“Hey, little bro! Feeling better?”

The familiar voice pulled you from your thoughts as you looked up, finding Sonic walking towards you as you studied the environment. You nodded, turning your body to face him as you replied. “Yeah. This whole experience gave me a kind of clarity.” You hesitated, gathering your thoughts before continuing. You had been thinking this over for awhile now, and you think you’re finally ready to admit it to him. As much as you love and admire Sonic, you need to live without him, to figure out who you are, on your own. The tricky part is telling him. “When this is all over… I think I need to go alone for a while. I can’t grow into my full potential if I always fall back on you.” You paused, studying Sonic’s reaction nervously as you added on. “If that’s okay!”

Sonic chuckled, nodding as he paced, folding his arms over his chest. He took a moment to respond as he thought over your words, trying to maintain his usual confident and cocky front. “Your free to go your own way.” He stopped, turning back to you with a bittersweet smile. A hint of sadness cracked through his persona, looking you over as memories flashed through his mind. You were no longer the cowering fox Sonic had saved from bullies all those years ago. And while you were still a kid, you were stronger, smarter and braver than you once were. And if you wanted to figure out somethings yourself, he wasn’t going to stop you. “I guess you just grew up on me a little faster than I expected.”

Your ears perked up at his comment, the weight of your prior worry to his reaction instantly evaporating. You gave him a cheeky smile, attempting to lighten the mood. “Are you saying I outpaced you?”

Sonic rolled his eyes at your teasing comment, nudging you playfully. “Yeah, don’t push it.”