Yes, this took me a while, but I'll be able to write it more often now, I thank you for bearing with me.

Please review.

Legal stuff: I don't own Any of the respective characters from Sega they're not mine and I don't claim to own them. I'm just a fan with lots of ideas.

Now back to the story.

Sonniku SL

Chapter 3

Tails lifted himself up from the bed, not recovered in the least but he didn't want to stick around one place too long. It gave him too much time to think. And when he thought it hurt him. Because his thoughts were filled with confusion, pain, and death.
His heart was heavy... He'd known Amy so long. And now she was gone.

"Sonic... You... You bastard. I hate you...," he whispered, taking a step from his room. Where he and Cream had spent the night calming each other down. Whispering soothing words.
Cream was still asleep. She'd done so a lot lately, obviously feeling the sting of Amy's death. Tails had taken it hard. But Cream was on the verge of a breakdown, Cheese was still in the chao gardens, where he'd been taken until Cream was in a better state to cope with taking care of her most precious chao companion. Cheese would defend Sonic's reputation, and would likely be shouting down at other chao right now. Imagining the little chao screaming at each other made a smile crawl over Tails's muzzle, but not enough to stifle the pain.

He looked back to where Cream was, he couldn't leave without at least leaving a note. And kissing her forehead to keep her dreams in order. No that would be something only Knuckles could have done without thought. He quickly scrawled a note and placed it beside the rabbit as she slept. And kissed her on the forehead gently, stroking the top of her head with a smile, and the smile widening as she smiled. Then with plenty of hesitation, he left.

There had to be a way to figure this whole thing out. If Sonic hadn't done it then why did he hit him? Why did he crush his ribs under his foot? There wasn't any doubt left after that, he was guilty. But what was his motive? He had to find out. And he knew just who to ask.

"Espio. Please I know you don't believe this whole thing. Here's your chance to-"

"Listen Tails. It isn't that I don't respect your ideas. But you must be crazy to think that Sonic would abandon his ideals."

The purple chameleon leaned against the wall behind him. After such a along time without Eggman, Chaotix had gone out of business. This had caused Vector and the crew a lot of trouble and they split. Espio was the only one Tails could find. And persuading him was a harder task than he had ever thought was possible.

"Please! I'll pay you whatever you want! He killed Amy, I have to know why!" Tails's eyes welled with tears but he found himself quickly met by a hanker chief flicked from Espio's pocket.

"I'm sorry. But this is one case I will not take. I understand the pain you must be feeling for Amy Rose's death, I myself was hit hard by it, but were Sonic to do something like that he would kill himself." The chameleon shot tails a look, staring into his soul.
"But of course, I myself need to know who is really behind this, so anything I discover I will relay to you."

He didn't give time for Tails to smile or to thank him. He didn't want the fox's thanks for this one. It was totally down to him. And he would treat it as such.

"You will go home, and you will keep Cream from harm. She needs you more than you need answers right now."

"I... you're right Espio. Thank-", before Tails could finish Espio faded from view, cutting his sentence off. The Chameleon fled with a rush of wind, and the ninja was off. Seeking answers for his own questions.

"Tell me now; what do you want with Sonic the hedgehog?"
A mouse flew across the alley, landing in a pile of trash bags, sporting a gold tooth, a ring in his left ear, and a broken nose.

"I already told ya", he coughed, "I dunno what you're talking about, I aint after no Hero. I may be an underdog, but I aint stupid."

Shadow stepped forward a frown upon his face, and energy warping around his hands, he gave a cold stare to the mouse with his crimson eyes.
"I already know you're a shapeshifter, what are you being paid to impersonate him? What have they got on you?"

The mouse gasped, and stood up, cowering against the wall as shadow held an energy brightened hand.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on a second there! I aint on a job right now, I'm just tryin to make ends meet with some random stuff. I did a bank job as him, and a couple other things. But I didn't slice that girl!"

"When did I mention that? And change into something a little more respectable, a mouse is less than becoming of you."

The mouse looked at Shadow's hand, still blazing with black energy, threatening him with coldness only Shadow had perfected. The hedgehog frowned. And the mouse quickly changed shape, contorting until his features had altered to those of a jackal.
"There, happy?"

"I knew it." Espio's voice called out to them both as he seemed to appear from out of a wall.
"Well then Shadow, what is going on here? I think we all want to know who hired this imposter correct?"

"My thoughts exactly."

Shadow fired off an energy blast, blowing the mouse turned jackal's leg off. Blood sprayed across the floor and up both the fronts of shadow and Espio in a speckled spatter. The shape shifter cried out in agony until shadow grabbed him by the throat. Espio just watching.
"Now, unless you want similar to happen to your head, I'd start to talk to me."

The shape shifter whimpered in the grasp struggling slightly until another energy blast was held forward to his muzzle.

"ALRIGHT! I'LL TALK!", he cried. The ebony hedgehog let go of him and folded his arms. Silently rushing the Jackal to speak.

"I don't know his name, but he shows up in a bar near here, you want to talk to him you'll need to get his right hand man to set up a meetin. Just ask for dark claw at the bar. They'll get him for you..."

Shadow looked at Espio, who smirked. And turned away.

"Thank you", The purple ninja hissed, "Now grow that leg back and stop whining. Shadow, you coming with me or shall I go there alone?"

Shadow thought about it, but shook his head to the offer, closing his eyes and smirking darkly. "I wouldn't want to spoil your fun, I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself Espio but remember, if we're to clear Sonic, we need to get the information on tape. Don't kill them straight away." He shot an icy glare at the Jackal, who by this point had grown back his leg, and was standing up. The hedgehog span into a back kick, and struck him across the muzzle.

"No more impersonations. Understand me?" He said it calmly, striking fear into the heart of the shape shifting fur. Who nodded and ran off, looking back over his shoulder but seeing no-one, Both Shadow and Espio had vanished.

"TAILS!" Cream woke with a start, shrieking out loudly, sobbing her heart out. The 15 year old doe had lost her best friend, her dreams had been calm while the fox was there to keep her that way, but as soon as he stepped out in search of Espio she'd returned to the horrific memories, The way the blade shone, the look in his eyes, the darkness in his voice.

The blood.

So much blood.

She couldn't get clean.

She made a rush for the bathroom, throwing up down the toilet, losing what little she'd eaten. It was too much, she couldn't take it. And there it was, staring at her. The light from the window highlighted it in a way she'd never seen before, more outlining it and making it seem like a thing of beauty. She reached out to it, tracing a gloved finger along it's side, and then, ever so delicately she picked it up. Her face was blank, there were tears welling in her eyes, she held it up in front of her. Her scrap of hope, her only way to stop the sound of the screaming in her head. Manifesting itself in the form of a razorblade.

She brought it down so it was hovering gently over the top of her pulsing vein, the fur on her wrist making silent sounds on the side of the blade, calling it to her flesh, tempting her like a kiss from a god. She pressed it down slightly, just marking her skin under her fur. She hesitated, fear forcing it's way into her heart, cutting itself deep through the distress. She was afraid to die, she didn't think she could do it, she started to sweat, the razor slitting the top layer and bringing a tiny amount of blood to the surface, her hand drew away, shaking like crazy.

And she was about to bring it back down when the front door opened, closed, and was locked, footsteps that were quiet and considerate came to her long and sensitive ears, followed by a call of her name.

Tails had come back home after his run in with Espio, he'd come back to be with her. He'd come back to make everything ok. She looked at the razor with disgust, no longer shining, it looked dull and worthless. She tossed it away, making it clink as it hit the glass of the window and fell onto the floor.

She collapsed into sobs, dropping down on her knees.

That's when he came in to her, and lifted her up onto her feet again. He held her close, stroking down her ears to calm her. Whispering to her, telling her 'it's ok' and 'I'm here' over and over again. He looked at her as she sobbed into his chest fur, matting it with salty tears. He kissed the top of her head and sighed. Bringing her out of the bathroom, and sitting her down next to him on the sofa in the living room. She looked up at him, and he down at her, Their muzzle's drew closer to each other's, and they shared a passionate kiss, emotions erupting between them.

Cream's tongue snaked out of her mouth and daringly searched around Tails's.

It took him of guard, but he didn't pull back, he met her tongue with his, wrapping it around, and circling it. He pulled out of the kiss, leaving cream with her eyes closed, and her lips still pursed.

"Wow..." she muttered, her eyes now half lidded and looking at Tails, who was panting as heat rose to his ears in a blush. She too felt the heat flowing through her cheeks and along her long lop ears. And they looked at each other for a moment before cream leaned into him again.

Like a magnet was pulling him, Tail's lips met with her's again and they went back to their lover's kissing. Frantically feeling around each other, until without a word, Tails lifted cream from the sofa, and still joined with her by the mouth, brought her into his bedroom, placing her down upon his bed and climbing on with her.

Meanwhile, in a part of Station Square that was more avoided than others. A certain purple Chameleon watched a building carefully.