Found Family is life

Things had been going great. It was the third time they'd seen Sonic, and while he still wasn't speaking, he looked happier. When Sonic helped them fight against Eggman and free everyone trapped in that labor camp a year or so ago, he hardly looked like himself. Gone was the smiling hedgehog who stole a plane and flew them to the Mystic Ruins, who laughed at danger and went exploring with them on a whim, just because Ray asked him to stay.

Instead, Sonic had been silent and impatient. He saved people and freed all the poor creatures imprisoned in Eggman's machines, but he didn't seem happy. Well, Ray supposed the only time he did seem happy was with them. When Sonic laid eyes on him and Mighty, he smiled and wrapped them up in a huge hug. Except just as quickly, he let go and started doing stuff with his hands. They eventually learned he wasn't able to speak, and after some time managed to learn a few words. Mighty had been really worried, and managed to convince Sonic to travel with them for a few weeks. Unfortunately, Mighty ended up pushing too hard one day and Sonic left.

Now, three days ago their paths crossed again, and this time Sonic had someone with him. A two-tailed fox named Tails. Mighty laughed and accused him of copying him but Sonic shrugged him off. They figured out a few more of his signs, and Tails acted as translator for the stuff they couldn't understand.

At first, Ray had been excited. Not only was Sonic more like he was when they first met, but Ray was no longer the youngest! Tails was like—a whole three years younger than him! Tails had been shy and tried hiding behind Sonic, but Mighty managed to coax him out by joking that Ray did the same when he was younger.

Ray pretended to be offended at that and Tails giggled. After they explained they'd known Sonic for a while, Tails had asked nonstop questions about their adventures. He'd been impressed with Mighty's strength and in awe of how Ray used his patagia to glide. It was a little off-putting to realize how much of a genius Tails was at first. What little kid not only knew what patagium were, but could put words to things Ray innately knew as a flying squirrel? Although, Ray figured the fastest thing alive couldn't help but keep equally odd company.

Earlier today had been the turning point though. While Mighty was entertaining Tails, Ray got a chance to hang out with Sonic. He was showing off all the card tricks he'd learned and even though Sonic didn't say anything, his expressions and gasps of shock were all the encouragement Ray needed.

Then Tails and Mighty joined them. Tails had stared at his cards so intently Ray saw no choice but to show off again. It wasn't often he had an audience who wasn't Mighty. Except after the second trick, Tails figured out how he did it!

He'd been so proud and smiled at Ray as if Ray had been deliberately testing him and expected a "good job!" for figuring it out. Ray could only stand there in shock, unsure of how to feel before Sonic yanked Tails to the side. He signed in such a way it looked like he was yelling or reprimanding Tails, but Tails just looked confused.

"But I f'gured it out, Sonic," he'd whined, using a hard "-CK" at the end of Sonic's name in that weird way of his. Before, Ray had thought it kind of adorable, like some sort of proof that Tails was just a silly kid, but from that point on it bugged him. Ray had half a mind to fire back that he didn't want some dumb kid who couldn't even say his big brother's name right to lecture him—but everything took a backseat when a group of badniks attacked.

One thing led to another and they followed the tracks to spot an Eggman base in the distance. After some discussion, they decided to make camp a few miles back and then attack early the next morning. Ray tried and tried to fall asleep, but he couldn't stop replaying that moment with Tails in his head. He got up, mumbled something about needing to pee to Mighty who was on first watch, and here he was.

"C'mon, Ray. What's bothering you?" There was a light touch to his paw and it was apparent that at some point, Mighty had joined him on the same branch. He lifted his head and saw Mighty's face pinch. He leaned forward and brushed his thumb under Ray's eyes. The glove came away wet, and Ray was surprised to realize he ended up crying after all.

"This is more than Tails figuring out your card trick," Mighty said. "What's wrong?"

"I j-just—I d-do-don't—ugg!" Ray thumped his head against the tree trunk and pulled on his ears. He'd overcome his stutter for the most part, had spent years practicing and following "speech therapy" to the best of his ability from books (with Mighty's help of course). It was practically gone now, only resurfacing when he was exhausted or highly emotional.

And the worst part? The worst part is that being flustered only made the stutter worse, so of course he couldn't help but turn into a blubbering mess!

"Sh-sh-sh-sh." Mighty carefully pulled his paws away from his ears. "Take some deep breaths, okay?" He coaxed Ray into a more manageable sitting position, with his legs dangling on either side of the branch instead of being pressed against his chest. "I've gotcha."

With practiced ease, Mighty removed both of their gloves. He then gently massaged little circles on the back of Ray's paws to ground him. Ray worked on slowing his breathing to match those movements. In time, he felt it safe enough to talk.

"I-I just . . . it m-made me feel we-weak," he said, staring at his paws. It was easier to talk when he wasn't looking right at Mighty.

"Weak?" His brother's tone didn't sound like he was doubting him; more like questioning, and Ray realized it wasn't the right word.

"Useless," he corrected. Mighty's fingers twitched before resuming their circular motion.

"What makes you think that?"

"C-Cuz it's true," Ray said. "You have su-super strength, Sonic has super speed, a-and Tails is su-super smart and he can f-f-fl-fly?! I'm j-j-just me. I d-do-don't—I'm useless!" Ray tried to curl into himself once again, to try and smother the burning ache he'd put a name to, but he was stopped by Mighty's paws on his face.

"Now you look at me."

That was kind of the last thing Ray wanted to do, but he knew Mighty wasn't going to give up. He might as well get this over with. Ray did so, and was treated to the crazed, intense fury his brother was known for.

"You're my brother, and I won't tolerate anyone badmouthing my little bro. Especially if it comes from him." He poked Ray in the chest. "First off, I don't give a damn about whether or not you have 'superpowers'. Do you really think I'm that shallow?" Ray flinched from the forcefulness.

He opened his eyes at the gentle touch on his face. Mighty was now giving him a fond look. "You're my little brother because you're kind, resourceful, quick on your feet, and earnest in everything you do. You don't give up and know how to make me smile. Did you know that Sonic jokes you're the only one who can calm me down when I get angry?" Mighty chuckled and ruffled the fur on top of his head.

"For every insult you have, I've got ten compliments. Feel free to test me, but I hope I've made my point. Now, I know Tails figuring out your trick hurt you and it was mean of him—but have you considered the possibility that Tails is jealous of you?"

Seriously? Ray scoffed. "Yeah, right."

"I'm being serious. Look, while we were hanging out he asked questions about you and of course I couldn't help but gush over my coolest little brother." Mighty dug a fist into the top of his head and Ray batted him away. "So imagine how he felt, hearing all about how amazing this guy named Ray is, and suddenly he sees him making Sonic, his big brother, smile and laugh at card tricks. Something that Tails can't do."

"But he figured out how I did it, so why—"

"He probably thought you were trying to steal Sonic from him."

Ray gave Mighty a dumbfounded look. What kind of a stupid idea was that? "Why would I try and steal Sonic if I have you?"

Now it was Mighty's turn to look surprised. He got that weird look like he wanted to smile and cry at the same time, and settled for a gentle grin.

"Look, just because Tails is smart he's only five," Mighty said. "Sonic didn't tell me the whole story, but apparently he's the only one who's ever been nice to Tails. You remember how some people treated you when you had your stutter, right?" Ray nodded. The way some kids acted, it was like their birthday had come early and their only goal in life was to make him miserable. "Now think about how they'd react if they got one look at Tails."

Oh. Ray hadn't thought of it that way. He shifted to glance down at their camp. Tails was curled up against Sonic's side, and despite the way Sonic was spread out, limbs akimbo he had a tight grip around Tails. It reminded Ray of the way Sonic slept with his plushie Muttski back at Knothole Orphanage.

Back on Christmas Island, Sonic had snuck them into his room for a week. That first day, some of the other kids had made fun of Ray's stutter. Before Mighty could do anything, Sonic shoved those kids to the ground. He'd said anyone who had a problem with Ray had a problem with him. Tails'—well—tails were waaay more obvious than Ray's stutter. If he didn't try to talk, Ray could walk around freely when he was younger and no one would notice. Tails didn't have that luxury and never would.

Ray tried to imagine what it would be like, if he'd had to live at the orphanage and deal with those kids who made fun of him for years. Then one day, Mighty would appear, punch those kids' lights out, and whisk him away to a life of adventure. If some kid who looked like him came along, Ray supposed he could see how it might seem like Mighty could be taken from him.

"It doesn't look like there's anything 'wrong' with you," Mighty said softly. "All Tails sees is a super cool bigger kid with his own older brother who knows how to make Sonic laugh. I doubt he cares about things like super strength or super speed. Honestly, I'd say the fact that he felt threatened by you proves just how incredible you are. Tails wouldn't be threatened by a nobody, would he?"

It . . . no, he supposed not. Ray thought back to the earlier exchange with fresh eyes. He tried to ignore the hurt that came from Tails figuring out the trick so quickly. He shoved it down, and in Tails' place he saw a tiny chipmunk.

He and Mighty had stumbled upon one a year or so ago. It had broken its two front paws somehow and was crying out in pain. Ray reached out to try and help it, but the chipmunk bit his finger. Thanks to his gloves it didn't hurt, but the behavior had confused Ray. He knew the chipmunk hadn't understood him, but he spoke gently and moved slowly, not at all threateningly. They managed to take it to a vet to be treated, and Ray asked Mighty about the strange behavior.

Mighty explained that even though Ray didn't act like a threat, the chipmunk had been so scared it wasn't thinking straight. It felt cornered and lashed out as its only line of defense. Ray supposed that—in today's incident—Tails must have been just like that chipmunk. Instead of injured paws, it was the pain from being bullied for years. Even though Ray just wanted to show off a card trick, Tails had fought back with his only line of defense—his brain.

"So, do you still feel useless?"

Ray frowned and considered it. "I . . . I don't think I do."

"Good enough for me." Mighty slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in close. "Now it's time for you to get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow and I need ya in top form!"

Ray glanced down at the campfire again to stare at Sonic and Tails. It really was funny how Sonic had "copied" him and Mighty, but Ray no longer felt jealous. Like how Ray had found someone willing to look past his stutter and love him, Tails had found someone willing to look past his two tails to do the same. This time, Ray was happy that Tails lucked out the same way he had.

Ray then turned his attention to Mighty, and felt a overpowering rush of affection. He pounced on his brother, nearly knocking them out of the tree.

"I love you, Mighty."

-------

Look—I just love the idea of the two, yellow-furred little brothers learning how to be friends together. Both make each other feel insecure for different reasons, but once they realize they have no need to be worried, I feel they'd become very close. I feel like unlike their big brothers, they're great at keeping in touch and are the only reason why either duo knows how the other is doing. They're the ones planning "playdates" for themselves and their spacey big bros. Also—Ray is totally older than Tails! It's such a cute dynamic.

Finally, a random headcanon I have is that normally, when Sonic sleeps outside its in more of a curl to protect himself or Tails. It's only when he's sleeping with people like Mighty, Knuckles, or Shadow nearby that he feels safe enough to sleep in a more "starfish" position, but of course Ray would never know that. I'm just obsessed with the idea of Sonic looking up to Mighty like his own big brother, though of course he'd never admit it.

"Social Services wasn't able to find anything about the older kid," said one of the voices on the other side of the curtain. "There weren't any records of Glider or Luz adopting anyone."

"What about blood relatives for the little guy?"

A sigh. "They found some grandparents but they're in a nursing home and aren't fit to raise him. I'm afraid the only option is foster care."

Mighty knew he'd promised to take care of Ray no matter what and decided that Ray was now his little brother, but was that really such a good idea? He'd made that decision like—right after escaping a burning house. He was only eight. What did he know about looking after a toddler?

Wouldn't a home with two adults to provide for him be better? Sure, Mighty had learned a lot from Glider about how to survive on his own, but a kid made things complicated! Some things in life needed money. How could Mighty work odd jobs with Ray in tow? What if he got sick?

"Those two haven't left each other's sight since they were rescued," the second voice said in a whisper. Mighty had to strain his ears to listen. "D'you think there's a chance they can go to the same place?"

"I . . . Chaos I have no idea. I know Ben's husband is in Social Services so he could put in a recommendation, but if a family only wants one of them I don't know if there's much he can do."

Mighty had no doubt it would be easy for Ray to be wanted. He was so sweet and adorable, and even with the stutter there wouldn't . . .

Or maybe not.

People could be cruel. What if Ray managed to go to a home where the adults didn't care about his stutter, but the other kids did? He was only three. He'd only known love and affection. Could Mighty really leave that all to chance? At least with him, Ray would never feel like he was less because he had a hard time talking.

Mighty had seen firsthand how ugly people could get about things they knew nothing about. They judged him and Matilda for their parents' thievery, as if the two of them had any say in that. And then . . . a pang of regret and horror seized his heart as he was reminded of just why he had to search for his sister in the first place.

After their parents were arrested, he and Tilly had been placed in an orphanage. Mighty was desperate to get their parents back, and promised Tilly that he'd do so and they could be a family again. He'd left her to free his parents with his Chaos-given strength . . . and failed.

But the worst part? By the time he returned to the orphanage—Tilly was gone.

Someone had "adopted" a large number of children. The adults acted as if it was some great charitable act, but one of the kids who'd been left behind thought differently. Maple was a year older than Mighty and needed a crutch to walk. She said it was a scary group of humans and mobians who only wanted kids who were "healthy". They looked to belong to some sort of organization. Maple made a joke that she'd never thought she'd be grateful that her leg was all banged up. It meant she escaped whatever those people had in store for the kids they took.

Mighty left immediately in search of the sister he'd failed.

How could he even think about failing another kid? A wave of bitter shame coursed through him. So what if Mighty had doubts about keeping Ray safe? Luz had entrusted her son to him, and Mighty wasn't about to let her or Glider down. He'd do everything in his power to make sure Ray was properly taken care of. How could he face his little sister if he didn't?

By now the adults had left the room. The two of them no longer had to use oxygen masks, so it was only a matter of time before someone else came to take them away. It was now or never, but Mighty had to make sure.

"Psst, hey Ray." He gently shook the kid awake. "Sorry to wake you, but I've got something important to talk about."

Ray scrunched his face before leaning back in a biiiiiiig stretch. He licked his lips and stared up at Mighty. "Wh-What?" He rubbed his eyes as Mighty shifted him into a sitting position.

"Some people are gonna come, people who help kids without a home go live with other people."

Ray's muzzle quivered at the reminder that his parents were dead. A few tears fell down his cheek. "B-Bu-But you 'n' me w-w-will be . . ." He huffed in frustration and yanked on Mighty's arm in a vice-like grip. "R-Right?"

"Well, that's uh—what we gotta talk about." Mighty swallowed. He couldn't afford to have a hard time speaking now. "You remember that I have a sister, right? I can't stay with another family, so I need to—"

"D-D-Do-Don't leave m-m-me!" Ray shrieked. Mighty shushed him and glanced at the door fearfully. Thankfully, no one entered.

"I don't . . ." Mighty's resolve felt paper-thin at the fear and anguish on Ray's face. "I want to take you with me but—"

"Yes!" The bed shook faintly from Ray's bouncing. "W-W-Wanna b-be wi-with you!"

"I want you too, but Ray—" Mighty grasped Ray's shoulders and tried to be as serious as he could. "It's not gonna be easy, okay? I can't . . . I promise I'll do everything I can to keep you safe but it's gonna be hard. We won't live in a house. We're gonna eat stuff we find in the wild and there won't be lots of candy. We're gonna be hungry sometimes and cold. You have to understand that. It will be hard."

Ray's brow furrowed as if he were considering what Mighty said. But how much did he truly understand? He was just a little kid. Mighty had seen him change his mind multiple times in one day about what his favorite food was. How could he expect Ray to be capable of making such a big decision like this?

"I l-like candy an' I like m-my bl-bla-blankies," Ray said, "b-b-but I love you, M-Mighty!" He slammed into Mighty's chest and clutched him tightly. "W-Wa-Wanna be with y-you."

"All right, I hear ya." Mighty hugged him back.

This was such a stupid idea. There were a million ways it could go wrong, but for whatever reason Ray trusted him. Mighty was ready to do whatever it took to remain worthy of that trust.

----

So Ray is actually almost four, but I feel mobians develop a little faster than humans do. Their lifespans are significantly longer than those of wild animals but not all species live quite as long as humans, so that's why Ray is speaking at a higher level than he technically should be.

---

The lady (her name was Winnow) had a lot of dishes for Ray to clean, but she was really nice. She even gave Ray some cheese and bread for lunch. Mighty's trick worked!

He said that recones—reconis . . . research was important when getting a job. The flyers in store windows weren't useful because those wanted help for months or years, not a few days or weeks. Mighty said to look for places with nice people who wouldn't turn them in to orphanages or get angry. Or to listen and see if one of the workers was hurt or if the people looked to be in a hurry. Those kinds of places were more likely to be okay with getting help for just a little while.

Now, Mighty told Ray these things so he could help Mighty find a place to work, because Ray was too little. He was supposed to search for wild berries and stuff to eat or practice his reading in the library while Mighty worked jobs. It was Mighty's "duty" as the older brother, but he promised Ray could help in a few years.

"Lots of jobs need you to read," was Mighty's excuse when Ray got super angry about not being allowed to help. "They don't got time to read for you, so you gotta study hard!" Ray had a feeling Mighty was just saying that to make him stay at the library and get out of his way, but he supposed it made a little sense.

Anyway, he watched this bakery for two whole days. Winnow was always smiling and was nice to her daughter who also worked in the store. He even saw her use old stuff to feed the birds, instead of throwing it away like other places did. Someone like that had to be nice enough to let him work—and she was!

It was hard work though. His muscles felt all gooey like bread dough and the fur on his arms was stiff from working with soap all day. When it was dinner time, Winnow crouched down and presented him with a fancy cardboard box.

"Some cranberry brie pastry puffs for a job well done!"

Part of the box's lid had some clear, crinkly stuff on top. Ray glanced inside to see two desserts the size of Mighty's paw, pretty as a picture and piled high with roasted cranberries. Even with the box closed they smelled super yummy, but it was more than he deserved.

"U-Um . . . " Ray wrung his paws together. "I-I think that's too much, ma'am. I don't—I didn't d-do enough. I—"

"Oh hush," Winnow said. She gently pushed the box into his paws. "You didn't give up and cleaned everything I asked you to. Besides—I bet your brother is the kind of person who would share his present with you, right?"

Ray nodded. No matter how hard he tried to pretend not to be hungry, Mighty always gave him more food. It was a strange thing, to feel so sad when Mighty seemed so happy, but Ray couldn't help it. He wasn't strong enough yet to ignore his rumbly tummy.

"I thought so." Winnow pat his shoulder. "This way, your brother has no choice but to eat the whole thing."

Tears fell down Ray's cheeks. He gently put the box on the ground and gave Winnow a biiiiiiig hug. "Thank you!" he cried.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." She winked. "Now go find your brother before that gets too cold!"

---

"Hey, buddy!" Mighty rushed to meet him as he neared their current campsite. Ooops. His brother had the smile where he was trying to act like everything was okay but Ray knew it wasn't. It must be a little later than he thought. "Where've you been? Didja see a cool bug or something?"

Ray shook his head. "Mm-mm." He quickly moved the box behind his back and nudged Mighty back with his foot. "Sit down."

Mighty raised a brow but did as he was told. He plopped down around their unlit campfire and rolled his shoulders. It must have been a busy day moving logs. People were often worried when Mighty offered to help, but they always changed their minds when they saw how strong he was. The shocked looks on their faces was Ray's favorite part.

A brief moment of panic seized Ray's chest. Did the presents come before or after cake? . . . He didn't know! It's not like he could ask Mighty, cuz that would ruin the surprise.

Well, if you got cake first then you could get your present all sticky, so the present had to be first.

Ray took a few steps back and placed the box on the ground. Then he dug into his tail to pull out a small gift wrapped in a leaf.

"Happy Birthday, Mighty!" He presented it with a flourish.

Mighty gaped at him. "You remembered?"

"Tch, duh!" Ray rolled his eyes. "'Course I did! You're my b-big brother." It's not like he was a baby or anything. Sheesh. At this rate Mighty might never let him get a job.

Mighty reached out and gently "unwrapped" the present to reveal a bean-shaped red rock. Seeing it so small in Mighty's paw made Ray's insides all squirmy. It was too late now though, so Ray had to really make it sound cool.

"I-I found it in a cave a few—few weeks ago," Ray explained. "It ma-made me think of you." He pointed to the uneven bands of black running through it. "See?"

Mighty's glanced up to give him a fond smile, which was odd. It was just a stupid rock. "I love it," Mighty said. He pulled Ray in for a hug. "Thank you." It didn't make sense for him to be so happy, but Ray wasn't going to argue with Mighty on his birthday. That wouldn't be nice.

Ray rushed back to the box, grateful that he'd found such a nice lady to help him get a better present. Food was more exciting anyway.

"Aaaaand guess what else I g-got?!" He placed the box in Mighty's paws and pulled back the lid. "Ta-da!"

Mighty's mouth dropped even more than before. "Ray, you . . . how did you get this?"

"I didn't steal it!" Ray folded his arms and puffed out his cheeks. "M'n-not a thief!" He held his head up high. "I cleaned a buncha stuff in a bak-bakery an' the lady gave me two cuz she knew you would give me some. She's super sma-smar—Ah!"

Oh no—what did he do?! Mighty was crying! Ray pulled on his ears. Were those evil cranberries? Maybe the lady was just some witch in disguise! Was Mighty going to—

Ray's worries stopped when Mighty shoved the box to the side and nearly tackled him into a hug.

"Huh?"

"Thank you," Mighty whispered. He pulled back and smiled. "This is the best birthday I've ever had." He brushed back the fur on top of Ray's head. "I'm so lucky to have a little brother as great as you."

Phew! Mighty was just being weird again. He did that from time to time, looking sad and happy at the same time, and somehow guilty. It never made sense to Ray, but maybe he'd understand when he was older. That didn't matter now though, because—

"Can we eat it now, Mighty? C-Can we?"

His brother laughed. "Of course!"

----

Ray's present is a raw, red jasper rock. It's said to be a grounding and protective stone which perfectly encapsulates Mighty's strengths, but of course they have no idea about that. Ray just thought it looked pretty and shares the same coloring as his big brother, while Mighty finds it adorable how Ray tried so hard to get him something. Later on, Mighty gets a jeweler to split it and make them a decorative part of the buckles for his gloves in his modern design.