Again! Sega owns Sonic and all related characters. Drake is my fan-character.

            Since the last chapter was a little shorter, this one is a little longer.

            I know this isn't my best story, and some things may be a little too similar to past Adventure stories, but that's why it's an Adventure story. This chapter is called "Tails's Adventure", even though Tails doesn't really go on an adventure. Some people may not like the nickname Drake calls Tails and will point out that "Tails" is actually a nickname, but it was just a strange thing I suddenly came up with.

            I really want to get more people to review, so please review if you read this! And thanks to the people who did review. Just no nasty comments! The story will get better further on.

Chapter 6: Tails's Adventure

            Tails blinked for a while, and the world slowly fell into place around him. He was surprised to find himself lying on a soft layer of sand and covered by a blanket of leaves. It was already dark, and a crackling campfire just barely illuminated his surroundings.

            "Sonic?" Tails called. "Amy? Where are you?"

            Tails thought he saw something move not too far away from him. The dark figure drew closer and closer to the fire- and to Tails. Tails sprang from his makeshift bed. "Sonic! Amy! Help! Who are you? What do you want?"

            "Calm down," a voice said. It sounded familiar from somewhere.

            Tails's muscles tightened. He couldn't figure out where he'd heard the voice before, but he didn't like this one bit.

            The blue, half-closed eyes and long black dreadlocks of Drake appeared in the firelight. "Don't worry, I promise I won't hurt you."

            Tails didn't calm down one bit. "I know, you're here to get my medallion. I bet you're working for Eggman after all and are just trying to hide it."

            Suddenly, Drake burst out in laughter. He sat down on a stump next to the fire, laughing and laughing.

            "What's so funny?" Tails called, still suspicious. "I'm being serious here!"

            Drake finally caught his breath. "You…you have an egg man here? Do you have to take him to the doctor when he gets cracked? Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall…" He chuckled to himself again.

            Tails slowly smiled. Drake didn't even know who or what he was talking about; he was picturing a little egg with arms and legs walking around.

            "Phew!" he cried. "I'll have to tell that to the folks back home. Maybe I'll get to see it before I go back."

            Tails relaxed again and slipped back onto his sand-mound bed. "Folks back home? Where are you from anyway? Did you come a long way to get here?"

            "I can't tell you that," Drake replied, as usual. "Did you want a hot dog? You've been unconscious for a long while."

            Tails shook his head. He was pretty hungry, but Drake was a stranger, and he was afraid of accepting any food from him.

            Drake glanced at him from across the fire. "No? Are you okay there, Foxaroni? That tsunami must've hit you pretty hard."

            Tails looked a little confused. "Foxaroni?"

            Drake looked down at the sand. "Uh…sorry. Your color just reminds me of macaroni and cheese, and I have a terrible habit of nicknaming everybody."

            "My name is Tails," he informed him, "but I don't mind if you call me Foxaroni." Tails was loosening up more. Drake didn't seem like an enemy, and he was being so nice. "You remind me of licorice," he spoke again. "You're the licorice echidna, which is much better. Knuckles just reminds me of a hot ball."

            Drake started laughing again. "I like you, Foxaroni," he managed to say. "You're a good kid." After a while, he stopped laughing and a moment of silence followed. It was a very awkward silence.

            "Please," Tails spoke up. "I don't believe you're a bad echidna. Why can't you tell me who you really are and where you come from?"

            "I told you," Drake replied. "You're not supposed to know I exist. After I leave, you have to forget all about the Chaos Medallions and I. That's the order of this universe." Drake gazed at the fire and his eyelids angled upward in a melancholy expression. "I need to get those Chaos Medallions back. If I don't…everything could be in danger. Everything we know would be destroyed, and it would be all my fault!" He put his head in his hands and stared at the sand, trying to hide his distress.

            "Drake…?" Tails spoke up after a while.

            "I…I'm sorry, Foxaroni. I'm under a lot of pressure right now."

            Tails took out the sparkling red medallion and held it out. "This is what you're looking for, right?"

            Drake slowly looked up. "The Chaos Medallion of Strength…" He pulled out the blue one. "If only I had been faster…"

            "Take it," Tails said. "You need it to save the world, right? I'm giving it to you."

            Drake's eyes opened a little wider. "Really?" He plucked the red medallion from Tails's grasp, placed it on top of the blue one, and smiled. "That leaves five left to find."

            Tails ate a hot dog with Drake, now that he felt more comfortable. After supper, Drake lay down in the sand and pulled a second leaf-blanket over himself.

            "Good night, Foxaroni," he called, turning over and disappearing into the darkness.

            Tails was going to lie back down on his sand bed, but suddenly visions from the tsunami came pouring back into his mind. Being knocked back by the wave…Sonic and Amy swirling away in a vortex of water…Sonic and Amy! Tails realized that he had to find them. Eggman could be after them this very second. Tails took off like a dart, not even stopping to tell Drake he was leaving. His two tails whirled behind him, propelling him forward. Forest leaves flew in the air as he went zooming past. A thought struck Tails as he careened through the portion of the forest that was still standing. He had no idea where he was going!

            Tails screeched to a halt and stood at the center of the trees. As he scratched his head, his eye caught a flashing sign in the distance. He zipped up to it and realized that it was sitting on top of a doorway. The little lights blinked by, spelling out the words "Emerald Park." Tails was curious, so he stepped up to the doorway.

            "Please state password," a computer voice droned.

            "Oh, great," Tails said aloud. "Is it Eggman? He always has such a big ego. That was the password to get into the Chao Garden in the Egg Carrier. It was that one with the beach, the big building, and the green plateaus, I think…"

            The doorway beeped in satisfaction. "Green is the correct password. You may now enter."

            Tails marveled at his luck as the door slid open. "Wow, of all the words to say, I just happened to say the password!"

            He stepped through the door and found himself in Emerald Park Zone as indicated by another little sign. This zone was composed of benches, a walkway for robots, and a whole zoo full of robotic animals. Tails really had his work cut out for him. Since it was nighttime, the overhead lights were illuminating only parts of the park, making it difficult to see. He zipped along the walkways, pulverizing robots, and propelled by his whirling tails. Tails then proceeded to the zoo and discovered his Rhythm Badge in a caged section behind the metallic monkeys.

            Finally, Tails began to see something shining in the distance. At the end of the zoo walkway, the road stopped abruptly and dropped into a bottomless pit. On a ledge below was something shining bright green. Tails was going to simply fly down and grab it, but he noticed something hanging on a tree above him. It was a zip line! He grabbed the handles and swung down, since that was a lot more fun than just flying. Tails grabbed the sparkling object and gasped.

            "Hey!" he cried. "I found another Chaos Medallion!" As soon as his voice faded, the familiar white light sprang up around him and transported him out of Emerald Park Zone.

            Tails glanced around the darkened forest and began running in the direction he had come from. Sonic had always complemented him on his incredible sense of direction. Yes, he still had to find Sonic and Amy, but he had to make a detour first. Tails screeched to a stop as he reached the beach.

            "Hey, Drake! I found another…" he stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed his surroundings. The sand-bed and leaf-blankets were still there, but the fire was snuffed and Drake was nowhere in sight. Tails sighed and pocketed his shiny new green medallion.

            "Well, I better go find Sonic and Amy now. That guy is so weird!" He zoomed off into the darkness, searching the sides as he went.