Underground Sonic watched the reunions going on around him with a heavy heart.
He was happy the Tails were safe and back with their Sonics, don't get him wrong. The only wish he had was that such a reunion could be possible for him. What Sonic had told the others was true- he had known someone like Tails. He'd once had his own.
Sonic's story hadn't started in the Sonic Underground cartoon; he was the Sonic from the 8-bit Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 on the Game Gear.
The plots for the first Sonic games on both Game Gear and the Genesis were virtually the same, but the second's plots were very different.
Sonic's Tails had been kidnapped, and he had to collect all 7 chaos emeralds to save him. There was undoubtedly a timeline where Sonic had saved him, but not this one.
He was one emerald short.
A tear slipped down Sonic's cheek. A tear for the joy of the friends who were now together; a tear for what the Tails went through; a tear for his own best friend.
"Sonic?" a small voice behind him asked nervously.
Sonic paused. He had to be losing it. The voice sounded like...
Sonic turned around, and he found what his subconscious said he would. A young two-tailed fox cub was standing by the forest. He was translucent and tinted light blue, but his fur was a definite dark brown.
"Tails?" Sonic whispered.
The cub nodded.
"It's me," he said.
Sonic stepped forward, then paused. Tails smiled a shy smile.
"The others can see me, you know," he said.
That did it. Sonic rushed forward and almost smothered Tails in a hug. Although he was a spirit, Tails was solid, and he didn't hesitate to return the hug.
"You know I never left," Tails said, "I died, but I didn't leave. I've been protecting you, and helping you."
"You have?" Sonic asked, pulling away to look Tails in the face.
Sonic suddenly realized he was crying. Tails, either not noticing or not caring, nodded.
"But that's Mom and the Oracle's job," Sonic said, confused.
"Who do you think let the Oracle know that you were ready to meet your siblings?" Tails asked, eyebrow cocked, "or connected them to your music?"
"Did you really?" Sonic asked, unconvinced.
"I did," Tails insisted.
"They would have said something," Sonic was just being difficult now.
"Well they don't know I am!" Tails exclaimed, exasperated.
He understood what had been going on when Sonic laughed. Tails' eyebrow cocked again, but a smile was fighting to show itself.
"Just messing with you, buddy," Sonic said, nudging him with his elbow, "you haven't changed a bit. Great to see you again."
"Great to be seen," Tails smiled.
At Sonic's confused look, he explained, "like I said, the Queen and the Oracle don't know I'm telling them anything. All they know is they get a feeling you guys are in trouble or ready for something. Nobody knew of me until now."
"And that's me," Sonic said, hugging Tails, "I'm gonna treasure this knowledge. You know that, right?"
"As much as I know you can beat Robotnik," Tails said, then pulled away, "it won't be long now. I saw what will happen. You'll see me then, too; everyone will."
Sonic pulled Tails into another hug.
"Then I'm looking forward to it even more," Sonic said.
By this time, everyone had finished their own reunions. Modern Sonic had left Modern Tails to rest. Because of this, everyone saw the two Undergrounds hugging, and they all knew that the reunions were complete.
At long last, each Sonic had their Tails back.