For a week after Tails' death, Sonic couldn't get it in his head that Tails was dead. He kept turning to talk to him, or going over to Tails' house to check on him. He'd fight Eggman, but was constantly factoring in Tails' part.
And every time he realized Tails was gone, a torrent of memories, full of screeching, braking pottery and pain, flooded into his brain. So doggedly he pretended, Sonic believed Tails was still alive most of the time.
The others were heavily affected too.
After a week or so, Knuckles withdrew, closing off to the outside world, attempting to numb the pain. Tails, one of his family members, was dead. And what hurt most of all, was that Tails never knew the truth.
Every time Tails had tried to have an intelligent conversation with Knuckles, every time forgot Knuckles' apparent stupidity, Knuckles understood. He'd known what Tails was talking about, and wanted to let him know, but was to scared to reveal it, to show his true self.
And now, he'd never have the chance.
Amy noticed Knuckles' deep depression, and was sympathetic. In her mind, she reasoned Knuckles hadn't known that death was a possibility that could strike his family, much less so suddenly. Or that it would be the youngest member of all.
Amy felt the pain as well, of course, but numbed and down played it by telling herself it had to be worse for Sonic, as he was- had been- Tails' best friend.
For the most part, she was startled that Tails was the one gone, of all of them. He was the youngest!
That made her angry. Everyone suffered visually.
Everyone, however, but Sticks.
"It's part of life. It happens," she kept saying, "You have to get used to it, and not linger on it, otherwise you probably won't survive very long."
She herself was struggling with her feelings. Her mind told her Tails was dead, and that was that; but her heart reached for any way he could be alive, clung to any hope.
It was something Sticks had never experienced before, that she didn't understand. All she knew was that it hurt. Hurt so bad, it was consuming her thoughts.
So she fought it.
At the close of the second week, Sticks decided that they had been holding on too long. She called a meeting at her den.
"Look, we all miss Tails," she started.
Sonic, Knuckles and Amy nodded.
"But we need to let go. If we hold on to Tails and act like he's still here, it'll trap his spirit on Earth," Sticks continued.
"Really?" Sonic asked. He sounded more interested and concerned than Sticks thought he'd be.
"Yes," Sticks agreed, "and to let him go, we need to, first, realise and admit he is dead," Sticks looked sternly at her friends, who all looked down, "then, we need to accept his death. Only then will Tails' spirit be free."
"Oh, that makes sense," Knuckles said, trying to hide the pain in his voice.
But it did make sense. Very much so.
"You're forgetting that it was Eggman who killed Tails," Sonic said darkly.
Everyone looked at Sonic, surprised. His voice was so full of sudden and unexpected malice that it was dripping onto them, making each angry. Amy pushed the anger down, trying to find a calm, reasoning thing to say but there wasn't one. Tails had been killed in cold blood.
Her already barely controlled anger rose up up again. Amy found herself clutching her hammer, knuckles white. She hefted it onto her shoulder.
"No, we didn't forget," Amy said, the malice apparent in her voice.
"No, we didn't," Knuckles agreed, anger long since forgotten suddenly reborn.
"Absolutely not," Sticks finalized, letting her grief overcome her.
"How 'bout we go and tell that Egghead exactly how we feel, and punish him for his crime?" Sonic asked, an evil smile crossing his face.
He didn't need to. As well as Amy already holding her hammer, Sticks' boomerang was in her hand, and Knuckles had popped his knuckles and was ready to smash stuff. They were all ready to get revenge for Tails.
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The fortress was under attack.
Eggman watched the monitors with nervousness he'd never felt before. He bit his nails as Sonic, Knuckles, Amy and Sticks smashed through his defenses. He knew what they were here for. He tapped his gauntlet.
"Uh, Modern?" he asked nervously.
"What is it?" A questioning voice asked.
"Are you sure it was a good idea to tell them Tails was dead?" he asked.
The entire fortress trembled, and Eggman balked.
"Of course it was a good idea! Boss said it. It's to keep them out of your mustache," the voice explained.
"That's the thing. You see, uh," Eggman paused as another tremor shook the building.
"Yes?" the voice asked, patiently.
"They're attacking me right now. They're getting revenge on Tails!" Eggman's voice squeaked as he watched Sonic single-handedly take out ObliteraterBot.
"That is not good," The voice said.
"No, it isn't," Eggman agreed.
"Didn't kill me, Egghead," a familiar 8-year-old voice rang out.
"What?!" both in the conversation were confused.
"How is your Tails there?" the voice asked indignantly.
Sure enough, Tails was standing next to the closed door. The door was not closed for long, the other four soon kicked it down, standing in the doorway.
"Okay, Eggbutt, we're here to give... you what you... deserve?" Sonic's statement became a question that trailed off as he saw Tails standing there.
"Tails?" he asked, unbelieving.
Sonic's mind immediately fuzzed. Memories, good and bad, flooded it, rendering him unable to think or feel anything.
"You're not supposed to be here!" Eggman told Tails.
Quickly, he zapped Tails with a lazer from his gauntlet. Then Eggman turned to the gang.
"I guess Orbot and Cubot were messing with the holograms. Sorry to startle you like that," he laughed nervously, "Can, uh... Can you leave my lair now?"
The group was shocked and didn't argue. They left immediately.
"How'd you rig that?" The voice from the gauntlet asked, awed.
"I didn't," Eggman replied, "anyways, how's your Boss' plan going?"
"Brilliantly. All the Tails have been brought to his dungeon. Yours is the only one that isn't."
"Sorry. I put in the wrong coordinates." Eggman was sheepish.
"I know. Anyways, I am about to spring the trap for my Tails. I can get yours at the same time."
"Good. I was worried I'd messed it up."
"One thing you learn when fighting Sonic: always have a plan B."
"What about the person I just sent you?" Eggman wanted to know.
"He will be questioned until he tells us who he is and what he was doing at your lair. We will also try to find out the secret to his disguise," was the reply.
"And if he doesn't budge?" Eggman questioned.
"Oh, he'll budge. Boss had his ways," an evil glint was in the voice now.
It started to laugh, and Eggman joined in.