Chapter 23: Flowers Blooming on the Island (Part 2)
"We're here!"
Tails carefully maneuvered the canoe to the side of a short dock sticking out from the island. He proceeded to pull some rope from his side and used it to tie the boat to the dock. With a tight pull, the orange kitsune ensured their ride was fully secured before pulling himself out of the boat. Finally, with a click of a remote, Helen's wheelchair was elevated to the level of the dock, allowing the young girl to safely roll out.
"We finally made it," Helen said with a smile. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." She peered at the lake, the fog too thick to see the other side whence they came, before turning around to observe the trail awaiting them. Unfortunately, however, the path was steep, a bit much for Helen to comfortably traverse.
"Need some help?" Tails asked as he gripped the handlebars of her wheelchair. She nodded with an even brighter smile than before. "Off we go!" The orange kitsune slowly pushed Helen's wheelchair back to solid ground.
"The trees…" Helen peered around once more, admiring the habitat as they made their way down the dirt trail, not a human or Mobian in sight. "It's exactly how I remember them." Signaling Tails to stop, the young girl reached her hand out, gently placing her palm on the bark of the nearest tree. "Can you feel it?"
"Feel what?" Tails asked as he studied her hand intently.
"Try it." The confused fox removed his right glove and placed his palm next to hers, feeling the rigid bark against his fingers. "It feels…natural. I feel life coursing through the tree's veins."
"I know what you mean," Tails replied as he peered up at the birds in the lush branches above. "This entire forest is full of life. Reminds me of home."
"What's your home like, Tails?" Helen asked as she removed her palm from the tree. Tails followed suit, putting his glove back on before pushing the wheelchair once more.
"In many respects, it's just like Earth," Tails replied. "The planet is similar, nearly identical, in size. Land masses are as well. The biggest difference is population."
"You see," Tails continued as he maneuvered around a puddle, "Mobius is full of life, both intelligent and wild. The foxes you see on Earth, for example, are like the ones on Mobius, except some of us, the "Mobians", resemble humans in intellect, self-awareness, and cognition, whereas the wild animals, or the "Mobini", are more akin to animals on Earth. The same is true for hedgehogs, alligators, rabbits, and so on." The orange kitsune paused to shield his eyes from the sun poking through the trees. "Unlike humans, whose population is in the billions and spans most of the planet, the Mobian population is much sparser. Sure, we have a few major cities, but many of us live in nature, away from suburbs and big urban centers. As a result, our environment is much better preserved than what we see on Earth." Tails chuckled. "Our biggest threat to the environment is Eggman!"
"Do you…" Helen brought a finger to her chin. "…do you like it here on Earth?"
"I do!" Tails replied with an enthusiastic nod. "Sure, I miss my home, but your planet has so much about it left undiscovered, and human society alone is fascinating to study." Tails nodded. "Did I mention your internet is hilarious? The memes on your planet are exquisite!" Tails and Helen laughed, their merry voices echoing through the trees.
"Well, do you think I could visit Mobius some day?"
"Great question…" Tails brought a gloved finger to his chin in thought. "The power of the Chaos Emeralds brought us to Earth in the first place, and their use scattered them around your planet. I'm sure the same thing will happen once we return to Mobius. Unless we create some sort of permanent bridge connecting Earth to Mobius, it wouldn't be very likely."
"But…but the tablet!" Helen exclaimed. "Didn't it connect with the Master Emerald?"
"By all accounts, yes," Tails replied. "The Master Emerald is so powerful that even its faintest signal can be detected here, although Knuckles is unable to feel it at all. Why do you ask?"
"It's just that…" Helen placed her hands on her legs, tugging at her skirt. "I'm…going to miss you guys, ya know?"
"We'll miss you too, Helen," Tails replied before stopping the wheelchair, stepping to her side, and placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be sure to have a lifetime's worth of fun while we're here, and if we can't return, we'll have our shared memories to cherish forever."
"That's true," Helen replied, a small smile returning to her face. "In speaking of memories…" The young girl gestured to the path ahead, the trees ending as the trail gave way to a majestic field of white flowers, sparkling in the shimmering sun.
The two absorbed the scenery in awe.
"Wow, you weren't kidding, Helen!" Tails stepped around her and slowly approached the edge of the path. Kneeling, he gently plucked a flower from the grass and brought it to his nose. Taking a whiff, the smile across his muzzle grew even wider. "Deeeelightful!" The orange kitsune pulled himself up and handed the flower to Helen, whose eyes were glistening in the sun as she, like Tails before, brought the plant to her nose.
"The smell is wonderful. This island is wonderful. Thanks for taking us here, Tails!" Helen cheered, tears of joy filling her eyes.
"That's what friends are for, right?" Tails replied with a wink.
"Yeah, I guess so." Helen winked in return, using her free hand to give the young fox a thumbs up.
"Hey, I think I see a little clearing up ahead!" Tails pointed up the path to reveal a patch of grass where the flowers weren't growing.
"I remember this spot," Helen brought a hand to her chin as Tails pushed her to their new destination, "this is where my parents and I picnicked."
"Sounds like the perfect place for us to have a snack too," Tails replied as he gently came to a stop. He unzipped the pockets on either side of Helen's wheelchair to find carefully prepared peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a bag of Doritos, chocolate chip cookies baked by Cream and Cheese, water bottles, and individually wrapped fruit cups.
"Ah yes, all the essential food groups," Helen commented as Tails pulled a foldable tray from the mesh pocket behind the chair, placing it on Helen's lap. The fox proceeded to neatly arrange her food, even opening her water bottle.
"Lunch…is served," Tails said with a bow.
"Tails the Fox? More like Tails the Butler." The two exchanged laughter before the human girl took her first bite out of her sandwich, the orange kitsune pulling a foldable stool from behind the wheelchair, allowing him to sit in comfort as the two enjoyed a nice, quiet luncheon. Only the sound of the light wind brushing over the flowers and birds chirping in the distance filled their ears.
Unfortunately, this experience did not last.
Tails' ears twitched as he heard the faint, unnatural and unmistakable sound of a helicopter in the distance.
"What's wrong, Tails?" Helen asked as she tilted her head in concern.
"We're not alone." Tails pulled himself up and jumped in the air, activating his rotary namesakes and leaving the young girl behind as he got high enough for a good vantage point. Bringing a hand over his brow to narrow his focus, the orange kitsune spotted three helicopters in the distance, all heading in his direction and flying too close to the ground to simply be passing over the island.
"Is everything okay?" Helen yelled from below. Slowing his namesakes, the fox descended back down to the ground.
"We've got company…appears to be military helicopters heading our way."
"What do they want with us?" Helen shifted her attention to the sky above, the military aircrafts now clearly in view.
"I don't know, but we'll soon find out." Tails stood by Helen as they watched the helicopters land.
"No, the flowers!" Helen watched in horror as the helicopter's landing skids damaged the plants. She didn't have much time to mourn the loss, however, as soldiers filed out, led by their senior commander and Mobian sidekick.
"Topaz? Rouge? What are you two doing here?" Tails asked as the two ladies approached them, soldiers forming a closer circle around the young fox and his human companion.
"We've been sent to find you and Sonic," Topaz replied. "By orders of the President of the United States, we have been asked to escort you to the White House for the gala."
"We already told you we weren't interested," Helen replied as she gripped her chair's handles. "Why did you come all the way here to search for us? And look what you did to the flowers!" The young girl pointed angrily at the nearest helicopter.
"Oh relax, will ya," Rouge replied as she folded her arms, "the flowers will return, but your chance at attending a presidential gala is once in a lifetime!"
"I don't care about your dumb gala," Helen replied as she gestured to Tails. "I just wanted to spend the afternoon with my friend."
"You know, girly girl," Rouge approached the young human with a smirk, "we've been tasked to complete this mission by any means necessary. Do you know what that means?"
"You're not going to try taking us by force, are you?" Tails asked as he created a shield between them.
"That depends, fox boy," Rouge replied as she got closer, leaning in so her lips were within inches of his ear, "if you come quietly, force won't be needed."
"W-what do we do?" Helen asked, her voice shaky as the soldiers went for their weapons.
"Are you guys serious?" Tails asked, stepping around the jewel thief and shifting his focus on the soldiers. "Just what is the president trying to accomplish here? I've studied the Constitution and contemporary American law, and this abduction is hardly legal."
"I know it seems a bit…sketch," Topaz replied, approaching the fox and dropping to a single knee, the two now on a similar level, "but the important thing here is to trust the president. I'm sure he has his reasons."
"Like an impending nuclear apocalypse?" Rouge asked with a smirk across her face.
"This is no time for jokes, Rouge," Topaz replied with a frown before shifting her focus once more to the orange kitsune. "We were not briefed on the circumstances surrounding the request. Just make this easier for everyone and come with us."
Sweat dripped from Tails' forehead as he pondered their options. He glanced at Helen from the corner of his eyes; her breathing was elevated, and her eyes were filled with tears.
"We may be partners in our fight against Eggman," Tails replied as he slowly reached a hand into his namesakes, "but that doesn't mean your leader can do whatever he wants with us."
"He's got a bomb!" A soldier from behind fired his automatic rifle within several feet of the fox's tails, causing him to drop a spherical device, now blinking red.
"Everyone, cover your ey—" Tails' warning was cut off as the smoke bomb detonated, surrounding the immediate area with a black veil, making it impossible to see. Coughing, Tails gripped the handlebars of Helen's wheelchair and ran through the humans, pushing over a soldier in the process who was experiencing a coughing fit.
"After them!" Topaz yelled as she finished collecting her bearings. As the smoke cleared, the soldiers ran off in multiple directions, Tails and Helen no longer in sight.
"Do you think we lost them?" Helen asked as the two hid behind trees on the other side of the flower clearing. Tails was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow as he studied the path behind.
"I think so," Tails replied, "but we shouldn't take any chances." The orange fox gripped the handlebars once more. "Are you ready, Helen?"
"Yeah," she replied. "Let's get out of here."
"Right." With a nod, Tails took off down the path once more, Helen gripping her handles as the kitsune studied the path through the trees surrounding them, looking for any contingency escape routes or places where soldiers may be hiding.
"You know," Helen said as she wiped her tears away and peered up at Tails, "I'm honest to God terrified right now…but the thrill…is indescribable. I'm almost having fun."
"I know what you mean," Tails replied with a chuckle as he dodged a puddle. "This is basically just a normal day for me and my friends back on Mobius, so I'm used t—hey, where's the bridge!?"
Tails skid to a stop, the wheelchair nearing the edge of a cliff.
"I've never come this far before," Helen replied. "How do you know a bridge is supposed to be here?"
"Google Maps," Tails said, "and these." He pointed to wooden stakes where the rope bridge was previously fastened. Across the divide were similar posts on the opposite side.
"Buckled in?" Tails asked.
"Yes, why do you a—"
The fox jumped up, his rotary namesakes spinning as he retained his grip on the handlebars of Helen's wheelchair. The two were now hovering in the air, with Helen staring directly at the ground.
"If you get scared, just close your eyes," Tails suggested as he flew forward.
"Okay!" Helen replied over the whooshing sound of the orange kitsune's namesakes. Of course, the apparent thrill-seeker did not follow this advice, taking in an aerial view of the water below, unphased by the steep fall.
"Woahh…we're…halfway…theeere." Sweat dripped from Tails' face as he clenched his teeth, his flight pattern unstable as he struggled to safely arrive to their destination.
"C'mon, Tails, you can do it!" Helen cheered from below. "Also don't drop me please, I'm pretty sure I'll die."
"I bet…not even…Team Rocket…could survive a…fall like that…" Tails' vision was blurred by the sweat dripping into his eyes, unable to wipe it away or risk dropping Helen to an untimely demise. His arms were sore, and his namesakes were getting tired, their rotations getting slower as his altitude started dropping.
"Ahhhhh!" With one final shout, Tails summoned from within a second wind, one which carried the two over the cliff's precipice. With his last reserve of energy, the fox gently brought the wheelchair back to the ground, ensuring it would land wheel-first, before ultimately collapsing next to the human girl.
"Tails, are you okay?" Helen asked as she watched the fox pant heavily, his face buried in the grass as his lungs rapidly filled and expelled air. His namesakes were drooped, and his arms and legs were sprawled out across the ground.
"Y-yeah…" Tails forced himself to roll over, eventually propping himself up with his hands. "Talk about exhilarating, huh?"
"I'll say!" Helen replied as the two shared a laugh.
"We're not out of the woods yet," Tails noted as he pulled himself off the ground completely. He pulled out his Miles Electric and brought it to the young girl. "See, we are riiiiight here." The fox pointed to the blip on the island map, a fissure dividing the land mass into two. "We started out on the other side of the island, but with that bridge out, the only way off is back the way we came, unless we find another mode of transportation."
"What do you suggest?" Helen asked as she brought a finger to her chin in thought.
"I suggest hiding overnight," Tails replied. "I can construct a makeshift, camouflage tent using twigs and leaves. That should protect us from the cold and keep the soldiers from finding us, assuming they'd even make it this far." The fox zoomed in on the map to reveal the foliage covering the island. "There are no good places for a helicopter to land, so they would need to repel individual soldiers from high up. They would have to bring in a lot of people to make a search successful, so if I start building a shelter now, we should have a good chance of evading their detection."
"A decent plan…"
Tails and Helen peered around, but by the time Rouge made her physical presence known, it was too late.
The jewel thief swooped down from above, kicking Tails in the back of the head and sending him rolling toward a nearby tree, colliding with its trunk seconds later.
"Tails!" Helen rolled to the fox's side. Black X shapes appeared across his eyes, and his tongue was sticking out of his mouth. "Tails, are you okay?"
The orange kitsune slowly opened his eyes, shaking the flickies from his vision before pulling himself up, only to drop down to one knee as he clutched the back of his head, moaning in pain. "Y-yeah, I'm alright." Finally returning to his feet, Tails was met by the sight of Rouge towering over him from above, her hands on her hips.
"Pathetic. I thought you'd be more of a challenge, but I guess you'd rather work on your airplane than develop your fighting skills."
"Hey, that's not fair," Helen replied angrily, her hands balled into fists. "Tails was exhausted after flying me over here. I'm sure he could easily take you down in a fair fight."
"Listen here, hon…" Rouge approached the fox once more, but her words still focused on the human child. "You know firsthand the world isn't fair. The only way to get ahead is by overcoming the odds through any means necessary." The bat charged a swiping kick, but instead of colliding with Tails' legs, the agile fox jumped back, his feet contacting the tree, giving him a surface to propel himself against. The plan to execute a retaliatory kick to Rouge's face, however, was swiftly deflected by the bat's effortless block.
"My my, I see you've made a quick recovery." Rouge chuckled as she bent her legs and readied her arms. "Perhaps I've underestimated you."
"You wouldn't be the first." Tails readied himself as well, his namesakes fluttering from behind as he searched for a way to undermine the bat's defenses. Rouge seemed to be doing the same, the two locking eyes, staring each other down as the tension in the air thickened.
"Hey guys, what's happenin'?"
This broke Tails and Rouge's concentration; the two looked up to find Sonic casually resting on a tree branch.
"Sonic? What are you doing here?" Tails asked.
"I came here to find ya, lil' bro." The blue hedgehog jumped from the branch, landing within feet of the orange kitsune. "I was chillin' on the dock when I noticed the helicopters hot on your trail."
"But how did you even get here?" Helen asked. "You didn't have a boat, and you can't swim either."
"I didn't like it, but…" The blue hedgehog shivered. "I ran across the water and made it to the island no sweat. My shoes are still soaked, though…" Sonic raised one knee, raising the soles of his shoes for the group to see. "I'll have to dry these out when we get back to Helen's place."
Rouge stepped back, scoffing under her breath as she maintained her fighting stance.
"Why the long face, Rouge?" Sonic asked. "Aren't we on the same side here?"
"Rouge was trying to force us to go to that presidential gala," Tails replied.
"Did you tell her earlier you didn't wanna go?" Sonic brought his hands to his hips.
"Exactly!" Helen replied. "I don't understand what was going through the president's head."
"Quite frankly, I don't know what's going through your heads," Rouge complained. "Why don't you want to go anyway? I get you wanted to see the flowers, Helen, but they'll always be here."
"I know," Helen replied, "but I don't know when I'll be able to come back next, and Tails won't be around forever…"
"It's okay, Helen," Tails placed a hand on her shoulder, "you don't need to explain."
The sound of helicopter blades quickly descended upon the group.
"If you don't decide soon," Rouge replied, "you'll need to explain to human authorities why you disobeyed a presidential command." The helicopter continued its descent, now hovering near the cliff's precipice.
Sonic took immediate action, spindashing through the passenger door of the helicopter.
"Hey, what the he—"
"Oh relax, will ya?" Sonic replied to the pilot as he pointed to the cargo area in the back, where anxious soldiers watched the scene unfold. The pilot got the message, fleeing to the back with his colleagues. "Hey Tails, wanna keep this bird steady before we crash?"
"Oh, right!" Tails quickly dove into the helicopter as well, crawling over Sonic to find himself in the pilot's chair. Using the cyclic stick, the orange kitsune steadied the helicopter. "Now what?"
"Turn the 'copter 90 degrees so everyone else can get on." Doing as he was told, Tails swiveled the helicopter and opened the hatch in the back. Sonic whistled from the passenger seat, signaling to Rouge and Helen that it was time to go. Helen eagerly rolled into the helicopter's cargo compartment, despite the considerable gap between the aircraft and the precipice that would've made anyone queasy. She was followed by Rouge, who nonchalantly took her seat next to Topaz.
"Hey there, sweetie," the jewel thief greeted.
"Just what is going on here?" Topaz asked.
"We'll give ya what you want," Sonic replied through the intercom. "We'll even take over piloting duty. Tails, to the White House!"
"Roger." The young fox nodded as he increased the helicopter's altitude. Tipping the cyclic stick forward, the crew of confused soldiers and savvy Mobians made their departure, leaving the flower island behind.
"Well, this party's officially a bust," Amy complained as she poked at an olive on her plate, sitting at a table in the corner of the presidential gala. She was dressed in a pink dress and covered expertly in make-up.
"I think the party is just lovely, even without Sonic and Tails," Cream opined from her side, "right, Cheese?"
"Chao, chao!" Cream's faithful companion sat in an elevated baby seat as they nibbled on the last of a brownie.
"The media doesn't seem super enthusiastic," Chuck commented as he watched a line of reporters and camera operators nearly falling asleep at a long table across the room.
"Who wants more booze?!" A man in a business suit, with disheveled hair normally parted, was carrying a large bottle of wine, a sight which caught the attention of the tired reporters. They all raised their empty glasses, nodding happily as they received another serving of alcohol.
"What's taking the military so long?" Jerome asked himself as he finished filling the reporters' cups. "I sent in more than enough soldiers to apprehend that little hedgehog and his foxy friend. Now this party's looking like a failure, and the president's approval ratings are going to sink even lower." The advisor lamented the mental images of news headlines poking fun at the commander-in-chief for hosting a gala for well-revered guests who didn't even bother to attend.
Setting the empty wine bottle on a vacant table, he approached the president, who was casually conversing with a wealthy individual wearing a top hat and a monocle.
"Mr. President, sorry to interrupt, bu—"
"Can't you see I'm busy entertaining our esteemed guests?" Michael replied before turning his attention back to the guy who looked like the Monopoly Man. "Sorry about that. Now where were we? Ah yes, the new billionaire tax cut you were proposing…" The two continued their conversation, stepping away from the frustrated advisor.
"Gahhh, at this rate, this gala will just be a gathering of rich people! Where is Sonic when you need him?" Peering around the room, he nearly missed the sight of the blue hedgehog himself at the front door, accompanied by his two-tailed brother, Helen, Rouge, Topaz, and a group of soldiers. "Sonic, you're here!" Jerome cried, bursting through a small group of wealthy aristocrats and aggressively shaking his hand. "Come, come, the president is right over here." Jerome yanked Sonic away, dragging him by the arm as he shoved the Monopoly Man away and replaced him with the blue blur.
"Now I just gotta get the press!" Jerome ran over to the journalists' table and gasped; their faces were flush red, and they were down for the count, too inebriated to perform any sort of reporting, let alone getting a good shot of Sonic and Michael shaking hands.
"Damn it all!" Jerome returned to the president and pulled out his cell phone. "If you want a job done right, you have to do it yourself." The advisor rolled on the floor and prepared an action shot as Sonic and Michael watched dumbfoundedly.
"Is…this guy always like that?" Sonic asked.
"He's…just a bit passionate about his job is all," Michael replied with a chuckle, wiping away the cartoonishly large sweat droplet covering the side of his face. "Now, anyway, Sonic: it's an honor to finally meet you." The president extended his arm out. Sonic returned the shake, firmly clasping the commander-in-chief's hand.
"Yes, yes, yes! These are good, yes!" Jerome took several pictures, rolling every few seconds to cover different perspectives like a cross between a gymnast and celebrity paparazzo.
"Perhaps we could offer you and your friends some gourmet food?" Michael offered, gesturing his arm to a half-picked buffet table.
"Fancy food isn't really my jam, Prez. Besides, I wanted to have a little chat about the military trying to kidnap us and about that Area 99 business!" The president stepped back in surprise as Sonic wore a serious frown with a furrowed brow, but the unforgettable smell of something absolutely delightful caught the blue blur's attention, transforming his demeanor instantaneously. He took a few long sniffs. "Although…if that's what I think it is…" Sonic ran toward the table and removed the metal cover from a heated plate full of freshly made chili dogs. "I think the conversation can wait!"
"We saved them all for you and your friends!" Michael replied. "Help yourself!"
"Will do, chief!" Throwing the cover to the side, the blue blur grabbed two handfuls of hotdogs and started devouring them as the gang laughed, soon joining him for a feast fit for a hedgehog.
"I think that's enough pictures for today!" Jerome declared as he opened Facebook. "Now I just gotta post these on social media, and then we'll be good to g—" He was startled as he felt a tug at his pant leg, causing him to drop his iPhone, shattering into pieces the moment it collided with the floor below.
"Excuse me, mister," Cream said, "I just wanna say you hosted a fantastic party!"
"Chao, chao!" Cheese added from atop her head.
"You absolute moron!" Jerome shoved Cream aside to scoop up the remaining pieces of his $1,000 cell phone. "God I fuckin' hate children…" The advisor ran out of the gala in the hopes his tech wizard contact could extract the photos from his phone.
"What…did I do?" Cream asked Cheese, who simply shrugged their shoulders in return.
That about wraps it up! I hope you enjoyed this twist on the classic Sonic X episode. It's no surprise that the episode this took inspiration from is among the fanbases' favorites in the entire anime, and it certainly played a big role in my decision to make Helen the primary human protagonist in A Bridge Between Worlds. Helen's such a wholesome character, and this episode cemented that fact. I hope the last two chapters, as well as the rest of the story, were able to do her justice.
Feel free to share your thoughts in a review or DM! I'm always happy to hear any feedback, positive or critical, and I'll see ya in the next one!