Well, I am back with Chapter 10 of Infection. I hope you love it. Please let me know if you don't like the fact that I've got more stories to work on, and I'll see what I can do about it, okay? 'Til then, let's get into this...

Chapter 10.

Fighting Ghosts.

They kept walking on until sunset. After the sun had went down a little, Jerek and Red had everyone set up their tents for the night. Kari, Amy, and Fara got to cooking the crew's dinner while the males worked on pitching up the tents. And while all this was taking place, Tails was nowhere to be seen. Sonic wondered where his best friend could have gone to. Jerek announced that if the young fox was not back in time for dinner, then he would gather a search party and look for him. The blue hedgehog was concerned about Tails at this point. Heck, a million things could have happened to him. Was he hurt? And if so, how bad? Was he even alive? Sonic pushed the last thought from his mind. But then, he remembered something that the little fox had said earlier. The hedgehog had Sticks follow him silently to a spot where Tails could have set up his tent for the night. And sure enough, his tent was set up. In a nice little valley just below where the rest of the crew set their tents. Sonic walked into his tent and found out soon enough that his friend was not in it. Now getting very worried, both Sonic and Sticks left and searched for Tails until they found the young fox sleeping underneath a tree. Sonic soon shook his friend to wake him. At first he didn't stir, but only after Sonic gently rubbed his head did the fox finally show signs of waking up. After a couple of minutes, Tails rubbed his eyes.

"Did I ever tell you that after recovering from the virus, you're still tired?"

Sonic only smiled. "No. Want me to carry you?"

Tails thought about it for a moment.

"Nah, I should be fine."

The fox get off the ground and stood, only to sway and slide down the tree seconds later. Sonic caught his friend and carried him back to the campsite where his friends were. As soon as Esmer saw Sonic carrying Tails, the snow white colored mongoose took the sleeping fox from the hedgehog's arms and took him to Fara's tent and placed the kid in a sleeping bag and wrapped it around him. Then Esmer walked out and went towards the campfire. Fara looked towards him as she saw him walk by.

"What's wrong with my baby cousin?" Fara asked.

"Sonic said that he's just tired. He and Sticks found him sleeping underneath a tree." Esmer replied.

Fara stopped what she was doing and walked towards her tent and once she walked in, she kneeled down and placed a hand on Tails' forehead. It was warm, but not too warm. Suddenly, the kit begun to stir and opened his eyes halfway.

"Are we home?" Tails asked sleepily.

Fara only smiled. "I wish we were."

Tails rubbed his eyes as he felt himself wanting to fall back asleep. Fighting the urge to do so, the fox forced himself to yawn. Fara looked at him with a look of concern.

"You okay?"

Tails placed a hand over one eye and scratched his head.

"Yeah, just hungry," the kid said.

Fara smiled. "Wanna join us for dinner?"

Tails ran a hand through his bangs. "I guess."

Fara got off the ground and walked out the tent. Tails soon followed behind her. Did he really want to eat dinner with his friends, or was it just his mind thinking out loud? Ever since his uncle's death, Tails had been in a very depressing mood, and he knew it. And now, the young fox also knew that Sonic and Amy knew as well. They hadn't said anything to him about it, but he knew that they could tell by the way he had been acting, especially Amy. He knew that she could tell. It was like Amy knew by looking him in the eye whenever they last talked. The thing was that Tails didn't really know if he had any happiness and joy left inside of him. The last time his spirits were low, he had been through a gut wrenching experience. He had been shot by Andross a year ago while attending a banquet. The event had went rather soothing untill someone had shot his uncle. And that someone was none other than Murdoc. Tails shuddered at the thought of the degenerate bounty hunter that was now after his life. It was like the little fox was fighting ghosts. Ghosts of the past that came back to haunt him, but these ghosts were up in his head. Oh how he wished he was home! Maybe that would help things out a little bit more easier. By the time Tails came to, he felt himself crying and also laying down on the ground, as if he had been defeated. He suddenly felt a hand touch his shoulder sympathetically. Tails squeezed his eyes shut. He then heard a voice speaking to him.

"You okay buddy?"

It was the voice of Sonic. At least Tails had something, or someone to live for.

"Tails?" Sonic asked.

For the first time since this evening, Tails spoke.

"I don't wanna be here anymore."

Sonic looked genuinely concerned about his friend.

"What do you mean?"

Tails wiped a tear off his face.

"I wish I was just-"

Sonic knew what the fox was going to say.

"Tails! Don't talk like that… buddy."

Then the dam broke. Tears spilled down Tails' face. The kid choked up as he got to his knees and hugged Sonic tightly, burying his face into the hedgehog's shoulder. Sonic wrapped both his arms around the fox's body. Sonic knew why Tails had been moody lately…

The next day…

Amy and Tails were the first of Team Sonic to be awake and just in time for the little fox to watch the sunrise, of which that was one of his favorite hobbies. But this morning was different, totally different. Tails watched the sunrise, tears streaming down his face as he thought of the times that he had with his uncle. All within a year, he got to know him, only to have heard that his uncle was now dead. Tails finally talked with Amy about his feelings and how his uncle's death was taking such a heavy toll on him. Amy just felt sorry for the kid. Tails even opened up to her about him having suicidal thoughts recently. All the while, unbeknownst to them, Sonic, Fara, and Esmer had been listening in on them talking to each other. Amy had took Tails and hugged him tightly. Just hearing Tails cry as he was being comforted by Amy made Sonic and Fara's hearts break. Then they heard Amy softly say something to Tails. It seemed to have comfort the poor fox a little bit. Fara wrote what Amy said down in a little black-colored book.

From the ashes, from the dust

I will rise up, rise up

Out of darkness, into the light

I will rise up, rise up

Fara wondered why Amy said those words. Maybe she heard them from a song or something, or the pink colored hedgehog might have read them in a book. After a while, they heard Tails hiccuping softly, as if he was done crying. That was when both he and Amy realized that Sonic, Fara, and Esmer were right outside Amy's tent. The pink colored hedgehog zipped open the flap and looked the blue colored hedgehog right in the eye, and with a glare on her face.

"How long were you guys standing outside my tent?" Amy asked.

Sonic tried to act like nothing was wrong, but Amy wasn't having it with him.

"We just… got here.." Sonic replied sheepishly.

'Great Sonic, she knows. So just shut up!' Fara thought.

Just then, Esmer spoke up.

"Believe it or not."

Amy shot a glare at the snow white colored mongoose then looked back at Sonic.

"You all are lying to me, seriously, how long were you all there? And I want the right answers, now!"

Fara all the suddenly felt like a child who had just got caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. But at the same time, she felt like telling Amy the truth.

"We were just coming to check up on you-"

"Save your breath for later!" Amy yelled. As soon as she unzipped the flap the rest of the way, Sonic saw a rather dejected and depressed Tails looking right at him and Fara.

"Wow, I can't believe you guys at all." Tails said softly, as if someone had just broke his heart, of which that was the case as if right now.

"You all were listening in on us, how could you do that to me, let alone, Amy?"

Sonic genuinely felt guilty now. Just as Tails was going to possibly be emotionally healed, the blue hedgehog had broke the kid's heart. Fara felt the same twinge of guilt.

"Wait, we can explain-"

"No! I don't want your explanations, not now, not ever! Damage is done Fara!" Tails shouted, then he ran past them, shoving Sonic out of his way.

Amy immediately grew angrier then before.

"Look at what you all done to him! Wow, good grief! Just when I had him feeling a little confident in himself to keep on living, you all eavesdrop in on us? Good Lord! What a good cousin you are Fara! And what a great friend you are to him Sonic!"

Sonic and Fara both hung their heads in guilt as Amy went on ranting about the incident. By then, Knuckles and Sticks had woken up and walked over to Amy's tent to see what was going on. The pink hedgehog told them what had happened.

Knuckles shot a glare at his leader. The one person who was supposed to be the Team lead.

"Unbelievable Sonic! Not cool!"

Oh shoot! This doesn't look good at all, especially for Tails! What is going to happen now? Is Tails going to be okay? That's coming next chapter… until next time, God bless you.

JalcoFox.