A/N: I'm turning into one of those authors...

No, this isn't Conditional Victory. It's on its way, I promise; I'm trying to get it just right and having some difficulty. This is a oneshot to keep y'all occupied. ;)

Some of the roles are switched around from the last one; Shadow is now Hans instead of the Duke of Weselton (who is now played by Eggman or somebody, idk). Of course, since the story originally used girls for some of the main roles, things have shaken out differently, notably without romance; Knuckles (as Kristoff) sees Tails as a close friend, and Shadow most definitely never got engaged to anyone. (Ew.) But the basics are still there. Also, Chip is Olaf; he just doesn't melt or anything because he's not a snowman. And Chomps, of Sonic Underground fame (or unfortunate lack thereof), is Sven, cuz without Sven you're practically losing half the comedy.

Thanks to the lovely KaylaMicael, whose support for this silly little thing of mine actually made me feel okay about posting this. Thank you, friend! Your requested scene is in the works, as well! For now, enjoy this one! :)

"Your brother is dead... because of you!"

Shadow's harsh words echoed mercilessly, back and forth through Sonic's head, with an undercurrent of his own voice repeating, "No, no, no..." Each time they came back, they slammed into him with horrific force and weakened his already-fragile resolve. The strong gales drove snow like tiny knives into him and sent icy fingers of dread and horror down his spines which felt colder and sharper with each passing second... until he couldn't take it anymore.

He collapsed like he was made of lead, and just like that, everything stopped. The winds fell silent, the ice no longer cracked underneath the straining half-sunken ships, and snow even hung in midair. The whole world froze over completely, but it was not a peaceful silence after the storm. The young king's despair, guilt, and disbelief held the icy kingdom in a sort of paralysis. No one on shore dared to move; every eye was wide and every mouth hung open, no one yet knowing if they had truly reached the point of irreversible winter.

A short distance behind Sonic, where the hedgehog couldn't see him for desperately struggling to hold himself together, a shivering fox could barely stand on his own two feet, but he stubbornly refused to give up. He didn't know where Sonic was, couldn't see him even in their close proximity, but Knuckles had to be around here somewhere...

"Tails!"

The cry was desperate, but Tails recognized it instantly. A red figure in the distance drew closer, shouting his name every few seconds between wild slips on the frozen harbor. Tails cautiously took another step closer, feeling stiffer by the moment, whispering Knuckles's name as a motivator.

Ching!

Tails's ears twitched toward the strangely familiar noise before his head did, and he gasped; a blue heap of quills lay on the ice as the target of a sharply-dressed, sword-wielding black hedgehog. Is that Sonic?... And Shadow... Oh no! He's gonna...!

He didn't think; he had no time to hesitate. He shot one more loaded glance at Knuckles and took off toward the two hedgehogs, leaving the stunned echidna to watch in disbelief as a burst of energy filled Tails with enough speed to reach Sonic with a loud shout; "No!"

Sonic's quick reflexes recognized the young voice and turned him around just in time to see white-gold fur melt into an icy blue. Shadow's sword came down with a clang and a snap, and the dark hedgehog was thrown back with a shock, his weapon landing in useless shards of metal all around his unconscious form. A thunderous roar blasted through the land before all movement stopped cold, and Sonic's racing mind put together what had happened and what stood in front of him.

"Tails—!" He clumsily scrambled to his feet, hoping he had somehow managed to construct this ice sculpture in the heat of the moment to protect him. That hope turned to a wish when he recognized the determined face carved into the ice and saw the twin tails literally frozen in place. "No, no... please, no..." He gently stroked the fox's ice-cold ear to make sure it was real, that this wasn't some horrible nightmare. He tried the outstretched hand, flat as a shield against the weapon; a single white scratch indicated where Shadow had dared to strike him with the blow meant for Sonic.

The ice melted just slightly at his touch, confirming everything he wished was a lie.

In that moment, everything crumbled. Every negative feeling Sonic had experienced and tried so hard to ignore in the last forty-eight hours—nay, five years—erupted to the surface at once, but with the added pain of loss to finally push him over the edge. He choked on a suppressed sob as two warm streaks trailed slowly down his muzzle.

He saved me... After everything I... I froze him! He didn't... I didn't deserve that... And he doesn't deserve this! What have I done?! I killed my little brother! Why did he do this?! Chaos, what have I done?!

With these thoughts swirling like a blizzard through his head and heart, Sonic clung to the icy representation of his little brother with everything he regretted holding back, and he cried.

The fjord was dead silent save for the cobalt hedgehog's strangled gasps. People watched from the shore, in windows and on rooftops in reverent silence as their "treasonous" king broke down. Knuckles numbly stepped over the unconscious body of Shadow, just steps away from the fox he'd come to know and care for, and watched with wide eyes and a heavy heart; Chomps, icicles hanging off his nose, snuggled up next to him with a sad little snort. Chip, who had flown as fast as he could to catch up after the wind had ceased, kept his distance and, his ears flat and his voice breaking, whispered, "Tails...?" Sonic was oblivious to all of it.

Why did it have to end like this? All Sonic had wanted for years was to have a normal relationship with Tails; he was the little brother he'd always wanted, he was the playmate who balanced him out, he was the companion he'd needed when their parents had died. But Sonic had forced him away through all of it. Even though it was for Tails's own good, he had never stopped hoping that one day, they would be able to be normal brothers. He'd missed the fox and the closeness they had shared when they were younger.

Now, he wanted to start his life over again, to go back and redo everything, to rid himself of his accursed powers before they became a problem. He wanted to be the big brother he'd always wished he could be. He wanted to make sure Tails was happy by his side, not dead by his hand. He wanted the fear to leave. But the fear was permanent, now more than ever.

"I'm so sorry..." came his hoarse whisper. I'm so sorry for everything... It's too late, I know it's too late, but please, I didn't mean any of it, I didn't want it to end this way... I'm sorry, Tails...

He didn't notice Chip gasping. He didn't notice Chomps nudging Knuckles, or a shocked grin spreading across the echidna's face. He didn't even notice Tails's ice slowly changing from blue back to its original soft golden yellow.

It took a gentle utterance of his name to pull him out of his grief.

"Tails?!" He looked up, and there was his little brother in the flesh, back to normal, smiling at him... very much alive.

Instinctively, Sonic backed away, out of reach, and wiped his wet muzzle with the back of his hand, inhaling deeply and quickly as full realization hit him. Tails's smile widened; "It's not very like you to start bawling in front of the whole world."

Sonic bark-laughed, letting a relieved grin overtake his face. "Yeah, well, it's not like you to turn into an ice statue, either."

Tails just laughed airily and dove into Sonic's arms, and for the first time, Sonic held him tightly, relishing the unusual feeling of being hugged by anyone, but most of all by his brother. It was Tails who let go first, amazed by Sonic's willingness to be so close to him.

"You really sacrificed yourself for me?" Sonic held the fox at arm's length, looking into his bright blue eyes for subtle emotional signals. He wasn't used to touching other people, especially with his bare hands, so he flinched a little when Tails gently pried his hands off his shoulders. He didn't let go, and nothing horrible happened as Sonic had initially feared, and Sonic relaxed.

"Of course. I... I couldn't let him hurt you. You're my brother, and I love you." Tails's voice was soft, and his words carried more meaning to the emotionally spent Sonic than he could have dreamed. Sonic knew he was forgiven, and more than that, he was loved. The chill that had settled impossibly deep into his bones was flooded out for the first time with a warmth that transcended any summer's day, and he smiled.

Chip gasped in sudden excitement, more or less interrupting the tender moment. "That's it! An act of true love will thaw a frozen heart! It didn't mean just guy-girl love after all! It meant brothers! Aw...!"

The meaning of Chip's revelation struck Sonic like a slap in the face, but it was a welcome slap. "Love will thaw..." he repeated aloud as an idea formed in his mind. "Love. Of course..."

Tails's face lit up when he realized what Sonic meant. "Sonic... Chaos is controlled by emotions. If fear and despair froze everything..."

"Love and joy will thaw it," Sonic finished proudly. No longer was he a danger to Arendelle and its people. I can bring back summer, after all!

Even as this was happening, the snow that had been hanging in midair began falling up. Tails and Chip gasped in unison, and Chomps tried to eat it, to Knuckles's amusement. Sonic's green eyes narrowed slightly in concentration, but his smile never faltered. The ice sheet under their feet dissolved into miniscule crystals and started floating like magic sparkles toward the shore, and acting quickly but roughly, Knuckles dragged limp Shadow onto a ship that had partially fallen under the ice but was now beginning to float on the melted harbor. All the snow on the rooftops, streets, and objects leaped up in glittering swirls until all that was left were the charming, tidy cottages and cobblestone streets that characterized Arendelle in the summer. Winter's gifts all coalesced into one giant snowflake in the blue sky above the village as Sonic brought his hands together like a conductor. When he pushed his fingers apart again, the snowflake disappeared in a magical poof, and all signs of winter with it.

Villagers started cheering and celebrating and tossing aside their winter coats for their light summer clothes. Knuckles smiled bigger than Tails had ever seen him smile, Chip started dancing in midair, and Sonic relaxed, gazing over his warm, happy kingdom for the first time with new eyes. Tails punched him playfully and grinned at him; "I knew you could do it."

A/N: Much shorter than the other one, but I still like this one. I love drama and putting Sonic in stressful situations (maybe a little too much...) for pretty much this. I really felt for Elsa in this scene, specifically, and it was fun to try and put what Elsa (or any loving big brother/sister) would feel in this situation into words.

More to come...