Hi eveybody. I hope you have been enjoying the story. I have some huge thanks to give to my reviewers. The Forgery of Cow 71, HealingHearts24, Echo the fox, Tamara the Hybridian, HalfWright and Riddles. Riddles, sure ask away and if you had a account I could PM you. HalfWright I chuckled at your review, was that on purpose. lol. Anyways lets move. I dont own Sonic or Sega.
Had it really been a week already, Tails counted off the days in his mind and concluded it had been a week since Fang had sacrificed himself, and his heart hurt just as much as it did a week ago whenever he thought of him. Had this been the same pain he put on Sonic and the Freedom Fighters? He would need to remember to apologize again, but first, with no slight effort Tails pulled himself out of bed and faced himself in the mirror, trying to make a believable smile. He inwardly laughed at the reflection, although the fang he had capped on was removed and his twin tails once again flicked about behind him his fur had remained dyed. As it turned out the dye Fang had used was meant for long term, so it would take around two hundred more washes until it would actually start to come out, Tails didn't overly mind though, it reminded him of Fang. Just at that one thought Tails expression fell and the smile he had been practicing fell, he moved to leave his hut, the Chaotix were still here, maybe talking with them would help get his mind off of Fang, at least for a while. Settling his feet into a new pair of his old red and white sneakers, which Sonic had graciously supplied, he was about to set off, when he spotted the gloves Fang had given him, the ones just like his own, Tails hurriedly put them on before leaving his hut.
That made 47 times Fang had circled Fiddlers green, walking around it in this manner gave Fang perspective as to just how small it actually was. There was a section filled with tents, which was mostly filled with old soldiers, a lake which went out into the horizon with several ships floating atop its perfectly clear and calm waters. The main street he had woken up on was part of a small village if he really thought about it, and finally the whole thing was fringed with forests, and based on one of his journeys into them they seemed to stretch indefinitely. He was thinking in depth on the place it seemed he would be spending his eternity when he was nearly knocked off his feet, saved only by his tail acting as a third leg. He quickly refocused and found the same grey squirrel from a week ago on his back, offering his hand Fang quickly picked the person up and apologized. The squirrel quickly responded to his apology. "Yeah yer better be sorry. Ah who am I kidding it aint like it's going to kill me eh. Haahhaha. You're the new arrival aintcha, I think I remember you from a while ago, asking about visiting the other afterlives huuh. Phewwey, a fat lot of good that will getcha. Anywho gooday mate." As he turned to leave Fang found himself forced by a feeling deep within his gut to ask, and he obeyed it as his voice carried over to the departing squirrel. "So there really is no way to get anywhere but here?" The squirrel scoffed and without turning round yelled over his shoulder. "There aint anywhere's to go that anybody's ever made it back from!" Fang was only left more perplexed as he walked away, there was definitely something to what he had said, when he got time he would look into it, but for now he had a duel to attend, he was pleased that at least the afterlife wasn't boring.
The Chaotix were doing better was one of the first things Tails noticed, they didn't seem quite as depressed as they had been when they first arrived at Knothole, without a word Tails settled himself by the campfire the Chaotix were cooking there breakfast on. Fang had made Tails and the Chaotix grow closer; they each had shared stories about Fang, and Tails somehow found himself as basically an honorary member. He looked over at Knuckles who had been staying with them and gave him the smile he had been practicing, Knuckles gave him back a faint grin, before holding out a plate of eggs for him. Tails took hold and ate slowly, he usually ate slow now, in fact he occasionally needed to be reminded by Sonic to eat at all, still, looking back over the week Tails thought he was improving, albeit very slowly. After Tails had finished his plate he spent some time talking with the members of the Chaotix, hearing stories until finally Knuckles stood and in an unexpected manner announced his departure from Knothole. "I'm leaving today, probably left the chaos emeralds unguarded long enough. Chaotix you can come with me or stay as long as you need to. Tails, you're a good kid, so here. Take it and don't get all weepy or I'll need to whoop you." Tails looked down at the book in his hands, a thick tome with the title "Echidna Myths and legends" Tails thanked him and against his warning gave Knuckles a hug before he left, the Chaotix following him to say goodbye to Sally and Sonic before leaving for the floating island.
Fang had come to a conclusion, he needed to practice his duelling, the bullets didn't hurt, but his pride sure did when he realized he'd been shot eight times before getting a single shot in. As it turned out several centuries of practicing duelling made newcomers to Fiddlers Green very poor shots in comparison. Still it had been fun, his thoughts returned to what the aged squirrel had said and he soon found himself back at the bar, clearing his throat to get some attention he then launched the question, unsure of what sort of answer if any he would receive. "Has anyone ever heard about somebody leaving Fiddlers Green?" The room was quiet again, the background fiddle still playing somewhere when someone spoke up, a crow from the looks of it, dressed in the manner of royalty. "Yeah, every so often you get someone who tries to get back to the world of the living. It isn't possible though, least not according to the chart." Fang raised his eyebrow, and as he was well known as the new guy someone was quick to answer his unspoken question. "The Chart was hear when the very first person arrived in Fiddlers Green. We don't know who wrote it but it basically says no one can get back to the world of the living, if anyone ever did the sky would rain, and it never rains in Fiddlers Green." Fang was left more confused he opened his mouth to speak when the voice of the same squirrel from earlier today cut him off. "Lets stop dancing round the fact fellas, there is a way back, least we think there is. According to the chart if you head through the woods in any direction and pass some tests you'll find a gateway to the world of the living, and if you cross its threshold then it will start to rain down hear. A few fellas have tried but it has never rained here yet so they didn't make it, of course there is one thing that stops us from trying, anyone who doesn't make it has there soul destroyed. According to the chart they simply cease to exist and all memory of them vanishes, we remember people leaving but we can't recall what any of em looked like. A fate worse than hell, eternal darkness, no mind, no body, nothing, it's unfathomable. If you've got any brains in that head of yours you'll forget any stupid thoughts you have for the land of the living." The squirrel's speech over the conversations started up once again, Fang was left in his thoughts, thoughts of what having your very soul destroyed could possibly mean.
A day had passed and Fang couldn't shake his thoughts, there was a way back was the only thing he tried to focus on, but the thought of having his soul somehow destroyed frightened his thoughts away from the notion of starting such a journey. He thought of Tails, of the Chaotix, what if they never arrived? This place could easily be paradise for him if he only knew they would one day arrive, but based on what the kid had said about which people generally came here it didn't seem much like any of his friends would ever show up. Since you couldn't visit other afterlives if he waited too much he might never get a chance to see anyone again, heck what if one of his friends had died already from something and they would never be let in here, the thought of never seeing them again was like a knife to the heart. He took deep breaths to steady himself, he needed to think, but the idea of waiting and missing his chance was as terrifying as any nightmare he had ever had. Was the chance to see his friends worth the likely cost of his soul being destroyed, was he willing to risk it?
Tails was back in Rotors workshop, the familiar and much missed smell of oil was in the air, he had missed the workshop, Rotor stood by with a big smile as Tails ran his hands over the old workshop. It was just the way he had remembered it, he looked at the covered plane, his covered plane, he longed to fly the Tornado, to feel wind rush past his face, he really had missed it. Turning to Rotor he asked in his cheerful voice. "Rotor, does the Tornado still fly?" When Rotor nodded Tails felt the first genuine smile on his face in a long while, he gripped the white tarp with both hands and pulled, there she stood in all her glory, the Tornado, come to think of it Tails questioned why he thought of the Tornado as a girl but quickly pushed it aside in favour of leaping into the cockpit. The biplane had flown him and Sonic as well as the rest of the Freedom Fighters on more than one occasion, starting the engine the familiar roar and rumble of his seat made his heart beat rappidly as Rotor pulled a chain and lifted the garage door. In no time at all he was in the sky, the wind in his fur, the smile on his face as he soared higher and higher, his hands instinctively remembering how to fly his most precious possession. His only regret was Fang never had a chance to see it, and thinking grimly, he never would.
Tails loved flying, he had almost forgotten just how much, afterwards he went and jogged with the Sonic, then helped Bunnie and Antoine before practicing his own flying with Dulcy. His twin tails found themselves aching after going so long without use, it had turned into an alright day after all, he plopped down on his bed and reaching his hand out for the nearest book grasped the one Knuckles had given to him. He flipped to the index and read the names aloud as he skimmed down in mild concentration. "Origins of the Chaos emeralds, the fountain of youth, the stubborn echidna." He stopped on the stubborn echidna to laugh at the title before his finger returned to skimming down the page and he resumed his listing. "Vampires throughout history, the tale of Dymitrri, the Afterlives." The Afterlives, his thoughts went back to Fang and he flipped to the page indicated, the variety of Afterlives was surprising to him, there were so many, he hoped Fang was at one of them enjoying himself, he really hoped because the alternative was to grim for him to think of. He eventually fell asleep book in hand his finger resting at the top of a page marked. "Fiddlers Green"
It had taken awhile but Fang had finished copying down the entire "Chart" as it was called, he had to admit there was something weird about it, a poem, what could be a map, a list of the benefits of living in Fiddlers Green, and at the very bottom a gate drawn in black ink. After reading it though he gave a smile when he came across something useful in the poem, it mentioned another way to get into Fiddlers Green was by dying with an empty canteen, so assuming he actually decided to leave he had a way of getting his friends back here if they wanted to come, an eternity with his friends, it was definitely a fantastic thought, at least until he thought of Charmy and Vector arguing for an eternity, that thought made him laugh. If he told them about dying with an empty canteen would any of them really choose to come here instead of where they were meant to go? He wasn't sure, there was a thousand things he wasn't sure of but only one of which he was, he couldn't spend eternity without his friends, with that thought in mind he made his decision and tucked the copy of the chart into one of his belt pouches and stepped into the woods that surrounded Fiddlers Green.
Duhm duhm duhh. I am going to need to wrack my brain because where Fang is going is going to be WYRD. I hope you enjoy the direction I'm heading for and end enjoy the story please read and review all you awesome peopel out there.