Chapter 3 - Toxication

Tails felt as though his body was weightless, spiriling down a shaft of never ending darkness. Soon, he felt himself touch the ground, lying on his back. He stared up, feeling as if he isn't even there. His mind was completely blank with Cancer's wrds floating lifelessly through his mind. He felt a cold wind blow through, then warm. The surrounding area seemed to explode into a white light, forcing him to shut his eyes and move his arm up in front of his eyes. When he opened them, he snapped back to reality, or what he could make of reality. He looked out in front of him, somehow standing now.

He was on a cliff of some kind. Walking towards the edge, he finally started feeling normal again. He looked out at the landscape below. It was a dark night, and the sky had a hue of crimson red mixed in it with black clouds. There was what looked like a city below, only it was desolate and barren.

"Computer. What simulation is this?" Tais said aloud, trying to access the computer.

"It is your simulation of course." Came Cancer's voice. Tails turned quickly to see him standing behind him, leaning forward on his strait black cane. He gave him a small glare as Cancer yawned. "Indeed it is a wonderous sight, yes?" He said, suddenly standing next to him now. Tails blinked and turned back around.

He's a program...that's how he can move so fast...

"I see. But what is the simulation here? The senario I mean?" Tails asked. The machine was designed to train in simulated senarios. The thing was, even though you are in The Dream World, you will still experince pain and consequence, though your phyisical self will be fine.

"Come now. What would be the point of a worst case senario if you know what is going on?" Cancer said as he turned to Tails. Tails looked back, and noticed they were now in the middle of the city. It seemed as though the computer was able to change The Dream World instantly at an amazing speed. Even faster than the blink of an eye.

"That is true." Then Tails remembered coming here. The falling. "Wait. You sent me here and told me to call you Cancer. Why Cancer?"

Cancer was silent. He loked up at the black and red sky. He smiled. "You will find out later. For now, it is time for your first senario. Good luck my friend!" Suddenly there was a strike of lightning that his Cancer, making him disappear. Tails' fur all over him stood on end. He jumped back and yelped.

"Geeze! I hate lightning!" He moved quickly away as rain started to fall fast. He hid under an awning of a building and looked around. "So, what will the senario be..."

Outside of The Dream World, Sonic was passing by Tails' lab. He peered in through the mesh window to see him still in the pod asleep. He looked at his wristband and his vitals were perfectly fine. He looked as he buddy once more and sighed.

back inside, Tails was moving from building to building, jumping and yelping at the lightning. The lightning was actually coming faster now. Tails definately didn't like it. "I really wish I could get this senario over with." Just then, he hear a noise. Looking around at the empty street, he didn't see anything. Then he heard it again, this time more clear. Someone was saying his name. He looked down the street, and there was someone on the ground in the rain. He walked over there slowly, trying hard to ignore the lightning and thunder. Once he approached, his eyes grew wide at who he saw.

"Sonic!" He said as he knelt by his friend. He rolled him onto his back. He looked liked he had gone through Hell and back twice. There were cuts and gashes everywhere, and he was in a puddle of his own blood, quickly getting washed up by the rain. "Sonic what are you-?"

"I'm sorry...buddy...I wanted to make sure you were ok...but when I entered a senario, I failed...and...I think the life support systems are fail...they're fail-...Tails, I'm sorry..." He said in his last few breathes, and then died right there in Tail's arms. Tails, in shock, carefully laid his friend down. He looked at his blood soaked hands, tears filling his eyes as he started to shake.

"No...why did he come here? He was suppose to stay out there! Why? Why!" Suddenly there was a loud thunder clap and lightning. Tails jumped, but turned and looked skyward with angry eyes that were tear staind. "Shut up! Just shut up! Damn you stupid computer you killed my friend!" Just then he looked back down, and turned at the sound of someone crying. It was Amy.

Tails was stunned. "Amy?" How did you get-"

"You bastard!" She shouted at Tails. Her face was full of tears as she was kneeling by Sonic's lifeless body. "Why did you drag him into this thing? Now he's dead!"

Tails took a step back, fighting the tears as he held his still bloody hands up. "Amy, I didn't ask Sonic to join me! He must have used one of the five other pods! I don't know why he-"

"Shut up Tails! Just shut up! Your stupid invention killed him! You killed Sonic! It's all your fault!" She shouted, still crying badly. Tails clamped his hands over his ears, shutting his eyes tightly as tears forced their way out.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He said over and over. It was his faut. Had he not built this thing, his friend would still be alive. He looked up after calming some to talk to Amy, but then his eyes grew wide. Amy was holding a small black gun in her hands. She looked at Tails with sad, yet angry eyes.

"I hate you." Was all she said before putting the barrel against her head.

Tails shouted in a panic. "Amy! No!"

...Bang...