Sonic Forces: Illusions and Cold Hard Truths

Tails' personality

TAILS

My eyes slowly opened as if they were preparing to face a new day. The only problem is it wasn't a new day I was waking up to. It was a realm filled with darkness and I was seeing red. Literally. How did I end up here? Was the Phantom Ruby responsible for this? Only one way to find out.

Darn, I don't even have my scanner with me! I'm going to have to use my brain to solve this puzzle. Am I inside the Phantom Ruby? No, that can't be right. I could be in a realm under the Phantom Ruby's control. Which means... Oh no! I have to get out of here before I lose my mind.

Maybe I should call for help. Surely, my friends will eventually come and find me. "Sonic? Shadow? Knuckles? Are you out there?" No one will answer. Let me try again. "Knuckles! Shadow! Sonic! Can you hear me? Can anyone hear me?" Still no answer. What am I going to do? I'm stuck here unless I find a way out.

Just then, something... no, someone caught my eye. A small blue figure with six short blue quills, white gloves and red and white sneakers. I flew towards him and he turned around to face me. It's the same Sonic from another dimension. What is he doing here? Is he... going to rescue me?

I called out the other Sonic's name, and he just looked at me. No emotion, no actions, nothing. "Sonic? Are you... feeling OK?" Just as I was about to check his temperature, the other Sonic sped off in a blue streak. "Sonic? Sonic, wait! Come back! Sooonnniiiiiiicc!" I chased him as fast as I could, with the help of my two tails. But it was no use. The other Sonic is gone.

"Don't go. Don't leave me alone." I sadly bowed my head down. Then suddenly a voice called out to me. Sonic's voice, my Sonic's voice. I turned around to see Sonic standing in front of me. I flew towards him to give him a brotherly hug, but he avoided me with his incredible speed.

What's going on? Why is he avoiding me? "Sonic... what's gotten into you? I thought you'd be happy to see me." I slowed my tails down to a halt, my feet, touching the ground. I was beginning to worry about my big brother; he had a neutral look on his face. "Sonic, please. Talk to me. Say something, anything!"

Finally, he spoke. "What you do want me to say, Tails? Tell me what to say."

His voice sounded... broken. The emotion of anger was creeping up on his face. This was heart-breaking for me to see and hear.

"How did you end up here?"

He chuckled at my enquiry, as if it was a stupid one. "That's your question? 'How did I end up here?' is your question?"

"B-but you're here... with me. Y-you must know how you got here."

"And I supposed that's the only thing that concerns you? Instead of my wellbeing?" I was shocked to hear this. Why is Sonic being like this? He's usually calm and collected. But not this time. "I WAS worried about you. I thought you were dead. When we reunited and I told you how I felt about you dying, you told me not to worry so much."

Sonic shook his head laughing. "Did I really say that?"

I started to get angry at the blue hedgehog's games. "Sonic, this isn't funny! I KNOW what happened. You told me you were fine. I saw it with my own eyes."

He simply smiled at me, looking at me as if I was making up stories. "Was that what you saw, or was that what you THOUGHT you saw?" No, it wasn't my imagination playing up at that time.

"Just like when you thought you saw me trusting Eggman more than you, when I clearly wasn't." I remember that day when Eggman and I were fighting. Sonic got in the way and told me that we needed Eggman to stop the machine from sucking the life out of the planet. I felt betrayed by my best friend when he said those words. I felt that he didn't trust me enough to help save the world... and it hurt.