as he watched his boys fight. He seemed torn on whether to intervene or not.
“Eggman should know why you’re being so rude!” Tails insisted, attention quickly turned back to his argument with the hoglet. The kit looked miserable, ears pinned back and hackles raising, but Sonic paid it no heed.
‘Oh, so Eggman can know things, but I can’t? Typical.’ The hedgehog grouched, crossing his arms as he sneered at Eggman. This was bullshit, the pink spirit thought.
The doctor's face fell at the boy's words, looking heartbroken. Part of Sonic felt guilty, but he was too deep in his pit of anger to register it.
“That’s not it and you know it, Sonic.” Tails denied, agitation growing. His large claws dug into his palms through his gloves, something that was lost on Sonic. What had even caused this, Tails thought. What had turned his brother into this whirlwind of anger?
‘Then why didn’t you tell me, huh? Was I not good enough to get to know? Or was it just fun hiding this from me?’ He demanded.
Had he been in his right mind, he would never have said these next words. In all honesty, he does not know what possessed him to say it. Nevertheless, his hands formed the words.
‘Maybe you just didn’t want those villagers to be right.’ Sonic signed.
He’d instantly regretted it, but the damage was done. Tails flinched like Sonic had struck him. Then, rage filtered in, marring the boy's features as lips pulled back to reveal fangs.
“ Fuck you !” Tails shouted, shoving Sonic hard to the ground.
Tiny claws scraped against the boy's chest as he was shoved, nicking him slightly. Perhaps he wouldn’t have toppled so easily if he’d been rested, but that didn’t exactly matter now. Pink quills rammed against linoleum, a few breaking like twigs under foot as he landed.
It was the hoglet’s turn to look stunned. Tails didn’t swear, patently refused to. Moreover, he’d never yelled at Sonic, had never even raised his voice , let alone pushed him.
Both boys sat stone still, breathing heavily as the weight of their argument finally registered. They’d never fought before. Sure, the two had had stupid spats, but nothing like this.
Even Robotnik was stunned, staring in shock at his boys. It felt like his newly found world was crumbling around him, and he was lost on what to do.
Tails was the first to move. First, he’d bursted into tears. Regret, sadness, and fear clogged his throat as he sobbed. Turning around, he’d run down the hall as fast as his little legs could carry him. To his room or somewhere else, Sonic did not know. All the hoglet knew was that this was all his fault, and he needed to leave.
Eggman took a step towards the boy, then. Maybe it was to comfort him, to stop him from running. Maybe it was out of anger. Sonic didn’t know, and at the moment, he didn’t care.
Quickly, the pink boy stumbled to his feet, before sprinting from the base. He’d ruined it, ruined everything . Sonic had hurt Tails, and destroyed their family. Had said something unforgivable. The boy desperately needed to escape before he made things worse.
The villagers were right. He destroyed everything he loved.
There was no plan. No clue at all as to where he’d go. The hoglet simply let his feet carry him further and further from the site of his ruin.
Sonic dashed through trees and brush, desperately batting branches out of his way and stumbling as he ran. Eventually, he’d made his way to his plane, as though the unconscious comfort had called to him.
Hesitating briefly, the hoglet climbed into the plane. With shaking hands he tried to start her up, having to go through his mental checklist thrice before she finally turned on. Jerkily pulling her into the sky, sonic flew, desperate to escape his crimes. All his grief and anger had turned inward, and he refused to stay on this island, refused to ruin anyone’s life more than he already had.
The hedgehog flew recklessly through the air, self-destruction sounding more and more tempting the longer his thoughts lingered on the fight. Gods, it felt as though the sheer pain of it would kill him, let alone the lingering weight of his feelings. Sonic wondered if Tails felt the same. Admittedly, he knew, he likely felt worse.
Part of him wanted to go back. To comfort his brother and apologize. Nevertheless, he stayed on course. He’d only make things worse. Nothing could ever justify what he’d said to his little brother, who’d done nothing but show him kindness since entering his life.
He flew south, never once shifting off course. Even when warnings of low gas blinked along the dash of the machine, he refused to veer from his path. The engine spluttered, giving in and out as they traveled further. Eventually, the engine cut out entirely, gas finally having run its course.
The biplane could tread water, so landing was always an option. He didn’t deserve the easy way out, though. In his mind, he felt he deserved the worst torture. Deserved even Chaos’ wrath for his sins against his brother.
So he refused to land in the water. Instead he allowed the plane to drift along, landing haphazardly on the first piece of land he saw. Wheels skidded across harsh sand, so different from the beaches of his home. Admittedly he’d nearly crashed the plane in his carelessness, but it seemed as though luck was unfortunately on his side.
For a moment, all the boy could do was sit in painful silence. Sonic supposed he was stuck here, now. The hedgehog had no gas, and no money to obtain more, so he’d likely be in this strange new place a while.
Slowly, he rose, dismounting from the plane as he surveyed his surroundings. He’d landed on a beach near a city, with a populace that seemed to be made up of creatures alien to himself. Tall and lanky, with skin instead of fur and no sharp teeth or claws. Perhaps the same kind of creature Eggman was, though many of them looked wildly different from his doctor. Droves of them walked along the boardwalk, huddled in groups of two or more and talking without a care in the world as they wandered.
They appeared to be no threat to him, having not given his landing a second glance, but the hoglet knew not to judge a book by its cover.
He’d have to make the best of this situation. Start a new life in the wake of his old one. This time, he wouldn’t get attached. Sonic would be the hero they needed and nothing more. This time, he wouldn’t ruin everything. He’d be alone like he deserved, that way, he couldn’t hurt anyone ever again.
As he was thinking this, a white blur sped by, leaving a trail of orange-red light as it sprinted through the metropolis, followed by several armed men.
All thoughts of forming a new life flew out the window as the blur caught his attention. He could make out very little of this new character, only spotting blue and white spikes before the figure left his field of vision. Immediately his curiosity peaked. Was this person in trouble? Were they the trouble?
Only one way to find out.
It was probably a manic desperation to avoid his grief that caused him to follow the blur. A feeble attempt to rid his mind of the ache he’d caused. Whatever it was, his next course was decided.
Getting his bearings, the hoglet dashed off towards the blur. Perhaps this could be the distraction he needs. The continuation of his heroing journey in this strange new place. At the very least, it would temporarily rid his mind of the guilt infesting it like worms in rot. A reprieve he did not deserve, but desperately craved.
Maybe this would even be the start of a new adventure.