16 sparks
Sonic looked over his shoulder at the little fox. The one that he had saved, and had fought by his side with the bizarre gadgets he kept in his unassuming, worn backpack.
The one whose family had been captured by Robotnik. His adoptive family, Sonic reminded himself, which meant it was the second time the poor little guy had ended up all alone.
(Sonic tried to ignore the sharp pang of loss and worry for his Uncle Chuck, spiking thickly over the similar but dulled pang for his own long-lost parents)
(It wasn't easy to ignore, and he didn't really succeed)
The kid was smiling and waving goodbye as if they hadn't both just had several near-death experiences on that misadventure of theirs. As if he wasn't a child making his way in the world by himself, trying to take on Robotnik just like Sonic was.
As if he really was perfectly fine with how Sonic was walking away.
Miles sighed and turned around, fighting against the urge to look back and watch Sonic for as long as he could.
The hedgehog was so cool! The way he casually defied about eighty laws of physics whenever he used that superspeed of his, the way he seemed unbothered by everything, the way he acted so brave and noble and heroic no matter how dangerous the situation was... Miles would've really liked to have gotten to know him better, been his friend even.
Miles shook his head sharply in a bid to rid himself of the thought. As much as he would've liked to spend more with the older boy, he couldn't afford to waste brainpower lamenting such things. He needed to find shelter somewhere where the Egg patrols wouldn't find him, someplace near food and water and preferably some sort of scrapyard or junkyard where he could start gathering parts. He'd have to steal what he needed, of course.
He wasn't a thief by nature, but it shouldn't be too difficult to figure it out, and then he could begin work on building what he needed to raid Eggman's nearest base and free the prisoners there. If his family wasn't among them, it would still be a good practice run for the next, and the one after that, and however many he needed to take down to get his Grandparents and foster siblings back.
His ears began to droop at the thought of how much work was ahead of him, the schematics and diagrams in his mind's eye growing more complicated by the minute as he thought through the logistics of everything he needed to do. He was looking at months, at least, and maybe even years.
Years. By himself. In the wild. Trying to fight an evil, brilliant megalomaniac with a ruthless army at his beck and call.
Miles forced his ears back up, his face setting in determination. Just like Sonic had told him, put on a brave face, little buddy, you'll feel better. Dr Eggman's army was made up mostly of machines and cyborgs, and if there was one thing Miles knew, it was machines. He wasn't up to Eggman's level yet, that he knew, but that was only because he was so much younger than the mad dictator.
(Too young to be doing any of this, a little voice in his head reminded him, but he ignored it. Too young or not, he had little choice in the matter. Such is the tragedy of war, Miles mused, remembering some of the philosophy books Grandpa had gotten him. He tried to ignore the way his heart hurt at the thought of his adoptive grandfather)
(It wasn't easy to ignore any of it, and he didn't really succeed)
He could learn. He would learn. And then old Eggface wouldn't know what hit him.
Miles put one foot in front of the other, determined to face the daunting journey in front of him head-on. Young, outnumbered, alone — he was still going to succeed, because he was Miles Prower, and he could figure out the solution to any problem given enough time (and it was going to take him so much time). He could do this.
Blue energy filled his vision, something that didn't quite feel like electricity sparking within him, and the next thing he knew he was being held in Sonic's arms as the other boy ran.
"So, uh," Sonic began awkwardly, and Miles knew he shouldn't have been able to hear him with how fast they were going, the sound should've been torn away by the wind. But once again it seemed the rules didn't apply to this marvelous blue hedgehog. "My parents are... gone. Missing. My Uncle Chuck raised me, but Egghead has him now, so I'm on my own too. And a couple kids like us shouldn't be out here all alone, right? So why not stick together? You know, get both our families back?"
Miles blinked up at Sonic, who looked down at him — how was he going this fast without even looking where he was going, all Miles could make out around them were mostly-green blurs, how was he doing any of this it was so COOL — nervously.
Miles grinned and threw his arms around Sonic's neck, pressing his face into the other's chest. "Yes! One thousand to the fourth power times yes! Of course I want to stick with you. You mean it? You really mean it?"
It was Sonic's turn to blink, taken aback by Miles' enthusiasm. He chuckled, smiling softly at him. "Of course I do, little buddy. You can stick with me as long as you want."
"Promise?" Miles asked hopefully. He really didn't want to be alone anymore.
"Promise."
Sonic was walking a lot slower than he was used to, careful not to disrupt the sleeping fox kit in his arms. It had been several hours since Sonic had asked the kid to travel with him and the sun had long sunk down past the horizon. He rocked Tails gently, wondering what he'd gotten himself into by taking on a brilliant, far too independent little kid with a habit of building machines almost as dangerous as Eggman's.
Sonic had grown up an only child and in hiding on top of that, he had no clue how to behave around such a young kid, much less take care of him. Maybe he should've told the kid he'd help find someone to take care of him, instead of promising to let him stay with him...
Tails snuffled in his sleep, his twin tails wrapping around one of Sonic's arms. Sonic froze, his heart melting, even as he noticed that bizarre spark he kept getting around the kid again. He shook his head rapidly, both to clear it and to get some of his energy out. The spark thing wasn't what was important right now.
He looked back down at the sleeping child, smiling. They had all the time in the world, now, so he could always just figure it out later. And as long as Tails wanted to stay with him, Sonic decided, he was going to do everything he could to keep them together.
A promise was a promise, after all. And somehow, Sonic couldn't see himself regretting this one.
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Comments carried over from AO3 (3)
These were left on the original AO3 posting and are shown as they appeared there.
So heartwarming! As an orphan I nearly cried reading this. We all need someone that will be there for us. I'm glad they have each other!
Why ai?? Just ruined the whole thing
Why? Because I can't draw Sonic or Tails yet and I wanted to show how they look in my head.
Question: how in the world does the art ruin the whole fic??
Because it's not art. Ai is actively stealing jobs from real hardworking artists, and is also actively destroying the environment at the same time. It has no soul or actual work put into it. It ruins the whole fic because if you're using Ai for the art, how do I know you're not using it for the writing too? I just can't read something that is made by someone who supports the destruction and harm ai is causing and is actively using it. It just makes the writing feel tainted. Ai just puts a bad taste in my mouth, and the mouths of many others.
I always mark when I use AI in writing, just like I always mark when I use it for art. And it's not stealing anything — if I hadn't had access to AI, the fic either wouldn't have had art or would have had one of my drawings, I wouldn't have hired anyone for it. And they're currently using AI to revolutionize the methods used to protect the environment, so I feel like any harm levels out there.
As for the no soul thing, I'd say the picture of Sonic and Tails posing together is pretty cute, so... 🤷♀️
It is stealing the jobs of artists. If you claim to do your own art, pick up a pencil. I've seen it way too much. Almost everything that used the work of artists - design, merchandise, advertising... is now ai. I see it everywhere i look, even outside and in the real world. And I can't help but imagine, how many artists that used to do these things instead of ai have been replaced? Artists also used to get paid for doing things like that, because it was their job. People using ai instead of hiring artists IS stealing their jobs. It is becoming a problem. Also, might I add, ai also uses the art of real artists without their consent to create slop. I just really don't understand how an artist such as yourself can support something that is replacing fellow artists. Is ai really cuter than real art, with real soul put into it? Art is about expression. Expressing ideas, thoughts, feelings, situations, words... That's what gives it soul. How can an ai create so called "art" if it has no ideas, no thoughts, no feelings, no imagination TO express? It's just horrible, and you're actively choosing to be ignorant towards something that is harming a community YOU are part of, that goes against what art itself is about when you are an artist? If you still choose to be ignorant, there's nothing left i can do to help you.
It has no imagination, thoughts, or feelings, true — but I do, and by using prompts I put that soul into the AI's artwork. And even if I didn't, who cares? Art doesn't have to be about expressing anything. It CAN be, but it as well can be just something you do because you're bored, or to practice, or as a job, or to prove a point, or just because. Sometimes you draw something and there is absolutely nothing behind it, no emotions for another to parce. And that's okay. All the images I made are supposed to do is show Sonic and Tails as I see them, and then close the fic with something cute — nothing more to it needed.
You used to have to call someone to find out the time, a job that doesn't exist anymore. People used to have to copy things by hand, a job that doesn't exist anymore. Telegraphers or whatever, those ladies that had to manually switch people's calls over all the time or something like that, don't exist anymore. Technology marches on, people find other jobs. Someday, I hope there are very few real jobs and most people get to spend their time as they wish, creating and dancing and reading and watching shows and taking long walks and all of that, without stressing over work that a robot can do.
Someday, I hope no one is an artist for hire, and people draw only because they like it. I hope that people with no art skills whatsoever can make entire comics all by themselves with AI. I hope that someone wanting to make their own Fakemon Region but without the time/energy/desire to draw 100+ Fakemon can use AI and get perfect results. I hope for a better, more accessible world.
Someday, I'll be able to draw Sonic perfectly, I'm getting to be a better and better artist all the time. But instead of waiting for that day or paying who knows how much to someone to draw it for me, I can have my images now for free (or at least for a subscription, which gets me tons of images and writing and analysis and search capabilities, so it's still a deal).
As for stealing — if you call the images I made 'stealing', you're calling all fanart such.
Edit: Switchboard operators! That's what I was thinking of, not telegraphers, lol.
As well:
Elevator (lift) operators: Manually controlled and announced floors in elevators. Replaced by automatic elevators with push-button controls.
Lamplighters: Lit and extinguished gas street lamps by hand. Displaced by electric lighting and automated systems.
Pinsetters (bowling): Reset bowling pins manually after each frame. Replaced by automatic pin-setting machines.
Ice cutters / ice deliverymen: Harvested and delivered blocks of ice for refrigeration. Obsoleted by electric refrigerators and home freezers.
Knocker-uppers: Went door-to-door tapping windows or using poles to wake people before alarms existed. Replaced by alarm clocks and later smartphones.
Portrait painters: Photography was accused of killing painting and portraiture in the 19th century.
Oh, it's not to contradict anyone, I just want to express my point of view as well.
Nobody is going to replace anybody, and we're just going through a period of adjusting to a new tool. The artwork will not be replaced either. And there's nothing wrong with art being a job, and with people using AI because they can't afford to pay and aren't interested in making art, they just want to show what their visions look like
To give some examples
Elevator ;Although it exists, the ladder is recommended and it is supervised by a human.
Despite having ice cutters, many people still do it manually, only now in small blocks to refine it better or make sculptures
Ultimately, humans will always be supervising; the question is whether one claims authorship
It's impossible to imagine a world without work, or with less work, because we live among humans and are somewhat selfish beings; therefore, money and capitalism, and with them, work, will always exist
I think the best example is photography Drawing used to be about portraits, but with the arrival of modern art, it reinvented itself and expanded to include more creativity, no longer having to be about portraits Even so, nowadays people still pay for portraits for weddings and events, something that was done the same way in ancient times, so not much has really changed. People in ancient times didn't exactly request portraits for every occasion, so it's really the same thing....
Don't be afraid to show your personal drawings! There's no such thing as ugly or perfect art; it's all subjective! Literally, many current works were criticized and hated in their time lol
AI itself helps people without money or the minority who want to expand into another area, while artists have more freedom to look for bigger and more relevant work, or more creative freedom! It's just that we're now going through a time when people believe that AI can replace people and therefore we no longer need anyone to supervise it in work And that's neither recommended nor possible; a machine will always be supervised by a human.
The photography is still done by a human; there is also a handcrafted technique behind the set design, and the elevator is still configured by a human from the computer. The bowling lanes are still supervised by a human because someone could interfere with or recalibrate the technical equipment In other words, the same as before, but in a different way
AI needs a human to supervise and fix its work because there is always culture and intention behind it, and AI cannot express such emotions or loyalty because it is not human.
Quick example: you ask for a heritage bird and they could give it to you, but it's missing the logo, a wing, or the position or color isn't exact. If you're a complacent person, you can accept it as it is.
But in a job, you can't be complacent because then the world complains, because that's just how humans are, and there's nothing wrong with wanting something better Then the human reviews what was created by AI, correcting posture, size, quality, texture, and much more. It's the same thing you do with Photoshop
I know we're scared, but as long as you credit the AI for the image and don't sell as if it were your job (since in the end, work is paid for the effort made So, in the case of the author, for example, what really counts is the writing; the art is an addition .. For example, an Ai poster shouldn't cost the same as a handmade one..And there's a whole economic issue behind it that he doesn't want to involve me in..).
Although there is a point where AI steals the work of artists and writers, combines them and makes a collage without your permission
Why doesn't fan art count as theft? Because the company allows the creation of art, and there's a legal process in place that allows them to intervene to sue or deny permission. In total, they have control over authorship and distribution if they want, while for artists whose authorship was stolen, there is no legal process And AI takes without asking permission And it take credit for everything as if I had created it out of thin air.It's the same with the actors' voices; the rules regarding AI are only just being created, hence all this ambiguity and current controversy.
Oh, I'm not scared of showing off my art. I have a lot of other fics with my self-drawn stuff on them 😊
Some of these are truly good points, but I'd like to push back on a few:
1) A world without money/capitalism/the need for most (not all) work (or at least busywork/anything that's literally just money-based like banking/etc) is definitely possible.
2) With AI art, there's still a human coming up with the idea, making the prompt, retrying when it goes wrong, editing it afterwards, etc etc. So just like a photographer with a camera, the AI is the one technically actually making the image but the human is the soul and decision and effort/skill behind it.
3) I think you're misunderstanding my comment about stealing. I was saying that if they were calling my Sonic image stealing, then they light as well be calling all fanart theft. AI can definitely be used to steal, and (nuanced) laws should be made about it, but so can regular art — AI art isn't inherently bad because it can be used to steal, and I've never done any stealing with it (none moreso than any piece of fanart does, anyways), which was mostly my point.
4) [there's a whole economic issue behind it that he doesn't want to involve me in..] Who's 'he'?? And why'd you open this with clarifying that you weren't contradicting anybody? Is there a piece to this comment thread that I'm not seeing??
Anyways, hope that clarifies my point of view better as well :)
Oh, I just wanted to clarify that I don't consider either of them completely wrong, so my comment wouldn't be misunderstood.
(Who's ' he )
My spelling is bad and it's not my first language lmaooo.
Regarding point 1, I think it's a positive and beautiful view of the world, but unrealistic and lacking in nuance The very attempt at communism proves that this method is not possible (that doesn't mean that capitalism is perfect or ideal). But is it so far the closest to being equitable? Egalitarian? 6/10) But I think that point is more suited to a thesis and a whole academic argument and debate, rather than being properly addressed in comments.
2 . Yep, what you say is true, and ideally it should be just another tool. Unfortunately, the ideal is different from reality, and people still don't use it that way. It's quite possible that when AI should adapt to the world and have already made laws so that AI doesn't take jobs from people without permission; this should be feasible.
3 Oh no, no, I didn't mean to say it's bad, just that's what's happening right now and why people see it as bad. I wasn't trying to accuse you of theft either, because I think you're using it responsibly! I just wanted to clarify why AI theft is currently occurring because there are still no established laws or permits And is AI really being stolen, or more clearly, is the company that creates AI stealing by not paying royalties and then making money through AI
Agreed that an AO3 comments section with a stranger is definitely NOT the place to talk politics, lol. Though, I didn't say anything about communism..?
I see your points. Some people are definitely using AI to steal or low, which is bad, and laws should be made to stop it. And AI is still a tool that can be used beautifully or neutrally as well. No disagreement there 😊
I do think that AI should be used to do any job it can safely do without drop in quality, with human supervision as necessary. However, things that it does poorly in or overly frustrates humans in (like whenever an AI answers the phone and can't understand the customer or things like that), should definitely be left to humans for now though, lol.
And, of course, even as AI progresses people will still desire human-made things. People order portraits despite being able to take photographs, people buy all sorts of handmade stuff they could get machine-made (they even pay more for it!), people even still do rock carving and book binding/writing by hand. Which is why AI's never made me worry for the artist industry — people will still want human-made art, for one reason or another, no matter how good AI gets at drawing.
Are you new to AO3?
This thread is so long, I genuinely can't tell who you're replying to.
If it's me — no, I've been on here for over three years now. Why?
No, sorry, I was replying to Pink_Spiderlily.
The reason is that they aren't respecting the etiquette which is expected for everyone on AO3.
I loved the fanfic! It's adorable to see Sonic come back for Tails! I'm curious about the whole thing with him kidnapping Tails' family. He's been alone for a while now, and Eggman still hasn't killed Tails' family? ( Or maybe I'm just too pessimistic. )
I mean, in some versions Robotnik keeps prisoners long-term. Or roboticizes them, when sometimes is shown as reversible. I guess I'm going with the best possible circumstances here 🤷♀️
I'm glad you enjoyed the fic! Adorable's exactly what I was going for! Thank you for commenting 😊
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