-Tails-
Sonic and Shadow walk just a little ahead of me, cautious, though I can see Sonic clearly wants to run. But this close to the base, we can't risk it; there are probably robot sentries everywhere. Once we've got in… then, we can all run, like in the old days, when Sonic was with us, just like we used to… he and I, together, fighting Robotnik…
I blink and shake my head, wanting to smile, wanting to cry. Smile, because Sonic's back with us; cry, because I've changed so much, and he hasn't at all. Because my friend is back among us after so long – but after so long, I've changed so much, become so different, forgotten so many little things, that I don't know him the way I used to anymore!
I remind myself it will just take time, just a little time, that's all – no matter what, Sonic's still my best friend. I'll relearn what I've forgotten soon enough; I have to. I missed him so much… and now he's awake I still miss him, because I've changed and he hasn't, so that we've been forced apart. But I shouldn't be thinking about this now… I should be thinking about how we get into this base…
"Sonic? You see that pile of scrap metal over there?"
"What about it, Tails?"
"Well… it looks like it's probably where he dumps the parts of failed robots… so there might be some kind of chute leading to it. Maybe we could get in that way." It looks like it's possible – that darker shape above it, is it a shadow or an entrance? Looks like the end of some kind of chute, I think, watching it, as are the others, now.
Sonic nods.
"Good idea, Tails! That looks like our way in!"
I can tell Shadow agrees, though he doesn't say anything. Looking around, alert and wary, we move closer to the pile. Once there, it should be easy to hide amidst the robotic junk… problem is, there's still a clear space to cross before we get there, and not only that, but I can see some robots patrolling it. But that doesn't seem to worry Sonic at all. We all three crouch behind the closest piece of cover we can find, watching the robots. As I stare across the flat expanse of clear ground, I notice the patterns to the robots' movements... it looks like there should be several gaps where we can make it across without being noticed. I touch Sonic's shoulder lightly; he looks at me, and I whisper to him.
"Sonic, it looks like we should be able to get across... you see those two robots? When they pass each other, get ready!"
"You got it, Tails!" Sonic replies, even his whisper full of the same life and energy that I remember, tones still in his voice that this long and endless battle has almost worn away from the rest of us. He leans across to tell Shadow, who's on his right; I see Shadow nod, though I don't hear him speak, if he does. Watching the robots, I tense... they're almost ready for us to get across...
Almost...
Now! I jump out from behind the scrap metal we were hiding behind and run, as fast as I can, my tails spinning at full speed and moving me forward so fast that my feet no longer quite touch the ground. Even so, both Sonic and Shadow overtake me before I reach the junk pile, and as they, then I, dive into the shelter that it affords, I look back along the clear expanse. A robot has turned, too early! Has it seen us?! I peer out from the parts I'm hiding behind, but it doesn't seem to have; it's just going on with its patrol, and I breathe a silent sigh of relief.
From here I can see the chute clearly, a dark opening in the side of the building, from which a trickle of oil has stained the wall. I look at Sonic and Shadow, and carefully, staying out of sight, we climb up the pile of robot parts until we're standing right beneath it... then we jump, and we're inside!