WARNING: This chapter contains scenes some readers may find distressing.

Chapter Five

In her hut, Sally slowly opened her eyes.

She felt cool sheets under her body and at first, she didn't know where she was.

Sitting up, she looked around her hut and saw out the window, that the sun was in its final stage before setting and her stomach lurched before sitting up.

She hated letting the day go to waste especially when she had so much to do as the leader of the Freedom Fighters and she felt awful for not being able to listen to Rotor's plan about their next mission.


Turning to her side table where her computer Nicole lay, she saw a piece of paper and curious she picked it up.

She soon saw it was a note and she recognised Sonic's handwriting.

'I hope you had a good rest Sal, you needed it so badly, you work so hard as a leader, but you do need to rest when your body screams for it. I know, it sounds hypocritical since you're always telling me to slow down. (Sally couldn't help but chuckle at that part)

Don't worry about Rotor, he and I spoke after I took you to lie down, I'll fill you on the details later.

Anyway, you deserve so much Sal, not just because it's your birthday, and I want to show you something, meet me at the ring pool at 7pm, as the sun is setting.

Sonic, xxx'

Sally raised an eyebrow, and she traced the note before placing it in her shorts pocket, a small smile graced her face as she wondered what it was Sonic wanted to show her.

"What's the time Nicole?" she asked.

"The time is six o five pm Sally." Nicole's monotone voice was heard.

Sally's eyes widened.

"Have I truly been asleep for five hours?" she asked running her hands through her hair in worry.

She picked up Nicole and walked to her door.


Opening it, she saw the village was almost empty except for some Mobians going about their business.

"Aunt Sally!" a voice made her jump and she turned around to face a male burnt orange and tan coloured fox with two tails, no older than thirteen, looking at her with a worried expression.

"Tails!" Sally said with surprise.

"Are you feeling okay?" Tails asked, "Sonic and Rotor told me you had to go and rest."

"I'm alright Tails." Sally said with a small smile "I was just feeling overwhelmed, I couldn't concentrate on my meeting with Rotor and Sonic and Dr Quack took me to my hut to rest."

Tails chewed his lip still with a worried expression, but he nodded all the same.

"Okay." He said "It's just….I worry about you so much, you mean so much to me!"

Sally looked at the fox and saw his eyes were glistening and she walked over to him.

"Oh Tails." She said placing a finger under his chin in comfort "You were that concerned?"

Tails nodded.

"I'm sorry Aunt Sally, it's just…even though I'm a big boy now and I shouldn't feel like this." Tails sucked in a breath and his shoulders shuddered a little "But every time you're ill or hurt, I get scared, you've been there for me, you and Sonic and I feel that…"

"Feel what?" Sally asked.

"I'd be lost without you!" Tails whimpered.

"Aww Tails!" Sally wrapped her arms around the young fox, and she felt him shudder in her arms as he started crying.

"It's alright Tails." She soothed, "There no need to be ashamed about feeling such feelings, yes, you might be a teenager now, but that doesn't mean you can stop feeling afraid or vulnerable."

"Honestly?" Tails asked.

"Honest!" Sally confirmed and Tails let go of her and looked back at her wiping his tears.

"It's just…after you saved me when I was just a kid, and losing my parents, you've been a surrogate parent, a mentor to me, and I'm forever grateful." Tails admitted "I really don't know where I would have been without you."

Sally smiled at the fox, but her heart sank as she remembered when they first rescued Tails. She and Sonic had investigated a village a few miles outside of the Great Forest that Robotnik's Swatbots had attacked.


Flashback

Sally held onto Sonic as he sped through the Great Forest to where they had received word that smoke was seen on the horizon from one of their scouts.

The others weren't far behind as they were flying with Dulcy the Dragon and Sally could see her form flying over the trees against the night sky.

Sally could only fear the worst that Robotniks Swatbots were in that area and causing destruction and attacking citizens who had fled to that area.

"I hope we're not too late!" she thought as they reached the end of the forest and she soon saw what shocked her to the core!

Sonic skidded to a halt and let her down gently and they both stared in horror.

Before them was a small village, yet it was burning and smoking, evidence of an attack, and the fires were so large, it was turning the night sky red.

Behind them, Dulcy landed, and Rotor, Bunnie and Antoine slid off her back.

"Mah Stars!" Bunnie gasped.

"Sacre bleu!" Antoine breathed.

"No…" Rotor shook his head.

"The…monsters…" Dulcy put her paws to her mouth.


Sally glared and ran ahead towards the village.

"Sally Girl!" Bunnie called after the ground squirrel "Wait!"

The others also ran after Sally as she approached the burning village and stopped at the gates where she saw to her horror the whole place was destroyed, she could tell that the Swatbots had destroyed the place.

The buildings were burned and some were smouldering and half collapsed and all around were bodies of Mobians, men, women and children, shot and bleeding.

Tears formed in her eyes as she studied the damage.

"No more than 3 hours since the attackers left." She said in a low voice "Julian….you monster!"

She turned to Sonic and the others who were staring at the destruction with sad and heartbroken expressions.

"Search for survivors!" Sally ordered and ran into the village, as she did, she activated some blue gauntlets on her arms making two blades appear.

Even it seemed the Swatbots had left hours ago, she wasn't going to take any chances.

Sonic nodded and led the way in, the others slowly following behind.


At once they started looking at the fallen Mobians in the village centre, trying to see if there was anyone alive.

Bunnie stepped over the bodies and tears streamed from her eyes as she saw the terror in the dead eyes as they had tried to flee, not just fight their murderers.

Dulcy began to sob as she came across a couple of dead mothers and children.

"Why…?" she wept "It's bad enough Robotnik's taken the city of Mobotroplis but this…."

Sonic growled.

"That fucker will not rest until he's destroyed all we hold dear!" he checked a couple of other bodies, and the thoughts of his murdered parents came back to him.

Rotor and Antoine looked at each other sadly.

Sally walked ahead, checking the many bodies and her heart sinking lower and lower as she was unsuccessful in finding anyone alive.

"Why Robotnik?" she snarled as she stroked the face of a dead raccoon child "How many more innocent lives must you take away!? If you're not enslaving and robotizing them, you kill them in cold blood!?"


Sonic meanwhile checked another couple of bodies until his ears pricked up.

He turned towards a hut that wasn't destroyed, but outside he saw two foxes, a male and a female, the male was laying on his back and as Sonic looked closer, he started to recognise the fox.

"Sally!" he shouted to which the ground squirrel turned and ran over.

"What is it Sonic?" she asked then she saw the dead male fox and she gasped as she recognised him.

"Oh my god! Amadeus Prower!" she breathed "One of the commanders in the Royal Army!"

Sonic nodded.

"And…Rosemary…" he added as he looked at the female who lay slumped in front of the door.

Sally shook her head.

"I thought they had been killed in Mobotroplis when Robotnik attacked…. or enslaved…. but they were here…and….and I never knew!" Sally fell on her knees and sobbed to which Sonic wrapped his arms around her.

"This wasn't your fault, Sal!" he comforted "None of it was! After the city was attacked everyone fled to different areas, you had no way of knowing they were here."

Sally took a breath as she tried to stop crying and focus on the task on finding survivors.

She looked up and Sonic wiped her tears.

"Breathe okay?" Sonic said "Just breathe…"

Sally nodded and swallowing hard she gripped Sonic's wrists as he cupped her face.


It was then the hedgehog and ground squirrel heard a sound within the hut and they looked over.

"Did you hear something?" Sally asked.

Sonic nodded and pointed to the hut to which Sally stood up and walked over to the door, stepping over Rosemary's body.

After studying the way, the foxes lay, it seemed obviously Armdeus had been standing in front of the hut to fight, and Rosemary was standing before the door to either follow her husband or she was protecting what or who was inside the hut.


Entering the hut, the place was a mess as a lot of the furniture was strewn everywhere, and there was some laser damage in the walls.

At the end of the room, Sonic and Sally saw a wardrobe and they heard what sounded like breathing.

Sonic walked ahead and placed a hand on the wardrobe door then opened it.

No sooner did he do so then a cry was heard, and his eyes widened as he saw a small burnt orange and tan fox boy cowering in terror.

"Please don't hurt me!" the boy wept "Please!"

Sonic's eyes widened and Sally also looked over.

"A child!" she cried.

The fox boy sobbed more and cowered deeper into the corner of the wardrobe.

"There, there kid," Sonic said holding his hand out to the fox "It's okay! You're safe! We're not going to hurt you! I promise!"

The fox boy blinked, still sobbing in terror.

"Trust us, okay?" Sally soothed "We're here to help!"

"Who are you?" the fox asked.

"I'm Sally Acorn." Sally said.

The fox's eyes widened and as he looked at Sally, he started to realise who she was.

"The Princess?" he asked as he started to inch forward.

Sally nodded.

"And I'm Sonic." Sonic volunteered as he held his hand out to the fox.

"What's your name little guy?" the hedgehog asked.

"Tails…" the fox replied.

"It's going to be okay Tails!" Sonic reassured the fox as he helped him out of the wardrobe, "We're going to look after you!"

End Flashback


Sally wiped a tear from Tails's cheek. He had been the only survivor of that massacre, hiding in the wardrobe as the Swatbots slaughtered the citizens of the village.

After giving the bodies a burial, she and Sonic along with some of the older residents of Knothole had looked after him, yet Tails had formed a close bond with Sally as she often read him stories at night, and comforted him when he was upset, and he idolized Sonic, seeing him as the big brother he never had.

"No matter how old you get Tails." Sally soothed "You'll always have me to support you!"

"Thanks Sally!" Tails smiled.

Sally winked then she kissed Tails's nose to which the Fox blushed and grinned.

"The Funny Kiss!" she said.

"I still love it!" Tails said giving her a thumbs up.

"I'm glad!" Sally said giving his cheek a stroke "And remember, I'm always there for you if you need me!"

"Thanks Aunt Sally!" Tails said then began to walk towards the village centre.

Sally watched him go then checking Nicole for the time and seeing the sun was starting to set, she decided to head to the Ring Pool to meet with Sonic and wonder what it was he wanted to show her.

Awww, dear Tails, no matter how old he gets, he can still rely on Sally to support him.

I wonder what Sonic's going to show Sally? Well, tune into the next chapter coming soon.