Location - 'The Black Region'.
Loren felt cold, swirling mists all around her. It was icy-cold. For the first time, she was fully aware of her senses. She was fully aware of what it was like to be human. It felt strange. Her senses were sharper than before. I suppose it's because humans don't have magic, so they need their natural senses more, she thought.
The Black Region was a horrible place to be. It was an endless dark vacuum, a space between the worlds. There was every chance of ending up in the wrong place, so great care was needed. But also, spending too long in the Black Region was dangerous. She could become disoriented, her thoughts could melt away, she would be lost forever. Loren did not like that thought, but she knew she could not afford to get lost. She knew something about the darkness that no-one else did, and she needed to get to Tails, let him understand.... She needed to get to him in time. Time......
Time did not exist in the vacuum. She tumbled on into the mist.
* * * * *
Location - Shinolou Volcano.
Tails climbed over the small rise that would lead him to the Thunderstorm. He pushed aside a dense, prickly gorse bush and stepped out into the open. He saw Sandi and Amy first. Then, behind them, the Thunderstorm - completely wrecked!
"Tails, don't come any closer!" Sandi warned, a worried look on her face. The Stella - yes, Stella - walked out from the darkness behind Sandi and Amy. Rifle black in hand again and shades reflecting the moonlight, it was unmistakably her.
"Hello, Tails," she drawled, her voice laced with venom.
"How did you get here? I thought I left you on that island!" Tails said incredulously. "Well you thought wrong. And I'm back. Dr. Robotnik sent a helicopter over for me. So I could come back here."
"Ha ha! You had to get Eggman to save you!" Tails laughed. Stella sharply pointed the weapon at Sandi and Amy's frightened faces. Tails stopped laughing.
"You can run but you can't hide," Stella purred sweetly. " I made a vow to kill you and I don't go back on my word."
"Well why ruin my plane? Or, unless you made a vow to do that too," said Tails crossly.
"Oh, that old piece of junk? It was worthless anyway." Stella lowered the rifle to the floor and fired. There was a rumble, the ground ruptured and a host of small, spindly spider robots came scurrying out of the ground. Their tiny metal pincers made a sickening clicking sound. Tails ran forward and took hold of Amy and Sandi.
"C'mon! Run!" he cried. They followed him through the bushes and down the bank, bullets from Stella's rifle exploding all around them as they escaped. They made it into the tunnel.
"Yeuch! That was, like, total gross!" Amy exclaimed, shivering as she pictured the hideous spider-robot swarm.
"Aw, man, I never want to see anything like that again!" said Sandi.
"Stella's still following us. We have to get to Eggman's flight deck, find another plane and get out of here," Tails said. He set off into the pitch black cave. Amy and Sandi heard pincers clicking not far off and hastily followed.
* * * * *
Eggman's flight deck was huge. There were so many different aeroplanes and helicopters that it was hard to choose which one they needed. Tails stopped in front of a large biplane called the 'FOX - 457'.
"That one looked fine," Sandi commented, looking at the name of it. Tails seemed to be considering it. Behind them, the first of the spider robots scuttled through the door.
"Okay. It'll do," said Tails. They climbed in and Tails started it up as more and more spiders poured through the door. The clock on the dashboard said seven-fifteen pm.
"Hurry, Tails!" Sandi screamed from the back compartment of the plane, hammering on the back of his seat. Amy was sitting on the floor, knees drawn in, trying very hard not to think about the spider robots. In a flurry of fingers, Tails prepared the plane for lift-off. Suddenly, the cockpit door flung open and a long, black-sleeved arm smashed down over the controls. Tails looked up in shock. Stella had caught up with them.
"Out of the plane," she ordered, pressing the gun into his side. Heart pounding, Tails did so. Stella made him get in the back, the cargo area, with Amy and Sandi, then she sen the spider robots in to tie them up. She watched over it all with grim satisfaction, rifle in hand in case anyone made a false move. Tails, Amy and Sandi were speechless. The spider robots ejected thick, strong, silky ropes, as all spider do, and then expertly wove the bonds to and fro, securing each of the three companions to the length of metal piping that ran along the side of the rear compartment.
"Don't look so gloomy, Tails. Enjoy this day while you can. It may be your last." Stella smirked as she went back to the cockpit. The three friends struggled but to no avail. The spiders' cords were too tough.
"What do you think she's doing?" Amy whispered.
"I don't know, and I sure don't want to find out,"Tails whispered back.
"This is so not funny," Sandi moaned. Stella returned from the cockpit triumphantly. "So long, Tails," she said as she slammed down the hatch at the very back of the plane. Tails caught one last glimpse of her smarmy figure before the engine started and a mechanical voice blared in his ears; 'AUTO- PILOT MODE - INITIATED.'
"Oh no," Tails said in horror, his voice no louder than the quietest of whispers.
* * * * *
Location - Outside the Temple of Light, Loren's world.
"Oh no," Sonic groaned. "Where's Sector Twenty Four? They're meant to be here!" He paced up and down outside the Temple, looking at the rows upon rows of fairy soldiers.
"They're just arriving, sir," a Regiment Guard official informed Sonic.
"Right. Our next step is to find a way through to my own world," Sonic said. The soldier drifted off to join the others. Sonic groaned inwardly. He had already talked to the Chancellor, who had assumed a very gloomy outlook on the whole project. The Chancellor had given him no good ideas. And Sonic was at a loss. Sonic was just passing the guard tent when a voice hissed out at him;
"Psst! Sonic, over here!" Sonic nearly cried out loud when a silvery hand grabbed him and pulled him behind the tent. "Shhh! Don't cry out. My name is Mara." Sonic looked at the fairy who had caught his attention. She was tall, with short dark brown hair and hazel-almond eyes. "I know a way to get to the Other Side."
"You do?"
"Yes. My best friend, Loren, managed to do it. She wasn't meant to, but she wanted to get in touch with this little fox called Tails. I helped her. So, so maybe we can do the same here. You've got to trust me," Mara whispered softly, constantly looking over her shoulder in an agitated manner as she spoke. As though she was afraid that someone would see them.
"Tails? Wait a second, what's Tails doing in all this mess?" Sonic exclaimed.
"Ah. You must know Tails, then. Apparently, he is the Witness of the Truth, the only one who can stop the Void. Nobody believed Loren when she told them. The Chancellor even took away her powers. So she went alone."
"Tails is the only one who can stop the Void? Wow, I sure hope he's okay."
"With Loren, he should be. Now, to get everyone here through to your world, you have to...." The words caught in Mara's throat. A hand clamped down on her shoulder. Sonic looked up and saw a dozen Regiment Guard prison keepers circled around them.
"You're coming with us, young lady. You're still in custody, remember," one of the prison keepers said gruffly. Mara yelped and struggled, but they held her fast. As they dragged Mara away, Sonic leapt to his feet.
"Hey! Let go of her! She's done nothing wrong!" he shouted. Several fairies turned to look.
"You don't want to be hanging around with the likes of her," the lead prison keeper said brusquely. "She's in custody for a reason. It's for your own safety more than anything, Mr. Sonic."
"You have to trust me! Trust me!" Mara screamed. Sonic clenched his teeth as she vanished from sight. He was peeved at those arrogant prison keepers' behaviour. Not only had they treated Mara barbarically, but they had called him 'Mister' too. He resented that.
How were those prison keepers so sure that Mara was a criminal? Sonic felt certain that he trusted her more than he did them. She had talked about Tails. She had to be more right than they were.
As the onlookers turned back to their duties, Sonic knew only one thing. He had to talk to Mara again. She might be the key to getting through to his world - and stopping Eggman.
* * * * *
Location - 'FOX-457' biplane.
"What's going on? Tails, tell us!" Sandi shrieked.
"N-nothing important.....just help me get free. I need to get free...the cockpit....." Tails raved.
"You don't say 'oh no' for nothing," Amy shouted. She strained to loose the cords that were biting into her already-swollen wrists. Tails gulped as the plane left the ground.
"It's on automatic pilot. I don't know where Stella's set it to land, but this means we can't steer it until I get it off auto." Tails trembled as he spoke.
"And if you don't get it off auto...." Amy whispered.
"Then it goes wherever Stella's programmed it to go," Tails finished her sentence.
"I don't even want to think about where that might be," Sandi muttered. They watched through the small, grimy windows as the plane shot through the flight deck towards a rock wall, which transformed into an entrance in the mountainside that opened automatically for them. A sudden draft of air from the slightly open window in the cockpit told them that they were off the island and rising steeply, climbing up into the air. It was bumpy in the back of the plane. Every little air pocket and updraft sent them bouncing about the place, constantly being jolted back by the tight lashings round their wrists and ankles.
Tails did not like not being in control of the plane. He was usually the pilot, not the passenger. But most of the time even the passenger knows where he's going, Tails thought. I don't.
They passed a stream of billowing cloud, navy blue in the twilight. Then the plane burst from the velvet cloud cover and stilled, hovering silently above the cloud carpet. The moon's unblinking eye shone through the small windows, bathing them in silvery light and illuminating every shadow. There was an uncomfortable tension, which seemed to last forever. Suspended between the clouds and the heavens, Tails, Amy and Sandi could read the fear on each other's faces from the intense moonlight.
Nobody spoke. Each of them could almost sense what was going to happen. Tails listened to his heartbeat.
Thud. Thud.
The glaring light of the moon gave the convincing illusion that he was being drenched in fear; cold, naked fear.
Thud. Thud.
The silence was deafening.
Thud. Thud.
Any moment now, he would feel that sickening lurch downwards, that dreadful sensation in the pit of his stomach-
Thud.
-he was poised on the very top of a rollercoaster, in the front cart, and he was caught in that awful moment between anxious waiting and plunging down over the edge.
Thud.
Any moment now.....
"Aaaah!" In a whirl and a flurry, the plane dived down steeply, almost vertically. The onrush of air tore the trio's screams away into the night. The pressure going down was immense.
"Tails - we need to - g-get - out of - here," Sandi choked. She spoke haltingly, the air from the open window tearing at her vocal chords, stoppering her words.
"I know! Get - me - untied! I can - stop - it," Tails shouted as best as he could in the confusion and noise.
"I - can't - reach," Sandi shouted back, trying to reach the bonds with her teeth.
"Knot's - too - tight," Amy wheezed. They were very stuck.
Then everything changed. At first, Tails only felt a sort of gap in the air, like the air was opening, splitting apart. It was horribly cold at first, then a brilliant warmth seeped through until it filled the empty space. Something was pushing through. Something magical.
Amy and Sandi could sense it too. Then all of a sudden the air really did rip apart. Golden light pierced through from nowhere, drowning out the glare of the moon. Colours within the plane went from icy moonlight blue to warm golden rays. There was an immense magical upheaval, and Loren materialised into the cargo area.
"Wow....I...I...made it through...to the Other Side." She was gasping and panting heavily.
"Loren! Help us!" Tails cried. She noticed the three of them then.
"Tails, what happened to you?" she asked, stepping over to help him free. The air pressure seemed not to affect her as it did the others.
"We're - gonna - crash, and soon! The plane's on - automatic - pilot.......Hey? What happened - to your - wings?" said Tails.
"I'm human."
"Whoah....well - anyway, get - me - untied - quick," Tails stuttered. Below them, an island came into view. One of the Trinity Islands. It had a lot of trees - and a cliff. A cliff that was pearly white in the moonlight. They were heading straight towards it! Loren fumbled with the rope.
"I can't undo it. It's too tight," she said nervously.
"You - stop the plane - then. Just - do what I - say," Tails yelled. Loren nodded and climbed into the cockpit.
By now Amy and Sandi had figured that this was the fairy that Tails had told them about. They sat tight as the plane hurtled downwards and prayed that Loren would not get it wrong.
Tails hollered out instructions until his voice was hoarse. The pressure intensified the closer they got to the cliff. Glass from the open window, and other debris, was flung to the far end of the cargo pit. One shard caught Tails on the cheek. They were twenty metres away now........ten....nine....eight....seven....six....
The plane broke from autopilot and Loren wrenched the steering controls upwards, swinging the plane wildly out of balance and scraping it's underside against the cliff face. Loren was not too good at steering. The plane swerved up, then down again, heading at breakneck speed towards the miles of forest that lay beyond the cliff top. They were on a collision course.
All four companions screamed their hearts out as the plane jolted, banged, crashed, tumbled, skidded, smashed, hurtled, barged, right through the trees, tearing it's way through the forest like a bat out of hell.
Tails shut his eyes tight and closed out all the pain of every jolt and shudder to his weary limbs, his leg in particular. When at last the plane came to rest, he was so dizzy and muddled, so utterly shaken that he was nearly sick. He was sure the girls were feeling the same.
This was confirmed when Amy actually was sick.
Loren found a sharp metal prong and sliced through the restricting cords that bound them. Tails staggered outside. As he did so, he noticed the clock on the dashboard. Seven-twenty-one p.m. Five minutes! That whole shaky scenario had only lasted five minutes!
Boy, time flies when you're having fun, he thought.
* * * * *
Loren felt cold, swirling mists all around her. It was icy-cold. For the first time, she was fully aware of her senses. She was fully aware of what it was like to be human. It felt strange. Her senses were sharper than before. I suppose it's because humans don't have magic, so they need their natural senses more, she thought.
The Black Region was a horrible place to be. It was an endless dark vacuum, a space between the worlds. There was every chance of ending up in the wrong place, so great care was needed. But also, spending too long in the Black Region was dangerous. She could become disoriented, her thoughts could melt away, she would be lost forever. Loren did not like that thought, but she knew she could not afford to get lost. She knew something about the darkness that no-one else did, and she needed to get to Tails, let him understand.... She needed to get to him in time. Time......
Time did not exist in the vacuum. She tumbled on into the mist.
* * * * *
Location - Shinolou Volcano.
Tails climbed over the small rise that would lead him to the Thunderstorm. He pushed aside a dense, prickly gorse bush and stepped out into the open. He saw Sandi and Amy first. Then, behind them, the Thunderstorm - completely wrecked!
"Tails, don't come any closer!" Sandi warned, a worried look on her face. The Stella - yes, Stella - walked out from the darkness behind Sandi and Amy. Rifle black in hand again and shades reflecting the moonlight, it was unmistakably her.
"Hello, Tails," she drawled, her voice laced with venom.
"How did you get here? I thought I left you on that island!" Tails said incredulously. "Well you thought wrong. And I'm back. Dr. Robotnik sent a helicopter over for me. So I could come back here."
"Ha ha! You had to get Eggman to save you!" Tails laughed. Stella sharply pointed the weapon at Sandi and Amy's frightened faces. Tails stopped laughing.
"You can run but you can't hide," Stella purred sweetly. " I made a vow to kill you and I don't go back on my word."
"Well why ruin my plane? Or, unless you made a vow to do that too," said Tails crossly.
"Oh, that old piece of junk? It was worthless anyway." Stella lowered the rifle to the floor and fired. There was a rumble, the ground ruptured and a host of small, spindly spider robots came scurrying out of the ground. Their tiny metal pincers made a sickening clicking sound. Tails ran forward and took hold of Amy and Sandi.
"C'mon! Run!" he cried. They followed him through the bushes and down the bank, bullets from Stella's rifle exploding all around them as they escaped. They made it into the tunnel.
"Yeuch! That was, like, total gross!" Amy exclaimed, shivering as she pictured the hideous spider-robot swarm.
"Aw, man, I never want to see anything like that again!" said Sandi.
"Stella's still following us. We have to get to Eggman's flight deck, find another plane and get out of here," Tails said. He set off into the pitch black cave. Amy and Sandi heard pincers clicking not far off and hastily followed.
* * * * *
Eggman's flight deck was huge. There were so many different aeroplanes and helicopters that it was hard to choose which one they needed. Tails stopped in front of a large biplane called the 'FOX - 457'.
"That one looked fine," Sandi commented, looking at the name of it. Tails seemed to be considering it. Behind them, the first of the spider robots scuttled through the door.
"Okay. It'll do," said Tails. They climbed in and Tails started it up as more and more spiders poured through the door. The clock on the dashboard said seven-fifteen pm.
"Hurry, Tails!" Sandi screamed from the back compartment of the plane, hammering on the back of his seat. Amy was sitting on the floor, knees drawn in, trying very hard not to think about the spider robots. In a flurry of fingers, Tails prepared the plane for lift-off. Suddenly, the cockpit door flung open and a long, black-sleeved arm smashed down over the controls. Tails looked up in shock. Stella had caught up with them.
"Out of the plane," she ordered, pressing the gun into his side. Heart pounding, Tails did so. Stella made him get in the back, the cargo area, with Amy and Sandi, then she sen the spider robots in to tie them up. She watched over it all with grim satisfaction, rifle in hand in case anyone made a false move. Tails, Amy and Sandi were speechless. The spider robots ejected thick, strong, silky ropes, as all spider do, and then expertly wove the bonds to and fro, securing each of the three companions to the length of metal piping that ran along the side of the rear compartment.
"Don't look so gloomy, Tails. Enjoy this day while you can. It may be your last." Stella smirked as she went back to the cockpit. The three friends struggled but to no avail. The spiders' cords were too tough.
"What do you think she's doing?" Amy whispered.
"I don't know, and I sure don't want to find out,"Tails whispered back.
"This is so not funny," Sandi moaned. Stella returned from the cockpit triumphantly. "So long, Tails," she said as she slammed down the hatch at the very back of the plane. Tails caught one last glimpse of her smarmy figure before the engine started and a mechanical voice blared in his ears; 'AUTO- PILOT MODE - INITIATED.'
"Oh no," Tails said in horror, his voice no louder than the quietest of whispers.
* * * * *
Location - Outside the Temple of Light, Loren's world.
"Oh no," Sonic groaned. "Where's Sector Twenty Four? They're meant to be here!" He paced up and down outside the Temple, looking at the rows upon rows of fairy soldiers.
"They're just arriving, sir," a Regiment Guard official informed Sonic.
"Right. Our next step is to find a way through to my own world," Sonic said. The soldier drifted off to join the others. Sonic groaned inwardly. He had already talked to the Chancellor, who had assumed a very gloomy outlook on the whole project. The Chancellor had given him no good ideas. And Sonic was at a loss. Sonic was just passing the guard tent when a voice hissed out at him;
"Psst! Sonic, over here!" Sonic nearly cried out loud when a silvery hand grabbed him and pulled him behind the tent. "Shhh! Don't cry out. My name is Mara." Sonic looked at the fairy who had caught his attention. She was tall, with short dark brown hair and hazel-almond eyes. "I know a way to get to the Other Side."
"You do?"
"Yes. My best friend, Loren, managed to do it. She wasn't meant to, but she wanted to get in touch with this little fox called Tails. I helped her. So, so maybe we can do the same here. You've got to trust me," Mara whispered softly, constantly looking over her shoulder in an agitated manner as she spoke. As though she was afraid that someone would see them.
"Tails? Wait a second, what's Tails doing in all this mess?" Sonic exclaimed.
"Ah. You must know Tails, then. Apparently, he is the Witness of the Truth, the only one who can stop the Void. Nobody believed Loren when she told them. The Chancellor even took away her powers. So she went alone."
"Tails is the only one who can stop the Void? Wow, I sure hope he's okay."
"With Loren, he should be. Now, to get everyone here through to your world, you have to...." The words caught in Mara's throat. A hand clamped down on her shoulder. Sonic looked up and saw a dozen Regiment Guard prison keepers circled around them.
"You're coming with us, young lady. You're still in custody, remember," one of the prison keepers said gruffly. Mara yelped and struggled, but they held her fast. As they dragged Mara away, Sonic leapt to his feet.
"Hey! Let go of her! She's done nothing wrong!" he shouted. Several fairies turned to look.
"You don't want to be hanging around with the likes of her," the lead prison keeper said brusquely. "She's in custody for a reason. It's for your own safety more than anything, Mr. Sonic."
"You have to trust me! Trust me!" Mara screamed. Sonic clenched his teeth as she vanished from sight. He was peeved at those arrogant prison keepers' behaviour. Not only had they treated Mara barbarically, but they had called him 'Mister' too. He resented that.
How were those prison keepers so sure that Mara was a criminal? Sonic felt certain that he trusted her more than he did them. She had talked about Tails. She had to be more right than they were.
As the onlookers turned back to their duties, Sonic knew only one thing. He had to talk to Mara again. She might be the key to getting through to his world - and stopping Eggman.
* * * * *
Location - 'FOX-457' biplane.
"What's going on? Tails, tell us!" Sandi shrieked.
"N-nothing important.....just help me get free. I need to get free...the cockpit....." Tails raved.
"You don't say 'oh no' for nothing," Amy shouted. She strained to loose the cords that were biting into her already-swollen wrists. Tails gulped as the plane left the ground.
"It's on automatic pilot. I don't know where Stella's set it to land, but this means we can't steer it until I get it off auto." Tails trembled as he spoke.
"And if you don't get it off auto...." Amy whispered.
"Then it goes wherever Stella's programmed it to go," Tails finished her sentence.
"I don't even want to think about where that might be," Sandi muttered. They watched through the small, grimy windows as the plane shot through the flight deck towards a rock wall, which transformed into an entrance in the mountainside that opened automatically for them. A sudden draft of air from the slightly open window in the cockpit told them that they were off the island and rising steeply, climbing up into the air. It was bumpy in the back of the plane. Every little air pocket and updraft sent them bouncing about the place, constantly being jolted back by the tight lashings round their wrists and ankles.
Tails did not like not being in control of the plane. He was usually the pilot, not the passenger. But most of the time even the passenger knows where he's going, Tails thought. I don't.
They passed a stream of billowing cloud, navy blue in the twilight. Then the plane burst from the velvet cloud cover and stilled, hovering silently above the cloud carpet. The moon's unblinking eye shone through the small windows, bathing them in silvery light and illuminating every shadow. There was an uncomfortable tension, which seemed to last forever. Suspended between the clouds and the heavens, Tails, Amy and Sandi could read the fear on each other's faces from the intense moonlight.
Nobody spoke. Each of them could almost sense what was going to happen. Tails listened to his heartbeat.
Thud. Thud.
The glaring light of the moon gave the convincing illusion that he was being drenched in fear; cold, naked fear.
Thud. Thud.
The silence was deafening.
Thud. Thud.
Any moment now, he would feel that sickening lurch downwards, that dreadful sensation in the pit of his stomach-
Thud.
-he was poised on the very top of a rollercoaster, in the front cart, and he was caught in that awful moment between anxious waiting and plunging down over the edge.
Thud.
Any moment now.....
"Aaaah!" In a whirl and a flurry, the plane dived down steeply, almost vertically. The onrush of air tore the trio's screams away into the night. The pressure going down was immense.
"Tails - we need to - g-get - out of - here," Sandi choked. She spoke haltingly, the air from the open window tearing at her vocal chords, stoppering her words.
"I know! Get - me - untied! I can - stop - it," Tails shouted as best as he could in the confusion and noise.
"I - can't - reach," Sandi shouted back, trying to reach the bonds with her teeth.
"Knot's - too - tight," Amy wheezed. They were very stuck.
Then everything changed. At first, Tails only felt a sort of gap in the air, like the air was opening, splitting apart. It was horribly cold at first, then a brilliant warmth seeped through until it filled the empty space. Something was pushing through. Something magical.
Amy and Sandi could sense it too. Then all of a sudden the air really did rip apart. Golden light pierced through from nowhere, drowning out the glare of the moon. Colours within the plane went from icy moonlight blue to warm golden rays. There was an immense magical upheaval, and Loren materialised into the cargo area.
"Wow....I...I...made it through...to the Other Side." She was gasping and panting heavily.
"Loren! Help us!" Tails cried. She noticed the three of them then.
"Tails, what happened to you?" she asked, stepping over to help him free. The air pressure seemed not to affect her as it did the others.
"We're - gonna - crash, and soon! The plane's on - automatic - pilot.......Hey? What happened - to your - wings?" said Tails.
"I'm human."
"Whoah....well - anyway, get - me - untied - quick," Tails stuttered. Below them, an island came into view. One of the Trinity Islands. It had a lot of trees - and a cliff. A cliff that was pearly white in the moonlight. They were heading straight towards it! Loren fumbled with the rope.
"I can't undo it. It's too tight," she said nervously.
"You - stop the plane - then. Just - do what I - say," Tails yelled. Loren nodded and climbed into the cockpit.
By now Amy and Sandi had figured that this was the fairy that Tails had told them about. They sat tight as the plane hurtled downwards and prayed that Loren would not get it wrong.
Tails hollered out instructions until his voice was hoarse. The pressure intensified the closer they got to the cliff. Glass from the open window, and other debris, was flung to the far end of the cargo pit. One shard caught Tails on the cheek. They were twenty metres away now........ten....nine....eight....seven....six....
The plane broke from autopilot and Loren wrenched the steering controls upwards, swinging the plane wildly out of balance and scraping it's underside against the cliff face. Loren was not too good at steering. The plane swerved up, then down again, heading at breakneck speed towards the miles of forest that lay beyond the cliff top. They were on a collision course.
All four companions screamed their hearts out as the plane jolted, banged, crashed, tumbled, skidded, smashed, hurtled, barged, right through the trees, tearing it's way through the forest like a bat out of hell.
Tails shut his eyes tight and closed out all the pain of every jolt and shudder to his weary limbs, his leg in particular. When at last the plane came to rest, he was so dizzy and muddled, so utterly shaken that he was nearly sick. He was sure the girls were feeling the same.
This was confirmed when Amy actually was sick.
Loren found a sharp metal prong and sliced through the restricting cords that bound them. Tails staggered outside. As he did so, he noticed the clock on the dashboard. Seven-twenty-one p.m. Five minutes! That whole shaky scenario had only lasted five minutes!
Boy, time flies when you're having fun, he thought.
* * * * *
