There was a sudden chill in the darkness, and a harsh wind. Sonic looked over to his side, and Tails was still there, to which he felt relief. He held the fox's hand tight when suddenly the light started to flood back; they seemed to be done teleporting. The cold stayed though, and in a moment it was easy to see why. Around them was a sea of white. Snow, and ice, and looking about it seemed like they were on the side of the volcano. They would have to move up the side, but it seemed that it wasn't too steep at this end, yet it was so far away.
Sonic looked down as he wrapped his arms around himself. It wasn't as cold here as it was in the Ice Cap Zone on the Floating Island, but it was freezing. The hedgehog noticed some tracks. His fox companion shivered heavily, "Sonic… I hate the snow." Sonic looked to the vulpine, and nodded. He knew Tails hated the snow, but it wasn't as bad as the hedgehog was to water. Probably the only thing the kit was really afraid of was lightning and thunder. Sonic couldn't blame him for not liking the snow, the fox was stranded in a snow storm when they were heading for the launch base back on the grounded Floating Island. They got separated and Sonic couldn't find him for the longest time. He could only imagine what the kit went through, and ever since the two-tailed fox had stayed clear of the white stuff must children would have been all over. Unfortunately, they couldn't avoid the snow this time; they'd have to follow the tracks in the snow in order to rescue the elders.
Tails shivered lightly as the two moved; the ice and cold washed over him, Sonic looked over to him and put an arm on his shoulder. "Don't worry big guy. We'll find them soon enough and then we can leave, I know you don't like the cold." He said wishing that he didn't have to drag his friend through this, but they couldn't let Robotnik get away… he knew that his bud could handle it, especially when there was someone in peril. Like Sonic could tolerate water if Sally was in trouble or he had a chance to stop this war once and for all, it was the same with Tails and snow.
The fox wraps his tails around himself and looks up to Sonic, he knew the only way to get his mind off the environment around him was to have a conversation with Sonic, and he knew exactly what to talk about. When Selim disappeared, everyone was sad; however it wasn't like a normal mourning, not like when Dr. Quack or the other Freedom Fighters died during the evacuation. It was an eerie silence, a shrouded mystery which seemed to encompass a lot of the silence. Maybe it was because that they had come close to dying themselves. Even himself, that white light that enveloped everything almost caught him, and Sonic would have went with him if it hadn't halted. Tails looked up to Selim, as a brother, and though he did take his Tornado, he did give it back. Sonic seemed to hate him, but when he died… he did seem kinda depressed. So he guessed it would be a good topic to take his mind off the cold and snow. "Sonic do you really think Selim… is dead?"
Sonic was amongst the few who could most acurrately answer that question. That bright light was Chaos Control, and Selim was not in this time anymore… the hedgehog hoped that the older Tails made it back to his time, knowing that he had succeeded in changing time for the better. They would never truly know what happened to Selim. Those that didn't know who he was or where he came from each had their own conclusions. Some had hoped that he was still alive, while others knew that getting the hopes up that someone was alive was usually just a cruel torture, so they said that he was dead. Sally, Knuckles, and himself followed those that said he was dead, just for simplicity's sake. They didn't need to get everyone worried about the possibility of time travel. It would be best that the ability of Chaos Control were kept secret, so it didn't fall into the wrong hands. He noticed that his little bud was looking up to him for an answer so he nodded. "Yeah, he was a great guy… I wish I hadn't been so mean to him. I didn't know…" He then caught himself as he realized he was about to say 'he was my best friend'.
"Know what Sonic?" Tails said as he frowned lightly.
The hedgehog thought for a second. "That he was real… I thought Robotnik was trying to get to me, but it turned out that my anger and blindness made me loose track of the real threat…" He stopped for a second, realizing what he just did. He did what he tried to avoid doing all of his life. Bearing his true feelings to the fox, all this time he showed him false confidence and now there was no taking it back.
Tails looked up at Sonic and nodded, it was strange hearing such seriousness from the hedgehog, such sincerity. "I didn't think there would be anyone like me out there. Life's so cruel, people are taken away so quickly, I never got a chance to know him…" He stops a minute as he thinks he hears something. "Sonic? You hear that?" The fox asks looking about.
Sonic stops walking and looks around. "What is it big guy?"
The fox doesn't respond, but peers into the distance. He then spotted a deep grey near the horizon. "Right there!" He cried as he pointed. He started running up to it, Sonic followed, noting that they were still following the trail. As they got closer they could make out what it was.
The young Miles took to the skies in order to obtain a better view. They both made out a robot heading for the volcano's crater with an elder in a glass cylinder on it's back. They both charged for the robot,
"Sonic, it's one of those birds, the robot has a Flicky!" The fox shouted down to his comrade.
"I see 'im big guy. He's not getting away." The hedgehog blasted forward.
The mountaintop being so windy caused the robot's sensors to be deaf to the approaching hedgehog, only when the creature was about five feet from it did the sound input pick up a threatening noise approaching from behind. The metal contraption was only able to turn half way around before the blue hedgehog smacked right into its side sending it flying a few feet.
When the robot came to rest in a nearby snow bank, Sonic stopped and his two-tailed friend landed next to him. The robot was quick to activate balance servos and stand up straight again, this time facing its opponents.
"Man, takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'." Sonic said with a smile… "Time to finish this off with a little spin and win."
Right before the hedgehog could take action, the robot lifted its arms, which form large hammers. The hedgehog had to laugh at that. "Yeah right, good luck hitting me with those monsters, bolt-brains."
It wasn't programmed to laugh, though if it could have let out even a chuckle it would have done so. Hitting the hedgehog was not his intension. As the wind blew across the snow a light blue could underneath the ice sheet where the creatures were standing. It swung its hammers with all of its might toward the ground.
Sonic instantly realized what was occurring as a cracking sound could be heard. They were on a frozen lake! He stood still as the cracks in the ice advanced upon them.
Tails seeing the predicament tried to start to fly, but found it was far too cold to lift off the ground without a little running start. As he stepped forward he slipped on the slick ice, falling on his stomach just as the ice around him shattered, he cried out for help as the ice slab started to tip under his weight and the fox slid into the water.
The hedgehog spun around quickly and then forgot about the robot as his friend was in trouble. He ran over, watching his footing on the ice, careful not to slip into the freezing water himself. The goon robot decided to make this distraction his get away, his mission was not to kill them, its primary objective was to get the elder to Snivley's base in the volcano.
The escaping robot was also not Sonic's main concern at the moment, his friend was far more important then any mission. Tails was holding on as best as he could his fingers were already numbing from the cold, he couldn't feel any of his limbs that were below the waters surface. He cried, the tears freezing in his fur about half way down his cheeks. As Sonic reached him he noted that there was solid ground right to the side of where the kit was clinging. This was a lucky break for the hedgehog, it would have been tricky to try and pull the kit out without slipping or falling in with the fox. He looks up quickly to see if the robot was still there, it was already gone, probably could move much faster when it needed to.
"Hang on big guy… I'll have you out in a Sonic-second." He says as he wraps his hand around the kit's arm. "Hold on to my arm if you can manage…" He instructed his friend.
Tails nodded weakly, his gloved hand wrapping around the hedgehog's wrist as best as it could. Sonic drew his weight back. The kitsune kicked his feet and waved his tails to help get him out of the water, though if they actually moved he didn't know because he couldn't feel them.
A few more tugs and the fox gradually got out of the freezing water, but he still could hardly move as the chilling wind blew down upon him. His entire body felt like it was freezing over. Sonic helped him up and looked concernedly at him. They had to get out of the cold, or Tails would come down with hypothermia.
"They said this was a volcano, so if we head to the top, it'll be warmer up there." He said, following the robots tracks as fast as he could. He didn't care that the robot was long gone with the elder. They could always rescue the bird later, right now Tails's life was the most imminent. Not only because it was his friend, also because it was the Freedom Fighter's code. 'Lives before mission', and 'A life in more imminent peril over those who'll be in peril later on'. Though he didn't pay attention to those rules that much, they were just guidelines anyway, even Sally had bent them sometimes. He usually got a kick when she did.
He looked into the distance and saw something rising on the horizon. It seemed to be a steam of some sort, like a mist, as he got closer he noted that there was looked like what seemed to be a pond. Tails was leaning on the hedgehog's shoulders, he wasn't talking much, which was not a good sign, the poor kit disliked ice enough and now this happens. The fox's eyes open as he is helped into what apparently looked like a hot spring of some kind. As the water washed over the fox, he felt his body at first become very numb at the sudden change in temperature. After a few second his body tingled as the feeling started to come back and the kit got used to the warmth. Sonic decided to take a break too; he would have to wait for tails to get better anyway.
The kit looked into the steaming water and sighed. "I'm sorry Sonic…" He said simply, looking very disappointed in himself.
Sonic shook his head. "No need to apologize Tails, we all get caught off our guard, just be glad we're ok."
"I blew it big time though," He said, apparently ignoring the hedgehog's attempt to forgive him. "Because of me, the elder was captured, and now who knows what's gonna happen to him."
Sonic nodded and smiled. "You're very noble little bro, but remember what we went over in our training? Us Freedom Fighters have to stick together, and I couldn't let anything happen to a fellow Freedom Fighter. Ol' Buttnik probably won't touch a feather on that bird's head, because he needs them alive to use in his plan."
Tails nodded. "I really hate the cold though…"
Sonic chuckled. "Yeah, we don't have to be in it much longer now I think."
The fox looked up the mountain side. "Aunt Sally told me that hot springs form from magma being just under the surface, means we must be close."
Sonic nodded in response. "See, where would I be without your smarts… I probably would have gotten lost back at the ruins."
Tails almost forgot about that, and he giggled. "Nah, I'm sure you would have found out eventually… I'm feeling better now, we should get moving, before old Robuttnik gets what he came for."
Sonic smiled climbing out of the springs. "Alright big guy, ready when you are."
As the young vulpine got out of the warm water, the hedgehog looked to the mountain's peak, around the rim there was no snow. What awaited them in that mountain? He knew it'd be a big mission, but with Tails here it wouldn't be a problem… unless his friend were to be captured, or come into peril again. For a moment he wished he had listened to Sal, maybe this mission should have been done solo. The risk was very great, but he wouldn't let anything happen to him. He had made a promise.
"Out of the freezer and into the oven it looks like Tails…." The hedgehog stated.
The fox nods. "Without even an opportunity to thaw."
But what the two friends didn't see as they made their way into toward the volcano was a spybot in the sky, watching them with great mallace.
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That's it for this update, this summer is coming to a close real fast. The next update will be 3 weeks from now on July 29th. Once again I thank you for all the support and honesty. There are alot of twists coming up shortly, just a warning.