Sonic was falling. Tails was falling. Deeper and deeper into the increasingly disturbing, tacky depths of the hellscape known as Eggmanland, deeper and deeper into Erius' core. "Tails?" Sonic asked, glancing over at Tails. He felt like he was about to vomit up all his insides. He felt like he was burning. He felt the sensation of a mind-blowing high as he plummeted lower and lower. "Catch me… I'm… falling…"
Sonic was whacked by a gear to some other wacky contraption Eggman was working on. Whacked so hard that he began to perceive everything around him in slow-motion. He had to wonder… how in the world did he get here? His vision turned all rose-tinted. The smell of copper grew stronger.
"Well, let's see…"
"I broke into the Robodoom, escaped from the Robotnik Empire…" Sonic looked to Tails as they fell alongside each other
"I saved a little planet. In fact, it was CALLED Little Planet."
"Beat up a god of destruction, got my friend elected chief of his clan… heh…"
"Then the world kinda broke. And I've spent the last YEAR trying to put it back together. Give or take." Images of Dark Gaia flashed through his mind. Everything up to this point came flooding back all at once.
Sonic remembered everyone in the Gaia Temple, playing the World Instruments. They had run out of time. They hadn't collected them all... Though they all played altogether, their hearts combined, it was only enough to complete part of the ritual to put the world back together. Dark Gaia was still at large. As such, Eggman was still trying to take its power for himself.
"Oh yeah. THAT'S how I got here."
ONE DAY AGO…
Sonic ran along Tropical Coast, on the Lost Hex. It was nice to be back here, it was nice to see the faintest hints of sunrise from this beach again. After all, the Deadly Seven WERE pretty territorial when it came to who was allowed on their turf. While they always invited Sonic, he rarely had time to come over. He was just glad everyone else was allowed to come aboard.
It had been a long time coming, but he still didn't feel prepared. It was time to take the World Instruments to the Temple of Gaia. They had the Cacophonic Conch, the Heartless Harmonica, the Mutual Mandolin, the Silent Celesta, and now the Accursed Accordion. Hopefully they could make it work with just the five instruments. They had searched all they could, but it seemed putting the world back together would take more than just a recital. Sonic could now see what they were headed towards, from up above. It was an amusement park. Eggmanland. Of course, he was harnessing the Dark Gaia Force to fuel a theme park, built right atop the grasslands of Mazuri. There was a rollercoaster in the center that could've crashed into the Lost Hex, a rollercoaster that reached all the way to the stars.
Sonic skidded to a halt as he saw Tails sitting on a log, facing the water. "Yo, Tails! What's on your mind, bro?" Sonic ran back and took a seat next to him on the piece of driftwood.
"Hey, Sonic. It's just… I wish you were here yesterday," Tails mumbled, tying his tails together.
"What did I miss? Sorry, was out getting this for you," Sonic held up the Accursed Accordion with a smug expression. Tails didn't even try to smile. "What's wrong, Tails?"
"I had a really bad mental breakdown," Tails replied apprehensively. "I think something hit me. We were all stationed here in Tropical Coast. We had just gotten the news that Ata went missing. We were all headed towards Mazuri, and everyone else was getting ready to seal me in the planet's core alongside Dark Gaia." Sonic put the accordion in the sand, and tried to make eye contact with Tails. But Tails wouldn't look his way. "I don't know exactly what happened, but I think I screamed at everyone. I remember saying I didn't want to end up like Ata, but I'd prefer to think I didn't mean it. I think everyone's still mad at me. So maybe it's a good thing you weren't here." Tails finally looked Sonic's way with big blue eyes. "I just wish I had you to fall back on." Sonic took a second, processing everything.
"Even back when we were kids, I knew someday you'd run too fast for me to keep up," Tails continued, reminiscing on the simpler times fondly. Even if those days were also low points in their own right. "I'm just glad you took me along for the ride." Sonic smiled slightly. "It's funny. I've lived here since the planet began, but I didn't know a thing about it. I didn't understand people, or their emotions. I didn't know I could find someone who accepted me, someone who didn't treat me… like a freak." Tails hugged Sonic. "Sonic, I'm so glad I got to experience all that with you. I'm so glad that… we're… friends." Tails sobbed into Sonic's shoulder, and Sonic hugged him tighter. "You know… there's no reason for you to come along. If you want to run off again, that's fine. This is my responsibility."
"Do I need a reason to want to help out my friend?" Sonic asked. Tails smiled.
"Thank you, Sonic," Tails replied, getting up, taking a deep breath, and walking towards the others. Sonic followed after him, a horrible feeling in his chest. It was time for the big finale. It was time to say goodbye.