(A/N) Again, Thanks for reviewing, helps to encourage me to keep on writing. Hopefully this chapter allows for some down time in the excitement and suspense. (But not too much) Gotta keep on your toes with those chaos emeralds, eh? I have also tried to space out my paragraphs a bit more, if it's still difficult to read just let me know. I'll try to fix it. But alas, school is about to start back up for me(Tear) Updates will be slower, but I will do my best to keep posting.
The train ride to the workshop was uneventful to Amy's relief. She had the yellow chaos emerald safely wrapped in her purse, and carried it close to her body. Though the ride was peaceful, Amy's mind was a battle ground for questions and theories. Everything that had happened to her the day before was still plaguing her. There was no way to explain the strange happenings that occurred. Amy rested her head against the large window beside her. She watched countless trees speed by in the foreground, and distant buildings pass at a snail's pace. Viewing the scenery didn't help Amy forget much. As She arrived at the station of her stop, Amy tried to allow the thoughts to pass so she could focus on the 'here and now.'
From the station it was a decent walk to Tails' workshop. It was located near Mystic Mountain which would force one to walk through Mystic Jungle. Having pre-knowledge of this, Amy had called Tails earlier asking him to meet her at the train station. Unfortunately, Tails' was no where insight at this moment. Amy glanced up and down the station's crowded halls. People hustling to catch trains, rudely pushing to get through line. Everyone seemed to have a destination which they needed to be at for important reasons. Amy soon spotted an empty bench. Crossing over, Amy held her purse across her chest, cradled by both arms. For some odd reason, Amy felt the emerald demanded protection, as if someone were trying to take it from her. Surly no one knew she had it, but the feeling remained all the same.
Amy sat down and placed the purse in her lap, both hands resting on top. Amy waited for her two-tailed friend to arrive for ten minutes before becoming restless. She had told him the time she was expected to arrive, and that it was most urgent that she meets with him as soon as possible. Amy's posture became loosed as she positioned herself more comfortable on the bench.
"He owns a jet," Amy utter a sigh. "What could be keeping him?" Amy gazed around the station, mentally laughing at some of the people's sense of style. Amy's eye caught a glimpse of a wall clock. Tails was now twenty minutes late. Could she hold out much longer?
"Hey, Amy," Amy turned to see Tails standing to her right. "Sorry I'm late." Amy could tell Tails was recently working on his plane. His gloves were covered in oil along with a few patches of his fur. Tails quickly spoke up again in fear Amy would have a rather angry response to his lateness. "I was working on the Tornado when you called and just had to finish. Mostly because it wouldn't start if I didn't" Amy smiled. Tails, though a genius at his work, was still a absent-minded child. He was already late, he could have taken a few minutes to clean himself up. "So what is it you needed to talk to me about?" The light mood suddenly became serious.
"Well, I was wondering what you had done with the yellow chaos emerald." Amy then stood to face Tails.
"You had me fly out here to ask me that?" She could have just as easily asked him over the phone.
"I found this in an abandoned barn yesterday," Amy took the emerald from her purse and unwrapped it from the cloth. Tails was surprised to see it. "I thought you had the yellow one already, so I wanted you to see it." Amy felt a bit better to have someone else involved in this as well. Tails would probably have a better understanding of this then she did. Tails took the emerald in his oil stained hands. He looked it over before looking back at Amy.
"I have no idea how you have this."
"What?"
Tails brought the emerald closer to his face for a better look. "I do still have the yellow emerald."
Amy was hoping for a 'I must have flown over there and dropped it' kind of an answer. Still, there was a possibility this was the copy of the emerald made for transportation to Space Colony Ark.
"What about the copy you made of it, could this be it?"
The kitsune shook his head slightly. He had spent a lot of time with the emeralds and knew them pretty well. What Amy was showing him almost didn't seem to fit the characteristics of a real or fake chaos emerald. But then again, he himself had trouble telling if his was a fake when he had it. Tails rethought his answer.
"Maybe, but you'd have to ask Sonic how it got to the barn." Tails passed the emerald back to the cloth in Amy's hand. "He might have come back from his run, would you like to come to the workshop and ask him?" Amy was hesitant to answer and Tails had an idea why. He recalled Sonic telling him something about that day in the park, and how it didn't go over well with Amy. Perhaps she was still upset about it. He watched her gaze drift to the floor. "He's the only one who would know what happened to it." This fact did not make Amy want to see him anymore, but the fox boy was right. Sonic was last to have and use it. He was the only one who could tell her anything about it.
"Fine." Amy sighed, finally giving into the offer. Tails lead the way out to his plane, both of them in silence. When the two reached the air craft, Tails helped Amy in then sat himself in the piolet seat. Sitting in the Tornado brought a smile to Amy's face. She loved the felling of flying and had forgotten how much fun it had been to her.
"Ready!" Tails called to her over the roar of the engine.
"Let's go!" It was the perfect medicine for the week she was having. The fresh air blowing past her made her feel free of her problems momentarily. Tails took notice and decided to change this ride from merely a way of transportation, to a joy ride of flips and spins. This was also an enjoyable experience for him as well, and he didn't mind taking a bit more of his time to please an old friend. He rehearsed several moves and showed off some of his newest tricks. Telling a bit about each one as Amy would allow.
The two were rather close due to them both knowing Sonic. They had shared many small adventures together, and quite larger ones with Sonic involved. Tails and Amy seemed to always make time for a laugh or two along their travels. This would qualify as one of those times. Amy was fond of Tails, considering him a sibling or, at least, a close friend. She could tell he felt the same for her, which made her wonder. Most of the time she was with Tails, she was, in some way, worrying about Sonic. This time was different. She was more focused on enjoying the ride, enjoying his company and light conversation. How many other times did she miss out on getting to know this two tailed wonder, and other friends, because she was too fixed on Sonic?
Once the workshop came into view, Tails righted the plane and prepared for a smooth landing. Amy was a bit saddened that the trip was over.
"You've been practicing some tricks, haven't you?" Amy couldn't help but wonder what Tails had been doing for the past month she's been aloof.
"Well, maybe a little," Tails answered as the plane came to a complete stop. "I like to be prepared for the attacks Eggman has." The kitsune hopped from the plane and aided Amy down.
"You think Sonic's back?" Amy asked walking beside Tails to the workshop.
"I'm not sure, sometimes he'll stay out all day."
The two entered the workshop. It was apparent that Sonic and Tails lived here. All sorts of gizmos and gadgets laid around the shop. Oil-covered rags were tossed aside and the place in general was in need of some cleaning. That was the Sonic touch.
"You two ever think about cleaning this place every once and a while?" Amy was a bit perturbed by the mess and wasn't afraid to let Tails know it. Tails laughed nervously.
"Well, I seem to find everything all right."
Amy shook her head in disapproval of his answer before heading to the back of the workshop in search of a possible sleeping Sonic. Tails as well went to search for his brother figure. The roof, his hammock, the kitchen, anywhere Sonic was normally found. Unfortunately, both of their search efforts went in vain. Tails met back up with Amy,
"I guess he's still out."
Figures, every time he's needed he's out. "Is it okay if I wait here till he returns?"
"Sure."
An hour had past, and Sonic still hadn't arrived. Amy's patience was running out, and the last train back to Station Square was leaving in two hours. Amy tried to occupy her mind by watching Tails tinker with the Tornado's engine, but again she was restless and ready to be home.
"Tails?" Amy stood from her seated position by the window. Tails quickly looked, bumping his head against the hood of the plane, and snipping an inaccurate wire.
"Ow,"
"Oh, Sorry Tails."
The young boy rubbed the injured area as he turned to Amy.
"Yes, Amy," He answered with a hit of annoyances in his voice.
"I was wondering," Amy started, "Could I just leave the emerald here for Sonic, I really need to get back to the station."
Tails looked back into the engine.
"I think I might have cut the wrong wire." What did he mean by that? "I'm not sure the Tornado will run properly." Tails could see Amy was getting a little angry.
"Look, Tails, I really want to go home today." Amy dreaded the thought of another day away from home.
"Don't worry," Tails went back to his work on the plane. "I'm sure I could get it up and running again."
Without the particular wire Tails had cut, all the Tornado's reading would be off. The altitude and fuel meters would either read higher or lower than actual. Still, he was good enough a piolet to fly without those right? Right?
"I suppose I could give you a ride back to Station Square, I'm gonna need to head out there anyway." Tails shut the hood and slid down the plane's smooth medal surface. He picked up one of the rags that were on the ground, and wiped his hands. Cleaning himself up a bit to Amy's wishes, they both fastened themselves into the Tornado. Amy then took the chaos emerald out of her purse.
"Here, Tails," She handed it over the seat to him. "You hold on to it till you can talk with Sonic." Tails received the emerald with relief knowing the emerald he was using to power the plane was safely covered from this one.
"Lets start this thing and get movin'." The plane took off and the two headed toward Station Square. Amy sighed happily, glad to be in the open air again.
Beep-Beep
Suddenly, the plane, without command, began to transform to jet mode.
"Tails, what are you doing!" Amy quickly peered around the seat to see a panicked Tails fiddling with the controls.
"Its not listening to me!" Tails tried everything he could to gain control of his craft once more, but to no avail. "I must have cut something more serious then the fuel gauge!"
"You Didn't Know What You Cut!"
"I promise you it was the fuel gauge, or maybe the altitude meter. Still, this shouldn't happen!"
Before Amy could respond to Tails' non-existent reasoning, the plane sharply spun off course. The plane did a series of barrel roles and dips causing Amy to feel sick. Tails began to also feel the effects of the motion, but he knew that if this kept up, the possibility of crashing would be inevitable.