By Your Side

The main generator was just up ahead. It was a clear shot, a sure thing… or at least it would be without the swarm of Swat Bots. Panting, Sonic readied his sore, tired muscles for another fight. He definitely wasn’t coming out of this one unscathed, but he was getting to that generator if it killed him.

Suddenly something zoomed overhead and Tails was hovering over him, holding out his hands.

“C’mon, let’s do it, Sonic!”

The hedgehog grinned and flashed a thumbs-up.

“Let’s juice, lil’ bro!”

He jumped up and grabbed Tails’ hands. The kit spun his tails and jetted over the robots, then swung Sonic toward the generator and landed behind him, facing the swarm of enemies.

“Go!” he yelled. “I’ll cover ya!”

Sonic stared at the ten-year-old for a moment, then shook his head and told himself to focus on the mission. He turned and ran to the generator, pulling the explosive bugs out of his pouch. He zoomed around the structure, planting them, then leaped to a safe distance and pressed the detonator. The entire structure began popping and sparking, then blew completely. Almost instantly, the Swat Bots began to spark and fall apart.

“Yeah!” Sonic yelled, his heart pounding with joy as he leaped down. “We did it! Way to go, lil’ bro! You really…”

He froze, staring at the tangle of metal. His vision tunneled until all he saw was the torn, red-stained bundle of fur in the middle.

“NO!”

By the time the other Freedom Fighters reached him, Sonic was completely deaf to their frantic voices. Only the sound of his anguished scream echoed in his ears as he slumped on his knees, cradling Tails’ limp little body against his chest.

“No, no!” he moaned as tears streamed down his face. “No, please! This can’t be happening!”

Something shook his shoulder.

“Sonic! Sonic, he’s alive! We’ve gotta get him help!”

The hedgehog dimly heard Sally’s words and his brain registered them, but he still couldn’t make himself let go of Tails. In his desperate mind, as long as he kept him close he wouldn’t lose him.

Suddenly, someone pried his arms away as Tails was lifted out of them. Snapped out of his trance, Sonic lunged forward only to be hauled backward by his arms and held there. He heard Uncle Chuck speaking urgently, trying to calm him down, but Sonic didn’t care. He thrashed wildly, fighting the tight grip.

“Let me go! He needs me!” he yelled. “Tails! TAILS!”  

…

“Agh!” Sonic gasped as he jolted awake.

Suddenly he toppled off the chair he was on, grunting as he landed hard on his back.

“Ow…” he muttered as he looked up at the ceiling, rubbing the back of his head. Model airplanes dangled down from the ceiling overhead, a familiar feature of Tails' hut.

Tails!

Panic blurring his vision, Sonic scrambled to his feet and to the bedside. Tails lay still under the covers, thick white bandages wrapped around his arms and head. Sonic frantically placed a hand on the kit’s chest, his breath coming out in a sigh of relief when he felt the heartbeat and rise and fall of breathing. Letting out another sigh, he sank back down in the chair and glanced out the window. It was dark now, and he knew that the team in Mobotropolis was probably finishing their sweep.

Strangely, Sonic was glad he hadn’t gone as well. No doubt Robotnik had hightailed it out of there anyway, and Sonic didn’t want to experience a city free of Swat Bots until Tails could too. When they found out where Robotnik was hiding, though, he had every intention of coming along. If Tails was still alive then, he’d beat him to a pulp. If not, the hedgehog would kill him with his bare hands.

Letting out a sigh, Sonic gently took the unconscious kit’s hand.

“You really made a difference out there, buddy,” he said softly. “I never would’ve made it without ya.”

A smile tugged at his face as he reached out and placed a hand on his bandaged head.

“We’re all proud of ya. Heck, this might make you almost as famous as me. We’ll probably get to start de-robotizing people when ya get better, once we get Robuttnik taken down. And maybe we’ll find your mom and dad…”

His encouraging words seemed to trail off as if they had a will of their own. Sonic gulped down the lump in his throat and ordered himself not to cry as he gently rubbed behind the kit’s ears, like he used to do when he was very young. A soft moan made his heart pound hopefully, and he gripped Tails’ hand a little tighter.

“C’mon, Tails… wake up, little bro,” he murmured. “Just open your eyes, buddy. You can do it… I know ya can.”

No answer.

“Tails?”

Nothing. Sonic’s eyes suddenly began to burn with tears.

“Tails, please…” he begged, his voice starting to break. “Please wake up! You can’t give up now… what‘d I do without ya? Wake up!”

By now his tears were falling freely on the covers, but he didn’t even care anymore. The irony couldn’t be more cruel: the one thing he’d fought for and wanted all his life was finally coming true, but at what cost? The best friend who meant more to him than anything, that he had promised to protect. Sonic slumped over the bed, burying his face in his arms.

“Don’t go, Tails,” he whispered. “I don’t care what anyone else says. You’re my little brother, and I love you. Please… don’t you leave me too…”

He didn’t know how long he’d been sitting there like that, tightly holding Tails’ hand, before it happened. The hand in his twitched, then shifted as a faint, weak voice reached his ears.

“S-… So… nic…”

Sonic’s head shot up.

“T-Tails?” he gasped, hardly daring to believe it.

Sky blue eyes slowly opened a slit, then focused on him. Tails blinked groggily, then a small smile came to his face.

“H-… hi.”

“Tails!” Sonic yelled joyfully, wrapping him in a hug. “You’re awake!”

The kit groaned softly.

“T-too tight…”

Sonic quickly let go, and Tails slowly looked up at him.

“Sonic… a-… are you… crying?”

The hedgehog immediately swiped at his eyes.

“N-no,” he said quickly, trying his best to look cool. “You must, uh, be seein’ stuff there, buddy. Get your rest n’ I’ll get a doctor, ‘kay?”

Tails slowly nodded and closed his eyes. Sonic gave his hand a gentle squeeze and started to get up.

“S-Sonic…”

The hedgehog immediately sat back down.

“What’s up, little bud?” he asked softly. Tails opened his eyes again and smiled weakly.

“I… I love you too.”

Sonic stared down at him for a moment, then leaned down and gave Tails a very gentle hug. When he felt the kit slowly return it, the tears came again.

And for once in his life, Sonic couldn’t care less who saw.