Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic The Hedgehog, that series belongs to SEGA/Sonic Team.

Doubts and Messups of a Young Fox

Written by Luigi The Echidna

Chapter 1: The Offer

(Tails' POV)

"TAILS! We need the Chaos Emeralds!" I heard Sonic scream over the intercom.

I sprinted down the long, dull gray walled corridor, the cold air ran against my fur, though I didn't feel it for some reason. I had to hurry to the emerald storage room. Egg Minotaur; it seems Eggman took lessons from Metal Sonic, because that thing looked like Metal Madness back at the Egg Fleet incident three months ago. Only the Egg Minotaur was somewhat smaller then that thing, it had the head of Metal Madness, except white titanium armor and green scar looking things on it's head, a bright silver armor imitation of the ulitmate lifeform prototype's body back on the ARK, and a metal-ized bronze enlarged kitsune's tail. Anyway it was rampaging around the Mystic Ruins forest, it repelled all normal attacks for some reason. I had to get the chaos emeralds in time for Sonic and Knuckles to defeat it, they were COUNTING on me!

I couldn't really slow down in time, and I ran right slam into the egg symbol door. I was feeling a little dizzy, but I quickly shook it off and opened the door with the access code I had taken off a dead SWATBot earlier.

The door opened to reveal a multicolored panel room, to the left were various inoperable black and ruby red colored escape pods. To the right there was what looked like a hall of fame, as many of pictures of Eggman's machines Sonic and I destroyed in the past were there in golden coloured frames along a blue, yellow and red wall.Finally the seven ever so familar colours of the Chaos Emeralds were right in front of me. I could have just reached out and touched them if it wasn't for the electricity that immediately flowed through me when I attempted to. I screamed out in pain, fell to the floor and shivered to recover.

I eventually got over the shock and got up slowly...I couldn't give up now, not when Sonic needed me the most.

I quickly pressed the same code I used on the door on the panel besides the emeralds and the electricity died with a very faint crackle.

This was it, all I needed to do was get the emeralds and take them to Sonic. One by one I took each one and carried them in my arms, cradling them like children. Then I proceeded to run down the same route I came in.

That is when I heard a very loud explosion and the whole base started rumbling, it was threatening to knock me off my feet, and it succeeded. I fell over onto my back and I accidentally let go of the emeralds, causing them to go flying and fall to the ground. The very loud sound of glass shattering rang through my ears as each one landed on the ground and shattered on impact.

"Oh SHIT NO !" I wailed out at the top of my lungs.

I heard the intercom beep, I knew it was Sonic...

"Tails! Did you get the Emeralds yet? TAILS!"

I was afraid of what to respond with. "Oh hello Sonic, the base just had an earthquake and I accidentally shattered the emeralds, how are you?" That wouldn't exactly be appropriate, but he had to know the truth...so I tried to get it out slowly.

"They..." I started

"They what! Tails? TAILS! What's going on!" Sonic yelled down the intercom, I could tell Egg Minotaur was attacking them, so I spit it out and started off to help them retreat

"The emeralds! They've been shattered!" I managed to let out quickly, before dashing off back to the Tornado X.

I quickly leapt into the cockpit and pressed numerous buttons to get the plane to lift off, but it would not start. I was just about ready to pull my fur out, for this was not my day.

I punched the console directly out of anger, and to my surprise, the ship started up and began it's slow ascent. I took control and quickly flew as fast as humanly possible to where Sonic and Knuckles were.

I scoured the location of Egg Minotaur looking for Sonic and Knuckles,and after a while I did manage to see the robot and what looked like Sonic and Knuckles near a cave like entrance near the waterfall. I knew immediately it was the entrance to the Windy Valley,but from this altitude it was hard to recognise anything. I quickly descended and flew around Egg Minotaur like a bee, trying to distract him long enough for Sonic and Knuckles to escape. Even though they seemed to look like blurs, I could tell they were using the opportunity I gave them to escape.

I could not keep this up for long as Egg Minotaur eventually just kept swatted my plane away like a fly. I was starting to get dizzy as the ship started on it's collision course towards a rocky cliff. I did not have enough time to launch the ejector seat,so I forced the cockpit open, causing the window to shatter and I jumped out of the plane, making a soft landing onto the emerald green glass below. I was forced to watch as the Tornado X collided with the cliff; causing an explosion the size of the Minotaur.

"NO!" I screamed, and seemed long and drawn out even though I did not mean it to.

The Egg Minotaur seemingly got bored of ramapaging and headed across to the train station fence overlooking the ocean, it shattered the fence and leapt into the water, presumably back to Eggman's base.

I was supposed to be relieved the creature was gone; but I was nearly on the verge of tears...I screwed up a mission...Sonic put his trust in me and I failed him...

I could not bear what I thought he would say, so I broke down crying, and ran as fast as I could away from the oncoming Sonic and Knuckles.

"TAILS! TAILS! Please, wait!" I heard Knuckles cry but I ignored him, and continued running. I was sprinting towards the mine cart, Sonic was gaining on me, in a state of panic I hopped onto the mine cart as it began it's slow ride into the Mystic Ruins Jungle..

On the way, I looked at my gloves, there was kind of a red smudge underneath them, so I removed them to reveal my yellow, to match my fur; hands they were bleeding a bright red. I was puzzled as to why I didn't notice before. Oh well, I can't worry about it now; they're likely infected anyway.

The mine cart came to a complete halt as I got out of it and flew my way down into the shadowed jungle.

As I walked along I thought to myself, "What good am I if I'm just gonna screw up mission after mission? If that's gonna happen I might as well leave the team... But what if they aren't mad at me? Then they would be incredibly upset if I left. But if I told them the Emerald shattering was my fault they'd ask me to leave the team anyway."

"No one's gonna help me, no one..." I muttered out-loud.

"Oh? It's quite the contrary Mister Prower" I heard a voice declare from behind me.

I immediately knew who it was; Eggman...

"What do you want?" I asked him as he walked over to me.

"Mwahahaha, you know there's nothing left for you with the Sonic Crew. So why not work for me?"

My eyes widened at that question.

"What! Why I should I trust you?" I questioned.

"Hmm...Are you sure Tails? What about your mess-up? Sonic won't accept you back, Knuckles won't accept you back, heck, even Cream won't accept you back" He explained to me.

I was immediately started in amazement, I forgot about Cream! What would she say if she found out about this screw-up!

"Well..." I started; but Eggman cut me off.

"And plus, I can provide you with many materials to create many planes and weapons; even more then you had previously"

I thought for a moment...I could possibly use the material for a new Tornado...but what if he decided to use me against Sonic?

"Well, your offer is intresting. But I don't know..."

I could tell Eggman wasn't willing to take no for an answer, as I saw him press a switch and mysteriously the floor gave way under me, and next thing I knew I was falling!

I had landed on my back painfully in a cold and dark cell. I looked around to find any other people around, but all I saw was Eggman coming in with a torch and advancing towards my cell.

"Now Tails, I can try to persuade you more and you work for me, or you remain in this dark cell for the rest of your life. It's your choice" I heard him explain to me.

I was stuck at a dilemma at that point, so I said nothing.

"Need more convincing hmm?" I heard the fat human scientist ask me.

I watched him walk over to what looked like an overhead projector,but in this darkness it was hard to make out anything except for Eggman. He messed with it for a bit and pressed the play button. What I saw had me in horror, almost in tears...

The clip had Sonic, Amy and Knuckles on that mission where we had to stop Robotnik hurling that Chaos-Emerald powered asteroid, though I didn't remember it all that well. But I did remember I had to change it's course in the control room. As I watched the tape further, I saw myself completely clueless and unable to determine which buttons were which. Hah! and I called myself intelligent!

What happened next thoughreally had me breaking down, as the countdown on a timer had ran out and the asteroid continued it's descent towards Mobius. From what I saw, a orange orb got in the way of it, I recognised it as Tikal. Somehow with her powers she managed to propel the asteroid off course and it floated off into deep space, she changed back into her echidna form and she collapsed on the surface of the moon the base was located on. Knuckles was trying to check her heart for a pulse, and from what I saw there was none and Knuckles broke down sobbing.

I stayed strong, one video isn't gonna convince me.

"And oh, I caught this footage after you ran away also after that emerald mission" Eggman stated.

The mystic ruins replaced that moon base on the projector, Sonic and Knuckles were standing outside the gate of the mine cart tunnel.

"Why did Tails run away?" I heard Knuckles ask.

"Who cares about him, he nearly cost us our lives by shattering those emeralds. Besides, it's blunder after blunder. You saw him on the moon base, he made Tikal cost her life."Sonic added

"You're right, let him run."

Sonic and Knuckles then walked away. That stung me to the tune...

"Starting to crack are you? Wait,there's more" Robotnik added as the image of the mystic ruins changed to my workshop and Knuckles pacing up and down and speaking.

"Grr...Tails has really pushed it over the edge. I really loved Tikal and what does he do! Act like a clueless dumbass and get her killed! He's gone too far, I'll never forgive him for this!"

As the projection went blank red hot tears formed up in my eyes threatening to fall. That accident was my fault! If I stopped that asteroid in time Tikal would still live! I quickly shook my head and still tried to stay strong. Although I was feeling numb inside. I slapped myself to avoid thinking more thoughts, for all I know this could be a forgery.

"I can tell you're still not convinced, Mr.Prower. So here is more evidence" Eggman uttered. What cruel torture is he going to put me through now!

The footage then changed to the scene when me and Sonic were fighting Eggman to keep him from a chaos emerald at my workshop a few years ago. Eggman had grabbed the Chaos Emerald from me and fed to the water god himself, Chaos. Later the projector went blank and I could hear Sonic's voice.

"Damnit..if Tails moved out the way to prevent Eggman from taking the emerald, we wouldn't have to deal with this."

The footage then changed to various scenes of my past, like in Casinopolis when Eggman gassed me and I was forced to drop the emerald, when Eggman captured me when me and Sonic tried to stop him from taking over South Island and finally it ended upon when I shattered the emeralds.

If Eggman had wanted to make me cry, he succeeded. The white-hot tears formed back into my eyes and I started sobbing into my hands. I'm useless! What good am I to Sonic, Knuckles, Amy or even Cream! Eggman started to speak..

"That, my fox friend is the proof that no one will ever trust you again. However you can still work for me, so what do you say?"

I had no choice, there was NO way I could go back to the Sonic Crew now...

So, with a deep and depressing sigh, I let out a "Alright..."

End of chapter

Next chapter made whenever I can.