Heroes (Tails x Reader) Book 4

X. Bet the Future

The world around you distorts and morphs, your body seeming to be okay as you pass through the abyss of strangeness. A choir of voices echo in your ears, it was almost as if you were hearing whispers of the past in the jumbled mess. Your memories began flashing through the space, small windows drifting around you as you descended through the chaos that cradled you. You saw yourself before all of the fighting broke out, your siblings, your father before he lost it all...

Several windows flutter by, memories of your time training in the Dragon Kingdom brought back to the forefront. Your mentor's face flashed up, your eyes lingering on it for a moment before it flew away.

"Stay on task, (y/n).. I can do this.." You shake your head a little, squinting down trying to peer through the membrane. It proves to be too thick, your body feeling like it was passing through a vat of jelly.

Gradually the pressure begins to release if only a little as you feel the ground beneath your feet, the air thin as you found yourself on top of a mountain. This place was familiar... It was the place you went to when you needed to be alone and think. The scene was still just as vivid as you remembered, but the air felt suffocating... You shake your head a few more times again.

"This isn't real, (y/n)... This isn't real..." You take a step forward before a voice comes from behind.

"Are you sure?" Footsteps clunk around you, the voice uncanny to your own. You jump forward, readying your weapons as your eyes widened.
It was you, wearing your training uniform but certainly the same face and physique you had now.

You squint at them, "The power of Chaos can conjure objects, not creatures. You're not real."

They laugh a little, "Only as real as you believe I am. If it can create this from our memory then why couldn't it manifest me too?" They approach a little closer, "Come on, I expected me to be a little smarter than this. Have you really become so dense after all this time?"

Your knife blades extend, electricity crackling out while your gaze stayed fixed. "There's only one me, at best you're a projection of something stupid like my insecurities or something. I don't have time for this, are you friend or foe? You have five seconds to answer."

Their gaze narrows, zeroing in on you. "I am neither, my desire is to exist. If you wish to take that away from me then you will become my enemy." Crackling pierces the air as twin blades are conjured in their hands. "Ironic that you of all people would oppose me and try to force me to do what YOU desire. Have you honestly forgotten how horrible that feels?"

You stand firm, "There's too many people depending on me right now, I'm not going to let them down." You dash forward aiming fierce slashes at the other's form.

They dodge back, spinning swiftly and aiming a stab at the side of your head. You duck and roll back, springing off your hands and landing on your feet putting a little distance between. Before you have a chance to attack again they take a shallow breath, closing their eyes. Your heart skips, they couldn't also-

And they vanish from sight.

A cut on your leg followed by a slash across your cheek! You wince and stumble backward, gripping your weapons a little tighter as they hummed with energy. This was starting to feel a little more real... You go to inhale and get into the mindset you needed as another cut appeared on your hand, then a second strike chipping a piece of metal out of the arm Tails had made for you. You could feel your anger bubble slightly, your senses zeroing in as you took in your surroundings. Every breath, every step, all seemed to echo into oblivion while several more strikes found their way onto you.
They had to have been toying with you, if it was this easy to attack they surely would've just killed you outright..