𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒓 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑: 𝔽𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤 𝕥𝕙𝕣𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙 𝕦𝕟𝕚𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕤

      Adult Tails and his faithful friend, another Shadow, were invited to visit Sonic, Sally and the children. At this time, Sally was preparing a pie from berries, which the children obtained with the help of Tails himself. Moreover, they collected even more than they should have collected. — Listen, huh... Maybe we went too far with him a little? — asked the adult fox. — Of course he’s a bastard and all that. But I even felt a little sorry for him. — Me too. — Tiny agreed. — Hm-m. We did something wrong with him. And how is he there all alone? They were immediately distracted from such thoughts by Luz Bucket, who came to his senses. He was tied with the thickest, freshest, rolled into a tube and braided and very strong vines. They tied him up with vines as strong as steel, not only near his hands, but also near his tail. Now it definitely won't break out. In addition, they tied his mouth with the same vines, which is why he could not speak, but only mooed. He tried to free himself and demanded to untie him, but it was all in vain. The vines held him tightly, because they were torn from the trees and strengthened according to the knowledge of the adult Tails, who knew how to strengthen the ropes. In addition, they were not going to untie him until he calmed down and stopped kicking or trying to run away somewhere again and ruin everything. He couldn't even use his shard ring because Shadow took it from him and put it on his claw on his finger, and left the heart ring for Tails. — Everything is fine. Our Shadow is quite tenacious. He experienced other situations than this. — Sally reassured everyone, taking out a large finished pie. — And here the pie is ready. — I love pies! — Shadow ran his tongue over his lips. — I know, we love them too. — Sonic answered. Everyone cut themselves a piece of pie. Tiny cut herself off, which is weird, a bigger piece. She then jumped down from her large chair and walked towards the bound prisoner. Tiny was not afraid to approach the scorpion naga. While he was struggling in place, the hedgehog stood on the tip of her tail, climbed up the horizontal vines and crawled up to the gaze of the naga. At first he looked at her sternly, and then suddenly became sad. He was desperate. — "Here you go! Now they will mock me and torture me.” — was spinning in his thoughts. Tiny took out a large straw, stuck it between the vines directly into the scorpion-naga's mouth and placed a large piece of pie on his chest, aiming the end of the straw at the pie. Luz didn't understand why she was doing this to him at first. — Eat! We are not monsters to torture you with hunger. — she said, but Luz refused and, closing his eyes, turned his head away, lifting the straw one at a time. — Don't be afraid! This is a delicious pie, not a poisonous one. Even we eat it. — she added and, as proof, she took a spoon, ran it over the smallest piece and ate it. She liked the pie, which she showed with a smile. — Come on! Without thinking for long, Luz sighed heavily and decided to try a piece of the pie that she offered him. Aiming the straw at the pie itself, he sucked it into his mouth and began chewing to taste it. — Liked? — Tiny asked and without waiting for an answer, she took the empty plate and jumped off of him. — I’ll bring more now. — See, Luz. Humans and Mobians are not as selfish as you thought. — the adult fox said to him, smiling, noticing this. Scorpio frowned and turned away, continuing to insist on his own. Although then he quietly became thoughtful and a little sad about what he was doing. — Don't get up, Tiny! I will now serve our client myself. — said Sally, cutting off a larger piece of the pie. Taking it, she crawled to Luz and untied the vines in the area of the naga scorpion’s mouth, freeing his mouth, and at the same time allowing him to breathe through his mouth. The snake squirrel placed a large piece next to his chest and crawled away. Fortunately, Luz, like all nagas, could simply stretch out his tongue to reach the pie. So he broke off a piece with his tongue and ate it. He really liked the pie. — I don’t even know, maybe this will finally convince him otherwise. — Tails thought out loud. — I’m sure that if the people themselves and the Mobians treat him kindly, even despite the fact that he will still be evil, then maybe sooner or later he will think about the fact that he has always walked on very slippery and fragile ice. In the figurative sense of the word. — Tiny explained. — Yes, and I’m sure that if your Shadow, Uncle Tails, has always been kind, even despite the bad or terrible consequences, and your Luz will also change, then who knows? Maybe someday our Shadow will also change for the better. — You think so? — asked the adult fox, to which the little fox answered: — She always tries to see the good even in bad people, Mobians and Nagas. She is sure that sooner or later our Shadow will also change, realize his mistakes and even ask us for forgiveness, just as you have forgiven each other. — Really? — asked that Shadow. — Mr. Shadow, can we play with you after we finish eating the pie? — asked Nelly. — Play?... With me? — Shadow didn’t understand a little. — Our Shadow hates us so much and is always trying to get rid of us, we never had any fun with him. — Nelly explained, to which the brothers and sister nodded in confirmation of the words. — Don't worry. I am sure that since your Shadow made my Tails a promise that he will no longer hunt you, then maybe he will someday change his mind about you and become the same as me... In character. All the children agreed with this, although in their hearts they doubted it a little. Except for Tiny, because she believed that it might happen.

***

      After snacking on Sally's pie, Shadow, as promised, crawled out into the street, next to the house, to have fun with the children and play a little with them, either in catch-up, or in hide-and-seek, or in leapfrog. At this time, Sonic and Sally remained at the table with the adult fox and decided to talk to him. — Tails, how did you guess that our Shadow, who tried to pass himself off as yours, is not yours at all? — Sonic asked. Tails briefly turned his gaze through the window at the children and his Shadow, with whom they were playing and were not yet paying attention to them. At this time, Shadow began to juggle the children, throwing them up and grabbing them in his hands. And they shouted joyfully like: — Higher! Higher! The fox turned to the two naked people and decided to tell them: — Okay, I'll tell you a secret. Just let this stay between us! It’s too early for your children at their age to know about this. Sonic and Sally pretended to cover their mouths with a zipper. Thus, they made a promise that they would remain silent and not tell them anything. Tails sighed and began to explain: — The thing is... My Shadow is actually not just my friend. For me, he became almost like a brother or father, but here he is... He is actually in love with me. — What? — Sonic and Sally asked quietly at the same time, not believing this. — Yes. It's hard to believe, but he loves me, literally. That is why I quarreled with him then and we separated. I told him so many things. Even that people and Mobians cannot love each other and be paired with nagas. When I expressed all this to him, he was offended by me and crawled away. I then felt ashamed of everything that I said to him and for a long time I tried to find him in your world. That's when I met your children... Swear that this will remain only between us and that no one will ever know about it! — the fox extended his right hand with his little finger extended. Sonic and Sally looked at each other and did the same, shaking Tails' little finger in turn as a sign of their vow. — Would you like some advice, Tails? — Sally asked and the fox decided to listen to her. — If someone is in love with you, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s human, Mobian, or even naga, and it doesn’t matter what gender they are, man or woman, you don’t blame him or her for it. This is their choice. Of course, you can consider them just friends, but they will always like you, and they will always love you, even if you find someone you fall in love with. I’m telling you this for a reason, but so that you don’t repeat my mistake, when I used to love my Shadow, and then left him for Sonic. — But even if you are unlucky with love, you can always trust someone who truly loves you, as no one else will possibly ever love. Your Shadow is a good naga who will never betray you, deceive you or abandon you. The main thing is that at least he doesn’t pester you with his love, as Amy does, trying to force it on me, but only hides behind friendship and doesn’t want to force it on you. Therefore, be more polite with him and do not offend him! Shadow, the naga you deserve. — Sonic finished, lightly running his index finger along the fox’s chin. The latter smiles at their advice and says: — Thank you. Afterwards, the fox himself comes up to them in a hug, taking both nagas by the cheeks with his hands, to which they also smile. Luz Bucket, sitting in the corner and watching this, began to rethink more and more what he had been doing all this time and how wrong he was about people and Mobians.

***

      Closer to the night, Shadow, taking with him Luz himself, who this time did not try to escape, but only continued to think, opened a portal home, to their world, from where they began all these journeys. Tails couldn't believe his eyes. Just during the day he was roaring about the fact that he was giving up and would never catch Luz, and now they had defeated him and were already returning home with him. He turned back to the children and two nagas, after which he said to them: — Be happy! — Same to you! — Sonic waved goodbye. Shadow found a suitable world and left the portal open like this for now. He crawled up to Sonic and decided to return his bandana, but the blue naga did not take it back with a smile. — Better keep it for yourself! For memory! — Really? Thank you. — he told him and hugged him goodbye. Sonic, of course, returned the hug, and then Shadow crawled up to Sally. — You know, I would really like to kiss you for everything that you have done for us, as a sign of gratitude. Unless of course the husband objects. — he said. Sally looked at Sonic, who nodded and smiled. He didn't mind. Yes, although this was not their Shadow, she still accepted the kiss as a sign of gratitude. The striped naga kissed the snake squirrel on the lips. The latter even had a blush on her cheeks for a couple of seconds out of modesty, but she nevertheless continued to smile, just like Sonic. Even Shadow blushed a little from modesty and smiled, hiding his hands behind his back. — Grow up healthy, never get sick and take care of yourself from troubles! — Tails says to the children. — And you too. — says Sammy. — Goodbye! — Nelly said for everyone. Benny even cried a little, running to the adult Tails to hug him. He had already managed to get used to it and trust it. — What are you, Benny? — the fox reassured him. — We will definitely meet again someday! — Seriously? — asked Benny. — I promise. You all know very well that I’m not lying to you at all. — said the fox and the children nodded in response. They believed him one hundred percent that they would really meet again someday. — Goodbye! With these words, Tails and his Shadow, carrying Luz, entered through the portal and found themselves again in that very native and beloved village where he grew up. It’s just strange, for some reason everything here is cloudy and a little dreary. And it seems like it’s daytime outside, but none of the peasants go out. Although maybe Tails and Shadow are simply tired of these trips between worlds and it’s time for them to go home and rest. — So, Shadow. Is that all end? — Tails turned to his naga, smiling. — It turns out so. Our paths diverge here, as before. You go home to your mother, who already misses you, and I go to my home. For one thing, I’ll take up Luz’s more serious education as it should. This time I will be tougher with him, so that he finally understands. — the striped naga explained. — Bye then. Talk to you tomorrow? — the fox asked goodbye and waved his hand. — Certainly. Till tomorrow! — Shadow said goodbye to him and they parted. Shadow and Luz crawled into the forest, and the two-tailed fox walked through the same old and familiar village home to his mother. He came to that very site, but he just didn’t recognize his home a little. It seemed that everything remained in its place, but there were no children's toys and other things that were there when Fiona found him as a baby and raised him. On the door at the entrance to the house there was a sign “No one here!” He didn’t believe that Fiona could leave the farm and go somewhere, and even without him. Tails knocked on the door and heard a shout: — WHAT, CAN’T YOU READ??? THERE IS NO ONE AT HOME!!! The scream was his mother Fiona. Only for some reason she was angry. Maybe he and Shadow were a little late and she, living without him, simply went crazy and became a recluse. He knocked again. — WELL, HOW MUCH CAN YOU REPEAT!!! I DON'T LIKE PEOPLE DISTURBING ME!!! — Fiona shouted and opened the door. She was very angry and hissed through her teeth. She took a broom and began to wave it, chasing Tails away. She didn't even recognize him. — WHO ARE YOU EVEN, HULLIGAN!!! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE PLOT!!! GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!! GET OUT!!! With one swing, Tails grabbed her mop with both hands and did not allow her to fight back. — MOM, WHAT ARE YOU??? IT'S ME, YOUR SON, TAILS!!! — the fox tried to reason with the fox. — WHAT ARE YOU KICKED MY BRAIN!!! I DO NOT EVEN KNOW YOU!!! I'M SEEING YOU FOR THE FIRST TIME!!! — she snapped back, and Tails was shocked by what he heard. It seems that they did not return to their home, but again found themselves in another world, which is also similar to their world, but different from their world. Tails didn't want to believe it, pushed Fiona to the ground and took the mop from her hands. Fiona was a little scared by the stranger who knocked her to the ground. — Don’t you recognize me? — I told you, this is the first time I’ve seen you in my life. — she answered a little fearfully. — I don't believe it, Fiona. You've never been so wild. How did you become like this? Fiona didn’t understand why he was asking her about this, and how he knew her name. However, she still answered him: — I've always been like this. It’s just that once upon a time, deep down, I was even calmer. I was bored and didn’t even have any relatives. But then I somehow came to terms with this life and became a hermit. I don’t like it when someone bothers me and that’s why I even put a warning on the door and at the entrance. I thought it would scare everyone away. However, you turned out to be braver. — You don’t even remember the basket with the baby on the pier? — the fox finally asked, to which Fiona just silently shook her head and answered: — There was no baby on the pier with a basket. I remember my whole life very well. Why are you asking me such strange questions? Now Tails was completely convinced that they were not yet at home, but in another reality. He extends his hand and helps that fox up. — You will forgive me for coming to you without an invitation. I'll explain everything to you now!