Disclaimer: Artwork by chris-in-the-abyss on DeviantArt. I do not own any rights to Sonic the Hedgehog or the characters.
Be One with the Wind
Tails sighed happily as he rested on his beach chair, his legs crossed up and his hands supporting the back of his head. He was relaxing by the beach, enjoying a moment of solitude and tranquility. Despite the sound of crashing waves, it didn't bother the fox too much. He needed a break from his inventions, and he thought some fresh air would be beneficial for his mental health.
The ocean breeze gave Tails a cool feeling, his fur fluttering ever so slightly. He reached over to his small, orange cooler box, snatching a cold bottle of water from within. The kitsune quickly quenched his thirst, downing half of the refreshing liquid.
"Ahh! That hits the spot. I should really take breaks more often. As much as I love to tinker with my tools, I can't complain about spending a day like this."
Tails checked his communicator for a moment, wondering when his friends would arrive. While the fox oversaw choosing a spot for a beachside picnic, Sonic, Amy, Cream, and Cheese friends agreed to grab some extra supplies. Unfortunately, they were running late when Amy got distracted by a new clothing store opening in Station Square. To Sonic's chagrin, he told his little buddy they would be tardy. Tails shook it off and told him that he'll be waiting at the appointed location. Afterward, the fox was about to close his eyes and resume listening to the ocean waves until a new sound caught his attention. With his triangular ears twitching, he tilted his head around to identify where it was coming from. It was very faint, but Tails could've sworn he heard a bird chirping.
"I wonder if there are any seagulls around. Wait a minute... I don't think seagulls make that exact sound."
The chirping didn't stop from there. Whatever it was, Tails thought someone might be in trouble.
"Could it be a Flicky? Is Eggman up to no good again with those creatures? Ugh, how many times does the doctor have to keep kidnapping animals? He's like a walking dog pound, but he puts them in Badniks or Capsules instead of regular cages. And that's arguably more inhumane!"
Packing up his cooler, he got off from his beach chair and hurried over to the source. Behind the sandbank was a grassy plain. From there, the chirping became louder as he approached a large tree. To his surprise, his presumption was right on the money. A female Flicky, hidden behind the blades of grass, was peeping out loud. She was flapping her tiny wings, but the poor creature couldn't get its feet off the ground.
Tails witnessed the small bird, realizing what she was trying to do. But all the effort the Flicky put in was all for naught. As he heard her chirp out a few cries, the young prodigy couldn't help but feel terrible.
"Hey, are you okay, little fella?"
The Flicky was too busy with her own matters that she didn't recognize the two-tailed fox standing tall from nearby. Panicking, the bird stepped back against the tree trunk.
"Whoa! Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you," Tails apologized before setting down his cooler. "I just heard something from the beach, and I wanted to find out where it was coming from. To be honest, I thought old Egghead was causing mayhem again. I mean, even though he's been quiet for the past several weeks, we never know when he starts attacking the world for his own gain. But that's where Sonic and I come into play! We always take him down, even if the odds were against us! And..."
Tails paused when he noticed the Flicky's face was written with utter confusion. He soon realized he was going way off-track.
"Oops. Sorry again. I got a bit ahead of myself there. But I was just curious, were you trying to fly?"
The Flicky understood the question and nodded her head. Although she had pink cheeks on her face, the bird exhibited a deeper shade as she turned her head away in embarrassment.
"Hey, there's no need to be ashamed. For birds and other flying animals out there, they just need to practice so that they can get the hang out of it. Even I had to learn myself! See?"
Tails demonstrated when he spun his well-known namesakes from behind. The Flicky was in awe, her eyes glued to the orange kitsune in midair.
"Pretty neat, huh?" he smiled while returning to the ground. "To be fair, no one in my species could fly like me. At first, I used to hate the fact that I have two tails, but Sonic gave me a reason to like them! He told me they're unique and special, something that no other Mobian possesses. Sonic helped me use them in combat and flying, especially the latter. In fact, he was the one who taught me how to get used to it. Believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds. I struggled with it, so you're not the only one, little guy."
The Flicky did feel a little better with his encouraging words. If Tails didn't give up on his flying lessons, maybe the bird could follow in his footsteps.
"You know, I could pay it forward and teach you how to fly. Of course, the circumstances are different since I use my tails whereas you have your wings. But maybe I can help in some capacity. Would that sound alright to you?"
Without hesitation, the Flicky was immediately on board. This time, the bird was chirping loudly but full of excitement.
"Cool! Sooner or later, you'll be flying like all the other Flickies out there! Let's get started!"
Tails held a hand down to the Flicky's level. Once the bird climbed aboard, he brought her up to a branch, a few feet above the base of the trunk.
"So, let's see... Typically for most flying animals, you should begin by flapping your wings. But you don't want to overwork yourself too much. It's all about preserving your stamina and focus. Try doing it like this," Tails demonstrated by stretching his arms out to the side. He proceeded to wave them up and down at a reasonable pace.
The Flicky was scared considering she wasn't standing in the grass. Being high above the ground was a completely different feeling. Hiding her face from behind their wings, Tails fathomed the bird might fall and hurt themselves.
"Hey, don't worry! If you somehow start to descend, I'll be there to catch you."
Reassured by Tails' promise, the animal nodded her head and followed his instructions. Extending her small, blue wings outward, the creature copied his motions.
"Great start! Now let's see if we can get you up from the ground. Push up with your feet while continuously flapping your wings."
It took some time to adjust. Unfortunately, the bird jumped off the branch but couldn't maintain the momentum. Tails slightly shrieked in fear before reaching his hands out to safely catch her.
"Whew, that was close! You almost had it, but maybe you can succeed this time. Again, it takes a lot of time and practice, so don't be upset if you can't get it within the first or second attempt. Practice makes perfect! That's what they all say!"
With more guidance and inspiration from Tails, the blue bird was entirely focused on her main objective. Even if she failed a hundred times, the Flicky didn't have any plans to stop until their goal was accomplished.
Moments later, Tails spotted his friends strolling down the dirt trail towards him.
"Hey, Tails! We're finally here!" Cream waved at him as they got closer.
"Yeah, finally... after three hours of looking at petty clothes," Sonic muttered to himself.
"Petty?!" Amy managed to hear his remark. "I needed a new sundress for an occasion like this! Remember when you got my old one ruined with mud on it?!"
Sonic rolled his eyes, ignoring her comment. His frown soon turned upside-down when he got to see his surrogate brother. "Hey, buddy! Whatcha up to?"
"Oh, hey! I'm a little busy here."
"What are you doing?" the bunny asked as she and the others arrived at the large tree.
Tails presented the animal to the group. "I heard this little Flicky crying for help. It turns out she wanted to fly, and I'm helping her learn."
"Aw, what a cute, baby bird," Amy adored. "You're saying she's having trouble flying?"
"Not exactly," Tails replied, putting her back on the small branch. "This bird is slowly adapting, but we've made some progress. It's just a matter of time and diligence until she becomes airborne like the rest."
"That's pretty insightful of you, little buddy!" Sonic winked at him.
"Well, I did have a good teacher back then."
"Teacher? Who's that?"
"Tsk! You, silly!" Tails giggled at the Blue Blur. "Remember you were the one who taught me how to fly? Not just piloting the Tornado, but also hovering with my tails? Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to tutor her."
Sonic nearly facepalmed his forehead. "Oh! Duh! How could I forget?!"
Cream gasped out loud. "Tails, look!"
"Chao! Chao!" Cheese also squealed.
The Flicky let out an ecstatic chirp as she bent her legs and pushed off from the branch. While her wings continuously moved up and down, she was floating in the air without any issues. By then, she kept her head up to watch out for the branches and leaves above her. As the Flicky was more accustomed and confident, she started flying from one spot in the air to another. She kept going back and forth in a straight line, maintaining her strength and balance.
"Hey! You're doing it! You're flying!" Tails exclaimed.
The wind started to blow in her direction, guiding the Flicky higher than before. She peeped joyfully, soaring around in circles. Eventually, the bird gently landed on top of Tails' bang, pressing her wings across his head.
"Tee hee! I think she's giving you a hug, Tails," Cream chuckled with her hands in front of her mouth.
"She must be elated that she can now fly," Amy pointed out.
Sonic walked next to his brother and gave him a pat on his shoulder. His smirk was just as wide as the Flicky's. "You're quite the jack-of-all-trades, Tails. I couldn't be prouder of you."
"Heh heh, thanks, Sonic," Tails laughed. "It was fun to see her improve throughout time."
Just then, a flock of Flickies flew in a V formation high above the Sonic gang. As they all cheeped out loud, the small Flicky fluttered her wings again. She was about to fly away to join the others, but not before she turned around to Tails and waved her right wing at him. Thankful for his lessons, she cheeped one last time before uniting with the flock. The Flickies continued their flight across the ocean and into the blue sky. Tails sniffed, feeling somewhat upset that the bird just left him. On the bright side, he was able to fulfill the Flicky's wish.
"Is it weird that I miss her already?" Tails sighed.
"Nah, I don't think so, buddy. Maybe someday, she'll get to see you again," Sonic smiled.
"Yeah, maybe... I'm happy she's flying like the others at least."
"That's true! Plus, I'm certain she'll never forget you for being an awesome sport," the hedgehog proceeded to give him a noogie.
"Hey, stop that!" the fox chortled.
"So, now that we're all here, should we get settled for our picnic now?" suggested Cream.
"Chao!"
"I think so," Tails nodded.
"Great! I got the blanket. Cream and Cheese have the plates and utensils. And Sonic brought-" Amy paused when she noticed something odd. "Sonic, where's the food basket?"
Sonic's eyes widened in fear as he searched around the area, near his feet, and behind the tree. He came to an unfortunate realization.
"Um... I left it at the mall."
"What?! How did you forget it?!"
"Hey, don't blame this all on me! You didn't remind me or bother to check if I was carrying the basket!"
"But you still forgot it!"
"Maybe if we didn't stop for stupid dresses..."
"What did you say?!" Amy dropped the blanket and summoned her deadly Piko Piko Hammer.
A bead of sweat dripped down Sonic's forehead before he opened his mouth and held a finger up. Unable to form words, he dashed away from the pink hedgehog.
"SONIC, YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" she furiously dashed after him.
Tails cringed while shaking his head. Cream and Cheese slowly approached his side, worried about the situation that unfolded.
"Do you think they'll calm down soon from this?"
"Honestly, I don't know. But I bet Sonic wishes he could fly like that Flicky."
END OF STORY