Summary: Sonic received a train ticket for a trip. He's been planning everything out for this trip, but some of the odd decisions he's been making— including planning something— are starting to worry the people around him.

But the horns keep blaring, signaling to Sonic to climb aboard.

Warning: Post-Sonic Frontiers

Trigger Warnings : Suicide attempt, hallucinations, unreliable narrator

Ships: Minor Vanilla x Vector (barely a line)
Minor Sonadow (I tried not to—)

Part 3 of 3

—

The wind is cold and sharp as it passes through his quills. It whistles stridently in his pinned ears, but it is no louder than the thrum of his blood and chaos energy throughout his body. He pumps his arms at his sides. He glides over the rough terrain of the wilderness. He enters and leaves pools of his namesake created from the moonlight passing through the leaves of the forest. His eyes rise to glance at the moon hanging in the sky in the gaps of the canopy. The natural satellite is accompanied by an artificial one, and their proximity reminds him that there is a specific place he needs to be.

Something is different about the faker, Shadow had thought as he finished checking out his book in the library. The thought lingered in his mind even when he accepted the answer that Sonic was always weird.

Shadow leaps over a fallen tree. When he lands on the other side, he is already propelling himself forward. For a moment, he suspects his air shoes will fail him, but they remain just above the ground. Shadow himself has a vague understanding of how they work, but he could care less about it as he tries to gain more speed with every stride forward.

"Look! Mr. Sonic gave me this gift when Mom and I saw him at the flower shop!" Cream had told him. She settled into his lap with her new book in her hands. While she could read, the book had a few words that were too big for her, so she pointed to them and made Shadow give her an explanation. She was particularly curious about the flowers in the bouquet Sonic apparently put together. The meanings behind the flowers were peculiar, and Shadow was left wondering if Sonic knew or if it was a coincidence.

A trail of dark orange light follows in Shadow's wake, momentarily illuminating the darkness of the forest. It casts long shadows against the tall trees. For a moment, it looks like dusk is still descending across the verdure, but Shadow leaves far faster than the sun sinking below the horizon would if it were a few hours prior. As it stands, night is dominating the land, and while Shadow has always felt more comfortable in these late hours, he finds himself unable to enjoy it for even a second as something tight nearly strangles him.

"He gave me all this stuff for free," Rouge informed Shadow as she set the boxes down on the coffee table. Shadow watched with vague interest as she unboxed her new belongings. She continued talking about the trip Sonic was going on and the party he was throwing. She wanted Shadow and Omega to help her bake a cake for it. Her excitement dwindled as she admitted that there was something odd about Sonic's behavior. He was talking about a train when he looked out the window, and he was talking about how he wanted to make things easier for Tails. Shadow didn't have a response for her, and she didn't press him for one. They left the subject in the dust.

Shadow breaks free from the forest. He looks around at the cleared fields. There is tall grass billowing in the wind. There are a few paths marked by footprints and dirt. A salty breeze enters Shadow's nostrils, making his ears flick back and forth. He listens and looks, and eventually, he thinks he finds the right direction. He doesn't think about it for a few more seconds as he speedily hovers through the final stretch of the journey.

"We need you to find him," Espio, the Chaotix member Shadow can tolerate the most, asked as he shoved papers in Rouge's hands. Shadow was going to deny the chameleon's late-night request when Rouge dropped the papers on the ground. Shadow didn't see them all, but a few key words caught his eye. He didn't listen to Rouge and Espio's conversation about the truth as he ran away. No, as he ran toward something. Someone. Sonic.

Sonic. The blue hedgehog stands at the edge of the cliff. The starry night sky stretches out above his head like a blue-black blanket covering the equally dark ocean. The white foam caused by the crashing waves seems to glow in the moonlight appearing and disappearing in accordance with the clouds moving across the sky. Sonic's eyes are almost as dark as the shadow stretching out behind him as he stares at the distant, barely visible horizon. He holds a leather suitcase in one paw that tips his body weight, and he grasps at the open air with his other paw.

"Sonic!" Shadow yells as he skids to a stop, leaving a trail in the exposed dirt layered thinly on top of the rocky cliff. At the call of his name, Sonic turns around. His balance is extremely off, most likely due to his suitcase. As Sonic stabilizes— somehow getting impossibly closer to the edge— Sonic looks at Shadow. His irises are muted. He looks composed, a twinge of surprise and happiness around the edges. It is unusual, sure, but it doesn't match the gravity of the situation. Shadow takes a few steps forward, letting his shoes create half-obscured footprints. He reaches his paw out. His instinct is to grab Sonic immediately, but he acknowledges the short distance between Sonic and the edge. Any quick movements on his end will cause Sonic to step back, and that— that wouldn't be good.

Shadow freezes when Sonic's countenance changes. In an instant, a smile stretches across Sonic's face. It is as bright and brilliant as it always is. Although it doesn't literally give off any light, Shadow— like everyone else, he suspects— can almost be convinced that it turns night into day simply by existing. Sonic moves the arm not holding his suitcase high above his head, rising precariously on the tips of his toes. "Shadow! Are you here to see me off? That's awfully nice of you! I didn't know you had it in you. I guess Rouge was right when she said you were just a softie at heart."

The words would cause a reaction if not for the circumstances surrounding the two of them. Shadow ignores the comments in their entirety as he asks, so painfully slow and careful, so unlike him and Sonic both, "Sonic, step away from the edge."

Sonic's smile drops into a confused frown. His brows knit together around the space between his eyes. Sonic glances over his shoulder. Shadow immediately starts rushing toward him, but he stops himself when Sonic snaps his gaze back to Shadow. Sonic arches a brow at Shadow. "I have to go on the train, Shads. How else am I going to go on my trip? See, I have a ticket and everything."

Sonic moves a paw behind his back. He sticks his tongue out in concentration. When he finally pulls something out, victory spreads across his expression. He unfolds the paper with one paw. He turns it around to show Shadow. His countenance doesn't change for a second, but Shadow's face contorts with confusion and— dare he say— genuine concern. Sonic's 'ticket' is a piece of paper with the words 'KILL YOURSELF' written in big, bold, and red letters. Shadow doesn't know what's happening. Maybe he should have asked Espio a few more questions. Then again, he would have been too late if he had done that.

And really, it doesn't matter why any of this is happening. Shadow can worry about it once he gets Sonic to step away from the damn edge.

Without any prompting, Sonic flinches suddenly. This causes him to stumble slightly to the side, letting his suitcase drag him down a few more paces. A wince spreads across one side of his face. He reaches the paw holding the paper to his ear. He covers it for several long moments. Shadow's ears twitch, trying to hear whatever Sonic is hearing. Unfortunately, all he hears are the waves beating against the shoreline far below them. It is a little harsher than before, warning Shadow about what could happen should he let Sonic take that one— just one— step back.

Sonic makes an odd noise. Shadow thinks it's a laugh of some sort, but he doesn't understand what's funny about this situation. "You hear that? It means I have to get on the train now. Thanks for coming to see me off, though. Really, you're a good friend. Or rival, if you still want to deny our friendship."

Shadow can't help but wonder if that's what this is about, but he quickly silences that thought. All of his thoughts, actually, as Sonic starts to turn toward the ocean. Shadow manages to take three steps before Sonic stops. His eyes whirl around to stare at Shadow. Glare, actually, as something completely somber echoes in the hollow space between Sonic's iris and pupil. There isn't an expression on his face, and Shadow never realized how emotional Sonic always looks until he can't find a trace of anything gracing his features.

"Take the next train," Shadow demands. He doesn't know what trains have to do with anything, but he thinks it's some sort of... metaphor for death? Hallucination? Whatever it is, Sonic keeps talking about getting on a train and going on a trip and planning a party, but none of that matches up with what he's looking at right now.

"I can't do that. I don't know when the next train is coming. Plus, I want to start my trip as soon as possible. I've taken care of everything. You don't have to worry. There will be nothing for everyone to do except show up to the party. Of course, you don't have to if you don't want to. It's just for the people who care... Care enough to gather, anyway. We can't talk about this right now. I really have to go before the train leaves," Sonic argues, gesturing vaguely to the nothingness behind him.

"Sonic." Shadow can feel the panic rising in his body. It tastes so much like anger. It feels so bitterly like annoyance. But it isn't that. Sonic is going to die. More than that, he's going to kill himself. Shadow doesn't know how to stop that. He can fight machines. He can shoot a gun or ride a motorcycle. He can complete whatever mission GUN gives him. But how in the world is he supposed to convince someone to live? How does he walk someone off a ledge when they don't even know they are standing there? How is Shadow, of all people, supposed to save Sonic, the Hero of Mobius and Savior of Earth? Shadow hates problems he cannot solve. He hates inevitabilities and choiceless situations. Shadow, more than anything, hates when he doesn't understand, and while he's never been particularly fond of never understanding Sonic, he has never been so angry with himself for not trying harder before.

Shadow doesn't know what does it. He doesn't know which word that was uttered or which expression that was shown or which tone that was heard, but something causes Sonic to hesitate. The blue hedgehog looks back and forth between the horizon and Shadow. He sways from side to side, letting the suitcase drag him down before pulling it right back up. He sighs heavily. Sonic angles his head toward Shadow, letting it loll against his shoulder. "Fine. I'll just catch the next train. You'll have to pay for that ticket, though."

Sonic sets his suitcase on the ground. He shuffles back a few paces as he turns to face the moonlight. As Sonic's arm rises to hold the moon, Shadow is already halfway across the narrow slab of rock hanging over the ocean. Shadow whirls Sonic around. The blue hedgehog's eyes widen slightly. Shadow feels his fingers close into a fist and vitriol coat his tongue, but he doesn't start a fight or an argument. He wraps his arms around Sonic's body, keeping the hedgehog's arms held against his sides.

"If you wanted a hug, I could have given you one." Sonic squirms in Shadow's hold. Shadow tightens his grip, refusing to let Sonic go now that he finally has him away from the edge.

"I'm not hugging you. I'm restraining you." It is technically the truth. Shadow isn't trying to hug Sonic. He really does want to restrain the hedgehog. He also— and he isn't going to admit this to anyone— is trying to calm down the rising panic by proving that Sonic is alive. He hears a heartbeat. He feels a rising and falling chest. Both are evidence that Sonic has not pitched himself into the ocean even though everyone knows that Sonic hates the ocean— has a fear of it, even.

"Restraining me? From what?" He sounds so innocent, Shadow ruefully thinks.

Shadow sighs, unable to express his frustrations in another way. A heaviness enters his body, and his head drops to Sonic's chest. More proof that he's alive, and maybe it's comforting in other ways, too. It certainly gives Shadow the courage to ask, "Did you actually see a train?"

"What?"

"Did you actually see a train?" Shadow demands. He sounds angry. He thinks he might feel that way, too. But there's a concern embedded so deep inside of him. It was born the moment he realized how terrible death truly was— how definitive and unfair. It's hard enough that the people Shadow cares about are going to die; what gives them the right to end it all earlier than it's supposed to? "Did you actually think you were planning a party?"

"I... don't get it. Yes? The train just left, Shads. And it's more of a gathering than a party, but... well, yes, I was planning it. I didn't think I was. I just... was," Sonic answers, confusion permeating each of his declarations.

Shadow does not cry. He's shed a tear maybe once or twice, but he has never sobbed or whimpered. So, in place of that, Shadow releases another heavy breath that he wishes could hold all of his negative emotions concerning the situation and the details he is not privy to. This release also makes his grip loosen. Strangely, part of him feels scared that Sonic is going to walk away again— walk towards the edge. But Sonic, for some reason, moves his arms around Shadow, and finally, they are actually hugging. Shadow doesn't mind. They aren't going anywhere any time soon, anyway.

—

Sonic stares at the ceiling. The comforter wraps loosely around his legs. He holds a throw pillow against his chest, wrapping his arms around it. He should be falling asleep soon. He's fairly tired, after all, and the mattress is comfortable underneath him. He shuffles on it a little to prove this point, feeling his quills spread out across the side. Everything is fine, then, but he is still, for some reason, awake. Enough to keep his eyes open, too. He wonders if he's more exhausted than sleepy. That would not be good for several reasons including the long day he's going to have tomorrow and the number of people that will be concerned if he walks around with an iota of energy from sleep to carry him forward.

Sonic's attention snaps to the side as he sees motion in his peripheral vision. It is a crisp reminder of the specifics of his situation. Instead of his own house, Sonic returned to Rouge and Shadow. After coming to fully realize that what was happening to him was dangerous, he thought it would be best to stay with someone. They accepted him as easily as they did the first two nights, but there was one change that immediately occurred. Sonic was to take Shadow's bed. He gave a cursory argument about it, sure, but he lost that argument. He's lost several arguments since he came to this apartment, but he supposes they are all for the best. He doubts Rouge and Shadow want to slowly kill him in the same way his mind does, anyway.

The motion in particular that caused Sonic to look to the side comes into focus immediately. Shadow is sitting in the chair at his desk. His arms are crossed over his chest. He leans back in the chair with both feet firmly planted on the floor beneath the desk. His eyes were closed, but they slowly open after Shadow jerks back very slightly. If not for the minimalist approach to the room's design or the singular lamp illuminating the Shadow's silhouette, Sonic wouldn't have seen the flinch (for that is what it was, regardless of what the Ultimate Lifeform would say).

Shadow stares at the desk in front of him with the kind of confusion that everyone who suddenly wakes up has. The GUN-issued laptop is asleep on the desk's surface, surrounded by one stack of papers and a black pen. Shadow moves his paw to the pen. He sets his fingers on it without picking it up. Sonic draws Shadow's attention to him by asking, "Do you want the bed to take a nap?"

"I don't need to sleep," Shadow immediately replies. It is an automatic response, and it is followed by Shadow glancing at Sonic curiously. "Why are you awake?"

"Maybe you don't need to sleep, but you literally just were. It also looks like you had a bad dream. It's probably because you slept in that chair. I don't care if you're the Ultimate Lifeform or not, no one wants a crick in their neck," Sonic informs Shadow matter-of-factly. He turns to lie on his side, keeping the small pillow against his chest. He squeezes it tighter as Shadow's gaze remains on him. Since the only light source is behind Shadow's turned head, his face is shrouded in darkness. Sonic can still feel those carmine irises on him, though.

"It was not a bad dream," Shadow corrects him.

Sonic rolls his eyes. "It was an unpleasant illusion your mind conjured, then. We can argue semantics all you want, but after you answer my question."

"You have yet to answer mine."

Sonic avoids eye contact with Shadow. He shrugs one of his shoulders, the one not pressed into the mattress. "I just can't sleep. I'm figuring it out. Now, do you want the bed back or not?"

"You need to rest," Shadow shakes his head.

Sonic scoots over to the side of the bed. His quills brush against the cold wall. Sonic pulls an uncomfortable expression. He makes it disappear before Shadow can question it. He grabs the comforter hanging around his legs. He pulls it higher. When it touches his shoulders, he raises it to provide Shadow a spot. Sonic smiles generously at him. "I can still rest. You can, too. Don't worry nothing is going to happen to me even if you aren't there to watch me 24/7."

Shadow grimaces at the words. Sonic only feels a little bad about saying it, but he's learned over the past few weeks that rejecting reality is not good for him. Sonic has been conducting behavior that would cause people to worry about him, and Shadow has been surveilling him like Sonic's a target on one of his GUN missions. Due to the very nature of the circumstances, they aren't entirely acting healthy.

Shadow rises from his chair. He pushes it underneath his desk. He closes his laptop and slides the pen to hide behind it. Shadow even turns off the lamp. Darkness floods the room. Sonic squints, trying to adjust to the darkness. Without the lamp on, Sonic can see other light sources. They are all faint, but his eyes fixate on them one at a time. He also focuses on his other senses. He feels Shadow grab the blanket. Instead of lying beside Sonic, he wraps the blue hedgehog tightly in the blanket like a small child getting bundled in thick winter clothes. Afterwards, Shadow puts a pillow against the headboard. He sits on the mattress, leaning against the pillow and wood. He folds his arms back over his chest. He straightens his legs to be parallel with Sonic's body. He looks at the darkness in front of him with eyes that only need a single speck of light to see everything. Another perfection of the Ultimate Lifeform.

"It was not an illusion." Shadow's voice is softer in the darkness. Sonic doesn't know if that's actually because of the darkness or if it's because his voice isn't competing against his facial expression. It wouldn't be the first time Shadow's expression and tone did not match. "I was revisiting the experience of finding you at the cliff."

"Ah," Sonic dumbly responds. As difficult as it is, Sonic brings his knees to his chest, letting them squish the pillow instead of his arms. With the new freedom, Sonic tucks one arm underneath his head. The other one reaches into the darkness. Shadow's paw finds his paw before he can find Shadow's, but Sonic doesn't mind as he squeezes comfortingly. "I remember that... For what it's worth, I really did see a train. I thought I was standing at the station. Maybe I noticed the ocean and the edge, but I didn't... really process it. I just saw the train. I heard the horn blaring directly in my ears. What did you see, Shads?"

There is a moment of silence. Sonic fears Shadow is going to tell him to go to sleep. He even thinks Shadow might lie to him. But the ebony hedgehog doesn't. He only takes the moment to compose himself and his answer. "You acted as you usually do when I first arrived. You were standing right at the edge but you... smiled and frowned like you do in regular conversation. I did not know what to make of it. I did not know what to do. I could only ask repeatedly for you to not follow your..."

"Delusions? Hallucinations? Phantom? All are appropriate words," Sonic laughs self-deprecatingly. When the laughter leaves him, Sonic feels close to crying. He takes a deep breath. This time, Shadow squeezes his paw. A tear slips from one eye, but a half-smile appears on his lips. He feels just as conflicted on the inside. His words, however, eventually come streaming out. "You know what I think? I think that my brain has been breaking for a long time. Maybe it's all the untreated concussions. Maybe it's all the mind alteration that some villains have put me through. Maybe it's just the fact that I've been running and fighting and saving the world since I was a hoglet. But my head has never been screwed on quite right. The Starfall Islands were just the point of no return. They told me using Cyber corruption would damage me, but I used it, anyway. I used it, and when it left me, it must have shattered something that cannot be fixed. The situation was definitely exacerbated by my friends leaving. Without them, I couldn't eat or sleep all that much, and well... Look where we are now. Not that I blame them, of course. I think we still would have ended up here at some point or another."

Sonic shuffles closer to Shadow. He soaks in the warmth of the other hedgehog. Shadow slips his paw from Sonic's grasp to set it on the side of Sonic's head, fingers sinking into the fur. Sonic smiles softly to himself at the undeniably kind act. "Why is it a train, I wonder? I was thinking about that for a while. Why a trip? Why a party? Why doesn't my brain just convince me that we want to kill ourselves? Why jump through all these hoops? I don't think I have it figured out, but trains represent freedom. Maybe that's the only way my brain could get me to go through with this. Give me exactly what I want. That is, of course, if my brain really is the issue. Maybe some supervillain did this to me. Maybe I got some parasite from the Starfall Islands. It would suck if that were the case."

Sonic yawns. He closes his eyes. He moves his arms back around his pillow. He sets his head directly in Shadow's lap, not awake enough to be surprised that Shadow allows this. "It doesn't matter what or who did this. I'm going to fix it. Or, well, I'm going to stop getting in my own way. I'm going to see a doctor or a therapist or something. I'm going to start eating and sleeping when I'm supposed to. I'm going to get better."

"You will not be alone," Shadow murmurs. Sonic smiles at the declaration as he finally falls asleep.

—

Sonic hovers in the doorway. One paw presses against the frame while the other one hangs limply at his side. He flexes his fingers. His quills droop to the ground. He takes a deep breath, feeling it rattle inside his lungs. The sunlight glows around his silhouette, splashing against his white gloves and blue fur. He feels the breeze brush against his back. The smell of disinfectant from inside the house mixes with the natural musk of the great outdoors. Sonic enjoys one infinitely more than the other, but that isn't the reason why he hesitates to step inside the house.

No, the reason is sitting at the dining room table. Even sitting in a chair (or perhaps because he's sitting in it and Sonic remembers what he used to look like in one of them), Tails looks a little taller. His fur is a shade or two darker. Even his eyes are a touch wiser, but that could be Sonic's subjective opinion. It could also be because of the solemn expression on his face or the fact that he's sitting in the darkness. His paws move papers and folders out of the way as soon as he finishes reading them. Sonic doesn't need to read the scribbled words on the cardboard box's surface to know what his younger brother is reading. It really doesn't take a genius when Tails' namesakes are swaying wildly behind him like orange flames.

Sonic's weight slides forward. He doesn't know if it's on purpose or not, but his shoes touch against the creaky plank in the mudroom. Tails' head whips upward. Sonic tries not to wince as he meets his brother's baby blue eyes. Tails freezes, his twin-tails going completely still behind him. Sonic finds himself in the same position. Neither of them speak. They only stare at each other. Sonic feels sheepishness overtake his expression as if he's embarrassed about something. Tails, in contrast, only looks sadder by the second.

Sonic closes the door behind him. He slips out of his shoes. Each movement is carefully observed by Tails. Sonic swallows thickly at the blatant attention. Tails has always given Sonic his full attention, but this feels different from all those other times. There isn't admiration or awe in his gaze, only concern and confusion. The one through-line, however, is the unfaltering love, and Sonic feels some comfort in knowing that Tails still loves his older brother despite learning that Sonic isn't as infallible as everyone hopes a hero will be.

When they sit in the dining room together, they usually sit across from each other. This time, Sonic purposefully pulls back the chair beside Tails. Sonic winces at the rough scratching noise as wood scrapes against wood. Sonic plops onto the seat. He doesn't pull it closer to the table. He turns to sit sideways, giving Tails his full attention. Tails moves his eyes to the papers held in his paws. He focuses on them, and Sonic focuses on Tails, and neither of them know how to start this conversation.

"Rouge was the one to call me. She told me there was something happening with you. Since she told me about it, I knew it was dire, but she wouldn't tell me anything else. She just said you would explain yourself," Tails starts, explaining why he's at the house when he should be on his adventure right now. Sonic feels a spike of guilt stab his stomach. All that work to make things easier for Tails, and he feels as if he's failed spectacularly in that regard. "I was waiting for you when I saw this box. Apparently, the Chaotix Detective Agency has been investigating something in our house. I wasn't going to look at it, but I was curious. I told myself to look at one paper. I... didn't stop there."

Tails gestures to the papers spreading across the table. His tails are moving around wildly once more, a direct consequence of trying to keep his voice so steady. Tails paws fall into his lap. He stares down at the edge of the table, though his eyes are glazed over. "What happened, Sonic?"

Tails turns his attention to Sonic. There are tears brimming in those baby blue eyes. Tails' voice shakes as he continues begging for answers. "Why did you— What were you thinking— Why didn't you tell me? What is going on, Sonic? Do you actually want to—"

When his brother's words fail him, Sonic finds that his own muscle memory does not. He reaches his arms forward to grab onto Tails. He pulls the kit into his lap. No matter how old he gets, Tails will always be Sonic's— his younger brother, the person he's meant to protect, an extension of his heart that walks freely in the world. Sonic settles his chin on top of Tails' head, letting the kit cry into his chest. Sonic keeps his arms around Tails through every hiccuping sob. He provides as much comfort as he can in this moment. It would be too easy to fade back into the memories of their youth when they sat in similar positions after Tails' had a nightmare or Sonic got injured, but Sonic anchors himself to this moment. In some ways, this is Tails' worst nightmare and Sonic's worst injury.

When Tails finally settles down, Sonic pulls away from. Sonic's own eyes have tears, but he doesn't let them fall. Sonic just puts his paws against the side of Tails' head. He holds his younger brother upright, making sure they never lose eye contact with each other. Tails' lips tremble. Sonic does his best to smile at his brother. His fingers move through Tails' fur, and finally, he finds a set of words that he prays to Gaia are right. "Do you remember when you made that scanner a few years ago? You wanted it to look for flickies or robots or something. Well, it was messed up, remember? It would only alert you about rocks because there was something wrong with it. But you fixed it. You made sure that it could find flickies when you sent it into the forest."

Tails nods in between Sonic's paws. Sonic's smile widens as he connects with his brother for a memory. The tears in his eyes are warmer now, though, the memory slashing through Sonic like a physical knife. "Well, my head is a lot like that right now. Other people see a cliff... or a knife... or a piece of paper that says I should kill myself. But I see a train. I see a train that comes and goes whenever it wants. I only know it's there because its horn is so loud. I thought I was holding a ticket. I thought I was going on a trip. And I really thought I was planning a party for everyone. I didn't realize what I was actually doing. But the others helped me see that something was wrong. That's the first step to solving problems, isn't it? Knowing that they exist. I'm going to get help, buddy. I'm going to figure out what is happening. I might not be able to fix it entirely, but trust me, I'm not going anywhere any time soon. You are stuck with me for at least another few decades. Your big brother isn't going to leave you behind so easily."

Tails pulls his head from Sonic's head. He drops it back onto his brother's chest, ignoring the wet spot he himself created. Sonic moves his arms around Tails' shoulders, keeping him in place. Tails' voice is quiet from exhaustion and tears. "It wouldn't be easier for me, you know? I don't care if you planned every detail of your funeral. It wouldn't be easy for me without you with me. I don't care about flowers or a clean house or even my adventure. I just want to know you're okay."

"I know, kiddo," Sonic whispers, meaning it even without having to consider it for a moment longer. He shifts slightly in the chair. He brings his heels to the edge of the seat. He keeps Tails secure between his thighs and chest. His wrists fold over another behind Tails' back. "Thank you for trying to understand. I know this is really scary for you. I didn't want to put this all on you, but... I also didn't want to lie to you. If you have any questions, I'll answer them as best I can."

"Will you stay with me today?" Tails asks, both his arms and tails wrapping around Sonic to keep the hedgehog close.

"Of course," Sonic promises. He has a feeling Tails is going to remain close to him for a while now. Sonic will figure out how to give Tails' his life back starting tomorrow. Today, he thinks they both deserve it. "I love you more than you will ever know, Tails."

"I think it's about as much as I love you," Tails wetly chuckles. He is on the verge of tears once more.

Sonic laughs and holds back his tears with him. "I definitely love you more."

As the brothers laugh and cry and argue, Sonic feels like maybe everything is going to be alright. Eventually, at least.