Chapter 1:

A Vision of Cosmo

A young fox stood underneath the remains of a large, wrecked cannon on the two toned blue and silver white ships that floated silently in the depths of the dead, deep space. Deathly wind blew from a far of cluster of stars seeming unnatural to the fox as he lured his innocent, sapphire gaze to the far off star that burned brightly. He knew the reason why and couldn't help, but whimper softly until a small noise startled him jumping slightly in reaction to the blue hedgehog that stood a few feet away. He gazed into his gentle, emerald eyes that held both sympathy and rage towards him glowering with intensity with each step the hedgehog took. He felt the fur on his back quiver standing up in pricks as he started to stagger backward slightly fearing the hedgehog that now turned his paws into fist, which, in his mind, was intent to hit him. "S-Sonic?" The fox asked with a small, fearful whimper. The hedgehog continued to walk forward without breaking the trance-like eye contact he held with the fox. "S-Sonic….p-please….I….I…k-know you're mad at me….but I….I…" The teary-eyed fox stuttered heavily, trying to find the words to say. The blue hedgehog now stood face to face with him hearing the fox whimpering softly out of fear when he brought his fist into a striking position. The fox cringed in fear before the slightly taller hedgehog, "S-Sonic….p-please…I did everything I c-could….just please…" The hedgehog paused for a moment as if for effect before sighing lifting the fox's sweaty paw placing something small into it. "I'm…sorry, Tails. I…looked everywhere for her…but this…is all I found." He expressed heavily with a guilty tone. The fox slowly opened his paw staring at the tiny, luminous white seed that shone his miserable reflection back at him. "A….A seed!?" The fox cried out loud. His legs started to buckle beneath him staggering backward with a miserable, dazed expression. Tears started to fall like shattering diamonds, tragic, yet beautiful within the moment. He continuously shook his head no muttering to himself, not being able to accept the reality before him. He slowly brought the seed to his chest and started to fall like an angel from grace as the hedgehog quickly caught him with the fox collapsing into his chest. "S-Sonic…why….WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN?!" He yelled sharply in between sobs. He winced at the fox's shouting hearing the deep, sharp, painful breaths he drew knowing each one hurt his soul deep inside. "Isn't….Isn't the hero always suppose to find an alternate way to save everyone…?" The fox sobbed while pounding lightly into the furry blue chest. The hedgehog stood in silence feeling regret weld up inside him as tears of his own started to stream down his face embracing the fox. "I'm sorry buddy….guess I failed at that…." The fox shook his head pushing him away violently as his entire body shook horribly seeing the tear stained fur. "She….she was supposed to come back with us….I was gonna show her everything back home. We promised each other that….I….I…..I couldn't even confess my love for her in time. She…..SHE CAN'T BE GONE!!" The fox ran up with the hedgehog extending his paw outward, but was slapped away by the fox as he stood there staring at him tripping along the way being blinded by his tears and sorrow.

I found myself shouting out loud in the middle of the night hearing the echo of my own voice play back for me. Sweat rolled down my forehead profusely; my bed sheets stained with tears yet again and…..that same dream…..that same dream that haunted me for the past five years. I could never get rid of that dream no matter how hard I tried. It was just another regular night for me, this being the third time waking up tonight. I just laid there with the usual far off gaze I always had, recalling everything that happened like I did every night, hoping that there might have been an alternate way to save her. I knew it was stupid and childish to keep thinking that, but I couldn't help it. The famed genius, Miles Prower, still thinking like that...I couldn't accept that fact about myself. The way my childish nature still retained itself in the unhealthy form of those dreams I had every night, wishing to find that alternative way of saving her. I couldn't help but feel responsible for her death, knowing it was I that pulled the trigger to end her life to save existence itself. I sighed somberly knowing I would wake up again in the next hour or so, with the same thoughts coursing through my mind. I gingerly closed my eyes, hoping to get at least what one considers normal hours of undisturbed sleep. "Please, Tails-kun…stay awake for just a few more minutes…" My eyes snapped opened and my ears twitched to the angel-like voice that just spoke. Even after all these years, I knew that voice! The one I fell in love with, I could never mistake that formal tone she always addresses me with. I sat bolt upright trying to see her, but luminous white light flooded my small bedroom as I blocked it with my orange paws. "It's alright Tails, you can look now…." The caressing, gentle voice spoke to me. I sat open mouthed at the sight before me; the girl had a sweet, angel-like face, her sapphire blue eyes were clearly visible under her long luminous green hair. The two pink blossoms that bloomed from her head, and the silky green, long sleeve top and white dress that she wore looking like petal blooming from her waist. I couldn't help myself to calling out to her, even if it was just a twisted dream my tortured mind came up with. "C….C-Cosmo?!" She nodded slightly, "yes…it's me. I have to tell you something important. I'm not exactly dead…but alive within you. However, I'm still out there and I want to be back here, properly alive, to be with you." I couldn't speak at all; I was mesmerized by the entire event. Instead, I just nodded making a small whimper like a mouse being trodden on. "Cosmo, are you a ghost?!" I found myself saying rather quickly. I guess I didn't want to be labeled as crazy if this was conjured up by the lack of sleep I've been having with this being a twisted dream that my mind seemed to adore. She giggled slightly giving me a loving smile which I loved about her. "Not exactly, more of a memory." She said in that angelic voice of hers. I found myself mesmerized by her movements towards me as she put her hand gently upon my chest, the side where my heart was. "Let your heart guide you through the galaxy, trust in me, trust yourself, and trust in us, Tails…" I couldn't help, but feel the hot tears flowing down my cheeks, desperately wanting to be in her embrace. I dived forward with my arms extended, but I fell through her and crashed into the floor with the vision of her disappearing. I screamed her name as loudly as I could waving my paws frantically in the air hoping to feel some sort of her presence left.

I froze instantly, hearing one of the door locks being turned and then hearing my door open slightly with a soft flicker of light coming in from the crack. It suddenly busted open with flooding light as I recoiled into a small ball of fluff using my twin tails to protect me. I slowly peeked through my tails seeing a pink hedgehog stomping in, dressed in a flowery pink, spaghetti strapped gown with a hair net and the most intimidating scowl I've ever seen from her! The girl next door, the seventeen year old, Amy Rose.

"TAILS!! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TIME IT IS? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING??" She screamed viciously at me. I knew better than to wake Amy up, she was a real bitch if she didn't get the sleep she needed. And every one of us knew. "Its….Its…" I stuttered losing my voice in mid sentence. She folded her arms for emphasis while tapping her foot impatiently. "Tails, if it's something to do with dreaming about Cosmo, I'll get Sonic!" She threatened. "Amy, calm down, I'm here." I heard a mewling voice call out as a blue hedgehog stepped through the door standing right next to Amy. My best friend, the twenty year old Sonic the Hedgehog. He had several bags under his eyes, yawning deeply every other moment with his quills sticking all over the place like lightning struck him. "Tails….what are you doing?" He asked me politely in the stretch of a yawn. I finally stood back up while frantically brushing my fur to as neat as it would come at the moment. "Cosmo! She was here! She told me was she still alive! And…and…and…" I couldn't stop myself; I couldn't even finish my sentence. "See, Sonic!" Amy yelled while pointed her finger at me for emphasis. "The boy finally cracked! He's now seeing things!" "Amy…" Sonic interrupted in a soothing, calm voice. "Go back to bed, and make sure everyone is still asleep. I need to have a little chat with Tails."

Sonic somehow always knew what to say in the right situations. Amy muttered under her breath and left leaving the both of us alone in an awkward position. I felt my stomach churn in knots, feeling dizzy and the feeling of throwing up crept up upon me, but I managed to keep that feeling suppressed for the time being. My longtime friend gestured for me to sit down on my bed as I obeyed with him following afterward. I drifted my gaze towards the old grandfather clock I had in the corner of my room that read two in the morning. I knew I wasn't going to sleep after this; Sonic was probably going to have another lecture ready for me, telling me that I needed to stop this. I didn't want to deal with anyone at this point; I did everything I could to avoid looking into his eyes. I found myself focusing on the picture on the bedside table, showing a neat frame of myself at eight, a blushing, orangey yellow, twin tailed fox. Next to me, an eight year old Cosmo, her hair shorter with her unbloomed red rose buds upon her head and the red amulet on her chest. I looked so happy in that picture with her…I wondered where that fox went, knowing I wasn't the same person I used to be. I sighed softly, I didn't want the awkward silence to continue anymore. I just wanted to get through with this and hopefully go back to sleep. "Sonic…" I started off. "You believe me, right? A-About Cosmo visiting me…telling me that she was still alive." He just sat there in silence musing in his own thoughts showing that guilty expression whenever we talked about the subject of Cosmo. I already knew that predetermined look and I got sick of it every time I saw it! "I KNEW IT!!" I yelled ferociously, making Sonic jump in surprise. "YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME!" I stood up with my paws tightly formed into fists seething in the rage I found every time whenever he gave me that look. "It's not the fact that I don't believe you. I do…it's just….the word of a thirteen year old fox will convince hardly anyone." Sonic replied in a monotone voice.

I just stood there with raging tears streaming down my face, annoyed at the fact that he was belittling me with that statement. Sonic just sighed, looking at me with those sympathetic eyes as he rubbed his forehead in circles. "Look Tails….it's been over five years now-" He immediately retracted what he just said, feeling the remorse weld up inside him when he looked at me. He probably saw me how I was five years ago at that incident. Sonic just twiddled his thumbs trying to find the right words to say to me, if any. "Tails….buddy….you gotta calm down." He tried to reason. "But..." I interjected. "But I know what I saw was real….She's…." The thought instantly clicked in my mind. "That's it! My workshop!" I yelled excitedly. I started to run out of the room before Sonic stood up and caught me by the shoulder just as I got to the door. "No Tails, I don't think she could have grown within that time period…or from that seed. Trees always take numerous years to grow, and for a life form plant….it would probably take even longer." My ears drooped heavily discouraging the thought that I had, hoping that she might have returned fully waiting within my workshop. "You're right…Sonic…." I said somberly hanging my head low while wiping the tears from my eyes. "Tails?" A calm, feminine voice asked. I slowly looked up seeing Amy standing before me with an apologetic look and a mug of hot chocolate in her paws. "Sorry about snapping at you earlier, here." She handed the mug to me as I blew on it, taking small sips at a time being careful not to scald my tongue. "Hot chocolate always helps me when I feel down; I thought it might help you." She said sweetly. I muttered a "thanks Amy" in return, still feeling the raw emotions pour out of me this late. "Well…I think we should all go back to bed." Sonic spoke softly. "Did anyone wake up at all?" "Only Cream, I told her that it was only an owl." Amy replied. Sonic nodded giving the gesture of, I'll take care of everything that we were all accustomed to see from him. Amy left shortly after while Sonic stayed after to make sure I was alright. "Tails…" He sighed in mid sentence. "I know a lot went on…I just want to make sure you're alright." I glanced at him slightly before taking another sip of the hot chocolate Amy gave me waiting to see if he was going to say anything else. He shrugged his shoulders giving me a weak smile which I knew was that trademark smile he had. "Hopefully, everything will go better in the morning. Night Tails….oh, um mm…Happy 14th Birthday Tails." Sonic said before running out like he usually did.

How could I forget my own birthday?! I guess a lot went on tonight and it must have slipped my mind. I laughed quietly to myself as I slowly walked towards my bed setting the mug down on the bedside table. I still thought about what Cosmo had said….it put my mind at ease somewhat….and maybe this is just what I needed to help me. Even if none of it was true…I wanted to believe she was still out there…waiting for me…