A/N: I don't own Sonic X. I do, however, own my OCs.

Chapter 3: The Healing Begins

"So...Amy's place is this way...I hope."

Tails sat snugly in a large, rough tree branch as he checked the landmarks around the Green Hill area, breathing somewhat labored by fatigue. He hadn't been flying using his twin tails much in the last several months, and doing so now was tiresome. At least it gave him a chance to stop and look around as he caught his breath. He was on his way to Amy's home, to see if there wasn't a way she knew to get ahold of Sonic...and now, he was somewhat lost. Amy's small house was somewhat secluded; while not a modern hermit's hut like his own workshop home, it was out of the way enough to be notable. Normally, he'd use his electronic navigator built into the X-Tornado, but Tails wasn't flying his pride and joy machine this time. Instead, he was using his own two-tailed flight, and had to rely on good old fashioned landmark navigating to find her house. Unfortunately, his memory was a little hazy when it came to matching landmarks, unless he had something to reference like a map. But, in his preparation to leave his workshop, he had forgotten that detail. Deciding that it would look odd to Cosmo if he had gone back to get a map, he pressed forward. Swirling what gave him his nickname, he took off again in a general direction, hoping against hope that he could locate the pink hedgehog's home.

Flying high up now, he took in the sights around him. The season of Autumn was beginning to set over the verdant Green Hill area, and the trees were already beginning to change in colors ranging from fading cream greens to yellows that seemed almost neon in the mid-day sunlight. Autumn was one of the fox's favorite times of year, if nothing else, simply because food ALWAYS seemed to taste better, and make him feel more full in the Fall. The beauty of the season brought his thoughts back to Cosmo, and thinking on what she told him, he continued on, wondering if he could share the season with her...happily. After a couple more stops in the trees, he came to a small house at the end of a small road. The sign identified it as Amy's. Smiling with triumph at locating her house without aid, he flew closer. Amy, clad in her trademark red dress, and sporting the same style she always had, appeared to be around the back of the house, apparently carrying some clothing. Slowing his flight as he descended, he called out to her.

"AMY!"

Dropping her load of clothing in surprise, she turned, slightly embarrassed, to the voice that called out to her. With a huge, cheery smile, she ran towards him. "TAILS!" She nearly howled. As the fox landed, Amy threw her arms around him and squeezed in a platonic hug, immeasurably happy to see the young fox. Tails choked slightly; Amy's grip was fierce and unforgiving of his minor injuries he had sustained while working, not to mention his soreness for exercising himself with a fly for the first time in a long while, but Tails returned her hug as best he could. Releasing him, she smiled even more broadly.

"Oh...how have you been, Tails?" She pipped happily. "I'm so happy to see you! It's been months..."

"I'm glad to see you too, Amy...but ow..." Tails groaned, rubbing his sides. "That's a mean grip...Now I know how Sonic feels sometimes..."

"HEY!" Amy barked in mock annoyance as she furrowed a brow, hands going to her hips. "What's wrong with my grip, hmm?"

"I..."

Amy giggled mightily and elbowed the yellow fox gently. "Oh come on, Tails!" She laughed, grabbing him by the hand. "Come on in my house! I really, really want to hear about what you've been doing and..." Tails held up a hand to quiet her.

That's fine, Amy but.." he started.

"But what?" Amy popped, genuinely annoyed now.

"What about your...laundry?" Tails grinned at her, pointing at the pile of clothing she had dropped.

"AH!" Amy cried in embarrassment. "Ok...go on in and make yourself at home! I'll be inside in a minute..."


After having folded out her clothes and left them hanging to dry off, Amy came inside to find Tails casually walking through the living room of her house, inspecting it with curiosity. Tails hadn't actually been in her house in a long while, not since after they got home from Chris's world. It had changed as far back as he could remember, but it was still very cozy and comfortable...with a sense of familiarity. In fact, it reminded him of the spacious Thorndyke house back on Chris' world, Earth, but still kept it small, and very relaxing. Staring at the pictures she had of her time on Earth (With more than a few of herself and Sonic), he wondered how Amy managed to make everything in her own home as relaxing as she did, but then he thought about how Vanilla did the same for her house. He came to the conclusion that it was his own house that was uncomfortable, because, despite his intelligence, he had no sense of how to live easier aside from sleeping on a soft bed. Tails also tended to bring small projects with him everywhere he went, and that often led to a messy abode. Amy on the other hand, while not exactly a neat freak, did try to keep things rather comely. He thought about the state in which he had left his home for Cosmo to live in...and he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

"You like it?" Amy pipped, startling him back into the here and now. She was holding a pair of socks that matched her pink fur. She smiled as she looked at the pictures, setting the socks aside. "I miss Earth...and Chris. So I decided to see if I couldn't make my house into something like theirs."

"Mhm." Tails sighed. He missed Chris, too. Last the fox had heard, Chris returned to his own world...with the help of Dr. Eggman, of all people.

"So, Tails..." Amy said, sitting on a couch. "How have you been?"

"Well, Amy..." Tails began, walking over to the couch to sit next to her. Amy noticed his slight limp, and looked at his feet.

"What happened...to your leg?" She frowned, concerned.

"Oh...I burned my foot this morning." Tails looked down. "It was kinda my fault..."

"Well, let me look at it." She stood up to give Tails room to sit in a way that would allow her to examine his foot.

"You don't need to worry, Amy. It's not that bad." Tails never really liked being fussed over, and he didn't think of the burn as that serious a problem.

"Sit." Her tone and furrowed expression brooked no argument, so Tails lowed himself to the chair and leaned against the back cushion, lifting his injured foot. Resting it on her knee, she removed the shoe and gently took off the bandage. She pressed her lips at the sight of the burn, which Tails had tried to treat.

"It doesn't look too bad." She concluded simply. " I think I have some stuff that'll help that I saved from the Typhoon." She left to get an ointment and returned with a fresh bandage and a small jar of a white, lotiony substance. "But how did you burn yourself?"

"Well, I got kind of frustrated at a project I was working on, and ended up kicking a red hot metal plate." He answered, scratching his head. This was embarrassing.

Amy frowned. "Then don't go kicking them! I think you deserved a burned foot if you do stupid things like that." She said, deepening her glare. Tails scratched the back of his head. Amy dropped her look at the sight of him and smiled. After applying the ointment gently and re-bandaging the burn, she motioned for him to move, and sat when he scooted over.

"Thanks, Amy." He said gratefully. His foot did feel better.

" No problem at all, Tails!" She welcomed. "So...what brings you to my place? I doubt it was to show me an injured foot..."

Tails shook his head. "Actually, I came here to ask if you know where Sonic might be...I need to talk to him."

Amy's expression fell from a cheery smile to one of contained worry. "Sorry, Tails...I haven't heard from him in a long time."

"Oh." Tails sighed. After getting home, Amy said that Sonic discarded his wrist communicator, and Tails had broken his own, forgetting to bother with fixing it. Sonic preferred often to be by himself, and evidently didn't like being in contact all the time. The only reason he did so on the Typhoon was because it was necessary. This meant, unfortunately, that there was no easy way to get ahold of him when you wanted, or in Tails' case, needed, to talk to him when he was off running somewhere.

Tails looked at Amy. The mention of Sonic had worried her. Frowning, he asked her a question.

"What did he say to you before you heard from him last?"

"He said that he was gonna go on a trip for a while," She replied. "But that was six weeks ago."

Tails frowned. He didn't like the sound of that at all. Amy was hopelessly in love with Sonic, and he remembered the length of time it took for him to return home from Chris' world. Tails remembered just how worried Amy had been. She looked just as worried now, or nearly. At least Sonic had told her that he was going away for a while this time.

"It's Ok, Amy." Tails said consolingly. "I'm sure Sonic is fine."

"I know, Tails." She looked at her shoes and clasped her hands. "It still doesn't stop me from worrying about him."

Tails shifted, uncomfortable, unsure of what to say next.

"Why am I so gloomy?" She suddenly asked herself. "Talk to me, Tails! Tell me what you've been up to! I know I never visited you after giving you that chair...and I'm sorry for that, but still...tell me how you've been."

Tails talked a long while on the projects he had been working on. His power supply, his sentient robot assistant, and all manner of gadgets, gizmos, and other things that the fox had kept himself busy with. He left out any mention of Cosmo, knowing that, if Tails claimed that Cosmo had been reborn, she would go and confirm it for herself. Cosmo and Amy were close friends, almost sister-like, when they were onboard the Typhoon. But Tails knew that Cosmo needed time to rest and regrow, and getting bothered by constant visitors would hinder that. Amy, however, noted that Tails seemed to avoid even mentioning Cosmo's name. Having heard enough, she spoke, sympathy laden in her tone.

"Tails....it wasn't your fault."

"Amy?" Tails replied, a bit confused.

"I know you miss Cosmo." She started, a tear forming in her eye as she put a hand on Tails' shoulder. "But you can't just block it all out...It isn't healthy."

"Amy..." Tails looked at his shoes.

"I know you still blame yourself, and I know how you felt, but please. Talk about it. You've been locked up in your workshop for so long...I can see it. Your fur may be clean...well, mostly." She pointed out some tree bark that evidently had clung to him as he rested on his way over. "But it isn't the same color as it used to be. Tails...I miss her, too. So please, talk about how you feel. I don't think Cosmo would be happy to see you like this..."

That bit him. Hard. Cosmo hadn't been happy with how he was. In fact, she was near to heartbroken. That's why he resolved to find Sonic. Sonic, with his speed and attitude, could chase away grief...and even self-doubt.

He closed his eyes to try and clear his head to form an answer...as he did, he heard the unmistakable sound of a quick, zipping whistle of wind, followed by the hard grinding noise of someone, or something, stopping quickly. That could only mean one thing...

Amy gasped at the sounds, and immediately jumped up and dashed to the door when she heard a curt, quick knock. As she the door, nearly ripping the door off it's hinges...there stood Sonic the Hedgehog, covered nearly head to toe in a deep, cobalt blue fur save for his arms, chest, traditional white gloves, and his trademark red sneakers. A number of long, large quills grew from his head and back, giving him an aerodynamic look. Sonic, wearing his usual crescent grin, spoke, his voice laced with his trademark attitude.

"Hey, Amy. Hey, Tails. How've the two of ya been?"

Amy's eyes began to fill with tears. Breath quivering, she nearly leapt at him. Before even he could react, Amy was on him, squealing happily as she threw her arms in a crushing embrace.

"SONIC!" She wailed through joyful tears, her grip tightening, causing the blue hedgehog to gasp painfully. "Oh...Where have you been?! I...I missed you!"

"Ah...Amy...I'm happy to see you too...but, I...ow, can't...breathe..." Sonic struggled against her in vain. Amy, realizing that she was starting to hurt him, released him with a light, embarrassed gasp. Sonic, balance lost, fell backwards. Amy caught his hand and pulled him up to right himself. Reluctant to release his hand, she stood there at the door, staring at him, eyes big and full of tears. Sonic smirked, thanking her and released his grip. Amy clasped her now freed hands together and brought them under her chin. She blinked a moment, then stepped back.

"Oh! C-come on inside! Please..."

In a flash, Sonic was on the couch, laying back with his arms folded behind his head, a red sneaker cast over one knee. Amy watched him quivering happily before she remembered her place as a host.

"Umm...Sonic, would you like anything?" She let out, her voice barely held in check by emotion.

"If ya have somethin' cold, I'd like some."

"O-Ok! I'll get you some juice! Tails," she said, remembering that the fox was in the room, "How about you?"

"Sure." He affirmed.

"Ok...be back in a minute!" With a joyful sigh, she disappeared into the kitchen to pour herself and the two some juice. As she did, Tails thought about what he wanted to tell Sonic. He stood up and stared at his best friend, or who he hoped he could still call his best friend. He was unsure of what to say.

"Hi Sonic." Was all he could manage.

"Hey, little bro. How ya holdin' up?"

Little bro? He still thinks of me...as a brother? Tails' face radiated guilt.

"Uh-oh." Sonic sounded. "That look tells me somethin's up. What's the matter?"

"Sonic, I-" He was interrupted by Amy whizzing in, holding two glasses of juice, which she gave to both Sonic and Tails. Sonic took his and gulped it down in a flash, letting out a satisfied sigh while Tails lightly sipped at his, still in thought of what to say. He shot Amy a thumbs up as she returned with her own glass of juice.

"Thanks, Amy. That hit the spot." He smiled.

Amy beamed happily. "Yeah...no problem."

"Hmm. Ok, Tails, tell me. What's buggin' ya? Been a while since we had a chat."

Amy looked down. "I'll just...leave you two alone, I guess." She said. She knew Tails was the one who needed to talk to Sonic the most, and also knew that Sonic wanted to talk to Tails really more than herself, without Sonic telling her. The two hadn't seen or spoken to each other since they got home from the Metarex war in space.

"Don't even bother, Ames." Sonic said, smirking at her. Chuckling at her puzzled look, he winked slowly, drawing her closer. "I know ya better than that. You're just gonna hang around and listen anyway, so ya might as well do it in the open. Doesn't matter to me any. How about you, Tails?"

"I...I guess not...." The fox answered meekly.

Amy chuckled nervously and sat in a comfortable chair, identical to the one she had given Tails. Sonic apparently did know her all too well. She wasn't a gossip, but she was curious...and what's more she did want to see the dynamic between the two...and just how well it would hold up after all the hell they'd been through. She didn't doubt though, that in the end, they'd be even closer...and they were already almost brothers.

"I won't interrupt you." She said simply. Sonic nodded at her in thanks, then turned his sight back to Tails. His face immediately painted concern.

"All right, since that's outta the way...go on, Tails. What's troublin' ya?"

"Sonic..."Tails began, voice cracking. "I'm sorry."

Sonic sat up at this. "Sorry?" he asked. "What'cha sorry for?"

"I'm...sorry that I shouted at you..."Tails let out, small voice watery with guilt and emotion. "On the Blue Typhoon after...after..." He hung his head. "I...blamed you for something you had no control over. I screamed at you for not being able to save Cosmo. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

At this, Amy made a small, sad noise as Tails felt something grab his shoulder. He looked up. Sonic was there, his gloved hand engulfing his shoulder, and a brotherly smile on his face.

"Tails, Tails, Tails..." He chuckled, causing a lift in the foxes mood. "You obviously don't know me very well. You think I'm gonna be mad over that? ."

"Sonic I-" Tails began, a hopeful bubble appearing in his throat. Sonic put a hand up before the fox could speak further.

"I don't blame ya in the least, Tails." he continued, his smile growing. "I don't have a clue how you've been feelin' about what happened at all. It might be the cliche thing to say 'I know how ya feel' and junk, but I'd be lyin' if I said that."

Tails looked at him, extremely confused. Sonic's expression had fallen back into genuine concern again.

"I've never been through what you've been through. At least not how you went through it. And I've been through a lotta things, from rainbow-colored starshields to insane, seriously pissed off lizard cannons. So I can't say it. But I can say somethin' else. I can tell ya somethin' that you need to do."

Tails just stared. He simply could not find the words to answer him. Sonic now grabbed his other shoulder and held him.

"Ya need to stop blamin' yourself for everything." Sonic blinked at himself a moment. Being like this really wasn't his style, but this wasn't a typical situation, and Tails really was like a little brother to him. "That's what she told me to tell you. And I agree with her."

"She?" Tails queried, confused.

"I just came from your place, Tails." Sonic winked at him.

Tails' jaw nearly hit the floor. "Y-you did?" he yelped, surprised. "S-so...you've seen-"

"Yep! Had a pretty long convo with her, too." Sonic leapt back into a comfortable position on the couch again, his other sneaker thrown over his knee. "By the way, where did you dig up that old fossil? Almost put me to sleep when he said 'hi'! Man, I've never heard someone talk so slow..."

"Wait a minute!" Amy piped in, wonder in her eyes as she broke her promise of not interrupting, much to the blue hedgehog's amusement. He chuckled at her.

"What's going on? Who is 'she'?" Her voice was laden with suspicion.

"What, he hasn't told you?" Sonic scratched his head, puzzled at why the fox hadn't told Amy. Tails, in a panic, waved his hands to try and stop him. "Cosmo. She's alive again. Don't have a clue how, but she is."

"W-WHAT!?" Amy shrieked in shocked surprise. "Is this true!?" She whirled on Tails, a mix of anger and joy all over her face. Anger at Tails for not telling her that a friend that had been dead for some time had been revived by some miracle, and joy that Cosmo was alive again. Tails nodded in confirmation, and she let out an emotional wail.

"OAH!! But...but HOW!? I...I HAVE to go see her!" She cried, running for the door. With a blue flash, Sonic had the doorway blocked, a hand out stopping her. Frustrated, Amy's voice rose to a snarl. "Sonic, get-"

"Chill, Ames." he commanded. Amy immediately stilled, clenched fists going to her sides. "Tails had a good reason not to tell ya... Mind tellin' her, bro?" There was an unmistakable hint of fear in his voice as he asked this.

In dire need of an explanation, Amy turned to the now cowed young fox, extreme annoyance dominating both her posture and her features. Tails pressed his fingers together, composing himself. Amy was downright frightening when she was angry...but was she angry?

"Cosmo is..." he began to explain. "Cosmo has, I guess you can call it a 'resurrection sickness'. I can't explain it without some time...but she needs rest, and having a lot of visitors around...well, she wouldn't get that rest. That's why I didn't tell you, Amy."

Sonic smirked, relieved. "See Ames? I knew he had a good reason."

Tails meekly stared at his shoes. "I'm sorry, Amy."

"No Tails, I'm sorry." she said, relaxing with a sigh. "But...I'm so happy! I thought we'd never see her again..."

"Neither did I, Ames." Sonic answered. "But Tails is right. We oughta let her rest a while. She looked pretty tired out when I saw her."

"Ok..Ok. But we also need to visit her when she gets better..."

"We sure do." Sonic nodded. "In the meantime we can go do the other thing she asked me."

"What other thing?" Amy asked. Tails nodded, also confused.

"Tails and I...are going on an adventure!" He winked at her. "And I want you to come, too."

"Come with you...on an adventure?" She pipped happily. "I'd love to! But, normally, you don't ask me to come..."

"Ames, you know you'd just follow us, anyway. Especially since I've been gone for six weeks."

Sonic knew her far too well. She flushed. The blue hedgehog stood by Tails and smiled at him.

"Our first real adventure in months! Can't wait..." Sonic clenched a fist eagerly. Tails nodded.

"Yeah...Let's go!" he cried.

"Count me in!" said Amy. Tails, with a sudden realization that she was forgetting something, wore an amused smile.

"Amy...what about your laundry?" He asked innocently.

"TAILS!" She barked in mortified anger at being reminded of that particular routine...not only that, but being reminded twice in the same day. "Stay here! I'll be RIGHT back!" With a slam, she left the house to gather her dying clothes. The two boys burst into genuine laughter at the scene they had witnessed. Sonic, smiling, leaned into Tails and put a hand on his shoulder again.

"I'm happy for ya, bro. Real happy." he said.

"Thanks, Sonic."


"Dr. Eggman, perhaps you should take a break."

Within a large room inside a fortified tower, a man sat at a large desk with scrolls and books lining the area. He was a large, round man with long legs and arms. He was bald, his only visible hair, was a large, spiky moustache that literally stretched from ear to ear. He had a large, red nose and wore a set of blue glasses that hid his eyes.

Next two him, stood two robots. They were similar and simple in design, but one was gold colored, and very tall and lanky in appearance. The other was silver colored, yet short of stature. It had been the silver robot that had spoken first.

"Really Doctor, we haven't actually moved in months, and all these boring books are starting to make me short circuit." the gold robot followed up.

"QUIET, you robot stooges!" Eggman shouted at the both of them, and they immediately stood at attention, shivering. "Why do you THINK I'm looking through all this old writing, huh?"

"Um, we don't know, Doctor." he two robots asked in unison.

"Of course you two idiots don't!" Eggman snarled. "Neither of you do, or ever will."

"Then what is the reason, Doctor?"

"Hmph." Eggman brought a hand to his chin. "Chasing these unreliable Chaos Emeralds has proven needlessly futile. Every time I try, I either get burned, imprisoned, beaten, or blown up! So I'm looking for alternatives." He pulled out an old map. "And I think I've found some."

"Doctor, what kinds of alternatives?"

"Amazing kinds!" he whooped. "There are a lot of ancient civilizations out there waiting to be tapped into! And let's not forget those caves...They were called the Mystic Caves for a reason! With my unparalleled genius, we WILL uncover hidden powers inside those old ruins!"

"But what of the Chaos Emerald that we have?" The gold robot asked.

"Simple! We take it with us! Power unused is power wasted, correct?" Eggman smirked wickedly at his robots.

"Correct, Doctor." the two robots joined voices again.

"Good!" Eggman chuckled. "Decoe, Bocoe, prepare for a long trip. We're going treasure hunting. AH HA HA HA HA!"

"As you say, Doctor!"

( A/N: Dun, dundundunDUN, DUN, dun dun dun. Seriously, those of you who have watched the Japanese version of Sonic X started humming that, didn't you? :D)