Waking up a few minutes before his alarm clock was set to go off, a young, orange fox rose out of bed, stretching his thin, furry arms. After a few brief yawns, muffled by his large white gloves, he firmly planted his feet to the floor as he began to collect his bearings.

Rubbing the remaining sleep from his eyes, the fox cub approached the window dividing his modest bedroom from the gorgeous view from the second floor of his home, drew the curtains, and slowly opened the window. While the rejuvenating sunlight warmed his fur, and the brisk breeze replaced the stagnant aroma of his bedroom with the refreshing smell of the outdoors, Tails looked out over the world beyond. As he slowly filled his lungs with the outdoor air, he listened to the sound of flickys chirping in the distant forest to the east and the shallow waves of the ocean waters to the west, steadily crashing against the mountainside.

"Today is going to be a good day," Tails said as he placed his hands on his hips in determination.

After making his early morning prediction of the day's events, and stealing one final stretch, Tails stepped out of his bedroom into the narrow hallway leading to the staircase.

"Wonder if Sonic's still asleep," he pondered to himself as he crept his way across the second floor stretch, walking past his big brother's bedroom in the process. Twitching his triangular ears in the direction of the occupied bedroom, Tails could only make out the consistent sound of light snoring coming from the blue hedgehog.

Walking a bit more briskly, but still light enough to prevent the bitter end of Sonic's well-deserved slumber, Tails finally made it to the main floor of their home, comprised of a moderately-sized, sparsely-furnished living room and an open kitchen, complete with a small table wide enough to accommodate a gathering of four.

Stepping outside to begin his daily morning routines, Tails performed a visual survey of his property for any damage caused by the thunderstorm the prior evening. While Tails could be fearless when fighting Eggman's array of mechs alongside his big bro, the young kitsune had a devastating fear of thunderstorms, a phobia that caused him to roll into a fetal position and bury his face into the fluffy protection of his twin tails.

After walking along the perimeter of his yard, Tails was relieved to find that his home completely withstood the ravaging storm. Then again, why wouldn't it have? Even a tornado would've failed to do a modicum of damage to the brilliantly engineered, albeit almost plain-looking homestead. In fact, if it weren't for the large satellite sticking out from the top of the roof, the adjoining workshop that was at least twice the size of his living quarters, and the large runway strip that led right off of the cliff overlooking the ocean, most would consider the house nothing extraordinary.

But this was to the liking of Tails, a scientific and mechanical prodigy who prioritized utility over style and would rather prevent unwanted attention.

"That's Sonic's job, after all," Tails said to himself, lost in a daydream while gazing upon the deep blue ocean, a sight that never ceased to bore the young fox. This was in stark contrast to his older brother, who was unable to swim and feared any body of water larger than a pitcher. Not as much as Tails' overwhelming fear of lightning, but still enough to refuse Tails' offer to provide him with basic swimming lessons.

Tails made a quick stop to the mailbox before coming back inside, grabbing a freshly delivered letter. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he delicately opened the envelope to reveal a typed message on thick cardstock paper, complete with official-looking letterhead.

The letter read:

Dear Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles "Tails" Prower,

On behalf of the Mobian Federation of States, I would like to commend your continued support in the collective struggle against Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik to keep the citizens of Mobius safe from his evil schemes.

In recognition of your outstanding bravery and commitment to protecting the innocent, the President of the Mobian Federation of States has indefinitely extended your service contract and increased your compensation by 15 percent.

May you stay in good health and continue the good fight.

Sincerely,

General H.W. Pitliff

"Outstanding bravery, huh?" Tails questioned to himself, putting the letter down and resting his head with both arms against the table. His muscles tensed as memories of being saved by his big bro filled his thoughts. Feelings of self-doubt and worthlessness followed suit, creeping back up from the recesses of his mind.

Tails was a master mechanic whose quick cognitive processing power had helped Sonic thwart Eggman's dastardly deeds time and time again, but despite this, the prodigious fox was often overcome with anxiety, feeling he wasn't living up to his big brother's legacy and, worse yet, only serving as a liability on the battlefield, cowering with fear the instant the duo were separated in the heat of combat.

As far as he could tell, he'd always been like this; back in the day, Tails was constantly bullied for his twin tails, a rare genetic mutation that made him stand out amongst all other Mobians. Coupled with the lack of parents to provide a warm, comforting home, the abnormal kit roamed the lands until he first met Sonic, who'd later adopt him as his little brother. Just being around him washed away his loneliness and crippling self-doubt, but even living with the one whom he greatly admired hadn't cured his emotional woes.

"Clearly this letter was intended for Sonic," Tails said with a sigh, twirling the letter along the surface of the table with a finger.

"Intended for me?" came a voice from behind the young fox. Tails turned around to see Sonic, wide awake and emitting his ever-present positive aura.

"Heya Sonic," Tails said, his sadness instantly replaced with joy upon his brother's unexpected arrival to the kitchen, smiling wide enough to brighten anyone's day.

Before Tails could explain the good news, Sonic dashed over to the kitchen table and snatched up the expensive-looking paper. He gave a long whistle as he finished reading the letter.

"Let's do something fun to celebrate!" Sonic exclaimed. "Anything you'd like to do, Tails?"

The young fox pondered potential ideas for a few moments, rubbing one set of fingers against his furry chin in thought.

"Well, I guess my idea of a good time vastly differs from yours!" Tails said, giggling to himself.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Sonic asked with no hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Oh, nothing," Tails replied. "I was just imagining you sitting quietly in a library reading a book."

Both Sonic and Tails laughed at this ludicrous idea.

"Well," Sonic said. "I'm sure we'll think of something to do."

"As long as we don't break the bank, I'm up for almost anything," Tails said, subtly reminding Sonic that they shouldn't dent their savings account by partying. While the duo was not strapped for cash by any means, especially since they had just received a raise from their freelance government partnership, Tails was solely responsible for balancing the checkbook and ensuring that their household remained fiscally solvent, a duty that he took quite seriously.

"Of course," Sonic agreed, as he began to playfully rustle Tails' hair. "Now, how about we fuel up before our morning run?"

Some time later, after Sonic and Tails enjoyed a delectable three-course breakfast of eggs, pancakes, and toast, the brothers began their morning run preparations. Sonic, who had already gotten a few stretches in while Tails finished washing the dishes, dashed outside in anticipation of his favorite pastime. Meanwhile, Tails prepared more slowly, ensuring that he didn't cramp-up after consuming more food than someone his size should be able to stomach.

"C'mon, Tails!" Sonic called from outside, as he performed his signature foot tap. "The day is wasting away."

"Coming, Sonic!" Tails replied, hopping on one foot out the door as he slipped on his sneakers.

"Ya know," Sonic began, chuckling at the sight of Tails hobbling out of the house. "You'd save so much time if you just wore your shoes everywhere like me."

"Yeah, and get dirt everywhere," Tails retorted, continuing a long-running debate between the two companions that pitted convenience against cleanliness.

Instead of prolonging this friendly spat, though, Sonic took his place at the edge of the yard, facing the direction of the wooded path to the east that served as the daily stomping grounds for the two brothers. Taking the hint, Tails quickly joined him.

In unison, Sonic and Tails gave their pre-race countdown.

"Three…two…one…go!"

And with that, they were off.

Making their way through the green planes on the outskirts of the Mystic Ruins, any passersby would likely only see parallel blue and orange blurs speed past them, with the former going slightly faster than the latter. While Tails could run at impressive speeds on-foot, there was absolutely no way the young kitsune could keep up with the "fastest thing alive" without using his trademarked twin tails as propellers.

"C'mon, Tails," Sonic playfully taunted as he began running backwards for comedic effect. "You're too slooo-oww!"

Aided by Sonic's goading words of encouragement, Tails kicked it into high gear, spinning his Tails faster in order to prove his speedy brother wrong.

And he almost did.

Flustered by Tails' rapid advancement, Sonic spun back around to continue their friendly racing competition.

"First one to that oak tree is a rotten egg-man!" Sonic declared, widening the narrow gap between the companions.

"You won't win that easily," Tails replied, ensuring that Sonic would have to work up a sweat if he were to beat him.

As Sonic was about to touch the oak tree, solidifying his continued winning streak, he heard a yelp from behind.

Tails had focused so much on rapidly spinning his tails that he didn't see the incoming tree trunk that stood as the only obstacle between him and victory. Not having enough time to increase his altitude, Tails' dangling feet collided with the trunk, causing him to lose his balance mid-flight and dive headfirst into the ground. Before impact, however, Tails took to his spherical shape, rolling down the remainder of the path towards the oak tree, only his namesakes distinguishable in an otherwise blurry orange ball.

Sonic watched in awe as his little brother quickly recovered from the fall by adapting his signature rolling technique. Unfortunately for the blue hedgehog, though, Tails was rapidly rolling towards him much faster than he anticipated. Without enough time to defend himself, or jump out of the way, Tails barreled right into Sonic's chest, launching the hedgehog back-first into the oak tree.

After sliding to the ground, and shaking the imaginary flickys from his vision, Sonic looked down to see the young fox, resting on his lap, panting heavily, sweat soaking through his orange fur coat.

"Are you alright?" Sonic asked. He took no damage from Tails' unintentional attack, but even if he did, his priority would always be the safety and protection of his little bro.

"Did I…" Tails struggled to speak between gasps for air. "Did I…win, Sonic?"

After a few moments of pause, Sonic replied, "Yes, Tails…Yes you did."

"Hooray," Tails said in a slow, quiet voice, hardly able to keep his eyes open from utter exhaustion.

"Good job, buddy…I'm proud of you," Sonic said. Tails smiled brightly before dozing off to sleep in the comforting arms of his big bro.

Sonic allowed himself to get comfortable, not wanting to disturb Tails' peaceful slumber. Placing his arms behind his head, gazing up at the mid-morning sky, Sonic allowed his mind to wander.

Tails needs this. He tries so hard to make me proud. Little does he know how much I already am.

Basking in the comfort of the cool breeze and the warm sun peeking through the tall oak's wide branches, Sonic succumbed to sleep himself, allowing his arms to fall from behind his head and gently land beside Tails.

By the time Tails woke from his morning nap, the sun was already high in the sky, reflecting over the small lake just down the hill from the tree. Apart from a slight stiffness from lying in a semi-awkward position, the fox felt well-rested and in good spirits.

I wonder where Sonic is.

Of course, Tails didn't need to look far. Not seeing him within his peripheral vision, he tilted his head up to see his big brother sleeping soundly behind him, resting against the oak tree which now served as a permanent reminder that, with great perseverance, even he could overcome his obstacles.

In this case, it was finally beating Sonic at his own game.

Careful not to disturb the heavy-eyed hedgehog, Tails slowly rose from his comfortable naptime position, planting his short legs firmly to the ground while brushing himself off with his gloved hands, even though he wasn't dirty at all. Tails peered down at his older brother, still sound asleep after their thrilling race a short while ago.

I suppose it's time to wake up.

The orange kitsune looked around to see how best to disturb Sonic's slumber. He didn't need to look far, noticing a small branch a few feet away with a small green leaf attached to the far end. Chuckling to himself in anticipation, Tails grabbed the twig from the leafless end, got down to his knees, and slowly drew the branch closer to his sleeping friend. Tails was careful to ensure that the wood didn't touch his face as he positioned the leaf below Sonic's black nose.

The sensation of a flat, smooth surface rubbing against his nose slowly brought the sleeping hedgehog back into consciousness.

"Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle," Tails said, as if talking to a baby, attempting to laugh his brother awake.

"Heh heh, cut it out!" Sonic said between bouts of laughter.

This, of course, only egged Tails on further, as he tickled Sonic's sensitive nose more ferociously than before, causing the hedgehog to roll from side to side while laughing so loud as to disturb the birds roosting in the tree above. As Sonic stopped rocking and rolling below the big oak, he slowly tilted his head back, opening his mouth in preparation for a signature Sonic sneeze.

Tails was caught unawares, lost in his quest to continue tickling his older brother until he couldn't take it anymore.

"AaaaCHOO!" Sonic sneezed, directly in Tails' direction. Of course, while the force of the sneeze was small, the loud noise caused Tails to lose his footing and fall backwards. Almost by instinct, Tails rolled back into a ball before making impact with the ground, causing him to roll downhill.

By this point, Sonic resumed his raucous laughter, although not from tickling, but from his little bro's comical clumsiness.

Splash!

Sonic stopped his laughter and immediately faced the nearby lake. At first, he only saw the patch of disturbed water, bubbles rising to the surface, but then an orange shape began bobbing up and down in the lake. Only the back of Tails' head, his back, and his namesakes were visible as his seemingly lifeless body floated still in the deep blue water below.

"Tails!" Sonic exclaimed as he ran to save his little brother from drowning.

Sonic dove headfirst into the water mere feet from the lifeless fox. The blue hedgehog flapped his arms in the surprisingly deep waters for a few seconds before securely placing his hands on Tails' shoulders, half-sunk below the water's surface. It was at that moment the small kitsune's propeller tails sprang to life, raising the fox above the water, leaving Sonic to fend for himself.

"Ho ho ho!" Tails bellowed, imitating the laugh of a certain evil mastermind while depicting a fake moustache with his finger. "It looks like I've finally got rid of that meddlesome hedgehog!"

Sonic, meanwhile, continued splashing about in the water, doing his best to keep his head from bobbing below the surface. After a few more laughs, Tails hovered close to the drowning hedgehog, extending an arm out to help his blue friend out of the lake. Sonic gladly accepted the assist, their hands locking together before Tails transported them both back to the safety of the oak tree.

Sonic laid flat on his back upon returning to dry land. Tails joined him, still laughing under his breath.

"I thought I was a goner for a second!" Sonic exclaimed, shifting his head to see his younger bro staring back.

"Yeah, but you should know that I'd never let you drown," Tails replied with a hint of humorous sarcasm.

As Sonic and Tails' laughter slowly started to die out, the two companions stared up at the clouds, allowing enough sunlight to naturally dry their wet fur from their lakeside escapade.

"You know, Sonic," Tails began, placing his arms behind his head in a fashion not unlike Sonic. "Don't you wish that everyday could be like this?"

"What d'ya mean, little buddy?"

"You know…just the two of us hanging out and having fun. I don't think I've ever felt more at peace."

Sonic looked over at his younger brother once more, all but confirming Tails' current emotional state as he stared at the sky, a smile on his face, not a care in the world.

"Ya know, Tails," Sonic replied as he stood up from the refreshingly warm grass and lowered an arm in Tails' direction. "As long as we keep Eggman at bay, what is there to stop us from always having fun?"

Tails thought to himself as he allowed Sonic to pull him up from the ground. "I guess nothing, now that I think about it."

"Then it's settled," Sonic said, pressing his fist against the palm of his other hand. "We won't allow anyone to stand in the way of our adventures, and if they do, they'll have to answer to us!"

"You said it!" Tails replied, flashing a thumbs up that was quickly met with Sonic's own mere moments later.

"Now let's say we get ourselves home," Sonic said, pointing back in the direction of their abode. "It's almost time for lunch."

Tails nodded in agreement. "Maybe after lunch I can get back to working on my latest project."

"What about our party plans?" Sonic asked, as they both started walking towards the direction of their shared abode.

"To be honest," Tails replied, "spending a nice, quiet afternoon in my workshop is as much excitement as I'll ever need."

Sharing a few more laughs, the brotherly duo enjoyed a brisk walk back to their cozy, mountainside home.

Spacious by design, Tails' workshop, directly connected to his shared home, was an absolute paradise for any professional mechanic. Spanning several yards in all directions, and equipped with two floors, the well-organized space was full of workbenches, high-tech computers, complex tools, storage cabinets several times taller than Tails himself, and a host of spare parts, components, wheels, gadgets, widgets, doodads, and other advanced contraptions beyond the comprehension of most.

The mid-afternoon sun poured through an open window on the east side of the facility as the young kitsune sat at his messiest workbench, tinkering with a handheld device with one hand while taking a large bite out of his half-eaten chilidog with the other.

A droplet of sweat rolled down Tails' forehead as he focused on meticulously taking apart the contraption, a ritual that he had repeated several times that afternoon alone.

"Maybe if I recalibrate the sensors, I'll be able to get a reading," Tails theorized to himself as he continued unscrewing components with his specialized multitool, his head bent over multiple work lamps.

"So this is the project, huh?" Sonic said from behind Tails' chair. Sonic didn't enter the workshop particularly quietly, but Tails was so involved in his work that he didn't notice his big brother's approaching steps.

"Woah!" Tails exclaimed. The surprise caused him to stand up with a jolt, only to hit his head on one of the overhead lamps. Rubbing the new bump on his noggin, Tails accidentally swiped the device and several loose components off the desk with his wandering tails. Reacting quickly, Sonic snagged the device and a few components before they could fall to the ground. The remaining pieces scattered around Tails' chair, flipped over after his fright.

"Gosh, buddy…are you okay?" Sonic asked. He set the items he saved down on the table in order to properly inspect Tails' head.

"Yeah…I think so," Tails replied, moving his hand out of the way to allow the hedgehog to feel through the fur for any damage.

"It looks swollen already," Sonic said, identifying the cranial bump. He looked down at his fingers to find a small amount of blood from Tails' wound. "I'll go and fetch a bandage and some cream," he said, allowing the young fox a glimpse of his lightly bloodstained glove.

Before he could respond, though, Sonic was already gone, leaving a blue afterimage in his wake, before quickly returning with the items he promised: a square-shaped, sticky bandage and a small tube of antibiotic ointment.

"Thank you, Sonic," Tails said in a somber voice, looking up at his big bro with wide eyes while Sonic applied the cream to the bruise.

"I shouldn't be thanked at all," Sonic replied, as he affixed the bandage to the bump. "After all, it was because of me that you got hurt in the first place."

"But it was due to my clumsiness that I got startled over something so trivial," Tails argued, always preferring to find fault with himself over others, especially when compared to Sonic. At this point, Tails was sitting back on his chair, looking down at Sonic's shoes as the hedgehog eyed the fox with concern.

"Well, I gotta make it up to you somehow," Sonic replied.

Still looking at the floor, Tails noticed his components scattered all around him. Ignoring his big brother's offer, Tails got up and began picking up the pieces. Before he could grab the third component, however, Sonic dashed around the desk, swooping-up the pieces as he went, and placing them back onto Tails' workbench.

"Heh heh, thanks Sonic," Tails said, smiling while placing an arm behind his head. Sonic simply replied with a thumbs up.

Tails looked back at the device, resting undamaged near the pile of components. Tails got to work organizing the parts into smaller piles on the desk, giving at least some breathing room for the device so that he could better work on deconstructing it later.

"Mind if I help too?" Sonic asked.

"Well," Tails replied. "I suppose organizing these components isn't too difficult, so we can separate them out together." Sonic rolled another chair over from a different workbench a few feet away and placed it next to his fox companion. He sat down, and they both got to work.

After a few minutes of meticulous organization, Sonic broke the silence.

"So, what's the device you've been working on?" Sonic asked, eyeing the contraption that he saved from colliding with the floor moments ago.

"Oh," Tails replied, just realizing that he never actually explained the project to Sonic. He picked it up and showed it to him. Its circular shape was covered by a glass screen, a small button resting at the top. It almost resembled a pocket watch, albeit larger and more technological looking.

"Well, you see, Eggman hasn't caused any mayhem for a while, right?" Tails said, as he set the contraption down on the desk again.

"Right," Sonic replied. "But what does that have to do with your project?"

"I'm getting to that," Tails replied with a patient smile. "I fear that the good doctor may be up to no good, possibly trying to collect the Chaos Emeralds after they were scattered during our last showdown."

"Oh yeah," Sonic replied, thinking back to the last time they battled the evil mastermind. He remembered fighting one of the doctor's large mechs before using the power of the emeralds to transform himself into Super Sonic, granting him a temporary boost in power that allowed the glowing, yellow hedgehog to fly and deal greater damage for a limited time.

At this point, Tails stood up from his chair once again and began pacing, fingers scratching his chin as his eyes looked down in thought.

"The process of re-collecting the emeralds is incredibly tedious," Tails continued. "But what if we could track them down easily using a detector?"

After a few moments of pondering, Sonic replied, "That sounds like a brilliant idea, Tails!"

"Thank you very much," Tails said, performing a humorous bow with his right arm against his belly as if he just concluded a theatrical show in front of a live audience. "But there is one problem that I'm unable to figure out."

"Oh?" Sonic replied, stunned that his little brother encountered a mechanical quandary that he couldn't solve with ease.

"Yeah," Tails replied. "The issue is that I can't get the detector to register the presence of the unique energy that emanates from the emeralds."

"Huh," Sonic replied, scratching his head. "If it's any consolation, I probably could've taken out Eggman's mech without the emeralds, so I probably shouldn't have used them."

"It's fine, Sonic," Tails replied, remembering how the mech had held him captive, unable to break free from the giant machine's heavy grasp. He began to breath heavily as the memory of Super Sonic cutting through the thick arm of the robot and teleporting him to safety made him feel worthless, the self-loathing invading his thoughts once more. "I was the reason why you resorted to using the Chaos Emeralds in the first place," Tails continued, a few tears beginning to well up in his eyes.

Sonic, unable to see his brother in pain, extended his arms. "It's okay, Tails."

Wiping the tears from his blurred vision, Tails saw Sonic approaching him for a hug. As soon as he entered into his brother's embrace, his heart rate slowed and breathing eased.

Still choked up while hugging the blue hedgehog, Tails began to speak again.

"I figured that a device to help us gather them back up would make things right."

"I'm sure this will make things easier," Sonic replied, rubbing Tails' back, "but don't think for a second that it was your fault."

Sonic ended the embrace, still holding onto Tails' shoulders. His young companion sniffled a bit, looked down at the floor once again.

"Now how about you take a break from work and I prepare us some ice cream sundaes?" Sonic offered. This caught Tails' attention.

"But it's only three in the afternoon!" Tails countered, concerned about spoiling dinner.

"Okay, mother," Sonic replied in a teasing voice, eliciting a playful shoulder punch from the orange kitsune, whose spirits appeared back on the upswing.

"Tell ya what," Sonic offered. "I'll prepare our treats while you finish cleaning up down here. Sound good?"

"Yes it does," Tails replied with a smile, his eyes still slightly red from crying.

As Sonic left for the kitchen, Tails' smile began to fade.

He stared intently at the semi-organized piles of components remaining on his workbench. He felt a little better, but the guilt, shame, and sense of incompetence were still ever-present in his mind.

Tails sighed as he returned to his workstation, sitting back down to continue the organizing that he and Sonic started.

"I'll try my absolute hardest to make things right," Tails said out loud to himself. "For the safety of my friends, and to prevent Eggman from gaining absolute power, we must prevail."

I must prevail.