Hi again everyone. Since my last chapter, a few people have reviewed. Most of them believing that the story had ended and that was it…….BUT YOU ARE WRONG! HA HA HA!

Do you really think I would leave you hanging like that! Well, if you have read my other stories then maybe you would be right. But this is different-the story is just beginning!

Insert evil laugh here!

Oh yeah, there's a bit of detail in here regarding what happened to Tails whilst he was in Robotnik's 'care'. It's not toooooo nasty but I hope none of you are squeamish!

Chapter 12: Flash back to reality…

Bookshire came closer and walked past everyone towards Sonic and Tails and began removing the tubes from Tail's arms and neck. Nobody said a single word for about half an hour after Dr Bookshire had solemnly left. Sonic was still cradling Tails and stroking his forehead, the others just watched them.

"He's so peaceful now Sal..." Sonic said to the staring Sally, breaking the silence.

"Yes." Sally replied faintly. She was having trouble accepting what had just happened.

"Yes, he is" Bunnie also answered too stunned to say anything else.

Knuckles suddenly got up and ran from the room. As he went, the others noticed something small and shiny flashing in his hands. It looked like some sort of emerald...

"Where zee 'ell iz 'e goin'?" Antoine asked. He thought that Knuckles was being very disrespectful at a time like this.

"Be quiet Antoine, remember, Knuckles knows things that we don't so maybe there's something he's got to do." Rotor said. Antoine went silent.

"I gotta go now guys." Sonic told the group quietly as he began to stand up-Tails still in his arms. The remaining freedom fighters sat and watched Sonic leave with their heads hung. As soon as he and Tails' body had left the hut, Sally broke down. She was worried for Sonic. She didn't know what he was capable of at the moment. Tails meant everything to him-everyone knew that. She worried for his sanity.

"Lets leave Sonic alone for a while. Why don't we see what Knuckles is up to?" Rotor suggested. He felt really mixed up at the moment. He wanted to cry but he knew that that wouldn't help matters. It would only upset the others more. He decided that it would be best for them all to keep busy-they would have time to mourn once they had gotten over the initial shock of Tails' death.

Rotor got up to leave and the others followed slowly. Nobody spoke.

As she left, Sally sadly turned back and gazed at the room. The scene would haunt her forever. She looked at the blood stained bed-sheet, the six small chairs gathered around the bed, and finally the pillow, also stained a deep red shade from Tails' crimson tears. Sally shivered. She turned back and followed the others out of the hut. She decided then and there that, even though it sounded sick, she would allow no one to enter that room again. It was the last place Tails was ever seen alive and it should be kept preserved.

That was the way that Sally dealt with her grief.

Sonic on the other hand was dealing with his grief very differently. He had locked himself in his room some time ago along with Tails and shouted at anyone who knocked at the door. Several people along with Dr. Bookshire had tried to tempt him to come out. They had offered him food, shouting at him, and Bookshire had even tried to have a conversation with him through the door but nothing had seemed to work. Sonic totally refused to come out and by the third attempt at trying, Sonic was getting really annoyed.

"Why can't you just LEAVE US ALONE!" He screamed at the door.

"Sonic, everyone's worried about you. We just want to help." Amy Rose said. She had come over as quickly as she could as soon as she heard that Tails had been hurt but unfortunately, by the time she arrived, Tails had already gone.

"It would help a lot if you just left me and Tails ALONE." He said angrily. He waited for a moment and when he heard her footsteps slowly making their way away from his door, he calmed considerably.

"I know that I wasn't really the best at being a big brother Tails, but I just want you to know that I tried my best-I really did. I never meant anything to happen to you, I should have walked with you to the ring pool that day. I should have got to Robotropolis as soon as I found out you were there. I should have…" Sonic trailed off for a moment. He didn't know what else he should have done but he knew that he could have done something to stop all this from happening.

Tails was laid in his arms; Sonic was still cradling him like a baby and rocking him back and forth. They were both covered in blood but Sonic didn't notice it. To him, Tails just looked like he was sleeping.

"I'm so…so sorry little guy…I let you down didn't I?" He said as though he expected Tails to answer.

Silence…

By now, it was around 1am on the fourth day since Tails was captured. All of the freedom fighters, except Sonic and Tails of course, were sat in Sally's hut with Knuckles. They had found him out on the edge of the forest. He had been just sitting in the grass, crossed legged, watching the emerald that they thought they had seen him leave with. They convinced him to come inside where it was warmer and explain a bit more about how he knew what was happening to Tails.

"I told you already, it's what the Chaos emeralds DO." He said firmly. They had been quizzing him for some time and he was beginning to get irritated.

"Knuckles, I know this is just as hard for you as it is for us, but why don't you just explain from the start briefly what the situation is…" Sally asked him in a sort of strange pleading tone. Knuckles then realised that she was asking so many questions because she wanted something to take her mind off what had just happened. He decided to oblige.

"Right, like I already said, I was up on my island when Tails' emerald started flashing from red to orange. I went over to look at it and when I got there, there was a weird looking picture in it. It was kinda distorted but ya could still make out what was happening. Do you want me to tell ya what I saw?-It's not pretty…" Knuckles paused for a response. Sally thought about it for a moment and looked at the others. They each bowed their heads like they didn't want to be asked so Sally decided for them.

"Yes…I would like to know what happened-if it's not too upsetting for you Knuckles." She said. Knuckles thought that was quite considerate.

"O.k. then…" Knuckles started. He looked up as if he was trying to remember but really the image was stamped on his brain forever, he was just thinking of an appropriate way to describe it to them.

"First I saw Tails strapped into a chair. I couldn't see his face at first because he had his head hanging down in front of him. The room was nearly pitch black but for some reason I could still see him. He was crying really softly. Then a door at the side of the room opened. He didn't even look up. It was like he didn't even hear it or something. He just tried to wipe the tears away as best he could with his arms strapped down. I saw Snively and Mecha-Sonic come in. Snively stood about 4 feet away from Tails but Mecha went and stood in the shadows where Tails couldn't see him…

FLASHBACK

"Hello Mister 'I'm not going to tell anyone where Knothole is because Sonic doesn't want me to', how are you feeling?" Snively said sarcastically.

Tails looked up slowly at Snively. Knuckles then saw that he had been badly beaten and had a fresh cut on his forehead which looked sore. Tails bared his teeth and growled at Snively.

"Well, well, someone is feeling feisty today aren't they?" Snively mocked.

"Go kiss Buttnik's butt Slimely!" Tails growled.

"Now listen here you little freak!" Snively shouted right into Tails' face as he grabbed his chin, holding Tails' face close to his own. "I have a little surprise for you…"

END FLASHBACK

"-and then Slimely told Tails that they had captured Sonic and Robotocized him. For some reason, Tails believed him and started screaming for Sonic. Mecha then came out of the shadows and went over to Tails." Knuckles continued the story as he watched the others' jaw's drop. They couldn't believe that Snively could be so mean as to tell Tails that. If they thought it was bad so far, they're gonna flip by the time this story is done. Knuckles thought to himself before continuing.

FLASHBACK

"You see rodent, I'm telling the truth. Sonic now works for Robotnik. NOW TELL ME WHERE KNOTHOLE IS!" Snively demanded. Tails stared at Mecha Sonic in disbelief for what seemed like a long time.

Knuckles knew it was a trick and felt the anger building up inside him.

"I can't tell you, Sonic wouldn't want me to." Tails said quietly as he shook his head.

"Fine. As you wish my furry little freak." Snively said with a snort. He then turned to 'Sonic'. "You heard him Sonic!" He said and Mecha began to move towards Tails. Tails pressed his back against the chair as Mecha moved closer. He closed his eyes tightly and turned his head away, expecting to be beaten again. Instead, Mecha began untying the straps which pinned Tails to the chair and Tails looked up…

END FLASHBACK
"He actually thought that Mecha was going to save him. He believed that Mecha was really Sonic so much that he couldn't believe that he could be evil!" Knuckles said sadly.

"Maybe that's just what he wanted to believe." Rotor suggested. "I mean, he knows that once someone's been robotocized, they are just Buttnik's slaves."

"Mabeez you arez right…" Antoine slowly wondered.

"Anyway Knux, carry on darlin'." Bunnie said although she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.

"O.k." Knuckles replied. "Well, once Mecha had untied Tails, he started carrying him across the room. Tails was smiling coz he thought that 'Sonic' was going to take him home. Once Mecha had crossed the room, Tails saw a wooden table with more straps on it and realised what was happening. He started screaming and trying to get away but Mecha just held on to him tightly…"

FLASHBACK

"NO! DON'T DO THIS SONIC! PLEASE LET ME GO! PLEASE!" Tails screamed as he kept squirming but to no avail. Mecha put him on the table and held him down whilst Snively came over and began tying the new straps around Tails' arms and legs. Once they had done, they stepped back to make sure everything was secure.

"PLEASE SONIC! DON'T DO THIS! PLEASE!" Tails begged but Mecha Sonic said nothing.

"Ahh…how sweet! You actually thought that you were going to get rescued didn't you!" Snively said with a sneer.

As Mecha Sonic re-approached, Tails saw that he had picked up a large wooden pole, similar to a baseball bat…

END FLASHBACK

"Tails was goin' totally nuts by now. He was screamin' so loudly I thought he was going to throw a fit or somthin'. He was thrashin' around all over the table and kept banging his head on it-maybe he was trying to knock himself out again like he did before-but it didn't work. Mecha came over with this bat-thing and Snively asked Tails again to tell him where Knothole was. Tails jus' shouted at him to let him go so Mecha came over and hit his arm with the bat-it obviously broke his arm instantly. Tails went really quiet, he must have been shocked or something. He just stared at his arm with a weird look on his face. Snively kept asking where Knothole was and each time Tails said no so Mecha broke another arm or leg."

The freedom fighters jaw's had dropped even further by this time and Knuckles thought that Sally was going to faint or some thing.

"Do you really want me to carry on Sally?" He asked-it was his turn to be considerate.

"Um…well…yes but…maybe you could just give us the basics from now on…" She said. Her voice was shaking. She wondered how Knuckles could have seen all this and kept his sanity-never mind Tails.

Before Knuckles could continue, Tails' chaos emerald, which had been lying on the table in front of them all, began flashing like it had done before. Knuckles was totally stunned. The other freedom fighters noticed his expression.

"What's up Knux?" Bunnie asked worriedly.

"I don't believe it!" Knuckles said as he gazed into the Chaos emerald and smiled.

"WHAT! What don't you believe!" Rotor asked frustratedly.

"Do you not know?-If someone dies, their emerald stops glowing! So that means-" Knuckles was cut off.

"TAILS ISN'T DEAD!" They all gasped.

"But…we saw him." Bunnie said confused.

"I know but he must be with Aurora." Knuckles replied. This meant nothing to the others and he noticed their confused faces.

"I'll explain later…I gotta go-I'll be back soon!" Knuckles said as he began to race out of the door.

"What the hell just happened?" Rotor asked.

"I don't know Rotor, but it sounds pretty good to me!" Sally said. She felt apprehension and excitement at the same time.

"Lets tell Suga-hog!" Bunnie suggested.

"Maybe we shouldn't get his hopes up until we know for sure…" Sally said. None of those present knew of the state Sonic was in. Everyone who did know-which was most of the village, was in a state of panic. They all thought their hero had gone crazy!-Maybe they were right…

REVIEW NOW! Oh yeah thanx to Sonicrules 12 and Shade for reviewing pretty much every chapter so far. If anyone else has done that and I've not noticed, flame me for it now! Lol.