I'd like to request a part two to like Father like son please, Tails, Knuckles, and some of the other characters please 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Like Father Like Son Part 2
Pairing: Tails x Reader; Knuckles x Reader; Jet x Reader; Infinite x Reader; Espio x Reader; Vector x Reader; Mephiles x Reader.
Rating: G (General Audience)
A/N: Thank you for the request! I initially intended to make part two with only four characters. However, suddenly in the middle of the writing process I thought, 'Hmm, why not add these?'. And so I did. I hope you like it!
Slowly, the sun disappeared on the horizon that day, giving way to a beautiful twilight. As night approached, father and son worked eagerly on their new project in the workshop.
The place was lit by fluorescent lights, a mess of pieces and materials scattered everywhere as the two foxes focused on the workbench.
Tails looked into the microscope, analyzing a small component, sticking his tongue out in that usual gesture of his while concentrating.
The little one, on the other hand, separated specific pieces in order on the table, standing on the chair to be tall enough to handle the project with ease.
Lowering his safety goggles, the little fox held the piece and turned to Tails.
“Dad! Dad! If I put two more thrusters on it, do you think it’ll fly like the real Tornado?” the small fox asked, excited.
Tails twitched his ears in that direction, listening to his son’s words, but still staying somewhat distracted by the work he was doing.
“Alright, but only two, okay?” he warned without taking his eyes off the microscope.
The young fox raised an eyebrow, turning back to the items on the bench, holding two thrusters in his hands and shrugging.
“Two… five, almost the same thing… this is going to be for science…” he muttered, leaning forward a little to begin assembling the pieces onto the small toy airplane they were building.
Grabbing the screwdriver, he began adjusting everything into place, his little twin tails wagging from side to side in a mischievous and excited way.
“There! Now it looks awesome!” he exclaimed happily, wiping the back of his hand across the fur on his forehead to remove sweat.
Pulling away from the microscope, Tails eagerly observed his son’s work, scratching his chin.
“Hmm, it really looks very good like that, you’ve got talent, kid!” he laughed softly, proud of his son’s work.
“Do you think it’ll fly well?” He crossed his arms.
“No doubt, it looks like it’s ready to cross the whole city.” Tails smiled, reaching out to close the top of the toy and grabbing the controller. “Wanna turn it on for a test?” he asked.
“Of course! Let’s go, let’s go!” The boy jumped with joy, his little eyes shining as he waited to see the invention work.
Moving a few cables aside, Tails pressed the power button on the toy. The object lit up, let out a few crackling noises, and wobbled from side to side as the thrusters activated.
“Look at that, it’s already a success, at least it turned on!” He nudged the little fox with his elbow, and both foxes wagged their twin tails excitedly, almost in sync.
“What’s the next step, dad?”
“Let’s take it outside, more open space to test it. We don’t want to break anything in the workshop or inside the house.” Tails began standing up.
However, the moment he stepped slightly away from the object, its buzzing began to intensify, getting louder and louder, the lights flashing, and the plane shaking even more.
“Dad… something’s wrong with our drone…” the boy said, quickly getting down from the chair and taking a few steps back.
Tails looked on in shock, observing the object. In fact, he knew this machine reaction very well, and it usually meant everything was going wrong.
“Kid… better take cover…” Tails swallowed dryly, placing one arm in front of his son.
“W-what?” The little fox curled into himself at his father’s words.
“Run!” Tails exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the young fox and sprinting behind a stack of boxes. The toy drone that was supposed to be harmless shot through the workshop, making the loud sound of mini turbines while spinning through the air.
Both foxes stared in shock, ears folded down, as the toy spun wildly.
At one point, it even seemed to slow down a little, looking like it would fall without further damage.
But suddenly, the thrusters reactivated and the toy darted forward again, this time instead of spinning, it flew in a straight line, following a perfect trajectory toward the window, shattering the glass near the top and flying outside, leaving a trail of smoke behind.
“Dad, we have to go get the drone!” The little fox jumped and began twirling his tails to fly. However, Tails was faster, grabbing his son before he could take off after the tiny airplane.
“Wait, it’s still really dangerous out there…” Tails murmured, still watching the drone panicking outside. “Let’s wait for it to lose power…”
“Dad… I don’t think it’s going to lose power…” the young fox commented, biting the inside of his cheek. “I kinda put five thrusters on it.”
With his son’s confession, Tails’ eyes widened.
“What?!” His ears shot straight up. “I said only two!”
“I thought five would be cooler! At least it really can fly across the whole city now!” The little fox pouted at Tails. “We just have to catch it in the air.”
But before their conversation could continue, a loud crashing noise sounded outside, making both foxes fall silent for a second as they stared in confusion through the broken window.
“Did it crash?” the boy asked.
Letting go of the boy, Tails ran to the workshop door, opening it to the backyard, his blue eyes scanning the area for any sign of where the toy might have fallen.
Until he spotted the rising smoke – unfortunately, coming from the neighbor’s roof.
“By Gaia…” Tails’ ears drooped sideways.
The little fox ran to his father’s side, watching.
“Dad… are we in trouble?” he asked, clinging to Tails’ leg.
And right at that moment, the back door of the house opened, revealing you. Your eyes scanned the scene, noticing your two foxes frozen, both staring upward, not even noticing you approaching.
Deciding to join them, you began looking up to see what had caught their attention.
Then you saw the smoke and the destroyed toy on the roof, along with some debris from the impact.
“Boys, again?!” You crossed your arms, jaw dropped in disbelief.
The two foxes jumped in fright when they heard you, looking at you in shock.
“S-sorry, Mom… it got out of control…” the little one said shyly, hiding further behind his father, his tails wrapping around each other.
Tails scratched the back of his head.
“Yeah… got really out of control…” he sighed.
For a few seconds, you stayed silent, thinking.
“Can you two get that down from there and fix everything before the neighbors see it?” you whispered.
Tails’ eyes lit up at your idea.
“Well, we can… it’ll be perfect, they won’t notice a thing!” Excited, Tails ran back into the workshop, followed by the boy, to grab the toolbox and run out to fix the mess they had made.
You let out a snorty little laugh watching the two of them, so alike, rushing back into the workshop.
It was adorable seeing father and son like that and knowing the two were experiencing such important moments together.
Smiling widely, you shook your head and headed back inside. It was better to leave this one for them to handle. Later you’d come back to check how they were doing, after all, you trusted Tails to take care of things from here.
The room was lively and energetic with the small training area the echidna had built for his son. The place had gone from an ordinary child's bedroom to a space filled with training dummies made from pillows.
On the bed, Knuckles sat cross-legged, encouraging and cheering the boy to deliver his best strikes.
On the floor, the small echidna stood in a fighting stance, practicing his moves.
“Good, kid, left hook… focus your strength in that punch!” he exclaimed excitedly.
“Like this?” the child asked, striking the dummy and making it wobble back and forth.
“Great! That’s my boy! Learning how to hit for real.” He gave a thumbs-up, laughing loudly.
The little one wiped sweat from his forehead, laughing too, then walked over to his father and jumped onto the bed with him.
“Hey, do you think I can try this on a badnik someday?” he asked excitedly, making Knuckles smile even more proudly.
“One day. For now, you just need to train. I don’t want you getting hurt, alright?” He gave the kid a few friendly pats on the back, then affectionately ruffled his quills.
The young echidna let out a snorty laugh, punching his father playfully.
“Alright, alright… go on, I wanna see you land your strongest punch on that training dummy!” Knuckles encouraged, the kid grinning determinedly, showing off his little fangs.
“I’m on it!” Jumping off the bed, he cracked his knuckles, stretching and warming up with little hops.
Taking a deep breath, he assumed a combat stance, ran at the dummy, and delivered a sequence of quick strikes, each one seeming stronger than the last.
The dummy flew back further and further until it hit the bedroom wall.
With one final powerful punch, the little echidna aimed at the center of the improvised dummy, using all the strength he had, growling.
However, to Knuckles’ horror and the boy’s, the impact tore the pillow open, sending the young echidna’s fist straight through the wall with a loud thud.
Knuckles squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the destruction, only hearing the wooden panels splitting into several pieces.
When he opened his purple eyes to check on his son, he scratched the back of his head, unsure how to handle the situation.
The boy, also shocked, pulled his hand away from the hole in the wall, watching bits of debris fall to the ground. He shrank a little and turned to the bed.
“Dad?” he asked fearfully.
“Relax, it’s fine… I’ll handle it…” Knuckles hopped off the bed, quickly moving to his son’s side to analyze the damage, able to see the other room through the hole.
“Can it be fixed?” the little echidna asked, rubbing his hands together nervously.
“Yes, yes… daddy can fix it…” The echidna looked around, searching for something he could use to cover up the little accident.
He got up and searched the room, testing sheets of paper, crumpled newspapers, but nothing seemed to work well enough to hide the hole.
Sighing, Knuckles crossed his arms. His eyes landed on the dresser nearby.
Getting an idea, he approached it and slowly pushed the furniture until it completely covered the hole.
Satisfied with the work, he turned proudly to his son.
“See that? Hole hidden successfully, no problems, and no mom-rage!” The echidna chuckled, giving light, comforting taps on the boy’s shoulder.
“Are you sure she won’t notice?” the little one whispered.
At that moment, knocking echoed through the door, making both echidnas look at each other in panic.
“Boys, is everything okay in there? I heard something break…” you said, opening the door slowly with a creak, seeing the two standing awkwardly in the middle of the room with much more suspicious faces than you expected.
“Nothing broke, dear… we were just training.” Knuckles said quietly, looking away. The boy nodded, confirming the story.
Narrowing your eyes, you decided to scan the room carefully, analyzing every detail, noticing the amount of debris around the dresser.
Raising an eyebrow, you stared at Knuckles. A cold drop of sweat ran down his forehead as he swallowed hard.
“That’s… just normal dirt.” he tried to explain.
“Sure…” Crossing your arms, you let out a small laugh. “I want that wall fixed by the end of the day… and without hiding it behind stuff!” you said sternly, turning around and leaving the room.
“How did she know it was broken if she didn’t even look?” the boy asked, slightly terrified.
“Your mom has these special powers… well, how about helping me with the real fix?” Knuckles turned to his son, crossing his arms.
The boy opened a wide smile, liking the idea.
“I’m in! Where do we start?” He clenched his fists excitedly.
“Hold on… first we gather materials and tools. Come on, kid, I’ll teach you everything.” Holding the boy’s hand, Knuckles guided him out of the room toward the back area where he kept his supplies.
Downstairs, you were finishing lunch, but always keeping an ear out for your two favorite echidnas, happy that Knuckles was really raising your son in the best way possible.
The sun was still high in the sky, it was early spring afternoon. Pleasant and mild weather, perfect for all kinds of competitions between father and son.
Sitting on the grass, Jet was busy polishing his Extreme Gear, doing it with impressive care and meticulousness.
While he was there, the small hawk passed by his father, carrying his own board, almost not fitting under his arm, stopping right beside Jet.
Putting in a bit of effort, he positioned the board upright, sticking it into the grass. Letting out a satisfied huff, he slid a hand through the tuft of green feathers on top of his head, then crossed his arms.
“Dad!” He called, sounding excited.
Jet only lifted his eyes, focusing on the kid and raising a brow.
“I’m in the mood for a competition... first one to go around the garden three times wins!” He proposed with a confident air.
“Oh... so you’re saying you want a little competition with your father, huh?” Jet let out a rough laugh, also making the gesture of sliding his hand over the feather crest on his head. “You know very well that I don’t go easy... not even on my own kid!”
Jumping to his feet, the hawk began stretching, extending his arms, very excited to get to compete with his son.
“What are the rules this time?” He crossed his arms at the kid.
“Three laps, no shortcuts, Extreme Gear only...” Then he narrowed his eyes. “If you cheat I’ll tell Mom everything!” He threatened.
“Hmm... I get it, the classic appeal to your mother... but that won’t work on me, you’ll go running back to her crying anyway because you’ll lose.” Shrugging and laughing, Jet grabbed his own Extreme Gear, walking to the usual place where the starting line was, waiting there.
The kid grabbed his own board, using a bit of effort, but managed to pull it from the ground, walking to his father and stopping beside him.
“You’re gonna eat dust, old man!” He teased.
“Hah, bold of you, brat... you’re not gonna beat me...” Jet leaned his body forward a bit, preparing to shoot off.
However, without any warning, the kid dashed forward, running clumsily across the long yard, tossing the board to the ground and jumping onto it, taking the lead.
“You little... I thought it was no cheating!” Jet shouted, but didn’t waste time and ran as well, tossing his own board down and taking off, balancing on the Extreme Gear.
It didn’t take long for him to catch up to the kid, staying side-by-side with him.
“Out of the way, I’m gonna win this time!” The kid exclaimed, trying to pass Jet.
“You have to learn a little respect for your elders!” Jet also exclaimed, clenching his fists, easily taking the lead, making a sharp turn at the edge of the yard.
But unexpectedly, he felt an impact on his side. Looking over, the hawk saw his son, teeth gritted, bumping his Extreme Gear into his.
“Cut it out, kid, you’re gonna knock us both down...” Jet tried to warn him, regaining balance.
But ignoring his father, the kid once again prepared to ram into him. This time, being faster, Jet slowed down, letting the kid shoot past him instead of colliding.
The hawk laughed, refocusing on the race, until he heard the sound of an impact against water. Jet’s eyes widened and he stopped in midair, turning to look, seeing the kid flailing his arms in the pool.
Overcome by a surge of paternal protectiveness, he shot forward on the Extreme Gear, skimming over the small backyard pool, grabbing the kid’s hand and pulling him up, catching him in his arms.
Landing on the ground, he hugged the kid tight against himself, both birds panting, not understanding what had just happened.
“Dad?” The young one said softly.
“Well... this is for you to learn not to cheat...” Jet huffed, but didn’t loosen his hold even for a second, feeling the small feathers and plumage drenched.
“Relax... water doesn’t ruin it...” Jet reassured him, sitting down on the bed, still with the kid in his arms. “Good thing you didn’t get hurt...”
For long seconds, silence hung in the air, until the boy wrapped his arms around his father’s neck affectionately, hugging him back.
“Thanks, Dad... you saved me...”
For a second, Jet froze completely, eyes wide, but soon nestled his beak atop his son's head.
At that moment, you opened the back door, your eyes landing on the two hawks holding each other affectionately, sharing a soft father-son moment.
You smiled wide; usually, it was hard for Jet to show affection like that, he was too proud for it most of the time. But at least he managed to do it with his son sometimes.
Deciding not to interrupt the two and to scold them later about what exactly they were doing out there, you turned, going inside to grab towels to dry the feathers of your two beloved hawks.
The darkness of night hovered outside the living room window, the inside space warm and cozy, with the TV playing an animated movie in the background.
In the center of the room, the two little jackals were sitting on the carpet, coloring a few sheets without much thought.
From the hallway, some footsteps echoed until Infinite’s figure appeared at the entrance.
His heterochromatic eyes scanned the place, focusing on the distracted little ones. He smiled wide, walking into the room.
“There you are, my pups...” He said softly, stopping near the kids and crossing his arms. “Ready for the daily training?”
The two jackals looked at their father, then exchanged glances with each other, shrugging.
“We’re busy now, Dad...” The older one explained, going back to drawing.
Infinite raised an eyebrow.
“Busy? But this isn’t something relevant... Come on, you’re going to be the next Jackal Squad, you need to be in shape and prepared!” He said, gesturing like it was something grand.
“We’re not interested...” The younger one replied this time, making Infinite’s ears droop.
You were walking down the hallway at that moment, hearing the conversation. Stopping at the doorway, you smiled wide, shaking your head.
“Infinite... they’re your kids, not soldiers...” You said playfully, making his ears droop even more.
Defeated, he dropped heavily onto the couch, huffing, watching the little ones draw.
Laughing, you approached, sitting beside him, sliding your hand over the jackal’s cheek.
“Why don’t you try playing with them a bit? They’d love that, I’m sure...” You whispered in his ear, making Infinite raise a brow at you, surprised but reluctantly nodding.
“All right... what are you two drawing?” He asked the kids, crossing his arms.
The little ones’ ears perked up in excitement, their heterochromatic eyes shining.
“I’m drawing our house!” The older one lifted the page, showing a generous drawing of the house, with some exterior details.
“And I’m drawing our family!” The younger one showed a simple drawing of Infinite and you in the center with the two kids beside you, all holding hands.
“How adorable, sweeties...” You praised them, rubbing their heads, their tails swaying slowly. “Why doesn’t Daddy make a drawing too?” You suggested, giving Infinite a mischievous look, making him swallow dry.
“Yeah, we’d love that! Come on, Dad!” The older one stood, grabbing Infinite’s hand and pulling him until he eventually gave in and sat on the carpet too, looking quite uncomfortable but trying.
The kids placed some papers and pencils near their father, staring hopefully.
Still hesitant, the jackal grabbed a pencil, beginning to sketch. His brow was furrowed at first, but soon his expression softened, and somehow, he began enjoying that simple moment.
When he finished the drawing, he gave a subtle side smile, proud of his work.
“So... what did you draw, Dad?” The younger one asked, curious.
Holding up the page, Infinite let out a rough chuckle.
“This is my new Jackal Squad...” He pointed a clawed finger at the paper, showing himself in the center, with the two kids drawn beside him.
He looked very pleased with his work, but the little ones stared blankly, turning to you confused.
“Mom... does Dad only think about that?” The older one asked.
“Cut him some slack, sweetie, he hasn’t gotten over it yet...” You whispered to them.
Infinite huffed, clicking his tongue and standing.
“Well... that’s enough for me...” He extended his hand toward you for you to follow.
But the kids didn’t miss that.
“Hey!” Both yelled together, jumping up and hugging you possessively.
The jackal blinked in confusion at the kids’ reaction, seeing how they clung to you, almost digging their tiny claws in.
“What’s going on here?” He crossed his arms, grinding his teeth.
“She’s not going...” The younger one began.
“She’s staying here with us!” The older one finished, making you chuckle.
“Since when do you two get to decide that?” Infinite growled low, offended. “And since when are my own kids jealous of me?” He put a hand on his hip, very indignant.
“Sweetheart, it’s okay, I’ll stay with them a little longer...” You laughed softly, hugging the little ones closer.
Infinite even tried approaching again, but the two growled in unison, clinging even tighter to you.
“Fine... I’ll let her stay with you... for today!” With a frown, the jackal turned and left the living room, making you laugh softly again, shaking your head.
The kids loved their dad... but they loved you much more, to the point of being a little dramatic about it.
But deep down you knew it was only a matter of Infinite spending more quality time with them for things to get better.
The early night had a pleasant breeze in the air, perfect weather for a little shuriken training between father and son.
Espio stood with his arms crossed, just evaluating his son’s posture, who was a few steps ahead, positioned, holding a few ninja stars, breathing deeply to concentrate.
“Remember... the technique has to be precise... and full of focus...” The chameleon said softly, making the kid nod, taking another deep breath.
Then, preparing himself, he flexed his arm, throwing two stars at once, but both lost speed and strength halfway, falling into the grass.
The young one clicked his tongue, huffing in irritation, until he felt his father’s hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing in reassurance.
“It’s all right... it happens, let’s try again.” He picked up two more stars, handing them to his son.
Then, with great patience and care, he began correcting the small purple chameleon’s posture.
“Of course, Dad...” Nodding, Espio stepped back, waiting from afar.
Once again, the young chameleon inhaled deeply, letting out the air, focusing on the target on the tree.
This time, when he threw, the stars followed the correct path, not losing speed. His eyes widened when he realized he was finally going to hit it.
One of the stars hit perfectly, making the small chameleon grin wide.
However, his expression quickly shifted to one of despair when he saw the second star shoot past, missing the tree and flying over the fence.
Both Espio and his son stared with their mouths open as a loud tire-pop echoed through the night, followed by brakes and a soft crash.
The two exchanged glances, swallowing dry.
“It’s fine... I’ll handle it...” Espio rubbed his temple with his fingers.
That’s when the back door creaked open.
The kid slowly shrank into himself, looking scared, his colors beginning to shift until he perfectly blended into the environment.
Looking back, Espio saw you standing in the doorway, looking confused.
“Is everything okay here? I heard some noises...” You walked through the yard, stopping beside the purple chameleon.
“All under control...” He said, eyes closed, arms crossed.
“Are you sure? I could swear you two were training here... then there were noises and all…” You laughed softly, seeing Espio swallow again.
“It was a small mishap... nothing I can’t deal with...” He explained.
“I see...” You stayed silent for a few seconds, examining the area, then gave a small side-smile. “You can come out, sweetie, I know you’re hiding...”
At your words, the young one whimpered softly, but soon became visible again, looking very embarrassed.
“Mom... how do you always know where I’m camouflaged?” He asked, crossing his arms.
“Instinct... Now go check what happened...”
“Yes, ma’am...” Both said at once, bowing their heads.
“And next time, try being more careful where you throw those shurikens!” You warned them, making both nod while walking off to see what happened.
It was a quiet afternoon, a few birds singing outside. In the living room, everything seemed silent, except for the ticking of the clock’s hands.
On the couch, Vector was enjoying his day off by taking a long nap, eyes closed, arms behind his head, savoring the moment.
Suddenly, he felt a strong impact against his belly, which made him lose his breath for a moment and jump up in shock, eyes wide.
Recovering from the scare, he heard the mischievous giggle of his own son, soon spotting the little one sprawled across his belly.
“Hey, dad...” he greeted, laughing.
“Hmm, you almost scared your dad to death, kid...” Vector rubbed his hand over his face and snout, starting to wake up properly now.
“I wanna play!” the little one exclaimed, still sprawled across Vector’s belly and laughing. “I wanna play cops and robbers!”
“Not today, kid... dad’s on his day off and wants to rest...” Scratching his neck, he tried to explain.
“C’mon... just a little!” he begged. “I’m the cop!” he said, excited.
Vector’s exhaustion made a big difference as he pondered. But in that moment, fatherhood spoke louder, and he sighed in exasperation.
“Alright... let’s play... I’ll go hide then...” The little one celebrated while his father stood up from the couch, heading toward the hallway, looking for the best hiding place.
The kid started a countdown in the living room, loud enough for Vector to hear while he searched for the best spot.
Entering the kitchen, the crocodile observed the place, smiled subtly, and rushed under the table, curling up there with difficulty as he waited for his son.
The countdown ended and minutes passed, but still no sign of him nearby.
Vector was starting to think he would win the game, until he felt something cold wrap around his wrist.
Looking startled, he jumped, hitting his head on the underside of the table, seeing his little one with a handcuff in hand.
“Got you, dad!” he laughed, handcuffing Vector to the table.
“Hey, hey! Those handcuffs are for real criminals!” he protested, trying to lift the table to free himself.
“I just wanted the game to be realistic!” the kid laughed, crawling out from under the table and walking toward the cabinets. “Now let’s see... where do they keep your cookies...”
“Don’t you dare...” he murmured, but the kid only laughed. “This is betrayal against your own father!” Struggling, he kept trying to break free, but there was no way to escape without breaking the table.
And of course he wouldn’t do that, it was your table after all, and he didn’t want to risk unleashing your fury.
“What are you two up to?!” Your voice echoed into the kitchen, making both of them freeze, staring at you in shock. “And why are you handcuffed to the table?”
“This kid is a criminal mastermind!” he said, clenching his fists.
Rubbing your temples, you sighed in exasperation.
“Oh my goodness... Please, let your father go...” you instructed with an authoritative tone.
The little one, without complaining, quickly ran to Vector and removed the handcuffs with the keys. The crocodile rubbed his wrist, looking completely humiliated.
“Thanks, sweetheart...” Vector stood up, laughing under his breath.
“How about you two do something simpler... like, I don’t know, playing with building blocks? Preferably something that won’t destroy the whole house...”
Both nodded, scratching their necks before walking back to the living room with their heads down to find a more educational activity.
You watched everything carefully, shaking your head.
“What am I supposed to do with you two, huh?” But even then, you let out a small laugh before returning to what you were doing, trusting that this time things wouldn’t get out of hand.
That morning, the garden was strangely quiet. Not even the birds or crickets seemed interested in making any sound there.
But that was expected, considering the presence of the creature of darkness and his miniature version, equally problematic.
In the middle of the lawn, sitting under the shade of the tree, both father and son remained seated.
Mephiles kept his arms crossed and his intense red eyes fixed on the little one, whose tiny hands were extended forward, attempting to use powers that had remained dormant until now.
He tried, clenching his fists and stretching his hands, frowning in concentration. Until he lost his patience, growling in frustration.
“Dad... I can’t do it...” he murmured.
But Mephiles remained impassive, still staring intensely at the little one.
“Focus... You must keep control of your power. The shadows must act according to your will, not the opposite.” His voice was low and echoing, without moving a muscle from his position.
“The shadows keep fading from my palm!”
“Try again...” he encouraged.
Taking a deep breath, the young one tried again, extending his small crystalline hands, moving his fingers while trying his best to imitate the elegance with which his father used his movements.
But even trying his hardest, he still wasn’t successful. The shadows began to form in his palms, but quickly vanished again, not even giving him a chance to use his powers.
“Channel your energy. Visualize and direct it, just like I showed you...” Mephiles explained again, this time gesturing with his hand.
The kid swallowed nervously but tried again, pushing himself hard in hopes of making his father proud.
And suddenly, a small energy sphere appeared in his palm, growing progressively, which made him extremely excited, his eyes widening at his own capability.
But when everything seemed under control, the sphere began to grow exponentially, faster than he could manage.
“Hey! Control yourself, don’t let it overflow!” Mephiles warned, but the boy already seemed way past the point of controlling his own power.
In a quick motion, the little one released the large shadow sphere, which fell onto the lawn.
He scooted back a bit on the ground, panting, scared by what he had done, watching the small sphere on the ground begin to dissipate, leaving behind a not-so-pleasant hole.
The grass and soil that once filled that spot were gone, leaving a small crater in the backyard.
Mephiles froze for a few seconds, staring in shock at what his son’s power had done to the lawn. He brought his hand to his temple, rubbing it.
“Hmph... That was... unexpected.” he said quietly, glancing toward his now more distant son.
The little one let out a guilty chuckle, shrinking into himself. He also understood very well what happened whenever the lawn was damaged.
And that’s exactly when you opened the back door of the house, holding your watering can, ready to tend to your lovely garden.
But what you saw made you freeze in place too.
Your two creatures of darkness staring at you in surprise, and a hole right in the middle of your lawn.
“What on earth happened here?!” you asked, shocked.
Maintaining his composure as always, Mephiles responded, closing his eyes.
“Our son... was learning. We only obtained variable results...” he said calmly.
“Yeah, I can see that, it's even marked in my garden...” raising an eyebrow, placing a hand on your hip.
You huffed, shifting your gaze to where your son was, but saw only the residual shadows dissipating in the air as he dematerialized, disappearing to escape your wrath and leaving the father to deal with it.
Mephiles also looked at the spot where the kid had been moments earlier, sighed deeply, and turned to you, clearing his throat to speak.
“He inherited my talent... I admit it... But unfortunately, he also inherited your habit of disappearing when things get ugly...” he said with a low, rough tone, though also with a hint of paternal pride and resignation.
“I noticed that too... well, what are you going to do about my lawn, Meph?” you crossed your arms.
“I will fix your lawn, woman...” he looked away, crossing his arms as well. “Even though it wasn’t my fault...” he still tried to defend his honor.
“Our son was under your supervision, so yes, totally your fault.” Your words made Mephiles click his tongue and sigh, but he stood up without complaining.
“...Details...” Even so, he went on with the task of fixing the lawn, dissipating into shadow to go fetch what he needed.
Sighing in exasperation, you scratched your neck.
“You two are impossible, you know that?” you muttered to yourself, though a small smirk showed just how much you loved them both.
