Written for the Kelviniana forum Dark Waters of Halloween challenge.
Aquatic Ruin Zone.
How Sonic hated that place...
The blue hedgehog sped along the grassy ruins, taking in the sights as his friend Tails followed behind him.
Sonic had a very specific reason for hating the area.
He couldn't swim.
The hedgehog could travel faster than sound, leap over twice his height, and perform daring stunts of parkour without missing a beat, but as soon as his red sneakers touched water, he seized up in fear.
Sonic's crippling aquaphobia, combined with his inability to swim, made places like Aquatic Ruin a chore to pass through. The hedgehog wasn't even buoyant; as soon as he entered a body of water, he sunk like a stone.
Tails, the twin-tailed kitsune, couldn't understand his friend's problem with water. The fox didn't even remember learning how to swim; it just came naturally to him. He enjoyed swimming, as a matter of fact, which was a cause for disappointment; since Sonic didn't want to go near water, Tails rarely got the opportunity to swim unless it was necessary to get through a particular area on the way to fight Dr. Eggman.
"How much farther until the signpost, Tails?" Sonic asked, leaping along crumbling platforms in an attempt to avoid submerged areas.
"It's still quite far," Tails replied. Today was going to be different. The fox had had enough of his partner's aquaphobia, and was going to put a stop to it once and for all.
He was going to teach Sonic how to swim.
Sonic came to a halt at the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast lake. Tails, who had been flying overhead, landed gently next to the blue blur.
"Alright, Tails, you're gonna have to fly me over that lake."
Tails rolled his eyes. "Not this time, Sonic."
Sonic turned around to look at his friend. "What are you talking about?"
"Sonic, frankly... I'm sick of having to carry you over every lake, pond, and puddle."
"I've never made you carry me over a puddle," Sonic scoffed.
"Actually, yes you have... multiple times! But that ends now. I'm going to give you swimming lessons, Sonic."
Sonic froze. "You... you can't be serious."
"I'm 44 pounds of serious." The kitsune crossed his arms, looking exasperated.
"Right here? In the middle of Aquatic Ruin?" Sonic appeared frightened.
"I can't think of a better place. There's bodies of water ranging in depth from a thimble to an ocean here."
"B-but..." Sonic frowned. "I'm scared!"
The fox never saw Sonic lose his cool unless it involved either water or Amy Rose. "You can do it." He placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll take baby steps. Soon, you'll be scuba diving in the deep blue sea without a care in the world!"
"You really think so?" Sonic looked into Tails' eyes.
"I know so." Tails lied.
"What have I gotten myself into..." Tails thought.
Sonic was sitting at the edge of a small pond, about as deep as he was tall. He was trembling and attempting to back away, but Tails kept pushing him back.
"Sonic, it's just a little pond! Come on!"
"I-I can't do it!" Sonic squeaked in reply.
A frog croaked nearby and hopped into the water. Tiny droplets splashed the hedgehog, and he seized up in terror. "AAAAUUUGH!"
Tails shook his head and let out an irritated sigh. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled two small, yellow, rubbery items.
"What the heck are those?" Sonic exclaimed.
"Water wings." Tails answered. "They'll help you float."
Tails carefully put the water wings on Sonic's arms, being sure to avoid popping them on his pointy spines.
"I don't see how these will help..." Sonic said. He was obviously embarassed, and with good reason; he looked rather silly with them on.
"They will, trust me." Tails said. "Now get into the water."
"N-now?"
Tails nodded. "Yes."
Sonic reluctantly crawled on his butt toward the pond, gingerly dipping his shoe into it before pulling it out in fear.
"That's it, keep going." Tails encouraged his friend.
Sonic closed his eyes and kept squirming into the water, the coldness of it making him shiver. He braced himself; for what exactly, he knew not. Then he heard Tails cheering.
"YES!" Tails was literally jumping for joy.
Sonic barely had time to wonder why when he realized he wasn't sitting anymore - he was floating in the middle of the pond! The hedgehog began to panic and flail about comically.
"Sonic! Relax! You're not going to sink with those water wings on!"
And indeed, despite his clumsy flailing, Sonic continued to float. Gradually he calmed down, realizing that he was in control, not the water. "I can float!"
"Yes you can!" Tails was beaming. "Now, swing your arms in front of you, like you're dragging yourself through it, and kick your legs!"
Sonic did as he was told. "I-I'm swimming!" The hedgehog was amazed.
Sonic spent the rest of the afternoon splashing around in the pond, Tails joining him. The pair laughed giddily.
After a while, they got out of the pond and shook the water out of their fur. Tails wasn't about to call it a day just yet, however.
"Now, Sonic, for a real challenge."
"Hm? What do you mean, Tails?" Sonic scratched his head.
Tails pointed at the lake Sonic had been previously planning to cross. "We're going to swim across there together."
Sonic looked afraid, but not as afraid as before. "Can I do it?"
"Of course you can. And I'll be right here with you."
The pair swam steadily across the lake, making great progress. Tails was relieved to finally have gotten Sonic over his aquaphobia. They saw land approaching, and were almost out of the water, when...
"Ahh!" Sonic shouted.
"What is it!?" Tails turned to his partner.
"Something... something's grabbed my leg! And it's pulling me-" Before the hedgehog could get another word in, he disappeared below the surface, the water wings rocketing off his arms as he was dragged under.
"Sonic!" Tails shouted. Without a moment's hesitation, the two-tailed fox took a deep gulp of air, shut his eyes, and dove under to help his friend.
The water stung when Tails opened his eyes again. He saw what looked like a mechanical arm dragging Sonic into the murky depths, and spun his tails like propellers, following Sonic. When he got deeper, he saw a large robot connected to the arm.
"Dr. Eggman!" Tails thought angrily. He continued swimming.
Tails saw Eggman in the cockpit of the machine, through a glass window. He looked over to see Sonic struggling against the arm, bubbles escaping his mouth as his air supply dwindled. Looking back at Eggman, he could see the mad doctor taunting him through the glass.
Swimming over, the fox kicked at the window. It didn't budge or crack. Eggman was laughing on the other side, not even attempting to attack Tails. The kitsune could see that Sonic was out of breath, the hedgehog's struggles weakening and finally subsiding altogether. Then he had an idea.
Swimming downward at top speed, he searched the lakebed for something. While he was down there, he took a gulp of oxygen from a nearby air bubble that floated up out of a crack in the ground. Turning his attention back to his mission, he finally found what he was looking for - a relatively large rock. Grabbing it and straining, spinning his tails as fast as he could, the fox barely managed to lift it as he swam back up.
Bringing the rock up to the window, Tails saw Eggman look at him quizzically, then panic, waving his arms and shaking his head as if to say, "Please don't!"
With all his strength, the fox pulled up the rock, and...
SMASH!
The glass was shattered. As water poured into the machine, Eggman cursed and ejected himself via an escape pod. Tails didn't bother to follow him.
Swimming over to his friend, Tails wrestled Sonic out of the grip of the robotic arm and swam toward the surface, gasping for air when he reached it. Swimming to the shore, he placed Sonic gently on the ground and pushed on his chest until the hedgehog came to life, coughing up water and panting.
"Are you okay?" Tails asked.
"Y-yeah, I guess..." Sonic spat out the last of the water, and continued lying there.
"I... suppose that concludes our lesson for today," Tails smiled sheepishly.
"And forever," Sonic added.
"What?" Tails' eyes widened.
"Do you seriously think I would go back in the water after that experience?" Sonic shut his eyes. "No way am I EVER going swimming again! I told you water was dangerous!"
Tails shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, brother..."
Welp, that was... interesting XD The idea just came to me tonight and I spent the last little while writing it. Feedback is always appreciated!