He lives deep, deep in the forest of Boscage Maze. Away from the scavengers, away from Thorn. He guards all the small creatures of the forest who've been scared away by both sides. He's never gotten close enough to really know them, but what he's heard has encouraged his choice to stay away from them all. They shout about "monsters" and they swing weapons that could hurt small creatures. So he keeps the flickies safe in a grove that he nurtures.
Like Thorn, he's a protector. But unlike Thorn, he doesn't chase people away.
Tails falls into Boscage Maze near his grove, separated from Sharp when they had a bumpy landing through the shatterspace gateway. He's hurt and so Bur brings him to his grove to look after him. Bur also ends up protecting Amy and Big when he finds them in Boscage, happy to share his shelter with them and happy for the company in looking after the flickies. At first, things are fine. Bur is a sweetheart and surprisingly good at taking care of others and tending to wounds despite being more feral and with bigger paws than Tails is used to. He snorts and huffs just like Sonic though, and has his stubborn attitude for days. He'll just pick Tails up by the scruff to make him rest and then gives him these patented big brother looks despite not even being his big brother.
But once Tails recovers, he needs to find Sharp and continue looking for the Paradox Prism shards. Except Bur won't let him leave. It's not safe. He needs to protect all the smaller creatures from being hurt, and this new fox kit is one of them. Bur is every ounce of Sonic's protective instincts. When Sharp arrives, he's immediately pegged as a threat thanks to his weapons and the way he tries to grab Tails. Bur unleashes the full force of his fury, the best fighter out of the three Sonic variants. He will try to hurt Sharp, while Sharp will try not to hurt Bur.
But even though Bur's strong and fast, Sharp's faster. Amy and Big help them get away, making the decision to stay with Bur for now since they are safe there while Tails tries to figure everything out and find the rest of their friends. As they make their escape, Tails looks back and sees all of Bur's fight just drain out of him. His wide eyes so lost and hurt, not understanding why Tails is leaving when it's safe with him. Bur would always keep him safe.
But he lays himself down with a soft whine and lets them go. Tails always swore Sonic could never get away with puppy eyes on him, but looking back at Bur, he's ready to retract that statement in a heartbeat.
your Sonic Prime AU has been living in my brain since i read it, i love the concept and just. AUGH. i couldn't help but make fanart of it
Ahhhh!!! This is amazing!! Omg, it's Sharp! Thank you so, so much. This is a delight! I love the details. The fingerless gloves, the vest, the bandana, THE WATCH :') Beautiful. And of course he'd kill for Tails, that's his brand new little guy that he didn't even know he wanted~
And the scene with him and Nine!!! It seriously looks so cool.
Thank you for sharing this with me <333 I love it, seeing Sharp in all his glory... I'm so happy! :D
Hi, thanks again for answering my first ask about Tails and Shadow and Sonic! Similar question here, do you have any headcanons/ideas/musings about Tails and Sharp that you can share? I love their dynamic in the Sharp Edges collection you wrote, and I'm a sucker for any Sonic Prime AU where Tails is the one who interacts with other versions of Sonic. Thanks!
Hi! No problem, I love answering questions where I can and talking things out :)
Ah! I'm so excited you want to know more about Sharp and Tails! :D That's so cool, thanks for being interested! I also really love Tails getting to interact with other versions of Sonic, so I'm happy to do my part to add to it <3
Sharp is (only a little) reluctantly following along with Tails's scheme under the guise that he just needs to make sure the kid keeps a low profile and doesn't end up back on Satine Rouge's radar while they're in Rogue's Row. He can't have his reputation damaged, after all, it's what allows him what little freedom he has to help people. But it's also exciting! Helping Tails on these missions gives him a boost of adrenaline that he's been kinda missing. And he doesn't even have to pretend to kill anyone!
The two of them are very similar to how Nine and Sonic are, they bond quick because they work well together and because Sharp is so similar to Sonic, just a little... sharper. They're also pretty snarky with each other, which they both enjoy, but Sharp will downplay Tails's accomplishments without remorse in a way Sonic would never. Sharp isn't as sensitive to striking an insecure nerve because he doesn't know it's there.
Tails can handle it for the most part, since he's a little more aware of Sharp not being Sonic than Sonic was of Nine not being Tails. He's taken aback occasionally by Sharp's bite, especially when it's anger that's directed at him. He can handle sarcastic quips and even the threats of violence (because he knows he won't follow through), but sometimes things get a little raw and feelings are hurt. But there's still so much Sonic in Sharp that Tails can't help but care about him. Just like it's so easy to forgive Sonic (almost annoyingly so), Tails forgives Sharp as naturally as breathing.
And Sharp's not used to that. It's every rogue for themselves where he's from. And while he's done his best to make sure others have a chance at a fresh start, no one's ever returned the favor. No one's ever cared.
So Sharp and Tails butt heads more than Sonic and Tails do, especially once they leave Rogue's Row to search for more of the prism shards. They're not completely in sync. Mostly because Tails believes Sharp can be more than what he lets himself, and Sharp doesn't want to be told who he is by someone who barely knows him. He also doesn't want to be responsible for anyone other than himself, but is frustrated by how easy it is to want to look out for this lost kid. And how much this kid's opinion of him matters. He tries to resist the attachment at first, but just like Nine found hope and happiness in Sonic, Sharp finds the same meaning in Tails. His bond with him opens him up to become someone that will eventually be the person Nine needs (and Nine's going to get a bit of an extra journey to complement that, too).
Tails will also get to interact with two other Sonics in that AU, too! Drift (from No Place) and Snare (from Boscage Maze), though Snare's name might still change... His bond with both of them is still special, too, but when they meet Sails and Mangey, they're able to bond with them much sooner than Sharp is able to bond with Nine. Sharp and Nine don't really connect until the very end of the adventure, since both of them are too attached to Tails and Sonic, respectively.
Sorry, this totally got away from me! I have so many feelings about my Prime AU and every intention to write more of it if I wasn't so behind on Picket Fence stuff. I'll leave a little snippet of Sharp and Tails chatting though as a treat <3 I can't remember if I've ever shared it before, so sorry if I have, but it takes place a bit after "Keep a Sharp Eye."
Tails sighed at his Prower Paradox Prism Position Predictor Mark 5 when it showed no sign of there being anything remotely like the energy signature of the Paradox Prism nearby. "It's gone."
"Told ya it was still busted."
Tails ignored him. "But my calculations were precise. Nothing else gives off any kind of energy readings remotely similar. Something had to have triggered it. Or at least had enough of a disruptive frequency to confuse the P.2.5.P."
"Weird. Maybe it has something to do with the other you I just saw." Sharp cupped his chin, foot tapping thoughtfully.
Tails's attention snapped to him so hard he nearly gave himself whiplash. "What?"
"There was another you up in the trees. Right when your gizmo thing stopped working." Sharp twirled his index finger in the direction of the P.2.5.P.
Tails gaped at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, it looked like he was kinda trying to kill you. Like everyone in this city," Sharp reminded him, an edge to voice befitting his name, before he leaned back with a shrug. "Thought it was better if you didn't know you were being actively sniped."
Tails could still only stare at him slack-jawed. There were plenty of times Sonic had rendered him speechless over the years, but the dissonance of what he knew about these two versions of his best friend and all their other friends was thoroughly giving his processing capabilities a run for its money. He needed an aspirin.
"I thought you said you'd never seen another me in this dimension?" Tails finally ground out.
Sharp narrowed his own eyes at his tone. "I hadn't. You're the first you I've ever seen in my life. That guy up there was the second."
i'm assuming, like his name implies, he "drifts" around and just does whatever he wants?
You got it! Drift's name came from a couple of things. First, it's the game mechanic when you take tight corners while boosting as Sonic xD But also, it can mean being carried along by the wind or water, so fitting for a pirate world and also compatible with Sails's name :) And then the big thing is that he's so adrift in his own life. Just completely and utterly directionless.
Drift lives alone on an island in the middle of No Place. He can't swim, so he's not about to go live a life on the open seas. Most of the planet is under water, with scattered islands spread out across the ocean.
Now, he doesn't let it bother him! He doesn't need much, his island is lush and peaceful. It's okay that he can't really run anywhere, the island's not that big, he can cross it in less than fifteen minutes just walking. He likes living life worry-free, without a care in the world. He naps in hammocks all day long, plays his guitar, and eats seaweed salads and drinks out of coconuts xD He has absolutely no drive to do anything. No purpose. No point. And he's happy. He doesn't care that he's stuck in one place because his island is beautiful and he's alone! No one telling him what to do, no one expecting anything of him. It's just him, nature, and peace.
This probably doesn't sound too bad, right? Except, it's Sonic. An aimless Sonic who sees absolutely nothing wrong with lying on a beach all day, every day, alone, forever. He's Sonic's carefree nature dialed up to the point where he couldn't care less. Without anything to run towards, he doesn't run at all. Without anything to live for, he's not even really living.
He's also very talkative despite being alone. Drift got the whole slice of the talking pie xD Sharp might have a sharp tongue, but he also isn't compelled to say everything that's on his mind and Bur (originally Snare, but I think Bur works better for his character, like the little spiky seed balls that get stuck on clothes or in animal fur) is non-verbal. So it's safe to say, Sonic's most annoying qualities went to Drift, lol.
When Drift finally has some company - in the form of Rouge and Knuckles landing on his island for a change - all he's got to offer them are carefree conversations and coconuts, no way home in sight. Just miles of ocean.
"Haven't you ever wanted to at least see what else is out there?" Knuckles demanded.
Eyes still closed, Drift lazily waved his hand towards the endless blue expanse beyond the edge of his beach. "Take a long look, pal. That's all there is."
"You can't know that!" Knuckles smacked the palm tree with the side of his fist, the whole thing swaying along with the hammock and finally coaxed the hedgehog to crack one eye open and peer up at him. "If you've never left this island, how could you know that there isn't something more for you?"
Drift clicked his tongue, a lazy smile spreading across his face as he folded his arms behind his quills. "You tell me, big guy. What could be better than this? Now d'ya mind? You're kinda blocking my sun."
Knuckles can't stand him xD Rouge is just annoyed and wants to find a way back as soon as possible. But the two of them give him a little more perspective, even if he doesn't outwardly show it - because it is pretty fun to annoy them, he's never had real people to mess with - and when Tails shows up, it becomes clear that Drift is fully aware of how he's not actually free. Not caring is his way of coping, convincing himself that he couldn't possibly want more because he can't have it when the world has nearly drowned. But after connecting with both Tails and Knuckles, Drift decides life's no fun without taking a chance or two, so he decides to go with them when they finally leave the island.
Then they'll run across a familiar pirate ship we all know and love, and Drift will find both a purpose and adventure waiting for him aboard <3 He and Sails hit it off almost instantly, to the surprise of absolutely no one, lol. They bond the quickest out of all the variants.
Drift likes to hang out in the crow's nest because "it's the farthest from the water that I can get" and that's where Sails likes to hang out, too, when he doesn't feel like partying and wants somewhere to tinker on his contraptions. Sails thinks he's funny and Drift thinks he's clever. They understand each other's longing for freedom and purpose, but they worry about the price. Drift doesn't want to be anchored to anything and Sails worries he's only valuable as a member of a crew, that on his own, he's nothing. They both fill a need they didn't know they had, and they recognize it straightaway.
"Well... if ye every feel like yer being dragged down here," Sails hummed as he looked out at the edge of the horizon, "I'll fly ye up and out."
"Oh yeah?" Drift snorted, but his muzzle quirked in genuine amusement. "Wouldn't that be considered mutiny?"
"Can ye really mutiny if ye don't even have a proper captain?" Sails sighed dramatically, coaxing a chuckle out of his companion. "It keeps changin' every day! They keep... they keep abandonin' us," he said, his voice soft, but there was a frustrated edge to it lying just beneath the surface. "Why shouldn't any of us leave?"
"Then why don't ya?"
Sails pursed his mouth thoughtfully. "I've only ever been any good as a part of a crew. Even if all I ever do is help throw parties and act as lookout. At least I'm doin' something for someone."
"A fair point," Drift agreed idly. "Well, guess it'll just depend then. How far can those tails of yours carry ya?"
Sails looked over at him and shrugged. "Don't know," he answered honestly. "But so far, they've gotten me where I've needed to go. Can't promise they'll do the same for ye, but... I can promise I'll try."
Drift glanced at him, and the sea breeze suddenly wasn't all that cold as a warm smile spread across his face. "I'll hold ya to it," he chuckled.
I haven't written much for them, I still need to figure out exactly when in the show they meet (right now I have it outlined for right after the episode "No Way Out" but I haven't fully pieced together each sequence of events), but I know I love them and they're wonderful~
Thanks for asking about my other problem child Drift! <3
I’m not sure if you’ve ever answered anything about him, but did you ever have anything with Nine planned to be written in the future? :0
Oh, yeah for sure! My Sharp Edges AU is my own take on Sonic Prime that I started playing with back when it was just the first batch of episodes xD Nine stars in the fic "Keep a Sharp Eye," and though he's not mentioned in "Caught in the Crosshairs," that fic establishes his Sonic variant's first meeting with Tails. Because I'm sorry, I can't rest until every Tails has a Sonic. It's too important to me.
I have a whole saga outlined for it that drastically alters the plot midway through s2 and all of s3, but I've just had more pressing projects I wanted to tackle first. But Nine is super involved in that AU, I love him. He breaks my heart.
I hope to write more of it someday! I have a couple of scenes I really want to do justice, specifically one between Nine and Tails (and Sails and Mangey, too, they're part of it).
How do you think Sharp and Sonic's relationship would be like, if/when they meet in the Sharp AU?
I love that I got two asks about Sharp and Sonic back to back xD You both were on the same wavelength when you sent these!
So I answered a bit about how Sonic would approach Sharp as a potential threat here.
In terms of how they'd actually get along? Better than Tails and Nine! I think once Sonic realized that Sharp's been helping Tails, he'd be just as friendly towards him as anyone else. He'd probably poke fun at how serious he is and that he needs to loosen up more, but Sharp would just look pointedly at Drift from No Place, then arch a silent brow as he stared at Sonic, daring him to suggest that again.
"I said 'loosen up more,' not lose your grip entirely..." (they're so mean, my boy Drift doesn't deserve this slander!)
At first Sharp judges Sonic hard. Like, this is the guy Tails looks up to and swears is his best friend and big brother? He's a joke. But luckily Sharp's not without a sense of humor, so he probably can't help but say snarky things in time with Sonic. He's not as playful, but Tails has brought that side of him out a bit more. Plus, they can both agree on being protective and making sure Tails isn't in danger. Sharp can respect and admire that Sonic will fight to protect his friends. That he actually has friends to protect.
Sonic also judges him a little, because this guy's been hanging around his little brother and apparently made everyone in his world mad at him, so is he that great of a guy for Tails to be around? But he can quickly tell that Tails basically has Sharp wrapped around his finger, so if anyone's in danger of being influenced by anyone, it's Sharp xD
Sonic can rely on Sharp to look after Tails while he looks after everyone else. Sonic's got his hands full with making sure Amy, Big, Knuckles, Rouge, and Shadow are all okay, so once he feels like he can trust Sharp, he can rest a bit easier knowing Tails has some back-up while he's trying to do his part to fix the Paradox Prism.
Sonic is pretty accepting of himself and comfortable with who he is as a person, and I think that would reflect in how he interacts with the other versions of himself. Except maybe Drift xD I think Sonic might think Drift is all the worst parts of him with none of the good to balance him out. He'd definitely take Sharp over Drift, lol.
how would Sonic react when he encounters Sharp and Tails? I'm imagining Sonic somehow finding out that Sharp was sent to kill Tails and now he's angsty and terrified that a version of him is trying to kill his little brother when in reality, Tails and Sharp are sassing each other 24/7
or if he finds Sharp alone (Tails is wandering around somewhere), would he immediately attack him once he sees that Tails isn't in his sights?
Ooh... I really like where your mind's going with this!
I think Sonic would actually be willing to give Sharp the benefit of the doubt. He's seen all these other versions of his friends and even though they're a little rough around the edges, he still sees parts of his friends in them. He'd figure, that must be true for a version of himself, too. And in his mind, there's no version of him that would be capable of hurting Tails.
I think Sonic comes across Drift first, his No Place version, so that might lull him into a false sense of security. Drift is the least threatening of all the Sonics xD both in physical capability and in personality. After being around a guy like that, Sharp would be a stark contrast.
While I haven't decided how exactly they cross paths yet, I can see an image of Nine fighting Tails at distance - with the former trying to get Tails's prism shard that he stole from Rogue's Row that's allowing him to travel between shatterspaces - and Sharp takes aim with his rifle, eyeing them through the scope. Sonic sees this and doesn't hesitate to interfere, regardless of who Sharp was aiming for. It doesn't matter. No version of him is ever going to hurt any version of his little bro, not while he's got something to say about it.
Of course, he doesn't know that Sharp doesn't have any lethal ammunition on him. Tails probably made him some rubber electro-bullets which act like mini tasers or something that can disable robots or mechanical devices. While it'd hurt if either of them got hit with them, it wouldn't be enough to incapacitate them. Just enough to maybe take out a couple of Nine's tails.
But if this is after Sonic's realized he hurt Nine, then maybe he starts to think that there is a part of him that is capable of hurting the ones he cares about. Who is so callous and carefree and places what he wants above everyone else. Who doesn't do or think about what's right, just lives by his own way.
He might think it's better if someone like that wasn't around.
*Doofenshcmirtz voice* if I had a nickel everytime one of my favorite sonic fanfic writers had a Prime! Sonic with 'shar' in his name I'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice xD (your Sharp and myymi's Shard 🤣)
Hehe, always love that reference!
In the case for Sharp, it just seemed like the best fit for a couple of reasons! Sonic is a sound-based name, so I kind of wanted something that fit that theme that also suited his character and the world he was from. Sharp really worked out because not only does it fit his more prickly personality and his profession as an assassin (sharp shooter, lol) the main draw was that it related to music keys, particularly that it can refer to a music note that's slightly off pitch from it's original sound :) The three of those things combined (and the fact that it's 5 letters like Sonic and also starts with an S) made it the ideal name for my guy!
I think it's super fun to see what other creative names people come up with for the Sonic variants and their thought processes behind them! It's fascinating to see where other writers' minds go :D
