Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sonic thought there couldn't possibly be anywhere worse than the Labyrinth Zone on South Island, but that was before he knew about Aquatic Ruin Zone's entire existence.

"What's wrong?" Tails signed to him when they stopped at the edge of the sunken civilization.

Sonic bristled, chest puffed out as he donned his most affronted look. "Nothing," he signed back. "Who said anything was wrong?"

His gestures were too snappy, conveying a brusque tone that Tails heard loud and clear. His ears wilted and he grabbed onto one of his tails—a surefire sign he was done talking since his hands were otherwise occupied. Sonic tsked, jerking his head away; arms crossed and foot tapping restlessly as he glared at the greenish film on the water's surface. As if it was solely to blame for Tails's feelings getting hurt.

Which, in his defense, it kinda was. Sonic sighed and snapped his fingers in front of Tails for his attention. The kid jumped, eyes immediately drawn to his hands.

"Not the biggest fan," Sonic signed, jerking his thumb at the water. "No big deal."

Tails blinked up at him owlishly, then out at the sheer amount of water ahead of them. It went on for miles, no end in sight. Old stone buildings were scattered across the surface, but there was no telling how structurally sound they were until they stood on them; nor how deep the water went.

There was a small tug on his hand. Sonic's muzzle twitched as he looked back at Tails. The kid couldn't snap or whistle—not for lack of trying, he was a determined little guy—so his way of getting Sonic's attention was either by tugging on his hand or throwing something at him if he was too far away. He had some serious good aim, and a decent arm, too.

"I can fly you," Tails offered. "Over the drink."

Sonic couldn't fight the smile this time, brow creased fondly as he held up three fingers to make a W and tapped them to his chin twice. "Water."

Tails made a small gasp sound and nodded, quickly correcting himself and copied Sonic. "Water."

Sonic reached out and ruffled the fur between his ears. He really did luck out with this kid. Twin tails wagged happily as he smiled, and Sonic even got a giggle out of him as he gently chucked him under his chin with the back of his knuckles.

"Thanks, but I'm sure we can find another way across."

They didn't really have much of a choice. With two Chaos Emeralds in his possession, Sonic had felt a familiar pull towards this area. The path they'd taken led them deep into West Side Island's most expansive jungle, where they'd heard rumors of the elusive Aquatic Ruin Zone hidden away somewhere within the thick cover of trees, nestled between the hills and waterfalls. 

An entire civilization lost under mysterious circumstances, where new life grew out of its watery grave. Ancient trees that had taken root long before the flooding and kept growing stretched high into the sky to create a near impenetrable canopy of foliage. Of course the third Chaos Emerald was here. 

At least some buildings still towered well above the water, reaching high up into the thick canopy and aligned with hilltops and cliffsides. An assortment of old temples and monuments whose markings had been long eroded by the moisture in the air. Tails curiously poked around them in search of anything interesting while Sonic tested their integrity by using their remains as a makeshift staircase. As he hopped onto what might've been a corbelled roof line at one point, stone slabs stacked on top of each other precariously, he looked across the way and spied a few promising ledges within jumping distance. Seemed like a viable path to take them up and over the worst of the zone. 

A sudden whoosh of something flew through the air below him, followed by a dull thunk. Sonic leapt down from his perch and sped back to where he'd last seen Tails. He found the little guy hiding behind the broken base of a long-gone column. There was an arrow sticking out of it, still quivering as though it had just been shot. 

Arching a brow, Sonic went to pull it out, but Tails latched onto his arm and yanked him back just before another arrow sliced through the air where he'd been standing. Sonic held up one arm to keep Tails behind him as he crouched into a fighting stance, but there wasn't anything there. No ninja archer assassins or anything. Just another stone pillar. 

A pillar with a pair of flashing red lights and a portion of it sheathed in metal. 

Sonic and Tails exchanged glances, then crept over to it. They kept clear of the red flashing lights until they were right next to the pillar. Sure enough, Robotnik's disgusting mug was branded on the metal, each light standing in for one of his goggled eyes. Sonic waved his hand in front of the lights on purpose, fast enough to avoid having his palm impaled as an arrow immediately fired from a slot in the pillar. Rolling his eyes, Sonic jerked his thumb at the device as he looked to Tails. 

"Really? That's the best he's got?" He grinned when that got a small laugh out of the little guy.

Feeling bolder now that Sonic was with him, Tails moved to the back of the pillar, where the motion sensor couldn't detect him. He used his tails to lift himself up so he could get a better look at it. He tapped the metal, listened to the echo it made, then tapped on the part of the pillar that was still stone with a pensive frown. 

"This pillar is empty," Tails signed to him, and once Sonic realized what he meant he made a mental note to look up the sign for "hollow" next time they were in a library. "The arrows are inside it. This part is a…" Tails fumbled as he pointed at the metal contraption, frowning at his hands as he thought about how to say what he meant.

Sonic could sort of guess where he was going with this though. He mimed using a bow and arrow after making the sign for "trip," like he was tripping the motion sensor. Tails nodded and gave him a thumbs up. 

So the egghead hadn't even made his own trap this time. He'd just repurposed something that was already here. Sonic supposed he at least had to give him some points for recycling. Either that or he wasted a heck of a lot of time designing a column to make it look super old on purpose.

The point was, Robotnik had been here. Sonic had to admit, secret ruins hidden deep in the jungle didn't seem like a bad place to set up a secret base in theory, but the practicality of it when everything was overgrown in moss or worn away by water seemed less than ideal. At least by Robotnik's standards. The fact that there was still plenty of greenery and the air wasn't polluted by his toxic smog meant he must've drawn the same conclusion.

Or he knew there was a Chaos Emerald here and had banked on Sonic figuring that out, too. Hence the booby traps.

"When's he gonna learn it's gonna take more than this to slow me down?" Sonic sighed as he signed dramatically, then beckoned for Tails to follow him. "C'mon, Tails! I think I found our way across."

Together they scaled the columns until they reached the top of the old stone structures held together by overgrown moss and tree branches. Sonic's sneakers caught on the uneven surface he had to run on, but what was a little challenge to a speedy hedgehog? He took the opportunity to jump over divots in the ground, hopping from pillar to pillar with a bit of flair. Tails giddily flew after him, following the path Sonic carved out with his own little bounces. 

A broken, horizontal log bridged a gap between the ruins. Sonic leapt onto it and slid across, glancing back in time to see Tails duck into the hollowed out center like it was a tunnel. With a grin, Sonic ran across, but stopped at the very edge to lie in wait. It didn't take Tails long to poke his head out, looking straight ahead to see where Sonic had gone. He squeaked when Sonic nabbed him around the middle and dragged him into a noogie. Tails nipped at his arm and growled playfully as he kicked the air—a far cry from what the little guy would've done weeks ago when they'd first met.

Sonic let him go, sticking his tongue out at him before he darted ahead. With a huff, Tails sped after him. The chase was on.

The ruins were built up into the hills framed by waterfalls and rivers, all cascading down towards the body of water below. Some of them stood steeper than others. Sonic shrugged off the backpack that held all of his supplies and the Chaos Emeralds, securing it to his front instead so he could roll properly. He spindashed his way up to generate enough momentum and rocketed up the inclines. He used fallen pillars to bounce off of, like he was a hedgehog-sized pinball. Even though Tails could easily fly over the hills, the little guy had been working hard practicing his own spindashes. Lately whenever they stopped for the night, Tails would roll around the campsite trying to spindash rocks or pieces of broken badniks Sonic let him drag around with the hopes of getting to tinker with their remains. 

Tongue poking out of his mouth, Tails curled up into as tight a ball as he could and launched himself at the incline. He made it about a quarter of the way up before gravity worked against him and he rolled back the way he'd come, flopping onto his back as he uncurled. He sat up and huffed, sizing up the incline with a grumpy glare and twin tails flicking through the air while he calculated his next course of action.

Sonic sighed, tapping his foot as he waited for him at the top of the hill. Tails scurried over to a stone slab and pushed it until it was resting against a fallen pillar at a downward angle. Like a short slide. Sonic raised his brow as Tails flew into the air, positioning himself over the high point of the slab. He curled up and dropped, the speed of falling increased as he rolled down the makeshift slide and over the moss-covered ground. This time he easily rolled all the way up the hill, even getting some air at the end before bouncing on the ground with a small "oof!"

He didn't quite stick the landing, but he got points for improvising. Sonic clapped politely for him as he shook off the fall, then gestured for him to take a bow. Tails beamed and did so, hamming it up for their imaginary audience. Clicking his tongue, knowing exactly what he was doing, Sonic ruffled his fur. Tails batted at his hand, tails still wagging and only spinning faster as the sneaky little guy zipped ahead of Sonic.

Oh, now he was in for it.

Sonic raced ahead of him, running up along the narrow trim of a partial parthenon. He drop dashed down in front of Tails and rolled ahead. Little tails whirling faster, he tried his best to gain just a little bit more speed so he wouldn't lose too much ground. 

A column stood in Sonic's path, a good stepping stone to reach a higher ledge above them. Sonic jumped up onto it, taking a moment to strike a triumphant pose to taunt Tails. He'd earned it.

His ears flicked up as he heard something shift. The column wobbled beneath his feet. Sonic glanced down to make sure it was still stable enough to jump from, pausing just long enough for Tails to catch up. He launched himself up, likely intending to fly right over Sonic and the column. 

He miscalculated the clearance he'd needed.

Sonic saw him coming out of the corner of his eye. He jerked to attention, pivoting fast so that when Tails collided with him he didn't impale himself on his spines. He dropped the backpack in an attempt to catch the kid, but he crashed hard into his front and fell onto the top of the pillar.

It was enough for the whole thing to collapse beneath them. They fell down in a heap to the hard stone floor. His backpack cushioned his fall a little, but Sonic still grunted when Tails landed heavily on his stomach. Tails scrambled off him, ears lowered apologetically, but Sonic just waved him off. He got to his feet and dusted himself off as he looked around. 

They'd fallen off a ledge onto another level of the ruins. A long pathway with a slight slope stretched ahead of them, leveling out as it curved around a hill. Though he could hear a rushing waterfall somewhere nearby and felt a light mist to the air, there were no rivers or bodies of water in the immediate vicinity. He glanced back at where they'd come from. The collapsed pillar now closed them off from the path he'd originally wanted to take—as far from the water as possible. With a tsk, Sonic shrugged and adjusted his backpack back onto his shoulders. 

They were still in the clear. Forging ahead would be no problem.

Their footfalls echoed against the stone as they passed through the remains of a temple corridor, spying a few more of those columns bearing Robotnik's ugly mug. Tails was dragging his feet a little, and a glance back at him revealed droopy ears and a guilty glint in his eyes. Sonic paused and sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth. With a wave of his hand he beckoned Tails over, drawing his attention to one of the branded columns. Tails tilted his head, not sure what he was supposed to be looking at until Sonic's face contorted into an exaggerated parody of the mad doctor's grin. He covered his muzzle with both hands to muffle his giggles, then dropped them with a squeak when Sonic tickled his tummy instead.

"No fair!" Tails signed to him as he batted his hands away and made an attempt to retaliate.

Sonic just stuck his tongue out at him and zipped out of the kid's reach. 

Tails's cheeks fluffed up with a pout as Sonic wagged his finger with a wink. You're too slow! The gesture clearly communicated. They raced the rest of the way through the dilapidated corridor, Sonic purposefully setting off some of the arrows just to make it more of a challenge for himself as they passed through. Tails was little enough that as long as he didn't fly up into their path, the arrows would whoosh right over his head.

The corridor let them out onto a ledge that stretched under a massive waterfall; the mist from it clouding the air. The ground was spongy and perpetually damp, Sonic slipping on it when he tried to skid to a stop. Well, so much for racing. Water just had to take the fun out of everything. 

Sonic's ears perked up as he heard the squishing of Tails's sneakers on the mossy ground moving away from him. He was curious about the waterfall, getting a little too close to the edge for Sonic's comfort. He whistled sharply, waiting for Tails to turn before jerking his thumb towards the rocky wall. Tails trotted over, following Sonic's lead as they hugged the wall to keep from slipping and falling over the edge of the waterfall. 

The noise of it was so loud; rushing in between their ears and completely muffling the rest of the world beyond it. Neither of them heard the sounds of the drills.

Sonic moved to place his hand against the rock wall to steady himself, but it cracked before he even touched it. He hopped back just in time to avoid the sediment as it exploded outward, dust from the rocks getting in their eyes. Sonic blinked through it, a glint of metal all he needed to see. A grounder badnik had tunneled through the cliffside, its drills poised to strike.

But Sonic struck first. 

In a fluid motion, he shrugged the backpack off and shot himself forward, smashing into the badnik with a quick spindash. It fell apart easily, probably rusted from exposure to all the water around them. Sonic hit the damp ground, rolling faster as he struggled to regain traction before he lost control. Another grounder burst out from within the wall. This one didn't miss.

Its drill smacked Sonic, knocking him back through the air. He uncurled from the force of it, but still landed on his back; spines scraping through the moss and mud. He skidded all the way back to where he dropped the backpack, bumping into it with a grumpy huff. The mole-like badnik rolled towards him for another shot, but just like for Sonic, its treads couldn't gain enough traction to do so smoothly. Outside of its initial surprise attack, it didn't stand a chance of getting another hit in.

Brow furrowed, Sonic got back up. This time he held an arm straight up, smirk curving his muzzle when he felt Tails's hands grab onto his wrist. He lifted him up into the air and Sonic pointed straight ahead. Tails flew forward, giving Sonic the quick burst of speed he needed. He flung himself out of Tails's grip, sneaker colliding with the top of the grounder's head.

Gravity and inertia worked together to send the head right into its chest cavity. It collapsed in on itself, sparking dangerously as its processors failed and condensation collected on the metal exterior. Sonic landed behind it and opened the back panel to free the little picky inside, hands cradling the little guy carefully to make sure they didn't get shocked. The grounder unit started smoking, the electricity and misty air charging the particles around it. 

Sonic took a step back and felt Tails land somewhere behind him. He handed the picky off to him and nudged him back with his elbow, silently telling him to keep going. If there were more badniks lying in wait, it'd be better to get as far from this waterfall as possible. Sonic hopped over the grounder to nab the backpack, slinging it over one shoulder.

Another badnik smashed through the wall next to Tails. The little guy jumped back with a startled yip. But he held onto the picky protectively, spinning his tails to carry them both into the air. Sonic grabbed onto the strap of his backpack with both hands, grip tight as he leapt over the electrified badnik. He swung the backpack into the new grounder, knocking it off balance to fall uselessly to one side. The picky from that unit was also let loose, the little creature scampering away as soon as it was out of its cramped prison.

The ground beneath Sonic quaked. With more grounders tunneling through the center of the cliffside, the integrity of the ledge Sonic stood on was beginning to crumble. He sped across the rest of the ledge, Tails following overhead. 

Once they cleared the waterfall, the path split ahead of them. One sloped downward towards a shallow pool, while the other was only accessible by running straight up the side of a column to the rooftop above. Sonic sped up, eyes honing in on the column. He could make it. He'd run up completely vertical surfaces before.

But the ground was still too damp and his sneakers were slick with mud. Moss climbed up the side of the pillar where he planted his foot. It slipped out from under him, Sonic's legs pumping to propel him far enough up the side of the column that traction wouldn't matter. His arm shot forward, fingers clawing for a crevice to cling to, but he couldn't get a sure enough grip. He slid right back down the column and landed with a sad thump on his rear.

Tails flew down to land beside him, setting the picky he'd still been holding next to a small alcove for them to squeeze into and find safety. Then he looked to Sonic, still sitting on the damp ground, and offered his hand to carry him up the column instead. For a moment, Sonic just glowered at the too-big glove dangling in front of his face. It should've been easy enough for him to scale the column on his own. He shouldn't have needed any help for this. Especially not from some little kid.

Sonic winced. The thought came unbidden and was a little unfair. Tails was always eager to help and Sonic didn't mind giving him opportunities to, but it was one thing for Sonic to devise a way for Tails to help than to actually have no other choice but rely on him. He was Sonic the Hedgehog, after all.

But it would be easier to just let Tails fly him up…

Once they got to higher ground, away from all moisture in the air and soaked surfaces around them, things would be smooth sailing again. He'd find his footing and the third Chaos Emerald, and then they could get the heck out of this place. With a sigh, Sonic pushed himself onto his feet, wiggling his tail back and forth to flick the moss and mud off it. He held up both hands as he jumped up and Tails latched on.

It took a minute to really get going, Tails could only go so fast while dragging Sonic's dead weight beneath him. They were halfway up when Sonic's ears twitched. A buzzing sound whirred overhead. Both kids craned their necks back to look up. 

A swarm of whisp bots descended upon them from the tree canopy, little fly-like badniks with round, red eyes bugging out of their yellow heads. Tails wobbled in the air, backing away from them, so Sonic swung up and launched himself at one of the bots. It was like playing connect-the-dots as he bounced from one to another; but unlike with buzz bombers, the whisps weren't powered by flickies or other little animals, which meant Robotnik had the capacity to mass produce these little drones on a broader scale.

With each little bug Sonic took out, three more replaced it; dozens crawling out of the woodwork and buzzing around them. One attached itself to Sonic's arm, the metal blades of its mouthparts pierced his skin. Sonic dropped back down to the ground, eyes narrowing when Tails joined him. Little bite marks dotted the fox kit's own body and he hugged his tails close as he ran for cover. Right down the path towards the pool of water. 

No, not that way! Sonic hissed as he was nipped at again, dozens swarming him all at once. Eyeing the canopy and ledges overhead, there was no way he and Tails were going to be able to fly through the swarm without getting torn to pieces. It was no use.¹ Sonic batted several whisps away, then spindashed to break through a good chunk of them and rolled down the slope after Tails. The horde of robotic flies still right on his own tail.

Skidding to a stop at the edge of the water, Sonic held Tails back with one arm as he peered down into the pool. He could see the bottom. It was deep enough that it would cover their heads completely, but with a good jump, his head should've been able to breach the surface. And Tails could doggy-paddle his way up if he needed to; Sonic had seen him splash around in ponds before.

They had to lose the whisps, and the annoying drones wouldn't be able to get at them while they were underwater. If luck was on their side, they'd be able to shake them while crossing the pool to the other side, where a set of dilapidated stone steps would take them back up into the canopy. He just had to suck it up. Being submerged for a few seconds was easy. He could handle it. He was Sonic the Hedgehog. He wasn't going to let a shallow pool of water get the best of him.

Sucking in a deep breath, filling his lungs with the damp, jungle air, Sonic dove into the water and promptly sank to the bottom. As soon as his head was under, Sonic's face screwed up in a grimace as he fought back the instinct to surface immediately. He beat back the terror taking root in his chest with clenched fists, only opening eyes as he felt the water ripple around him. Tails floated down next to him, his arms and legs treading the water and keeping him semi-adrift in the murky pool. 

It didn't make any sense, but the terror ebbed a little knowing he wasn't alone. The dull hum of the whisps hovered overhead. Sonic and Tails looked up to see the swarm flit around directly above them, but not one dared to touch the water's surface. Whatever sensors they had for tracking the two of them had been disrupted, or the eggheaded doctor just hadn't bothered with making them waterproof.

In any case, step one was a success. Sonic beckoned for Tails to follow him as he started walking along the bottom of the pool, gaze fixed straight ahead. The second he saw the other end of the pool, he was making a run for it, no hesitation. At least as much as he could run with the resistance surrounding him, that is.

What Sonic had assumed was solid ground broke under his foot. He clamped his muzzle shut to keep from losing air in a panicked shout, eyes wide as the pool floor collapsed and took him down with it. He sank to another level of the temple, deeper under the water. His arms swung about wildly, attempting to paddle back up the way Tails could so easily, but still he sank like a rock until he touched down on a stone bridge. It, too, crumbled at the slightest pressure applied to it, the chunk he'd landed on dropping him to the very bottom of the aquatic ruins.

When he looked up, what little light he'd been able to see of the surface before had been blotted out by the cloudy water. His pulse beat faster, chest tight from holding his breath and from the crushing panic steadily mounting under his skin. Sonic swiveled about, eyes flicking through the murky depths for a way out. His heart lurched when something moved towards him in the dark, only somewhat soothed when he realized it was just Tails.

The little guy had swam down after him, eyes wide and wondering. What happened? Why didn't you swim back up? They seemed to be asking him. You're supposed to be a hero, what are you doing down here? 

Okay, so maybe the last part was his own projection fueled by the panic rushing through him. He was who knew however many meters underwater and couldn't swim. He would run out of air sooner than he could claw his way back out if he didn't find something to climb up and fast. 

Good thing he was the fastest thing alive.

Sonic pulled the backpack from his shoulders and held it out to Tails. It was a weight that would only slow him down more than the water already was. If the little guy could manage to swim it out of the water for him…

Tails caught on and obediently took hold of the backpack. Sonic's eyes widened as it dragged Tails down to the bottom, but he quickly adapted. Using his tails like a boat motor, he was able to use them to propel himself back up, kicking his legs hard to keep him from sinking again. 

Okay, the kid could manage. With one problem solved, Sonic jumped onto a fallen pillar, then onto a stoney ledge. If he could get back onto the bridge, maybe it would lead him to land. It stretched through the water in the same direction they'd been traveling, so as long as he kept going right, he'd eventually reach a point where he could surface. Eventually.

Tails didn't swim too far ahead, pausing occasionally to look back for Sonic as he climbed his way back to the top of the bridge. He eyed the missing chunk where he'd fallen through warily. Not trusting the structure to hold him this time, Sonic hopped his way across, trying to float over it as much as possible and barely letting his sneakers brush the stone surface before each jump. His chest burned, lungs desperate for air that wasn't there. He pushed past it, eyes fixated on the path ahead.

Something slammed into him from behind. Pain shot up his spine and his mouth opened on an outcry. Sonic snapped it shut immediately, but the damage had been done. He'd lost a precious amount of air, a small stream of bubbles trickling up and away from him. Taunting him. 

He was down to the wire at this point. Sonic whirled around in the water and kicked away the projectile that struck him, glaring into the expressionless face of a metal fish badnik. Chop chops were water-based drones very similar to the whisps, even down to their knife-like teeth ready to tear into his flesh. Sonic slammed his sneaker into the chop chop's face, cracking its case so it flooded and sank.

But it wasn't alone. Two more chop chops darted through the dark water like torpedoes honing in on him. Sonic swiveled back and found Tails frantically trying to outswim a third chop chop, doing his best to wield the backpack like a weapon just as Sonic had done before. But the canvas was too waterlogged, weighed down by all it had absorbed and Tails had nothing to brace himself against as he tried to fight back. 

Sonic lunged forward through the water, spinning to try and get to him faster. He slammed the heel of his shoe on the chop chop chasing his little buddy. Tails looked at him gratefully, but Sonic just snapped his wrist at him, shooing him forward. Go! Keep going! Don't stop! His gestures practically screamed his urgency. Tails nodded and swam ahead, ducking through an archway in an attempt to find another way to the surface.

Sonic trailed after him, pushing himself up onto more collapsed pillars stacked like stairs. Just keep going up. Just keep going up. His foot slipped and he stumbled onto a stone platform, shoulder clipping a pillar that was lucky enough to still be standing.

Though knocking into it certainly fixed that.

The pillar fell towards him, Sonic scrambling to get clear of it. He made it with plenty of room to spare, but the pillar wasn't done with him yet. It struck the platform and a series of tremors shook the ruins. More pillars and decaying walls wobbled and fell, crashing down around him. Sonic ducked and hopped over them as they attempted to cut off his escape or crush him beneath their jagged edges. He could barely see the shape of Tails ahead of him in the water, forcing himself to keep going despite the mounting pressure in his head.

The water was compressing him, crushing him from the inside out. Get out. Get out. Get out. Sonic's thoughts were racing, faster than even he could keep up with as they narrowed down to the most basic survival instincts. Reflex and muscle memory took over as he dodged the pillars and pieces of crumbling ceilings threatening to crush him. Air. Air. Need air. Go.

Ahead of him, Tails paused. Sonic didn't have the time or bandwidth to wonder why. It was only for a second though. The little guy suddenly swam straight up and vanished from sight. Sonic slid under a pillar and hopped over another gap in the structure he was running across. 

Dread swept over him as he realized why Tails had stopped before.

It was a dead end.

A solid stone wall blocked the path. There was no way around it. No no no no no no. Sonic needed to breathe. He needed to get out. He couldn't be trapped. 

The static in his head dialed up to eleven as horror held fast to his heart in its claws. It worked as hard as it could to beat against its grip, but it was smothering him. He was going to die down here.

But Tails had gone up.

Sonic snapped his gaze up, eyes widening in realization. He was at the bottom of a pit. A well, maybe, or a chimney or a mine shaft. Something that tunneled down; down into the depths where the only way out was straight up. Sonic clawed at the stone that formed the walls of the underwater pit. If he could find purchase, he could climb. He could do it. He had to. He had to get out. 

His fingers slipped on the smooth surface, nothing to grip, nothing to use to pull himself up and out. His vision was getting darker; the already murky water clouding all his senses. Water filled his nose, his ears, it was trying to trickle into his lungs and claim all of him for itself. Sonic kicked frantically as he jumped up again and again, arms outstretched even though the surface was so far, far out of reach. 

He had to get out.

Sonic twisted in the water, head listing to one side as he looked back at the way he came. Another way out. There had to be. He could still…

His movements were sluggish now, his feet dragging against the stone. His arms struggled to pull his body forward, growing heavier and harder to move. His own hands disappeared from sight as the dark spots mottled his vision, but still he used them to grapple against the stone. Sonic didn't need to see. As long as he was still moving, then he was still fighting. He'd never stop fighting.

Jerking to an abrupt stop, the pain in his ankle didn't register right away. Sonic looked down even if he more felt than saw what had happened. His ankle had slipped, gotten pinned between the pieces of a broken pillar. He was stuck. Sonic tried to tug his leg loose, the heel of his free foot scraping against the stone to force it away. Small chunks of the pillar rolled away until his ankle slipped free.

Free. Sonic smiled to himself as he stumbled. A small burst of elation lit him up from the inside and lingered. It was a relief to finally feel something other than fear. 

Craning his neck back, Sonic only saw darkness above him. Still, something whispered to him to go up. To meet the yawning dark waiting to swallow him. It should've been terrifying.

Sonic tried.

His limbs were still leaden, dragging him back down, but they drifted as an eerie calm snaked its way through him. His body went lax. The panic finally drowned out by a warm, fuzzy sensation that took hold of his brain. He felt… slow.

Was this what the rest of the world felt like? Sonic could feel his heart shuddering in his chest as each beat was drawn out longer and longer. The burning in his lungs was gone, that fuzzy, weighted blanket feeling enveloping him with warmth. He'd been so scared just seconds ago; his brain buzzing with so much noise before and now it was quiet. 

He didn't mind the quiet. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this calm. It was nice.

Sonic's eyelids were as heavy as the rest of him. It was so dark down here anyway, it wouldn't matter if he closed his eyes. If he rested for a minute. Only for a minute…

The last bubbles of air slipped from his mouth, rising towards the surface, and what remained of Sonic's consciousness floated away with them. 

Until it sparked in his brain like a frayed live wire.

Pain pierced his chest like dozens of spikes driven right into his nerves. A weight forced itself into his ribs, squeezing his heart like it was trying to wring out all the water that was inside him, but it had nowhere to go. 

"Sonic!" His name sounded muffled, which made sense if he was underwater. "Sonic, you gotta wake up! Please!" The pitch was high and frantic; his ears ringing with it and his chest hurt as the rhythm pounding into his rib cage rattled his brain and sloshed the water around in his stomach. "Sonic!"

His whole body heaved. Water burst from his mouth and he choked on it. Panic seized hold of his brain once again, limbs jerking as he coughed and coughed. He was rolled onto his side, cheek pressed against solid stone as he threw up the rest of the water. Fresh air burned on its way back down his throat and he gagged on it. Everything stung. His eyes and nose and throat and ears were all burning, so much feeling slamming into him all at once.

Something smacked him on the back and he coughed up more water. His chest rattled on his next breath, air finally finding space in his lungs. Sonic coughed again, forcing his eyes open and instantly regretting it as the world tilted around him dizzyingly. He hadn't made himself sick from his own speed since he'd been four or five, but this was more like the reverse. The world was moving too fast around him and he was lying too still. 

He didn't remember lying down. He only remembered drifting. Sonic shuddered hard and slapped one paw against the ground to make sure it was still there. Solid rock, right. Cool to the touch and just as wet as he was, but firm and didn't give out from under him. Didn't drag him down into the dark. 

Shivering, Sonic tried to push himself up with minimal success. His gloves were too squishy and too waterlogged to find purchase against the slick stone. His arms shook under his own weight.

It didn't matter anyway; he was immediately knocked flat on his back by a soaked and shaking lump of wet fur. It clung to him, coiled around his torso and draped over his legs. And the sounds it made… His ears were still ringing, so it took him a minute to distinguish that from the heart-rending sobs that echoed off the stone ruins around him.

But once he did, he forced his eyes to focus on the dripping orange fur attached to his chest. Tails looked at him, big blue eyes just as wet as their fur. Tears hardly made a difference as they tracked through the stringy white fluff of his cheeks. 

"Sonic," he blubbered, claws pricking him through his gloves as he clung tighter. "Sonic!"

Sonic didn't remember telling his hand to settle against Tails's back, but somehow it found its way there and rubbed between his shoulder blades. I'm here, he said without words. The little fox buried his face in the crook of his neck, his nose wet and cold, but then so was the rest of them, so he supposed it didn't really matter.

"Sonic," Tails mumbled against his shoulder, his crying quieting with each rise and fall of Sonic's chest. 

It took him an embarrassingly long amount of time to realize Tails was actually talking— that it was his voice making his ears twitch—but he had just nearly drowned, so he supposed he should cut himself some slack. That the poor kid was saying his name through his tears made Sonic squirm uncomfortably; the sensation enough to clear out more of the water sloshing around in his brain. Something he could focus on instead of the unsettling fact that just minutes before he'd been trapped at the bottom of the sunken city.

Bracing his free hand against the paved ground, Sonic pushed himself up again while keeping one arm banded around Tails. It took him a couple tries, mouth trembling and jaw locked, but he managed to whistle two quick notes. Tails sat back with a sniffle. He stayed put on Sonic's lap, but at least let up his death grip on him. He scrubbed at his eyes with his soaked gloves, doing nothing but smearing the dampness all over his face.

It was such a messy, little kid thing to do. Fondness forced its way into his chest as Sonic looked him over and let him take a second to collect himself. Tails hiccupped, eyes a little less wet, but the worry that shone in them went deeper than the water they'd just been under—and would just as easily drown him. Sonic's fingers pressed harder against the ground and he took another raspy breath.

"Are you hurt?" Tails signed to him clumsily.

His head was throbbing as his heart beat too hard. His breathing ragged and his chest ached from when Tails had been trying to force the water out of him. But Sonic's muzzle twisted in a wry smile and he held his fingers up in the sign to convey he was a-okay. 

As far as he was concerned, he was. Pounding or not, his heart was still beating. Raspy or not, he was still breathing. Sonic the Hedgehog had been dragged out of the water still alive and kicking.

All thanks to the little guy dripping all over his lap. 

"You know CPR?" Sonic asked, spelling out the acronym with his fingers.

Tails sniffled again and nodded; Sonic relieved to see a sliver of the kid's natural sass shimmer in his eyes as he shot him a look like it was obvious. Clearly every three or four-year-old knew CPR, duh.

Sonic chucked him under the chin for that, surprised when Tails leaned into the touch instead of away. His fingers curled around Sonic's wrist, keeping his hand in place as he nuzzled his cheek into the heel of his hand. Sonic stiffened and didn't release the fist he'd made. His own claws started digging into his own palm as it tightened, unclenching only when Tails let him go.

"You good?" Sonic asked once his hand was free and gave him a onceover. Aside from being wet and clingy like their socks on laundry day, he seemed to look alright.

But Tails teared up again and shook his head. 

Sonic frowned and pushed himself to sit up straighter so he could check on him properly. He'd already been bitten by some of the whisps, had a chop chop also gotten him while they were down there? Tails stilled him with a hand on his chest. He fumbled with signs Sonic couldn't quite read, the little guy's fingers still trembling too much. Tails huffed with frustration when he couldn't manage it, then batted Sonic away again when he gave into his impatience and started parting his fur to check for any more injuries.

"You wouldn't wake up," Tails said out loud instead, his voice soft, but steady and sure and stopped Sonic in his tracks. "I couldn't feel your heartbeat and you weren't breathing even after I pulled you out of the water and that's… when you stop breathing and your heart doesn't beat anymore that means—" His breath hitched and he pressed against Sonic's chest to reassure himself that everything was in working order, like it was supposed to be. "You wouldn't wake up," he mumbled, voice cracking. "The chest compressors weren't working and I didn't know what else to do."

Sonic stared at him. That was so much more than just broken sobs of his name. Like his words had just barely been bottled up this whole time like a shaken soda, ready to burst with one single twist. 

"You can talk?" Sonic signed, still stuck in a stupor—no thanks to his waterlogged brain—but even if his thoughts had been a little clearer, he'd still have jumped at the chance to focus on anything other than how the kid felt being confronted with his possible death.

Tails pulled back and quieted again as he nodded. When Sonic continued to stare at him expectantly, he quickly caught on that he wanted more of an answer than that. "Uh-huh. I've known how to talk since, um… for a long time."

"Then why didn't you ever say anything?" Sonic fumbled through his own signs, but Tails read him easily enough. 

"Well, 'cuz you didn't say anything," Tails said matter-of-factly, like it was the simplest reason. "I didn't know it was allowed."

Sonic tensed. Allowed. If there was one thing he didn't miss, it was being told what he was allowed to do or not do. He held up one finger, making sure the little fox in his lap saw how serious he was. And that he seriously didn't like having to be serious, but this was important.

"You're free to talk if you want to," Sonic signed to him, slowing down just enough to make sure he recognized each motion. "Don't let anyone take your voice. Especially not me. If you want to talk, talk."

Tails cocked his head to one side, leaving Sonic to momentarily wonder what he'd lost in translation, before speaking up. "It's okay. I don't think you took my voice. You hear me better than anyone else does, even when I don't say anything."

Sonic's hands faltered, speechless and motionless as he let that sink in. It felt… too big. Just like the conversation he was trying to avoid—it was all more than he'd bargained for when he decided to let Tails tag along. 

All he did was keep an eye on the little guy. Listening was just sort of part of that. Making sure they understood one another was part of that. Figuring out what the heck this confusing kid wanted from him when he wouldn't say was part of that. 

Tails deserved to be heard as much as anyone else.

When Sonic didn't say anything, Tails started to squirm. "I can talk more if that makes you feel better," he hastily tacked on. "If that's what you want."

Sonic rubbed his palm over his face, the wet material of the glove making him grimace just as much as Tails misunderstanding him did. Jeez, this kid…

"Do whatever you feel like doing," Sonic told him. "It's your life. You gotta live it the way you want. That's what matters. Understand?"

Some days, in the months and years to come, those words would come back to bite him bearing teeth sharper than any whisp or chop chop. Days when Tails would be comfortable enough to challenge him on things like bedtime or combing his fur regularly to keep it from matting. Days when doing what he wanted put him in harm's way or had the potential to harm someone else.

Days when what he wanted was to go it alone; escape his shadow and avoid talking to him for months in the hopes it would help him grow up faster. Outgrow him.

But even though the bite would sting, Sonic would never once regret it. Like with every obstacle or unexpected blow, he'd bounce back, ready to go for round two or ten or ten thousand. Whatever it took. 

It was just as important to say to a ten-year-old Tails, who carried his failures closer than his triumphs and bore the weight of them on his shoulders alone, as it was to a Tails who was four—whose biggest problems were thunderstorms, remembering to brush his teeth before bed, and making a fuss every time he had to wear a coat. 

The little fox on his lap absorbed the words and their intended meaning like the information sponge he was and nodded. Then he shifted, wriggling closer until he tucked himself against Sonic, cheek pressed over the steady rhythm of his heart. His fingers clutched at fistfuls of his fur as he settled there, bumping the top of his head just under Sonic's chin. A quiet, barely there purr filled his chest. 

Stunned, stiff, and still dripping wet, Sonic could only sit there for a couple of beats and failed to make the connection.

Eventually Tails was satisfied enough to climb off his lap. He offered up a smile, whatever worries that had plagued him before assuaged for the time being. Then he scampered over to where he'd left Sonic's backpack to fetch both of their towels so they could dry off properly. 

Sonic shook off the stupor along with the water clinging to his quills and the reminder that he'd almost been lost to it. He glanced over at the deceptively deep pool he'd been pulled from, holding in a shudder as his distorted reflection stared back. Like some part of him had been left behind at the bottom after all.

You wouldn't wake up.

"Sonic?"

Tails was watching him carefully; towel in hand, held out and waiting for him to take it. Sonic rubbed at his nose and flashed him a tried and true grin. Kid already had to deal with dragging him out of the water, forced to perform chest compressions while he wondered if his only friend in the world would ever wake up again. He didn't need to worry about anything else.

So Sonic took the towel and thanked him by shaking out his quills again to get the little guy to laugh and hide from the spray, even if he was already soaked through. Like a little more water was gonna hurt him.

There was a sinking feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with drowning.

It was entirely possible—far too likely at this point—that the third Chaos Emerald was somewhere beneath him.

Sonic launched himself into a roll and shot across a ledge onto a pillar of what had once been a parthenon. Dozens of columns supporting thick friezes that would serve as the bridge Sonic needed to cross over more waterfalls and rivers on their steady course through the ruins. He kept up his momentum to clear a gap between the columns, not stopping as he hopped from one to the next, the spaces between them growing ever wider.

He'd been combing through Aquatic Ruin Zone for several days now with zero luck in tracking that third emerald down and he was getting restless. It might've been a bit more bearable if they'd been able to locate one of Robotnik's bases—like they had with the chemical plant—where taking out a key part of the doctor's whole operation would have at least given them something to do, but the Aquatic Ruin Zone couldn't even give him that. 

Despite the traps and badnik patrols, it quickly became clear that they were solely there for surveillance and retrieval. The whisps were tracking and monitoring Sonic's activity; while the grounders searched on land for where the Chaos Emerald might be hidden away, leaving the chop chops to search the sunken remains. The hijacked traps were just a bonus.

Robotnik was likely hundreds of miles away; somewhere dry and comfortable as he terrorized some remote village or plundered more of the island's precious resources to power his factories.

And Sonic was here. Clinging to the canopy and the rooftops of the ruins like a coward. Like he was some frightened kid clinging to a security blanket in order to feel safe.

Like how Tails had suddenly started clinging to him.

Sonic's brow furrowed as he leapt over another gap, his speed enough for him to clear it with ease. He kept running. Maybe if he ran fast enough all the pent up agitation would get left behind somewhere. 

Maybe Tails would get left behind somewhere, too.

Sonic stumbled on his next jump and swore as a piece of the column he'd landed on broke away. Not enough to make him fall or for it to crumble completely, but it was reminder all the same that one wrong move would send him back down into the water. Glowering down into the depths of the jungle, he held fast to the lid he'd fastened over the memory of the water's weight clinging to him, holding him in place and smothering him.

Just like—

With a frustrated huff, Sonic shoved the unfair thought away. It wasn't the kid's fault. Sonic just didn't know what to do with him. 

In the days that followed his near-drowning, Tails stuck to him closer than normal. Seriously, the kid was stickier than a maple syrup bottle on "kids eat free" pancake days at whatever local diner he happened to be passing by; practically plastered to his side whenever Sonic stopped running. He'd nearly tripped on the kid a dozen times in one day just from him being underfoot. He couldn't go five steps without Tails being right there on his heel like a second shadow. 

Sonic might as well have been at the bottom of the ruins with no air; it was suffocating.

It wasn't like he didn't get it to some degree. Clearly their run-in with the underwater ruins had spooked Tails, and Sonic didn't blame him. Close calls were part of the job, but they'd yet to have been in a situation where Sonic couldn't get them out of any trouble with little more than some fast thinking and fancy footwork. 

Even when they'd been in Chemical Plant Zone, dropped in a vat of disgusting pink liquid, Sonic had led the way up and out by way of the ever shifting sedimentation and filtration system. He hadn't liked it, his whole body tense and tightly coiled as he raced against his lung capacity, but he'd handled it like he handled any obstacle in his path. He took it in stride and didn't let it stop him.

He wasn't supposed to let anything stop him; what could possibly stop the fastest thing alive?

A few hundred gallons of water, apparently.

Except that hadn't stopped him. He'd lived to run another day. As far as Sonic was concerned, his near brush with death could be chucked out the window with the baby and the bathwater—especially the bathwater… and yeah, the baby, too—out of his hands and forgotten. There was no use dwelling on it when all it did was make his knees buckle as the worst moments played in his head on loop. He didn't need the constant reminder hovering over his head like a whisp or a buzz bomber.

Or one two-tailed fox kit.

It just wasn't like him. Now he didn't hesitate to grab onto Sonic's hand for more than just a tug for attention. He dragged his camping blanket closer, not as close as when they'd needed to huddle together through the worst of winter, but closer than Sonic was used to with the weather so mild. He'd even started reaching for a bedtime hug like Sonic was his freaking parent. Sonic didn't know what to do with that. He'd never experienced that kind of need as a kid. The only time he'd ever witnessed something like it was back on Christmas Island, when little Ray would look to Mighty like he was his whole world...

Sonic shoved that thought away, too. He wasn't looking for anything like that. Sure, they played around more now and Tails had definitely warmed up to him considerably in the time since their first meeting, but that hadn't meant the kid was suddenly wanting to hold hands or hug. That just wasn't Sonic's style, and he'd assumed it wasn't his little buddy's, too. 

Apparently he didn't know him as well as he'd thought. 

Heck, he hadn't even known he knew how to talk, and that was a whole other thing to get used to.

"Wait up, Sonic!" Tails's little voice called out to him.

Sonic skidded to a stop and sighed, rolling his eyes skyward for a second before he turned around. Foot tapping and arms crossed, he squinted through the mist of a nearby waterfall in search of Tails. Still a considerable ways back, the little fox spun his tails as fast as he could, panting from the exertion but refusing to give up. He slowed down as he reached the edge of the broken frieze Sonic had just cleared, pausing to catch his breath. Gauging the distance between himself and the ledge Sonic was perched on, worry flickered on his face. His tails laid limp on the ground behind him.

When he didn't move, Sonic jabbed his finger at the watch on his wrist pointedly, still tapping his foot. You're too slow. Mouth twisting to one side, Tails clenched his fists and spun his tails as hard as he could. He hovered a few wobbly inches above the ledge, then dropped back onto the flats of his feet with an unsteady stumble.

"Too far," he signed, pointing at the gap.

No way. Sonic clicked his tongue and frowned. He'd definitely seen Tails clear gaps like this with ease before. Of course he could make it. He was just being a baby about it, like he'd been about everything for the past couple days. Sonic made a beckoning motion for him to hurry up, Tails's shoulder hunching up meekly in response.

He shook his head, rocking back on his heels as he latched onto one of his tails. "I can't," Tails spoke up hesitantly. "I'm too tired, Sonic. I can't make it."

Not with that attitude. This time he rolled his eyes hard enough to make sure Tails saw, then signed to him, "You can do anything, you just gotta decide you're gonna do it and go for it."

Tails still looked uncertain, but he'd at least let go of his tail. Sonic hoped it was because he was gonna give it another shot. Seriously, if this kid was just trying to get him to go back over there as an excuse to be carried, he was going to eat his shoe.

Tails inched his way closer to the edge of the platform, peering down into the jungle below. There was a hill several feet down, where the waterfall beside them filled a river that continued to weave through the ruins. Taking a deep enough breath to puff up his chest, Tails lifted his head and tried spinning his tails again.

Rising off the platform, he closed his eyes and started flying forward. Without the safety of the roof to land on if he faltered, Tails pushed himself to keep going, to make it the rest of the way across. He started losing altitude halfway, listing to one side, and his eyes snapped open in a panic.

Shit, maybe the kid really was too tired.

Just as he dropped below the building's edge, Tails shot back up with a desperate burst of energy. It was almost enough to get him the rest of the way. Only one foot landed on the ledge, but his tails had already given out. Tails teetered back and forth, arms flailing in the air as he fought for balance.

Sonic reached out to pull him the rest of the way, but his fingers closed around a fistful of air. The chunk of stone Tails stood on broke away from the rest of the roof and he fell from sight with a yelp. Eyes wide, Sonic rushed to the edge, breath caught in his chest. Tails tried to curl up to cushion his fall, landing on the grassy hill with a slight bounce before rolling quickly down the slope, unable to stop himself.

Revving up, Sonic dashed down after him. He also broke his fall by balling himself up, but instead of holding it, he immediately bounced to his feet and hurried to catch him before he tumbled into the river. Yeah, the kid could swim, but there was a difference between swimming in a pretty stagnant lake and against the current of a river.

Crack. Dirt exploded in Sonic's face, blinding him as it burst out from the hillside. His ears caught the whirring of drills right in front of him, so he instinctively dropped into a slide, just missing the sharp point of a grounder's drill bit aimed for his chest. Sonic rolled into a spindash, bounced up and over the badnik as its second drill bit drove itself into the ground. Too slow.

Sonic landed behind it and uncurled, gleefully breaking open the back compartment of the badnik with a well-aimed kick. A dazed pocky scurried out and Sonic waved to it before using the toe of his sneaker to push the metal prison right into the river. Dusting his hands of that, he crouched down to resume his race after Tails—

Except he didn't see him. Sonic blinked, straightening up, like he just wasn't at the right vantage point despite being on a slope. Tails was gone.

Sonic hadn't heard a splash. Though the grounder did make a lot of noise with its drills, there was definitely a chance Sonic just hadn't heard…

He zipped down to where the river curved around the hill, gaze quickly darting all around for any sign of the kid. Sonic whistled, listened hard, but there was nothing but the rushing of the river and the waterfalls. Pulse quickening, Sonic whistled again, just in case Tails just hadn't heard him.

The kid didn't answer.

Sonic was alone.

Even though Tails had been practicing his hedgehog roll really hard, it still hurt a lot when he first hit the grassy mound. He tumbled head over tails down the slope, the world spinning in a dizzying blur of greens and grays. He stayed tucked in on himself as he rolled, waiting for the ground to level out so he could slow down.

He found the river first.

The ground gave way and water rushed into his ears and nose, the current immediately carrying him away. Tails uncurled, pawing through the water to try and find the surface. His head popped up with a gasp. He swallowed as much air as he could before he was dragged down again. Kicking frantically, he clawed his way back up.

The world around him blurred. Blinking the water out of his eyes, he quickly scanned his surroundings for something to grab onto. Anything to slow him down so he could pull himself out. But he was being carried away too fast; the river rushing towards another waterfall. Tails sucked in another breath and curled up again, bracing himself as he went over. The drop was quick, but the force of the waterfall pushed him down to the rocky bottom of a basin. His fingers slipped over hundreds of tiny pebbles and chunks of stone as he scrambled to get far enough away.

Another current tugged at him, pulling him through an underwater cavern. He clamped his muzzle shut, trying not to think about how his chest burned or how much he wanted to open his mouth for a single breath. Trying not to think about Sonic, limp and unresponsive, the blue of his quills blending in with the water around him and Tails almost didn't see him when he'd gone back down for him. 

He could've missed him.

He could've never seen Sonic ever again.

The cavern spit him out in another vein of the river. This one far gentler as it carried him along. Tails swam straight up until he breached the surface and tried not to swallow too much of the algae-infested water when it sloshed into his mouth.

He paddled to the closest riverbank. Tails dragged himself up and out—so much easier when he wasn't dragging Sonic, scared because he wasn't moving at all and Sonic was always moving, pushing him up over the stone ledge first because he had to get him out, Sonic didn't like the water, even if he said it was no big deal, it was a big deal—panting as he flopped against the grass. Lying there for a few steadying breaths, he opened his eyes to figure out where he'd ended up. 

This river was wider and calmer than the one he'd fallen into, flowing further into the jungle as it diverged into three narrower streams, broken up by crumbled stone buildings. Ahead of him, the jungle grew all around and through the centers of shattered stone dwellings. The road that once weaved through them lost to the plants and trees long ago. 

Tails sat up and shook the water from his fur. It didn't dry him completely, but at least it stopped most of the dripping. He peered up at the tree canopy, brow furrowing as he tried to trace where he'd fallen from. He'd gotten turned around in the river—not quite sure which direction he'd gone in. He and Sonic had been heading northeast, but the river had curved several times before depositing him here. The trees blocked out most of the sun, so he couldn't use that to pinpoint his position either.

Spinning his tails to flick the water weight off them, he dried them quick enough so he could use them to fly up into one of the trees for a better view. They ached from how much he'd been using them. The speeds Sonic had been going at were faster than usual and the amount of gaps he had to fly over took a lot out of him. 

They hadn't even stopped for lunch yet and his tummy kept growling at him, but Sonic was in a bad mood and he didn't want to bother him.

He had a feeling he was already bothering him enough anyway; he didn't want to give Sonic more reason to be mad at him.

Perched on a branch, Tails looked over the sunken ruins and through the gaps in the trees. "Sonic?" he called out hesitantly, voice far too quiet to carry, so he sucked in a deep breath and tried again. "Sonic!"

High squawks filled the air around him as a flock of flickies burst from the trees. Spooked, they scattered in all directions, their wings beating around him frantically. Tails wobbled and slipped from the tree, but caught himself by hovering before he hit the ground. Landing gently, he watched and listened as the flickies disappeared higher into the canopy.

Tails was alone.

He swallowed as he looked around. Grabbing onto one of his tails, he hugged it close and wrung it between his hands. It was okay, he thought to himself. It would all be okay; he'd been left on his own before.

It didn't feel as reassuring as he'd hoped it would.

Normally when he was left alone, it was on purpose. Sonic would give him his watch and ask him to look after it until he got back from wherever it was he was heading. But neither of them had expected this.

Sonic didn't know where to come and find him.

"Sonic?" Tails called out again, taking a few squishy steps towards the collapsed stone archway barricading the part of the river he'd come out. "Sonic! I'm over here!"

Tails listened hard for the sound of the wind whipping through the trees behind Sonic, howling through the gaps in the stone ruins, but there wasn't even a whistle.

What if he wasn't looking for him?

His ears wilted as the thought whispered to him. It wouldn't be the first time someone didn't bother looking for him because they were mad at him. And Sonic had been pretty mad.

Tails didn't know what he'd done wrong, but whatever it was, he was sorry about it. He thought maybe it was because he'd left Sonic behind in the water, even though it was what he told him to do. Friends weren't supposed to leave friends behind. Even though the backpack was heavy and made it hard to swim, Tails should've stayed with Sonic and helped him. He should've done more.

So he was trying his best now to be there for him. If Sonic slipped or if the ruins broke underneath him, this time Tails would be right there to catch him. He promised himself he would.

But maybe it still wasn't good enough, if Sonic was still mad at him and trying to get away from him—and not like when they'd race or play around. Sonic didn't want to play with him at all. Tails knew he was still pretty new to playing with other people, he didn't always know when it was the right time to initiate a game. He'd sit and observe Sonic at their campsites, cataloging each of his mannerisms to better understand him, waiting and wondering when the right time to approach him would be. How to approach him. How to simply ask "will you play with me?"

Because what if Sonic said no?

Sonic never seemed to second guess his attempts to play with Tails. He didn't hesitate to pull him in for a noogie or to sneak a tickle attack in or to goad him into a race or two, even after getting bitten or scratched on accident. It didn't hold him back when he knew Tails was willing to try. Nothing held him back.

The image of Sonic tapping his foot and glaring at him across the ledge flashed in his memory, impatience radiating off him so much Tails could feel the heat of it warm his face with shame. Well, nothing except Tails himself.

Do whatever you feel like doing.

Tails was trying. He was trying really hard.

He wanted to show Sonic how much he meant to him. He didn't think he'd been doing a very good job of that before. He didn't want Sonic to go away not knowing how much Tails would miss him if he was gone.

Sniffling, Tails wiped at his nose with the back of his glove. He looked back up to the ruins stacked atop each other ahead of him. With a deep breath, he kicked out one foot to stretch his leg, then the other. Chest puffed up and eyes on the sky, Tails hopped up onto the next ledge, then the one above that.

He'd keep trying. He'd get back to Sonic so he wouldn't have to keep him waiting. He'd get back to him so he could be there if he fell and needed him. He wasn't gonna let Sonic down ever, ever again and he'd prove it to him.

He'd do whatever he had to. 

Daylight faded fast. The thick canopy of trees were already drowning the ruins below in dusky shadows. Slivers of a red-orange sunset cut across the stone parapets Sonic launched himself from.

Sonic wasn't one to worry, it wasn't his style, but even he knew a tired four-year-old stranded in flooded ruins crawling with badniks and laced with booby traps was bad news. No matter how clever he was. Shit, shit, shit. 

He sped through an archway, running up and along the underside of it to get to higher ground. His brain rapidly cataloged the colors and textures of the jungle from his vantage point, then moved on just as fast as he dropped down and raced to the next. A pool of water stretched out ahead of him, broken columns protruding from the surface like stepping stones. He hopped across them without stopping to hesitate, not looking back to see as they each started to sink the moment he'd landed on them.

Tails wasn't down on this level. He'd already checked where all the waterfalls and rivers let out, but there was no sign of him. He must've tried to find a way back up into the canopy, up to the rooftops where he'd last seen Sonic. That made sense. That was what had to have happened.

It was the only thing he could accept, or else wonder if the flooded city beneath him had a new occupant for all eternity...

Sonic darted up ledges and collapsed pillars, not giving any of them a chance to fall out from under his feet as he scaled the ruins. Tails could fly. Tails liked to go high up to hide. He'd find him up there. Sonic zipped by several whisps and went undetected, too fast for them to properly lock on as he fixated on getting back up to where he'd been when Tails had fallen.

He shouldn't have gotten so annoyed. He shouldn't have sped up on purpose. He shouldn't have tried to leave him behind. 

Guilt struck him harder than Robotnik's stupid Egg Smasher or whatever it was called. He hadn't actually wanted to lose the kid, just get some space. Tails had been acting like Sonic was going to drop dead any second right in front of him and that just wasn't any way to live. There was no use thinking about what-ifs or what-could-have-beens because you couldn't do anything about it. All you could do was keep your eyes straight ahead and move forward. Always forward.

If he didn't find Tails, he was just gonna have to suck it up and move forward—

A column collapsed under his weight as he leapt onto it, too distracted to avoid face-planting into the hard stone floor. He didn't get up right away. The pieces of the pillar clattered around him, their echoes slowly fading around him. Sonic swallowed as he listened to the hum of insects, the rustling of leaves, the distant rush of water. 

He closed his eyes, blaming the sting on stone dust from the broken column. It was why his nose was so congested and why his chest felt so heavy with aborted, shaky breaths. Stupid crumbling ruins. This was why the past needed to just stay in the past. Memories would only decay in the present.

If he didn't find Tails, he would have to bury his memory with the rest of them. With Uncle Chuck. With Mighty and Ray. With everyone at the center of Scrap Brain Zone.

Sonic pushed himself up onto his knees and sat back. He scrubbed the stone dust from his face with the back of his glove, stilling as the memory of Tails doing the same whenever he was sleepy or got chili on his face or after he'd pulled Sonic out of the water to save him from drowning… 

Sonic lowered his hand, gaze drifting over the fabric of his glove, an identical pair on Tails's much smaller hands. He could feel how loose they were on him whenever the little guy tugged on his hand. How the fingers flopped when he'd hold his palms out for another mint and how he needed Sonic to unwrap them for him lest he try to tear into the plastic with his teeth and make the most annoying crinkling sounds. How he fumbled with them when he tried to learn new words to sign, tongue poking out in concentration because he wanted to learn this new way to communicate.

He didn't even need to learn sign language; he'd already known how to talk.

Sonic slammed his fist into the ground and grit his teeth. That wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. Tails gave him his Chaos Emerald. Tails fixed his watch and the Tornado. Tails flew him up and over the spinning floor panels at the chemical plant to keep him from falling back into questionable, pink substances. 

When he ate dinner, Tails was there to eat with him. When he got lost in a book at the library, Tails was reading along beside him. When he woke up in the mornings, the first thing he saw was Tails. When he looked over his shoulder throughout the day, Tails was there. When he went to sleep, the last thing he'd hear was Tails's breathing.

And every day, without fail, Sonic looked forward to finding ways to make the little guy laugh. To make him smile. To make him happy. 

How was he supposed to bury all that? 

Sonic's eyes burned as he opened them; not from the dust and debris, but from determination. No. No, he was going to find him. He wasn't going to leave him behind to become a footnote in his life that could be so easily skimmed over and forgotten. Never again.

Sonic pushed himself back up and faced the shadows of the ruins with fists clenched and head held high. Then he ran. Breezing under arches and up the jagged edges of walls, he ducked through narrow passages and vaulted over vines tangled in his path.

As he raced the sun in his search, something blazed in his chest and climbed up his throat. It burned the roof of his mouth and seared his tongue until he opened his mouth to fuel the fire.

"Tails—" 

His name wasn't even a whisper. It was hardly a breath, cut off by something outside of his control. Sonic's eyes narrowed. No. It was his voice. He could use it whenever he wanted. It was his choice.

No one could take it from him.

Especially not himself.

"Tails," he tried again, letting the fire fully ignite between clenched fists, expanding in his chest with every breath. "Tails!"

Like scraping flint over kindling, Sonic felt the friction in his throat as his voice broke through with a crack. He skidded to a stop, hand pressed over his chest. He swallowed to soothe the sting it left behind, then looked ahead of him.

"Tails!" This time a proper shout, one that was frayed at the edges as it was ripped from the comfortable silence he'd held around himself for the past two years, but a shout nonetheless. 

And he kept shouting, running again at top speeds so it would carry as far as it could. Tails wouldn't know Sonic's voice, but he'd know his own name. Surely, he'd know only one person could be calling for him.

"Tails!" 

"Sonic?" 

His heart lurched and Sonic stumbled to a stop. He nearly slammed into a wall, pushing away from it as he whirled about. It wasn't quite familiar—not yet anyway—but there was no mistaking that high, squeaky voice just as unused as his own. 

"Sonic! Where are you?" Tails cried out.

Sonic ran without regard for the pillars crumbling around him, using them to vault himself up in the direction of Tails's voice as he called for him. He ran across the mossy tops of the ruins, sneakers squishing against the damp greenery as he fought for traction. His attention swiveled from the branches above him and the ledges below for any sign of him—

Then he swung around a pillar and froze. Across from him, on a ledge just a little bit lower than his own, Tails wrung his tails between his hands as he looked around for the source of his name. He scampered over a broken column in his way, only letting go of his tails to sign, "help."

Sonic hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath until it all rushed out of him in a low exhale. He was okay. He was fine.

Jeez, he really couldn't with this kid.

Not wanting to spook him, Sonic whistled for him as he took a step forward. Tails's ears perked up, but it was a different sound that captured his attention—one that had Sonic's quills stiffening before he could take a second step. The stone ledge gave way beneath his foot, stomach lurching as he felt his center of gravity drop along with it. Wide eyes zeroed in on the expanse of deep, murky water dozens of feet below. Sonic fell.

"Shit—!"

"Sonic!" Tails shook off the shock of watching him fall and dove off his own stable platform; hand outstretched and reaching for him.

Heart lodged in his throat, Sonic plummeted towards the water. He twisted in the air, reaching back while chunks of debris rained down with them. Their fingertips barely brushed twice, their hands just missing one another, then Tails surged forward and finally managed to snag Sonic's wrist. He grabbed on with both hands, his little tails spinning frantically to slow their fall and kicking the air with his feet like it would help propel them back up as he fought against the forces of gravity, velocity, and mass all at once. 

Sonic felt himself slip in Tails's grasp, gloves several sizes too big and tied around the kid's skinny wrists with hair ties. He swung back and forth like a pendulum, still dangling dangerously over the water. His fingers squeezed around Tails's wrist, locked tightly in case the little guy lost his grip on him. Bobbling through the air, they tried to avoid the pieces of stone that fell around them while seeking stable ground. Somewhere to land that wasn't the bottom of a sunken civilization.

A mossy ledge caught Sonic's eye. He pointed at it with his free hand, guiding Tails's attention to it. The pillars still standing close to the edge indicated it'd be stable enough for them to reorient themselves. To catch their breath.

Neither of them noticed the motion sensor embedded in one of the pillars bearing an unfortunately familiar face. Tails swerved towards the safety of the ledge and Sonic noticed the flashing, little red dots on the pillar a second too late. Three arrows shot out at them. 

To the little guy's credit, Tails tried to swing them out of the way. Eyes on the arrows, Sonic didn't see the chunk of stone until it crashed down on them. He heard Tails cry out as they fell, their hands wrenched from one another from the impact.

It wasn't so much luck as it was physics that knocked them over the ledge they'd been aiming for. Sonic curled up into a ball as he smacked against the mossy stone. Battered and bruised, but not broken. And not underwater.

He rolled away from the edge a good amount before uncurling, immediately looking over his shoulder to make sure Tails made it to the ledge, too. He had. He wasn't moving.

Pieces of broken platforms were scattered around him. What hadn't crumbled before had certainly cracked on impact with the ledge they were now on. Dust coated Tails's fur, his head angled away from him and limbs limp at his side. At this distance, Sonic couldn't tell if he was breathing.

Tails.

His mouth formed that one word, throat sore and clogged from more than just the stone dust clouding the air. Tails didn't answer. Sonic's chest shuddered with each breath. He couldn't get enough air, like his ribs were caving in, bruised by the fall maybe, even though his spines had done their job protecting his soft, vulnerable underbelly.

They hadn't done shit to protect Tails.

Staying low on the ground so as not to trigger another barrage of arrows, Sonic crawled across the ledge to him. He pushed away the broken bits of stone in his way, brushing them out of Tails's fur as he checked for any bruising or blood. One of the arrows had grazed his arm. Sonic could see the angry red scratch just under his fur. A thin line of blood rose to the surface of his skin, but it was a clean, shallow cut. Nothing their first aid kit couldn't take care of.

Sonic placed his hand on his shoulder, mindful of the cut, and shook him gently. His heart was still stuck in his throat as he shifted tactics, cupping a fluffy cheek to carefully turn his head towards him. He just looked like he was sleeping. Like he did every night for the past several weeks. Months.

His mouth formed his name again. This time a scratchy sound scraped the back of his throat as he pulled the little guy into his lap. He fit so easily in the V of his legs, one arm supporting his back while he cradled his head with the palm of one hand.

"Tails," this time the whisper of his name stirred the air between them, and when he swallowed, he was able to speak a little louder, "Tails?"

There was movement behind his eyelids, lashes fluttering slightly as he stirred. Sonic's shoulders nearly collapsed with relief, but he just held him closer and choked on his name a third time when bleary blue eyes looked up at him.

"Sonic?"

He couldn't hold back the grin that spread across his muzzle. "The one and only," he croaked out, grin only growing wider when Tails's ears twitched with curiosity. "Welcome back, little buddy."

"You talked," Tails whispered in awe, starstruck at the sound of his voice. 

"S'been a minute, but yeah. Still got it." Sonic winked at him—he just couldn't resist.

The absolute look of wonder on the kid's face slowly shifted into a cheeky little smile. "You said a bad word."

Sonic blinked at him and it took him a second to backtrack before he snorted. Okay, yeah. He did technically say a bad word. Of course that's what Tails was gonna latch onto. 

"How d'you even know there's bad words?" Sonic asked.

"I have really good hearing," Tails replied simply, giggling when Sonic rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh, unable to fight his own smile. He just couldn't with this kid.

Sonic moved to set him back down on the ground, but two arms wrapped around his shoulders as two tails curled around his waist. "Not yet," he asked, hiding his face against his neck. "Please?"

Sonic's own hold tightened. The prickling flare of annoyance and frustration he'd felt earlier that day had been left in the dust, and he found he didn't mind at all that Tails wanted a hug. The kid barely asked for seconds when he was still hungry, how was he supposed to deny him something as simple as a hug? Yeah, it wasn't exactly what he expected, but Tails was proving time and time again to constantly override any and all of Sonic's expectations. 

And wasn't that the freaking best thing about the kid in the first place?

He rubbed Tails's back until he relaxed; reassured that he wasn't going anywhere after they'd been separated for so long. The longest they'd been apart since Sonic took him under his wing.

"You okay?" His voice still sounded weird to his own ears, like it needed to be dusted off after too much time spent in the attic. "You hurt?"

Tails started shaking his head, but stopped himself as he gave it more consideration before pulling back enough to look up at him. "My head hurts a little," he admitted, "but that's all."

Sonic felt around the back of his head for any lumps or tenderness. "I'll bet."

"And my arm." He let go of Sonic so he could examine the scratch from the arrow. "But I did a pretty good job of almost not getting hit, huh Sonic?"

Sonic hummed his agreement as he took Tails's arm to get a better look at the cut and test his shoulder's mobility. "Sure did, kid."

Tails smiled, but his moment of pride was short-lived when he looked up at Sonic and recollection filtered through his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

He hadn't really given it much thought, and still didn't as he gave a nonchalant shrug. "Eh, I'll live."

Apparently that hadn't been the reassurance he'd thought it was. "M'sorry I dropped you. I tried really hard not to." Tails hid his face against Sonic's shoulder again, muffling his second, "I'm sorry."

Sonic wasn't one for hesitating, but heck if this kid didn't excel at knocking him off his feet every chance he got. He snapped his fingers, drawing Tails's gaze to his hands. He signed faster than he could speak.

"Not your fault." He repeated the sign with firm gestures, making sure it stuck. "It's not your fault, Tails."

His mouth wobbled dangerously, but with a few shaky breaths, Tails pulled himself together before any tears had the chance to form. He managed a jerky little nod, but still didn't look quite sure of himself. Sonic tapped the back of his fist to his forehead, a gentle reminder not to overthink things.

"Does this mean you're not still mad?" Tails asked.

"Mad?" This time his voice had no trouble finding its way out of his throat, even if it was only a confused echo.

Tails nodded again, ducking his head sheepishly. "You were mad before. I thought maybe it was ‘cuz I wasn't doing a good job and going too slow and ‘cuz I didn't get you out of the water fast enough. I know you don't like going slow and you don't like water and I'm sorry I couldn't keep up, but I'll try harder, Sonic. I promise. I'll try the hardest ever—huh?"

Sonic's hand settled atop Tails's head, right between his ears like he was about to ruffle his fur. Rather than muss it up like he was just playing around with him, he just held it there for a beat. Then he scritched carefully, fingers light as they pressed just behind one ear. The tension Tails held in his shoulders melted away, eyes wide as he quietly processed the gesture. When he finally looked up, dozens of questions went unspoken as he met his gaze, the loudest of them all being, why? 

Because he'd been a jerk. So what if he hadn't said any of the things he'd been thinking out loud; they'd already learned to read each other's body language, of course Tails was gonna pick up on his frustration. Some petty part of him wanted him to.

But that wasn't fair. He was the one who asked Tails to come with him. He was the one coaching him through proper spindash techniques and the best ways to break badniks. He was the one who decided Tails should have someone looking after him and that someone might as well be him.

Tails didn't force him to do any of that. No one did.

Tails was here, sitting on his lap in the middle of ruins that were too stubborn to fade away from history completely, because Sonic wanted him to be.

Sonic lowered his hand and used it to sign, "I'm sorry."

Tails's brow creased for a moment, puzzled, but remained quiet as Sonic continued.

"And I never said thanks for the save the other day," he continued to sign, not sure if he could get the words out any other way. "I should've. You saved my life, Tails. So thank you." 

It was easy to see how much the words meant to him, smile soft and shy as he carefully tucked them into his memory. Openly letting Sonic see just how much he'd needed to know that. It was just a short peek, but it was enough for now; Tails was quick to shrug it off with a flippant wave. 

"No big deal," he signed back, smile shifting to something more sassy than sweet.

Sonic's fingers curled around Tails's and squeezed. "Yeah, it is," he said aloud. "You're a big deal to me, bud."

And if the kid's eyes didn't shine with the biggest smile he'd ever seen on his face. "You're a big deal to me, too, Sonic! The biggest!" He flung his arms out wide as if to prove just how big of a deal he was to him.

Like saving him from drowning at the risk of his own life and wanting nothing more than to stay close to him to keep him safe hadn't already done that.

"You're my best friend in the whole world—oof. Sonic?"

Sonic banded his arms around him, this time the one hiding his face as he held on tight. The fur of his shoulder tickled his nose, but he didn't dare lift his head lest his face betray everything that was rattling inside him, threatening to crumble just like the ruins around them. Tails's arms hesitated for a second before enfolding around him, little paws awkwardly patting around his spines to soothe him. 

I'm here.

He exhaled long and low, the tremors held inside him easing. Tails didn't try to wiggle out of his hold, didn't try to bite or scratch. His tails unwound themselves from around Sonic to sweep over the ground gently and the heartbeat he could feel pressed against his chest was as mellow and mild as the winter in the Aquatic Ruin Zone.

And Sonic's was, too.

Huffing out a light laugh, Sonic finally lifted his head, smile crooked as Tails canted his head to one side. "What's funny?"

"It's nothing." But then a devilish twinkle lit up his eyes. "Just thinking things got pretty rocky there for a second, huh?"

It took him a second, only because it was such a sudden pivot, but then Tails clamped his muzzle shut around a giggle even as his tails wagged back and forth. "That was really bad."

"Wow. Someone's a critic," Sonic snickered. It hurt a little to laugh, but he couldn't help it. "Cut me some slack, keed. I'm still warming up. This talking thing kinda got the drop on me."

"Sonic," Tails whined, laughing freely now. 

"What? Not a fan of a few wisecracks?" he teased, flicking the tip of his nose.

Tails grinned and captured his hand to keep him from trying it again. "Not when they're bad!"

Sonic leaned back on his free hand with a shrug. "What can I say? We've all got our faults."

Then Tails nearly tackled him with another hug, tails still wagging. "Not you. You're my best friend in the whole world."

"Aw, bud…" Sonic rubbed his back. "Not to get too sappy, but… right back at ya."

Clink.

Something hit the stone ledge just behind him, both their ears perking up as they looked over to see what had fallen. There, lying amidst the rubble and winking in the dim light of dusk, was the red Chaos Emerald. 

"Oh." Tails blinked. "You found a Chaos Emerald." 

Stunned green eyes met blue. For a solid second, they both just stared at one another. But Sonic was the first to crack. He threw his head back on a laugh, the feeling almost painful as it swelled in his chest; unfiltered joy bursting out freely for the first time in years. It was contagious; pulling Tails right along into it with his own helpless laughter. Their heads bonked together, sending them both into a new fit of giggles. Sonic cupped the back of Tails's head to keep from bonking it again, then purposefully nuzzled their foreheads together, mussing up their fur. Tails scrunched his face, but he didn't pull away and his tails didn't stop wagging. He stayed close even as his own laughter settled, beaming up at Sonic while he continued to snicker; his chest still heaving to try and get enough air.

And it was nothing like drowning.

When he finally caught his breath, he held up his hand for a fist bump that Tails met enthusiastically. "We found it, keed. Couldn't have done it without you."

"Ohohoho! We meet again, Sonic!" Robotnik cackled from his Egg Mobile, hovering high above them, poised to strike at the pillars that marked the exit of Aquatic Ruin Zone and fire the arrows lying in wait within. "I'd thank you for so graciously delivering the Chaos Emeralds to me, but I still have my principles. Any last words before I have your head on a spike and the Chaos Emeralds in my grasp? Of course not! You can't talk!"

Sonic's muzzle twisted into the sharpest grin while Robotnik jeered at him, one hand on his hip while the other lifted to show off his middle finger. "Fuck off, Eggman," he declared proudly.

At his side, right where he belonged, Tails mimicked his pose, but held up two fingers—little guy thinking Sonic was making a sign for number one which obviously would make Tails number two—and with his whole chest out chimed in, "Yeah! Fuck off, Eggman!"

The color of Robotnik's face rivaled that of the red and purple Chaos Emeralds, which was impressive, and so totally worth it. 

But maybe he needed to make less of a habit about swearing around Tails. Just until he was a little bit older.