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box-o · 1 month

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The Holoska Express AU Chapter 1

Author's Note:

this is my first time doing something like this pretty much on my own and I am quite honestly terrified BUT. I really want to share this idea I had back in December and I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it (even though Christmas was 3 months ago). with that said, may I present...

The Holoska Express

Chapter 1

written by Box-o (Kiki)

beta read, edited, and proofread by @niko-jpeg (tysm ily <3)

2909 words

The sun was just starting to set, the pale blue late December sky just starting to fade into the orange and red hues of sunset. The already frozen forest would only get colder once the sun sank below the horizon. Sonic knew that much for certain.

He, and Tails had been on the trail of a chaos emerald for a few days now, and day three of their adventures had brought them deep in the woods of the mainland. The hedgehog knew they’d have to stop soon as the sun sank in the sky and the early evening chill began to set in. To find a campsite was one thing, but to find a safe campsite was another. Ever since the fox kit started tagging along, Sonic had been trying to be more aware of where they stopped to make sure his new travel buddy would be safe wherever they made camp each night.

Sonic looked back at Tails to see the kit following a few steps back, careful to step in his brother’s tracks in the snow to make the two less detectable, something Sonic had told the kit to do once the snow started to stick on the ground in late fall. Sonic stopped and turned the rest of his body to face the younger.

“I think it's about time to stop for the night bud.” Sonic says in more of a need than a want kind of tone

Tails looked at Sonic with a disappointed look on his face. “But it’s not even that late!! It’s only, like, 4 o’clock!”

The fox protested, but Sonic wasn’t about to cave on something as important as staying safe in these kinds of conditions.

“I know it seems early but the sun is already going down, and once that's gone our only heat source goes with it, keed” Sonic explained.

Tails seemed to understand, a bit better now and gave a small nod to the older.

Sonic looked around and tapped his foot on the ground a few times, then looked back at Tails,“Stay here just a second I’ll go find us a spot for the night”

Tails nodded and sat down in the snow as Sonic sped off in search of the perfect spot.

After a little bit of looking around, Sonic found a good enough spot and ran back to where he had told Tails to wait for him. Together, they made their way to the site the older of the two had scouted out before.

It was a small cave off of a small hill (if you could even really call it that), but it would keep the brothers dry for the night and keep them hidden until morning. And so the two got to work unpacking, Tails setting up the bed rolls while Sonic got to work on building the pair a small cooking fire.

The two worked quietly engrossed in their own tasks. And with a small dug out fire pit in the snow and two sleeping bags neatly laid on the cave floor, Sonic got to work cooking up one of the MREs stored in his backpack. It wasn’t the best food, but it was easy to prepare and it got the two of them fed every day, so it was good enough.

The hedgehog set up a makeshift stove with a few stronger branches and put on a pot of water to boil, and while he waited for it to heat up he crawled under the cover of the cave to sit with Tails for a moment.

The evening was peaceful. a blanket of silence rested over the snowy woods, save for the sound of the damp logs in the fire hissing as the moisture burned out under the heat of the gently crackling flames. The sun clung to the edge of the horizon as clouds started to collect in the northern sky.

The brothers sat in a comfortable silence sitting on their respective sleeping bags, enjoying the peace of the forest at this time of year. The snowed out forest had laid a quiet backdrop over the last few days, which had made their journey more relaxing than usual.

Tails finally broke the silence of the moment with a rather odd question for Sonic.

“Hey Sonic, what day is it?”

Sonic looked at the younger, confused. He hadn't forgotten the kit’s birthday had he? No, that was last month. Knuckles’ birthday was months ago too, so it couldn’t have been his he forgot either. And Sonic’s own birthday was in early summer.

Why else would Tails ask about the date unless there was a birthday coming up to celebrate? The two didn’t worry much about the date because Eggman plots don’t care for the date either. Sonic remained puzzled for a good minute before the younger spoke up again

“I was just wondering because we left on the 21st, right? I… think it's the 24th today, so that would mean it’s Christmas eve right?” Tails explained, counting the number of days they spent in the woods on his paw.

The follow up statement only left Sonic with more questions than answers.

Christmas? Christmas Eve? Was Tails referring to another one of those strange ‘holidays’ he had heard of? Sonic had never been around any human (or mobian) towns very often or for very long until he had met Tails, but even the few holidays he had heard of just seemed too silly to him to care about. But the kit seemed excited, so Sonic decided to hear this one out, just this once.

“What’s Christmas?”

To Sonic it seemed like a simple question. To Tails it was the most absurd thing he’d ever heard in his life.

“What do you mean? How do you not know what Christmas is!?”

The fox seemed at a loss for words, shocked by his brother’s lack of knowledge on what seemed like such a simple subject.Sonic tried to elaborate more on his question.

“I mean like, what do you do on Christmas? I assume it’s a holiday, yes? What are we celebrating?”

Tails seemed to understand now and thought for a second before he replied.

“I guess that depends who you ask,” the fox started, Sonic looked at him expectantly with all of his attention now on what his little brother had to say. “All the kids in my old village were always excited for Santa Claus to come and leave them gifts. I heard from the grown ups that only kids on the nice list get presents from Santa. I’ve never gotten anything from Santa Claus so I guess I’ve always been on the Naughty list.”

Tails shrugs off the last statement with a slight frown before continuing. “Santa delivers gifts to all the kids on the Nice list in one night and he has a workshop where he makes all the toys in Haloska, from what I’ve heard. How cool is that?!”

“There’s no way he’s faster than me though.” Sonic butts in.

“He’s gotta be pretty close at least” Tails says excited to be the one teaching his older brother something for once. “To get around the world in one night you’d have to be at least a little fast”

“This Santa guy sounds cool and all, but what else is there?” Sonic commented, attempting to draw more information about this holiday from the fox kit.

“I’m not entirely sure but I think you’re also meant to spend time with family, I always saw people get together for big family dinners back in my village, I think.” The younger of the two said with a thoughtful look.

“Huh.”

It was a lot to take in, Santa? There’s no way this was for real. No one was faster than Sonic and anyone who thought Tails wasn’t the nicest kid ever wasn’t worth Sonic’s time.

Sonic went to check on the pot on the fire to find it had finally begun boiling, and with that the two were able to finish preparing their dinner.

Pouring the water into the MRE bag and mixing it until the food was rehydrated, Sonic poured the rehydrated “pasta and meatballs” onto two plates and the pair sat down next to the fire to eat.

Tails continued on about the ‘Santa Claus’ from before, his tone seemed so hopeful that this year would be his year to get his own gift from the magical man that, from Tails’ description, just sounded like Eggman in disguise.

Even more reason Sonic refused to believe any of it but he wouldn’t tell Tails that, not when it made him this happy.

Once the two finished and cleaned up they began to settle into their respective sleeping bags. By then the sun was fully set and the sky had a dark overcast shade to it, the moon just barely peeking through the clouds. The fire continued to crackle softly, keeping the brothers warm and giving them just enough light to see each other and the edge of their little cave.

Tails seemed more eager than usual to get to bed that night, though Sonic didn't get it. It was just a normal day to him, even if Tails believed in this weird ‘Christmas’ holiday. .

There was nothing special happening today or tomorrow and the tween was in doubt that there was such a Santa Claus at all. If it made Tails happy and willing to go to bed, he couldn’t complain too much though.

“Goodnight bud, happy Christmas.” Sonic said with a yawn. Getting himself comfortable on his sleeping arrangement

Tails giggled at that.

“You say ‘merry’ Christmas, not ‘happy’ Christmas, Sonic.”

“Oh…” Sonic stopped for a second “Well then, merry Christmas Tails. I hope the Santa thing works out for ya’.”

“I hope he comes for you too!! But we have to go to sleep quickly. Santa only comes if you’re asleep, so go to bed!!”

Tails seemed so genuinely convinced this Santa guy was real, but Sonic still doubted it, after all, how could one guy do all that? What made him the judge of who was good and bad? Why toys for ‘good’ children and coal for the ‘bad’ children, coal is arguably more useful anyway isn't it?

Sonic laid in his sleeping bag trying to understand it all while the kit next to him was certainly asleep, not even an express train going by could wake the fox up now Sonic thought, the kit was sprawled out inside his sleeping bag and laying on his back.

It was quiet. The fire had dried all the wet wood it had burned before its heat sucking the moisture from any new log dropped on it as soon as it was added to the pile all of the wood quietly agreed to the raging inferno around it occasionally shifting to get comfortable, the flickies had all gone to their nests for the night and Sonic seemed to be the only thing left awake for miles. The clouds overhead began dropping silent white specs of snow and Sonic was glad he was under the cover of the cave. The night was silent and still, Sonic closed his eyes as well ready to go to sleep himself.

Ding ding ding ding

It was quiet at first then began getting louder and louder as it went on, Sonic flicked an ear trying to find the source of the sound fearing the worst and ready to defend his sleeping companion.

Ding ding ding ding

TOOT TOOT

Sonic jumped out of his sleeping bag at the sound of the whistle, had he made such a mistake as to set up near a train track? He swore he had looked all around the area for such things. How could he have missed something like train tracks?!

His concerns only grew as the cave around them began to shake.

A loud repetitive click as the train came closer got louder and louder as the wheels passed over the rails,

the wood in the campfire shifting and the backpacks, pots and pans got knocked around in the chaos, in all the noise Tails woke up to Sonic standing in a defencive stance at the mouth of the cave

The two brothers looked at each other equally confused on what's going on staring at each other with terrified expressions as the ringing got closer and the shaking intensified

TOOT TOOT

The whistle blast was deafening as a bright light burst through the trees and moved along the entrance to the cave the two called home for the night, the ringing went on and the ear splitting sound of grinding steel screamed out as the thing came to stop like an animal on a leash begging its handler to let it keep running until eventually the thing gave in and the screams of the wheels on the tracks softened until you couldn’t hear it at all.

The lights which at first had blinded the two mobians were dulled by the snow and fog that collected around the magnificent thing, after a few soft clicks the train came to a gentle stop and hissed as the pressure from the hydraulic brakes could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the engine continued to hiss almost like it was trying to catch its breath after a long run.

The thick fog that had gathered around the train settled to the ground and dispersed just as quickly as it came to reveal a majestic steam engine proudly pulling along with it three magnificent coaches in a shade of icy blue with crimson red accents the black tender box proudly bearing the name ‘The Haloska Express’ in gold letters.

Sonic and Tails were at a loss for words neither of them knew what to do, Tails climbed out of his sleeping bag to join Sonic at the cave entrance clinging to his older brother’s side in confusion and fear. The fire was fading out after all the shaking from before and the only light source around was the train before them. The two stared at it in silence and awe.

“All aboard!”

The brothers looked down the Train in the direction the shout came from to see a taller mobian in a train conductor uniform

“All aboard!”

They called out again looking towards the two as if they were calling out to the brothers directly. Tails took a step towards the source of the shouts and Sonic followed not wanting Tails to get hurt or lost or worse, as the two got closer the mobian that greeted them was an adult quokka they looked at the two boys with a welcoming look as they approached.

“Well, ya coming?”

The quokka spoke up

“Where?”

Sonic asked now the one standing behind Tails trying to look as intimidating as possible against the stranger.

“Why to Haloska of course! This is the HALOSKA EXPRESS!”

The quokka seemed to really want to make sure the two understood that last bit, Tails eyes lit up but Sonic grew more and more skeptical as the interaction went on. To Sonic’s concern Tails seemed to actually be considering getting on that train.

“Alright eggman just come out and attack me now so I can go back to bed”

Sonic shouts out to nothing in particular, only to be met with an awkward silence. this had to be an eggman plot there was no way it wasn’t and he wasn’t about to let his little brother fall victim to it.

“This train has nothing to do with anything that rotten egg gets up to.”

The quokka replies then checks his pocket watch that was tucked in the pocket in the vest of his uniform. He sighs and looks back at the two kids taking a clipboard out that was sitting at the top of the stairs of the carriage.

The quokka begins reading off of the clipboard

“Miles Prower and Sonic, yes?”

The two nod, Tails intrigued and Sonic more skeptical.

“Well let's see then, oh dear..”

The quokka looks back at the brothers again.

“Oh my, no letter or list, no visit with any sort of Santa anywhere, and worst of all no Christmas cheer.” The quokka looks down at the brothers again and hums in disapproval shaking their head.

The two looked back confused on how the sheet they held was able to tell them that much about their belief in Santa of all things.

“Well, if I were you, I’d really consider getting on and soon it's a big night don’t you know! we’ve got a lot to do and we can’t be late now!” the conductor had a rushed tone to their voice.

The quokka gestured towards the stairs but Sonic grabbed onto Tails’ shoulders, backing away and shaking his head no keeping eye contact with the adult while trying to pull his younger brother away, Tails was having none of that and pushed against his older brother’s hold and got on the train, getting out of Sonic’s reach before he could pull him away again

The quokka looked at the hedgehog one last time then climbed up the stairs themself leaving Sonic alone in the snow, through the window he could see Tails take a seat towards the back of the coach.

The train’s whistle cried out again in two short blasts, the metal relaxed and the train began to crawl along the tracks leaving the hedgehog behind.

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