Chaos Bond

A Legacy Starts Now

"Glad to see you don't seem to get tired of the Mystic Ruins views."

Sonic's ear twitched in Tails' direction as the fox came out to bring Sonic a drink. The hedgehog was sat at the end of Tails' runway with his legs dangling down over the sea.

"They're up there in my top five favourite views," Sonic smiled, watching the afternoon sun and accepting the drink.

Tails took a slurp from his own can and sat down on the tarmac with his legs crossed.

"And are you admiring them now or..." Tails hesitated, "Or are you looking out for something?"

He'd always enjoyed making Sonic smile and of all the smiles, his favourite one was the smile of pride that Sonic gave to Tails from time to time.

"Sharp as a tack, you are," Sonic replied with such a smile. "Always have been, always will."

"I take it that Shadow has given you five minutes to breathe."

"Or five minutes to hide." Sonic sighed. "I know why he's angry. I don't blame him."

"Charging in and saving the day. It's always been your achilles heel," Tails said and took another swig of drink. "Besides swimming."

"Not my fault that my quills get water-logged." Sonic rolled his eyes. "Anyway, people didn't always used to get fleas in their fur when I went off alone and did my own thing. What, suddenly we've all grown up and now I have to behave? Is this because of me being a dad soon? I have to be boring do I?"

"Sonic, shut up." Not daring to catch sight of the brief look of confused hurt on Sonic's face, Tails was quick to continue, "That's not why we all got upset. You're right, we're used to your solo adventures and if you think we're expecting you to trade out your sneakers for sandals then I'm honestly offended."

"Don't even joke about sandals. That's not funny."

The pair of them began to quietly laugh but the laughter didn't last long.

"...It's because it was Metal."

Sonic turned his head away with a frown. "...I've fought Metal alone before. Plenty of times."

"Yeah, you have," Tails nodded. "But when there's a friend involved you can tend to..." He coughed and suddenly felt a heaviness in his heart. "Well, you know."

"...Let's say, just for simplicity, that I don't know. I can tend to... what, exactly?"

Tails seemed reluctant to say anything more.

"Get distracted?" Sonic tried suggesting. "Let my guard down or... or hold back? Okay, I will admit that I was leniant with Metal Sonic but I only-"

"No."

Tails' tone was so flat that Sonic could only grow more and more puzzled.

"...And what does that mean?"

"You..." Tails sighed in frustration, wishing it wasn't him that had to have this conversation. Then again, would Sonic have taken it from anyone else? "When there's a friend involved you can sometimes - sometimes - ... get angry."

"Well of course I'm going to be angry, Tails," Sonic said, trying to smile again. "You guys mean a lot to me."

"But I mean, really angry." He moistened his lips as he discovered his mouth growing dry. "...To the point where you... you risk losing yourself."

An unusually chill wind suddenly ruffled Tails' fur and even though the young fox didn't believe the fanatical opinions of some people who claimed that Sonic possessed the power of total aerokinesis, he wasn't completely against the idea that Sonic had an influence when it came to the wind.