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skimmingmilk · 1 day ago

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aughhh sonic going back in time to visit little two yr old tails as been in my brain for what feels like forever! like how many dots does he end up connecting? how does he have the strength to not travel back further and knock the daylights out of tails’s mom? how does he react to the whole kukku invasion and forest fire? so many questions…aaaaa im so excited for this fic i will be in ruins. in ruins, i tell you

also with the whole sonic punching tails’s mom thing: you were talking about tails and his parents, but like sonic interacting (or just seeing) tails’s parents is always something ive thought about. idk, im curious about what your take on that would be, if you have one. (sorry if you’ve already answered something like this ahshhshs)

your boys are just spinning around in my brain constantly. they are living in there completely rent free. i adore them sm, they make me sick. anytime there’s a reference or parallel to something in their past, it hurts. these boys need therapy immediately. maybe even before immediately. your portrayal of them is such a huge inspiration istg

anyway, sorry this is kinda all over the place 😭 i just had a bunch of thoughts and threw them together in the most coherent way i could lol. hope you have a good rest of your night/day! stay safe out there 🩵

So, I was saving this because it really inspired me to write a little something, and it felt fitting because I live for your baby Tails and Sonic art, it's seriously the best boost of serotonin for me xD I'm sorry it took a minute to get to this, and I'll address the second idea you had in another ask (someone else was on the same wavelength as you around this time, and also asked about Sonic and Tails and Tails's parents xD).

But for now, please accept a continuation of the back in time shenanigans <3

Sonic Back In Time Shenanigans WIP #2: Back for the Luggage

Tracking down a second Chaos Emerald so he could skip back in time for an afternoon wasn’t how Sonic saw himself spending the past few days. Though, to be fair, he spent a good chunk of them trying to ignore the very itch encouraging him to give into this particular whim of the week, but impulse control wasn’t Sonic the Hedgehog’s claim to fame. Not by a long shot.

His curiosity had been piqued. New insight into the lore of his little brother’s life before he’d ever crossed his path niggled at his mind no matter how far and fast he ran from the temptation to take a peek. The glimpse he’d got on that rainy night hadn’t been all that reassuring, with Tails so small and sick and the time Sonic got to spend with him in that dusty, stuffy cabin all too brief.

Cocoa Island. He’d looked it up after he and Silver returned to Sonic’s present, their respective futures stabilized for the time being, but he couldn’t find much information on it. If it wasn’t for the fact that Sonic could chart it on a map, it almost seemed like it didn’t even exist.

Historic records mentioned studies of the volcanic activity on the island more than a decade ago. Mines had also been dug out in the cave systems throughout the island long before Sonic had been born, in search of potential esoteric energy sources.

The Chaos Emeralds, no doubt.

But other than that, it seemed the island had never been properly settled. Sonic could’ve flown over in the Tornado for a quick jaunt—running to small islands never boded well for him, they were always tricky to aim for—but he knew it wouldn’t have the answers he was itching to find out.

And sure, the big one was already answered. The sick baby fox he’d had to leave behind in the care of some flickies after that rainy night obviously made a full recovery, or else Tails wouldn’t be alive in Sonic’s present, off on his own adventure. Flying solo. Alone.

But knowing that without actually seeing it, experiencing it for himself, didn’t satisfy Sonic in the slightest. He was all about experiences. And he wanted to experience this mysterious chapter of his best bud’s life, one he never really let himself think all that hard on.

So, that was how Sonic found himself on a nearly deserted island eight years in the past with two Chaos Emeralds in hand. It was warmer than in his present, willing to bet they were somewhere in spring or early summer as opposed to late fall, but the dense cover of pine trees kept the forest floor cool in its shade. Allergies tickled his nose, prompting Sonic to scratch at it as he took in his surroundings. Flickies sang throughout the branches, their chirps a comforting song accompanied by the steady hum of insects hidden in the brush. With his own curious hum, Sonic picked a direction and ran with it—er, walked with it. He took it slow for the moment, trying to find his way back to the cabin from that night. It seemed like his best bet to start his search for Tails.

Until a child’s voice somewhere in the forest caught his ear, both perking up and flicking towards the sound with an instinctive pull as everything else faded into the background. A breath Sonic hadn’t realized he’d been holding lifted from his chest. The child sounded light, healthy. No coughing or crying as far as he could tell.

Sonic followed the voice to a clearing. Unlike the stormy day he’d first stumbled in on, sunlight flooded the patch of grass between the trees with its warm beams. One fell across a tree stump where a two-tailed fox kit lay sprawled across on his tummy, bright-eyed and bushy tails further confirmation that he’d made a full recovery. Sonic’s shoulders sagged with relief as he observed him from the brush, his own green eyes lighting up as he realized he was playing. Making motor sounds with his mouth, Tails rolled a toy airplane through the long, wild grass. His tongue poked out as he accidentally blew raspberries amidst his very serious airplane noises.

“Pfft—” Sonic’s laugh nearly sputtered out of him, cut off only by the fact that the kid heard him and froze.

Ears swiveled in his direction, but Tails couldn’t see him through the trees from his spot on the stump. The toy airplane fell to the grass with a soft thump as the baby fox squirmed and tried to hoist himself up into a sitting position, his two blue boots dangling just over the edge as his bare hands planted themselves on the wood between them to support himself. One tail flicked up and down with excitement while the other twitched limply against the tree stump, like it didn’t know it could lift itself up like its twin.

“Mom?” he called out, and the hope in his voice ensnared Sonic’s heart in a vice. “Mom!”

“Ah, sorry, little guy. Not mom.” Sonic stepped out from behind the brush with his hands up, a sheepish smile on his face. “Just me. Long time no see.”

His tails immediately wilted as the bright-eyed, eager expression on his face retracted into something shy and pensive. But not scared, Sonic noted. There wasn’t a trace of fear in his eyes.

“Remember me? I stayed with you during that rainstorm the other night,” Sonic added, hoping to jog the little guy’s memory, but he didn’t actually know how long it had been since that night.

He didn’t have Silver’s neat little time travel gizmos. His comm couldn’t pinpoint where he was in time, only in space. Which meant he couldn’t stay long, because if Tails or anyone else tried to ping his location, it’d probably come up blank.

The Tails sitting in front of him drew his legs up, curling into himself a bit the closer Sonic got. Okay, well maybe he was a little afraid. Sonic stopped short of reaching the tree stump, hoping a reassuring smile would get him the rest of the way.

“My name’s Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. What’s yours?”

Tails stared at him for a moment, until his gaze slowly slid past him to focus on the tree line behind him. Sonic planted his hands on his hips and canted his head back to see if anything was there, but aside from the buzz of insects and rustling of flickies in the leaves, the forest was still. No one else but the two of them smack dab in the middle of it.

“…Mom?” Tails whispered, grabbing onto one of his tails to hold.

Sonic’s smile slowly slid off his muzzle. In all the time he’d known Tails, he’d never once called for his mom. Not a single cry. By the time he came into Tails’s life, whatever innate trust he’d had for this faceless person had completely evaporated. There was only one person Tails had ever called out for, ever cried for, ever searched for when he was lost or scared or lonely.

Sonic swallowed thickly. “I don’t know where your mom is, bud. You waiting for her?” Tails nodded with the most intense certainty, his ears flopping forward and back with the force of it. “Did she… did she say when she’s coming back?”

This time Tails pursed his mouth as he thought carefully about his answer, his pensive expression the same one he’d still make to this day when he debated how to explain something to him. If he should explain something to him. If he should give his big bro a glimpse into the inner workings of his big brain, or if it’d be easier—safer—to keep it all to himself.

And just where’d he pick up that particular trick?

But this Tails was young enough—hadn’t been hurt enough—to trust someone who looked like a grown-up, so he slowly shook his head in response, wide blue eyes gazing up at him like there’d be some sort of prize if he answered all the questions correctly.

Sonic’s brow furrowed. “Do you know how long it’s been since you last saw her?”

“Long.” The small, squeaky voice was so matter-of-fact, Sonic nearly fell over with the sheer amount of joy a single syllable filled him with; his little bro’s attitude had been baked into him from the start.

“I’ll bet,” he huffed out a chuckle, choosing to sit cross-legged in the grass so he wasn’t towering over Tails like some kind of threat. “You like planes?” Sonic glanced meaningfully at the toy plane still discarded in the grass.

Tails glanced down at it, the tip of his tail in his mouth as he gently chewed on it. “Mmhm.”

Though Tails had long-outgrown the habit of chewing on his own tails, Sonic would still occasionally catch him nibbling on the ends of pens and pencils when he was deep in thought or starting to get hungry. Or, at least, he used to. Back before Sonic had been captured and Tails had been out on his own for six months…

“I like ‘em, too,” Sonic piped up with a grin. “Probably my favorite way to travel! Second to running, of course.”

Tails blinked at him, head canting to one side. Sonic’s smile grew and he scooched forward a couple inches, steadily closing the gap between them.

“Y’see, running’s sort of my thing. What kinda things do you like to do?”

Tails glanced down at the toy plane again, then up at the sky. He pointed shyly at the white, puffy clouds slowly floating by overhead. Sonic followed his gaze, unable to help the way his smile crooked to one side.

“You like to watch the clouds?” Sonic filled in for him, beaming when Tails nodded. “Me too. You ever look for shapes in ‘em?”

The little guy’s brow furrowed. “Shapes?”

Sonic laughed as the perplexed, and ultimately unconvinced, expression remained fixed on Tails’s face. “C’mere, I’ll show ya!”

Unceremoniously flopping onto his back, face turned towards the sky, Sonic patted the grass beside him. Though they were mostly shielded by the thick cover of trees, a light breeze still wafted down into the clearing and carried the salty scent of the sea with it. The stands of grass tickled Sonic’s side as he laid back and took a deep breath, listening for the familiar patter of eager footsteps following his lead.

Except they didn’t come.

Sonic pushed himself up onto his elbows. Tails was still curled up atop the tree stump, chewing on the tip of his tail as he watched him with worry in his eyes. Worry that had no place being there in a kid so young.

So Sonic cracked another smile. “Don’t worry. The floor’s not lava,” he teased, but it was something the toddler obviously didn’t understand. “It’s safe, bud. I’m not gonna hurt ya. Promise.”

Tails’s gaze darted to the treeline again, searching amongst their thick trunks and low-hanging branches before snapping back to Sonic. “Mm… s’pposed to wait here,” he mumbled, his words sounding a little thick as some of his syllables slurred together in a mouth that was still so small, but ultimately what he’d said was clear enough for Sonic to understand.

His smile slowly faded as he processed the simple explanation; the same feeling rising in the back of his throat as when he sat with a sick Tails in the cabin while the kid asked if he could go home. “Your mom tell ya that?”

Tails nodded. “Wait here. Be good.” His little face scrunched up in a look of pure, earnest determination. “Wait here an’ be good, then mom will come back. She said… she said.”

But she wouldn’t.

No one would.

And maybe Tails already knew that. Even if he didn’t want to believe that someone he loved would leave him, he’d always been a smart kid. Tails’s tiny claws caught in the fur of his tail as he clung tighter to it—like he could physically cling to the hope that his mom would still come back if he did this one thing really well.

If he did his very best.

“Look Sonic, I made this for you!”

“Sonic, I’ve made some adjustments to the Tornado’s aerodynamics, so her base speed has more than doubled! Pretty cool, huh?”

“I made a radar to help us track the Chaos Emeralds faster!”

“I still need to optimize your Extreme Gear’s turning radius and acceleration for your next race. It’s not good enough.”

“The Cyclone still has a ways to go in terms of balancing its different modes of transport. It’s just not good enough at land or air travel yet.”

“I’m wildly inconsistent. I’m just a burden to you. I’m not good enough.”

Not good enough.

Sonic’s fingers dug a little firmer into the soft, damp soil beneath the grass. “Well, I mean, ya gotta get off that stump sometimes. What about when you get hungry? You leave to go get food, dontcha?”

Tails stiffened, fur frizzed up like he’d been caught with his hand in the proverbial mint chocolate chip cookie jar. “Don’t tell,” he pleaded, eyes wide as panicked tears welled up. “I’m sorry—”

“Woah. Hey, hey, hey,” Sonic sat up straighter so he could lift his hands, using them to make a calming gesture as Tails’s little chest started to heave with each little gasp. “Easy there, bud. I’m not gonna tell her.”

“…Not?”

Despite the storm brewing just beneath the surface, faced with further confirmation that Tails had never truly felt safe or wanted, he refused to scare the kid with its intensity. Offering up a kind smile and reassurance, Sonic held up a finger to his mouth. Like they were keeping secrets from some nameless authority figure they’d never shared.

“I won’t tell if you won’t.”

Tails’s ears perked up and the grip on his tail eased up. “M’kay…”

“M’kay,” Sonic mimicked, smile growing as he watched Tails scrub at his face with the fur of his forearm. “C’mere, kiddo. Watch the clouds with me.”

Tails looked at him for a moment, then scooted closer to the edge of the tree stump. He swung one leg over, then the other, his little boots scraping against the bark as he eased himself down. He was a little off-balance as he toddled over. Both arms splayed out to steady himself as one tail flicked up and the other was dragged behind him, still as limp and awkward as it had been on the stump.

Sonic’s gaze narrowed in on it immediately. “Didja hurt your tail?”

Tails paused and craned his neck back, wobbling a little as he tried to look behind him. “No,” he answered simply.

“Then how come it’s not up like your other one?”

Tails reached behind him and picked up the limp appendage, hugging it to his chest. “Doesn’t do it.”

Sonic’s frown deepened. “Let me see it.”

Tails didn’t even hesitate. He let go of his tail as he waddled right over to him. He turned his back to him, giving him complete access to the part of his body he protected the most. Sonic was the only one he’d learned to trust with them over the years, but he’d had to earn it.

Sonic gently ran his fingers through the fur, watching his baby brother’s posture for any sign of discomfort. He didn’t flinch, but his good tail started wagging almost immediately, thwacking Sonic in the side of the face.

“Careful with that,” he chuckled, catching it in a loose hold when it smacked him again. “You could take someone’s eye out with one of these bad boys. Here, hold onto this for me.”

He waited for Tails to grab onto his eager tail, hugging it hard when it wiggled uncontrollably. “S’tryna get away,” he giggled.

“Oh boy, better get a good grip. It’s a slippery one, that tail,” Sonic laughed, using the distraction to his advantage as he palpated along the base of the weaker tail with his fingertips.

There was barely any muscle to it, and the fur was patchy and matted, flattened in a way that his other tail clearly wasn’t, even though his fur overall could’ve used a good brushing. But it wasn’t injured, no welts or bruises or cuts. It was just… weak. Like it was developing slower than its twin. He’d caught a glimpse of it that night where he was sick, but now that he was getting a good look at it, the differences between the two were stark. He couldn’t imagine why; Sonic’s brain literally wouldn’t let him conceive of a situation where this would happen—where Tails wasn’t allowed to use one tail to the same extent as the other.

Whatever had caused this had reversed itself by the time Sonic met Tails, both little propellers of equal strength. At least, he thought they were. To be fair, he’d only been eleven and he hadn’t looked all that closely at them. And Tails barely let him patch him up from where he’d been smacked around by bullies or badniks in those first few weeks.

Idly petting along the length of his tail, Sonic stilled when it spasmed against his palm. Just looking at it, he’d have thought he accidentally pulled on it or snagged his fur, but there was a gentle rumbling sound emanating from Tails’s chest that assured him otherwise. Sonic flicked his gaze up to see Tails watching him, a smile on his face while he purred openly. His tail jerked in his hold again. It was trying to wag.

Sonic’s shoulders sagged, his own smile lopsided as he let his tail slip from his grasp. “All clear. Time to park those two tails of yours right here on the runway.”

Tails squeaked as Sonic nabbed him around the middle, but dissolved into a fit of giggles as he was lifted up and plopped down on the grass next to him. Kicking up one leg over the other, Sonic laid back once again, arms pillowed behind his head as he let out a contented sigh. Beside him, Tails laid back and wiggled a bit to get comfortable, both tails swept to the same side so they wouldn’t get pinched underneath him. He tilted his head up to look at the sky, the same color reflected back in his eyes.

“Shapes?” he asked.

“Yeah, we’re gonna look for shapes, little buddy,” Sonic hummed. “Go ahead and tell me what ya find.”

Tails considered the sky for a moment, then pointed at a blob above them. “Oval.”

A sharp laugh burst right out of Sonic. “Sorry, sorry,” he wheezed when Tails pouted at him. “Not those kinda shapes, pal. I’m talking things like flickies or flowers or chili dogs! But good first try. I’m thinking that one looks more like… a whale.”

“Whale?”

“Uh-huh. See the tail?” Sonic removed one hand from behind his head so he could trace the oblong cloud as it faintly curved upwards at the end, making sure Tails’s eyes followed where he pointed. “And there’s its fin. And the wispy bits at the top are like the water shooting out of its spout.”

“Spout,” Tails echoed, blinking up at it like he was trying to solve a puzzle.

“Yeah, you know. Like when they come up from the water and all that mist sprays from that hole on top of their heads like…” A devious grin spread across Sonic’s face before he looped his arm around Tails and dragged him close enough to blow a raspberry against his cheek with a loud, “pbbbbbbfffft!”

Tails squealed, legs kicking as he squirmed about instinctively, but made no move to pull away entirely. The ticklish sensation buzzed through him like a bunch of tiny butterflies; the feeling silly, unfamiliar, and almost overwhelming all at once. He eventually pawed at Sonic’s muzzle, pushing it away from the fluffy, baby fur of his cheek, but he was smiling and laughing as he looked over at him, eyes shining with delight.

“Was that funny?” Sonic snickered.

“Yeah!” Tails beamed at him, his tails beating an inconsistent rhythm against the grass. “You’re funny.”

“I’m funny?” Sonic feigned offense. “Excuse me, but seems to me like you’re the funny one, wiggling around over here like a cup of sparkle gelatin!”

“No!” Tails squeaked, curling up when Sonic poked him in the tummy.

“No?” Sonic eased back, reminding himself to reign it in a bit so he could figure out if the “no” was just in play or if he was serious.

As much as he wanted to give this little guy something to smile and laugh about while he was out here on his own—and it was so easy, it was almost intoxicating when he hadn’t seen his brother’s smile in weeks—he didn’t want to overwhelm the kid. But as he let him go and pulled back, a panicked look flashed in Tails’s eyes. His smile fell and a fear that was too big for a guy so small replaced it as he froze up.

“Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay.” Sonic lowered his voice, but even that didn’t stop the tears from suddenly sprouting in the corners of his eyes. “Was that too much? Sorry, kiddo. Not really used to you like this. I don’t know your limits.”

Tails didn’t answer him, probably because he didn’t know how. He was a baby, after all. Four-year-old Tails had often had trouble expressing how he felt or what he wanted. And heck, even ten-year-old Tails was still facing that particular issue. He couldn’t expect a maybe-two-year-old to know…

Tails’s tiny paw reached for Sonic’s arm, the light touch barely registering as anything other than an itch before his fingers curled into his fur. Sonic stared at his hand for a second, then immediately darted to his face. Tails sniffed, muzzle quivering as he held back his tears.

Always sucking it up. Always putting on a brave face. Always trying to be a big kid, like his big bro.

Even when he was just a baby.

“It’s okay,” Sonic repeated, his arm curling around Tails again. “I’m right here, it’s okay.”

Tails nestled against his side, nuzzling his face against him with a shiver and a barely suppressed whimper. “Mom… dad…”

The storm returned with a white-hot flash of frustration and resentment. Sonic directed his glare at the cloud whale lazily floating past them, since he couldn’t look the people responsible for this in the eyes. Not that he particularly wanted to. If they never crossed paths, his and Tails lives would only continue on for the better. That was one thing he was still certain of. There was nothing in the universe that could convince him otherwise.

Not even the baby who desperately wanted them.

But he didn’t know any better. They were all he knew.

Releasing a long sigh, Sonic let go of the past and pulled himself back into the present—or, well, two-year-old Tails’s present anyway. He patted Tails’s side, then ruffled his fur a bit when he cuddled closer. His fur tickled as he rubbed his little face against his ribs, so Sonic scooched him up a bit more until his cheek was pillowed against his shoulder.

“Sorry if I scared you, bud,” he hummed, watching as one of Tails’s ears twitched from the lull of his voice. “Didn’t mean to. You’re safe with me, okay? When I’m around, I’m always gonna do whatever it takes to keep you safe.”

Tails tipped his head back to watch him, silently absorbing his words, even if he didn’t understand them. But as Sonic looked down at him, he saw his four-year-old brother snuggling up to him in a storm and his six-year-old brother falling asleep on him during a movie and his eight-year-old brother trying to be strong for Sonic as they lost another friend… He could see all of Tails in the way he looked at him, every moment where he let Sonic see a little of that vulnerability he always tried so hard to hide.

He could even see his ten-year-old brother, hundreds of miles away, determined to bury that vulnerable little kid for good, somewhere Sonic would never find him. And that was fine. If that was what Tails wanted, then Sonic wanted that for him. He wanted Tails to feel confident and capable and every bit the hero Sonic saw in him every day.

“And even when I’m not here… when you can’t see me? I’ll still be with you. Wherever you go, whatever you face, you won’t have to do it alone.”

Tails sniffed, then lifted his head to gaze up at him. “Pomise?”

Sonic’s breath hitched, his eyes as wide as saucers as the fox kit who’d only known him for a few minutes at most looked at him with nothing but trust. “Yeah. I promise.” He had to clear his throat, then tugged Tails up to sit on his chest. “You’ve got no idea just how stuck with me you are, keed.”

“No idea,” Tails repeated, shaking his head with the utmost seriousness a two-year-old could express.

Sonic’s laughter traveled through him and right up into Tails, the two of them shaking with it. The feeling of being bounced about coaxed a few giggles out of Tails and he nearly slid off his unsteady perch. But Sonic’s hands supported him, holding tight so he wouldn’t fall.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” Sonic choked out as his laughter petered out on a breathless sigh. “Don’t ever forget that, okay?”

“M’kay,” Tails agreed.

“M’kay.” With one hand remaining on Tails’s waist, Sonic lifted the other to poke him on the tip of his nose, grinning at the way he went cross-eyed from following his finger. “I’m gonna follow up on that in eight years, y’know, so better work on committing that to memory, stat.”

“M’kay.”

“I mean it. There’ll be a test and everything.”

“M’kay.”

“You’re so agreeable,” Sonic sighed, closing his eyes as he laid his head back, leaving the comfortable weight of the baby fox on his abdomen. “I don’t think I know what to do with a little bro that actually listens to me.”

He felt Tails squirm a bit, one knee digging into his ribs as he attempted to scoot further up, then a finger lightly tapped Sonic on the tip of his nose. One green eye cracked open, immediately greeted with a pair of pleased blue ones and a wagging fox tail. Despite the fact that it was pinned beneath him, pressed into the grass, Sonic felt his tail give a jerky little wag, too.

“Shapes?” Tails asked.

“You wanna look for more shapes in the clouds?” Sonic waited for Tails’s eager nod before turning him around and laying him back in the grass beside him. “You got it, bud! You need a redemption round, after all. Let’s see what kinda shapes you can find this time.”

Tails hummed, contemplative gaze fixed on the clouds for a good minute before he pointed slightly to his left. “Floor!”

“Floor?” Sonic squinted up at the cloud, making sure he was looking at the right one. “Oh, ‘flower!’ Yeah, that does kinda look like a tulip flower. Good eye, kiddo.”

Tails nodded proudly. “Mmhm. Floor.”

“Flower,” Sonic repeated, and even made the sign for it, touching each side of his nose with his fingertips, like he was smelling a flower.

“Floor-er.”

“Close enough,” he chuckled. “Oh, okay, now that one looks like a crab claw. Like from a crabmeat.” Grinning devilishly, Sonic made a claw-like grabby motion at Tails with his hand while the little guy laughed. “Or, y’know, an actual crab.”

They watched the clouds, picking more shapes out of them until Tails’s stomach started growling. Sonic quickly sped through the forest to gather up whatever kind of fruits or vegetables were available on the island, eventually settling on some peaches, plums, and cherries. He grabbed them from the other side of the island, so as not to take from anywhere Tails was likely to forage on his own. He liked the plums and peaches, the sticky juice staining his muzzle as it dripped from his hands. He kept trying to lick his fingers clean while Sonic wiped the fur around his mouth so it wouldn’t bother him later when it dried. He didn’t care for the cherries as much, but Sonic still left a small stash of them and the leftover peaches at the base of the tree stump.

With a full tummy and sticky paws, Tails let out a big, squeaky yawn before he curled up on top of the tree stump. His tails covered him like a blanket as he settled down for a nap, giving Sonic just the out he needed. He’d been debating how to head back to his present time without sounding any alarms for Tails. He honestly wasn’t sure he’d be able to if the kid just looked at him with those sad eyes, like he was being abandoned all over again.

But if Tails was asleep, then maybe this would all have felt like just a dream. Sonic had just wanted to check on him after leaving him so abruptly that first time, and then he figured it couldn’t hurt to give him one good afternoon. There would be so many days where he’d be on his own after this, so many months before their paths would cross. One afternoon where a stranger showed him kindness and played with him wasn’t going to break the time stream, but even Sonic knew it couldn’t really go further than that.

“I’d break time lines for that kid.” His own words echoed at the back of his mind, the certainty he’d felt at the time faltering when faced with the sleepy face of a baby fox who wasn’t supposed to have met him yet. It wasn’t so simple.

Sonic waited until Tails’s breaths were deep and steady, arms wrapped around the weaker tail while the stronger one blanketed him with its fluff. Smoothing down his bangs with his thumb, Sonic gently stroked the top of his head and scritched behind his ear.

“Love ya, little bro,” he whispered.

Things would be okay, Sonic reminded himself as he backed out of the clearing, picking up the two emeralds that were his ticket back to his time. Because they were okay in the present. Even if Tails wouldn’t be there when he returned, they would still be okay. Eventually. They always came out on top. Sonic still believed that.

If there was anything he still believed in above all else, it was Tails.

So, to be fair, when he left the Poloy Forest that afternoon, it had been with the intention that this wouldn’t happen again.

But then, Sonic the Hedgehog’s impulse control wasn’t his claim to fame, was it?

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A/N: Anyway, just wanted to say thank you again, 0vergrown, and that I appreciate you so much! I'm so happy you're interested in this little side plot I've got brewing and all the angst potential that it holds <3 I have so many little scenes I want to write for them, you have no idea! Hope this scratches a bit of the itch for more of these boys who need so much therapy. So much...

And thank you everyone else who's also interested in this idea! Much love to all of you!

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cervicalvito · 2 days ago

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reblog because I really did love this idea but just haven't worked on it

Have been thinking a lot about tails in the movie universe and wanted to write out a plot for an idea I’ve been cooking for the past month! Sort of my first fiction except it’s not really complete haha. Regardless I wanted to share because I really liked the idea and might rework it after studying some of the lore

Scene 1: Takes place in Wachowski home as they’re getting ready for school. Sonic is making jokes and teasing Knuckles before he helps Tails with something (sweet but natural big bro moment). Tails is a little flustered and stressed because he doesn’t know how school is going to go and if the other kids or teachers will even like him. As a result of his anxieties he gets a bit overwhelmed on the way to school and it ends with him pouting in the back seat while Maddie wishes Knuckles and Sonic luck for their classes. Tails isn’t angry anymore, he doesn’t’ even know what he was angry at (maybe himself) but as he watches his brothers race into the building he feels a pang of embarrassment and admiration. How come they’re able to go about this so easily? Aren’t they nervous too?

Maddie catches on to Tails attitude shift and she softens, peeking at him from the rear view mirror. She leaves room open for him to initiate a talk but he just shrugs his shoulders and gets out the car door, offering a nervous “bye”. Head down, tails wrapped tight together, eyes focused on his shoes, he trudges his way up the stairs and into the school. Maddie bites her tongue but knows this is something she’ll have to bring up with Tom.

Scene 2: As Tails walks down the halls with some kids staring in shock and others giving him a polite smile seeing how they’re already use to Sonic blazing through the hallways, he reminisces about home on Mobius. He’d gone to school then but not for long. With his two tails, most of his village considered him an outcast or some kind of bad omen. When he’d be at his desk kids would throw rocks or tug on his tails from behind while the teachers would be less than enthusiastic to help him. One teacher in particular would bring out the ruler to smack his hand only whenever he specifically “acted” up. Not long after he felt too rejected to continue attending so he stopped and no one seemed to fuss. He eventually found a home in the library with an old turtle. Her eyesight was waning and if Tails wrapped his namesakes close enough they looked like one tail if you squinted. She’d let him sleep there during the night and study during the day. It wasn’t easy re-teaching himself all the material he’d unintentionally missed out on in school. Sometimes he’d even hover above the class window so he could at least hear what was being taught to the other students.

Scene 3: As Tails settles into his first class, alongside reminiscing his old home, he thinks about when he first latched onto Sonic’s signal. He’d given up on hovering to take notes so he built a “fly on the wall” that way he could view and listen in to what teachers were saying. He just hadn’t calculated how well it would work. In a flash of static, blue electricity, the frequency stutters before he’s zeroing in on a sound. Someone was talking, the audio grainy but there. Curious, he decided to build onto his mini bug so it acts more as a satellite, picking up any frequency for a certain distance. And sure enough he sees Sonic. Fast, strong, and way past cool. For awhile he didn’t want to share what he’d created, he wanted to keep this all to himself. When he’d watch Sonic’s life play out through the screen, he’d often wonder if he’d ever be able to have something like that. Sometimes Tails would even pretend he had his own Maddie and Tom, his own Sonic by setting up old books to act as “parents” and a “brother”. But after he sees Robotnik pairing up with Knuckles to get Sonic, he realizes he needs to act fast and warn him. He has enough materials to make his own weapons pack, at least what he thinks would act as good weapons, but he needs a portal ring. There’s a certain amount the principal keeps in his drawer for meetings and Tails decides they’ll act as the battery to his portal gun. It’s late at night, his backpack already stocked with food and other supplies, and he knows he’ll only need a few minutes or hour at most to get in and out, but as he’s finished with everything he’s caught by the scruff of his neck by two older kids who’d bully him relentlessly. They taunt him but the minute one of their holds loosens to try and peek into his backpack, Tails wiggles his way out and runs free. He’s gasping as he runs, the other two hot on his heels as he approached a cliff. He could fly over easily, but thinking fast, he shoots open a portal and hopes it’s stable enough to get him to where he needs to go.

Scene 4: Tails makes it through his first class okay, albeit he’s nervous and a little queasy when during passing period the other kids come up to him, but they’re just introducing themselves and he can relax a little. Maybe during lunch he bumps into Sonic and Knuckles. Finally once the school day is over he looks at the class bulletin board and sees a flyer brightly announcing the Science Fair. A chance for students to create their own project and present it to the school board. Tails had never had anything like that back home and his head is running a million miles a minute in excitement, until his teacher walks over and asks if he’d like to take one. He still isn’t comfortable so he just stares down at the floor before nodding, slow to accept the paper from her before he runs out and into the car. He’s quick to shove it away in his backpack though.

Scene 5: Tails trusts Maddie and Tom, and doesn’t think they’d treat him the same way his village use to, but they’ve never seen him really tinker yet or get excited over theories. In his village he remembers the glazed over look adults would give him when he’d try to explain his newest invention or interest, and the kids would just destroy it if he ever brought it to class. Even when he knew all the answers in class, he’d get a ruler to the hand for being smart. He didn’t want to take up so much space or impose his interest on everyone else, so maybe he could do the fair in secret? Or maybe not at all. He was happy with the life they were having, he didn’t really want things to change even at the expense of his hobbies.

Scene 6: Dinner goes pretty smooth with Sonic rambling about his day and Knuckles explaining his confusion with classrooms. Tails is still quiet as a mouse and its Knuckles who asks if he had an alright time in the room of class. Tails squeaks and offers that he got to talk to some of the other kids today and actually gets a little excited talking about what may be some of his first school friends before Sonic cuts in and says “Wait James? I know him! He and I were buddies on the little league team, I miss that guy!” And tails kinds of deflates because even though he knows it isn’t rational, he wanted his schools friend to be special to him in a way. Not that he doesn’t look up to and admire Sonic, but if everyone who’s his friend is Sonic’s friend then do they even like Tails or are they just trying to get closer to his brother. After that he picks at his food and Tom noticing, clears his throat and pulls out UNO. he explains the rules of the game and they get playing. Cute family fun and Tails is in the lead with Sonic and Knuckles having a competitive streak that escalates when Knuckles pulls a draw four three times and Sonic laughs mirthlessly. Knuckles was already a bit stressed at his inability to understand his homework so now that he’s losing the game he gets upset with Sonic’s teasing. Tom is quick to defuse the situation though because Tails has won! They cheer and Maddie reminds him to yell UNO to which tails is so excited. Sonic and Knuckles calm down before congratulating their brother on his win but promising a rematch.

Scene 7: Since that morning Maddie had been worried about how Tails was holding up and even texted Sonic to keep an eye out for the little guy before bringing it up with Tom. They don’t;t know much about Tails life before he came to earth and they don’t want to assume but, all signs are pointing to a pretty crummy childhood so far. Tom suggests maybe tonight at dinner they play a game just to loosen everyone up after the first day of school and Maddie agrees. She still has her UNO game deck somewhere around the house and it’d be fun if they all got to play. During the evening while the boys are spread around the house (either upstairs or watching TV or doing homework) and Maddie is prepping dinner she tells them to go wash up. Knuckles is a bit frustrated with his work and for a moment is hesitant to leave the table but Maddie assures him she’ll help him tonight after dinner. Reminded now that it’s quiet that she wanted to find UNO she’s searching around the cupboards when she trips a little over the pile of backpacks that have been thrown into the designated corner of the house. She rolls her eyes and huffs before she kneels down to put the papers back into Tails bag which had fallen out when it was knocked over and sees the crumpled science fair flyer. She studies it a moment and wonders why he’d hide this before she folds it into her pocket and puts the backpacks where they’re meant to go.

Scene 8: After dinner with Tom helping Knuckles with his homework and Sonic taking out the trash, orchestrated so Maddie could have a talk with Tails, she has him helping her dry the dishes when she brings up the science fair. His ears lower and he feels like he’s been caught but she reassures him that she isn’t mad she just wants to know why he hid it. He explains he didn’t think it’d be a big deal and while Maddie knows that isn’t the full truth she doesn’t want to pry too much so she just hums and asks if he’d like to join. She hasn’t seen him invent much aside from their troubles in Hawaii and that while she may not be a super genius, she’d love to help. Tails beams and starts to ramble about his ideas for the fair and while Maddie can’t understand half of the science he’s spouting, she’s more than happy to listen. That night the two make a plan to make a rocket for the fair and as Maddie tucks Tails in she gives him a little forehead kiss leaving him to kick his feet and squeal into his pillow as he thinks of all the inventions he could make.

Scene 9: After Maddie’s comfort and assurance, Tails is fired up to get started on his project which leads him to be a bit more open at school. He is able to play well with James and some of the other kids and beams when his teacher directs him to the science and engineering lab. A whole room dedicated to inventing! He works all throughout his nutrition and lunch period, brushing off Sonic and Knuckles expecting them all to have lunch together.

Possible scene play out:

Sonic and Knuckles already sitting at their table expecting Tails to saddle up with them like always only for the fox to brightly respond he has work to do in the engineering lab and that he’ll catch up with them later. Leaving Sonic a little disappointed and Knuckles unbothered on the surface. At first it was cute and cool seeing Tails get so into his work and being able to blast off prototype rockets was always exciting but as the weeks went by and Tails was still working, the brothers had been missing their little buddy. Now it’s just Sonic and Knuckles sitting together not really sure what to talk about but it ends with them somehow arguing over chicken nuggets or something petty.

Tails doesn’t realize that by distancing himself nearly all throughout the day that his brothers are missing him and it’s causing some tension considering they’re so competitive with one another and without Tails to mediate.

Scene 10: Tails hadn't thought his distance would affect anyone, he was just excited and the two brothers had always had a competitive streak. Besides, they could have fun on their own, they didn’t need Tails there all the time. But now even after school the fox seemed farther and farther away with Maddie always helping him. During dinner, bath time or bedtime, she offered an ear and would sometimes chime in when Tails was explaining his ideas for the rocket. She may not have understood physics the way Tails did, but she understood architecture and design. But despite this, she tries encouraging him to spend some time with Sonic and Knuckles. He feels like they don’t need to hang out with him but usually at the end of the day they’ll be on the couch watching a movie and it seems any problems or anxieties are just gone. Before the next day comes and it’s the same thing over and over again.

Scene 11: Throughout the weeks he’d been working it seemed Sonic and Knuckles had been fighting a lot more. Petty disagreements over stuff that really didn’t matter like who ate the last cookie. Who used up all the hot water. Sonic being too loud while Knuckles would try to meditate. It was nothing too alarming but the tension was building as much as Tails tried to reassure himself things were ok. Tom, noticing the tension between the boys, decides they all need to unwind and go fishing. It takes a little convincing but eventually all three of them are on a boat with the sun beating down on them and for a moment Tom gives himself a pat on the back. But this little bonding activity turns into Sonic and Knuckles competing to see who can get the most fish. Tom decides to make it a thing, he and Knuckles against Sonic and Tails. Sonic wanted to be on Toms team but Knuckles called it before he did, but at the same time he’s happy to spend some time with Tails. Unfortunately for him, the fox isn’t the best fisher. Tails tries his best and even attempts using one of his pocket gizmos on the fishing line to help it go deeper and rise up faster but it works a little too well and ends up with Sonic in the water, being pulled down by the force of the rods power before Knuckles has dived in to retrieve him. He asks why Sonic didn’t just let go of the rod and he snarls “because it’s Dads!”.

The ride back home is tense and Tom tries to ease the tension saying “C’mon boys it’s just fishing, not a competition” and Sonic glumly says “Well maybe I would’ve won if brainiac here hadn’t jinxed my rod” and while he doesn’t really mean it, just rattled from nearly drowning AGAIN, the words cut Tails deep. In the car ride back home even though he’s the only one dry, smack dab in the middle of Sonic and Knuckles who are quietly seething, he feels ice cold from Sonic’s remark and the lack of defense from Tom. This brings back his insecurities about inventing.

Part 2

#unbreakable bond #sonic movie #sonic fanfiction #miles tails prower #knuckles the echidna #grammar is really bad wow

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