— The Grand Good ol’ Maze (Downtown District) —

  The two 8-year-olds slowly approach each other, continuing to stare in anticipation of a confrontation. “I’m Miles Tails Prower. I don’t care how strong you are, or how weak I am… I’ll never doubt my own strength, just by seeing you.”

  “Ho-ho, getting competitive, Tails? You don’t understand how I had to deal with self-doubt…” A barrier activates, leaving Tails separated from the team. To ensure a real fight will happen, every escape route has been closed off, and Solid has been fully sealed, preventing him from escaping together. “Let’s see if your IQ matches your fighting IQ.”

  DASH!

  Doubt rushes at him, where, despite Tails trying to evade by hovering, he finds a way to get the fox. “Ah. Ah. Ah. Escaping is for losers.” He grabs his ankle mid-flight, not letting go anytime soon. “Maybe something would serve you justice.” Revealing a taser from his pocket and-

  ZZZZZZZZZZT!!! “AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!”

  -causing Tails to scream in pain before falling to the ground. “Electricity failed you? Tell me. When’s the last time you got electrocuted this hard?” He kneels at the fallen fox, his voice mocking him as he casually waits for a response.

  “Muffled.”

  “Hmm? Someone needs some air to speak.” The gecko lifts the fox’s head, sincerely curious about what he is saying. “Say that again one more time?”

  “That felt like… SURGE!” The mysterious boxing glove pops out underneath Tails’s backpack, causing Doubt to get punched in the stomach and launched against the wall, where he crashes onto a pipe that breaks, causing water to leak onto him. “Ouch... … And Kit…” He removes the strap from his waist and drops the boxing glove, which is only for one-time use.

  “Urgh… ugh…” Doubt groans while recovering from the unexpected mechanism, lifting himself out of the puddle. “I can’t let him defeat me… I can’t show my imperfections…” He looks at Tails with anger, already intent on winning against him, before having a profound realization. “Or maybe… show off my abilities.” A wide and menacing smirk isn’t the greatest sign, now that the situation takes an immediate 180. He hasn’t shown off his powers since last year, showing off one by himself, all alone inside his former house. “Welcome… to my fantasy.”

  Darkness ensues once again, yet is limited only to them. The rest on the other side of the boundary is completely unaffected; however, they witnessed the other side covered in darkness, fearing for their friend. “TAILS!?” Sonic slams on the barrier before proceeding to pound furiously. “TAILS, CAN YOU HEAR ME!?” The others look at him with concern, slowly approaching the Blue Blur. “TAILS!? TAILS!!!!!!!!!”

  — Somewhere in Doubt’s Mind —

  “Open your eyes.” Tails listens to the gecko’s voice, his eyes fluttering from the peaceful light, and it doesn’t take a moment to reveal how stunned he is to see the area that he’s in. Standing inside an ancient Greek temple, filled with clouds around him and bright sunlight in the background. “Don’t mind the clouds, unlike me, you’re probably claustrophobic.” Explained by Doubt, the clouds pass by the fox and disappear. “Anyways… Snap.” The carpet mysteriously appears underneath his foot, which guides him all the way to the gecko, who is sitting on a throne chair at a high altitude.

  Somewhat confused about what his powers must be, Tails sees how Doubt is controlling his own world or temple; maybe he possesses a paracosm, but he doesn’t want to jump to conclusions. He decides to follow the carpet, having the confidence to continue his journey. “What are you trying to show me here?” His voice echoes around the temple; no response from the fox at all, but the stairs suddenly appear right in front of him, leading to the gecko.

  However, once a few steps were taken on the stairs, the floor and the area behind him collapsed and fell into the bottomless pit, causing him to hesitate whether he should continue walking. Since there’s nothing left behind, the only thing he can do is move forward.

  The sunlight from the ancient Greek temple sets, with a bright full moon visible to the naked eye. The stairs start to glow, guiding the fox to the stairs, and he hopes he won't trip on any. As he continues taking steps up the stairs, Doubt ultimately starts his speech.

  “... My name is Doubt the Gecko. When my parents were deciding on my name, they feared the lack of creativity. They decided on the name Doubt to represent how their misfortunes with self-doubt will be carried on through my legacy. It’s weird, but they were correct. I’ve suffered more than I can imagine. 'Cause I was bullied when I was young… people in school made fun of me. I didn’t know how to act or react to the non-stop pressure. I was essentially trapped inside a box, a box that was crushing me… I represented a defenseless paper that kept getting crumpled, no one to spare. Not even my parents. It wasn’t until my encounter with the Doctor that he offered me a gift. I couldn’t help but feel rejoiced, something that I haven’t felt in my entire life. But, he wanted me to perfect first; if I listened to his commands, I would be perfect. Perfect than what I was prior. A perfect world is what he’s planning… Can’t you see that what the Doctor is doing is beneficial to this world? He’s using the Master Emerald to rebuild this society from the bottom up. Society is full of evil that serves no justice… let evil ones feel my pain. Let them suffer! LET THEM-”

  “No.”

  Doubt’s eyes dart towards the end of the stairs, where Tails plants a foot down before proceeding to stop at a considerable distance, both staring down at each other until the fox lets his voice be heard loud and clear. “Doubt, we’re the same age. Don’t let a single person influence what you are to be perfect.”

  “Why would you care!? My life is already full of resentment! The doctor is giving me the perfect opportunity while I can’t go back and change what my past was-”

  “You’re right. We all have to experience such treatment. We’re both raised in similar situations; our past was full of challenges, and we won’t deny it. However…” The fox takes a few steps, approaching the gecko at a menacing distance. “I had to overcome those early fights. It wasn’t pretty, but over time, I’ve built my confidence, and I eventually overcame my early life. I embraced my uniqueness; I don’t care if I was an outlier, I enjoyed life, even if I was socially distant in the past. Yet, hearing your story… I want to help you out.” He continues to approach the seated gecko, ever-so slightly building his anxiety from his approach, but the fox shows no signs of violence and instead peacefulness. “... I want to help you… like friends.” He gives off a genuine smile; no signs of regret shown once. “You’ve been bullied, I’ve been bullied. Let’s take the box apart into pieces, and free yourself. You can’t force the box to submit to your plea just by being perfect; it’ll instead crush you even more because of the stress you’re putting on yourself. Embrace your imperfections, ease off the stress, and let go of the gas. If you do, I’ll be the one to help you. Please?” Once the distance finally closes between them, Tails offers him a hand, patiently and politely waiting for his response.

  The frozen gecko stares at the fox’s glove with a shocked face, staring at it for some time. He realizes that Tails’s words may be much more than what he’s actually thinking. “… I’ve never gotten an offer like this, never in my entire 8 years… where someone has finally offered me help. My parents never helped me. Random bystanders weren’t getting better either. I was all alone... I was all alone… Not even my doctor offered such kindness… He never offered me help, but offered me a gift to perfection rather than actual help.” He slowly gets up from the seat, leaving the throne seat to disappear into the clouds. He takes a few steps before approaching him, still seeing the hand, free for an offer.

  “You don’t have to be the villain. If you need help, I've got you.”

  This was a remarkable moment, a moment the gecko could finally break away from the past pain and move on. He momentarily reflects on the life he faced, scrapping it all away as he reaches for Tails’s hand to accept their new achievement. Everything is going well under way.

  “Doubt. Doubt your choices.”

  Doubt suddenly puts both hands on his head, covering his ears to get rid of the noise surrounding him, and only him. Tails tries to help him, but he pushes him away, trying to handle these noises on his own.

  “Are you sure he’s helping you?”

  “I’m sure he is. Look at his face, he’s-”

  “Tricking you. That’s what it is. He’s tricking you.”

  “And why’s that? You believe everyone is pure evil?”

  “You don’t understand what he’s been going through. Everyone is evil; never trust in anyone.”

  “That doesn’t mean everyone is pure evil. He hasn’t met the kind and compassionate people, only meeting those who don’t respect humanity-”

  “Even to those people, you still have to understand that everyone has their evilness. Look at Tails. I know he may seem a loyal person, but inside him hides evil; no one can see within his past actions, only himself.”

  “D-Don’t listen to him. He’s trying to manipulate-”

  “You think so, man? Look at him again, and doubt yourself. I doubt that he is a loyal person. We all have to make decisions for once, you know?”

  “Let him decide on that!”

  The voices continue to ring throughout Doubt’s mind. He creates a barrier between himself and Tails, where he screams in pain, trying to get rid of the voices. But the constant argument between the two voices forces him to beg them to stop. Still, his plea doesn’t work out, the voice lingering inside him. However, the voices soon and suddenly stop before the same condescending voice tells him.

  “Always be doubtful with that two-tailed fox. Your life is already filled with self-doubt; might as well fight for dominance. Show the world who you are. How perfect you are. You’re no ordinary child. Your name is-”

  “Doubt the Gecko.”

  “A-Are you alright?” Tails nervously questions him; the barrier finally opens up between the two eight-year-olds. The fox slowly approaches, checking on the now frozen gecko, who’s still on his knees. “Doubt?” He shakes him briefly before asking him again. “Doubt-”

  KICK!!!

  The sudden kick to the stomach causes Tails to get launched, before landing- “Oof! … Doubt… what happened-”

  “I’ve had enough of your trickery.” Doubt slowly stands up, looking at him menacingly. “I doubt that you’re trying to help me. You have evil inside you, and you know I hate it when people lure me into some trap.”

  “How am I…?” The fox also slowly stands up, recovering from the impact while showing emotions. “I’m not evil, and I won’t betray you. Nothing. I’m trying to help-”

  “Shut up.”

  Snap.

  The area suddenly transforms into an arena, where the place is packed with audiences, all cheering on for Doubt. On the contrary, they all boo and mock Tails, showing no mercy for his presence. “You know a thing called Lucid dreaming, where you’re still conscious while in a dream? I’ve experienced it every single day. Whether it’s from a nap or a sleep, I obtain all my creativity… my narrative… and explain how much I’ve suffered. And I was able to control my dreams… So, welcome to my empire. My world.”

  Tails couldn’t help but clench his fist, looking at the gecko with a rare hatred building inside him. “You didn’t have to make this difficult… but you’re insane. Mentally insane…”

  “Insane. Indeed.” The gecko starts levitating, and the barrier once again activates, surrounding the arena, where the fox can’t escape. He continues to levitate, displaying his dominance, with a wide smirk. “Don’t worry, it’s going to be a clean and fair fight…” He instantly bull rushes at him, focusing on a powerful attack.

  Yet, to him, it’s all about knowing that not everything is easy. He quickly identifies that Doubt doesn’t necessarily have a problem with self-doubt; in fact, that’s his character. Hence the name. And Tails understands his situation with self-doubt; in fact, he’s dealing with one right now, because this is a high-stakes situation, especially when he’s doing it by himself. But the difference lies in how they both handle self-doubt. Tails overcomes self-doubt by believing in himself, focusing on his strengths and accomplishments, while being surrounded by his lifelong friends. However, Doubt never had that chance; his early life was consumed by self-doubt, as his identity made it difficult to overcome those challenges. Seeing how he was almost… almost there to start helping the gecko, all for it to plummet. He’s going to give a second shot, but it doesn’t mean one without a convincing fight.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  “I’m sorry, Doubt… but nothing’s gonna change unless I-” Tails starts to spindash at Doubt, hoping that it could at least trip him up. However, just as expected, he doesn’t get hit by his weak version of the spindash, to the point where the gecko’s punch overpowers the spinning fox, slamming him down to the ground, and letting the fox feel the impact and pain.

  Doubt pins him to the ground, making for an immediate worst start. “Pathetic fox, you can’t even beat my simple punch against your complicated spindash. I’ll show you how perfectly I am… How perfect I am to the doctor…” He tosses him in the air and punches the fox into the barrier, continuing the torment. “Failure will never be a part of my life… I failed many times… and I want to prove how successful I am, by SHOWING LITTLE TO NO MISTAKES!”

  “Atychiphobia… fear of failure–a perfectionist.” Tails slowly stands up, doing his best to contain the pain that was delivered to him. He watches as the gecko menacingly approaches him, cracking his knuckles to show himself. “Not everyone is going to be perfect. Especially for a person like you, you need to get comfortable with failure-”

  “FAILURE WILL NEVER BE TOLERATED!!!” He exclaims again before instantly dashing towards the defenseless fox, going all in for a punch.

  “Your first mistake. Know your surroundings.” The fox instantly hovers out of the place he knocked into, letting the sequence go into play.

  Doubt’s eyes widened, but it’s a little too late. He trips over something and stumbles until he crashes into the wall, face-first, letting his anger rise to the max. “... Don’t tell me what to do…”

  Tails also understands that Doubt is going to be subjected to mood swings, already witnessing the change in his emotions. Sometimes, he can be reserved, but in instances like this, he’s intense. For now, he propels himself to fly further up in the air, observing the still gecko from afar. “... Is he going to do something…?” His curiosity remains at its highest, yet he remains curious rather than investigating, knowing it’s a trap to go close to him. “... You’re not making me fall for-”

  “For what?” Tails slowly turns his head around, witnessing the same gecko that was previously at the crash site is now levitating behind him before grabbing his neck. “Listen. I don’t care what offer you can afford me for help, but I’ll never fall for a betrayal…” He continues strangling the fox, hoping he can learn his lesson. “Evil people must die… Evil people shouldn’t have the heart to live…”

  “Argh…” He tries fighting him off, but the squeezing intensifies, almost to the point of death. “Let… me… go…”

  “Ho-ho! Try me!” The more he resists, the more it intensifies. Tails’s vision starts blurring; his part is to stop the insane gecko, but in the end, his eyes slowly close, an indication that Doubt has done his part. His role is to defeat the fox, whom he sees as a natural enemy. “... How worthless…” He effortlessly drops his body, looking away to think about-

  WHOOSH!

  “WHAT THE!?” The sudden drop forces him to look down and see that Tails has mysteriously attached the rope to his ankle. “This fox is getting on my nerves! First trying to lure me into evilness and now this!?” He does his best to reach for the rope, trying to untie it, but no matter what, he can’t get physically close enough to reach the knot as he possibly can. Now that the ground is coming closer, he has no choice but to create a foam pit for both of them at the last second, which causes them to land deep in the pit, the impact causing as much foam to fly out.

  Coughing. “Ugh…” Doubt slowly climbs out of the pit, sore from the impact, where he lies on the ground. “He’s already a pain to deal with… alive or unalive.” He looks back at the pit, seeing that less foam is piled in the pit, and a lot is filling the arena. “Time to get rid of this mess.”

  Snap.

  With an instant, the foam pit and the foam slowly disappear, reverting to the original flat ground of the arena. The gecko slowly stands up, still recovering from the intense situation. He proceeds to look around the arena, trying to find where the fox- “No…”

  His strangling must’ve been weak, because Tails is already alive and well. Just like Doubt, he’s also sore from the impact, albeit he’s come prepared this time. More prepared than the gecko. “I’ve seen much frustration in my life… I usually contain it, not letting my emotions get the best of me. But you… You’re a pain to deal with. And I won’t stop fighting till I convince you otherwise.”

  Doubt’s stunned expression was rather brief because, in the matter of hearing his words, he once again presents a wide grin.

  “Evil must die.”

  They both rush at each other, landing a punch to test their strengths, which were equally matched and neutralized. “Same move, same strength. This is gonna get interesting…” Doubt tries to grab the fox yet again, but Tails uses his two tails to swat him away, creating separation. “How cheeky of a move. Of course, you need your ol’ reliable tail for support.”

  Fwick.

  “Right behind you-!” Trips. “Wha-” SMACK!!! Doubt continues to get hit by Tails’s moves, first tripping, before the fox ultimately does a powerful smack onto him with his two tails again, sending him to the barrier.

  “Doubt… Please listen! I don’t want to hurt you further! I want to help-”

  “Helping isn’t a part of my thing! I won’t trust you and your actions!” He slowly gets up, hurt from the impact. “I’ve been criticized for not being good enough. I want to show the Doctor who’s worthy of being their true right-hand man! Your offering causes me to show how worthless I am!” He clenches his fists, genuinely hurt by Tails’s speeches. “I know what I’m doing right! I want to do more… MORE!!!” He yells, but his voice lacks confidence, revealing his weak side.

  After hearing his so-called declaration, Tails finally finalizes another plan, hoping it will finally convince the gecko. The lack of confidence in his voice gives the fox an advantage. The problem is, he hopes and needs to execute this perfectly, without any mistakes on his part. All he needs to do is to continue their fair fight.

  “Staying silent? Rare from you. All I’m giving you is a simple and plain death, but you’re being stubborn.” Doubt teleports behind him, where he grabs his tail and throws him, not far enough to hit the wall, but far enough to have some distance.

  Tails quickly recovers by revealing his gadget, using a random shield generator to protect himself from a sudden attack. He watches the gecko collide and attack him with a dropkick; the shield absorbs the attack, letting him bounce off it.

  Chuckling. “You have to reveal your dumb inventions. How pointless. I thought this was a fair fight. Oh well, I’ve been using my powers, so you’re not the only suspect.” His menacing laughter and smirk reveal how much fun he is having in this moment, yet his voice still lacks confidence. Everything about him is too complicated for a normal person to understand.

  “Heads up!” Tails predicts that he’ll teleport behind him; instead, he’s in front of him, landing an uppercut. “Same approach, eh? Ultimately, you need to be wise about your decision-making.” Which is followed by teleporting above him and punching him to the ground, the immediate impact causes the debris cloud to cover the fox and the ground. “Whoops. Maybe I hit you too hard. I hope you don’t pop out of there and punch me.” He teases, mocking him after the harsh impact.

  However, his words spoke a daring truth. Tails at an instant, flies out of the debris, and flashes at Doubt, landing an uppercut back to him. “I’m sorry if that hurt, but someone gotta get a taste from how I felt from that punch.” He gets launched even further into the air, watching the arena from below steadily becoming smaller. The fox slowly hovers to his height, where he’s physically and mentally prepared. “I’m not Sonic. I was never meant to be a hedgehog; showing off my powers or fighting isn’t a part of my personality. I’m not the best at fighting, but I’ll try, no matter the mistakes that appear. You’re trying to be perfect, but in reality, we’re never-”

  “HAVEN’T I TOLD YOU MORE THAN ONCE TO KEEP YOUR SPEECH TO YOURSELF!?” Doubt responds with a series of rapid-fire fisticuffs, wanting to land one of those punches on the fox, after hearing the speeches as insults.

  Thankfully, at the right time, Tails takes out his shield generator to block all of those attacks. However, Doubt’s continuous and non-stop punches overwhelm him; he’s stunned to see that the gecko isn’t tired, showing no signs of slowing down. “I’m not the person to show dominance, but this situation is forcing me to, because if he continues to prove how powerful he is, then my progress towards my plans won’t be led!” He continues staring down at him, waiting for the right moment to counterattack. Still, the gecko continues to rapid-fire, not paying attention to the position he’s currently at, or what the fox is anticipating.

  Once Tails feels confident, he takes a hard bet and parries one of his attacks, causing Doubt to finally realize what’s happening before the fox does an unexpected headbutt. This results in the gecko falling while in pain; the fox is also in pain, albeit not as severely as the gecko. “That was unorthodox on my end…! I normally wouldn’t do that… Ngh… My head hurts a lot… That’s probably my last time doing that… Although-” He continues watching the gecko falling until deciding to take immediate action. He dives towards the gecko, this time accelerating faster, reaching out for his body. “I won’t let you die under my watch!” However, he couldn’t reach him on his first attempt, making this situation more frightening, especially as they’re alarmingly getting closer to the ground. “NO! DON’T DIE!!!” He eventually reached the point of deciding whether to waste one of his gadgets, upon its limited one-time use. “ARGH! I wish I didn’t have to use this, but it’s critical!” He grabs something out of his backpack before he throws it down, which dives past the gecko before ultimately deploying as a safety air cushion. Thankfully, Doubt falls onto it, relieving the fox as he slowly lands next to the cushion, his heart continuing to beat rapidly from the tense moment prior.

  Now curious about Doubt’s well-being, Tails hovers over the cushion, witnessing no serious or fatal injuries to him. Relieved, he slowly descends to grab onto him, just for the gecko to grab his wrist. “Tired and very TIRED of being imperfect… You’re AN ANNOYING FOX!!!” He throws him away, landing him back on the ground before teleporting on top of him. He finally got a hold of the fox, pinning him to the ground, where he continues to land punches at his vulnerable state. “No matter what happens, you’re a worthless, evil fox. I know my superiority… and I know how perfect I am…” He raises his arm for another blow, but lets him have one last word. “Anything to say before death comes close?”

  “Yeah… One… more… thing…” The gecko's eyes widened, where curiosity struck him, and he smirked, leaning in to hear his words.

  “Everybody has their mistakes… even you, buddy… Even you!”

  Tails suddenly reveals the same taser from earlier on his hand and lunges at him, causing Doubt to get tased before the fox kicks him away. “Doubt… This life of being perfect… is not going to help deal with your self-doubt. If you need help, it’s someone right in front of you… Me.”

  “ARGHHHHHH!!!” Doubt rushes at him carelessly, trying to land another punch, but Tails grabs his wrist and lands a punch to the stomach.

  “Your parents aren’t right. They forced you to be the person you are currently. Now that you’re alone, face it. It’s time for a change; you don’t have to go through self-doubt every single moment.” His voice lacks a condescending tone, appearing at the same level as him, though he menacingly approaches him, causing the Doubt to back away. “Please-”

  “NO! I WON’T ACCEPT HELP FROM SUCH EVIL!” He teleports in front of him, trying to land a kick. Yet a futile decision, where Tails uses a shield generator to parry his attack before striking him with his tail, launching him to the corner, now having nowhere to go. Essentially, trapped, watching the fox slowly approaching him. His confidence finally wears down, now exposing his weak side… his imperfection.

  “Always look at everyone positively. Not everyone is evil. You can be evil, yet have a heart. I know my wrongdoings, and I regret every single one of them. Even to the point where I experienced self-doubt. Like you.” He eventually stands in front of him, where his shadow consumes the surrounding light. “In the end… You have a heart and brain inside of you.” He kneels, expressing a reassuring smile while the sunlight shines onto them, where Doubt looks at the fox like a saint. “Remove all of the negative thoughts inside of you. Look at me like I’m not evil.”

  “Look at the fox… he’s trying to trick you!”

  “How is he tricking me? If I’m cornered, wouldn’t he do something to me already?”

  “That’s not the point, young man. He’s deceiving you. His eyes and reassuring smile shouldn’t influence you. Be strong and tell yourself who he is!”

  “... He’s evil…”

  “Yes… That’s my boy. Keep saying it…”

  “... He’s evil…”

  “... He’s evil…”

  “... He’s evil…”

  “... He’s evil!”

  “... He’s evil!”

  “He’s evil!”

  “He’s evil!”

  “HE’S EV-!”

  Tails reaches for his shoulder, showing comfort and support, snapping Doubt’s thoughts outside of his head. “Be honest. Have you ever had someone who’s showing you support or comfort like this?”

  “... No…”

  “Then I’ll be your first. Destroy those thoughts in your head, because they’re leading you nowhere. That’s why you’re always burdened, depressed, striving for success. In reality, no one, including yourself, should be forcing you to perfection. Don’t compare yourself to these successful beings. You’re young and developing, not meant to face the impossible at your age. Remember who you are, why you’re here, and what you should be going out for instead.”

  “... My name is Doubt the Gecko… I’m 8 years old… and I’m here to listen to my doctor-”

  “Think less about the doctor. Think more for yourself.”

  “... I’m here to prove… how successful I can be. How talented I am… But here I am, defeated by none other than Miles Tails Prower. Proving how unsuccessful-”

  “Just because you tried to fight me, doesn’t mean you’re unsuccessful. Instead, think about how losses can lead to future outcomes. Ways to improvise in the near future.”

  “... Proving how life comes up short… but in the end, that’s life. Failures and mistakes that ultimately will lead to-”

  “Success.” Their voices synchronized, looking at each other with profound confidence, a feeling of renewed friendship.

  Tails watches the gecko’s smile become more innocent-looking, witnessing how his little plan worked out. “And don’t you worry, like I’ve said many times, I’ve also gone through hard times like this. Not until I met a recognizable Blue Blur that had me go through the same hardships as you’ve gone through.” He gently releases his grip from his shoulder until he offers him a hand like before. “Second try is always the try.”

  All the voices inside of Doubt’s head no longer linger, now creating his own mind and space, free from the struggle he’s had since he was born. All the past can be thrown away, now replaced by the present and a hopeful future that’ll be up and coming.

  Maybe this time… life isn’t about what he had envisioned.

  Rather, what others can bring to him. For the better.

  “Always try.” He finally grabs onto Tails’s hand, where the arena slowly fades away, and the darkness covers their area, leaving them all by themselves.

  — The Grand Good ol’ Maze (Downtown District) —

  Darkness slowly fades away, and they witness themselves returning to the open area around the laboratory. Tails slowly stands up, helping Doubt up as well with a renewed hope. “I’m proud of how strong you are for overcoming your self-doubt. You can do this. Believe in your-”

  “TAILS!!!” Sonic instantly rushes and hugs Tails, nearly crying, but manages to contain his emotions. “You scared me. Oh god, I was about to lose my faith. Oh god…”

  “Hey there, it’s alright. You know who I am. I’m still Tails, your buddy.” He returns the hug, feeling a little amused by their hug, but also feels rejoiced.

  The tense moments from earlier between the two eight-year-olds are now dying, as Doubt looks at them with a new feeling and forgiveness. “I’m… I’m sorry about this mess. I shouldn’t have fought, captured, or even listened to that doctor. I-I… I-”

  “It’s not your fault.” Tails comforts him again, understanding his pain. “You were negatively influenced, and we’re glad to bring you out of that area. You don’t have to blame yourself every single time. Use that moment to take a deep reflection and positively change that for the future.”

  “Right…” Not only does he smile at Tails, but he also smiles at the team, whom he thought were their enemy. “I’m glad I changed-”

  “You’re not the only one.” The kangaroo hops down from the observation deck, landing behind the gecko. “All this time, I was led by a child?” She remains speechless before appearing to laugh. “I should’ve known better! Man, do I need to get my skills rechecked.”

  Sonic whispers to the team, although Amy knows about her identity, the others don’t. “That’s Mila… she guided us our way here. Don’t worry, she’s not our enemy. Though she’s a little bit… crazy.”

  Doubt continues to have a confused look on his face, watching her laugh while talking to herself. “Is it okay if we leave?” He asks, thinking that Tails should’ve mentally fixed her brain rather than his, but he doesn’t seem to mind the results.

  Tricky lets out an amused scoff and gestures to them. “Go ahead. It’s not like you need us for future causes–well, maybe. Ehh… Depends-just go, you damn gecko.”

  “Fine by me.” Doubt taps Mila’s shoulder, letting her follow him as soon as they enter the stairwell, leaving the team behind.

  “Thank you. I’m grateful to you all! To you two adorable hedgehogs! And that orange hedgehog!!!” The kangaroo continues to yell, her voice gradually becoming quieter once she’s gone.

  Although Doubt comes back at them with a contentful smile, appreciating everyone, especially Tails, for the needed guidance and change. “Take care, and I hope you… Finish your mission, despite any potential setbacks in the near future.” He finalizes his words before departing, leaving the team behind.

  “…”

  “That was something,” Amy responds from the aftermath, the team looking as awkward as ever. “I can’t believe she guided us to the exit while she was yapping for a minute. That felt like an eternity for me!”

  “As long as we’re liberating them from Eggman’s influence, it’s a successful mission. Next time, we should remain intact. Other than that, we’re just proud that we’re strong enough to endure these missions.” Knuckles says, crossing his arms to keep his defiant mood.

  To an agreement, they all appear satisfied with his answer, displaying a smile and a state of calmness. This was indeed a successful mission. “Good. Because we still have more to do.” Sonic directs their gaze to the unconscious hedgehog, now safe around them. “More to see. More to fight. More to run. More to our journey. Because it ain’t over.”

  - - ACT 1: Stage 3 (The Grand Good ol’ Maze) || COMPLETED - -