Kj: Thanks, I'll try :)

XTailsX: Jeez, one chapter in and you want the sequel already? (weg) :P

FriedBrickWall: Yes, after a month of having it on my PC and wondering should I put it up or not, I finally made da fic :D Glad you enjoy it :) As to your other request...well, I think I've fulfilled that one too :P

Sonic-Addict: I will, don't worry ;)

Awdures: Thanks

KirbyChan263: Okay, here. One update, as requested ;)

When Tails opened his eyes, it took him a good few minutes to work out where he was and, more importantly, how he'd got there. The ground was cool and kept moving and...oh great, he'd fallen asleep on the beach again. Now his fur was all sandy.

Glancing up, he saw that it was late at night. Both the moons were glowing brightly and thousands of stars were now sprinkled across the dark sky. It was cold but not excessively, so what had woken him up?

He got his answer a few minutes later as it happened again; someone moaned low in their throat from behind some rocks. Tails looked in that direction curiously, then got to his feet and started to trudge back to his cave. He could find the star in the morning. Right now he was almost asleep on his feet and he didn't want to hang around, not when people were moaning like that. Tails had never been able to figure out exactly why they moaned when they clutched each other like that, or why they got so upset when they saw him standing nearby, but he'd take a hint. The last people he'd caught doing that had cuffed him across the face, admittedly not hard enough to do anything more than leave a nasty bruise, but it had still put Tails off the idea of spying on anyone else.

Tired and stumbling, he somehow made his way back up to his cave, only to find that the waterfall concealing it and the lake in front were both frozen solid. Tails sighed. He'd known this would happen sooner or later. The entrance inside – he'd found an underwater tunnel that came out in a small pond in the cave – was probably alright, but with no way of swimming, there was no way he could get in there. Nothing to do now except wait for it to melt.

Tails turned and started picking his way through the dense forest to his secret place. He wasn't so keen on sleeping there, but at least nobody else had ever found it and he could snooze without being disturbed.

Looking around to make sure nobody was following him, he lay flat down on the ground and starting spinning both tails over his head. It took longer than usual to feel himself lift (he really was tired) and he bumped into the walls a couple of times before making it inside where he didn't fall asleep so much as collapse.

When he woke up, the sun was just starting to come up and he was ravenously hungry. Hm. Well, it was only the beginning of winter, maybe he could still manage to scrounge some food from the few tourists who remained.

Poking his head out through the fronds that concealed his secret place, Tails leapt and started whirring both namesakes. He supposed he liked flying – that drop followed by a slow lift that got faster and faster was real cool! – but it didn't make the Emerald Hill Zone residents any more tolerant of him.

Had his folks been able to fly? Tails didn't know. He barely remembered them now; it seemed like he'd been living all alone forever, although in reality it had only been a little under two years. Both parents were dead, he remembered that much, and he remembered that he'd been made to leave their nice house. He'd tried to go back several times, but on the most recent occasion the people living there now had thrown something at him. Tails hadn't exactly minded this – the something had been a pella fruit, and it had been nice and ripe too – but he had got the message that he was no longer allowed back. He sighed, nostalgic now. He hoped the people living there were taking good care of his toys. He'd been busy making other toys (all now neatly sealed inside the cave and likely to remain that way until the spring melt) but he still missed his old ones.

A flash of colour against the white sand caught his attention and Tails flew down to investigate, landing on the beach. He didn't do it all that smoothly, and the unexpected jolt sent him sprawling, rolling down almost on top of his potential breakfast. Nervous now – he'd found that people got really mad if you woke them up, which was all part of what he'd dubbed the Pounce Attack Game but not a good thing if you were trying to sneak around – he scrambled back, then caught sight of the person he'd almost flattened and froze.

The blue hedgehog was there, lying on his back with hands folded complacently over his chest, eyes closed. That wasn't what interested Tails though (at least, not wholly); next to the stranger was a bag that was half full of prawn crackers and the remains of what looked like half a dozen spare ribs in cold and semi-congealed satay sauce. Mouth watering – this could last him all day if he rationed himself – Tails started towards the food very slowly. It was early, and he had no idea why this hedgehog had slept on the beach instead of going home, but that didn't matter; all Tails cared about was filling the gaping hole in his stomach.

Reaching out, the tips of his fingers had barely brushed the bag when the stranger stirred suddenly and Tails froze, paralysed to the spot. Oh boy. He didn't want to be caught; last time that had happened the person he'd been borrowing the food from had thrown a rock at him and chased him all down the beach. Tails had barely managed to escape.

After what seemed an eternity, the hedgehog settled down again and Tails let out a long, silent breath, then frowned. That nagging feeling was there...he knew this guy from somewhere. Determined to solve the mystery, food temporarily forgotten (although he kept a tight hold on it) Tails padded forward and stared down into the hedgehog's face, frowning in concentration.

He thought he might be starting to remember when the stranger suddenly opened green eyes to look up at him and said, "Hi."

Tails actually yelped in surprise and scrambled back, tripped over one tail, went head over heels and came to rest upside down at the base of a tree, the food scattered over the sand.

The hedgehog sat up, grinning. "Hey, c'mon, I don't bite." He got to his feet, moving at a leisurely pace which said he had all day to perform this one simple act and wanted to make sure the whole world knew it. Still grinning, arms folded and head cocked on one side, he said, "You sure are a jumpy little guy, aren't you?"

Tails, who had been in the middle of trying to scrabble up the tree, hesitated and looked around. The stranger's smile broadened.

"So, after following me around all last night, are you at least gonna tell me your name now?"

Tails looked away, scuffing one foot shyly in the sand. Now it came down to it, someone appeared to have put his tongue in a vice; he couldn't have spoken a single word to save his life. Oh boy. He didn't think this guy had spotted him trailing behind, at least, not after that first encounter.

"Can you talk?"

Tails nodded vigorously.

"Well, that's something at least." The hedgehog quirked an eye ridge at him. "You're kinda young to be out here all by yourself, aren't you? How old are you?"

The fox opened his mouth, tried to answer, failed and settled for holding up fingers.

"Three?"

Tails withdrew the fingers, frowned as he studied them more carefully, then added a fourth.

"Four? Okay. So were you following me all that time to throw my breakfast everywhere, or was there some other reason?" The hedgehog's tone was friendly enough, but Tails wasn't sure he could trust it. Some of the other kids had been friendly like that, just trying to get him to drop his guard, and so he shrugged. It seemed the safest option.

"Well, if there's any left and you're that hungry, go ahead and take it. Me, I gotta get going. See you around, kid."

Half turning, he sped away and Tails started fishing in the sand for some of the crackers. He'd managed to keep a few safely in the bag, but the others...well, he'd just have to brush the sand off. It wasn't the first time he'd done it and he was sure it wouldn't be the last either.

Looking up, he found he could see his star, albeit very faintly. As far as wishing went, star light, star bright, first star I see this morning didn't have quite the same ring to it, but it was worth a try.

"I gotta 'nother wish," Tails said confidentially. "I know you were real nice 'cause you sent this guy but...well...I wish I could talk to him. Mebbe stars don't get shy but I do an' I wanna be able to say something before he gets bored and leaves. Else how's he s'posed to know I wanna be friends?"

There was no response from the star (not that that was anything new) but Tails thought it had heard. Comforted, he went back to his secret place and started breakfast. The food was cold, oily, greasy and Tails soon discovered that he didn't like satay sauce, but he choked it down. You had to eat it while it was there 'cause it might not be tomorrow.

It was only after he'd wolfed down the last of the prawn crackers that he remembered he'd been going to save some of it for that night. Well...he could get more food. And he had a full stomach at the moment, and – as with most youngsters – with Tails it was the here and now that mattered.

Feeling stuffed and sleepy, he curled up and was soon napping soundly.

When he awoke, it was hot and he was unaccountably restless. Oh boy. Time for another pounce attack.

Emerging from his secret place, he jumped, whirring his tails just enough to stop him plummeting to the ground, then landed with scarcely more grace and dignity than he'd managed earlier that morning. Unabashed – after all, there'd been nobody around to see him – he set off in search of a target.

It didn't take him long before he found a likely one, and he crouched down low, hind end up in the air, tails curling around each other, eyes focused determinedly on his quarry. These creatures were deadly if you didn't grab them straightaway, and if you only wounded them, well, you might live to regret it, if you were lucky. Inching forward very slowly, Tails took a deep breath, then pounced enthusiastically.

He missed the butterfly by a good six inches, and his own momentum carried him forwards and head over heels into a tall purple plant with a startled Yip! Getting to his feet and dusting himself off (and saying aloud to anyone who might be listening that he meant to do that) Tails watched as his target fluttered off, apparently quite content.

Well, if the butterfly didn't wanna play Tag (and for some strange reason, they never seemed to) he'd just have to find someone who did!

Determined, Tails started towards the beach, where there were several people soaking up the tropical sun. Not for the first time, the fox wished he could live on the beach, in the nice warm sand, as opposed to having to hide in his cave high in the mountains.

Well, first things first. Play now, think later! Tails looked around, frowning in concentration. Now, who hadn't he pounce attacked...?

The Pounce Attack Game was slightly dangerous, but so far it was the only way he'd found of getting someone to play with him. Pounce on someone on the beach and try and get them mad enough to chase you. It was a problem if they caught you, but so far he'd always been able to outrun them, and get to his secret place.

Catching sight of someone who was sunbathing a fair way away from the rest of the crowds, Tails' ears perked forward.

A new guy! Well, not really new; the same guy who'd spoken to him before. He could be easy to bug into chasing, especially since he was probably still mad about Tails spilling his breakfast. The ideal candidate for a pounce attack...Tails was too excited, too intent upon his target to notice that he himself was being stalked.

"Hey, off the beach, freak!"

Tails yelped, more in surprise than fear, then leapt reflexively forward just as his intended victim jerked awake, startled.

"Huh? What the—"

That was as far as he got before Tails crashed into him at head-height and the two of them went rolling down the beach in a tangle of arms, legs, tails and quills that only ended when the stranger caught hold of a palm tree and sent Tails – who had been unprepared for such a sudden stop – sprawling into the sand, all four limbs splayed out.

A rapid patter of footsteps announced the arrival of Caud – who had been the one who startled the fox – and his gang. Tails flattened his ears nervously. This wasn't part of the game. The game was to pounce and race away, not knock the pouncee into a cove like this one, especially not with Caud's gang around. Fixing a beseeching look on the stranger, who was still lying spreadeagled on his back, Tails opened his mouth.

"Mister, I—"

"Shove off, squirt," Caud said, hauling Tails up and half pushing, half throwing him away. "Sonic? Sonic, are you okay?"

Tails' jaw dropped. He'd flattened Sonic? Sonic the hedgehog? Oh boy. Now he was really in for it; if Sonic had single-handedly destroyed Robotnik's bases, Tails wouldn't stand much of a chance. And no way would he have been able to outrun him either! Sonic...how could he have forgotten? Hadn't he been building a Sonic action figure in his cave until the falls had frozen? How could he not have recognised Mobius' national hero when he saw him?

"I'm fine," Sonic said, snapping onto his feet, then looked down at Tails. "What about you? Are you okay?"

For a minute, Tails was too stunned to answer – Sonic the hedgehog was talking to him! – then he swallowed once and nodded vigorously.

"You sure? That was quite a fall you took there." From the tone of Sonic's voice, it wasn't clear whether he was referring to the failed pounce or to Caud's treatment of the fox. Reaching down, he offered a hand and Tails hesitated. He'd never had this before. Usually when the cool kids did something nice, it meant they were leading up to something bad.

"C'mon, it's okay," Sonic added. Tails continued to stare wordlessly. He wanted to take the hand, more than anything he wanted to, but too many squeals and cries of Freak whenever he'd made physical contact with people before immobilised him.

"No?" Sonic withdrew his hand. "Okay, fine. As you like."

Tails pulled himself slightly further away and tried to get up, all four limbs digging for purchase in the soft white sand, then gave up and sat down hard, legs out in front of him and studied his thumbs intently.

"I'm sorry I whumped you like that, mister," he said miserably. "I didn't mean to do it, honest. I on'y wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you sure managed that," Sonic said, but there was a gleam of humour in his eyes as he looked at the fox.

"Oh, leave him alone," Caud said to Tails. "Don't you get it? This is Sonic the hedgehog. He doesn't want to be bothered by little kids like you." He turned to Sonic, who was looking distinctly unimpressed at Caud's treatment of Tails. "Sonic, I think you're great, really amazing! Sorry about the freak over there attacking you; we're not all like him."

"Wasn't 'ttacking," Tails mumbled. "Was on'y pouncing."

"Shut up!" Caud hissed fiercely, then looked at Sonic. "Like I said, we're not all like him here."

Sonic's expression was distinctly cool as he returned the civet's gaze.

"I'm sorry to hear that," he said.

Caud faltered briefly – this wasn't how it was supposed to go – then rallied. "Can me and my gang have your autograph, Sonic?"

Without looking, Sonic reached out and caught the arm of a jackal who had been attempting to kick sand in Tails' face and hauled him back, shoving him at Caud and then smiling acidly.

"No," he said pleasantly. "Under the circumstances...no, I think not."

"Huh?" Caud was so taken aback by Sonic's refusal that he fell back a couple of paces. "Why not?"

"I don't give anything to bullies. You really want my autograph, grow up and stop picking on this little kid."

Tails started to protest that he wasn't a little kid, then stopped. If Sonic wanted to fight his battles, well, he wasn't gonna complain!

"Little kid?" Caud echoed. "Oh, him?" indicating Tails. "Don't worry about him; a freak like him ain't got no feelings. He's just a retard, lives out on his own like some kind of wild animal."

"Only dumber." That came from the jackal along with a snicker and Sonic glanced at him.

"If you're trying to get me to join in your games, you're wasting your time," he stated. "Take a hike. All of you."

Caud stared at Sonic in honest perplexity, then looked away, resentment burning dully in his eyes.

"C'mon," he muttered. You didn't argue with Sonic. Not when the hedgehog had obliterated every single one of Robotnik's machines and destroyed his base single-handedly.

One by one, the gang trooped after him and Tails watched them go. Wow. He'd never seen anyone just order Caud's gang off like that, at least, not anyone that the civet had ever obeyed.

"I'm not a wild animal!" he yelled after them. None of them turned, except the jackal, who smirked and made a hand gesture at Tails that the fox didn't understand. He got the meaning well enough though and looked away dejectedly. Why'd they have to pick on him in front of Sonic of all people?

A hand dropped onto his shoulder and Tails stiffened, wary. The bullying had never escalated beyond verbal and emotional – although that was more than enough as far as Tails was concerned – but that didn't mean this new guy was going to be so nice. After all, Sonic was cool, and Tails knew from experience that cool guys were the worst bullies of the lot.

"Teasing hurts, huh?" Sonic said quietly.

Tails glanced up at him. "Mister, you don't wanna hang 'round with me. They don't wanna be friends with anyone who hangs 'round with me 'cause I'm..." He screwed up his face, trying to remember the exact word and pronounce it properly. "I'm con...conflagrous."

One corner of Sonic's mouth twitched. "Contagious?"

Tails nodded. "Yeah, that's it. Dunno what it means but it's gotta be something bad 'cause nobody wants to hang 'round with me."

Sonic's expression never changed, but there was a new light in his eyes, one that was sympathetic rather than mocking.

"Well, I'm hanging around with you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but...the other guys aren't gonna wanna be friends with you if you do."

"Oh, I see." Sonic raised an eye ridge. "I guess it never crossed your mind that I might not wanna be friends with them?"

Judging by the speed with which Tails' jaw hit the ground, it hadn't occurred to the fox at all.

"You're...but you're cool. Cool guys hang around with other cool guys."

"Cool guys hang around with whoever they like," Sonic corrected him, grinning slightly. "And from what I've seen, I don't much like the look of those jerks who were here." He paused. "Why'd you jump on me in the first place, anyway?"

Tails squirmed. "Ah...heh heh...no reason, honest."

"Really. You just decided it'd be a good idea to flatten me, did you?"

"I didn't wanna hurt you, mister—"

"Sonic."

"—Sonic, but I...I jus' wanted to surprise you."

"Why me?"

Tails curled up into a tight ball. "You're mad at me, right?"

"No, I'm not mad at you. I'm just curious, that's all; it's not every day I get pounced on by a fox. Why'd you pick me?"

"'Cause..." Tails curled up even tighter, ears now flat against his skull, "'cause I...I've never done a pounce attack on you before an' so I thought it'd be easier to get you to chase me. I thought maybe I could outrun you too."

Sonic's jaw dropped. "You thought what? Oh man." He laughed, not unpleasantly. "Kiddo, there's nobody on this entire planet who can outrun me."

"I know. I didn't know who you were else I'd never have pounce attacked you, honest."

"That's what you call it?"

Tails nodded. "Uh huh. It's the on'y way I get anyone to play with me; jump on 'em and see if I can make 'em mad enough to chase me."

Sonic shook his head, grinning. "You must have some serious thrill issues, kid. What'd you do if one of them caught you?"

"Uh." Tails considered. "Well, I always been lucky so far, but I guess I'd be in trouble. C'n I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you really Sonic or jus' some guy in a costume?"

Sonic folded his arms. "Just some guy in a costume? You think I'm just some guy in a costume? Can you think of any reason why anyone would want to dress up like me?"

Tails blinked. "Well, sure; 'cause you're Sonic the hedgehog." He paused as this sank in for the first time, then his eyes lit up. "Yeah! You're Sonic the hedgehog an' you're here in Emerald Hill Zone...wow! I can't believe it, I've heard all about you! You an' Robotnik!"

A slight cloud seemed to cover Sonic's face at that.

"You have?" He sounded edgy, almost nervous, although he was striving to keep his voice light and pleasant. "What exactly have you heard?"

"Jus' how you managed to kick his butt all by yourself! Wow, that must've been real cool, huh Sonic?"

"Cool?" Sonic echoed. "Being outnumbered by hundreds to one, knowing that the only thing standing between you and death is your own agility and never knowing how someone's going to try to kill you this time, whether it's going to happen in an hour or a day or in the next ten seconds?" He shook his head. "I don't call that cool, kid; I call it mind-numbingly terrifying."

Tails didn't answer this, largely because he didn't fully understand it. Being a hero was cool, wasn't it? And stopping bad guys and saving the world...that was every kid's dream. Sonic didn't know how lucky he had it!

"Then again, you look like you've been in something of a battle yourself," Sonic added, then, when the fox looked bemused, added, "You got scratches all over you, and – no offence – but your fur's a little patchy."

"Huh? Oh, that. That's nothing, honest. Jus' where I got knocked in that pricklebush, 'sall."

"You were knocked into a pricklebush?" Sonic winced. The inch-long thorns were no joke, especially if they sank into your eyes. "Who by? Those jerks who were just here?"

Tails shook his head. "Uh uh. I dunno what happened 'cause I didn't see it but I was walking home through the forest down there—" he pointed carefully— "and something real fast zoomed by an' next thing I know I'm in a pricklebush."

Sonic froze, looking embarrassed. "Uh...was this some time last night? Earlyish, about half an hour or so before first moonrise?"

Tails nodded. "Uh huh. I'd jus'—" He broke off. He didn't want Sonic to know he'd been wishing on a star; the other kids had taunted him mercilessly about it. "I was jus' going home when something shot past an' whumped me into a pricklebush."

The hedgehog squirmed. "Yeah. Um...I, uh, I think that was me."

"It was?" Tails stared open mouthed at him. "Well...I guess it's okay, you didn't know I was there, right?"

"You're damn right I didn't...although I gotta wonder if you'd be so forgiving if I wasn't who I am."

"You're a hero, Sonic. You don't whump people on purpose, not 'less they deserve it. And you whump robots and ol' Robotnik, right?"

"Yeah." Something had happened; Sonic's face seemed to have stiffened and his voice was strained. "Yeah, I whump robots and Robotnik, as you put it."

"That's gotta be cool." Despite what Sonic had told him, Tails refused to believe that saving the world was anything other than a huge thrill ride. "An' everything that happened after you beat him as well, huh Sonic?"

Sonic shot him a look that, while not exactly cold, wasn't as friendly as normal.

"If I told you exactly what happened after I beat Robotnik, kid, you'd never believe me."

"You don't gotta tell me, Sonic, everyone knows what happened. You became a national hero and now everyone loves you. Well, everyone 'cept ol' Robotnik, but he shoulda thought of that before he decided to go all mean an' take over the world and junk."

"Yeah," Sonic said in desert tones. "Where does he get off?"

Tails fell back a pace, confused. This wasn't how Sonic was supposed to be.

"Sonic? Did I do something bad?"

It was with a supreme effort that Sonic managed to remind himself that this strange little two-tailed fox cub – whoever the hell he was – was too young to fully appreciate the sheer anguish the hedgehog had gone through in that terrible fight. He was probably too young to appreciate it even if he'd known the full story behind Robotnik, which Sonic was determined nobody ever would.

"No," he said aloud, and forced a smile that he hoped looked a hell of a lot more natural and relaxed than he felt. "You didn't do anything bad. I just...I don't wanna talk about it, okay?"

Tails frowned, puzzled, but nodded obediently. The last thing he wanted was to make Sonic mad; if the star had sent the hedgehog to be friends with him, he wasn't gonna throw the wish back in its face!

But...he'd still like to get Sonic's story from Sonic himself. Maybe if he was real careful or made Sonic happy, maybe then...

A small smile appeared on Tails' face. Yeah, and maybe then Sonic would let him stick around. That's what friends did, right? Stuck together?

Sonic shifted his weight. The kid had done nothing but stare at him with those huge blue eyes...and you'd have to be blind not to see the adulation in them, Sonic thought irritably and heaved a mental sigh. Jeez, would it be too much to ask for someone not to idolise me?

Abruptly, he turned and sped away. He wanted to work on the Tornado, work on it night and day until it was ready to fly. The sooner he could get out of this damn Zone, the better.

Okay, so that's another chapter done :) If you read, please review!