Night came and went and I slept right through it. Waking to the sound of bird song I sat up and stretched. It was then that I noticed the strong spell wafting through the house. Turning round I looked over at the kitchen to see Sonic standing in front of the cooker.
"Morning Sonic." I yawned giving another stretch.
Sonic turned and grinned at me.
"Morning bro, good sleep?"
"Totally, what ya doing?"
"You talking about old times last night made me feel all nostalgic. Thought I'd try my hand at cooking again."
"Ha! You haven't done that in a while."
"Yeah true, Station Square has way too many good chili dog places but out here…well you know."
"Yeah nothing for miles, what you making?"
"Pancakes."
"Ooh!"
I quickly slipped my shoes and gloves on and walked over to the kitchen. Sure enough Sonic was cooking pancakes, thick scotch pancakes! I started to lick my lips in anticipation.
"Ok ok!" chuckled Sonic, "Don't drool on them ok, grab the ice cream and syrup would you."
"Oh sure!"
Wandering over to the cupboards I was surprised to find both syrup and ice cream. Thinking on it how was this stuff here in the first place? We hadn't used this house in ages. Turning back to Sonic I gave him a puzzled look making him chuckle.
"I nipped out this morning while you were still asleep. The market is going on in Serena you know, quite an active place right now."
"You went to Serena! Ah jeez Sonic you should of woke me up! I'd have loved to have gone with ya."
"Well I'm sure you can fly over after breakfast, it's not far after all…however…"
"However?"
"However you might not want to. I ran into someone while I was in town, he's coming round soon."
"Someone?"
Presently there was a slow knock on the door. Sonic nodded towards it.
"Best if you get it I think." he said.
"Um…ok." I replied putting the ice cream and syrup down.
I wandered over to the door and slid the lock back before opening the door. The sight that greeted me was a surprise to say the least. A tall grey squirrel stood on the doorstep scratching the back of his ear. I blinked before a huge smile spread across my face.
"STEVEN!" I cried.
"Eh heh…hi Tails." replied Steven dropping his arm to his side, "Long time no see."
"Sure has! Come on in, Sonic's making pancakes."
"Thanks."
I led Steven into the kitchen to see Sonic smiling broadly.
"You never said it was Steven you ran into." I exclaimed.
"Nope, wanted it to be a surprise." he replied, "Hi again Steven."
"Hi Sonic. How you guys been?"
"Great, yeah great." I replied excitedly.
"Woah calm down there Tails." chuckled Steven.
I gave a smile and then retrieved a few spoon from the draw. I had to give them a wash as they'd accumulated a bit of dust and dirt since out last visit.
"Life here been good?" asked Sonic.
"No end!" replied Steven.
I slowly sat down with the tub of ice cream. Sonic knew my tastes well, it was mint ice cream. As Steven began to talk about life on Western Isle, I tucked into the ice cream slowly slipping into my thoughts again…
-----------------------------------------
"Come back here!" cried Sonic ahead of me.
In front of Sonic I could see him getting away. The human known as Robotnik!
"Robotnik!" cried Sonic.
"Haha! You might have gotten this far Sonic but you're too late! You can't stop me now!" laughed Robotnik as the pod he was in flew higher.
Sonic spun towards me quickly and reached out his hand. I understood in a second and grabbed his hand, we'd done this a few time while we were making our way here. Spinning my tails I lifted us both off the ground and flew after the fleeing Robotnik. However, as much as I tried, I couldn't keep up with him. I was already tired from the chase and gradually we slipped back to the ground. I collapsed as soon as we landed and took a few deep breathes before I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders. Looking up I saw Sonic bent over me looking concerned.
"You ok bud?" he asked.
"Just…just tired Sonic." I replied as I continued to gasp for air.
Sonic looked away from me and back at the sky. Robotnik's pod was no more than a dot now and Sonic clenched his fists.
"Damn, so close!" he cursed.
"Sorry Sonic." I said slowly.
Sonic looked back at me and smiled.
"Hey it's not your fault Tails. You did your best and that's what counts."
I gave a small smile.
"Thanks Sonic."
"No problem keed. Looks like we chased Robotnik off anyway. He got away this time but I'll get him next time."
Sonic looked back at the maze of metal that had been Robotnik's main base.
"Looks like we'll have a lot to clean up this time." he said.
I looked back also and then forwards at the sky. Robotnik could no longer be seen and the entire landscape was once again peaceful. I sighed slowly, it was over. Just then a sharp jolt knocked me flat on my face. Shaking my head, I looked up. All around us pipes, metal plates and various other articles were collapsing. The entire city was falling apart around us. I looked up at Sonic, who was already on his feet and getting ready to run. He glanced at me and held out his hand. I quickly grabbed it and Sonic took off. The landscape turned into a blur of crashing metal and I closed my eyes tight. It wasn't long before Sonic came to a skidding halt and I opened them again. We both turned and gasped. The entire city lay in ruins but that was no the worst part of it. Hovering above the city was a giant airship. It was suspended on both jets and propellers and the noise from it shattered any quiet the landscape had recovered.
"Robotnik." growled Sonic next to me.
"But I thought you said we chased him off." I said nervously.
"Wooohuhuhuhuh!" came a booming laugh, "Chased me away, I think not you fools."
"ROBOTNIK!" cried Sonic looking up.
Hovering above us was Robotnik's pod. I couldn't help but shake slightly and take a step backwards, the guy really did scare me.
"I merely left to activate my new invention. My Wing Fortress will lay waste to this pathetic island and take you along with it. Woooooohuhuhuhuhuh!" roared Robotnik.
Sonic suddenly leaped up towards him but fell way short causing Robotnik to laugh again. The huge ship started to move towards us, lowering slightly so it was hovering right above us. A small door opened in the bottom of it and Robotnik's pod moved upwards towards it.
"You won't stop me this time Sonic! Not this time!"
With that Robotnik disappeared into the ship and almost instantly it started to fire. Laser bolts and missiles pounded the ground all around us and I curled into a tight ball, wailing in fear. I felt something grab my hand, another person's hand, Sonic's hand. Looking out slightly I saw the world as a blur once again. Sonic dragged me along for what seemed like an eternity. I saw flashes of places pass us by. The huge viscous ocean of oil surrounded by Robotnik's industrial plants, the huge peaks of the Hill Top, the dark valley where we found an old cave, the flashy casino area of the island, the ancient swamps, another one of Robotnik's industrial centers and finally back to the Emerald Hills. I looked at Sonic's face and saw he had his eyes closed.
"Sonic?" I asked quietly.
Sonic didn't reply, he just kept running.
"Sonic what are we going to do?"
"We need to stop him Tails. We have to stop him."
"How?"
"We have to get the Tornado ready and go after him."
"But it's not finished yet."
"They don't call me the fastest thing in the world for nothing Tails."
After this Sonic fell silent and it wasn't much longer before we skidded to a halt outside the house. Sonic let go of me and quickly sped round to the hanger. I ran after him as fast as I could and found him zipping all over the Tornado. The engine was still lying on the floor as it had been earlier and Sonic waved to me frantically as I approached.
"Come on Tails, we gotta hurry!" he cried indicating towards the engine.
I dashed forwards and quickly started attaching the engine to a small hoist. Meanwhile Sonic was flashing back and forth over the plane checking a few things before stopping next to me. Together we moved the engine into position and Sonic quickly fixed it back into place before attaching everything back together and replacing the cowl. Without a seconds thought he dashed to the cockpit and started the plane. I almost cheered as it roared into life first time. Sonic taxied the plane forwards and waved for me to get in. I was a bit stunned, I'd expected Sonic to go alone on this one but he wanted me along with him. I quickly jumped at the cockpit and scrambled inside before strapping myself in. Sonic didn't even ask if I was ready as he taxied the plane out and quickly lined up. This would be my first flight in a plane, my first time being properly airborne. I never imagined it to be in this situation though.
Sonic opened the throttle and I couldn't help but close my eyes slightly as we took off. I felt like my stomach was trying to escape out of my mouth and for a moment I was lost in the exhilaration of the moment. The terror of Robotnik slowly melted away and one feeling remained, freedom. I knew then at that moment that I would always love flying. The air against my fur, the rush of adrenaline, the feeling of freedom. Looking over the cockpit side everything seemed small and distant. I could see the burnt remains of Serena far below and my thoughts shifted to my former life before Sonic. Sonic had opened my eyes, he had shown me the real problems of this world and my own now seemed small and unimportant. Robotnik was a greater menace than any amount of bullying and he had to be stopped.
"Heads up Tails. I'm stepping out." cried Sonic over the wind.
"What?!" I cried.
"You ever flown a plane before?"
I just blinked. What was Sonic asking?! He must have seen my expression as he turned to look at me.
"Tails I need you to fly the plane. Robotnik will no doubt be sending bots after us and I can react to them quicker on the wings than behind the controls. Besides the guns on this thing aren't good enough to hurt anything that Robotnik will send at us."
He turned back around and looked ahead.
"Peddles work the rudder, the control stick is for pitch and roll, the throttle controls are to the left and all the gauges are in front on the console. You got your own set of controls in your cockpit."
I looked round and sure enough the controls Sonic had described were in front of me. I hadn't really noticed them before now. Looking up I saw Sonic making ready to climb onto the wings.
"Sonic….I….I can't." I said quickly.
"Yes you can Tails." replied Sonic turning round, "Just believe in yourself and you can do anything. I need you to do this Tails!"
I looked up at the older hedgehog. He looked back at me with pleading eyes. Looking past him I could see the huge Wing Fortress not far away, its roaring noise was already filling the air. Looking back at Sonic I saw he was still looking at me as he had been before. Time seemed to stand still for a moment. Could I do this? I'd never even been in a plane before now. Could I? No. But then Sonic's eyes…could I? What if I messed up? Could I? Could I? Yes! Yes I could!
I looked at Sonic directly and then placed my hands on the controls. Sonic's smile warmed my heart to its depths as he climbed onto the wings. For a moment I was unsure on what to do, books never really gave you a good idea. I pulled the control stick back and put the plane into a bit of climb. Next I tried a dive and then a partial roll. Sonic kept looking back at me to check if I was alright but each time he looked I looked back at him with a nod. The Wing Fortress was fast approaching now and as I looked I could see a few small dots surrounding it. The dots began to grow in size and looking up at Sonic I saw him going into a ready status.
"Get ready Tails. Here they come." he said.
The black specks were approaching fast now and without warning they shot past the plane, narrowly missing the wings as they did. As they passed by I got a look at them, robotic eagles, well robot's that looked like eagles. They banked round and came back towards the plane. Sonic was already ready for them and leaped from the wings, smashing straight through two of the robots with ease. I quickly saw why Sonic had wanted me behind the controls now. Sonic was now free falling in mid air, hurtling down towards the ground after his attack. Panic took over and I froze completely. I couldn't do anything but watch but then a cry pierced the air.
"TAILS!"
It was Sonic. He needed me, he needed my help. I turned the plane and dived after him, the controls feeling slightly more natural all the time. I pulled slightly ahead of Sonic and then swung underneath him, making him land with a thud on the wings. He gave me a small smile and a nod.
"Thanks."
"I'm sorry I…"
Sonic waved his hand dismissively.
"Later Tails, just get us back up to that ship. We have to get aboard."
"Roger."
I blinked, where had that come from? No matter I had to get us back up to that ship. Pulling back on the stick the plane began to climb again but the metal eagles dived down at us once again. Sonic leaped forwards and I half expected to have to catch him again, but this time he shot through one robot and bounced off another, destroying it in the process, and landed squarely on the wings. The Wing Fortress was now very close and I started looking at its surface trying to find a spot to land the plane. There wasn't one, but the longest bit of level ground was near the rear so I aimed for it. Swinging the plane round I steered the plane in for a landing. As I did Sonic jumped off the wing and fished around in the cockpit for a moment. He quickly jumped back onto the wing and threw a small object in my direction. It landed in my lap and I took a look at it, it was a small radio.
"That'll help us communicate if we get lost inside Tails. I dunno what this thing is like inside but it'll no doubt be trapped all over."
I nodded at his comment and stowed the radio to one side as I readied the plane for landing. Just then I noticed several points of light forming on the back of the Fortress. Sonic was too busy looking out for incoming bots to notice and I was just puzzled by them. As we got closer the lights grew brighter and began to flicker but still I kept the plane on course. Sonic suddenly looked down.
"Oh cripes! Tails evasive…!"
His cry came too late as a storm of laser bolts ripped the air and headed straight for us. Several passed through the wings and fuselage, a few others hit the tails and several hit the engine. The plane began to shake and rattle all around me. Dials went red and sirens started blaring. I looked up at Sonic completely struck with panic. He was just looking ahead defiantly.
"Get us to that ship Tails. I have to get on board!" he said not looking at me.
I gripped the controls, I couldn't fail now. Sonic was depending on me, I couldn't fail! I pushed the throttle open, the plane complained and almost stalled but the engine still worked. The wings hadn't fallen off yet, the fuselage was in one piece, we were still flying, we could still go on. We had climbed higher during the panic and I dived towards the back of the ship, the laser cannons opened fire again filling the air with light but the plane was wavering around so badly the shots all missed. Just then I realized a problem, my aim was off! We were going to miss the back of the ship and for all the pulling back on the stick I did the plane wouldn't climb.
"Sonic I can't pull us up!" I cried.
"Then I'll have to jump." he replied.
"Wha…what?!"
"I'm gonna have to make a jump for it Tails. Get me as close as you can and then get out of here. This plane won't stay in the air much longer."
"But…"
"No buts Tails. At least one of us has to get onto that ship. We can't let Robotnik get away!"
I looked at him for what seemed like an eternity. He was right, we had to stop him, but I wanted to help. Sonic closed his eyes slowly.
"I know you want to come with me Tails. We've make quite a team, but right now the most important thing is to stop Robotnik. It's now or never Tails."
"O…ok Sonic. OK!"
A new found sense of commitment filled my mind. This was my task, my part in the process. Sonic needed my help and I wasn't about to let him down. Looking ahead I saw the Fortress mere meters away. Sonic made ready on the wings, crouching into a prone position. The lasers fired again, Sonic jumped and I pulled away. It all seemed to happen in slow motion to me. I saw Sonic land with a thud on the deck and the laser skim the port wing. I turned sharply, he was onboard! I'd done it! Now all I had to do was land this plane before I crashed. Spiraling down away from the Fortress I found that the lasers were no longer firing at me, they must have decided I was no longer a threat and they were right. The ground was getting close now and as the plane leveled out I saw where I was heading. Straight for the ruins of what had been Metropolis Zone. I started to cringe as the plane continued to head straight for the rubble. Cutting the power the Tornado slumped downwards sharply and made contact with the ground. The crash nearly buckled the undercarriage and the plane wobbled around, running over debris and other things, before finally coming to a stop a few meters from the ruins. I breathed a huge sigh of relief and then looked upwards. The Fortress was now moving along slowly above me and my thoughts instantly went back to Sonic and…
"The radio!"
I quickly picked it up and turned it on.
"Sonic? SONIC?!" I cried into it.
There was a bit of static and some sounds that sounded like explosions on the other end before a reply.
"Hey Tails! You must have landed to be thinking of me eh. Nicely done."
"Sonic are you alright?"
"Alright? Yeah I'm…one sec."
For the next few minutes more explosions and weapons fire filled the radio accompanied by a number of chuckles and witty taunts. When Sonic finally answered again I was shaking slightly.
"Had a small bot problem."
"Sonic what are you doing?"
"I'm bringing this baby down Tails! Where are you?"
"Near the Metropolis ruins."
"Good, Tails I need you to fix up the Tornado as best you can. I might need a pick up shortly."
"O…ok Sonic."
"I'm counting on you Tails, out."
With that the radio shut off and I sat silently for a moment. Sonic was up their alone and was down here alone. I looked up at the ruined city and nodded my head once sharply. Jumping from the plane I dashed into the rubble. I retrieved a few bits of metal plating and returned to the Tornado. Fishing the small toolkit out of the back of the plane I started to patch up the holes in the wings and fuselage. I occasionally gave a glance upwards at the Fortress before looking back at the plane and doubling my speed. In the end I had a little construction line going and I was going at a fair pace. Time faded away as I worked and soon I started to feel cold. Evening was drawing in and the sun was starting to set…wait! It wasn't evening, I hadn't even had lunch yet! Looking up I saw the reason for the sudden darkness. A huge spherical object was rising from the ground on the other side of the island, it was so big it was blotting out the sun. I looked up at it in shear fear and staggered backwards, falling off the planes wing and landing with a thud on the ground. I lay on my back just starring up at it as the huge shape moved further into the sky. It dwarfed the huge Wing Fortress and was made of a dull metal that could only come from one source. Slowly I reached for the radio.
"S…Sonic…" I whimpered slowly.
"Give it up Robotnik!" came a slightly muffled reply.
"Huh?" I said to myself.
What was Sonic talking about? My answer came quickly.
"So you've managed to get this far? Do you really think my Wing Fortress is all I had in reserve?" said Robotnik's voice.
Sonic must have left his radio switched on, I could hear everything.
"Like it matter Robuttnik! You're not getting away this time."
"Oh but I am hedgehog, watch."
There was a sudden and load 'wuuf' sound through the radio that sounded like some sort of energy pulse. I heard Sonic give a small startled cry and then all went quiet.
"Sonic? Sonic?!" I cried into the radio frantically.
"Yeah Tails I'm here!" came Sonic reply, "What's up?"
"There's a really big ship out here." I replied, my voice shaking slightly.
"How big?"
"Big."
"Damn! Sit tight Tails I'm going after Robotnik. Looks like he has some sort of transporter set up on this thing."
"Warning self destruct activated." sounded a computerized voice over the radio.
"Sonic what's that?!" I cried.
"Crap! Robotnik just set of some sort of auto destruct device. I gotta motor. Tails get the Tornado ready! I'll…"
The radio suddenly went dead and filled with static.
"Sonic? SONIC?!" I screamed.
I looked at the radio and then bashed it a couple of times but I still got static. Looking up at the Wing Fortress I started to breathe heavier. I cast a glance at the other ship, now moving higher into the sky. Just then I saw a few sparks to me side and looked over at where the Wing Fortress was. Small explosions were ripping along its hull, first a few, then more and more until finally they stopped. Moments later the entire sky lit up in a bright flash as the entire ship exploded and fell from the sky. Flaming debris fell all around, some fairly close to me, but I didn't notice any of it.
"…Sonic…"
I grabbed the radio again and started to scream into it.
"SONIC!"
At first nothing came in reply. Had he made it out in time? Was he gone? My answer came a few seconds later though as the radio gave a crackle.
"Tails? Tails are you receiving?" came a somewhat distant call.
I gave a gasp and almost started crying.
"Sonic! You're alright!" I cried.
"Yeah I'm ok but we got more problems. Seems Robotnik has pulled out ever stop he could with this thing. It's huge…but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop."
"What should I do?"
"Get ready with a pick up Tails. Over and out."
I waited for a moment and then turned my attention to the Tornado. It still needed a few patches and I'd have to hurry. Quickly gathering some more metal plates I began to hammer away at the plane again, occasionally glancing up at the round shaped ship as it climbed higher and higher. I got no more messages from Sonic, not even static. As time passed by I began to get more and more worried but finally the repairs to the Tornado were complete. The plane looked like some sort of patchwork quilt but it would do for now. I took a few deep breathes and then started to think about Sonic again. Turning around I looked directly up. The huge ship was still there but it had stopped its accent, it merely hovered in mid air. As I watched it I saw a bright yellow glow erupt from the side of the ship. Moments later there was another and a third! Just then the whole shape of the ship shimmered and a huge explosive flash filled the sky. The roar of the explosion shook the ground and my ears pounded from the sound of it. I turned away shielding my eyes from the blast and covering my ears. When I looked back all I could see was falling debris. My heart skipped a few beats.
"Sonic!"
As quickly as I could I jumped into the Tornado. I fumbled for a moment finding the start button but finally got the engine started. Turning the plane slightly I lined up on the "runway" and opened the throttle. The plane was still rather shaky but I managed to get her into the air and started to climb towards the dying explosion.
"Don't worry Sonic! I'm coming! I'm coming Sonic!" I said to myself over and over.
The only thing on my mind right now was my friend. Was he alive? Was I too late? Was…what? A strange glowing light caught me attention. It hovered in the air at the center of where the explosion had been and pulsed a bright yellow colour. As I drew nearer I started to make out a shape at the center of the glow. It looked just like a hedgehog! I couldn't believe what I was seeing, what was going on? The figure turned towards the plane and headed straight towards me. Oddly enough I didn't feel threatened, more accurately I felt at ease. The yellow figure started to move towards me and slowly landed on the planes wings. The glow was so bright that I couldn't look at it and I had to turn away and shield my eyes.
"Sonic?" I asked still looking away.
"Hey Tails." came a slow response.
The voice was slightly booming and so calm it was freaky yet I'd know it anywhere. I'd never forget that voice.
"Sonic!" I cried looking back at the glow.
It stung my eyes to look at it but it was worth it. Looking back at me was the face of Sonic, although looking completely different. The glow slowly faded and I was able to see him better, standing tall on the wings looking down at me. His body had gone a bright yellow colour, his quills stuck out at every angle thinkable and his eyes glowed a bright red but even so it was still Sonic.
"Sonic?"
Sonic didn't reply. Instead he closed his eyes and wavered slightly on his feet. I gasped as he suddenly collapsed and, with a bright flash, returned to normal. I felt something fall into my lap, well numerous things, and looked down. Seven small coloured jewels lay in my lap and for a moment I puzzled over them. I had seen Sonic collecting these as we had made our way to Metropolis, just what were they? Never mind there were more important things right now. Looking up I saw that Sonic was now sprawled out on the wings not moving. Without a second though I dived the plane down towards the ground. I spotted an open field and lined the plane up, nearly crashing it into the deck as I landed. Before the plane had even come to a stop I was standing up in the cockpit shaking Sonic.
"Sonic! Sonic you ok?" I asked.
Sonic groaned slowly and then looked up at me. He gave a weak smile and nodded slightly.
"Hey Tails." he replied.
"Sonic you're alright!"
I couldn't help but jump up and hug him. Sonic was only too happy to let me and in fact he hugged me back slightly. I don't recall how long we hugged, could of been a while but finally we released each other. Sonic looked at me and smiled.
"Let's go home eh." he said.
"You got it Sonic!"
I sat back down in the pilot seat and started the plane again. Lining up for a final time I took off, directing the plane back towards the north of the island and home.
As we approached the ruins of Serena I could see a crowd of furries gathered around our landing site. They were cheering and screaming Sonic's name over and over as I descended the plane and landed softly this time. Once the plane had come to a rest and the propeller has stopped spinning they clustered around. I was busy taking my harness off and because of my size couldn't be seen inside the cockpit. I listened to the conversation going on.
"Thank you, thank you, you're too kind." cooed Sonic obviously enjoying the moment.
"Wow Sonic! That was incredible!"
"Sonic who's flying the plane?"
"I can't see anyone, do you have an autopilot?"
"Not quite." replied Sonic.
I finished undoing my harness and straightened up allowing the top of my head to peek out over the cockpit side. A heard a few puzzled noises but couldn't see anyone yet. Just then I felt a hand on the back of my neck and Sonic pulled me to my feet swiftly.
"Come on now, stand up and take some credit before I end up hogging it all." joked Sonic.
"Um…hi." I said nervously.
I looked around to see just about everyone starring at me. It was slightly off putting, but I looked over the crowd anyway. Sonic quickly put an arm round my shoulder and gave me a noogie.
"He's quite a little pilot too." he said with a smile.
"He was flying the plane!" cried someone in the crowd.
"Who else?" replied Sonic, "Anything wrong with that?"
A murmur ran through the crowd but then someone started to clap. Moments later a second person began to clap and then a third. Within seconds the entire crowd was clapping and cheering once more. I looked up at Sonic slowly.
"Did…did you mean that?" I asked.
"Tails I don't say anything unless I mean it. I couldn't have done it without you."
I couldn't hold my emotions back any longer. I spread my arms wide and hugged Sonic tight as I started to sob.
"Thank you! Thank you Sonic!"
"Hey easy there Tails! Easy there…ah what the hell."
Sonic put an arm round me and hugged me close resulting in an increase in noise from the crowd. Sonic released me and jumped down to the ground. I quickly scrambled out of the cockpit and followed after him. As I walked through the crowd I heard a faint voice.
"Miles?"
I stopped at the voice, I knew it all too well.
"Steven." I said not turning.
"Miles I…"
Slowly I turned round. Standing behind me looking at the ground was the squirrel in question. He had two black eyes, a bruised cheek and various other bruises and such from my pounding earlier as well as his wounds he'd got in the initial attack on Serena. Overall he looked in a terrible condition. All the excitement and danger of this adventure had completely blanked my mind of the earlier incidents and seeing Steven now brought it all back. I suddenly felt nervous even though Steven was in this state and we were surrounded by all these people. Sonic had stopped walking and come up to stand next to me and the entire gathering had clustered in around Sonic, Steven and myself. Even so I felt alone. Steven slowly walked up to me and stood about a meter away still looking at the ground.
"Miles I want to…I want to apologies." said Steven slowly.
"Huh?" I said slowly.
"While you were gone I…I did some thinking Miles. I…I'm sorry for what I've done to you."
Steven looked away and then sighed. I couldn't think of anything to say. Steven slowly turned away.
"Well I'd better go. I'll leave you alone."
Steven started to limp away, the crowd parting to let him pass by. I looked up at Sonic beside me. He just looked down at me with a slightly saddened expression and then up at Steven. I too looked back towards Steven and stood for a moment thinking. Steven had been the hell of my existence since as far back as I could remember. But now he seemed more like broken plank of wood. I thought back to the beating I had given him earlier, what I had said to him. Had he really changed? Was he serious? Was he…?
"Steven! Steven wait up!" I cried as I started to jog after him.
Steven kept walking not even registering my calls but I still jogged after him. I finally caught up to him and lightly caught hold of his shoulder.
"Steven wait." I said again.
Steven stopped and turned slightly still looking at the ground. I looked at the ground too for a moment before speaking.
"Steven I'd like to apologies too. I shouldn't have done what I did earlier. I'm sorry."
Steven looked up at me and for the first time I saw his eyes. I saw right past his outer shell and into the real person. What Steven was really like, who he really was, he was like me. I slowly extended my right arm.
"Friends?" I asked slowly.
Steven slowly looked at my hand and then up at my face. Slowly he extended his own arm and gripped my hand in his. For a moment neither of us spoke.
"Friends." said Steven slowly.
The whole crowd around us erupted into cheers and shouts and I felt a hand land on my shoulder. I turned to see Sonic standing behind me smiling down at me.
"What do you two say to chili dogs?" he asked.
-----------------------------------------
"Tails? Yo Tails! You asleep or something?"
I snapped back to my senses to find Steven waving a hand in my face.
"Oh good you didn't die. Sonic and myself were worried weren't we." said Steven.
"No end." chuckled Sonic.
I blushed slightly and then took another mouthful of ice cream. Sonic shook his head.
"Some things never change eh." he said.
"Yeah." agreed Steven.
For a moment I slipped back into my thoughts. All that time had passed and things here on Western Isle seemed as they always had. I suddenly had an idea.
"Say Sonic…I was wondering. You think I could stop off here for a while. I haven't been here in ages and I'd like to see how things are going."
"That'd be cool Tails. Haven't seen you in ages and I'm sure the folks in Serena would be pleased to see you." agreed Steven.
"Well I won't be doing anything unless Robotnik acts up again." said Sonic filling a glass with some water from the tap, "I'll be heading back to Station Square soon enough but if you want to stay I'm cool with it. We can meet up later."
"Cool!" I said smiling.
"Hey you could stay at my place." said Steven, "Wanna?"
"Why not?" I asked, "We can catch up on old times."
"Sounds like a plan. Sure is good to see you again you know."
"You too Steven, you too."